Absolution Page 25

  She desperately wanted that for him. Wanted him to be free to live again. Even if it wasn’t with her. Her life was fading anyway. This way she had control over her destiny. And she could save Luke in the process.

  Gathering her courage, she took one last look at him as Tehrazzi stepped up onto the bow of a boat. Through the tears that almost blinded her, she forced a smile on her trembling lips. “It’s all right,” she told him shakily. “I love you.”

  His eyes were tormented when he met her gaze for that instant. “Em...” She could hear the edge of raw helplessness in his voice.

  “It’s okay,” she forced out, the words distorted from the pressure around her throat.

  The unbearable pain in his expression tore her to pieces. “Em, I—”

  The pressure around her throat vanished. Caught off guard, she fell to her knees on the damp dock when Tehrazzi suddenly released her. What was happening?

  “Emily, get down!”

  She raised her eyes to Luke’s. He was running flat out toward her. The confusion in her brain made it seem like he moved in slow motion. His rifle was up, his legs moving in a blur. Rhys was a step behind him. Then the roar of a motor filled the air.

  Luke came nearer, still not firing. She cast a glance over her shoulder. Tehrazzi leapt over the seats of the speed boat, one hand on the vest trigger and the other reaching for the steering wheel. He couldn’t get away. Her head turned toward Luke.

  “Dooowwwnnn!” he yelled at her. He wasn’t shooting because she was still too close to Tehrazzi.

  She pushed to her feet. Her heart slammed wildly, echoing in her ears. She couldn’t let Tehrazzi get away. She had to do this. Had to. Luke would die if she didn’t.

  A surge of power hummed through her body. Goosebumps raced over her chilled skin. Her leg muscles bunched. Pushing off the dock with every ounce of her strength, she kicked off hard and dove through the air as the boat pulled away from the dock.

  ****

  Luke saw the intent forming in her eyes. No, he silently begged her, quads burning with strain as he sprinted flat out down the dock toward her. For whatever reason, Tehrazzi had let her go. If she stayed still, she’d be safe.

  But she didn’t. Casting one last glance at him, she pivoted and launched herself onto the stern of the boat. His knees threatened to buckle.

  “Emilyyyyy!” he roared, heart in his throat. What the fuck did she think she was doing?

  She bounced hard on the stern but held on as Tehrazzi shot the boat away from the dock. Luke choked back a howl of denial. He couldn’t take a shot now, not with Emily there. The blast from the vest would kill her.

  “Christ,” he snarled, slinging his rifle across his back and charging to the closest speed boat he could find. Rhys leapt over the bow a second after he did and within a few moments had it hotwired. The inboard motor came to life with a deep-throated growl.

  Luke immediately went to the side and threw a leg over. He had to stay out of sight to have any chance in hell of saving Emily. He hadn’t clung to the gunwales of a boat moving through the water at top speed in years, but he wasn’t taking any chances of being spotted. “Make sure you get her clear,” he barked at Rhys, who expertly maneuvered the craft after Tehrazzi. “No matter what happens, you get her clear.”

  “Understood,” Rhys shouted back, his short hair whipping back in the wind.

  Luke flattened his body to the hull and held on as the icy cold spray of water pelted him. His only chance at saving Emily was to get onto that boat and grab the trigger before Tehrazzi let go.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Tehrazzi jumped when someone landed on the stern of the boat. Holding the trigger tight in his left hand, he cast a disbelieving glance at his teacher’s wife as she dragged herself up the slick white fiberglass surface. His mouth tightened. He didn’t need this!

  He yanked the steering wheel sideways. The boat veered and her legs whipped out to the side like a flag in the wind. But she didn’t let go, and when he righted the wheel, she rolled into the interior with a hard thud. Tehrazzi suppressed a growl of frustration. He was prepared to martyr himself, but on his terms. Not because of this woman, and not until his teacher was within range. Why hadn’t the damned woman run when she’d had the chance?

  He had only a second’s warning after he heard her enraged cry, and staggered back with the impact when she launched herself at him. She caught him in the chest with her shoulder, and the unexpected force threw him backward against the instrument panel. He’d knocked the throttle back, and the boat came to a plunging stop as he struggled to hold onto the vest’s trigger and get her off him. Her slender fingers wrapped around his like a claw, trying to pry his thumb off the release lever.

