He leaned forward, his forearms pressed against his knees as his hands clenched together. “I should’ve told her.”
“Told her what?” Tate asked.
“I should’ve told her everything about Kincaid. I know we’re not supposed to discuss our missions, but this man had been around her. Had shown an interest in her. Was actually fuckin’ involved with her band. We know there’s a connection between Steven and him. I should’ve fuckin’ told her.”
“You had no idea, man. You gave her the information that concerned her at the time,” Blake said.
“But we knew he could be dangerous, or at the very least, the people he’s involved with are dangerous. I should’ve made sure she knew to avoid him. Then to call me if she saw him.”
“This is not on you, Clay. We’ve all talked about this. She was never involved in this mission until recently, and then it was only on the periphery. You had no reason to alert her or alarm her.”
“Then why is my woman trapped under the water right now?” he growled.
“You know the answer to that is it's them, not you. It’s bad, shitty luck, but we're going to get her,” Tate answered.
He leaned back, swiping the water from his face. “What about Amelia? Jesus, she’s only a teenager—"
“She’s not alone,” Blake Insisted. “She’s got Christina—"
Snorting, he said, “Somehow, that doesn’t make me feel any better. Christina is not equipped for this.”
Blake shifted around and got right into his face. “Do you think any of our women were equipped for this? We’re all attracted to strong women, and that’s what you’ve got in Christina. She’s strong, smart, she can handle this.”
Tate added, “What you gotta do is keep your head in the game and focus. We’ll get to her.”
Walker called out, “Got coordinates from Josh. Rank and I’ll get to the area and begin circling.”
Jumping to his feet, he spread his legs to brace against the movement of the boat speeding over the waves, barely feeling the rocking motion. Turning, he said into his radio so everyone could hear, “We have no idea how much of a charge he was able to get on the submersible. It sure as fuck wasn’t a full one.”
“His battery probably wasn’t drained when he got to the boathouse. But if he has to rise to the surface to get a charge somewhere anyway, he’ll keep the women with him,” Drew said. “He won’t risk rising to the surface to do something with them only to go back under.”
Trying to ignore the idea of what doing something with them entailed, he opened his mouth to speak only to snap it shut when Mace called out.
“The FBI has picked up Jerry Kincaid. He’d grabbed his stuff and was just leaving the Bennett estate when they snagged him. He started to lawyer up, but it didn’t take a lot of pressure when he found out he would be charged with accessory to kidnapping and attempted murder. He started to talk.”
“We need to know where the submersible might get charged,” he radioed.
“On it,” Levi replied.
Clay’s adrenaline spiked again, coursing through his bloodstream. As usual with a mission, knowing they were getting closer to her gave him courage.
Rick’s voice came over the radio, “Josh says the submersible is not deep under the surface. If his charge is low, then he’s not wasting power going deep. He’s managed to ping them about three nautical miles southwest from where you are.”
Josh interjected, “I’ve located Christina’s tracer on her necklace… she’s still with the submersible.”
The air rushed from his lungs at that last statement. He hasn’t dumped her somewhere else. The others began pulling on wetsuits, Clay thankful for the physical activity to help focus his mind.
Levi came back on the radio. “According to my FBI contact who’s with Jerry Kincaid right now, Kincaid claims he has no idea where the shipments go once they leave him. He also has no idea where another charging point might be. According to him, he was paid to provide a place for the submersible to charge and that was all. The International Drug Task Force has picked up the Minotaurs that were just across the border waiting for the shipment of heroin to come in.”
Mace added, “I’m searching areas between the Bennett estate and where you guys should intercept the submersible. There are several small docks that probably have electricity, but so far, Josh doesn’t see him veering from his Northeast path—”
Josh jumped in, “He’s just now changing course and heading slightly northwest. I can see a small, private dock in a cove. If it’s got electricity and he has his own charger, then all he needs is to hook it up. Sending the coordinates to Walker and Rank.”
Mace radioed, “You need to come in from behind them where his visibility is limited. If he gets to the surface and sees you, he might decide to harm the women.”
The words were factual, but the idea of Christina dying at this man’s hands sent Clay’s heart rate spiking. Knowing her life could depend on his steady hand, he called upon all his training and slowed his breathing.
Walker veered out to sea so that he could come up behind the submersible, giving the Keepers a chance to get into the water unseen. Rank would keep his boat forward. Now that they were close, Walker could see the submersible on his sonar screen. As they quickly formed the mission, Clay, Blake, Tate, and Cobb checked their equipment, slid their feet into the fins, and moved over the side of the boat and into the water. With the submersible now slowing in front of them, they swam closer, carefully staying toward the rear, out of sight.
26
Christina cast her gaze around, assuming they were not far under the surface considering the light surrounding them. Fish swam by and it struck her that if she was not fearful for her and Amelia’s lives, the trip could have been an adventure. Mumbled cursing coming from the man next to her sent that notion flying out of her mind.
“Your interference kept me from getting a full charge. We’re going to have to surface soon.”
Not understanding what he meant, she glanced toward the back seeing Amelia’s wide-eyed, still-fearful expression. Turning back to the man, she asked, “If we surface for you to charge, can we go to the bathroom?”
Barking out a laugh, the man shook his head. “How stupid do you think I am?”
“If you have to travel in a submarine that stinks, perhaps you’ll have a different idea,” she said, her anger getting the best of her until he cast a glare toward her so evil she felt it sear over her skin. Deciding to stay quiet, she watched as they slowly began to turn toward the left while rising to the surface.
Suddenly, a clunking sound came from behind, and they jerked to the right, her side dipping down. She threw her hands forward to balance even though she was held tight by the seat belt, her scream blending with the screeching cry coming from Amelia.
“Dammit!” the man cursed, grabbing the controls and attempting to maneuver them.
“What’s happening?” she asked, her chest heaving with fright.
“Something’s in one of the propellers.”
He continued to fiddle with the controls, and she looked down, hating the way the sub listed toward her side, her feelings as off-balance as the vessel. Suddenly, a dark form appeared at the corner of her vision and she screamed again.