Page 75 of Tides of Change
Finch.
He swung at me, and I barely had time to twist out of the way before the oar whooshed past my head, missing me by mere inches.
“No!” Finch bellowed, his face distorted with something wild and unhinged. “I won’t let you save him!”
Rage and adrenaline exploded in my veins.
I ducked and dodged the second swing. I sprang forward and tackled Finch, slamming him into the wet sand. He grunted andthrashed beneath me, but I was stronger, fueled by something raw and unstoppable.
We struggled, rolling once before I gained the upper hand. I wrenched the oar from his grip and tossed it aside. Finch snarled, trying to claw at my face, but I yanked his arms behind his back and snapped the cuffs around his wrists.
“I’ve got him!” Holt’s voice cut through the wind as he arrived. He grabbed Finch and hauled him to his feet. Finch struggled briefly before sagging in defeat. “Go!” Holt shouted.
I turned my gaze to the sea cave and my stomach wrenched. The water was already waist high, waves crashing violently against the rocks, surging deeper into the cave’s entrance. If Ethan was in there?—
I ran.
The first step into the water stole my breath. Frigid. Ruthless. The undertow nearly yanked my feet out from under me, but I powered through. The closer I got to the cave, the deeper the water became, dragging at me like unseen hands.
But I didn’t stop. Ethan was in there. Trapped.
A wave slammed into me, shoving me back. I caught myself against a jagged rock, ignoring the sting of torn flesh, ignoring the exhaustion burning in my limbs.
I pushed forward.
Darkness yawned before me. The cave.
I plunged into the mouth of it, chest heaving, muscles screaming.
“Ethan!” I roared, but my voice was lost in the storm.
Nothing.
I fought against the waves, forcing my way deeper. He had to be there. He had to be alive.
The water was higher out here on the promontory, swirling and churning inside the sea cave, the tide creeping ever upward.Chest-high.Every second mattered. The icy waves slappedagainst my torso, the current threatening to pull me off balance as I fought forward.
I yanked my flashlight from my tactical vest and flicked it on; the beam sliced through the cavernous dark. My breath caught.Ethan.
He was at the back of the cave, before it narrowed, struggling against bonds. Water lapped at his chest, and his movements were sluggish from the cold. Duct tape gagged his mouth, but his eyes met mine. Relief flashed in them, but worry drowned it out.
“I’ve got you.” I pushed through the water with renewed urgency. It wasn’t fast enough. The tide rushed in with every wave, higher, colder, stealing precious time. Ethan needed to be out of here hours ago.
I reached him with my heart slamming against my ribs. I cupped the side of his face for half a second—just to ground myself, just to confirm he was real and alive.
“This is gonna hurt.” I gripped the duct tape covering his mouth. “I’m sorry.” With a sharp yank, I tore it off.
Ethan sucked in a ragged gasp and winced. “Garrett,” he rasped, shivering violently. “You have to go. He—he chained me to a buried anchor. You can’t?—”
My blood turned to ice.Chained.
He shook his head, desperation in his voice. “Please. Think of Noah. Get out while you can.” The water licked at his shoulders.
“Baby,” I said, voice low and firm, my hands gripping his trembling shoulders. “I’m not leaving you. We’re getting out together.”
I radioed Nate. “I need bolt cutters and a bus. Yesterday. Ethan’s chained to an anchor. Tide’s coming in fast.”
Static. Were we too deep in the cave for a signal? I held my breath and tried to not panic.
