Page 44 of SEAL the Deal

“Here goes nothing.” She gripped the steering wheel tight and released the brake.

The little buggy gained speed as it slipped and skidded down what felt like a nearly vertical slope. Ali kept her foot clear of the brake, letting the gearbox manage the speed the best it could.

In the mirror she spotted the other ATV at the top of the slope. Ed handled the steep descent with skill. In a matter of seconds he was back on her tail.

The only saving grace was that he’d lost his weapon. Now he had to rely on his driving skills to stop her. What’s more, from a glimpse of his machine she’d deduced it was an older Yamaha, inferior to the Polaris she’d borrowed. That didn’t stop him from milking everything he could from the engine.

At the bottom of the descent the track dipped into a muddy stream. The wheels of Ali’s buggy spun and she slid sideways off the path onto the opposite bank. The bushes were sparse so she ran with the alternate route. Snaking around rocks and logs she felt barely in control of the snarling vehicle. A glance over her shoulder confirmed that the Yamaha was still on her tail.

As the scrub thickened she was forced to slow. Her buggy roared shoving its way through the thick undergrowth. Free to follow in her tracks the pursuer was soon right on her bumper.

“Pull over!” Ed bellowed over the engine.

Ali ignored him, working the steering wheel in an attempt to gain momentum. Through the branches she spotted a clearing. With a thump from behind her ATV’s nose lifted. She didn’t need to turn to know that the driver had jumped from his vehicle onto the back of hers.

As the Polaris burst out of the bushes into another clearing she gunned the engine, swinging the wheel from side to side. They fishtailed across wet grass, the knobby tires throwing up plumes of mud.

“Stop the damn buggy.”

She felt a hand grab at her hair and ducked forward. Through the trees ahead she spotted the river.

Ali gave the thousand cc engine its head.

“Fucking stop!” screamed Ed as he clung to the roll cage.

“Go to hell.”

At the last safe moment she spun the wheel and jammed on the brakes. Her intent was to throw the man into the river. However, she didn’t anticipate the slick grass.

The Polaris spun like a top, flinging the man clear. With the engine still racing it flipped and rolled down the embankment, tumbling into the river.

Ali clung to the steering wheel as the Polaris dropped through the cold clear water. It hit the rocky bottom upside down and rolled with the current, coming to a halt against a submerged log. She didn’t panic until she tried to leave the cabin and found her foot wedged under the accelerator.

With water pushing against her she couldn’t free her hiking boot. She lost her grip and the flow of the river grabbed her, twisting her torso out of the cabin. Panic escalated as she fought the current, her foot trapped. Her lungs burned, her injured arm screamed with pain as she desperately tried to pull her leg free. She spun back and forth, wriggling her toes in one last futile attempt to break free.

Blackness filled the edges of her vision as she looked up through the water at the light above. It was so close and yet so distant. Then, as she felt her strength ebb her foot slipped from the boot and she was free.

Her head broke the surface in a maelstrom of white water. She sucked in a lungful of air before being pulled back under. Managing to roll onto her back she lifted her legs and rode the rapids.

Minutes later the river calmed and she was able to swim to the bank. Lying on a pebbly beach she sucked air into her aching lungs. She allowed herself only a moment’s rest before climbing to her feet and checking her surroundings.

She’d floated at least half a mile downstream from where the buggy had sunk. That was faster than she could move on foot. The river was her best chance of getting help, quickly.

At the far end of the beach she spotted a plastic drum wedged in a pile of debris. Digging it out she checked the lid was tight and waded out into the freezing water with it clutched to her chest. When her feet left the bottom she let the current grab her and she floated downstream.

With the sun low on the horizon it wouldn’t be long before it disappeared completely, taking with it the last traces of warmth. Already she could feel the river sapping her body’s heat. She needed to find help before she succumbed to the cold.

* * *

As Ali fought hypothermia, Rick and Jenny were dealing with the other end of the spectrum. The pair was drenched in sweat and short of breath as they took a break so Rick could orientate himself to the ground.

“We’re close to the plantation. I remember this tree.” The SEAL pointed to a pine that had been split by lightning.

Jenny waited patiently as he scanned the terrain. Axe sat by her side, watching with his head cocked.

He pointed to a thick grove of trees. “This way.”

They set off and a moment later the dense underbrush parted revealing rows of planted marijuana.

---