Caribbean Rescue (Coastal Fury Book 16) - Matt Lincoln (reading tree .TXT) 📗

started to come down, and it was difficult to see. I scanned my eyes across the shoreline until they finally landed on something white in the distance.

“There!” I shouted back before taking off in that direction. It was definitely Raymond’s boat. I recognized the distinctive blue stripe across the right side. It was also the only boat docked next to what was more of a small pier than a proper docking area. Raymond must have just chosen the first place he could find to leave his boat on his quest to find Samuel and the other traffickers.

“How did he even climb up here?” Holm grumbled as we ducked beneath the railing of the pier and down onto the boat. It was a good question since the floor of the pier was a good four feet above the deck of the boat.

“Never underestimate a man intent on revenge,” I muttered as I moved quickly to the helm. It was a familiar system. I’d driven countless boats in my life, many more complicated than his simple fishing vessel.

“I see something out there.” Holm tapped me on the shoulder to get my attention. He pointed at something through the glass window at the front of the helm.

Sure enough, I could see another boat in the distance. It was difficult to tell just how large it was from so far away, but it was definitely bigger than ours.

“Think that’s them?” I muttered as I rummaged through the shelves and drawers beneath the helm. Maybe Raymond had a set of binoculars or a spyglass somewhere in here.

“I don’t see anyone else on the water,” Holm replied as he stepped toward the side of the boat to undo the line.

“We’ll assume it is, then,” I decided as I pushed the throttle to get the boat going.

It had only been a few minutes since Raymond had called us to let us know that the men were escaping from Samuel’s house. If that were the case, then it was possible they hadn’t made it very far yet. I only hoped we weren’t chasing after the wrong boat and wasting even more time.

I hadn’t noticed it before because I’d been so focused on going over the details of the mission, but now that I was actually at the helm, I realized just how fast Raymond’s boat was. The thing was tiny, but it was practically bouncing across the water at an alarming speed. We were catching up to the much larger vessel in no time.

“Aha!” Holm exclaimed when we were about a hundred yards away from it. “I found some binoculars back here.”

I glanced back at him and saw him holding the small, portable set of binoculars in one hand.

“Alright, tell me what you see!” I called over the sound of rushing water as I turned my focus back to steering. At the speed we were going, I didn’t want to lose control or crash into anything.

“It’s still kind of hard to tell through the rain!” he yelled back. “Oh, wait, no, I see men. And I see guns. I think these are our guys.”

“How many men?!” I called over my shoulder as the boat got ever closer. They were bound to notice us any moment now if they hadn’t already.

“I count three!” he shouted as he came to stand next to me at the helm. “But that doesn’t include whoever’s driving or anyone that might be below deck. See for yourself.”

He took over the steering so I could peer through the binoculars. The boat looked like it was about three times as big as the one Holm and I were on. It was a small yacht, and I could see three men wandering around on the main deck. They all had guns at their hips, and one even had a rifle slung over his shoulder. A second after I’d fixed the binoculars on him, he turned to look directly at me.

“Crap!” I yelled as the man whipped the rifle off his shoulder. “Holm, get down!”

He swore as he ducked down below the helm as far as he could without letting go of the wheel. We were still a few yards away from the boat, but we were close enough that we might crash directly into it in a matter of seconds if he lost control, especially with the storm making the water so rough and choppy.

I flattened myself onto the deck of the boat as bullets tore through. I flinched as part of the seat above me suddenly exploded into a cloud of vinyl and stuffing. As bits of dust and fluff rained down over my head, it dawned on me just how close I had just been to being shot.

“I can’t see where I’m going!” Holm shouted over the barrage of bullets.

“Hang on!” I yelled back as I crawled on my elbows to get better cover behind the seat. I peaked out over the edge to the deck of the larger boat. The man with the rifle was leaning over the gunwale of the boat as he shot at us. One of the other men was at his side, firing his pistol as well. I couldn’t see the third man anymore.

I lifted my gun and fired toward where they were standing. It was difficult to aim while the boat was moving so quickly and so erratically, but I still managed to hit the one holding the pistol, though I couldn’t tell where. I only saw him fall backward suddenly.

The man with the rifle stopped firing for just a moment to check on his buddy. I seized the opportunity and fired two more shots. The man screamed and dropped his gun directly off the side of the boat, though he didn’t fall as his friend did.

“Move closer now!” I yelled at Holm. “He’s lost the gun. Bring the boat in as close as you can.”

“Got it!” Holm shouted back as he stood up and began to steer properly again.

I got to my feet and climbed up onto one