The Vampire SEAL Collection, page 66
Biting back the pain from the bruises on my body, I let out all the air in my lungs.
Ben came running up the stairs.
“What’s going on?” he asked, turning his head with a mechanical precision.
“I heard this bell and lost control of the—”
“Bell? Like a ding? Deep sounding?” he asked, moving me out of the way and taking the helm.
Thank God. I began to think that jumping overboard would be safer than me navigating this floating death trap.
Ding! Ding!
“There. Did you hear it?” I asked, then choked on a gasp.
“What?” he asked, peering at me from the corner of his eye.
“You’re bleeding,” I blared, covering my nose as my fangs shot out.
Blood dribbled down his temple, creeping toward his ear. I struggled against the urge to lick the sticky red liquid off him while my little devil friend blared in my head: Do it! Do it!
Ben pulled his attention away from the sea, glaring at me with wide eyes.
Please get rid of it. Please get rid of it.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I fell when the boat listed.” He swiped his hand over his temple, then rubbed the sticky mess onto his gray T-shirt. “Do you still hear the bell?” he asked. Excitement tinged his voice.
I stood frozen. Did he not understand what was happening?
“What’s wrong? You look like a zombie,” he said.
“You would too if you were a starving vampire. Don’t tempt me with your blood if you want to live through the night.”
“Get over it, Jo, and be useful. Listen for that bell,” he commanded.
Oh, I so wanted to sink my fangs into him.
“Why? What’s with the freaking bell?”
“Hope.” He steadied the wheel.
“I don’t get it.” I played with one of my canines.
“What you’re hearing is a buoy bell. If we can get the boat close to one of the buoys, that means we can find out where we are. They’re like markers in the ocean. They help boats and ships navigate. At least, that’s what Chief Garrett taught me when I was on his boat.”
The rain began falling, large drops pelting the windows.
Ben searched the dashboard, then flipped a switch and the windshield wipers came on.
“Well, Jo, which way?” He kept swiping his temple.
He was playing it cool but I must’ve scared him. Good. He needed to have the fear of God instilled in him if he didn’t want to die by the fangs of a vampire. The night was still young, after all.
“It’s coming from there,” I said, pointing behind us.
“Hold on while I turn this thing around.”
I grabbed onto a small table that was on the bridge as the boat listed to the left.
Ben downshifted, the engine slowed. He turned the wheel all the way to the right. Waves crashed. Salt water sprayed over the deck below, and thunder rolled in the distance. It must have only taken a minute, but it seemed like hours before the bow of the boat finally pointed toward the buoy.
The rain was now falling in sheets. Lightning split the dark sky in half. When a jagged bolt flashed above, hope flashed in front of us.
The buoy lay right ahead. While I didn’t get how Ben thought it was our lifeline, I silently rejoiced. Maybe Ben’s fervor had rubbed off on me.
“It’s red,” he said, his hair blowing in all directions.
Red was a good color, right? At least, it was my favorite color since I’d become a vampire. I mentally yelled at myself. This wasn’t the time to be thinking of blood. The wind sure made my resolve that much harder to control. Not only was it whipping everything around, but it did a fantastic job of slapping me with Ben’s human scent.
“There should be a number on it, but I can’t see anything. Can you, Jo?” Ben shouted.
I dialed in my vampire night vision. “Ten.”
The muscles in Ben’s face relaxed.
“Are you going to tell me why you have relief written all over your face?” I asked.
“The numbers on the buoys indicate how far from port we are. If you’re leaving port, then the red ones are on the left and the green ones are on the right. If you’re going into port, then the red buoys are on the right and so forth. And as you go into the harbor the numbers get smaller.” Both his hands were tight around the steering wheel.
“So are we going in the right direction?”
Please say yes.
“I need to find the green one to get a baseline. Once we can see the green one then we can adjust our direction if we have to. Do you see it anywhere?” He angled a spotlight, searching for hope.
All I saw were waves on top of waves.
