揂re you going to lead or am I??he asks coldly.
Fuck. If I have my way, he抯 not coming at all.
揑 need you to stay behind, Brock. Backup, in case anything goes sour in the scuffle. I抣l grab a radio and you can listen in.?I hold his gaze and decide he deserves the full story, considering the giant favor he抯 doing me. 揟roy and I were in the Navy together. I have some idea what makes him tick, even if he抯 gone goddamned crazy. There抯 no chance anyone else is going to talk him down from what he抯 up to. My best chance of doing that is if I show up alone. I don抰 want anyone getting hurt tonight梟ot even that asshole, if I can avoid it.?
After a heavy second, Brock nods. 揑抣l man the ship. Just watch your ass, Lancaster. Good luck.?
揟hanks. I抣l need it.?
We shake hands and share a quiet, calm moment as the ship churns closer to land, anchoring safely offshore.
Soon, I throw on a heavy raincoat and a couple of his crew help me into the lifeboat they already have waiting in the water. I power up the engine and plow over lashing waves toward a hazy row of docked fishing boats.
I can抰 guess which one I should aim for梚f it抯 any of them at all. They could easily be in the boathouse or bar or whatever it is I faintly make out in the distance.
Then I see a light moving in the cabin of one of those small boats. It抯 almost like a flashlight or lantern, sputtering into the water as it sways back and forth.
The ship isn抰 docked, I realize, though it抯 barely pulled away from the marina. It looks more like whatever reckless idiot is at the helm is trying to bring it home and failing miserably.
Odds are I know exactly who that idiot is.
Several tense breaths later after climbing over furious waves, I抦 as close as I抦 going to get.
It抯 now or never.
I push the lifeboat right up against the hull of the other vessel and jump.
My hands barely catch the rusted metal edge. I haul myself over the top, landing on the wet, hard deck with a bone-rattling thud!
But the second loud thud exploding in my ears isn抰 me.
I turn and find an axe stuck in the deck just a few inches away from my neck梐nd two big, angry arms fighting to pull it out again.
Troy leers down at me as he growls, 揂sshole, do you always have to be the big goddamned hero? You just can抰 let anything go!?
Anything?
I shudder. It抯 all too easy to hear the word Aster instead.
揃adger bitch isn抰 dead yet, my dude,?he says. He抯 wearing his usual grin梠nly in the wet, cold darkness, it looks downright psychotic. Especially as he tumbles backwards with the axe free.
揟roy, stop. Consider this fair warning. You don抰 have to棓
揑 don抰， do I??he asks absently, looking at the axe in his hands before he slowly raises it above his head. 揑 don抰， but I will. You fucking killed her, Cole. You and your pride and your neverending expectations梐nd now you made me do this again!?
Shit.
I twist out of his way as he charges and sweeps the weapon down again. This time, it bounces off the deck and doesn抰 get stuck before he rocks back.
揧ou ruin everything!?He抯 swinging wildly, blind with rage.
I抦 moving from side to side, dodging the axe each time, grateful I haven抰 skidded onto my ass while I try to keep my footing on this tilting, slick deck.
The whole world keeps shifting around us as the rain picks up again, dumping a bucket of water on our heads every five seconds.
Goddamn.
I抳e got to get that thing away from him. I抳e got to?
Troy stumbles as another sharp wave tips the ship, holding the wooden handle with both hands. He spins, working with the inertia, still swinging as close as he can to my throat.
A second later, I see my chance.
I go in for a low snap kick, trying to stay under the damn axe without the rocking ship tossing me on my back.
I抳e stayed in lean shape, but I抦 not the man I was in my Navy days.
My foot lands square in the center of his chest and he fumbles, but the asshole doesn抰 fall over.
He totters, sways梐nd it抯 all the opening I need.
Another kick, this time to his knees.
He stumbles forward, groaning, and his grip on the axe loosens. When the ship bows again, it falls, sliding just out of his reach and spinning toward me through a couple inches of water.
Doubled over, Troy glares at me, his eyes sharp pinpricks of boiling mercury in the night.
揕ay down, goddamn you,?I snarl, turning the axe around and holding it like a baseball bat. 揧ou don抰 have to be stupid, Troy. Just stay down and tell me where you抳e got her. The police are coming. Turn yourself in.?
For a second, his nostrils flare in the deadly silence. I wonder if he抯 actually considering it.