Page 42 of Hidden Dane
Dane waved goodbye to Brady and headed into the orange life boat with Henry as he said, “Find my friend Professor Brady Booker a computer, and with his phone, he can help me stay in touch—I’d appreciate it.”
“Got it.” Michael hung up like he’d received an order and was ready to go.
He’d done the right thing. His biological father had the resources and talent to formulate a rescue. In this first contact, neither of them had become sentimental and they’d stayed focused. Dane shoved the phone in his back pocket and Henry worked the motor.
As the small craft separated from the main ferry, Henry directed them after Ted’s boat and said, “So that’s your plan? You called your father?”
“Yeah.” Henry had no idea how Michael and Jack worked as a team, and Dane didn’t want to relive his youth with an explanation. His father knew how to protect himself and his family, and Emily was more his family anyhow. “We will we go after Emily and save her—but afterward, I needed someone to take her home and out of danger.”
Henry stared at him like he’d just spoken gibberish. “Won’t she want to come with you? You seemed taken with each other.”
Taken was a good word for how he felt near Emily. No other woman would ever match her, but she deserved more. She deserved to be happy without danger hounding her heels. “I’m better off alone. Emily deserves better than me.”
Henry found a way to increase their speed with the small engine they had and asked, “Doesn’t the lady get to decide that for herself?”
If Emily wanted to stay with him he’d welcome her but he seriously doubted that would be her choice. He’d left her alone and defenseless. This was his mistake and she’d hate him. She had always been a small part of why he wanted to help the world, and he couldn’t sit still while she was ripped from it. Emily needed to be safe and go home in one piece.
Water from the channel splashed against his face—they traveled toward the beaches of Normandy again as he said, “One day Henry, you’ll understand.”
At least they hadn’t gone very far and the small lifeboat zipped across the surface. Henry said fast, “The boat is in port, broadside. If we hurry, figure out their direction, then we’re only ten minutes behind them.”
“Let’s go,” Dane answered.
Somehow he’d get Emily back-- he couldn’t fail again.
Chapter 14
This is how I die, Emily panicked. With a black bag over her head so she couldn’t see. They’d brought her below deck, and tied her arms and legs to a metal table that swayed with the moving of the ocean. Salt itched at her throat while water and darkness surrounded her head.
The water stopped forcing itself into her lungs.
Then she could breathe.
Ice ran through Emily’s body—and at last the bucket stopped pouring water into her mouth.
She coughed and spit out salty water, shivering, gasping—and then another bucket rained over her lips, forcing water into her and stopping her breaths. Michael hadn’t trained her for this. Her vision swam.
She must have lost consciousness, so she had no idea how much time had passed. Emily rolled over to cough out more water. She wasn’t dead, not yet.
This time she could turn to her side, and clutched her stomach even with her hands in cold metal cuffs, unable to fight. Things couldn’t get worse. Then, from the other side of the metal table, she heard a masculine voice say, “Hello, Emily.” There was no mistaking the French accent.
She spluttered and coughed. It was like she was on the train again—kidnapped and held against her will. The sway of the ocean under her body, rather than train tracks. She was on a ship still, and the black bag was pulled from her face.
Her eyes stung, but she sat up as hands roughly pushed her to a sitting position and brought her from the table to a hard-backed chair. Ankles tied, wrists tied. Her vision began to return and she saw she was on the deck of a ship while she swiped off the male hand from her side and met the furious brown eyes of Alexandre, Ted’s henchman. Her lip quivered. “Back off.”
He squatted in front of her and his stare alone made her tremble as he said, “Your boyfriend couldn’t save you.”
Hopefully her cold shivering had disguised that tremble that she slipped out of the ropes that were meant to bind her. She didn’t reveal that, but it was time to be brave. She coughed again but lifted her chin. “He didn’t save me the last time either if you remember.”
Alexandre traced her cheek and chin and sneered at her. “You drugged me.”
“I was trying to escape.” She pushed his hand off her face and shook her head. “Henry gave the authorities your names and crimes—you can’t go home without being arrested.”
“You freed yourself I see. I must not have been rough enough for you.” Alexandre caressed her elbow. “I thought we were getting along.”
Enough. She needed to get off this boat and escape. She had to keep calm and be ready to run. She cupped her hands into fists and wished she’d freed her ankles as easily. “If you had a chance to escape certain death, wouldn’t you take it?”
Alexandre brushed against her arm but then stood up as he said, “C'est suffisant. Here comes the boss.”
