out of the back of his leg, and took one step toward me with his knife before a boat paddle crashed down across his head. The paddle snapped and he staggered, turning his attention to Summer, who stood holding what was left of the paddle.
The man took a swipe at Summer but she dodged it, distracting him just long enough for me to climb to my feet. I sent one fist down through the man’s face, feeling something break. But I knew I couldn’t manage a second swing. If he came at me again, Summer and Angel would watch me die.
For some reason, he did not. He staggered, dropped his knife, wiped one hand across the back of his thigh, assessed his own wound, and then stared at me. Spitting, he smiled and said one word: “Ellie.” Then he began shuffling toward his boat. Unable to chase, the three of us watched him leave.
When he reached the end of the dock, he threw the lines off the seaplane, climbed inside, cranked the engine, and throttled into the wind. When he’d turned ninety degrees, putting the wind in his face, he revved the engine, skimmed across the face of the water, then lifted heavenward, circling eastward. In less than two minutes, he was gone from sight and sound.
While Summer sobbed and held her daughter, I stared at the end of the dock. The demon boat. I turned to Angel and directed her attention to the lighthouse. “They in there?”
She was clinging to her mom. Crying, but no sound came. She nodded and loosed the dam that held back the sound. The cry echoed out across the island. I shined my light into the base of the lighthouse and saw ten beautiful young girls, each blindfolded and zip-tied. I began lifting blindfolds. “Can you walk?” They were young. Not yet sixteen. “Come on. We’re going home.” Each nodded. With the knife from the sidewalk, I cut them loose, then knelt next to Gunner. His breathing was labored, gurgling. His heavy eyes were having trouble focusing on me. “Easy, boy.”
He tried to lick my face, but there was too much blood. I slid my arms beneath him and limped my way to the two-million-dollar racing boat.
I had to get to Ellie before he did.
Chapter 49
Summer and Angel leaned on each other down the sidewalk as Gunner and I painted our own path to the boat. The ten girls followed, huddling against one another. I set him on the deck below the back seat. The girls climbed in and began strapping on seat belts. Summer helped me loosen the lines, and I throttled away from the dock. Then she handed me the sat phone.
I circled west, then south, slowly routing through shallow water. When we reached four feet, enough to plane, I shot the throttle forward, rocketing us up and out of our lighthouse grave. Within seconds, we were traveling ninety-seven miles an hour. The boat is equipped with a key fob of sorts, which—when engaged—allows the captain to make use of all the power the motors possess. The fob dangled in front of me across a dash that looked more fighter jet than boat. I clicked the button, and the engines roared like an F-16. Given the glass-like conditions, we nearly took flight. When I looked down, I saw we were traveling at 122 mph.
The keys were slippery with blood as I dialed Bones. He answered with, “I’m sorry.”
I didn’t have time for him and me. “You see a plane flying east?”
“No, but your demon boat is traveling east at a hundred thirty-seven miles an hour.”
“That’s us.”
“What?”
“No time. Find the plane. It’s small. Like a bush plane.”
A pause while he checked the satellite. “Got it.”
“Tell me where it lands.”
Twenty minutes later, he called back. “He just landed.”
“Where?”
“The shoreline at your hotel.”
“Where’s the vet?”
“Where do you want him?”
“Sisters of Mercy.”
“He can be there in five.”
I hung up and charted a course for the south side of the island and Sisters of Mercy. Five minutes later, I beached the demon boat on the sand in front of Marie’s cottage. I grabbed Gunner, stumbled out of the boat, fell into the water, and hobbled our way up onto the beach. He wasn’t breathing.
I turned to Summer. “You sit with him?” Rewrapping the tourniquet around my leg, I limped my way up Marie’s back steps. I threw open the door and found Sister June spoon-feeding soup to Marie. When she saw me, her eyes grew wide and