Stolen Fury (37 page)

He hadn’t seen that one coming. Rafe shook his head and pressed Lisa’s shirt against Shane’s wound. He couldn’t go to her like he wanted. He needed to get Shane stabilized first. “I never met the buyer. I didn’t know Stone was Straithearn.”

“They played all of us,” Shane said.

That didn’t make Rafe feel better. And it sure as hell didn’t make things better for Lisa. Rafe’s jaw clenched as he worked. “Bullet went all the way through. You’re a lucky SOB. Good reflexes. They teach you that in cop school?”

“Must have a fairy godmother.” Shane winced. “Bitch shot me with my own gun.”

Rafe pulled an Ace bandage from the first-aid kit and did his best to wrap it around the shirt pressed into Shane’s shoulder. “How’d she get it?”

Shane grimaced as Rafe pulled him up to maneuver the bandage underneath his shoulder. “Blonde…Bikini…”

Rafe nodded. “I’ve been distracted by a blonde in a bikini once or twice myself.”

He finished dressing the wound in silence. Water splashed across the cave, but Lisa didn’t make any move to join them. Her silence was worse than knowing she was sick.

Shane stared up at the dark ceiling. “What do you think that is?”

Rafe checked the bandage one last time. The bleeding had slowed significantly. He reached for the canteen he’d had the good sense to grab before they’d left the boat, uncapped it and helped Shane take a drink. Sitting back on his heels, he braced his hands against his knees and glanced up. “Looks like plywood to me.”

“That’ll stand out to Hailey.”

“If their plan was to trap us, they did it pretty well. Hailey doesn’t know exactly where we are. We hiked around long enough before coming down. She knows the area we were scouring, but there are a bunch of blue holes on this side of the island. And if they covered the hole with vines and dirt, as I suspect, she’d probably walk right by without ever seeing it.”

Rafe lifted the lantern and shone the light across the cave. There was no way he’d be able to scale the slick walls twenty-five feet up to the surface. No grips, no vines sticking down to grab onto.

“You got any ideas?” Shane asked.

Not one.

“There’s a tunnel ten feet below us.”

Rafe turned toward Lisa’s rough voice. He couldn’t see her, but she was close.

“I saw the opening when we went down,” she added, shuffling across the rocks.

She moved into the light. Her eyes were red-rimmed and
bloodshot, and the sparkle he’d seen so many times was gone. She looked spent, exhausted…defeated.

“Our tanks are damaged.” He had to force himself not to reach for her. He sensed she’d just push him away if he did.

“I checked the map before we came down. That tunnel runs parallel at least thirty feet before opening to another room. That room, I think, has above-ground tunnels that run toward the beach.”

“You think?”

“I’m pretty sure.”

Pretty sure
was the same as being knee-deep in shit, as far as Rafe could figure. Ten feet down. At least thirty feet across. An underwater tunnel that would most likely lead to nothing but his premature death.

Rafe took a deep breath. They were out of options as far as he could see. He’d stabilized Shane’s wound, but Lisa’s brother needed to be treated by someone with medical training. The longer they sat here, the worse off he’d be. He knew in his gut Hailey was never going to find them.

He pushed to his feet. “Okay, I’ll go.”

“You’re claustrophobic,” Lisa said.

“I’m fine—”

“You’re too big anyway. You’ll never fit through the opening.”

Her plan finally registered. “You’re not going down there alone.”

Shane moved slightly on the rocks. “Lisa—”

“We’re running out of time,” she said quickly. “Do either of you have a better idea? Because I don’t. I’m not going to sit here and watch Shane bleed out when I can do something about it.”

Panic squeezed Rafe’s chest. “You can’t hold your breath that long.”

“Lisa,” Shane said in a weak voice. “This is a bad idea.”

Ignoring them both, Lisa reached for the fins and mask she’d dropped earlier. “I’m a strong swimmer. I’ve done this before.”

She tried to step around Rafe. He reached for her arm, stopping her. “This is different. And you’re not in any shape to free dive right now.”

The cold look in her eyes nearly stopped his pulse. “Don’t try to stop me.”

He was losing her. He could feel it. The news that Stone was still alive had just changed everything between them. Did she know he loved her? Would it make a difference? He dropped his hand and softened his voice. “Lisa—”

“Don’t, Rafe. Not now.” She closed her eyes. “I can’t right now. I can’t think about anything but Shane.”

