Page 87 of Storm and Tempest

Ramon nearly knocked Zeyla over getting by her to Maizie and Jax’s father. He spoke to her in Spanish and helped her slide onto the dinette seat. The young woman had paled.

Meanwhile, his father backed up to stand by the door. “What did I do?”

Jax shook his head. “We’re all tense and on edge right now. Don’t worry about it.”

“Sorry,” Maizie said. “I’m fine.”

Ramon flinched. “You don’t apologize. Ever.”

Jax wasn’t sure that worked ineverysituation, but right now he’d have to say he agreed with the sentiment in general. He squeezed his eyes shut for a second.

“I have it.” Zeyla held out the phone. She’d taken Ramon’s seat in the front and now looked at the Hispanic man with a curious expression on her face.

Jax looked out the windows. “Ramon, check out the back. Make sure no one is behind us.”

“Got it.” Ramon shot Jax’s father a look, then went to the bedroom in the rear.

Maizie said, “I can turn the cameras on. We’ll know if someone approaches on foot, but it won’t help us see a vehicle.You have to be within a couple of feet of the rig for the sensor to turn on.”

Jax nodded. “Get it activated, Maze.”

“You’re stalling.”

He looked at Zeyla. “Because I don’t want to see her like this. Whatever it is.”

“It’s proof of life, right?” Zeyla said. “So, no matter what, you know she’s there for you to rescue. She’salive.”

Jax looked down at the screen. The dark image looked gray and grainy like surveillance video. He didn’t think this was some kind of plea from Kenna, like a hostage video or the kind where someone confessed to crimes they were forced to take credit for.

He tapped Play.

A door opened on one side of the view, and he realized rain streamed from the sky. Someone in a dark jacket, bare legs and bare feet under it, darted out of the door onto the walkway. Barely an aisle, before there was a railing.

His whole world tunneled, and it was just him and Kenna, making a run for it along the railing.

Someone in dark clothing and carrying a rifle followed her, and another person with a weapon approached from the other side. She climbed up onto the railing as if intending to jump. Beyond it was only black, like the night sky.

His breath caught in his throat.

Jax’s father came over. He put his hand on Jax’s shoulder, but he shrugged off the old man and kept watching.

The two men dragged Kenna down off the rail, and she fell to her back. The coat fell open, and he strained his gaze, trying to see a bump on her abdomen.

“It might be too early to see,” Zeyla said quietly. “But she’s alive.”

The video stopped and text showed on the screen.

You’ll never find her.

Jax watched it two more times. He wanted to lock himself in the back room and cry for an hour. Just break down and lose it, seeing his wife in that situation. Knowing she wanted to escape, but in the end had no way to get free.

His father stayed where he was, by Jax’s side.

Maizie sniffed. Ramon came back in from the bedroom where he’d been looking out the back window, and they spoke low to each other. Jax figured if there was a reason to tear out of here in a hurry, then his friend would tell him to put the phone down and do that.

Jax pulled in a choppy breath and pushed it out slowly.

Staring at the screen.