Page 88 of An Epic Voyage
“No, he’s hanging on.The sooner we get him help, the better.Are you afraid of the dark?”
“I wasn’t before.I don’t know about now,” Jordy admitted.
“It would be safer for you if I turned off the lights.”
He took a deep breath and nodded.“Do what you must.”
After ensuring Jordy wouldn’t fall apart and that he was comfortable, Griffin turned off the lights, flicked on the flashlight, grabbed the crowbar, and went to work on the hatch.He shoved the straight claw beneath the edge and jerked.It gave a satisfying pop, and he eased the top open.It was nighttime, but a floodlight illuminated the area.He didn’t see anybody hanging around.Griffin slipped out, keeping the bar as a weapon.
The hatch was located at the back of the yacht, near where the speedboat was docked.Griffin climbed up on a storage bench and twisted the bulb, instantly bathing the area in darkness.Then he jumped onto the deck of the boat, using the moonlight to navigate.There were padded benches along the sides that lifted for storage.He could put Franklin in one, Jordy in the other, and they would be safe.Someone was taking the boat away from here.Hopefully, it would be Indigo and him.
He stepped out and was about to go back and get the two men when he heard a noise.Plastering his back against the wall, he gripped the crowbar and waited.When a shape came into view, he lifted the weapon and prepared to strike.
#
The helicopter landedon Van Houten Island.Evangeline climbed out first, followed by Jackson.They both stuttered to a stop and stared at the devastation.
“It’s worse than I thought,” Jackson murmured.
It was.What had once been a show-stopping resort had been reduced to rubble.There was basically nothing left.
“It would be too hard to search through the wreckage to find the safe room.Indigo didn’t give us detailed instructions.”
Evangeline nodded.“Agreed.She said there was a cave at the north end.Let’s head to the boathouse and see if there’s a boat in there we can use to look for it.”
They jogged to where the building had once stood.The destruction was just as bad.The walls and roof were gone.Boats, wave runners, kayaks, canoes, and other assorted watercraft were crashed on top of each other in a twisted heap.
“Hey, I’ve got a jet ski that’s functional,” Jackson called out.
Evangeline started to tell him she would drive, but she didn’t want his arms around her.She climbed on, and they motored out into the water.Jackson had to drive slowly to avoid the debris that was floating everywhere.
When they reached the cave, he pulled up to a small pier and killed the engine.Evangeline climbed off and looked around.Rock walls surrounded them.There wasn’t an obvious door.After an hour of searching, Jackson hit something that triggered the wall to slide open, revealing an elevator.
Evangeline looked at the panel.Besides a button to open the door and another to close it, there were two additional buttons.One was in a prominent place, while the other was recessed with a partially open cover.
“This is interesting.”
Jackson was standing close—too close.Before she could choose which one to push, he decided for her.They spun around when the back wall opened.It revealed a slab of rock.
“We need to go up a level,” Jackson guessed.
No kidding, Sherlock.She bit back the words, unsure why she was feeling so out of sorts.It had been a long time since she and Jackson had worked together outside of the office.They used to be in perfect sync.Not anymore.
They both watched the opening as the elevator ascended.When it stopped, they were staring at a safe.Jackson pried open the keypad and tapped in Van Houten’s birthdate.When it clicked, Evangeline opened the door to reveal a room full of probably stolen or ill-gotten goods.And nothing else.Her heart sank.
“I was hoping Indigo was here.”
Jackson turned toward her.“Me too.Let’s see if we can find the nuke, and then we’ll call this in and have a crew here to catalog the contents.”
The FBI agent with Indigo was searching for a computer.Evangeline picked up a laptop.“This must be the missing military device Griffin Decker was after.”
“Evie?”
“What?”
“Look.”
She glanced at where Jackson was standing to see him holding a gun.“It’s Indigo’s.”
