Page 30 of Hearts on the Line (The Maverick Key #1)
Scott
Margaret’s voice cuts through the howling wind, her silhouette brightened by a flash of lightning. “We’ve got an emergency.”
I stride toward her without hesitation, pushing the chaos of the lingering storm to the edges of my mind. Maddie starts toward me, and I gesture for her to stay on the porch, reassuring her that I’ll be fine.
“What’s going on?”
Margaret pushes her drenched hair away from her face, her expression grim.
“The Coast Guard called. We have two divers, Miguel Rivera and Josh Lanning, who didn’t leave Coral Fang Reef before the storm hit.
Miguel sent a distress call. Josh is trapped.
The connection was garbled, so the details were unclear. Neither has surfaced.”
The news hit me like a punch to the gut. I know both men. And they’re young. I grit my teeth against the mounting tension in my chest. “Where’s the Coast Guard now?”
“They’re coordinating the rescue effort. We need to get to the docks and join them.”
The front door creaks open and Wes steps outside. He greets Maddie before walking over to Margaret and me.
“I got the call,” Wes says, his voice steady and grave.
“Let’s go. There’s not much time.” I glance back at Maddie, her frightened eyes locked on us, and wave goodbye.
The docks are in chaos, with the storm’s aftermath amplifying every frantic movement and shouted command. Coast Guard officers call out orders over the wind, their voices barely audible above the engine. Men hurry to load gear onto the boat, their faces tense with focus.
Margaret and I board the boat and join a cluster of people huddled around a folding table where the rescue commander outlines the plan. A map of Coral Fang Reef lies pinned beneath waterlogged clipboards, its jagged edges illuminated by a swinging overhead light. The boat takes off.
“The storm has created some dangerous currents,” the commander says, pointing to a mark on the map.
“Miguel’s distress call places him approximately at this location.
Josh was trapped near this location. We need two teams—one for Miguel and the other to search for Josh.
Visibility is near zero. This won’t be easy. ”
I step forward, scanning the map. Miguel’s location is a particularly treacherous spot on the reef. “I’ll take Miguel’s location. My team will get him out.” I look at Wes. “Do you have enough men to get to Josh?”
He tightens his gear, his jaw set with determination. “We’ll find him.”
“If you find them alive, signal us right away. We’ll send backup if it’s needed,” the commander says. We get ready to dive.
Sliding into the inky, chaotic void, I push down the dread I’ve allowed to sink into my thoughts.
The conditions are bad. Ocean water churns around me, debris of all kinds swirling through the unpredictable currents.
My flashlight casts a narrow beam through the darkness, illuminating jagged coral formations.
“Stay sharp.” The steady hiss of my regulator is loud in my ears. “Miguel’s somewhere in this mess.”
“Copy that,” Liam’s voice crackles back—his dive light bobs ahead, carving a path through the murk.
Minutes stretch before Jamie’s voice breaks the silence. “Movement. Nine o’clock, low.”
I swing my light, and relief floods me as I spot Miguel. He’s tangled in debris, his movements sluggish. But he’s alive. Panic flickers in his wide eyes as I approach.
“Liam, secure the tether line. Jamie, clear the coral.”
Miguel’s breathing is frantic as I offer him my emergency octopus regulator. “Breathe slow.” I keep my voice steady. “We’ve got you, Miguel. You’re safe.”
His gasps begin to even out as Jamie dislodges the last of the coral. “He’s free,” Jamie announces.
Together, we stabilize Miguel and begin the ascent.
Every second is like an eternity, the weight of the unforgiving waters pressing down on us.
When we break through the surface, the Coast Guard boat awaits us.
Hands pull Miguel aboard, wrapping him in a thermal blanket as he shivers, his wide eyes darting between the divers.
Back at the docks, the storm’s chaos has subdued. Miguel holds onto his wife, her sobs muffled against his shoulder, but the dark expressions of Wes’s returning crew bring sad news for Josh’s loved ones.
I stand silently as the stretcher is brought ashore, the draped blanket concealing the form beneath it.
Josh’s father breaks away from the gathered crowd, his anguished cry piercing through the rain as he collapses beside the body.
My throat tightens, his pain burrowing deep into my chest. I catch Wes’s gaze. He looks down.
Maddie waits for me at the edge of the dock with her arms wrapped tightly around herself. Her eyes shine with unshed tears, and her face crumples with relief when I approach.
“You’re okay,” she whispers, her voice trembling as she steps closer.
“Yeah.” I exhale, exhausted. “We got Miguel out.”
She wraps her arms around me, holding me tightly. I sink into her warmth.
When she pulls back, her desert brown eyes search mine. “And Josh?”
I’m unable to find the words.
Her expression turns to sorrow. “You did everything you could.”
I want to tell her it doesn’t feel like enough, but the conviction in her eyes stops me. She rests a hand gently on my cheek. I lean into her touch, drawing strength from her.
“Come on.” She takes my hand. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”