AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The tide was rising extremely fast, and no one in their right mind would go this deep into the dark cave. It was far too treacherous and getting harder to navigate. Harper’s foot slipped and she gasped, quickly covering her mouth to stifle the sound.
“You’re okay,” Ryland said, gripping onto her more tightly.
They’d reached the back of the cavern just as a large wave came rolling through and washed up onto their ledge, soaking the bottom half of their legs. Harper felt a surge of panic, watching as the water rose faster than she imagined possible. She’d never been a strong swimmer and rarely ventured any deeper than her waist in a large body of water.
Drowning was not on her to-do list today. She reminded herself she was with a Navy SEAL and he was a strong swimmer. He was also smart, intuitive and capable. She knew she could trust him to keep her safe.
However, she didn’t trust the tide that seemed to be getting dangerously stronger and more threatening.
The sounds of men talking echoed through the air and Ryland pulled Harper deeper into the corner. Too scared to move, much less breathe, she froze and listened. It was impossible to tell where their pursuers actually were in the cave system because of the crazy acoustics and constant roar of the waves. So their only choice was to wait it out and hope the bad guys either left or chose to explore a different cavern.
The sea water kept creeping higher and higher, and the moment it hit her knees, Harper’s fight or flight mode kicked in hard. She wanted to get the hell out of there. Once high tide hit, they had no idea if the whole cave would be submerged.
But if they attempted to leave now, they would most likely run into the guys from the yacht who were all sporting some awfully big guns.
Forcing herself to breathe, Harper clutched onto Ryland’s arm, trying to control the panic rising hard and fast.
He laid his hand over hers, straining to hear. A large wave crashed through the cave, hitting the back wall, soaking them, and Ryland cursed. Harper was a beat away from a panic attack and dug deep, biting her lip hard and blinking away the salty water dripping from her eyelashes.
“Hold onto me,” he ordered her in a low voice. “And don’t let go.”
“Ryland—” Another wave slammed into them and Ryland turned, taking the brunt of the impact with the side of his body. His long fingers were wedged into a rocky crevice and that was the only thing anchoring them from being pummeled around the chamber.
Harper did not want to fall off the ledge and she prayed Ryland had a good grip. If the waves knocked them off, they’d get battered fiercely then probably swept out to sea. Or worse. She knew the undertow would be dangerous and if it held them underwater or if they got caught on the bottom…
Her heart stuttered. The water was up to her waist now and she could hear another big wave roaring toward them. Turning her face against Ryland’s chest, her arms snaked around his narrow waist, and she sucked in a deep breath, preparing herself for the inevitable battering.
But nothing could ready her for the vicious power that hit them. Despite holding on as hard as she could, Harper’s grip broke loose and she was swept away from Ryland, caught in a spinning, watery vortex.
???
The moment he felt Harper slip away, Ryland let go of the rocks with one hand and made a mad grab to catch her. Their fingers brushed, missed, and he watched in horror as she was carried away from him. Her blonde head went underwater and the powerful current sucked her backwards.
And she hadn’t cried out or screamed, refusing to alert the men hunting them down.
He had to save her. Yet, he knew the power of the ocean better than anyone and jumping into that maelstrom could be suicide. The heavy weight of the water, holding you down, refusing to let go. The first taste of the sea as it washed down the back of your throat. Those were unforgettable horrors.
During his ten years as a frogman, Ryland had almost drowned once. His team had been battling rough waters and their zodiac hit a wave hard enough to toss him over the side. The enormous waves had been brutal and punishing, thrashing him around like a kernel in a popcorn machine. It wasn’t easy for his brothers to reach him because the water had been so rough, but one of his teammates had wrapped a rope around himself, battled the ocean’s fury, and dragged Ryland back onto the boat. He must’ve coughed up a bucket of water.
Right now, there was no zodiac to climb back onboard and no rope to secure him. It was just him against the pounding surf, which was way too high to be comfortable.
Avoiding the men hunting them down had been his top priority, but now it was saving Harper.
Ryland let go of the rock, pushed himself off the cavern wall and let the dangerous, swirling water suck him away.Fuck.The current was even worse than he originally thought. After inhaling a deep breath, he let it drag him straight down to the bottom. Staying below the pounding surf would be better than trying to stay afloat and fighting it.
His hip slammed against the surprisingly smooth but slippery rock on the cavern floor. The fact that nothing grew on the seabed was a testament to the power of the surf in the caves. And a reminder of exactly what level of force Ryland and Harper were now facing.
Turning around, Ryland conserved his strength and energy by allowing the current to pull him forward. He scanned from right to left, searching for Harper, but the water was so dark he couldn’t see a damn thing.
There was the possibility she’d already been spit out of the cave and he began to kick, trying to move faster. Already, it felt like he was stuck in wild rapids, and he spiraled several times, completely out of control.
Ryland managed to grab a small, rocky handhold, and stopped his crazy spin. His lungs were beginning to burn and he clawed his way to the surface. His head broke through and he looked around, but no sign of Harper.
No, no, no.His gut churned and he swiped his wet hair back. Where the hell was she? Harper had come running to his rescue without a second thought for her safety and now it was his turn to rescue her.
And he was failing miserably.
???
