Page 39 of Lost Cause
Depending on him alone. What did he do?
He didn’t know. He only knew the basics of piloting a boat. That’s it. Nothing more. Certainly, no evasion or defensive handling skills like he possessed for driving a motor vehicle.
Think, man, think.
If he could somehow bring their boat alongside the big craft it couldn’t ram them. He had to judge the timing perfectly and wait until the last second, then hook a sharp turn. Such a largevessel wasn’t as maneuverable as his friend’s boat and shouldn’t be able to react quickly enough to stop them.
If he succeeded, he could maneuver around the back of the big boat, completely out of immediate danger. He could then become the aggressor, charging after it to obtain identifying information.
“Hold on,” he yelled over the motor before he lost his nerve.
He hadn’t offered a prayer since Tiffany left him at the altar, but now, he couldn’t help himself.
Please help me to do this. Please keep the others safe.
He eased up on the throttle a bit, kept his eyes on the advancing boat. Counted.
One one thousand. Two one thousand. Three one thousand.
Now!
He jerked the wheel and hit the throttle. The boat rose in the front and nimbly responded. Turning sharply in the nick of time. He’d completed his maneuver, fully coming alongside the bigger boat before it T-boned their vessel.
Thank You. Thank You.
He pressed the throttle harder, circling around the other boat’s wake until he faced its stern.
Now they were the pursuer. Burke kept the throttle pressed forward and didn’t let up. Chasing the larger boat. Staying back to safely ride the water churned up by the bigger boat.
The boat veered off to the left, and Burke stayed on his tail. They soon neared the beach. Good. He’d have to slow down, and Burke could find out who was piloting the vessel. He waited. A minute. Two.
No slowing. The boat continued to race ahead at high speed.
Closer, closer to the shoreline! He didn’t let up, even as they were seconds from crashing.
The large vessel barreled onto the shore, coming to a sudden stop and beaching the boat.
What in the…?
Burke jerked back on the throttle before the propellers hit ground and bent them. He slowly came to a stop. Half tempted to leap into the water and swim to shore, he opted instead to call dispatch and order a patrol unit to the area, keeping his focus on the beached vessel.
Someone in a black ski mask bolted over the side of the boat, hitting the sand hard. A guy, judging by how he ran. About five-foot-ten. Fit, except for the start of a beer belly. He lost his balance on the sand and lay there as if stunned. A trio of beachgoers raced toward him. One man knelt beside him and held him down.
Good. Keep him there until the patrol vehicle arrived.
The boat captain freed his shoulders and shoved to his feet. He quick-stepped up the beach toward a thick stand of grass and trees growing on a long sand dune. He scrambled up. Fell back a few feet, the sand cascading down with his body. He got up. Clambered to the top and disappeared into the shadowy darkness of the trees.
“He’s getting away.” Abby jumped to her feet. “I’m going after him.”
Burke grabbed her wrist. “By the time you swim to shore, he’ll be long gone, and you’ll have risked your life in the cold water for nothing.”
She glared at him and jerked her wrist free.
“You know, I’m right,” Burke said, planning to tackle her if necessary. “It might be a nice day, but the water is still extremely cold. Without a wetsuit, you wouldn’t make it.”
She shifted her gaze to the water. Her chest rose and fell under angry breaths, but she dropped down onto the seat, all of the fight going out of her. “You’re right, but I don’t have to like it.”
“What was that all about?” Victor cried out, his tone bordering on hysteria. “Why did that boat try to run into us?”