Now, I had a bigger problem. Hunger pangs wracked my body. My vision blurred. How the heck did vamps like Webb and Dad control their bloodlust? How long did it take before I didn’t have to suffer?
As though Ben knew my issue, he said, “Go down to the fridge. See if there’s some blood. I’ll keep looking.”
Why would Edmund keep blood on the boat? He fed on Kate. Still, surely they couldn’t do it all the time, or they’d be too drained. It was worth a look-see. I might get lucky.
I held onto the railing and was descending the few steps to the lower deck when the boat careened forward. I lost my balance and fell flat on my face. I tried to stand, but the boat pitched again, this time rocking from side to side.
I grabbed onto a bench along the left side and managed to stand. The wind whipped hard in all directions, taking my hair with it and blinding me. When I finally turned into the wind and I was able to see, a gasp caught in my throat.
Everything around the boat seemed to halt, including the blood flowing through my veins.
A large wall of water rose, gathering in height. What kind of storm was this?! In slow motion, the crest of the wave broke. I didn’t have time to react before the wall of water threw me against the cabin door.
Don’t panic. Don’t panic.
As I thrashed around, the boat swayed like a pendulum. I held my breath and within minutes the water ebbed, spilling over the railings. Well, that was one way to get rid of the bloodlust.
“Jo?” Ben called from above.
“I’m fine,” I lied. Terror gripped me.
But there was worse to come. As I raked air into my lungs, I heard the engine choke, then sputter, then die.
“Try to see if you can find those life vests,” Ben shouted.
“I already looked,” I yelled above the wind.
“Try again,” he retorted.
Ass. Where else was I going to look? I’d already opened every bench, closet, and cabinet on this stupid boat. I cursed Edmund.
I slipped into the cabin as a watery hell knocked hard on the windows, against the hull, and rattled the door.
Without forward motion, the boat listed strongly from side to side, and practically dipped into the ocean. All the loose items in the cabin flew around. I latched onto the island, keeping my body anchored in place.
After several minutes, everything calmed. I braced myself for the next round, but it didn’t come. It was as if the sea had relaxed. Maybe the storm was dying down.
Thinking it was safe, I made my way to the outer cabin door. When I opened it, I saw another massive wave was about to barrel down again—and this time bigger than before. In one breath, it crashed, throwing me back into the cabin, and down the steps to the lower rooms.
I took in a gulp of air then held my breath as the water spilled in, throwing me deeper into the bottom cabins. I bounced from one wall to the other in the narrow hallway, thrashing around to get my head above water.
When my head finally bobbed to the surface, I was able to grab onto the edge of an open doorway that led to a stateroom. Panic and fear surged through me. Then I laughed. I’d thought I was immortal, but death was at my doorstep—death by drowning.
I gripped the doorjamb for dear life, tilting my head back, as the water continued to rise.
The good news was I had a small space of oxygen left. The really bad news was that it wasn’t for long.
With death imminent, I said my goodbyes. “Sam, I love you. Dad, I’m sorry for being a bad daughter. I really wish you were here right now so I could tell you all things I’ve been holding back. If I make it out of this alive, I’ll be good. I promise.”
“Jo?”
“Ben?” I turned, taking in a mouthful of seawater.
He swam underwater toward me, and then his head surfaced.
“There you are,” Ben said. “I thought I lost you. You all right?”
I nodded and gagged.
He grabbed my hand. “We don’t have much time. The boat is going under. We can anchor ourselves to the buoy.”
“I can’t swim,” I blurted out.
“I don’t care. You’re getting off this boat one way or another. Since the boat is sinking, there should be an emergency beacon that goes off automatically, alerting the Coast Guard. Hopefully, we won’t be in the water too long.”
“How do you know all this?”
“It doesn’t matter. Okay, when I count to three, I want you to take in as much air as you can. Then we’re going under. I’ll pull you as I swim. Stay to my side, so that I don’t kick you as I’m propelling us to the surface. Hold on to me at all times. Do. Not. Let. Go. Ready? One, two, three.”
