Love Inspired Suspense December 2015, Box Set 2 of 2 (14 page)

Beau poked his head over the railing, saw her and pulled his gun from his waist. She ducked inside the covered boat as a shot rang out.

* * *

“Don't,” Jake said in a tight voice over the sound of Mitch's growls, his Glock aimed at Mrs. Cohen's chest. “I won't hesitate to use this if I have to.”

Her arm stopped in midlift, anger hardening her features.

No doubt Mrs. Cohen heard the gunshots at the fishery. “So you are involved in the drug-smuggling ring.” Every muscle in Jake locked, ready to react at the slightest movement from the woman.

She pressed her lips together.

“Put the gun down and walk from behind the desk.” Jake took several steps toward her. “Mitch might have only three legs, but he can attack. He can still perform his police dog duties.”

Her narrowed gaze stabbing into Jake, Mrs. Cohen slowly laid the gun down, then skirted the desk.

He stood behind the older woman, wishing he had a set of handcuffs. “Mitch, guard.” Then he urged Mrs. Cohen forward. “Where's Rachel?”

“I don't know what you're talking about. I have no idea what you think I'm guilty of, but I have a permit to carry that gun. I was defending myself against a man waving a gun at me.”

He ground his teeth to keep from replying. Outside, he headed with Mrs. Cohen toward Randall talking to two of his officers near the shipping warehouse.

The police chief saw him and came toward him. “What happened?”

Before Jake could answer Randall, Mrs. Cohen said, “I want this man arrested for pulling a gun on me.”

“She's involved, possibly the ringleader. She refuses to tell me where Rachel is, and I don't have time to wait for her to smarten up.”

“I'll take her from here. Can I use Mitch in the shipping warehouse? We haven't found Ivan, but while my men are searching for him, I want to see if your dog can detect where the drugs are.”

“Brad gave his okay to search the whole fishery, although in this case you don't need it since we were ambushed.” Jake passed his K-9's leash to the police chief and gave a signal for Mitch to go with Randall. Then Jake headed for the bed-and-breakfast. He needed help finding Rachel and prayed he was overreacting.

When he reached the house and walked down the hallway toward Chance's room, a cold lump in the pit of his stomach spread its icy fingers. He entered and came to a halt, standing over a prone body, gagged and bound on the floor. Gramps sat on the bed with his rifle pointed at the stocky, unfamiliar man. Hatred in his blue eyes drilled into his grandfather, then shifted to Jake.

Before he could find out what happened, the door to the bathroom opened and Chance came out, sporting the beginnings of a black eye. “You'll have to fill me in later. Have either of you seen Rachel in the past hour leaving the fishery headquarters?”

Gramps shook his head.

“What's she wearing?” Chance asked.

“A powder-blue parka with fur around the hood. Black pants and boots. She's about five feet five.”

“I saw a woman of that description heading for the pier about forty minutes ago. She stopped at a boat, and a man handed her a manila envelope, then she moved on to another one.”

“That was the time I was at the café grabbing coffee for us while we staked out the shipping warehouse. I didn't see her, son.”

“Brad and I were ambushed in the hall by Sean. Officer Bates tried to shoot Chief Quay. Obviously, this one was sent to take care of you two.”

“There was another—Ivan Verdin. He got away and is sporting a limp.” Gramps frowned. “I ain't as spry as I used to be, or he would be hogtied like this one.” He shoved to his feet. “Let's go find Rachel while you tell me the details about your ambush.”

“I'll take this one to a police cruiser, then check in with Chief Quay and let him know about Ivan. I've already called in reinforcements.” Chance hoisted the captured assailant to his feet.

Jake followed his grandfather to the door, paused in the doorway and said to Chance, “Brad gave his permission to search the fishery, and the police chief is using Mitch to help him.”

Then he left. As they approached the port facilities overlooking the harbor, Jake told Gramps about the shootout in the hall.

Charlie grinned when he saw Gramps coming inside. “You just can't stay away. Once a fisherman always...” His voice trailed off into silence as he took in their serious expressions. “I'm pretty isolated over here. Were you two involved in the commotion at the fishery?”

“Yes, we're looking for Rachel Hart. Have you seen her lately at the pier?” Jake asked.

“About thirty minutes ago.”

“Where?” Jake's gut solidified into a hard knot.

“She was going on the Sundance.”

Why?
“Did you see her get off or go anywhere else?”

“She went by several boats. She does that a few times a week.”

“Which boats?”

Charlie rubbed his nape. “Let's see. The Alaskan King was one.” He snapped his fingers. “And the Tundra King as well as Bering's Folly.”

Jake walked to the large glass plate window that overlooked the harbor from the right side, opposite the fishery. “I see the Alaskan King and Bering's Folly in port. Were the Tundra King and Sundance going back out?”