  “Stop!” he shouted, pulling his hand out of her reach as he dodged her fist. Her enraged attack stunned him because she was half his size and ill with cancer. What was she doing? He would not die like this. He would not let his death be wasted.

  “Blow it!” she screamed at him, her eyes wild in her pale face.

  He should shoot her. Put a bullet in her skull and toss her overboard. His hand itched to do just that. Something stopped him. It was not his place to take her life. But he was tempted, catching her fist in his and twisting it behind her back.

  The sound of another motor broke through the lapping of the waves against the hull. Tehrazzi stilled and stared out through the fog into the encroaching darkness. His teacher. Coming after him.

  His mind churned frantically as he fended off yet another attack from her. Maybe he should stay here. Suppressing a roar, he flung the woman off him. Others would be coming for him. Soldiers and police, Coast Guard. He didn’t have much time. If he was going to destroy his teacher, he might not get another opportunity. His hand hesitated on the throttle as he stared down at his new adversary. He hadn’t wanted her to die, but perhaps there was no other way. This woman had again put herself in his path. Perhaps he should detonate the device once his teacher came within range. That wasn’t how he’d intended it to go, but it would serve his purpose well enough.

  As she pushed to her feet, he saw the rank hatred in her expression, and knew she would attack him again. Letting go of the throttle, his hand closed around the butt of the pistol in his waistband. One shot. His teacher was coming for him, for her or her dead body, it didn’t matter.

  Again, something held him back. Her suffering, and her undying loyalty that touched a deeply buried part of him. A part he’d thought was gone forever.

  She lunged at him again, going for his face with her nails. Biting back a curse, Tehrazzi caught both her wrists in his free hand and squeezed the bones together, thwarting an attack between his legs from her knee. He pinned her hard against the edge of the boat and met her tear-bright green eyes.

  “I won’t let you kill him!” she half-sobbed, struggling in his grip. “You want to die? Do it now!”

  Her bravery in the face of death sent an unwelcome pang of admiration through him. Only one who knew death was at hand could be this brave. Or one of great faith.

  The other boat drew nearer, emerging through the fog. Its driver was the big man from the dock, one of his teacher’s men. Tehrazzi couldn’t make out anyone else in the craft. Was his teacher hiding in it? Or had he stayed ashore in the hope of getting his wife back before coming after him?

  This could still happen on Tehrazzi’s terms. All he had to do was release the woman and escape, prompting his teacher to resume the chase. The bomb he wore would ensure he got away. They would not jeopardize her life by killing him before she was safely out of range.

  She glared up at him, trembling from the cold and the fear he could see eating through her resolve. Willing to die to save her ex-husband, but so very afraid of the moment it would happen.

  He could not kill her and snuff out her magnificent spirit. It would be wrong. She was innocent of any wrongdoing and killing her would be unforgivable. She deserved to live after fighting so bravely for what she believed in.
>
  Tehrazzi loosened his hold a fraction, his mind made up. “You are not meant to die here,” he said through gritted teeth. “Allah will take you in His own time.”

  ****

  A frustrated sob caught in Emily’s chest. She shook so hard she could barely stay on her feet and her heart smashed against her ribs. She’d never been so afraid in her life as she stared up into those laser-like green eyes. They seemed to burn through her, brimming with anger and resolve. And maybe even a hint of respect.

  Tearing her gaze away, she refocused on the device he held. The blood pounded in her head, filling her ears with a roaring noise. His will was every bit as strong as his powerfully built body, but she couldn’t give up. She had to keep fighting.

  Somehow she had to get his hand off the detonator. She had to do it before Luke arrived or she chickened out. And she was damn close to losing her nerve. Exhaustion pulled at her, the fierce determination she’d come aboard with waning in the face of her own death. God, what if she couldn’t do it?

  You have to. Or else Luke will die because you were a coward.

  Tehrazzi’s grip was too strong. She couldn’t break it and get to the trigger he still held.

