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Frustration blazed through Caleb as he slammed a fist against the wet wood. They were running out of time. Wyatt could only keep the Jayhawk on station for so long.
They were so close to escape, it would not end here. “Meyers to Coast Guard Rescue 1909. I have one survivor. Attempting egress now, over.”
Hissing static greeted him.
Fuck. He was on his own. Think.
He turned, his gaze falling on Grace, her wet clothes clinging to her body like a second skin. Her hair lay dark and plastered against her head and she’d wrapped her arms around her waist in a futile attempt to ward off the bone-chilling cold. Her lips were tinged a worrying shade of blue.
“We have to find another way out. Grace, you’ve been on this boat before, right?”
Grace nodded, her teeth chattering as she struggled to form words. “Uh-huh.”
“Okay, good.” Caleb’s mind raced as he assessed their options. “Is there another exit to the deck?”
Grace’s gaze was unfocused, slipping over his shoulder as she struggled to stay present. The cold was getting to her, its icy tendrils infiltrating her mind and dulling her senses. Caleb gripped her shoulders, digging his fingers in, desperate to cut through the haze clouding her eyes. “Grace, stay with me. Focus.”
Pain flashed across her face, her forehead wrinkling as she fought to concentrate. “Um, yes. Through the main bedroom, at the back of the boat.”
“Okay, that’s our target.” Caleb waded to the opposite end of the narrow passageway, each step a battle against the water pulling at his thighs.
My thighs. Fuck. When he’d first entered the corridor, the water had only reached his knees, but now... The weight of the flooding salon was dragging the ship down into the sea.
Shit. The heat of adrenalin flooded his limbs, his heart rate skyrocketing. But he couldn’t afford to panic, not now. Grace needed him to be the calm in the storm. He drew in a slow breath, calling upon his training to push the fear aside and focus on the task at hand. Fear would only lead to bad decisions, and right now, there was no room for error.
He took hold of the door handle and shoved with everything he had. Movement. He strained harder against the water’s resistance, his muscles burning with the effort as he forced the door open. Icy water gushed through the widening gap, the force of it almost knocking him off balance as it surged around his waist, making his breath stutter.
He reached behind him, his hand seeking Grace’s. As their fingers intertwined, calm washed over him, fueled by the knowledge that she was here with him.
She resisted his gentle tug, her hand pulling against his. “Caleb, the rear access is from a lower level. The master bedroom is a level down.”
He had the door fully open now. They were on a small landing that led nowhere. He stretched forward with one foot, felt the edge of a step. He closed his eyes. Fucking fuck.
Grace’s hand tightened on his, her fingers trembling. “We have to go down.”
Caleb replied with a reassuring squeeze, a silent promise he would never let go. “Good thing you’re stuck with a Coast Guard swimmer.”
He took her face between his hands and kissed her cold lips before resting his forehead on hers for a moment to gather his determination. “We are going to be fine. You’re strong, Grace. You can do this, and I’ll be with you every step of the way. Do you hear me?”
She mumbled something indistinct, her words slurred by the cold. But he needed more. He needed to know she was with him, and she believed in their ability to survive this nightmare.
He hardened his grip on her jaw, demanding her full attention. “Grace, do you hear me?”
She covered his hand, her fingers curling around his, and met his gaze, her eyes now mirroring his determination. “Yes.”
“Good. First, let’s see what we’ve got to work with.” He turned and scanned the passageway behind them, searching for anything that would aid their escape. His gaze landed on the bright red emergency kit mounted on the wall above their heads.
“Wait here.” He made his way over, reached up and unclipped the kit from its brackets, bringing it down to their level.
He popped the clips open. “Spare flashlight.” He switched it on and yellow light lit the walls. “Charged too. Finally, something’s going our way.”
Grace pointed to the life jackets secured to the wall. “Should we put those on?”
Caleb shook his head. “The buoyancy will make swimming down and out too difficult. Let me help you with this strap. You’ll need both hands free to swim.”
He fastened the flashlight to her right wrist. It was an expensive brand. “Hudson has excellent choice in kit.”
“Only the best for Richard.” Her voice was a faint whisper.
