Page 43

CHAPTER 43

R aven jerked her eyes open as she swayed back and forth.

Swayed back and forth? Her head swam as she fought to make her gaze come into focus.

Her mouth felt dry and her tongue thick.

What she wouldn’t do for some water.

But water was the least of her problems at the moment.

Everything—including her thoughts—were blurred.

Then all at once, memories hit her. With jarring accuracy, she remembered being trapped in that walk-in freezer. The man opening the door. Tasing Jake. Then grabbing her.

Then . . .

She didn’t want to finish the thought.

The warehouse had exploded with Jake inside.

A cry caught in her throat, and tears pressed at her eyes.

No, that couldn’t have happened.

But she’d seen it with her own eyes. There was no way Jake had been able to survive that.

Shortly after, she’d been injected with something.

Then everything had gone black.

Now she was here.

She blinked a few more times until her surroundings came into focus.

But seeing where she was didn’t help clear up her confusion.

She appeared to be tied to a post of some sort in a dark room.

She tugged at her arms, knowing they were tied behind her. She tried anyway.

She guessed zip ties bound her wrists.

She didn’t see any way she would get out of these, despite the ache in her arms at the uncomfortable position.

Had these people taken her to another cabin? Or cottage?

She didn’t think so. Something felt different.

Then she remembered the swaying motion.

Was the feeling because of the drugs she’d been given? Were they still wearing off?

They probably were still wearing off. But she didn’t think that was what caused her confusion.

This room really was jostling back and forth.

Raven sucked in a breath. She was on a boat, she realized.

She closed her eyes a minute, listening for any sounds to give her more clues.

That was when footsteps sounded above her. Lots of footsteps.

If she wasn’t mistaken, these weren’t the footsteps of a crew hurrying back and forth. No, the motions felt more leisurely.

She forced her eyes back open and gazed around the room again.

Gleaming stainless-steel pipes ran alongside meticulously labeled control panels, while enormous marine diesel engines dominated the space. The room was surprisingly clean, with polished floors and dim lighting that illuminated an array of generators, water makers, air conditioning systems, and stabilizers.

She was in the engine room of some type of large boat—most likely used for entertaining—and she’d been tied up below deck.

She craned her neck to see what might be behind her.

That was when her eyes widened.

Because what was behind her was unmistakably . . . a bomb.

Jake felt the blast.

Felt the heat.

Heard the explosion.

He felt his body jostling—flying through the air as a ball of fire surrounded him.

He was certain this would be the last thing that ever happened to him.

Then he’d hit the ground.

At least, that was what he thought.

He moaned as pain captured his body.

He blinked as he tried to comprehend what had happened.

The all too familiar smell of smoke and something burning surrounded him.

He moaned again as he tried to move.

That was when he realized where he was.

In the walk-in freezer.

Except it had been blown . . . somewhere.

However, the thick walls had kept him safe from the blast.

But he had to get out of here.

He tried to move his arm. It took several seconds until he was actually able to.

Then he heard a new sound.

Were those . . . sirens?

Someone must have heard the blast and called 911.

He had to get out of here.

He glanced around and saw that the door to the freezer had fallen open.

Slowly, he began to crawl toward the exit.

This would have to work until he regained all his movement.

By the time he reached the door, he nearly collapsed onto the grass outside.

He was alive.

He was free.

But where was Raven?

He glanced around. Just as he thought, she was gone.

But where?

Using all his strength he pulled himself to his feet.

Just as he staggered forward, two police cars and a fire truck pulled onto the scene, followed by two other vehicles.

A few seconds later, Ty, Colton, and Cassidy met him.

Cassidy reached him first, urgency stretching through her gaze. “Are you okay?”

Jake nodded, still dazed but okay. “I’m fine, but Raven is gone. I don’t know how much time has passed exactly, but she could be anywhere by now.”

“What just happened?” Ty asked.

Jake told them the story.

“You should be seen by a paramedic,” Cassidy said.

“Don’t worry about me,” he insisted. “We’ve got to find Raven.”

“Do you think she’s still on the island?” Ty asked.

Jake offered a stiff shrug. “It’s anyone’s guess at this point.”

Cassidy glanced back at her officers as they searched the rubble. “Maybe we’ll find a clue.”

“I doubt there will be any.” Jake scowled. “Someone lured us out here in order to do this. They had it planned from the beginning.”

Ty shifted. “It sounds personal.”

“I have a feeling it is personal.” Jake paused, trying to maintain control of his emotions. “We’ve got to find her.”

“We’re going to do everything we can to do just that,” Colton assured him. “We just need to figure out where to start.”