Page 82 of Rescuing Mia

But even as I swim, it’s fruitless. Her attackers are still out here, with us, somewhere in the darkness, and they won’t stop until they have what they came for.

I just pray that I can reach Mia before they do.

But then what am I going to do?

I surge forward, my heart leaping with fragile hope. I reach out, my fingers searching and grasping until they close around the soft fabric of Mia’s dress.

I wrap my arm around Mia, holding her close to my chest as I tread water. She’s unconscious, her head lolling against my shoulder, but I feel the faint rise and fall of her chest.

She’s alive.

For now.

But our situation is dire. Her attackers are still out there, swimming toward us with a determination that chills me to the bone. And theSerenity, our only hope of rescue, is disappearing into the night, its lights growing fainter by the second.

I know the protocol for a man overboard. They’ll initiate a search and rescue mission, but it could take them twenty, maybe thirty minutes to slow the ship, turn it around, and launch a boat. In these conditions, with these attackers closing in, that might as well be an eternity.

Desperation claws at my throat, threatening to overwhelm me.I’m a strong swimmer, but even I have my limits, and with Mia to protect, those limits are rapidly shrinking.

I look around frantically, searching for something, anything that might give us an edge. But there’s nothing. Just the endless expanse of the ocean, dark and unforgiving.

The men are getting closer. I can see their faces now, hard and ruthless. They’re not going to stop. Not until they have what they came for.

I make a decision. It’s risky, but it’s the only chance we have.

The flashing light on Mia’s life jacket is the very thing that allowed me to find her, but it’s now a beacon drawing our attackers straight to us. I fumble with the jacket, my fingers numb and clumsy in the cold water. I find the switch and flick it off. The light dies, plunging us into darkness.

It’s a double-edged sword. While it might hide us from the men pursuing us, it also means theSerenitywill have a much harder time locating us, but right now, our immediate survival takes precedence.

I pull Mia close, trying to shield her body with mine as I strain my eyes and ears for any sign of our attackers. I swim, striking out in a direction perpendicular to our original course. It’s a gamble, but I hope it will throw them off our trail.

Each stroke is a struggle. My muscles scream with fatigue. Mia’s dead weight in my arms only adds to the burden, but I refuse to let go. I made a promise to keep her safe, and I intend to keep it.

Minutes pass, but they feel like hours. Time loses meaning in the darkness, with nothing but the burn of salt water in my throat and the ache in my limbs to mark its passage. My body is reaching its limit, and my mind is clouded with exhaustion.

But then, just when I think I can’t go on, I hear it. The distant purr of an engine grows louder by the second.

Hope surges through me, so powerful it brings tears to my eyes. Could it be theSerenity? Have they found us against all odds? I strain to see through the darkness, desperately searching for the source of the sound. And then I see it—a light bobbing on the waves.

But as it draws closer, my heart sinks. It’s not theSerenity. It’s a smaller vessel, sleek and fast.

And it’s heading straight for us.

The distant lights of theSerenityare getting farther and farther away. Which means any hope of rescue is gone.

I tighten my grip on Mia, my mind racing as I try to formulate a plan. I’m outnumbered and outmatched, especially with Mia unconscious in my arms, but I refuse to let them take her from me.

“Mia, come on, wake up,” I plead, my voice hoarse with fear and desperation.

She remains still, her head lolling against my shoulder, her breaths shallow and labored.

Then I see them.

Mia’s attackers close in. Their powerful strokes cut through the water with terrifying efficiency. Out of the darkness, that bobbing light reveals itself to be a small inflatable RIB that speeds toward us.

It’s not a rescue boat from theSerenity.

The man on board is dressed in the same black tactical gear as the attackers, his face obscured by dark goggles and what looks to be a HUD. Whoever these men are, they’re drowning in money. I haven’t seen gear with that kind of quality in a very long time.