AllFreeNovel
Share Us
We had seconds, maybe less.
Fighting gravity, she helped me into my gear. Her movements were frantic yet precise. Tears mingled with soot on her cheeks, but her hands didn’t tremble. Not this woman. Not Indiana Smith. She was wild and untamed, yet strong. She’d also shown me a vulnerability that twisted something deep inside me.
I would give my life for her.
But I hoped it didn’t come to that because I wanted to have a whole lot more of her.
We pulled our masks over our heads, down to our necks, and grabbed our fins.
“I’m shutting these doors behind us,” she yelled over the noise. “I owe Dad that.”
“Okay.” There was no point arguing. “Let’s go.”
“Bye, Dad, I love you.” Her tone was filled with sorrow that hit me harder than the bullet that Wesley shot into my back.
She yanked open the door.
The floor buckled and timber cracked, opening a massive gap in the deck like a giant had sliced a sword across the charred wood.
We used our shoulders to shove the searing hot doors shut, and I used my elbow to bang the locking mechanism in place.
I grabbed Indiana’s hand, and as smoke clawed at my throat, I stumbled over charred chunks of timber. Battling the angle of the floor and the weight of the tank on my back, I dragged Indiana with me. The roaring fire chased us as I clutched my fins in one hand and Indiana’s palm in the other and scrambled toward the side of the boat.
Flames licked at our heels as if greedy for one final taste.
Once at the side railing, the angle of the boat and the weight of the tanks on our backs made it impossible to climb over the top.
“This way.” Taking the lead, Indiana gripped the railing, and as she shuffled along to a gap in the railing, I peered along Rhino’s deck toward the bridge. It was like looking into the flames of hell, and I hated that the decimation of her boat would be the last image Indiana would have of her beloved Rhino.
At the railing opening, she stood on the edge. Tears spilled down her cheeks.
“Jump on three,” I said, desperate to save her from the nightmare.
“Three.” Her chin quivered as she stepped off the side.
“Shit!” I wrestled my fins over my booties, pulled my mask onto my face, put my breather in my mouth, sucked in a mouthful of air, and jumped in after her.
The beeping device added a stressful rhythm to my racing heartbeat as I descended into the darkness, searching for her. Her flashlight flicked on, then off.
Kicking my fins, I swam to her and as we swam side by side escaping the chaos, I hoped the ocean was the only witness to our escape.
When the beeping in my wetsuit stopped, Indiana halted swimming and rolled onto her back.
Copying her move, I turned to face Rhino’s surrender to the inferno. The orange glow was surprisingly beautiful as flaming debris rained into the ocean and sank past us like it was hailing red hot coals.
I reached for Indiana and clutched her trembling hand in mine.
She gripped my palm like I was her last connection to the world.
Then a thunderous explosion ripped us apart.
CHAPTER 19
Indiana
The shockwave of the deafening boom slammed into my body like a freight train. Tyler’s hand was ripped from my grip and my mask twisted on my face. I tumbled over twice before I regained my power over the force.
Tyler! Flaming fuel on the surface provided plenty of light as I clawed at the water, searching for him.
