Page 81 of The Library on Plum Island
Harriet slowed the boat and, to Daniella’s horror, took her hands off the wheel.
“What are you doing?” Daniella hissed, pointing at the steering wheel. “Hands at ten and two!”
“Daniella, have you sailed before?” Harriet kept her voice calm as she walked way too far from the wheel for Daniella’s liking toward the seats that lined the cockpit.
“A few times, but I never liked it,” Daniella admitted, trying to ignore the growing queasiness rolling in her stomach.
Harriet pulled back one of the seats that lined the cockpit and pulled out two life vests. She handed one to Daniella.
“We should’ve put these on before taking off on the high seas.” Harriet pulled an oops face.
Daniella mimicked Harriet’s movements as she put the vest on and inflated it. When Harriet moved back to the helm, Daniella noted that the yacht had put even more distance between them.
“They’re getting away,” Daniella pointed out.
“Relax,” Harriet told her. “We don’t want to be spotted.” She pulled open a hatch near the helm and took out a pair of binoculars, which she pointed toward the yacht. “I want to see who’s sailing the yacht if Alex is knocked out. Unless Ron Jackson can sail a superyacht of that caliber, they’d need another captain.”
“Can you see who it is?” Daniella asked, feeling like a child badgering her parents on a road trip.
“Yeah,” Harriet said, nodding. “And it looks like Malcolm, Alex’s captain.” She frowned. “I’m going to message him.”
“You have Alex’s captain’s number on your phone?” Daniella gaped at her. “Wait. Do you even have a signal out here?”
“Seems like it,” Harriet pursed her lips, impressed as her fingers flew over the screen.
“What did you message him?” Daniella asked. “Did you kidnap your boss and steal his superyacht?”
“No,” Harriet shook her head. “I asked him how the weather was out on the ocean.”
“What?” Daniella gaped at her.
Harriet’s phone beeped, and her brow creased as she read the message.
Storm clouds are closing in, and the sea’s getting choppy. I can see at least four large waves approaching. I’m locked in the cockpit, but my crew is in the guest cabin.
“What the freakin’ heck is he talking about?” Daniella looked at Harriet in frustration.
“When Alex’s sister was kidnapped, our parents had us go through this whole training routine thing,” Harriet explained. “We had to learn codes for if we were hijacked on a plane, taken hostage aboard a boat, and so on.”
“You all got trained on how to be kidnapped?” Daniella asked in disbelief.
“Look around you,” Harriet pointed out. “Where are we?”
“Right.” Daniella nodded, feeling like she’d stepped into a Bruce Willis movie. “Okay. You’re the expert. What do we do now?”
“Call for backup and follow the yacht,” Harriet told her.
“I guess that’s better than you throwing me off the side toward the stairs at high speed,” Daniella said. But her fear for Alex clawed at her. “While I’m petrified of sailing and the ocean…” She looked at Harriet. “I’m even willing to try your crazy idea.”
“Seriously?” Harriet looked at her in surprise.
Daniella swallowed and nodded, afraid that if she used her voice, her traitorous tongue would betray her and sayNOT IN A MILLION FREAKIN’ YEARS SISTER!
“Then you sail off to get help, right?” Daniella swallowed down the queasy and fear.
“No way.” Harriet shook her head. “I’m going to call for backup, and then once you’re on the ladder, I’ll turn this boat in the opposite direction while I dive into the water and get onto the boat.”
“How… what?” Daniella couldn’t believe what she was saying. “What is wrong with you?” She shook her head in disbelief. “Do you have no sense of self-preservation at all?”
