Page 53 of Austen

“What kind of cargo?”Austen whispered.

“A superconductor chemical that’s mined out of the volcano in Mariposa.It’s used with AI and defense technology.”

He looked at Stein when he said it, and Stein frowned.This was the second time he’d heard this, and again, it felt like Declan was telling the truth.But Declan had gotten very good at lying over the last six months, so he wasn’t sure.

“Stop talking or I hurt her.”The Russian walked over to Austen.

Declan held up a hand.“Dude.There’s no need for that.We all want the same thing—to get out of here alive.”And he reached out to Austen as if to reassure her.She moved her hand away.

Ouch.“You got what you wanted—the coordinates of the cargo ship.Just let us go,” Steinbeck said.

The man pointed his gun at Steinbeck.“No.”

Go.

“Yes.”Steinbeck lunged at him, kicked, and pushed the gun muzzle away with his hand.Then he landed a kick against the guy’s knee.

The man jerked.Steinbeck had hold of the gun, so when the shot went off, he directed it to the ceiling.Then he slammed his open hand into the man’s jaw, snapping his head back.

Phoenix swept up a handgun that lay on the table behind them.“Let’s go!”She flung open the door.

Declan and Austen had gone through the sliding door.Phoenix looked at Steinbeck wrestling for the handgun.“Leave it!Let’s go!”

Right.Steinbeck cuffed the man, then ran out into the night, Phoenix behind him.Austen and Declan had hit the swim deck, and Declan struggled with a suitcase life preserver on the side of the boat.

“No.Get on the Jet Skis!”Steinbeck got behind one to push it into the water.

Declan pushed the other one into the sea.It slid into the water just as shots fired behind them.

Stein turned.Phoenix had dropped the gunman onto the deck.But from the bridge came shouts, and in another second, more shots.

Declan reached for Austen.This time she did take his hand and scrambled behind him.

Stein leaped on one of the Jet Skis.“Come on, Phoenix!”

She sprinted from the deck and jumped, landing behind him, like she was a bareback rider.She locked her arms around his waist, squeezed tight, and said, “Move it!”

Hoo-yah.He gunned the engine and they roared off, a plume of water spraying the swim deck.Declan and Austen had already disappeared into the night.He followed their wake, the glimmer of moonlight off the hull of their Jet Ski.

“Just couldn’t get enough of me, could you?”Phoenix said over the roar.

Steinbeck looked over his shoulder at her.“Yeah, yeah, that’s it.”But when he turned back to follow Declan’s foamy wake, all he could think was...

Yes.Maybe, definitely, yes.

SEVEN

Out of the fire,into the frying pan.Or the ocean, as the case may be.

“This is crazy stupid,” Declan said even as the motor from his Jet Ski ate his words.Austen hung on behind him, her arms around his waist.

And okay, at least they weren’t still on the boat.

But they were far away from safety.

He slowed and glanced behind him.Just Steinbeck’s light, a pinprick in the darkness, but as far as Declan could tell, no one was following them.Of course not.Because who would be insane enough to drive into the dark, increasingly choppy sea with no land in sight and who knew how much gas?The tank looked nearly empty.

It might get him five miles, max.But who knew how far land might be?

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