Page 42 of Playboy

Everything was under control until suddenly, the radio crackled, followed by Gabby’s urgent voice.

“This is Petty Officer Allen. Be advised there is a possible hostile vessel moving in your direction. I think that sub is theirs. Moving to intercept.”

Playboy’s stomach dropped. He spun around just in time to see Gabby’s boat racing toward them at full throttle, sirens blaring, lights flashing. And behind her, cutting through the waves like a predator, was another boat—larger, faster, and not slowing down.

“Shit!” Bear shouted, the alarm in his voice matching Playboy’s rising panic.

“Everyone, get to the other boats!” Playboy barked as everyone scrambled to safety. But even as his body moved on autopilot, his mind was stuck on Gabby. His eyes locked onto her boat, watching her push forward, her smaller craft surgingthrough the water. He knew what she was about to do, and his heart hammered in his chest.

“She’s going to hit them!” Joker yelled.

Playboy’s blood ran cold as he recalled her words over the radio.Moving to intercept.

He could see it—the distance closing between Gabby’s boat and the oncoming threat. Everything happened so fast that there wasn’t even enough time for them to reach for their weapons and fire at the oncoming boat.

But then, time seemed to slow as the two vessels collided. The screech of metal hitting metal filled the air, followed by a thunderous crash that shook the water around them. The impact was brutal, as Gabby’s boat was practically T-boned by the larger vessel, sending debris flying into the air. Everyone dove for cover to avoid being hit by splinters of wood and shattered metal as it rained down.

The noise was deafening—the scream of grinding steel, the howl of engines cutting out, and then... silence.

Playboy scrambled to his feet, his vision blurred for a second as he searched for Gabby’s boat. Wreckage floated on the surface where her boat had been, pieces of twisted metal bobbing in the water like broken toys. The stench of gas and smoke was heavy in the air. His heart pounded in his chest, panic rising.

“Where the hell is Gabby?” he shouted, panic clawing at his throat. His mind raced, but his body was already moving, diving into the cold water without hesitation. He heard others follow him as he swam toward the wreckage.

He searched the surface, scanning for any sign of her. “Gabby!” he called out, the urgency in his voice betraying the fear he was trying to contain. He heard others calling out her name. But all they got back was silence.

Seconds stretched into eternity. Debris bobbed in the water, the wreckage eerily silent now, save for the faint lapping of waves against the twisted metal.

Suddenly, Duke’s shout cut through the air. “Over here! I’ve got her!”

Playboy swam as fast as his legs could propel him toward Duke’s voice.

When he reached the aft of the sub, that was when he saw Gabby. She was half-submerged, her body limp amid the twisted remains of her boat. Her face was pale, and her body was littered with cuts. Blood mixed with the saltwater, and for a brief, agonizing moment, Playboy couldn’t breathe.

“She’s unconscious, man,” Duke said, his voice strained as he tried to free her. “Fuck! Her leg’s stuck. She’s pinned down.”

By then, several of the others arrived, including a few of the Coasties who brought several flotation devices, including a flotation backboard.

“Backup is on its way,” one of the Coasties said as he moved into position to help position one of the flotation devices under Gabby’s head for support.

As the water sloshed around them, Playboy and Duke kept Gabby’s body as still as possible. He could hear the frantic murmurs of the team behind him as they worked to free her leg.

“Stay with me, Gabby. Please just hold on,” he whispered, though his voice cracked as if the words might break apart before they reached her. Her head, though it was supported, lolled against his chest. Her breaths were shallow, and that sent a shiver of dread racing through him.

Fear clawed at his mind. What if she didn’t make it? He had to push those thoughts away. He needed to shove them into a dark corner of his mind. But even if he could, it was impossible to escape them entirely.

He glanced down at her face. She was so pale and had small cuts on her forehead and her cheeks. He felt so helpless. This was Gabby—his Gabby—and he couldn’t do a damn thing except hold her and pray like hell that she’d survive.

His arms trembled from the realization that he might lose her.No!No, he couldn’t think like that. They were getting her out. They had to.

His throat tightened. “Come on, Gabs. I’m not losing you like this,” he told her, not giving a shit who heard him.

“We’re almost there! This last piece is big.” Bear shouted and started barking orders to get as many hands as he could to help move the huge piece of steel, which was hard to do, considering they didn’t have much room to work.

“Fuck! It’s too big and too heavy for us to move by hand.” He looked at one of the Coasties. “Pull one of the boats around, and we can use the winch to lift it. All we need is about a foot. That should be plenty to at least pull her out.”

Playboy watched nervously as Duke kept checking Gabby’s pulse.

Within minutes, the winch groaned to life with a low mechanical hum. Its gears grinded as the steel cable tightened with tension. Seconds later, the sound deepened into a strained whine as the piece of metal started to rise.

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