Navy SEAL Survival (6 page)

Duff insisted on paying, then handed her into the boat. “Wear your life jacket,” he ordered.

Natalie bristled but didn't argue. She buckled herself into the jacket and settled back in her seat.

The boat owner untied the mooring line and waved as Duff shifted the throttle forward and they eased out of the marina. As soon as the craft cleared the no-wake zone, Duff shoved the throttle forward and they sped out into the open water, bouncing over the waves toward the island reefs and the area where they'd been scuba diving.

Duff seemed competent and confident at the helm. Natalie was a trained agent, but she'd never had the opportunity to handle a boat in a lake, much less on the open ocean where the stretch of water was so vast a person could easily get lost.

“Where did you learn to handle a boat?” she asked.

“I grew up on a ranch.” His lips twitched.

She shook her head. “Seriously. What did you ranch? Fish?”

He glanced in her direction, a twinkle in his eyes. “I grew up on a ranch near Port Aransas, Texas. When we weren't taking care of cattle, we were fishing. My dad taught us how to ride horses and fish before we were three years old. Mom cringed and let him. With four boys to look out for, she couldn't tell him no.”

“No sisters?”

Duff shook his head. “No. Mom was outnumbered from the get-go.”

“Why didn't you stay and ranch?”

“My older brother followed in my father's footsteps. My younger brothers and I all joined the military.”

“All Navy SEALs?” Natalie asked.

“No. My brother Jack joined the army and went into the Special Forces. Gabe joined the air force and flies F-16s.”

“So, you're really a Navy SEAL?” Natalie stared at his arms and the tattoos laced across his shoulders and back.

“I am.”

“And you're on vacation, not some operation you can't tell me about or you'd have to kill me?”

He grinned. “We're really on vacation.”

“Lucky you to run into me.” She stared ahead.

“And the English accent?” Duff prompted.

“Completely fake.”

“The name?”

“Close. Instead of Natalia, I'm just plain Natalie.”

Duff's lips quirked on the corners and he stared across at her, as if assessing her. “I think it fits you better.”

His smile warmed her insides. “I thought it would throw off the abductors long enough to think I'd make a good target.”

Duff frowned. “Why would you set yourself up as a target? What makes you think you'd have a better chance of escaping once they had you?”

She didn't answer right away. Still unsure whether to trust him, Natalie didn't want to reveal she had a GPS tracking device embedded beneath her skin. It would lead to a lot more questions and answers she wasn't ready to give.

She glanced at the island shoreline, recognizing the shape and features. “We're getting close.”

The coastline grew unfriendly and rockier.

“There.” Natalie pointed to the rock formations jutting out of the water.

“Looks like the location.” Duff slowed the boat and made a wide sweep around the rocky shoreline. Waves lapped at the jagged pillars, making it very dangerous for a small boat to weave between them. Anyone who tried would smash against the rocks and sink.

“Look.” Duff pointed toward an opening nearer the shore protected from the waves by a long barrier of boulders. He eased the little fishing boat into the opening to find a small lagoon on the other side leading into a hidden cave.

Natalie stood, holding on to the windshield. “Damn. It's a perfect location for hiding prisoners.”

“Surely the locals know about it.”

“That makes me wonder why the authorities hadn't found it when they were searching for my sister.” Her eyes narrowed. “Unless the investigator was in on this whole abduction deal from the start.”

Natalie glanced around the sandy shore on the edges leading into the cave. She didn't see any footprints, but the tide had risen, sweeping across the sand in gentle waves.

Duff pulled the throttle back to the idle position near the entrance to the cave. “We don't know what we'll find in the cave. Whoever attacked you could be in there.”

“Then let's go in,” Natalie said.

He shook his head. “What if they're armed?”

Natalie's lips pressed together. “I'll take my chances. I need answers. If we could get hold of at least one of the people involved, I'd be that much closer to finding my sister.”

He touched her arm. “And if they shoot you before you get your answers, who will save your sister?”

Her fingers clenched into fists. “We won't know if they're even in there if we don't go in and find out.”

Duff backed the boat away from cave entrance and shifted it into idle. Then he stepped away from the steering wheel. “It's yours.”

