Chapter 2 - THE WOMAN IN THE LIFEBOAT
Mara's instructions were simple.
Stay calm.
Pretend nothing had changed.
Trust no one.
And survive until morning.
The last instruction was the hardest.
Because every hour that passed brought me closer to the moment Flynn intended to take me onto the aft deck.
I spent the next three hours pretending to be sick.
I lay in bed.
I drank water.
I complained about the waves.
I even apologized to Flynn when he brought me soup.
He smiled lovingly.
“You'll feel better soon.”
I stared at the bowl.
My hands remained folded in my lap.
“Thank you.”
He sat beside me.
“You know I hate seeing you like this.”
I almost laughed.
Instead, I touched his hand.
“I know.”
He squeezed my fingers.
“I love you.”
The words hurt more than I expected.
I looked at him.
“Do you?”
His expression flickered.
Only for a second.
Then the charming husband returned.
“Of course.”
I smiled.
“Good.”
He kissed me.
I closed my eyes.
Not because I wanted the kiss.
Because I needed him to believe I was still the same frightened wife.
When he left, I immediately locked the door.
Then I opened my phone.
Mara had sent another message.
There may be someone aboard who can help you.
I typed:
Who?
Three dots appeared.
Then disappeared.
Nothing.
I waited.
Five minutes.
Ten.
No answer.
I began pacing.
The yacht's engines hummed beneath my feet.
Then I heard a knock.
I froze.
“Room service.”
A woman's voice.
I opened the door only an inch.
A young crew member stood outside.
Dark hair.
Blue uniform.
She looked nervous.
“Mrs. Sterling?”
“Yes?”
“I brought fresh towels.”
She held them up.
I opened the door slightly wider.
She stepped inside.
Then quietly locked it behind herself.
My pulse jumped.
“Who are you?”
“Lena.”
“Are you one of the crew?”
“Yes.”
She lowered her voice.
“I was told to find you.”
“By whom?”
“Mara Bennett.”
I stared.
“You know Mara?”
“She helped my brother two years ago.”
My shoulders loosened slightly.
“What did she tell you?”
Lena looked toward the door.
“She said you're in danger.”
“I know.”
“She also said not to trust the captain.”
I nodded.
“Or the chief steward.”
“I already suspected both.”
Lena swallowed.
“There is more.”
She reached into her uniform pocket and handed me a small key.
“What is this?”
“Emergency access key.”
“To what?”
“The old crew passage.”
My heart started beating faster.
“There is a passage beneath the main deck. It connects to the storage compartment near the lifeboats.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because if they take you to the aft deck tonight, there will be no one there to help you.”
She hesitated.
“Except me.”
I stared at her.
“Why?”
Lena looked down.
“My brother disappeared after working for the Sterlings.”
Silence filled the room.
“What?”
“He was a mechanic on one of their cargo vessels.”
“What happened?”
“He found financial records he shouldn't have seen.”
She looked at me.
“He never came home.”
I felt sick.
“How long ago?”
“Three years.”
“And you believe Aidan did it?”
“I don't know.”
Her voice shook.
“But I know my brother wasn't careless.”
I closed my fingers around the key.
“Can you get me off the yacht?”
“Not yet.”
“Why?”
“The lifeboats are monitored.”
My stomach sank.
“Then what can I do?”
“Hide.”
“Where?”
She pointed toward the floor.
“The old crew passage.”
That evening, I followed Lena through a service corridor.
The yacht had changed after dark.
The luxurious atmosphere was gone.
Guards stood at intersections.
Crew members moved quietly.
Doors that had remained open during the day were now locked.
I realized the yacht wasn't merely luxurious.
It was controlled.
Every movement could be monitored.
Lena opened a narrow panel.
Behind it was a dark stairwell.
“Go.”
I entered.
The passage smelled of metal and salt.
Lena followed.
We moved silently.
Then she stopped.
“Wait.”
Footsteps.
Two men passed above us.
I held my breath.
One of them spoke.
“She hasn't left the room.”
The other replied.
“Good.”
“Mr. Sterling wants her on deck at eleven-thirty.”
My blood turned cold.
Lena waited until the footsteps disappeared.
Then whispered:
“They're early.”
We continued.
The passage opened into a small compartment.
There were emergency supplies.
Blankets.
A radio.
A narrow bench.
I sat.
Lena closed the door.
“This is where you'll stay.”
“For how long?”
“Until I can find a way to contact the coast guard.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
“What?”
“My parents.”
Lena looked at me.
“They're in danger too.”
She hesitated.
“Your father?”
“Yes.”
“Then we need another plan.”
Before she could continue, the radio crackled.
A man's voice came through.
“Lena.”
She froze.
“Answer.”
She slowly reached for the radio.
“I'm here.”
“Where is she?”
Lena looked at me.
“Who?”
“You know who.”
Her face drained of color.
“I haven't seen her.”
A pause.
Then:
“Don't lie.”
The radio went silent.
Lena lowered it.
“They know.”
“How?”
“I don't know.”
A metallic sound came from the corridor.
Someone was opening the access panel.
Lena grabbed my hand.
“Run.”
We climbed through another hatch.
A narrow corridor led toward the rear of the yacht.
Behind us, voices shouted.
“There!”
We ran.
I could hear footsteps.
My lungs burned.
Lena pushed open a metal door.
Wind slammed into us.
We were outside.
The sea stretched endlessly behind the yacht.
“Down!” she shouted.
We crouched behind a stack of emergency equipment.
A flashlight swept across the deck.
Then disappeared.
Lena whispered:
“There's a lifeboat access point ten feet away.”
“Can we launch it?”
“Not safely.”
“What does that mean?”
“The weather is getting worse.”
Lightning flashed in the distance.
The sea had darkened.
A storm was approaching.
Then someone shouted:
“Search the entire deck!”
Lena looked at me.
“They're coming.”
I gripped her hand.
“What do we do?”
She pointed toward the lifeboat compartment.
“Get inside.”
We crawled toward it.
I pulled the hatch open.
Then stopped.
There was someone already inside.
A man.
Unconscious.
I gasped.
Lena stared.
“Oh my God.”
The man slowly opened his eyes.
He was wearing a crew uniform.
Blood stained his sleeve.
He looked directly at me.
May you like
Then whispered:
“Your father sent me.”
