Hooked (A Romance on the Edge Novel) (40 page)

“Out of my way.” She pushed passed him, out into the rain, and slid down the steps to the deck. Garrett and Judd followed in time to see her lug off the metal manhole cover to the engine compartment.

Sonya swore, but it sounded more like a desperate prayer. She stood, turned, and tried to push through him and Judd again, but Garrett caught her in his arms, the rain making his hold slippery. “What’s going on, Sonya?”

“We’re sinking.” The shock of her words lessened his hold, and she slipped through, running for the pilot house.

Garrett turned to look down into the hold. Sure enough, water was filling the compartment. After a few cranks of the engine, Sonya got it started. She leaned through the window and hollered, “Garrett, grab that hose. Yes, there, wrapped around the hook. Submerge that end into the water while I turn on the pump.” She engaged the pump, and water began spraying out of the other end of the hose into the ocean.

“What’s going on over there?” Skip shouted from the
Calypso
.

“The
Double Dippin’s
taking on water.”

“How bad is it? Do I need to untie?”

“Don’t know yet,” Garrett returned. “Hang tight. We’ll keep you posted.”

Sonya leaned back out the window. “Judd, get up here.”

Judd looked to Garrett. “Who’s in charge here?”

“She’s the captain. Now get your butt up there and see what she needs.”

Judd grumbled about the messed up chain of command, but made his way back up to the pilot house while Garrett concentrated on keeping the end of the industrial-size hose sucking water out of the hold. Sonya dashed back carrying a Mag flashlight. Before he could suggest that he head down into the engine room, she was already lowering herself into the compartment.

“Sonya, let me crawl down there.”

“My boat.” She glared up at him, donned ear muffs to protect her ears from the noise of the engine. Then she ducked her head and was gone. Garrett kneeled on the wet deck, still holding the hose, and lowered his head into the compartment so he could keep her in his sights.

The situation smelled fishy.

“Hand me that toolbox,” Sonya hollered, giving him directions before he could ask, “to your left against the rail.”

“Don’t touch anything until I take a look.”

She scowled. “I have water coming in and you want to take time to look around.” She motioned to the rising water she stood knee-deep in. “There
is
no time.”

“Sonya, calm down.” He knew this situation had to be bringing up horrific nightmares of her family drowning. She was handling it pretty well though, considering. “The pump will take care of most the excess water. Hold the hose and let me come down there.” He kept his voice even, mellow, hoping it would help recede the panic he could hear in hers.

“Fine.” She steadied the hose as he lowered himself into the tight area.

The sound of the engine, along with the running pump, was deafening in the enclosed space. The pungent tang of oil and diesel mixed with saltwater assaulted his nose.

“There.” Sonya pointed, indicating where water seeped in like a garden hose left in the on position.

Garrett bent farther to investigate. He knew about boats, mostly driving and diving out of them due to his SEAL training, but this complicated engine room was above his expertise. He was a cop not a fisherman. “Explain what I’m looking at,” he said.

Sonya pointed to a pipe that came up out of the floor with a metal plate bolted over it, where the water was spewing in. “This is the impeller plate, it seals the drain.” She indicated the pipe. “When we winterize the boat after the season, and store it at the cannery over the winter, the bolts are loosened to drain any water left in the pump. If left unsealed, ocean water leaks in when the boat is launched.”

“I take it no one’s fiddled with this since the beginning of the season.”

She shook her head. “There wouldn’t be a need to.”

Garrett bent to get a closer look at the bolts on the metal plate. “Let me see your flashlight.” Sonya handed him the Mag. He shined it on the bolts, and fingered the edges of the hex-cut heads. “These are fresh tool marks.” Seemed as though someone had been in a hurry to loosen them. Maybe while others onboard were playing a hand of cards? “How long would it take for this much water to spill in?”

“Sitting at anchor, maybe a few hours, could be less.” Sonya turned his attention to some cut wires, fingering them. “Look at this. These go to the alarm that’s supposed to sound when the water level in here rises. Someone disabled it.”

Their gazes met, each serious, though hers still held traces of fear and panic. “Someone tried to sink my boat.”

“No,” he said, his tone deadly. “Someone attempted to kill you.”

Wet and freezing, Sonya stood on deck, having just climbed out of the cramped, cold engine compartment, and wiped water out of her face. The unrelenting rain just wetted it again, sinking through her already drenched clothes and into her clammy skin. Now that the crisis was over, the bolts retightened on the impeller plate, and the sinking of her boat diverted, she physically shook from the aftermath. What if they hadn’t been able to stop it? What if she hadn’t figured out what the sloshing sound had been in time? What would she have done if forced into the open water?

Garrett joined her after settling the heavy engine plate in place. “You okay?” His eyes narrowed.

“Fine,” she replied robotically. She was far from fine. She pointed to Wes and Peter busy picking fish, hoping to distract him and herself. “Looks as though the fish arrived.” At least that was some good news.

“What happened to your rain jacket?” Garrett snagged her attention again.

For some reason she was having a hard time focusing, as though she didn’t want to deal with the reality of what had happened, or what could have happened.

“Sonya,” Garrett said, his voice sharper this time.

“Hmm?” She’d really like a nap. Wanted to lie down and forget this even happened. Yep, now that sounded like a plan.

Garrett caught her arm. “Hell, you’re wet clear through.” He steered her toward the pilot house, the action making her dizzy. “We’ve got to get you dry and warm.”