She frowned. “What are you going to do?”

He winked. “I'm going for a swim.”

“What?” Natalie stepped behind the steering wheel. “What if you don't come back out?”

“Give me fifteen minutes. If I'm not back by then, go to my friends and let them know what happened. Don't come in after me. Someone needs to stay with the boat.”

“But—”

“I'll be all right.” He slipped off the end of the boat, dropping silently into the water. He swam toward the cave entrance, his arms cutting through the water with smooth, even strokes.

Natalie held her breath, her heart pounding.

When Duff reached the cave entrance, he dived beneath the surface and disappeared.

Chapter Six

Duff swam beneath the surface until the water darkened, past the point where sunlight streamed through the cave entrance. He eased to the surface enough to bring his eyes and nose out of the water and stared around the small cave, waiting for his vision to adjust to the darkness.

Nothing moved and he couldn't see any boats tethered to the rocks. The cave was empty.

At the far end of it he found a rocky ledge large enough to hold several people. A railroad spike had been driven into it as a possible place to tie off a boat while a diver slipped away to perform nefarious tasks.

Duff pulled himself up onto the ledge where he found a discarded soda can and a few candy wrappers. They might be able to lift fingerprints if he could get the items back to the boat without destroying the prints. Lifting them carefully so as not to leave his own prints, he stuffed them into his pocket. Though, being in Mexico, if the perpetrator was Mexican, they probably didn't have fingerprint databases like the ones in the States. Still, any evidence might be of use.

He glanced around the rest of the cave. No other landing point existed, just the ledge. He scoured it for any other evidence and turned to leave when he noticed a small gold chain protruding from a rocky crevice. He hooked his finger through it and eased it out.

At the end of the chain was a gold pendant in the shape of a dove.

Duff slipped the necklace into his other pocket. After another quick look around, he swam back to the cave entrance.

When he emerged, Natalie eased the boat forward.

“I thought you'd never come back out.”

When he stood beside her, he pulled the items from his pocket, laying the can and candy wrapper on a seat. “I'm hoping we can lift prints from these.” He reached into his other pocket, dragged out the chain and held it up. “Do you recognize this?”

Her face blanched and her eyes swam with unshed tears. Natalie took the necklace from him, nodding. “I gave this necklace to Melody when our parents died. She never took it off.”

“Maybe she left it as a sign.”

Natalie slipped the chain over her head and settled it around her neck. “She's alive. We just have to find her.”

Duff's heart squeezed at the ready tears filling Natalie's eyes. He pulled her into his arms and held her.

She rested her fingers against his chest, her body shaking. “She's the only family I have left.”

“We'll find her,” he said, smoothing his hand over her long, blond hair.

For an extended moment he stood in the gently rocking boat, Natalie held close in his arms.

When she straightened and pushed away from him, he brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. “We'll find her.”

“I hope so.” She sniffed. “Before it's too late.”

“I'll help in any way I can.” Duff took over at the helm, easing the boat through the narrow channel and back into the open. As they cleared the watery field of rocks, Duff took in a deep breath and let it out. Though protected from the waves while navigating the secret entrance, there could have been underwater hazards he didn't know about. Having emerged unscathed was a huge relief.

He dragged in another breath, turned toward the mainland and shoved the throttle forward.

The roar of the engine masked any other sound. Something hit the windshield so hard and fast it left a round hole and cracks spreading out like a spider's web.

Damn, it was a bullet hole.

“Get down!” Duff yelled and ducked low in the boat, only raising his head high enough to see over the dash.

Natalie slipped out of her seat onto the floor of the boat and glanced to the rear. “We have a tail.”

Another bullet shot through the glass right where Duff's head had been a moment before.

He swerved and shifted the throttle all the way down, running the engine wide-open.

“They're catching us,” Natalie yelled over the sound of the engine.

Duff couldn't make the boat go any faster. The best he could do was to escape and evade being killed. He chanced a glance to the rear. As Natalie had said, their pursuer was quickly catching up to them in a newer, higher-speed vessel. They'd be on them in seconds.

Natalie crawled forward into the front of the boat.