We both took the deepest breath of air before dipping under.
Reluctantly, I clutched Ben’s hand firmly. I was afraid to open my eyes, but I did. I wanted to see where we were going.
We headed out into a world that was foreign to me: a body of water that could swallow me in one bite. To think I’d been worried about dying by the hand of my vampire enemy. Now I was nestled in the arms of a new adversary who held my immortal life in its grasp.
We swam past the lower staterooms, over the stairs to the main cabin then through the door into the open ocean. The stern was completely submerged. Ben swam away from the boat, with me in tow.
I looked over my shoulder and saw a light still illuminated on the boat, casting a glow around it, as it slowly descended into the dark depths of the ocean.
Ben tugged my arm and I turned around. We were propelling to the surface. My lungs burned with the need to breathe. We both gasped for oxygen as our heads bobbed out of the water.
I coughed several times, taking in air. Ben did the same.
We both looked around.
Waves churned violently. The wind roared, whistled and hummed. The lightning show in the distance was in full force with thunder booming around us.
“Hold onto me, Jo. This is going to be rough.”
Rough wasn’t the word I would’ve used. More like hell.
Holding hands, Ben and I rode each wave to its crest and down to its trough. As we did I caught a glimpse of the tip of the bow of the boat before it disappeared. Hopefully, that wouldn’t be my fate tonight. I closed my eyes, praying to the Virgin Mary, God, Mother Nature and whomever else I could summon to protect me.
With my prayers said, I opened my eyes, only to find a large wave barreling down on us.
I had no chance. The wall of water pushed me, slapped me, and slammed me under. My hand slipped from Ben’s. I fought hard, kicking, throwing out my arms and legs, but hysteria consumed me. I tried to catch my breath, only to swallow a large gulp of water. My mind became fuzzy. A swirling sensation blanketed me. It was as if I was on an out-of-control Ferris wheel. My lungs burned. I wanted to cough, but if I did, I’d only take in more water on reflex.
After several seconds of holding my breath, I relaxed. I tilted back my head and stretched out my arms. I acquiesced to fate, to the turbulent sea. The world spun as my consciousness slipped away. My eyelids became heavy. As I lowered my eyelids, something yanked at my arm, hauling me somewhere, then a hand slapped my face.
“Jo!”
I gagged, coughed and spat out water before taking in gulps of air.
“Ben?”
“We’re going to swim over to that buoy,” he yelled over the wind, wrapping his arm around my waist.
The waves were too big for me to see anything, even if my vision hadn’t still been cloudy.
Another wave crested, rolling over us. Ben held onto me as we submerged for a few moments before bobbing back to the surface.
He swam on and we finally made it to what he had earlier called hope, the red buoy.
“Grab onto it,” he said.
I wrapped my fingers around a bar midway up. As soon as I did, another large wave crested and Ben disappeared.
“Ben!” I shouted. “Ben!”
I saw movement in the distance as he waved his hand. How the heck had he gotten way over there? He swam toward me, disappearing from sight as the waves rose, resurfacing when the waves fell.
As I released a sigh, waiting for him, I glanced out, watching Mother Nature conduct her best light show.
Jagged bolts streaked across the darkened heavens above us—a range of long, thin streaks and short ones, zigzagging from one end of the sky to the other. When a bolt flashed, the bell on the buoy dinged.
Ben was a few feet from me when another large wave crested.
“Watch out!” I screamed.
Ben’s eyes widened, and so did mine, but not from the huge wave that was about to consume us. My heart raced. I blinked a few times to make sure I wasn’t delirious. I held his gaze as I sucked in air along with the wall of water that crashed down on us. The darkness captured me, and all I could see were Ben’s eyes before we’d gone under. There was no doubting it. They had flashed a bright red.
20
A pressure gripped my chest. I grabbed it as though I could stop the pain. I coughed a few times. Again, pain sat heavy on my chest, pressing down harder and harder.
