Andrea hollered after them, unable to keepup, “You keep in touch with me; I’m calling in the CoastGuard.”
As they ran, he asked Aiden, “You got akey?”
“Did that ever stop us before?”
Chase shook his head, “No, I guess itdidn’t.” They’d taken Frank’s boat for a number of joyrides back inthe day. Frank must have known, as there was always plenty of fueland good snacks on board. Out boating, they were much less likelyto get into trouble.
At the marina, they raced straight for thedock entrance. Without hesitating, Chase ripped his pocketknife outof his pocket and picked open the gate to the yacht club. Hardlymissing a beat, they kept running down the dock. They nearlyknocked over the woman coming the other direction, carrying a heavyice chest.
“Sorry,” Chase panted, then stopped to talkto her. “You haven’t by any chance seen a lanky guy with whiteblond hair, or a sailboat setting out recently?”
The tiny woman looked back at him like he wascrazy. “We just got in from a long trip, sorry.” She dragged outthe words as she shook her head.
Chase hollered back, as he hadn’t stopped tohear her response, “Thanks anyway,” as he followed Aiden to Frank’sHinckley. He leaped on board the 38-foot Hinckley. “Glad your dadhates to sail. We should make good time.” They each untied a linebefore hopping in.
Aiden was already at the ignition, hotwiringthe boat. Chase scanned the horizon as Aiden backed the boat out ofits slip. He could see a hint of the boat in the distance andchanted over and over in his head,Let that be her. Please lether be ok.
The other boat was moving faster than heexpected. Much longer and it would have been gone from sight.
Aiden radioed on Ian’s handheld as he pickedup speed. “Andrea, we’re on the water. We’re heading toward what wehope is Dylan.” Chase couldn’t hear much over the roar of theengine and the wind. Aiden continued, “I understand; get here asfast as you can… You know we’re not waiting... I know, we’ll becareful. Thanks.” Aiden looked to Chase, “We’re on our own. There’sa Coast Guard cutter a few miles out. They are going to try tointercept.”
Chase nodded. He belatedly pulled in thebumpers he could easily reach into the boat. He looked around foranything resembling a weapon.
34
Maddy strained her ears, listening for any sounds totell her where they were, figure out what was going on. There wereno voices. A roll of thunder echoed in the distance, the tinyporthole splattered with rain. It didn’t sound like anyone otherthan Dylan, was on board.
With the weather, it would be hard to makeout their position when she made it on deck. Her feet and handswere zip-tied behind her. They moved at a steady clip along theocean, some of the waves bounced her on the bed, aggravating thenausea that lingered still. She pulled and strained against herbindings, but they weren’t loosening, and her wrists werethreatening to go numb. The odor of her own vomit from before wasstrong, so she scooted away from the stench.
She looked around for something, anythingthat would help. She rolled onto her back to look up at theceiling. Dammit, no skylight. Under her hands, she felt thesleeping bag zipper.
She listened closely for sounds of Dylan.Nothing. She gripped the narrow metal zipper pull and tried towedge it into the clasp of the zip tie that bound her hands. If shecould just release the locking mechanism on the thick plastic ofthe zip tie, she could loosen it. Her wrists and shoulders strainedunder the pressure, her fingers aching from gripping the narrowzipper pull at the awkward angle.
A creak from the hatch opening echoed acrossthe hull. She quickly rolled onto her side and dropped the zipperas she heard the lock rattling as Dylan unlocked the bedroomdoor.
“Madelyn, I’m so glad you’re sitting quietly.You have no idea how much I’ve missed you,” he gazed at her,patting her leg in what he supposed was a comforting manner.“You’ll forget about your job, your family, and that assholeanyway. He’ll get what’s coming to him. I’ve already made thearrangements.”
Maddy wanted to scream at him, to spit in hisface and tell him to fuck off. But first, she needed him to leaveso she could finish undoing her bindings. “Dylan, please. I’ll dowhatever you want, just leave him alone.”
He tilted his head and smiledsympathetically. “Oh, my dear Madelyn, I wish it were that simple.You’re coming with me, as far south as the wind will take us. Chasewill be signing over your father’s business as we speak to try toget you back. At least, that’s what he and my associates think. Andthat’s what your ransom note implies.
“But, I’m ready to retire someplace sunny,and I want you with me. Since our separation, I’ve been building usa nest egg. Once Chase signs over the business, my associates canmove forward with the building plans. Well, that’s what theythink.
“I’m sure your colleagues are arresting themas we speak, taking care of that little mess for me. Meanwhile someof my… more specialized associates, will be taking care of Chasetonight. He’s a stubborn one, and I can’t have him trying to huntus down.”
Maddy allowed the tears to come, giving him asense that she’d given up. That he’d won. That she was giving in.“You monster. You’ll never get away with this.” If he knew her aswell as he thought he did, he’d have known it was for show. She hidthe smile. With his narcissism, he couldn’t see past his ownsuccess.
“I know you feel that way now. But you lovedme once, and you’ll love me again.” His poorly placed confidencewas revolting. He leaned as if he were going to kiss her, butpulled back, thinking better of it. Remembering what had happenedlast time he tried to get close. “Soon,” he reassured her as hestood. He begrudgingly left the bedroom and locked the door behindhim. She listened as he climbed back up the ladder.
She quickly rolled back over and grasped thesleeping bag’s zipper. Grunting as she strained, she strained topush the zipper into the clasp until the zip tie released, freeingher hands.
As she worked to free her feet, she plannedout her next steps. Break down the door, she could easily do thatwith a kick. Even with the cramps in her legs. Dylan would see heras soon as she opened the door if he’d left the hatch open, soshe’d need to find a weapon quickly.
With any luck there would be a fireextinguisher or fishing knife or something outside the door. Maybea kitchenette. She couldn’t count on any of that. She knew somegood moves, but it was risky to try to attack from a lower,enclosed position against an armed opponent. The way he’d taken outIan and grabbed her, she realized she wasn’t the only one who hadbeen training for the day he came back for her.
She’d need to wait until the rightopportunity arose.
***
