Chapter 12 - Evan on the Boat
Arthur forgot the gun.
He lunged toward his son.
Lucas slammed him into the rail.
“Stay back.”
“Evan!” Arthur shouted.
The boy’s face was white with fear.
Elena looked furious.
“What is he doing here?”
Lucas snapped, “Insurance.”
“You took him?”
“I had Thomas’s school access card.”
Arthur’s vision narrowed.
“You went near his school?”
Evan spoke quickly. “He said Maria was hurt and you sent him.”
Arthur wanted to tear Lucas apart with his hands.
Instead, he forced himself to breathe.
“Evan, look at me.”
His son did.
“You did nothing wrong.”
Lucas shoved Arthur toward the cabin.
“Inside.”
They were locked below deck.
Arthur immediately checked Evan for injuries.
“I’m okay,” Evan whispered.
“Did he touch you?”
“No.”
Arthur hugged him so hard Evan squeaked.
“Dad.”
“Sorry.”
“No, it’s okay.”
Arthur closed his eyes.
He had promised he would come back.
Instead, danger had reached Evan first.
Above them, Elena and Lucas were arguing.
“You said no child,” Elena hissed.
“You said Arthur would pay anything for him.”
“That doesn’t mean kidnap him.”
“Stop pretending you have lines.”
Arthur looked around the cabin.
A galley.
A storage locker.
A small emergency hatch near the floor.
Too narrow for him.
Not too narrow for Evan.
Arthur knelt.
“Can you crawl through that?”
Evan’s eyes widened.
“Where does it go?”
“Probably the engine compartment.”
“That sounds bad.”
“It does.” Arthur almost smiled. “But you’re the smallest person on the boat.”
Evan swallowed.
“What do I do?”
“Find a red emergency switch. Or a radio. Anything that stops the boat or tells someone where we are.”
“Will you be here?”
“I will not leave this cabin.”
Evan nodded.
Arthur opened the hatch.
His son crawled into darkness.
Minutes passed.
Then the engine coughed.
Once.
Twice.
Stopped.
Lucas shouted above.
“What the hell?”
Arthur smiled despite himself.
“That’s my boy.”
A moment later, an alarm began screaming.
Then a marine radio crackled through the cabin speaker.
A small voice said, “Mayday. My name is Evan Vance. I think we were kidnapped.”
Arthur’s eyes filled.
Above them, Lucas roared.
Footsteps pounded toward the cabin.
The lock snapped open.
May you like
Lucas stood there with the pistol raised.
And behind him, Elena was holding a second gun.
