Leila climbed on board, glancing toward the street. Cars zipped by, minding their own business. There was no sign of any special agents. Not yet.
Xander jumped onto the deck as the boat began to drift away from the dock.
“The SIS are here. I’m sure the one I ran over isn’t the only one looking for us.”
“But the motor…” Pete shook his head, his lips pressed together.
“What’s wrong with it?” Xander asked.
“I still need to replace that part. It should start running once I’m done.”
Xander muttered a curse under his breath and slammed his fist against the side of the wheelhouse.
“Can we help?” Leila offered.
“Steer the boat so we don’t crash into anything.” Pete shrugged. “I’ll be done in ten minutes.”
Leila sat behind the steering wheel and Xander followed Pete down the steps into the engine room. She guided the boat as it slowly floated between the docks while metallic bangs and bickering between Xander, Montu, and Pete drifted up the stairs. Her attention flickered between the water and the street, where she expected to see Jones appear any second.
After a few minutes, Xander stuck his head out the door. “Turn it on.”
Leila turned the key in the ignition and the motor sputtered to life.
“We’re good to go,” Pete announced as he walked into the cabin. Leila slipped down from the driver’s seat and Montu pushed around her, taking the helm. Engine purring, River God crept past the other boats, which rocked gently in the V-shaped wave that followed them. They cleared the harbor and headed toward the sharp, blue horizon.
Leila walked onto the deck and watched as the docks shrank away, letting out a sigh. They had escaped. They could always practice their scuba diving in the open sea before they reached the island. The island was a three-hour journey, and she was sure they would take a break at some point to try out their new skills.
The sound of a motor behind them met Leila’s ears. Xander stood to look, then immediately ducked back down.
“Pete, we’ve got company!”
Leila peered over the rail at the boat following them—it was sleek, shiny, and looked much faster than theirs. She couldn’t see the driver, but the men at the bow with guns, their sights set on River God, gave a good clue on who it was.
She swallowed. They didn’t stand a chance.
Montu urged the fishing boat to full speed. The wind whipped wildly at Leila’s face, the roar of the motor deafening as they cut through the turquoise waves. And still, the boat behind them drew closer.
“Keep your head down,” came Pete’s voice nearby. She looked up to see him offering her a pistol. “And hold on to this. Hopefully you won’t need it.”
With her heart pounding in her ears, she nodded and took the weapon. They both lowered themselves to the floor, and the boat bounced violently against the water, sending waves shooting up on both sides. Leila was soaked within seconds, the saltwater stinging her eyes. Xander positioned himself on the other side of Leila, holding his gun ready, but not aiming.
Leila bit back a groan. They weren’t going to make it to the island, were they? They were either going to end up dead or in a jail cell.
The speedboat behind them picked up its pace, slowly but surely. It was as if they weren’t trying to catch them just yet. They were just enjoying the chase. After all, River God had nowhere to hide on the open sea.
Montu turned the boat to follow the rocky coastline, but that still didn’t give them more options. Turning into a bay or river would only leave them cornered and end the chase. Montu spun the wheel, making a large U as they turned in the other direction, then he sped toward a cluster of tall rock islands sticking out of the sparkling water like icebergs. The speedboat easily matched their pace, remaining an even hundred yards behind them.
River God roared between two towering islands, then Montu spun the wheel to make a tight curve around one of the monoliths.
Like being pulled by an invisible rope, Leila started to slide across the deck. She reached up and grabbed the wire railing, dropping her gun in the process. She cringed as it lodged itself between two of the white containers of scuba gear. At least it hadn’t fallen into the water.
Pete and Xander seemed to be hanging on just fine on either side of her.
“You all right?” Xander yelled, the rushing wind and waves dulling his voice.
“For now,” she yelled back. Before she could ask Xander the same, Montu threw the boat into a sharp curve to circle around another island.
A thud came at her side as her and Xander’s backpack toppled to the deck, strewing the contents across the floor. Her gaze skipped over the fluttering passports and landed on the wooden box, still tucked inside the freezer bag. It sat dangerously close to the boat’s edge. One more turn to the left and it would slide off.
Without letting go of the rail, Xander stretched out his hand and scooped up the bag, then held it up for Leila to see. After her nod and sigh of relief, he stuffed it into his pocket.
The boat slapped the surface of the water, flying over the waves as they hugged one curve to the right, then curved to the left. Leila’s stomach rolled. Xander’s face had also paled, but he gripped the railing as the boat tilted into another turn. They really should have skipped all those greasy fries.
To her right, Pete let out a growl of frustration as he gripped the rail with one hand. “We can’t go on like this!”
“It’s all we can do to shake them,” Xander yelled.
Pete lifted his gun.
“No!” Xander shook his head, his brow cinching together. “Don’t fight them. It’ll make things worse. They’re looking for a reason to kill you. Don’t give them one.”
Montu turned the boat once more, and they circled another island, then veered back toward the open sea. The speedboat behind them kept up the chase effortlessly. After a minute of a straight cut through the water, Montu stepped out of the cabin.
“Now what?” he yelled.
Pete pointed at the speedboat, his features determined. “I will go.”
Leila frowned. Go?
