And then I hear my name. It’s faint, but loud enough for me to gauge the direction it’s coming from. I hear her gasp and make out the water washing over her.
“I’ve got you,” I tell her. “Tread hard for me.”
Luckily, I’ve tied and untied rope so many times, I can do it blindfolded. After undoing her binds, I haul her through the water toward the boat. She grabs the side and pulls herself in while I push her up. Not until we’re both in the boat do I realize how much my arm burns and aches from being shot and just how fucking cold the Bay is.
“You all right?” I ask her. “Were you shot?”
While shivering, she shakes her head. I start digging through the boat and manage to find towels stored beneath the seats.
“Get out of your wet clothes,” I instruct, helping her with her coat, the Kevlar, and then her sweats before wrapping her in the towels.
After shedding my soaking jacket, I take off my shirt and rip a strip off to tie around my arm. Though I grew up in Heihe, where temperatures can fall below zero in winter, the Bay feels freezing right now.
“My dad,” she says.
“You’ve got to get warmed up.”
“I’ll be okay.”
“Ever heard of hypothermia?”
“If we don’t turn around, I’ll s-swim back. My dad may be a jerk, but he’s still my dad.”
I look back to the island but we’re not close enough for me to make out the situation. I shake my head. “It’s too dangerous.”
She throws off the towels. “Fine.”
I grab her. “I’ll check on your dad for you.”
She looks at me with worry. “To help him or hurt him?”
“Help him,” I answer truthfully, though I’m not sure whether she’ll believe me.
She stares deep into my eyes. “I probably shouldn’t trust you, but…”
“You don’t have much of a choice.”
“Yeah. That.”
Just then I hear the rumble of another boat approaching. Seeing only the vehicle’s headlights, I grab my 0.45 and get ready to hit the gas.
“Kai!” a familiar voice calls out.
It’s Tao. But I keep my firearm raised in case he’s not alone. I swing the light in his direction. He’s alone.
Seeing me bare-chested and wet, he asks, “Fuck, what happened to you?”
Ignoring his question, I ask him about the situation back on the beach.
“We’ve got it under control, thanks to our guys on the perimeter,” Tao answers as he takes off his coat to hand to me.
I give the coat to Casey.
“What about my dad?” she demands.
Tao looks to me.
“How’s Callaghan?” I ask.