Page 11 of Rescuing Nathaniel

“Come on, Aves, wake the rest of the way up for me,” the voice urged, and this time it worked, snapping her the rest of the way awake.

Awake.

She’d been dreaming.

Reliving for the thousandth time the abduction that had forever changed her life.

Because she’d failed.

Not put into practice the moves she knew like the back of her hand.

“Good girl, you're back with me.”

Turning her head, she saw that Nathaniel was kneeling beside her. While his voice had been calm, she could see concern on his face, and she wasn't sure if it was because of her not waking up or something else.

“You’re still here,” she whispered weakly. The last thing she remembered was begging him not to leave her, then she must have passed out.

“Not leaving you behind,” he said firmly, then glanced at something over his shoulder.

Just because he wasn't leaving her and she was no longer on that boat didn't mean she was safe. Not in the least.

“What's wrong?” Ava asked.

“They know you’re gone and they’re searching for you,” Nathaniel replied, and she was grateful he didn't try to downplay things or shield her from the truth. “We might have to get into the water.”

That wouldn't be pleasant, she was in a lot of pain, and her wound was still bleeding, plus the water would be freezing. It was still a bazillion percent better than getting taken back onboard the ship.

“Okay,” she agreed.

“It’s storming,” Nathaniel added.

She nodded but didn't see how that changed anything.

It was go in the water or be found.

Water it was.

Above the howl of a storm, she could hear the distinctive sound of an approaching helicopter. Over Nathaniel’s shoulder, she could see a bright beam of light scouring the ocean.

For her.

She was an investment, and they weren't going to let her go this easily.

“Let’s go,” she said, doing her best to scramble up into a sitting position.

Nathaniel was there, his hands helping to steady her, and the relief of finally having someone on her side was immense.

A crack of lightning lit up the sky like a Christmas tree, and Ava would have sworn that the helicopter caught sight of them because it seemed to veer toward them.

Was it already too late?

Was she doomed to a slow death as her organs were harvested and sold off one at a time?

She’d thought luck was on her side. Not being tied up properly, being left alone, getting into the lifeboat without being spotted, and Nathaniel stumbling upon her. But now it looked like luck had turned its back on her.

Then another lightning spike shot through the clouds, and the next thing she knew, it hit the helicopter.

It spun through the sky, completely out of control, with flames dancing from the damaged craft.

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