Duff didn't know what she was doing but at least she was getting farther away from the approaching shooter.

She dug in one of the storage wells and pulled out an anchor. Carrying the anchor, she worked her way toward him. “Let them catch up. I have an idea.”

He had an inkling of what her plan might be, but it would be dangerous. Hell, it couldn't be any more dangerous than being on a slow boat, unarmed and pursued by a speedboat with men shooting at them.

When the other vessel had nearly caught up with them Duff pulled back hard on the throttle, bringing it to the neutral position. The fishing boat slowed immediately.

The other boat, so close behind them, swerved to miss hitting them. The shooter was too busy holding on to aim. They slid past, barely missing the fishing boat.

Natalie lunged to her feet, slung the anchor into the back of the other boat and ducked back down.

Duff shoved the throttle forward and turned sharply away from the speedboat.

Natalie had secured the anchor line to a cleat on the side of their fishing boat. When the line played out completely, it snapped tightly and yanked both boats hard.

The other driver was already turning toward them so quickly the boat tipped up on one side. The pull from the anchor dragged the speedboat over even farther, flipping it upside down.

Duff stopped immediately and backed up enough that Natalie was able to untie the line from the cleat.

Free of the other boat, Duff drove off.

“Wait!” Natalie yelled. “We should go rescue one of them. They'll know where Melody is.”

“Or they'll have another boat full of shooters on their way. Or their weapons will fire fine wet. We need to get the hell out of here.”

“We can't just leave them. They might be our only chance to interrogate.”

Duff turned the boat around and slid up close to the capsized craft. One man floated facedown in the water, unmoving. Another cried out and swam toward their little fishing boat.

Already, Natalie was leaning toward the man as he came up along the starboard side.

“Take the helm,” Duff commanded.

Natalie glanced up.

“I can get him on board quicker.” Duff left the steering wheel and passed Natalie as she took his seat.

Duff reached for the hand of the survivor.

The man's fingers curled around his and Duff dragged him up the side of the boat. He almost had him over the lip when a shot rang out. The man jerked and his grip slackened.

“Get us out of here!” Duff shouted.

Natalie pushed the throttle wide-open and the little boat surged toward the capsized one.

Duff tightened his hold and dragged the man onto the boat as the craft slid to the side, nearly knocking into the doomed boat.

Flexing his arm to ease the strain of dragging a dead weight on board, Duff squatted next to the man and felt for a pulse.

Deadweight was correct. Their witness wouldn't be spilling any secrets.

Natalie glanced back. “Is he—?”

“He's dead,” Duff confirmed.

“What should we do with him?”

“I don't feel like spending my vacation in a Mexican jail.”

Once they were out of shooting range of the capsized vessel, Natalie slowed the fishing boat and brought it to a stop. She joined Duff, next to the body. “Should we dump him?”

Duff scratched his head. “That's my vote.”

Natalie reached for her oversize purse and pulled out her cell phone. “Could you turn him over so that I can get a clear shot of his face?”

Duff did as requested. “Do you always take photos of dead men?”

“Only when I think it might help me find my sister.” She snapped a few shots of his face, his profile and the tattoos on his arms. Then she texted someone.

“Did you just send those pictures to someone?”

She nodded without looking at him.

“You're not going to tell me who, are you?”

“If I did, I'd have to...you know...” She sliced a finger over her throat and glanced at him with a challenge in the lift of her brows.

Duff's mouth twisted into a wry grin. “I have a feeling you have as many secrets as I do. Do I want to know them?”

“Probably not.”

“Fair enough...for now.” He didn't like being in the dark with Natalie. “Promise me you'll clue me in if it means the difference between life and death.”

“Deal.”

Duff went through the man's pockets, searching for any form of identification. As he expected, he found none. He glanced around at the huge expanse of water surrounding them.

“All clear,” Natalie said.

Duff hooked his hands beneath the man's arms and Natalie grabbed his feet. Together they maneuvered him over the side of the boat. He landed with a small splash in the water and slowly sank.

“Let's get out of here.” Duff assumed control of the helm and headed back to the shore.

