Page 74 of Extraction

“It’s okay, sweet boy.” Nicole gently rocked him as he held on to her for dear life. “I’ve got you. You’re okay.” She kissed his head then looked at me. His cries seemed a little less loud. “Paul? Can I have your hoodie again?”

“Sure.” I pulled it free and handed it to her. I thought she was going to put it on since her skin was broken out in goosebumps, but instead, she made a makeshift sling and tucked him inside. She positioned him so he was on her hip and protected from the cold. His hand popped out and grabbed a piece of her dress again as if to anchor himself as he screamed some more. A few times, he’d stop and cough. His lungs were probably congested from being so upset. “Okay, you want to stay in the front, you can.” She twisted the hoodie around, and he pressed his head against her bare skin. He seemed to like that, and his cries softened. It broke my heart at how much he’d been neglected since Talya died.

“Shit,” Mark pulled my focus, “we got company, boys.” I looked over my shoulder and saw the lights of three separate motorboats coming our way fast.

“Nicole,” I spoke louder since the baby’s sobbing grew louder with the sudden disruption, “get down on the floor.” She wasted no time and dropped then curled herself around my son. A bullet zipped over my shoulder, and Cole made a sharp turn. Nicole yelped and grabbed my ankle.

Zip-zip-zip, more bullets came, and we ducked. Once we returned fire, we knew we’d be rained on.

All but Cole ducked so it looked like he was the only one in the boat. “I see it up ahead,” he called, “but we have to deal with these guys first. I’ll let them get close. Be ready.”

“Hey,” I said into Nicole’s ear, “get a grip on him and your bag. We’re about to switch boats in a few minutes.”

“What, we’re separating?” Her eyes bulged. “Why didn’t I know this?”

“You know now.”

“Don’t leave us.” Her voice shook and outed how nervous she was. I loved that she accounted for my son and wasn’t only worried about herself.

“I’m not,” I promised then made a motion to stay low.

One of the boats was almost behind us and gained ground quickly. Within seconds, the boat pulled close. Cole waited until they tossed a rope over the side and raised his arms. When the guy started to climb in, we opened fire and sprayed them with bullets until all were killed. I jumped in their boat, zip tied the wheel to steer slightly to the left, then rigged a pole so it would press on the throttle when we were ready. I jumped back into our boat and pushed the pole to move the throttle forward. The engine roared as it took off away from us.

Cole raced off as the other two boats gained on us. I looked back at Nicole, who had her cheek to the baby as she spoke softly to him. He’d exhausted himself from crying and now just gulped, wide-eyed, with his hand tightly fisted around the fabric of her dress.

I waited for Cole to take a hard right and cut the engine behind a large concrete pillar from an old bridge. “Let’s go!” I hauled Nicole to her feet and helped them onto the fishing boat we’d arranged to be left for us.

John grabbed my arm and made me look back at him. He didn’t have to say it; I knew what he was thinking.

“See you on the other side,” I assured him.

“You better,” he grunted and then they sped away.

I pressed Nicole and the baby down then joined them. I prayed it had worked. It had to seem as though we were all still on the same boat. When the other two boats roared by in pursuit of Cole and the guys, I breathed a sigh of relief.

I looked down, and Nicole was shaking. I wasn’t sure if it was from nerves or the fact she was in only a cotton dress. “We need to get inside the cabin and out of sight. If he starts to cry again, he might out us.”

“Yeah.” She rushed inside the cabin with the child, and I grabbed a blanket to cover her shoulders.

“You might want this.” I lay the blanket down next to her.

“Thanks,” she said as she looked around the old fishing boat. Her hand rubbed my son’s back. I tried not to stare at him, but he looked a lot like me. “He’s cute.” She looked at me, so I turned away and picked up my rucksack. I pulled out the small bag Savannah had given me.

I pulled a chair over to sit in front of them and emptied the contents next to her.

“Is that baby soap?” She smiled at me. “You thought of baby soap?”

“Savannah did.”

“Savannah?”

“Cole’s wife.” I reached in and brought out a pouch and read the label. “Once Upon A Farm, squeezable carrots.” I turned my nose up at it and thought how gross it sounded.

“It’s no different than your MRE.” Nicole slowly undid the side of her sling.

“I beg to differ.” I leaned over. “Here, let me help.” I helped her tug it off, and she spread out my hoodie on the padded bench seat with her free hand, then carefully laid him on top of it. He didn’t like it, but when she started talking to him, he relaxed a little. His tiny hands clenched and tears welled in his eyes, but he held it together. I felt a little proud.

“You need to be changed, and you really need a bath, don’t you, sweetheart? Yes, you do.” I handed her some water and a clean shirt of mine to use as a washcloth, and she started to clean the dirt off his face. “No one is going to hurt you now.” He kept his eyes on her the whole time, except once when I got close. His bottom lip stuck out as he stared at me, and I looked at Nicole for help. “Just talk to him,” she suggested.

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