  Then she heard it. Another boat. Twisting her head, she stared in horror at the speed craft coming toward them through the fog. No! she wanted to scream. Not yet.

  Spurred by desperation, she reared up and sank her teeth into Tehrazzi’s hard shoulder. He let out a bellow and backhanded her across the cheek with his free hand. She let go, stars exploding before her eyes and then her knees hit the deck with a thud.

  Dazed from the blow, she got to her feet to try again, but Tehrazzi seized her arm and twisted it behind her at a sharp angle. Emily cried out and arched up to relieve the pressure, afraid her shoulder would pop out of its socket. Then he dragged her to her toes and shoved her against the side of the boat again, hard enough that the low metal railing cut into her thighs.

  Her gaze cut to the other boat. Rhys was at the wheel, and brought it to a bow-plunging stop some distance away. Luke was nowhere to be seen. Her throat tightened. Had he stayed behind? She was torn between relief that he was still safe and grief because he’d left her on her own to face her fate with Tehrazzi.

  Tehrazzi’s hand cranked down on her forearm. “Where is he?” he shouted over her head.

  Rhys raised his hands, showing he was unarmed for the moment. “Just give me the woman.”

  “Where is he?”

  “Getting ready to kill you once I take her ashore.”

  “No,” Emily cried, bowing back and lashing out with her leg. Tehrazzi pinned her even tighter, paying as much attention to her futile struggles as he would a bothersome insect. Yet through her fear, Emily swore Tehrazzi shuddered at Rhys’s words.

  When he spoke again, his voice was frighteningly soft and calm. “I’ve already activated the trigger. It can’t be diffused. If you shoot me, the bomb will kill you both.”

  “I’m not going to shoot you,” Rhys replied in the same calm tone. “That’s going to be Luke’s privilege. I’m here for her. Then you and Luke can face off.”

  Tehrazzi hesitated for another instant, then shoved her over the side of the boat.

  Emily only had time to utter a short scream before hitting the surface face first. The pain punched her hard. Icy, dark water closed over her head, forcing the air from her lungs. The shock of the cold and the blackness disoriented her. Twisting about, she couldn’t tell which way was up. Panic flooded her. She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t see. Didn’t know how far down she was.

  The long strands of the wig wrapped around her face, suffocating her. Her heavy wool sweater and jeans were lead weights against her body. Her waterlogged shoes were heavy, dragging her down into the cold depths. Frantic, she ripped off the wig and kicked, clawing toward what she prayed was the surface. How far down was she? Her lungs burned, desperate for air.

  Her legs scissored hard. Her hands reached above her to push the water away, propelling upward. Please, please let it be upward. Fire scorched her aching lungs. No air. They were going to burst from the pressure before she ever reached the surface. Instinct took over. Her tired limbs blindly clawed and kicked at the water. Faint light. She was sure she rose toward the light.

  Battling with all her strength, she fought not to draw a breath. Not to let her mouth gasp open against the fire in her lungs. Her depleted body made the decision for her. Salt water rushed into her nose and mouth, burning, singing, choking her. Her eyes rolled back in her head, panic overtaking everything. Drowning. She was drowning. A silent scream erupted from her soul.

  Her legs kicked in reflex and she finally broke the surface for an instant. Air rushed over her wet face and head. Her starving lungs sucked in a gulp of sweet air. Choking, coughing up mouthfuls of water, she mindlessly fought to keep her head above the surface and dimly made out the sound of a motor in the distance. Another raw breath of air went in. Finally, she could open her watering eyes.

  It was pitch black except for the faint lights coming from the distant dock, all but obscured by the thickening fog. Her limbs floundered as she treaded water, head whipping back and forth to find the boat Rhys had been on. She couldn’t see anything but the waves before her and the fog rolling on its surface. Helplessness flooded her. Oh Jesus, had he gone after Tehrazzi anyway? Her hands and feet were numb from the cold and her strength was failing. The sodden clothes were like a heavy hand pressing her back into the water.

  “Help!” she cried, choking on another mouthful of water when her head dipped beneath the low waves. Flailing weakly, she broke through the surface once more but knew she didn’t have the strength to stay afloat. She fought back a sob. Luke. She’d failed to detonate the bomb, and now he would die getting Tehrazzi.

