Page 42 of River

I did not doubt that River was searching for me. Because I knew he loved me as much as I loved him. Please, God, don’t let this evil woman win.

The raft rocked violently in the waves. I hurried to put on one of the life jackets, strapping the second one around my waist, I took a drink of water And a bite of jerky; I didn’t want to think about what it was made of or where it’s been. I didn’t give a damn. I was going to survive.

Hours later, I was vomiting. I didn’t know if it was the rocking or the jerky; I was just glad when it stopped. The ocean calmed somewhat when the sun came up, and I fell asleep.

When I woke, it was scorching hot. I grabbed the coat, ducked it into the ocean to remove some of the smell, and then let it dry. I ate half a jerky and two drinks of water. I needed something to help me move this yellow tub. If I see something floating by, I’ll grab it.

Three days passed, I felt like I was floating in circles. All I could see was endless water. I was too afraid to eat or drink more than once a day, worried that I’d run out of supplies.

Out of nowhere, I saw giant whales swimming next to me. I was in awe of their size. One of them swam beneath me, nudging the raft. Fear gripped me—what if they tipped me over? Then, a baby whale appeared and spit three fish into my raft before swimming away.

I looked up at the sky. “Thank you,” I shouted.

I glanced at the fish, unsure of how to eat them. I used the buckle in my belt to peel back the skin to access the meat. I never thought I would ever be in a raft in the middle of the ocean, eating raw fish that a baby whale gave me. But I would do what I could to survive.

23

River

We were standingon the docks when the freight ship, the same one that had left San Diego, finally pulled in. I counted five crates being unloaded. As soon as they touched the ground, we made our move. Two men disembarked, scanning the area like they were waiting for someone.

I didn’t waste time. I walked straight up to them. “Where is she?” I demanded. They played dumb, pretending they had no idea what I was talking about, but I could tell they were lying. I glanced at Cyclone. “Open every crate.”

Gage and I had already disarmed the men, each of us holding one under control. As Cyclone pried open the second freight container, Oliver called out to me. I rushed over—it was empty, but a single house shoe lay in the corner. It was hers. My stomach twisted, and my anger flared. Clenching the shoe in my hand, I delivered a hard punch to the man's gut.

“You’ve got two seconds to tell me where she is!? I yelled in his face. The fool tried to back away, but Gage tightened his grip.

“I don’t know what you're talking about!” the manprotested, but I knocked his front teeth out with another punch before he could finish. I turned to Gage. “You and Raven—find the captain before he leaves this dock.”

As I looked back, Cyclone approached. “Found this in his pocket,” he said, holding out his hand. “Had to break his fingers to get it.”

In his palm was Kat’s wedding ring. She hadn’t worn it since we found out her husband died—it had to have been taken from her bedroom. My blood boiled. “Kill him,” I said coldly.

The man started babbling, desperate. “It wasn’t me! Amon threw her overboard. I didn’t want her dead, but our leader…she ordered it. Said the lady was a trap for you.”

Just then, Gage shoved the captain into the freight container. “What’s going on here?” the captain demanded.

“These two kidnapped my wife,” I growled. “They kept her chained in this container since you left San Diego, then threw her into the ocean. How much did they pay you to look the other way?"

The captain shook his head, wide-eyed. “I didn’t know what they were doing. They paid for their passage, and that’s all I knew. But I did notice one of our life rafts went missing.”

I turned to Amon. He was sweating now. “I was supposed to kill her,” he stammered. “But I lowered her down in a raft instead.”

“When did you lower her in the raft?” I demanded.

“Four days ago.”

The captain's face went pale. “Four days ago?” he asked. “She won’t survive out there. A raft that small—she’s as good as dead. The waves would’ve flipped it in no time.”

“Thanks for your help, Captain. The authorities willwant to hear your story,” I said. “You’re free to return to your ship.”

As soon as the captain was out of earshot, Cyclone ended the man's life he was holding. I stared at the knife in my hand—Amon’s knife—and without hesitation, I plunged it into him.

“We need to find her. Where could she be?” I demanded, my voice breaking with urgency. “We need a helicopter.”

“I’ve already called for one,” Oliver replied. “It’s coming from the American Embassy. Should be here in an hour. What do we do with these bodies?”

“Lock them in the freight. Let them rot in hell.”

---