Charlie's thick gray eyebrows slashed together. “I've been in the back eating lunch so I didn't see them leaving. They weren't supposed to be. Tundra King was delivering a shipment to Seattle but not until tomorrow.” He crossed the harbormaster's office and stood next to Jake.

Jake pivoted toward Gramps. “I'm going to the pier to see if anyone has seen Rachel. I don't have a good feeling about this, especially with someone going after Brad.”

Gramps frowned. “Why did they try to kill Brad?”

“Because he knew something was going on and wanted my help.”

“Son, I'm coming with you.”

“Gramps, you have to go back to Chance and have him alert the Coast Guard. They need to check those boats and hunt for Ivan. I hope that Chance can get Sean, Bates or the other thug to talk.” Jake strode to the door and left.

He quickened his pace toward the pier. Seeing the flags flapping in the wind, he realized its force had died down. He hoped the storm forming had diminished. Jake started with the first boat and worked his way toward where Tundra King and Sundance were moored. Either no one was around or they saw Rachel coming to the docks but didn't see her leave. The wind didn't have to blow to send a chill down his spine. One of those boats took Rachel out to sea.

He couldn't shake that thought as he approached the Blue Runner and stepped on board. “Tom, are you here?” he called out when he opened the back door that led into the living quarters.

The captain came out of the galley, took one look at Jake's face and said, “I thought I heard gunshots. What happened? I was just grabbing a cup of coffee. Want any?”

“No, have you seen Rachel this morning?”

“Sure. She stopped by and checked to see how I was doing about an hour ago. Why?”

“She's missing. Why was she down at the docks?”

Tom sipped his coffee and looked out the window. “Getting time sheets and paperwork for payroll. I turned mine in. Others don't always. It's been a frustration for her, especially the new captains.”

“Did you see where she went after talking to you?”

“Yeah, the Tundra King.”

A tightness constricted Jake's chest. “Did she go on board?”

“No, she rang the bell the captain set up for visitors. Finally, he came out and gave her a manila envelope. Then she went to the Sundance, the dock over.” Tom pointed in the right direction.

“Did you see her leave the Sundance?”

“No, but I wasn't watching all the time. I was working on a maintenance schedule.”

“Did you see either boat leave the harbor?” All he could drag into his lungs were shallow breaths as his heart rate increased.

“The Tundra King. Suddenly, the crew appeared not long after Rachel had left and prepared to go to sea.”

“But you didn't see the Sundance leave?”

“They must have in the last fifteen or twenty minutes while I was getting coffee and a sandwich.”

“Thanks.”

After Jake hopped off the Blue Runner, he hurried to the other dock, examining the wooden planks for a sign of what happened to Rachel. But there wasn't anything out of the ordinary. He stopped by each boat on that dock, but there was only one fisherman around, and he never saw Rachel get off the Sundance, but again he said he wasn't watching for it so she could have.

Enough wasted time. He hoped that Chance had alerted the Coast Guard, stationed at Port Aurora, by now because he didn't think Rachel had much time left. Their cutter was the best boat to go after the Sundance, especially with its head start. Jake prayed that Rachel was alive when they caught up with the boat.

CHAPTER TWELVE

H
uddled beneath the canopy, Rachel sent up yet another prayer. More gunshots sounded, several striking her life raft. But the waves were carrying her farther away from the trawler. She peered around the opening and saw Beau hurrying toward the wheelhouse, no doubt to come after her while a Sundance crewman continued firing at her.

She ducked back under the canopy and moved from the opening. As she crawled away, a bullet struck the raft on the side near her. She heard the hissing of air leaking out.

* * *

Jake gripped the railing on the Coast Guard cutter at sea, heading toward the Sundance. The boat had been spotted.
Is she still alive? Or what if I have it wrong, and she
'
s on the Tundra King?
A second Coast Guard ship had been dispatched from another station and would intercept the trawler on its course toward Seattle. But if she was on that boat, it could be too late by then.

Chance came up beside him. “Everything is set to stop the Tundra King.”

“That's good.” The icy wind whipped at him, but Jake wouldn't go inside. He could see the Sundance in the distance and had been praying that they would rescue Rachel in time.

“We're making good time. I was told the Coast Guard would board first, then we could.”

“What if they tossed her overboard before we get there?”

“There are spotters keeping an eye on the vessel. Smuggling is one thing. Murder is a bigger crime. Let's hope they decide to take the lesser of the charges.”

Jake half turned toward his friend. “I'm a cop. I want to be at the front of the assault.”

“Not your jurisdiction, but we wouldn't be here if it weren't for you.”

“Still, we might not be in time. We don't even know if we have the right boat.”