I drew in air then I jolted to an upright position, heaving the contents of my stomach.
“Miss. Miss,” a male voice called. “She’s awake.”
“Get her blood pressure,” another male voice commanded.
Disoriented, I glanced around. Who were these men? I took in another breath and froze with the scent.
Humans.
I bent forward, locking up the vampire within. I willed my fangs to retreat before I stole a peek at the human kneeling down next to me.
He wore a dark blue uniform with a Coast Guard patch on his sleeve.
Beacon. Rescue. That’s right. Ben said the Coast Guard would find us.
My heart sped up. Ben!
I tucked my legs under me, placing both hands on the wood floor then pushed up to stand. I swayed when the man in the blue uniform caught me.
“You need to stay still, miss. You’re lucky to be alive.”
“I need to find Ben. Where is he? Is he here?”
Where was here?
My vision sharpened as oxygen filled my lungs. A burning sensation spread across my chest, but I didn’t know if it stemmed from air-starved lungs or my dry, hungry throat.
Several humans stood in the distance. They wore the same uniform as the one holding me. My gaze darted in all directions. I cringed. I was on the deck of another ship. I promised myself that after tonight I would never set foot on another boat.
I searched every man standing before me. None of them were Ben.
“There’s someone else?” the man asked.
Turning, I glimpsed the name that was scripted on his nametag—Hunter—before meeting his gaze. His eyes seemed to question my sanity.
“My friend, Ben. He was with me.”
“Please, miss. Have a seat,” he said, guiding me to a bench. “What’s your name?”
I eased down with Hunter’s hand around my arm.
Another man brought me a bottle of water, then scurried away.
“Jo. My name is Jo Mason. I have to find him. Please help me.” My voice cracked. My body shivered uncontrollably.
“Trace?” Hunter called. “Get me those blankets.” He turned back to me. “Jo, we didn’t find anyone else. We found you tied to a buoy with this.” He handed me a gray piece of fabric.
I grabbed it, raising it to my nose, breathing in the faint scent of burned-sugar. Tears stung the backs of my eyes.
“Ben must have tied me on. This is part of his T-shirt.” But how? The wave swallowed him.
“Must have? You don’t remember?” Hunter asked.
“No. The last thing I remember was a large wave crashing down, then another…then…”
My airwaves constricted.
“Jo, I need you to breathe.”
I turned, dropping my head against Hunter’s chest, and sobbed.
His arms encircled me. “I’m sorry, Jo.” He rubbed my back. “I’m so sorry.”
I cried as I pictured Ben, the waves and his eyes. Red eyes. Maybe I had been seeing things, my hunger or the water I’d breathed in making me delirious. That was it. One of those things. It had to be. I shook off the thought. Only one thing mattered right this moment. Where was Ben?
I sobbed harder, soaking Hunter’s uniform.
I might not want to be more than friends with Ben, but I didn’t want him dead or even…
I lifted my head. “Did you check around the buoy for him?”
“When we got the boat’s distress signal the wind was blowing at fifty knots. The waves and swells reached at least fifteen feet. We were lucky to find you through the storm. When we did, we didn’t see anyone else out here.”
“No…he’s got to be out here somewhere.” My voice sounded hoarse.
“You should drink some water.” Hunter lifted the water bottle.
I took one sip, then pushed it away. The ocean had given me plenty.
Trace returned with two heavy blankets just as Hunter’s name was broadcasted over a loudspeaker.
“I’ll be right back, Jo,” he said, standing. “Trace will stay with you.”
Trace opened up the thick blankets. He placed one over my lap and wrapped the other around my back, securing it in the front. By the time he was done, I was strapped into warmth, although it did little to take the chill away from my wet clothes.
My teeth chattered as I thought of Ben. Fear gushed through me. Tears kept falling. He couldn’t be dead. Twisting the small piece of fabric in my hands, I tapped my foot erratically as I sat on the open deck, looking out.