She grabbed her helmet, strapped it on and replaced her mask. When she was in the water, she drew in a series of deep breaths.

Rafe pushed aside the ache in his chest and refocused on what was happening now. This plan of hers was stupid, and not the least bit safe. But he could tell from the look in her eye there was no way he could talk her out of it. His only hope was to talk some sense into her. “Lisa, if the tunnel doesn’t look safe come right back up. It’s not worth taking the risk. We’ll figure another way out.”

She closed her eyes, almost as if she didn’t hear him. “Can you get it back?”

He paused, unsure for a second just what she was asking. “Tisiphone?”

“Yes. You said he was in Coral Gables, that Pete knows where to find him. If you’re as good as you say you are, tell me the truth now.” She opened her eyes and looked up. But this time those shining emeralds weren’t worn and defeated, they were hard and icy and very much focused. “Can you get it back?”

For her, he would do absolutely anything. He hoped she could read that in his words. “You get us the hell out of here, and I promise I’ll get you Tisiphone back.”

Lisa drew in a large gulp of air and dove. Her light reflected off the wall of the blue hole, off stalagmites rising from the
ledge of the pool. Ignoring the massive structures, she headed straight down toward the tunnel she’d seen on their earlier dive.

It was right where she’d thought, a tube no more than four feet across and three feet high. She kicked her legs, used her fins to propel her through the water, and thrust into the tunnel. Her light reflected off the walls, off small cave formations jutting out of the solid rock. She tried not to think about the way the enclosure grew smaller and instead focused on getting from start to finish as fast as she could.

Her chest ached. How long had she been down? A minute? Two? She’d lost track of time. As long as she stayed focused, didn’t panic, she’d be fine. She could do this. She’d held her breath for over five minutes during a training exercise. Granted, she wasn’t as conditioned now as she’d been then, but then she hadn’t been swimming for life and death either.

The tunnel jogged to the left, and she kicked harder, curving with the space. The cave was dark but for her thin beam of light, the only sound her pounding heart echoing through her ears. Just a little farther. She had to be close.

The cave turned to the left again. She rounded the corner expecting to see sunlight glinting through the water ahead, but darkness met her. Panic rose in her chest. For a split second she considered turning around, then reality washed through her. She’d never make it back. She was too far in, was already fighting the loss of air.

Stay calm. Keep going. Don’t give up.

She kicked hard one last time. The cave jerked to the right, then steadily rose. Blackness threatened to descend, but Lisa fought it with everything she had. Above, she was almost sure she could see the flicker of daylight.

Her lungs burned. Her legs ached. Intense pressure pushed at her from every side.

Give up. Let go.

No! Just a little more…

She broke the surface and gasped. Her chest heaved while she drew in deep breaths. Long minutes passed as she struggled to find her balance.

When her breathing finally slowed, she forced her eyes open and looked around. This cave was similar to the one she’d left, but the opening above was a lot less steep and not nearly as high. Victory flared in her veins. She pushed herself out of the water and dropped her gear on the rocks at her feet.

It took four tries, but she finally found her footing on the slick rocks and managed to grab tree roots and vines in the thick soil to maneuver up the ten feet to the top of the sinkhole. Sunlight blinded her when she reached the lip and hauled herself up over the side. Sweat slicked her skin. Dirt and mud covered every part of her body. Her hands were raw and worn, her bare feet scraped and cut, but she barely noticed. Right now all that mattered was getting to Shane.

Chest heaving, she leaned forward and surveyed the area. Tall palms towered above. Thick underbrush covered the interior of the island. Beach grass sliced like razors across her feet. She had no clue which way their original blue hole was or in which direction the beach was located.

Think, dammit.

“Rafe!”

She held her breath and listened. Her first thought was that Swanson had come back, but then she realized it was a male voice calling for Rafe, not a female.

“Here!” Her throat was dry and raspy, and she coughed after the word was out.

Limbs crackled, the underbrush moved, and though she was having trouble focusing, she was pretty sure she saw Pete appear from the cover of the trees.

She blinked twice, sure she’d lost some serious oxygen in that tunnel.

“Lisa!” Pete jogged toward her. “Sweet Jesus, we’ve been looking all over for you.”