Chance clasped his shoulder. “We will. We're due a break.”

Jake stayed at the railing while Chance went inside to go over the boarding with the crew. Little by little the cutter shrank the distance between them and the Sundance.

When the Coast Guard was near enough, the captain of the cutter announced over a PA system, “Halt. Prepare to be boarded.”

The Sundance increased its speed. The cutter followed suit, and the captain again demanded they stop. When they didn't, the Coast Guard fired a warning shot near the vessel. Finally, the Sundance slowed and then stopped.

As the boarding party jumped onto the trawler, Jake waited until the last man had, then he and Chance hopped on to the boat, following behind the Coast Guard crew. The sound of a blast cracked the air, and everyone dropped behind cover. More gunfire rained down on them. They weren't going to give up easily.

Jake was close to the side that led to the wheelhouse, while three shooters were at the back of the main cabin. He signaled to Chance to cover him while he ran forward, hoping he could come in behind the kidnappers. As the boat rocked back and forth in the increasing wind and waves, Jake raced toward the wheelhouse, low running past the side windows of the salon. He peeped into the wheelhouse. Empty.

When he eased the door open and snuck inside, he half expected someone to jump out. But it was clear. He headed for the galley and eating area between the wheelhouse and the main cabin. As he crept forward into the dining space, Beau popped up from behind the counter in the galley and fired at the same time Jake did, then dived into a nook that partially hid him. He immediately flattened himself against the wall as a crashing sound reverberated through the air.

Adrenaline pounding through him, he stole a quick glance into the galley. Jake spied an arm flung out on the floor, as though Beau had been hit and had gone down. He thought he might have hit him, but being cautious, he rushed forward, alert, his nerves on edge. When he found Beau down, he felt for a pulse. He was alive, but with a bleeding wound in his left shoulder. As Jake moved around him, he switched his attention between Beau and the main cabin.

There was a loud volley of gunshots, another thump to the floor, then someone shouted from the cabin, “I surrender.”

While the four kidnappers were rounded up, Jake and Chance searched the boat, going down below to check the two cabins before coming to the captain's. When Jake burst into the room, he hoped to find Rachel. Instead, Captain Martin lay on the floor, moaning behind a rag stuffed in his mouth.

While Chance checked the injured man, Jake moved to the bunk and picked up the pieces of cut rope. Anger swelled in Jake, and he threw them back on the mattress. She had to be here.

“He's coming around. I'll take care of him while you continue looking for Rachel.” Chance pulled out his handcuffs.

As Jake began to leave, the captain murmured, “She's not here.”

“I won't believe that until I search every inch of this vessel. She's here. I know it.”
She has to be, Lord.

The inside of the boat had been covered so he went aft to inspect the containers they put their catch in. As Jake passed through the salon where the Coast Guard had the two men handcuffed and a medic treating Beau, it was all Jake could do not to grab him and beat Rachel's location out of him. What if she had already been thrown overboard before they even spotted them?

Outside by the back of the boat, he flipped the lid on the first insulated box. Nothing. The second one was the same, but when he lifted the third top he found fish. Strange. He started to move on to the next container, stopped and went back to the last one. He plunged his arm into the box, his fingers grazing a metal bottom. Only the fish.

Straightening, he looked around. What was he missing?

The head of the boarding party joined Jake. “Did you find your lady friend?”

Rachel was more than that, but he might never have a chance to tell her how important she was to him. No, he wasn't giving up. “No. Chance and I looked everywhere. Any idea?”

“I'll have a couple of my men look around, too, while we interrogate the crew.”

Jake trailed the lieutenant into the salon, glancing back at the sky starting to darken. Night would fall soon, which would make finding Rachel even harder.

The lieutenant conferred with one of his men guarding the three crew members, then he returned to Jake. “They haven't said anything, but he thinks the tall one at the end might say something. He looked afraid while the others were cocky.”

“Then let's talk to them separately. We can start with that tall—”

“Lieutenant, the life raft is missing.”

Jake watched the tall crew member's reaction. Flinching, he ducked his head and stared at his lap.

Jake lowered his voice and said, “I think the tall guy knows something.”

“Then let's see what he has to say.”

Jake and the lieutenant escorted the tall crewman to the wheelhouse. Before the guy could sit, Jake was in his face. “Where is Rachel? In the life raft?”

The crew member looked down at his feet.

“Do you know how serious the trouble you are in? Kidnapping. Attempted murder. Drug smuggling. If she dies, murder. You will never get out of prison. I'll personally see to that.” Jake paused and drew in a fortifying breath. “The first person who helps will get a deal.”

The tall guy raised his head and stared at Jake. “Yes, the lady got into the life raft, but Beau shot at it and hit it several times. It has to be losing air.”