  She turned onto her side and tried to pull her exhausted body through the water. The numbness spread up her arms and legs, her breaths frantic and choppy. The rhythmic pump of her limbs turned to uncoordinated thrashing as she lost control of her muscles. The water closed in over her head again, a frigid, dark embrace pulling her down toward her death. And it wasn’t peaceful at all. Not like the stories she’d read about by people who had almost drowned. She wasn’t calm and filled with warmth. This was terrifying.

  Panic flooded her, sharp and vicious as the blackness took hold.

  Strong hands grabbed her. A muscled arm closed around her ribs, and then she shot upward. Rocketing toward the surface.

  Luke, she thought blearily, fighting to stay conscious. He’d come in after her. Her head and shoulders exploded through the surface. Her starved lungs sucked in a tiny amount of air between wracking coughs. The arm around her never wavered in its hold.

  “Just lie still,” a male voice shouted to her. Not Luke. She jackknifed in his hold, choking and sputtering. The arm around her ribs tightened and began towing her backward. When she finally got her first full breath of air, her head fell back against a hard shoulder. “You’re okay.”

  Rhys. Of course it was Rhys.

  Emily was too cold and weak to help him when they finally reached the boat. He heaved her over the side and climbed in after her, rolling her onto her back. She blinked up at his shadowy face. Rivulets of water poured off his tall frame, splashing around her on the deck.

  “I need to get these clothes off you,” he said, voice calm and full of authority as he stripped her down and wrapped her in a towel. All she could do was lay there and shiver, a million questions racing through her brain. His chilled fingers pressed against the side of her throat to take her pulse. It felt sluggish even to her.

  Her teeth were chattering, lips so cold she could barely move them. “L-Luke,” she mumbled. “W-where—”

  “I’ll have you ashore in a few minutes.” Rhys ignored her question and stepped over her to fire up the engine.

  Emily rolled to her side and weakly pushed up on an elbow, barely able to hold her head up. “Luke,” she repeated. Where was he?

  Rhys didn’
t look at her as he turned the boat around and made for the dock. “He asked me to get you clear. The sooner I drop you off, the sooner I can go back and help him.”

  Go back? “G-go b-back wh-where?”

  “To Tehrazzi.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Beneath the waves, Luke slid through the water like a knife toward his target. Under the surface it was quiet and still. The claustrophobia never came. The water was his second home. Working beneath the surface in the dark, he was in his element as he sliced beneath Tehrazzi’s boat and came up soundlessly on its starboard side.

  Breaching the surface, he barely made a ripple and reached for the side edge when he heard Emily’s scream a second before she splashed into the water. His whole body tightened, wanting to dive under and save her, but he couldn’t. If Tehrazzi saw him, they’d all die. Em was a strong swimmer. He knew Rhys would already be in the water going after her. Luke had this one chance to get Tehrazzi and make sure Emily got clear.

  Locking his jaw, he gripped the edge of the boat. As Tehrazzi fired up the engine, Luke threw one leg over the lip, flipping over the side when Tehrazzi opened up the throttle. Driven by pure instinct, Luke lunged at him. Tehrazzi turned his head at the last second, a flare of surprise registering in his expression as he pivoted, knocking the throttle back. The bow plunged down and Luke hit him straight in the chest, the abrupt stop adding to his momentum. Like lightning, Luke’s right hand lashed out to grip the detonator in Tehrazzi’s fingers before he could let go. They crashed against the dashboard and for an instant Tehrazzi sagged forward with a grunt of pain. Luke took a blow to the kidney and blocked another, clamping down with cruel force on his adversary’s fingers.

  The familiar green eyes boring into his were full of fanatical glee. And relief that it was finally about to end between them.

  Luke strained to keep Tehrazzi’s thumb pressed down tight on the lever. In the distance he heard the sound of a motor starting up, and the hollow ache in his chest receded. Em was safe. Rhys had her, would take her to shore. Luke’s arm trembled with the effort of keeping Tehrazzi’s arm and hand still. Just a little longer. He only had to hold it a minute longer until Em was well clear. Then it didn’t matter.