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Kaj’s phone buzzed in his pocket, and he was relieved to see Molly’s name on the caller ID. Pressing his phone to one ear, he plugged his other ear with his finger to block the noise of the motor. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Drysdale’s in custody and Burke’s out of surgery. They say it looks good.”
“And MaryBeth and Jace?”
“MaryBeth’s still in. Her surgeon told Jessica that it was taking longer than they expected, but that she shouldn’t despair.”
Kaj’s heart skipped a terrified beat when she stopped talking. “And Jace?”
Molly hesitated. “He’s alive. Antoine said that the surgeon told him it was touch and go. They lost him once on the table but were able to bring him back. The surgeon said that Jace is young, so they’re hopeful. Where are you?”
They’d passed through the bayou between the two lakes and Mr.Romero opened the throttle full-out, the boat taking off like a small rocket. “Just got to Lake Cataouatche. Where are you?” Kaj shouted over the roar.
“Des Allemands. Burke keeps a boat docked here. It’s how he gets to his camp. I studied the maps. I can get there from Burke’s place, so I’ll come from the opposite direction.”
“Be careful,” Kaj ordered.
“I’ll be fine. My sister says that Elijah is fine, by the way. The doctor will let him go home in a few hours.”
“He texted me, but thanks.” Elijah had been sending an I’m okay text every thirty minutes because he didn’t want Kaj to worry. What a great kid.
“Gotta go. If you can, wait for me. But if it comes to waiting or saving Val, save her, okay? Let Phin go first. He’s still a soldier. He’s got this.”
“I will.” Kaj ended the call and relayed their friends’ status to Phin.
“They’ll be fine,” Phin said stubbornly. “They have to be.”
Because they were Phin’s family. The man had been increasingly twitchy for the past hour and Kaj was worried he was going to have an episode. But so far, so good.
“Where is the tributary we’re looking for?” Kaj asked Oscar.
“At eleven o’clock. I’ll start slowing down in a minute or two.”
“When we turn away from the lake, we want you to get down,” Phin said.
Farrah’s father was wearing tactical gear, including a helmet, but they weren’t taking chances with his life.
Oscar nodded. “My wife already told me that I better not be a dead hero.”
Shielding his eyes, Kaj checked out the shoreline around the point where they’d be heading into the bayou. It was quiet. No activity—
“Fucking hell,” Kaj snarled. “Look.” He pointed at eleven o’clock. A smaller boat was emerging from the tributary, heading into the lake.
“Corey,” Phin hissed.
“Should I slow down?” Oscar shouted over the motor. “Head for shore to hide?”
Kaj nearly said yes. But Corey had already seen them. Fuck.
Corey steered the smaller boat in a circle, heading back the way he’d come.
Heading back to Val.
No fucking way.
“Follow him!” Kaj shouted.
Lake Cataouatche, Louisiana