He half-carried her up the stairs. She kept looking at her feet, wondering why they didn’t want to move. Guess they were already taking that nap she wanted so badly.

“Judd, fire up the stove and heat some water. Damn fool was out there without her raingear and now she’s near frozen. I think she’s hypothermic or suffering from shock.”

“Am not,” Sonya muttered, though no one seemed to pay attention.

Garrett picked her up and set her on the bunk, stripped out of his jacket, and wrapped it snug around her. It was warm and dry from the heat of his body, and she wanted to snuggle into it and sleep for a week. “Stay here. I’ll get you some dry clothes.” He turned to Judd. “Watch her.”

Sonya rested her heavy head back against the wall, her eyelids closing of their own volition. Words came at her like bouncing rubber balls, and she realized that another person had boarded her boat. Sounded like Skip. Great, just what she needed, another trooper. At this rate, they were swarming around her like mosquitoes. She hated mosquitoes. Dang blood suckers. Someone lifted her, and took Garrett’s warm jacket away.

“No,” she murmured, trying to pull the jacket back over her. Why couldn’t everyone leave her the hell alone?

“Hang in there, Sonya,” Garrett said.

“Cold.” She tried to curl up into a ball but Garrett’s hands grabbed and yanked at her clothing.

“I know, honey. I’m going to fix that right now. Guys, go away while I get her out of these wet clothes.”

Frigid air slapped against tender skin as Garrett stripped her bare. She couldn’t help the whimper that escaped. Then he was stuffing her into a t-shirt, with a sweatshirt over that like she was a child. Next were soft, dry sweatpants, followed by two layers of socks. Garrett then wrapped her tight in a blanket.

“Better?”

“Hmm,” was all she could answer. Now, if she could get some shuteye.

“I’m going to dry your hair now,” he warned as he pulled the hair tie out that held her ponytail in place. Next, he vigorously towel-dried her hair until it hung loose around her face in damp lengths. “Feeling any warmer?”

“Fine. Sleep now.”

“No sleep. Not until I know you’re warm and out of danger.” He sat her up and forced a hot cup of tea into her hands. “Drink this,” he ordered. Seemed like he was doing a lot of that. Wasn’t this her boat and wasn’t she the one in charge?

He helped her hold the rim of the cup to her lips, and she sipped, grimacing at the taste. “Too sweet.”

“Drink it anyway.”

She took another sip and then pushed it away. “Enough. Tired.”

“I know you’re tired. Your body’s shutting down. Fight it, babe,” he said, his tone quiet but hard.

She looked into his worried eyes and found the strength to drink more of the syrupy tea.

“That’s my girl.” He set the cup down and then began rubbing her limbs. “Why didn’t you tell me you were so cold? Why the hell didn’t you put on your raingear?”

“Forgot. Worried about the boat.”

“You need to take care of yourself or you’re no good to anyone. The boat isn’t worth your life, Sonya.”

“If the boat sank, I’d be in the water.” She shuddered. “Can’t let that happen.”

He moved to rub her legs and pricks of pain followed. She wanted to push him away, but knew that blood was returning to her limbs, and she’d have to bear through his ministrations. She hadn’t realized how much trouble she was in until her body started to seriously shiver in an attempt to warm itself. If she’d been alone—

Judd and Skip entered the pilot house.

“Give you enough time?” Judd asked, looking over Sonya with Garrett’s hands all over her. “Or do you need more?”

“She’s getting her color back.” Garrett continued to rub her limbs, helping the blood circulate.

Skip commandeered her captain’s chair. “You seem to be plagued, Sonya Savonski.”

“Targeted,” Garrett corrected. “I take it you two saw for yourself the damage below?” At their nods, he continued, “This has gone on long enough. We’ve already got one dead body. I’m not going to let there be another.”

“I take it you have a plan?” Skip asked.

“I’m moving in,” Garrett said.

“Moving where?” Sonya asked, her voice squeaking, afraid she already knew the answer.

“Here. With you.” Garrett tightened his lips.

“How is that keeping your relationship with her from interfering with your job?” Skip asked.

“I’ll still be doing my job, just from the
Double Dippin’
.”

“Your feelings for her have nothing to do with it?”

“What I feel for her is none of your business. My job is to keep her alive, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

“I don’t think you need to be onboard her boat to achieve that.” Skip leaned forward, elbows on knees.

“We’ve been keeping an eye on Sonya, she’s made sure that none of her crew are alone, yet someone was still able to board the
Double Dippin’
sometime in the last few hours and sabotage it. If Sonya hadn’t been so tuned to the running of her boat and acted as fast as she did, she’d have sunk. If this had happened when Sonya was sleeping, with the disabled alarm, she would have died. The only realistic course of action is to plant a trooper onboard.”

“Wait just a d-damn minute,” Sonya interrupted, her teeth chattering as her body shivered. “No f-fish cop is s-staying on my b-boat.”

Garrett nailed her with a look that had her biting back the rest of her objections. At least for the moment. “The decision is out of your hands, Sonya.”

“We need your help in policing the fishermen, Hunt,” Skip said.

“Part of our duties also includes ensuring the safety of the fishermen. We can achieve that better by having me on the inside, posing as one of them.”

“P-people already know who you are,” Sonya said. “H-how would you pass for a f-fisherman?”

“Not many are going to pay that much attention. They’ll be busy fishing. The one who will is the person, or persons, causing you trouble. Hopefully, knowing that I’m on board, he’ll think twice before targeting you again.”