Page 109 of No One Aboard

Call sign: Minnow

Day 10 at Sea

“Oh my God, oh my God,” Lila repeated over and over in a frantic loop as she and Rylan fought their way to midships. If Rylan had the power to speak, he would have sounded similar, but as it was, his shock replayed images inside his mind instead of words.

Tia pushed Nico.

Tia killed Nico.

Tia left the message to run.

The inflatable life raft was packaged and stored by the hatch to the salon. Rylan stared at it, unable to move, even though he knew he had to get out. Tia was still in the cockpit, yelling, it seemed, at Francis as they wrestled for control of the wheel. What did Tia know that he didn’t?

To Rylan’s surprise, Lila dropped down on deck and started to unlash the life raft and lower it into the water. She yanked on a line with surprising strength, and an orange octagonal boat unfolded beneath them. Rylan lost his nerve immediately. Already the mammoth waves around them were sendingThe Old Eileensoaring. He couldn’t imagine facing this storm in a tiny tent-like raft that looked more like an inner tube than a safety vessel.

“We have to hurry,” Lila urged Rylan, heaving the raft toward the side of the ship.

“What’s going on?” he said, but not loudly enough to be heard over the tempest. He shouted again, “Mom! What’s going on?”

Lila clenched her fingers around his wrist and looked at his watch. “Six minutes to midnight, Rylan.”

Six minutes to his birthday. But what did that matter now?

“We can’t go out in this storm!” he cried. Water sprayed into his face, and he wiped his eyes madly to regain his vision. “We’ll die!”

“We can’t stay here!” she yelled back, dragging the raft to the railing. “The ship is going to sink!”

How did Lila know about the bomb? His seasickness waxed, and Rylan grabbed the railing and vomited over the side of the ship. Here at the edge, he could feel just how much she was dipping and bucking. His whole body quaked.

Lila yelled for him to get ready. But he wasn’t ready. How could he be? Everything was happening so fast.

“No,” he muttered, then raised his voice. “No! We can’t leave Tia and Dad!”

Lila’s hair dripped in pale tendrils around her face. She shook her head. “After everything he’s done to you?”

Rylan winced at a deafening crack of thunder. “I won’t leave Tia!”

Lila reached out to Rylan and cupped his face in her clammy hands, her fingers like tentacles.

“Oh, my love,” Lila pressed her forehead against his. “Didn’t you see? They’re the same.”

She was holding the tether that connected the raft to the ship. She pulled it taut, as close as she could get it.

“Jump, Rylan!” she told him, but he couldn’t. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t.

Didn’t you see? They’re the same...

Tia had pushed Nico over the side of the ship. She knew he couldn’t survive in this storm. And a year ago she had pushed Francis as well. But it had been to protectRylan. And that’s all she was doing now. Protecting him. She must have had a good reason for Nico...

Tears and rain flowed down Rylan’s cheeks, and he hiccupped back a sob.

Why are you trying to force this with me, this killer instinct? Why not Tia?

Because... she already has it.

“Rylan!” Lila tugged at his arm. “Three minutes!”

Was Alejandro going to light the bomb at midnight? Maybe there was some kind of timer that would set it off? Rylan didn’t know how it worked. He didn’t know anything apparently, couldn’t make sense of his sister or his mother or his father or this storm.