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She climbed over him, then held on to the railing of the lifeboat, and shoved her feet into the hole.
He pushed her in.
She fell, landed hard.
The force of it yanked his knot free. The raft spiraled out into the ocean, still attached by the painter line.
He’d have to get wet to get in the boat.
“C’mon, Ned!” He barely heard Shae’s scream over the pull of the sea.
He pushed back, turning to grab his tac vest—and ripping off the life vest.
He felt the swell a full ten seconds before it happened. The boat rode up the side, and the water filling the boat sloshed hard to port. Ned reached for a chair and got his hands on a pole running across the ceiling.
And then the boat flipped. Just like that, like the half-sunk bobber it was, right over onto its back.
The water filled the ceiling and Ned scrambled to right himself.
Shae.
Please let her still be afloat.
He grabbed his life jacket floating in the water and shoved it on. Tied it. So much for his tac gear. Water had flooded inside his onesie, but he put up the hood, fighting the cold, and headed for the door.
Closed.
He pushed against it, but the swell of the ocean had flooded the boat, pushed him farther into the sea, and the pressure outside jammed the door shut.
No.
He put his back to it, his feet against the chairs and managed to move it open, just a little, but when he turned around to push through, the water slammed it shut.
And of course, he’d managed to spill half the ocean into the boat. He was treading water now, the ocean up to his shoulders, the cold finding his bones.
He’d last about ten minutes in this sea.
Two minutes once the boat went under.
So at least his death would be quick.
No—not like this. Not without getting Shae to safety—
He pushed against the door again.
Nothing, the sea unmoving. He pressed up to the top—really, the bottom—of the boat and gulped air.
Slammed his fist into the ceiling. Not. Like. This!
He kicked the door, then again put his back to it, but everything shook.
Yeah, his death would be quick.
He shoved his mouth up against the slip of air still remaining. And something inside him just broke.
Not. Like. This.
He closed his eyes. Not like this, Lord.