When they turned in the boat, between Natalie and Duff, they gave the owner a hefty tip for the damage to his windshield and the loss of his anchor. He didn't ask questions, took the money and drove the boat out of the marina, looking right, left and over his shoulder as he left.

Natalie's gaze followed the little fishing boat out of the marina. “Do you think I'll ever find my sister?”

Duff slipped an arm around her waist. “We will,” he promised.

Whether or not she'd be alive when they did find her was another question entirely.

* * *

N
ATALIE
LET
D
UFF
hold her hand all the way out to the main road where they flagged down a taxi and climbed in. The stress of the day weighed heavily on Natalie. As independent as she considered herself, she couldn't help the feeling of relief it was to have Duff at her side. She leaned against his muscular shoulder, absorbing some of his strength.

“What next?” he asked.

She tapped the evidence they'd wrapped in a plastic bag. “I'll get these to someone who can lift prints. But I'm worried about my sister's friends. If these guys are getting brave enough to go after me two days after nabbing my sister, who's to say they won't take one of her friends?”

“Were those the young ladies you were partying with last night?”

Natalie nodded. “Two left to go home, but the others are here for a few more days. They couldn't get their flights changed.”

“Then we stick with them.”

“We?”

“Okay, you. With the Navy SEALs as backup. We can hang back, but be there if you need us.”

“I can't follow all of them.”

“No. If one strays from the pack while you're not watching, one of us can follow and make sure they're okay.”

“My sister and her friends were supposed to go to Chichén Itzá tomorrow. I think her friends were planning to cancel after losing Melody.”

“Your point?”

“One of the missing women disappeared on a hike around the ruins.” Natalie caught his gaze. “I could take my sister's reservation and see what happens.”

“Please tell me you're not going to put yourself out there as bait again. They might think you're too much trouble and shoot you instead, since you got away twice.”

She tapped a finger to her chin, thinking. “You could be right.”

“And if your sister's friends decide to go on the excursion with you, they could end up as collateral damage.”

“What if they decide to go anyway?”

“Then you have to go. And the SEALs will be there, as well. Only we'll follow in a rental car instead of taking the guided tour.”

She stared across at him, her eyes narrowing. “Why are you so eager to help?”

“It's the right thing to do.” He reached for her hand and curled his big fingers around hers. “And I like the strong, sassy type.”

Again her insides warmed at his compliment and she curled her fingers around his, glad she didn't have to do this alone.

Having Lance follow her with the GPS tracking device gave her a certain sense of security. Having a Navy SEAL as her physical backup was even better. She wasn't sure she'd have made it away from the cave island alive had she gone there alone.

The taxi driver dropped them off at the entrance to the resort.

“We shouldn't be seen together any more than necessary,” Natalie said.

“Why not? We've shared a breathing apparatus, a fishing boat and a taxi. That makes us practically a thing.” He winked.

“Still. If there's a chance of me being taken rather than one of the other girls, I'd rather it was me.”

Duff touched her cheek. “Again, they might not take you. Since we returned to the cave and those thugs fired at us, I'd say there is a strong possibility they'd shoot you rather than take you as a hostage.”

“How else am I supposed to find where they hid my sister? I can almost bet they won't tell us if we ask.”

“Then we have to find a way to follow them to where they are hiding your sister and the other girls.”

Natalie cupped her hand over his and leaned her cheek into his palm. “The longer she's missing—”

“We'll find her.” Duff tipped her chin upward and lowered his lips to hers. “I promise.”

When his lips met hers, Natalie forgot what she'd been about to say, the plastic bag she'd been carrying slipped from her hand. Electric shocks emanated from where their mouths connected and spread throughout her entire body.

She should have pushed away and run inside to the sanctuary of her room. But she couldn't. Instead she leaned up on her toes and deepened the kiss, opening her mouth to him.

His tongue swept in, claiming hers, caressing in a long, slow, slide. Duff slid his hand across her cheek, down the column of her throat and lower to the small of her back where he applied enough pressure to press her against his naked chest and snug her hips up against his. The hard evidence of his desire nudged her belly. An answering fire curled low inside her, making her ache in ways she hadn't in a very long time. Her fingers pressed into the hard plains of his muscles and she could smell the sun and salt from the ocean.