The gun slid past Xander’s face as the ship leveled out. He scrambled after it on all fours while their attacker struggled to his feet. Leila had rolled away and caught hold of a stair railing, using the metal bar to pull up and steady herself.
A split-second later, Walker was pounding across the deck toward Xander.
Xander stretched his arm—the gun just out of reach—but something grabbed his ankle and dragged him backward. He let out a grunt as his abdomen hit the hard deck. His stomach lurched, a stinging sensation tingling inside his lower esophagus.
No. Now was not the time to throw up. He rolled onto his back and kicked Walker’s arm. He kicked again, hitting Walker squarely in his torso. The man stumbled back with a grunt.
Xander threw a quick glance over his shoulder, catching sight of Leila just behind him. She had moved away from the stairs, her eyes set on the gun.
The ship tilted again as if it were speeding downhill and they all tumbled forward. Walker smashed into Xander, knocking the breath from him as they were sprayed with cold Mediterranean water.
Walker rolled off with a groan. They both hit the railing with a bang, the metal the only thing keeping them from plunging into the raging sea. Xander pushed himself into a sitting position and searched the deck. Leila was nowhere in sight. Panic seized his lungs. She could be anywhere. She could be overboard. In conditions like this, that would be her death sentence. He crawled forward and came to a stop in front of a stack of wooden crates. The ship rocked violently, keeping him on his knees. His gaze darted between the groaning containers. Nothing. He struggled for breath. She couldn’t be gone.
Before he could call her name, he sensed movement at his side. Walker stood across the aisle, legs wide, bracing himself against the movements, gun in hand.
“Hands on your head,” Walker growled again. “You have three seconds before I shoot.”
Xander ground his teeth and obeyed. He wouldn’t be able to help Leila if he was full of bullets. His gaze wandered to the railing. Water splashed over the top and his legs shook. Where was she?
“I said lie down!” Walker’s voice cut into Xander’s worry. He hadn’t heard the man the first time.
Slowly, Xander lowered himself to the deck. The scent of salt water and metal filled his nostrils, but for once, he didn’t feel like he was going to hurl. His mind was stuck on Leila. She could be drowning, and he was trapped. Inept. Unless he took a risk. And took one fast. “Did Jones send you?”
“What do you think?” Walker stepped forward, stopping once he stood next to Xander.
“This is all one huge misunderstanding,” Xander went on, eying the man’s hand, keeping his body perfectly still. One swipe and he could knock the Ruger away, then he’d go for the throat.
“I don’t care what it is.” Walker crouched and pulled out another zip tie.
Xander struck. He knocked the agent’s gun hand up, then grabbed Walker’s throat with his other hand.
Unfortunately, the man didn’t lose grip of the gun. Walker swung his arm back down and pointed at Xander.
Something moved in the shadows on the left. A long metal pipe swung at Walker’s head. He ducked, tearing himself out of Xander’s grip, and it hit him on the shoulder with a loud thud. The man whirled around and fired.
Leila had already dropped to her haunches, out of the bullet’s path. With the pipe clutched in both hands, she sprang to her feet and backed away from the agent.
Xander leaped forward and tackled the man to the deck, the gun clattering from his hand. Xander reached for it. An arm wrapped around his neck and jerked his head upward.
Still holding the pipe in one hand, Leila picked up the gun. “Let him go!” She aimed at Walker, finger on the trigger.
The agent squeezed his arm around Xander’s neck, then pressed the edge of a knife to his throat.
Oh, perfect. This is going to hurt.
“Let him go or I swear I’ll shoot you.” Anger hardened her voice and streaks of light flashed in her eyes. If Xander didn’t know any better, he’d say he didn’t know who that woman standing there was.
“Put the gun down, girl,” the agent snarled. “With one move, he’s dead.”
Walker was right. A hard pull upward and he’d snap Xander’s neck, or he’d slash Xander’s throat, and he would slowly bleed to death. Even if Leila put a bullet in the man. Xander held perfectly still, unsure if Leila would obey. A few days ago he would have expected her to, but now… he didn’t know what to think. The agent squeezed tighter.
Leila held her position, her gaze clouding with uncertainty. She lowered her arm.
A giant wave hit the side of the ship with a deafening bang, and foamy waves spilled across the deck. The vessel tipped sideways, sending Leila stumbling to the deck.
The agent lost his grip, releasing Xander as they slid. They slammed against the rail that separated them from the tempest. Leila was the first one back on her feet. As Walker stood, she swung her arm, hitting the man in the face with her fist. He stumbled a few steps backward, then bumped into the rail. The force of the hit bent his torso back, over the barricade. The man hung halfway over the rail for a moment, but before he could regain his balance, his feet slipped on the wet deck, and he flipped over the side.
Xander rushed to the railing and looked over—and nearly lost what was left in his stomach. Twenty-five feet below, a wave crashed against the side of the ship. The man was gone.
CHAPTER 25
The captain was not amused. He was a short man with a heavy build and a carpet of white whiskers covering the lower half of his face. A black and gold band decorated both shoulders of his crisp, white collared shirt. Leila and Xander met him after running into a group of sailors at the entrance to the main cabins. Apparently, the sailors had been on their way out to rescue them.
Great timing.
Leila huddled under the wool blanket she’d been given when she and Xander were brought to the bridge. They sat in the back of the room, facing the opposite wall full of monitors, buttons, and flashing lights. The captain paced, his face red.
“What were you two thinking going out there like that? You could have easily been swept overboard. It would have been a miserable death. You’d have been lost forever. There’s no way we’d find you in conditions like this.”
“Someone attacked me,” Leila started, not sure how far she should go with the information. She didn’t want to mention they were being hunted by British intelligence. The less the captain knew, the better.
The captain stopped and faced her, a look of concern drawing over his features. “Attacked?”
Leila nodded. “A guy grabbed me when I was heading back to our room with dinner. I panicked and ran.” She went on to describe the man’s facial features and clothing.
The captain smoothed his beard with his fingers. “That is troubling.” His tone softened. “I’m truly sorry.”
“Well,” Xander said, sliding an arm around Leila’s shoulders, “we don’t have to worry about that nutter anymore. He fell off the side.”
