Page 8 of Raven's Nest
Kash waited until Zain got into position with his rifle notched into his shoulder, sites zeroed in on the top of the deck. Zain took a breath, then nodded, maintaining his vigil as Kash hopped onto the ladder and scrambled up. His buddy paused at the top, stealing a quick peek before vaulting up and over — taking point.
Zain held firm until Chase had followed suit, his medic bag slung over his back, before Zain moved forward. Foster grumbled something about having to stay behind — guard the boats — but it came with the territory. Not that Foster wasn’t capable of storming the ship. They just needed to know their ride back was secure.
Unlike Saylor.
What if someone had stolen her boat while she was trying to get herself killed searching the other vessel? What if pirates had happened along?
What if Zain lost her before he’d even gotten achance to see if they could have anything close to what Foster and Mackenzie shared. What Kash had with Jordan.
Foster put down the handset, nodding at Zain. “Coast Guard’s a good hour out, but depending on what we find, they’ll put out a blanket call. See if there’re any military ships that are closer and could rally. And they confirmed another party had already called to advise them the boat was adrift. She must have docked just before you noticed it. Do me a favor?”
“Name it, Beckett.”
“Remember Saylor’s like us before you read her the riot act.”
Zain sighed, positioning his rifle across his back as he grabbed ahold of the ladder. “I’m not scared because she did the wrong thing. I just hope making the right call doesn’t bite her in the ass.” He inched up a couple rungs. “We won’t be long. Make sure Nyx doesn’t eat all the chips.”
Zain twisted, then raced up the ladder, only pausing long enough to clear the immediate area before launching himself over. Landing on the deck and coming face-to-face with a familiar gaze.
Atticus Parker grinned, leaning in as he motioned to Zain’s teammates. “About time you got your ass onboard, Everett. Time to put all those Ranger skills to good use.”
CHAPTER TWO
Karma.
That’s what this was.
Payback for some transgression Saylor had committed in a previous life. One evil enough to account for the never-ending assault Fate had unleashed on her life. First, with the epic failure of a date with Zain, and now, it had invaded her professional life. What she’d hoped would be an early ending to a day-long charter. Except where she’d spotted what might be a derelict vessel on the horizon. Or at the very least, a ship in desperate need of assistance.
The Coast Guard side of her had jumped into action. Dropped off her clients, checked her gas and emergency supplies, then raced off. The fact Atticus Parker had been waiting on the dock hadn’t helped lower her anxiety. Knowing he’d insist on tagging along. Sure, the man had been a colonel. Had run maneuvers with Special Forces, including the men he’d hired on as part of his search and rescue organization, Raven’s Watch.But there was something about having him scrutinize her every move that prickled the hairs on her neck.
Or maybe, it was the leftover adrenaline from nearly kissing Zain. Where she’d hoped the evening would end. Having it all fall apart… She couldn’t help but wonder if this was some kind of cosmic sign. That, maybe, he just wasn’t that into her.
Atticus grumbled beside her, his gaze locked on the horizon. “I haven’t seen anyone on deck since we headed out.”
Saylor sighed. “Maybe they’re all below trying to fix whatever’s wrong.”
“Even the captain? Because I’d expect him to be on the damn bridge, answering my calls.”
Saylor nodded. “Don’t shoot the messenger, Atticus. I agree with you.”
Atticus chuckled. “You’re so much like your father, it’s actually scary.”
“Funny, he says the same thing about Mackenzie.” She slowed as she neared the ship. “Looks like it’s been retrofitted as a salvage vessel. I guess there’s a chance they’ve already been rescued.”
“Not by the Coast Guard. You heard my exchange with them.”
“Maybe their cargo wasn’t up to acceptable standards, and they bugged out instead of facing possible prosecution.”
Atticus looked at the ship, then back to her. “You think someone’s running drugs in that?”
“You’d be surprised the kind of vessels dealers use. I once found a few kilos of cocaine in a paddle boat.” Sheheld up her hand. “Don’t ask. All I’m saying is that we can’t make assumptions. Which means doing a few circles, searching for any hint that this could be a setup before we even think about venturing onboard.”
Atticus gawked at her. “You’re actually thinking about safety? I’m impressed.”
“I’m all for a no-holds-barred approach when we know lives are on the line, but this…” She shivered as a few memories clawed at her consciousness. A hint of the mission she couldn’t remember. How this looked like a smaller version of theVigilant. “This gives me the creeps.”
Atticus sobered. “If we don’t think there’re people at risk, we’ll wait for the cavalry. Deal?”
