Page 93 of Forged in Secrets

After waiting for Jade’s nod of approval, she stepped forward, taking her place in front of the sprawling array of controls.

She glanced over the GPS screen, the throttle settings, and the controls for the auto navigation system. She could see the radio controls that Katie had missed, but couldn’t reach them easily, even if she decided to take a wild risk and tried to call for help.

“Give her some room,” Jade ordered Katie, who was still sprawled in the central captain’s chair, blocking her access to the ship’s manual steering wheel.

Grace felt her heart aching as Katie walked across the smooth floor to go and stand a few feet away from Ben. All she wanted was to be with him now. The brief embrace they had shared upon her initial rescue hadn’t lasted nearly long enough. Now she wondered if she’d ever have the chance to rest in his strong arms again.

No. She couldn’t think like that.

Even in the midst of the chaos swirling around her, the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit uttered silent words from the Psalms that she knew by heart.

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; yea, wait for the Lord!

Waiting again.

She could do that, even if it felt impossible.

She tore her eyes away from Ben, forcing herself to look back down at the array of screens and switches, trying to get her bearings before Jade issued her next command. The gun was the most immediate threat to their lives, but even a large ship like this could be badly damaged in a collision.

According to the display, the ship was more or less resting in place without its anchor. Though it was drifting slowly near the shore of Mexico, they were still far enough away that their GPS didn’t show any other vessels in their immediate vicinity. Good.

“Start heading away from shore,” Jade demanded. “Get us out into the open ocean and then I’ll figure out where we’re headed next.”

Grace nodded, wiping her sweating palms against the dress she’d been wearing since yesterday morning. As she looked at the controls, the dozens of different buttons and switches seemed to swirl together into one confusing mess.

She heard Jade’s footsteps behind her, and a moment later, she felt a jolting pain in the back of her head as she jabbed her with the gun.

“I thought you knew what to do.”

“I–I do,” she stammered, reaching for the GPS control wheel and scrolling across the map.

“Maybe if you stop pointing a gun at her she’d be able to focus!” Ben snapped from his place near the door.

Jade scoffed. “Fine. But you’d better get this thing moving. And I want to see some speed.”

CHAPTER

FORTY-ONE

GABE

Gabe raced toward the beach, no longer bothering to be discreet now that the gunshot in the distance had sent the kidnapper’s lackey running. The humid summer air felt thick in his lungs as he tried to close the distance between himself and the Hintons, who were both still standing near the dock, looking panicked.

He couldn’t hear if they were saying anything to one another over the rest of the background noise. Fortunately, it was better for them to stay put for the time being. They needed a game plan, and he didn’t have time to chase Grace’s parents through a crowd of terrified locals and tourists.

Before he could even make it onto the beach, however, he noticed that the yacht had moved.

After a few more strides brought him to a patch of concrete free of people, he paused for a moment, trying to catch his breath.

The location of the Hintons had suddenly become the least of his problems.

He watched in horror as the huge craft finished its turn and now faced the open water. With barely a minute’s hesitation, the ship proceeded to pick up speed and rush off into the Gulf.

This was really, really bad.

Ben and Asher had been right. He had let this mission fall apart. It was his fault, and now some of the people he cared about most in the world might pay the price.

His leg muscles burned as he fought through the thick sand at a run, dodging other people who were heading away from the sound of the gunshot rather than toward it.

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