Read Online Wood's Reach by Steven Becker - Free Book Online Page A

were dismissed, and Mac waited for the car to start, following its lights as it backed out, and turn onto the small bridge ahead of them that led to the mainland.
    It was just the three of them now, at least as far as he knew. This might be the only chance he had to save the girl. He needed a distraction to get Hawk back on deck. He saw the control box for the boom and slowly crept to the edge of the wheelhouse, slithering onto the rear deck. Lights were on in the cabin, but he was able to stay below the level of the windows, pausing when he reached the solid door to listen for any activity before crossing to the starboard rail and grabbing the control box. It was mounted on the boom, with about ten feet of electrical cable connecting the controls to the motors and hydraulic pump.
    Studying the box in the low light, he found the toggle to raise the cable and flipped the switch. The motor whirred and slowly reeled in the loose wire. Once the slack was out of the line, the hydraulics emitted a high-pitched whine that turned into a screech as the mechanism struggled against the tension of the line. As he expected, the ship went dark when the power surge overloaded the motor and blew the main breaker.
    It was time. Mac dropped the box and went to the port side, hiding behind the hinged side of the door. The beam from a flashlight could be seen in the cabin, and he readied himself. Looking around for a weapon, he found nothing—he would have to rely on surprise and subterfuge. The beam became more focused, and suddenly the lights came back on. Hawk had reset the main breaker. Now, Mac hoped he would investigate what had happened. Sensing the door opening before the hinges moved, he crouched down.
    Hawk emerged from the cabin, his shadow visible on the deck before his body. Although Mac would rather have smashed his head in, he waited patiently for him to start across the deck. The minute Hawk moved to the rail to check the boom, Mac slid around the opened door and quietly closed it. Turning the lock, he inhaled deeply and started searching the cabin.
    He found her bound and gagged in the forward stateroom locker, but before he could untie her, he heard Hawk struggling with the cabin door. She was scared and trying to yell through the gag. Mac put a finger to his mouth to try and quiet her. He heard voices outside and moved to the cabin door. Hawk was outside on his cell phone, screaming at someone. Time was running out, and he went back to her, not concerned about noise now. Fumbling with the knots on her ties, he finally released her, but it had taken longer than he wanted. Next, he pulled the tape from around her mouth, releasing the wadded washcloth they had used to gag her.
    “What the hell is wrong with these people?” she started.
    “Where’s Tru?” Mac asked.
    “Back at the house. Bastards locked him up.”
    “Okay. We’ll get him, but first we need to get out of here. I’m pretty sure Hawk’s called his muscle back,” Mac said, looking around the cabin for another exit besides the door leading to the deck. He saw the hatch above and jumped on the bed. It would be a tight fit, but he thought they could make it.
    “Are you ready? Follow me, and don’t ask questions.” Hoping she could follow orders, he cranked the lever on the hatch and watched it rise. Seeing that it was going to be too small, he pulled the screen out, reached through the opening, and yanked the plastic cover off its hinges.
    Scraping his sides against the frame, he hauled himself through the opening and paused to see if Hawk had heard him. From the corner of his eye, he saw the headlights of a car turn into the driveway, and he knew it didn’t matter.
    “Hurry. They’re on the bow, getting away,” Hawk yelled at the men running toward the boat.
    “Come on.” Mac reached down through the hole and pulled Pamela onto the deck. Without a word, he moved forward to the bow and jumped across to the T-top of the center-console. The fiberglass