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Thank Christ, he thought, and sagged into the railing.
With a curse, Tony threw the rifle down, raced back to the compartment to retrieve a handgun and fired in Dylan’s direction.
Amidst a hail of bullets, Dylan launched himself over the side of the boat, diving into the dark ocean. He surfaced just as Hollis pulled up and he grabbed hold of the waverunner.
“Go, go!” he yelled.
She took off as he pulled himself up behind her. Several more bullets cracked through the air as they sped away from the flames.
Ocean spray soaked them as Hollis guided the waverunner toward shore. Not far behind, Tony’s boat revved to life and he followed them.
Arms around her a little too tightly, Dylan leaned into the crook of her neck and placed his lips against her damp skin. “Don’t ever do that to me again,” he whispered in a hoarse voice.
Hollis squeezed his arm and gave a sharp nod. “I know somewhere safe we can go,” she said and laced her wet fingers through his.
A few minutes later, they tethered the waverunner at a long dock behind the Atlantic Aquarium. Hollis walked over to an employee entrance near the parking garage and punched in a code. The door swung inward and she led Dylan down a long corridor.
They moved past several closed doors and then she pushed through a door marked “Security.” Multiple cameras that recorded footage of various parts of the aquarium showed up on several monitors, but no security guard sat at the desk.
Suddenly, a blast echoed down the hall and their gazes turned to the first monitors where Tony and his thugs shot their way inside. He directed them to split up, but kept one bad guy with him for backup.
“C’mon!” Dylan grabbed her hand and pulled her back into the hallway where they ran through the winding employee corridors.
“This way!” Hollis skidded to a halt and led him through a set of swinging doors.
They paused, now at the rear of the exhibits, and looked around for an exit.
A narrow bridge crossed over each tank to allow employees easier access to take care of the marine life inside. Hollis and Dylan jumped onto the first one, racing over the dark water below.
Not far behind, Tony and his henchman plowed through the doors.
“Shit,” Dylan cursed and picked up his pace. “Faster, Hollis.” They tore through a set of swinging doors.
Behind them, halfway across the bridge, the thug slipped in a puddle and fell, gun dropping. It clattered across the platform and over the edge with a splash.
“Idiot!” Tony snapped.
Inside the tank, the school of piranhas stirred to life, aggravated by the sinking gun.
In the next room, Hollis and Dylan found themselves on the edge of the largest tank. The circular room led to two places-- an exit at the far side and the water below which teemed with every kind of sea creature, including bull sharks.
The exit was too far away to reach in time so they did the only thing they could.
They stepped out onto the narrow bridge that extended over the tank.
A moment later, Tony and the thug raced inside. Tony pointed his gun at them, shifting it from one to the other. “Give me the Rosary,” he said, voice steely. He took a step forward, forcing Hollis and Dylan further out onto the walkway above the tank.
“Now,” he demanded.
Slowly, Hollis unzipped her jacket pocket and slid the emerald Rosary out. She held it up for Tony to see and it seemed to shimmer in the dim lighting.
He took another step onto the bridge, closing in, eyes focused on the gleaming prize.
As he reached out to take it, Hollis let go and it fell. The moment Tony made a grab for it, Dylan dove forward, tackling Tony at the knees.
With a curse, Tony crumpled. The Rosary hit the bridge as Dylan and Tony rolled away, wrestling precariously close to the edge. Tony wound up on top of Dylan and struggled to turn the gun on him.
Hanging out over the dark edge of the tank, Dylan drove a knee up into Tony’s gut then slammed an elbow into his face. Enraged, Tony fired the gun, but the shots went wide and missed.
