Water sprayed. Lights blinded. Duncan went faster.
“Where the hell is she? Where did she go?” Evie was trying her best to keep it together, but Clancy could see she was battling back panic.
Suddenly, Duncan changed direction, heading southeast. “I think I see her!”
“Hold on!” Clancy yelled to Evie.
Duncan pushed Da’s boat past its limits, hitting fifteen knots at one point, even though the sea was choppy. Clancy was concerned that Evie would be tossed into the water, but saw how her hands clutched the side of the boat, determination in her eyes. She wasn’t going anywhere.
“Got her!” Duncan called out. “Two points off the bow!”
“Oh my God. Is she still in the boat?”
“Can’t see yet,” Clancy said. “Does she know to put on a life jacket?”
Evelyn raked her hands through her hair. “I don’t know! I don’t know!”
“Binocs.”
Duncan handed a pair of binoculars over his right shoulder and Clancy focused them. Oh, no. He couldn’t see her. There was no little head anywhere.
“Is she there? Oh, God, tell me! Is she still in the boat? Please, please be in the boat!”
Just then, he saw movement in the FBI powerboat, a head poking up along the side. “Got her! Got her! She’s there!”
Evie gasped in relief.
“Hold on. I estimate two minutes to target.” Duncan pulled back a little on the throttle and kept on a straight course. “Goddamn! Why are these birds still here?”
The helicopters hadn’t backed off. They’d moved closer, now probably hovering only thirty feet overhead, their searchlights sweeping everywhere. Thanks to them, this little maneuver would be a hundred times harder than it had to be.
Clancy put his head down, seawater smacking him in the face, limiting his line of sight. “Duncan! Reach under the seat! See if Da’s got a bullhorn!”
“Not here!”
“Evie. Hop up.”
She reached under her seat and handed him the small megaphone. Clancy turned the power switch, hoping to God the batteries weren’t dead.
“Jellybean. Can you slow the boat down?”
“She’s looking right at us.” Duncan was in perfect alignment to pull alongside.
“Make it go slower if you can,” Clancy called out to Chrissy.
The boat jerked, and went faster.
Duncan shouted, “Almost there. This is going to go quick. Are you ready, Clancy?”
“Hold on tight, Jellybean! I’m going to come help you. Grab tight onto anything you can reach and hold on!”
He removed his jacket and shoes and pulled his service weapon from the waistband of his trousers, handing it to Duncan.
They approached the FBI vessel. He stood. Clancy caught Duncan’s eye to ensure his brother was ready.
“On my mark!” Duncan pulled up alongside, but they were still going way too fast to attempt something like this. Not that they had any choice.
Duncan edged slightly ahead of the other boat so the instant Clancy spent in midair wouldn’t cause him to land in the water—or on the boat’s propeller.