Page 47 of Honor Code

Plus, they’d get there faster, and then they could find a ranger’s station and radio for help. It would be dark in a couple of hours, and he didn’t fancy traipsing through the jungle at night. These barrier islands were fairly tropical, with some dangerous creatures lurking in the rivers and bushes. He didn’t tell her that, however. No need to freak her out more than she already was.

Phoenix checked what little equipment he had on him. He was still wearing his board shorts but no T-shirt. He hadn't had time to put one on before the explosion. His hunting knife was secured snugly in the pocket of his shorts—thank God. That would come in handy on the island. They could use it to hunt for food, if necessary. Or as a weapon.

It wouldn't be too long before those idiots in the speedboat radioed back to their bosses and another craft got underway. Hopefully, they'd find the empty inflatable and assume he and Ellie had drowned, but he knew that was overly optimistic. If they were the type of men he thought they were—hired mercenaries—they wouldn’t want any survivors.

He was pretty sure they'd send more men after them. It was just a matter of time.

Phoenix had spent half his SEAL training in the water, so he wasn't concerned about the one-mile swim. He could make three or four times that distance easily, even with a concussion. It was Ellie he was worried about.

She said she could swim, but he only had her word for it. As Phoenix checked her life vest, he said, "If you run into trouble, just float on your back."

Eyes huge, she nodded up at him. She was being so incredibly brave right now. His heart swelled with pride, and he resisted the urge to take her into his arms. She was putting her life at risk for him, because he had a concussion.

"You're sure about this, Ellie. I don't mind?—"

"I'm sure. Let's go." She turned to face the water. The inflatable was sinking fast, deflating like a child's pool toy. They had maybe ten minutes left, before it wouldn't support their weight anymore.

"Give me your shoes," he said.

"Huh?" She spun back around.

"Just do it. You'll need them on the island, but you can't swim in them."

"Oh, okay." She bent down and took them off.

Phoenix kicked off his, tied all the laces together, then fastened them to the string on his shorts. “Ready?”

Ellie took a deep breath, then nodded.

"We're going to be fine." He touched her cheek. He wanted nothing more than to hold her and shield her from all of this.

“I hope you’re right,” she whispered back.

“I’ll make sure of it. “

Phoenix fastened his own life jacket, then sat on the edge and fell backwards into the water.

Re-emerging, he waited while she did the same. "Come on, let's go."

They swam slowly, but steadily, toward the island. Ellie was pretty good. With the buoyancy aid, she'd have no trouble reaching the shore.

"You're doing great," he encouraged, ignoring the pain in his head and the sting in his arm. Pride surged through him at her determined strokes.

The water was calm thanks to the light wind blowing onshore. That would make it easier. Once he'd had to swim five miles through the choppy Atlantic with all his gear during a training exercise off the Virginia coast. This was a breeze compared to that.

"How is your head?" she called, after they'd been swimming for about ten minutes.

"Fine," he lied. It was back to throbbing, thanks to the exertion, but he liked the water, and the rhythmic strokes relaxed him. Usually, he could continue in this vein for hours, once he got into the zone.

They carried on. At first, it appeared like the island wasn't getting any closer, but as they persevered, the outline became bigger. When they were roughly five hundred yards out, the sea suddenly got choppier and the breeze heavier.

"There's a reef out here," he called, treading water while he waited for Ellie to catch up. "It might get a bit rough, but once we get over it, it'll be nice and calm."

"Okay." She was panting, her breath coming in heavy gasps, but she hadn't complained once. His breath caught in his throat as he thought about the men after them. He'd do his utmost to keep her safe. The need to protect this incredible woman overwhelmed him.

"How much further?" she asked, once she'd caught her breath.

He squinted at the landmass in front of them. "We're nearly there. You're doing great."

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