Lisa looked past Pete to where Hailey was following close at his heels. “How…what are you doing here?”

Pete grabbed her before her legs buckled. He eased her down to the sand. “I could ask you the same thing. Where’s Rafe?”

“Swanson…in the cave. She surprised us.”

“Where’s Rafe?” he asked again, tightening his hands on her arms.

“He’s still down there. With Shane.” She looked up sharply. “Shane’s been shot. We need to get him out.”

“Where?” Hailey asked in a frazzled voice over Pete’s shoulder. “How bad?”

God, her head was fuzzy. She was having trouble focusing. “In the shoulder. He…I don’t think it’s that bad, but…”

“Can you show us where?” Pete asked.

Lisa gave her head a firm shake. “Did you bring the map?”

“Here.” Hailey fished the map from her back pocket, unfolded it quickly and slapped it on the sand in front of them.

Lisa looked closely, followed the tunnel with her finger to her current location. “There.” She looked up and pointed through the trees. “About twenty yards that way.”

“We just came from there,” Hailey said. “There was no blue hole.”

“They covered it.” Lisa pushed shakily to her feet. “We need ropes and harnesses. It’s a steep drop.”

Pete pulled a walkie-talkie from his belt as they started walking. “Billy, listen up.”

Lisa darted a look at Hailey’s grim expression. “Billy’s here?”

“Yeah. Long story.” And one she obviously wasn’t going to get into now. “Let’s hustle.”

She’d been gone too long.

With one hand over his mouth, Rafe paced the dark cavern and tried to keep the panic at bay. He refused to think
about the fact she could have drowned down there. That the map might have been wrong, that she wasn’t strong enough to swim that far.

Carajo.
He never should have let her go.

“She wouldn’t have stayed, even if you’d made her,” Shane said from across the darkness. His voice was weak and tired, but steady. “She doesn’t listen to anyone, in case you haven’t noticed.”

Yeah, Rafe had noticed. But he’d thought they’d turned a corner.

Shane shifted on the rocks, grimaced and pushed himself more upright. “She’s stubborn as a mule. Would have gone after Tisiphone with or without you. Odds are pretty good she’d have ended up here anyway. Except then she would have been alone.”

Rafe’s eyes slid closed. “That doesn’t help.”

“It’s not meant to,” Shane said. “But it’s starting to look like Swanson’s had it in for her for a long time. That she and Stone have been following her and waiting for the”—he cringed—“right moment. I’m just glad she wasn’t here by herself when it happened.”

So was Rafe. But right now he’d give anything just to hear her voice.

Scraping echoed from above. Rafe shifted and looked up. Muffled voices drifted down from the top of the sinkhole. The wood over the opening pushed to the side, and bright sunlight shone through the hole above, making him blink and cover his eyes.

“Well, well, well. Looks like I’m savin’
your
ass this time.”

Rafe’s heart all but stopped as he squinted up toward the sky. A smile curled his mouth at the sound of his brother’s voice. A voice he’d never been so happy to hear in all his life. “Holy shit. I never thought I’d see the day.”

Billy’s irritating mug grinned down at him.

Hailey’s face popped over the ledge. “Rafe? Shane?”

“Here.” Shane croaked. “Somebody send down a harness and get us the hell out of here.”

“Pete’s coming down,” Hailey said with a hint of worry in her usually steady voice.

Pete was here? And Billy? Rafe tried to wrap his mind around just how that had transpired as Pete rappelled into the cave.

Pete’s feet hit the cave floor. He unhooked the harness, turned and grinned. “You got nine lives, man.”

As much as he wanted to breathe easy, he couldn’t. Not yet. “Where’s Lisa?”

“Relax, she’s fine. She’s above, waiting. Looks a little shell-shocked though. Kinda like you.”

Pete had no idea. Rafe closed his eyes and said every prayer of thanks he knew. She’d done it. Awe, admiration, love for her rippled through him.

He wanted to see her, to hold her, but he knew they had to get Shane out first. He quickly made introductions while he and Pete helped Shane strap on the harness. “Belay on,” Rafe called up to Billy who was at the top controlling the rope.

“Yo. Ready up here,” Billy called back.

Rafe shook his head at Billy’s word choice. Shane grimaced as he was lifted off the cave floor.