“Was she injured?” It took all Jake's willpower to refrain from grabbing the man's shirt and yanking him close and shaking him.

The guy shrugged.

Jake started to come at the tall crewman, but the lieutenant grasped his arm and kept him still. “We'll find her. I'll call for a helicopter to help us look. It'll be dark soon and that will make it harder.”

Jake left out the side where the life raft would have been stored and gazed out to sea, rough whitecaps everywhere. Was she shot and in pain? Was the raft intact?

Where are you, Rachel? I need you.

* * *

Freezing, Rachel peered out the opening in the protective canopy. The sun neared the horizon to the west. She looked around to see if she saw the Sundance or any boat. Nothing but the waves, which carried her farther away from the trawler, getting rougher and bigger.

Hugging her arms to her chest, she sat near the opening, the wind pushing the life raft—toward land or farther out to sea? What did she know about the life raft? The ones the company bought were double-tubed and had an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon. But the Sundance wasn't part of the company's fleet. Did it have an emergency system? She crept around the six-person raft looking for the EPIRB. When she found it, relief swept through her. She pulled it from its bracket and flipped the switch, praying a rescue vessel reached her before the Sundance did. And before her raft was compromised by the bullet holes in it.

She huddled away from the opening with a flashlight she grabbed near the EPIRB to use when she needed it. Shivers attacked her body like when she'd been pushed into the ice-cold water. Panic quickly followed.

God, anything is possible through You. Please send rescuers
—
send Jake. I have so much I need to say to him.

Slowly, her rapid heartbeat calmed as she thought of the Lord watching over her. As she thought of Jake. She'd loved him for years but hadn't realized the depth of her feelings. Could she bear a long-distance relationship?

As all light vanished, the waves attacked the life raft, tossing it about even with the ballasts on the bottom of the craft to keep it as steady as possible. She crawled toward the opening and glanced out. The raft was perched at the top of a large wave, then plunged down, icy water splashing into her face.

* * *

Back on the cutter, Jake paced as the Coast Guard tried to figure out the best place to look for the raft. The three wounded kidnappers were being treated. Chance was with some Coast Guard crewmen, guarding the kidnappers.

Darkness finally set in and increased the danger Rachel faced. If only he were with her...

The commander of the cutter approached Jake in the pilothouse. “An emergency signal was received from a beacon in our general location. We are headed toward it and hope that it's from the raft. My XO is talking to the captain of the vessel to see if they had an EPIRB on the life raft. A helicopter is also heading toward the coordinates from the beacon.”

“Do you have a pair of infrared binoculars I could use? I'd like to go on deck and search. I've got to do something.”

“I understand.” He gave him the pair around his neck. “Take this. It's getting rougher, especially the farther away from land we go.”

Jake descended to the lower deck, gripping the railing with one hand while holding the binoculars with the other. The wind cut right through him, even when he was heavily clothed. Was Rachel? Again he sent up a prayer for her to be rescued in time. The Bering Sea could be treacherous.

As he scanned the vast darkness beyond the cutter, he felt as though he were looking for a white rabbit in a sea of snow. He'd been in search and rescues where they were too late to save the person. He couldn't be this time.

A yell went up toward the front. A crewman spotted something in the water. As he hurried toward the coast guarder, his heartbeat slammed against his rib cage, his breathing shallow gasps.

“Did you find her?” Jake shouted over the roar of the wind and sea. “Where?”

The man pointed to the southwest while relaying the news to his CO. Jake scoured the area and saw a small raft raise to the top of a wave, then disappear down the other side.

“What's next?” Jake asked the crewman who started for the back.

“We'll launch our rescue boat at the back when we get nearer. We're closer than the helicopter.”

At the back Jake turned to the XO and said, “I'd like to go with them. She needs to see a familiar face after all that has happened. Please.” He threw in the last sentences because he couldn't have the man tell him no.

“You'll have to gear up and stay out of the way of the crewmen.”

“I'll do anything you say.”
Just be alive, Rachel
.

Five minutes later Jake climbed into the craft that launched from the rear of the cutter. They bounced over the choppy sea toward the life raft. Using the infrared binoculars, Jake kept his eye on it, hoping to see Rachel. Nothing.

What if she wasn't on the raft?

What if she'd been tossed into the rough sea?

Those questions flittered through his mind as they came up beside the raft. A crewman jumped onto the raft through the opening in the canopy.

An eternity passed before he emerged, carrying Rachel. As he gave her to another crewman, Jake made his way toward them.

The man saw Jake and handed him Rachel, her parka soaking wet. In the dim lights from the boat, he looked into her face, her teeth chattering, her eyes barely opened. Hypothermia was setting in again, but at least she was alive and in his arms.