Chances (Mystic Nights #1)(47)

Jonathan’s heart sunk even more, if that were possible. If Peter hadn’t brought Aliya’s identification with them, how could she enter the country? That could only mean one thing. She wouldn’t be arriving with him. “Fuck,” he screamed. “Where is the damn Coast Guard?”

Joseph put a steadying hand on his brother’s shoulder to calm him. “They’ll get here. They’ll get here. Calm down.” He didn’t want his brother to fly into another rage. He didn’t think another hit to the wall was what any of them needed right then. Calmer heads needed to prevail.

But Jonathan’s fear and anger made him push his brother away. “Calm down! He didn’t bring her ID. That means he obviously does not plan on taking her all the way. Those are god forsaken shark infested waters. If he dumps her, it will be liking looking for a needle in a haystack.” His mind began to envision all kinds of horrible scenarios. He was at the end of his rope.

Joseph had to grab Jonathan and hold him as the man began to rage in his fear.

“Joseph, let me go. I’ve got to find her. I’ve got to find them,” he struggled in his brother’s arms and was about to break free when his phone rang.

Joseph released Jonathan as soon as he felt his muscles relax. Jonathan quickly opened the phone and announced himself when he saw a number he did not recognize come up.

It turned out to be Captain Matthews with the first piece of good news he’d had all day. “Tribal Coast Guard is here at the marina. A chopper is already searching.”

Jonathan headed for the door, and Tom and Joseph were right on his heels. “Let’s go. They got two hours on us.”

He just hoped once more, for the millionth time in the last hour that it wasn’t too late.





Chapter 23




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The Coast Guard cutter jumped the waves. They’d been chasing the illusive Penny for hours. The sun had set a long time ago. Jonathan, in a rain slicker loaned to him by the Coast Guard cutter’s crew to keep off the moisture, stood on deck of the massive high speed boat with his brother beside him. Tom was sent back to the casino to let Dawn know what was going on and to help her at the casino to keep an eye on things. He still did not want his mother to know what was going on. She’d be back in a few more days, and that was soon enough.

Everything that could be done was being done.

About an hour ago they had gotten a call from a chopper near the coast of North Carolina. Peter’s small boat was pulled up into a secluded inlet near a large stand of trees. No town for miles. But the chopper had not wanted to alert them or scare them off. They had passed along the coordinates and then went to a nearby facility to refuel and to wait for their arrival.

That had been nearly an hour ago, and according to the captain of the cutter they were close. Maybe ten minutes away. They would cut their engines soon, and use some light skiffs with nearly silent motors to approach the thirty footer.

The hope was to surprise them. Hopefully catch Peter off guard and not alert him to their presence.

But Jonathan knew to do that, Peter would have to be below deck. With Aliya. Alone.

It was near midnight when the Captain, Jimmy Page, gave the order to cut the motors. They would let the current and their high speed take them in as close as they could get. He had maneuvered the cutter to make that possible. Coming directly across the Atlantic towards the coordinates given by the chopper, they surged ahead rolling over the crests of waves, slicing through them more easily than any other boat he’d been on before.

Using night vision goggles loaned to him, Jonathan watched as they approached the coastline. And then he saw it, the small craft bobbing gently in the waves as the Coast Guard cutter crested to a stop, and just began to rock on the gentle waves. The captain gave the order to lay anchor and prepare the skiffs.

It was pitch black above deck on Peter’s boat, but a lone light shone from the tiny porthole. He could make no identification of anybody above board. That terrified him even though it gave them the best chance at the element of surprise.

Joseph nudged him. “Anything?”

He whispered. “I see the boat. Let’s just hope we are not too late.”

Joseph sent a few words heavenward for his brother, and his niece or nephew, and the woman Jonathan loved. “We’ll get him, and her,” he added. It was a promise he hoped they could keep.

Jonathan and Joseph both disembarked the boat as they were instructed to do and climbed into the skiff as directed by their friend, Jimmy. When he’d been the one to show up at the marina, Jonathan felt his first sense of ease all day. He knew Jimmy would let him help and do as much as he could. They had gone to high school together. An old friend.

Once the men were seated, it was Jimmy who commanded the skiff. Another boat trailed them silently through the surf as they slowly approached The Proud Penny.

The rain that had started to fall lightly earlier began to pick up as they got within thirty feet of Peter’s craft, and the surf was getting rougher the closer they got to shore.

Silently, a grappling hook was flung when they were fifteen feet away and the engine cut on the skiff as they careened along side of it, the hull just whispering against the side. Jimmy got off first, and both Jonathan and Joseph climbed aboard The Penny after him, following his movements precisely.

They waited until three others were aboard. Then Jimmy gave Jonathan the nod. He indicated the hatch and held up three fingers. The count down began.