Page 79 of Rescuing Micah


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“Has to be here somewhere,” Rex assured him.

“Yeah? Then why haven’t we found her?”

“Maybe she went up here,” Gumby suggested.

The SEAL was pointing to a smaller staircase than the one they’d used to work their way down to each floor. That one had been the main one, but this one appeared to be for the use of the crew, well, at least when the boat was a working cruise ship.

It was worth a shot.

Anything was.

So long as he found his girl.

Taking the steps three at a time, it wasn't long before he was back up in the fresh air on the top deck, only this time right at the back of the boat, the opposite end to where they’d boarded. This space of open deck was separated from the rest by a small room that had once been a bar and small kitchen serving passengers as they relaxed up there.

Now he scanned the space.

Empty.

Again.

Was it possible that Teresa had already been killed and her body thrown overboard? The ocean was smooth today, so her body wouldn't have traveled far, especially if she’d only been killed once the helo arrived. The tracker only told them her location, not her condition, so it was a possibility.

Then he spotted movement.

A flutter of something white.

“Teresa?” he called out, hurrying toward it.

“Micah?” her voice called out, and the relief of hearing his name falling from her lips almost took him to his knees.

“The others have got the remaining crew and medical personnel in custody,” Phantom told him as he saw Teresa’s face as she peeked around the corner from where she’d obviously been hiding.

This was it then. They’d found Teresa, she was safe, alive, possibly hurt, but she was up there when everyone else was still tied to their beds, so he knew that she was mostly okay. Physically, at least.

“You're here,” she murmured as she took a step closer.

“You're alive,” he said at the same time.

She smiled at him, but the smile quickly wavered as she turned her head slightly, obviously looking at something that he couldn’t yet see, something—or probably someone—still hidden by the small structure.

When her gaze snapped back to his, her eyes were wide with fear, and she took a step toward him.

He was still closing the distance, but before he could reach her, haul her into his arms, stand between her like a human shield, a body came flying out of nowhere, tackling Teresa and taking her over the edge with them, plummeting toward the ocean below.

CHAPTER 21

May7th

12:32 P.M.

The water wasa lot colder than she’d been expecting.

While Teresa tried to take a breath before she went under, the shock of being knocked over the side of the boat, right when she thought it was all over and she was finally safe, meant she lost precious seconds.

Seconds that might turn out to be the difference between living and dying.

A mere ten seconds or so after she and William had left the small surgical room, they’d heard the first of the gunshots.