“No way.” Sawyer grimaced. “I’ve come across way too many boaters in my line of work who think like that and end up stranded, hurt, or worse. I’m not ignoring safety rules for any reason.”
“Good to know for when I take the Love Boat out.” Jude chuckled.
Usually his humor brought down any tension, but not now. The others remained focused.
“We’re good to proceed.” Sawyer tapped his navigation screen to add the GPS location, then glanced at Hayden. “Can you untie us so we can get underway?”
“Aye, aye, Captain.” Hayden chuckled, though his heart hammered against his ribs. He leapt onto the dock, untangled the mooring ropes, and tossed them into the boat as Sawyer revved up the engine, its roar cutting through the stillness of the night.
Hayden jumped into the boat, careful not to face-plant from the momentum, and took his seat.
“Here we go.” Sawyer grinned and gently moved the throttle forward.
The boat responded with controlled power, and they slowly eased away from the dock. As soon as Sawyer hit open water, he pressed the throttle harder and the boat lurched ahead. They quickly gained speed until the front end was airborne, and they were nearly flying through the water.
Angry waves rolled beneath them, but Sawyer kept the boat on track. Water spray and forceful wind slapped them in the face. Hayden had to grab onto a handle to stay in his seat, adrenaline coursing through him.
He put his free hand over his eyes to glance across the boat at the navigation screen. They were tracking Collins’s boat, mirroring his path. Dots marking the distance between them soon narrowed, and Sawyer let off on the throttle. They slowed, and the front of the boat dropped down.
He looked at Hayden. “We’ll cruise at this speed for a while so we don’t catch up to the suspect’s boat. Let me know when you want me to close in on him.”
Hayden nodded and cupped his hand around his mouth. “Anything up front?”
“Nada,” Jude called out.
“Same,” Reece yelled.
“Nothing for me either,” Gabe shouted.
The answers he’d expected. They were too far away to see Collins. They would have to wait until he stopped to move in closer.
Hayden pressed the microphone on his communications unit, cupping it with his other hand to block out any interference. “Top dog, this is Maverick. Suspect’s boat is heading in the direction expected. We’re underway, remaining a few miles behind to camouflage the running lights. Over.”
“Roger that,” Nolan said. “All quiet here. Bandit reports the same with ship in sight. Over.”
Hayden still found it funny that the team decided on Bandit for Mina’s nickname. No one hearing their transmission would ever suspect she was in law enforcement, which was the very reason they had chosen it. “Copy that, Top Dog. Let me know the moment anything changes. Over.”
“Everything okay?” Sawyer asked while keeping his eyes pinned forward.
“Fine. No action.”
“Then sit back. At this speed, we have at least a thirty-minute ride to our target.”
“Sit back, but don’t relax,” Hayden called out to the team to be heard above the motor. “Keep your eyes open.”
They left the town’s light pollution behind and visibility dropped, so Hayden put on night vision goggles he’d brought along. He scanned the area, but found nothing of interest to their mission. Absolutely nothing but dark skies and angry water in all directions.
Time dragged on, the rhythmic, rising and falling of the boat hypnotic, but Hayden kept scanning the area.
“Suspect’s boat has slowed and is stopping near target.” Sawyer’s excited voice carried above the engine.
“Let me check if we’re approved to intercept suspect.” Hayden lifted his NVGs to his forehead and covered his mouth and microphone again. “Top Dog this is Maverick. Suspect’s boat has reached target. Are we cleared to proceed? Over.”
“Negative, Maverick,” Nolan replied without hesitation. “Hold position. And wait for—hold on. Bandit reporting in now.”
The comms went silent, and all Hayden could do was wait. And wait. The adrenaline that had beat within him the last thirty minutes pulsed through him in an exhilarating rush. He tapped his foot to keep from jumping up and pacing.
“Maverick, this is Top Dog.” Nolan’s earlier calmness gave way to a sharp sense of urgency. “Proceed to target. Urgently. Details to follow. Over.”
