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“But why do you want me dead?” she asked Ainsley as he started to slow the boat. “I don’t have anything on you. I had the file, which implicated Owens’ whole team and Casper, but nothing on you.” The full moon shone brightly in a cloudless night sky. She looked around but still no sign of help on the horizon.
Ainsley decreased their speed even further while checking the radar. She was running out of time. As he pulled the throttle back, the gun started to slide so he moved it to the left side of the console. A spark flared in her brain. Maybe there was hope.
“You are another loose end,” he said finally.
“But why,” she demanded. “I don’t know anything. How can I be…” She stopped when the realization hit her. “You have a partner, and they are worried about me. They think I know something.”
He stared at the navigation screen and then slowed the boat to a crawl.
She glanced at the gun. Could she get it? She moved slightly to gauge Ainsley’s reaction.
He immediately put his hand on the gun and glared at her.
So much for that idea.She was going to have to think of something very quickly because they were stopping.
He turned off the motor. The boat started to drift. The waves were small, the ocean calm. Under normal circumstances, Mac was sure she’d be nauseous by now, but the power of adrenaline was amazing. She was too worried about dying to feel like puking.
“Now”—he turned to her—“no one is going to find you out here. You can yell and scream all you want, so go for it if it makes you feel better.”
She stared at him. There was no way she was going to give him the satisfaction of breaking down. He was a truly evil asshole, and she wouldn’t let him win if she didn’t have to. “Who is your partner? Who is the TigerKing?”
“Maybe it’s me. I like animals. Maybe I’m the TigerKing.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s not your style. You’re not savvy enough to think to use a drone for transporting…” The missing piece fell into place. She couldn’t believe it. How could she have missed it? The niggling thought floated to the surface, and this time it finally gelled. A snippet of conversation that her subconscious had logged but her conscious did not. “Holy shit!” she breathed. “Answer me one more question. What was the delay?”
Ainsley frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“The delay. The motherboards are still here. Your partner must be selling them since you’re out here dealing with me. I assume you want to get rid of them as soon as possible, and since most of the other weapons have been found, now is your moment to get rid of them. So who is the buyer and what was the delay?”
“That’s two questions, but I’ll answer one. There was never a delay. It was always part of the plan. I orchestrated this whole thing, and now those motherboards are about to fly off to their new owners, and in the next twenty-four hours I’m about to become crazy rich. No more running around after Cross for me. That asshole is on his own.” A smile grew on Ainsley’s face. “Now you’ve put it together. He was stupid and made one small error. No one seemed to notice, but I told him you would eventually put it together. And just in time because now you have all the answers you wanted, right before you die.” He stood, grabbed the gun, and pointed it at her. “On your feet.”
She didn’t move.
“Now,” he growled.
She slid off the seat but had to grab onto it when her knees buckled.
“Move!”
Letting go of the seat, she took a tentative step. Her knees held, and she slowly made her way over to the ladder. He gestured for her to climb down. She moved at a glacial pace. Her hands and legs were trembling with anticipation. Ainsley would have to tuck his gun somewhere to descend the ladder. Was this her moment to jump for it? She could go underwater and hope for the best. It was better than dying on deck and being thrown in.
Her foot hit the deck and she moved to the left side of the ladder. Looking up, she held her breath. What he did with the gun determined her fate. He stared at her for a moment, not moving. Could he read her mind? “I’m coming down. If you try anything I will make your death painful. Do you understand me?”
She nodded once.
He had the gun in his right hand. He turned and started down, only holding on with his left.
She debated grabbing his ankle and jerking him from the ladder as he descended. He’d land flat on his back, allowing her to grab the gun if he dropped it. If he didn’t let it go then she’d have to fight him for it. But she’d lose if they got into a wrestling match for it. He outweighed her by at least fifty pounds, and she’d be toast if he wound up on top. He’d kill her with his bare hands. No, she was going to have to take her chances in the water.
She leaped to her left and pushed off the side of the boat, diving into the water. Shots rang out around her. One grazed her arm. She pulled herself deeper and deeper into the inky blackness. Eventually, she would have to surface to breathe, but maybe she could confuse him. She swam under the boat, with her lungs burning for air and fighting the primal urge to open her mouth to breathe.Hold it togethershe admonished herself as she reached the far side of the boat and neared the surface. Although she desperately wanted to gulp air, she controlled the urge and broke through the water line as quietly as she could.
Sucking in oxygen at an alarming rate, she went back under and tried to put as much distance between her and the boat as possible. She waited until her lungs were screaming for oxygen before she surfaced again. She pulled in more air. Turning slightly, she glanced back at the boat. Ainsley was leaning over the far side. She went under again.
When she surfaced this time, she was about thirty feet away from the boat. Ainsley was looking for her. His face was mottled with anger. He slammed the side of the boat with his hand but then straightened and smiled. The smile turned into laughter, and soon he was doubled over.
A minute later, he was calm again.
“I know you’re out there, Mac, and I know I at least grazed your arm. That’s okay. I drove us out here on purpose. You’re in a current that runs away from the islands. You will never make it back to shore. No one is going to find you. The current will carry you out into the middle of the Pacific like the rest of the garbage. It’s going to be a long, slow terrifying death for you, Mac. Enjoy!” He turned, went up to the fly bridge, and fired up the engines.
