Red Surf: Leah Ryan Thrillers (The Leah Ryan Thrillers Book 4) Read online

  Logan gave a light shrug. “Maybe something scared her. A dock spider. They get to be as big as your hand. Big, hairy things.”

  “If she was on that dock each day, all day, she would’ve been used to seeing them. She’s probably had more than one crawl on top of her.”

  “Maybe the way she got them off her was to jump into the water.” He didn’t sound convincing. Not at all.

  “Maybe.” I watched as the dock and divers grew smaller in the distance. “It’s possible that she was abducted by the same person who grabbed the other girls, though she’s much younger than his regular type.”

  Logan looked down. Something like embarrassment crossing over his face. “I guess. She was a pretty little thing. Cute. She’d be gorgeous in a few more years.”

  “I can’t imagine that he’d be satisfied with a little girl. It’s not his preference.” I was pushing, but I needed to find out if Shelly was still alive.

  Another slight shrug. “Maybe he sees her differently than everyone else does.”

  “She’s a small fish, though. Maybe he’ll let her go. Give her a chance to grow up.” Come on, you bastard. Give me something. Tell me she’s still alive.

  “Come back for her later?”

  “Yeah. In a few years.”

  He tipped his head. “If she hadn’t seen his face. Still, it would be hard to let her go, once he had her under his power. The control would be intoxicating. Like a drinker who can’t say ‘no’ to a free drink.”

  He was looking intently out, his eyes tracking something. I followed his gaze.

  Spooky Sally. The abandoned lighthouse. Home to the ever growing seal colony. The colony that was protected. Hence, nobody was allowed to approach them or step foot on the little island the lighthouse sat on.

  It was perfect.

  A shot of excitement bulleted through me, and I knew that Shelly was in that lighthouse. I knew in my bones that she was still alive. Logan had taken her. He was undecided of what to do with her, and he was keeping her in there.

  But he would likely not let her go. His new drug. If she wasn’t rescued now, she’d be fed to the sharks like the other girls. Even if he had me. He wouldn’t let her go.

  Logan placed a hand on my butt. Moved it upward. A slithery movement that sent loathing through me.

  I turned quickly.

  He held my cell phone in his hand. “It was about to fall out of your pocket.”

  No, it wasn’t. I always slide my cell deeply into either my back or front pocket. It’s small. It fits perfectly, and my jeans are snug. It wouldn’t have fallen out. I held my hand out for it. “Thanks.”

  “What kind of phone is this? Oh, wait. You’re on a call. Did you know that?”

  Panic bloomed inside of me. I lifted my brows. Laughed. “I must’ve butt-dialed someone. I do that all the time.”

  He looked at the cell I his hand, then into my eyes, looking doubtful. “Don’t you use the lock button, so that doesn’t happen?”

  “I usually do. Maybe my butt unlocked it.” I took the phone from him. Pretended to hit the ‘end’ button to end the call.

  A smirk tugged at his lips. “I thought you said you butt-dial people all the time.”

  I was caught. My mind raced. I felt like a fish caught on a hook, trying to wiggle free. Then his eyes shot to the water below us. “Wow! Look at that beautiful girl!”

  I turned, leaned forward, my forearms on the edge of the boat railing, and looked into the huge, open mouth of a Great White.

  My heart jumped and I startled. My hands flew up, losing their grip, and I fumbled the tiny phone. As if in slow motion, the cell flew from my hand, jumped higher into the air just out of my reach, and then descended as if doing a dive. It landed straight in the waiting mouth of the shark.

  Logan laughed. “Ooops. Hope you have insurance on that phone. Because there’s no way you’re getting it back, now. Not without losing your arm.”

  The shark turned on its side as it sank down into the waves again.

  Oh, shit. Now I had no contact with Chris and Jackson. I hoped they had their sights on Logan’s boat.

  “That’s a big female. She’s gorgeous. I’ve named her Lana.”

  I forced interest into my voice. “You’ve seen her before?”

  “She has a piece taken out of her pectoral fin. Likely from another shark showing dominance or fighting for food or territory. But she’s tough. She’s still here. In the shark world, especially with Great Whites, size matters. The big ones eat first.”

  Fantastic. “She’s huge.”

  “She’s beautiful. All nineteen feet of her.”

  My breaths came out shallow and quick. All those sharp teeth. Made for cutting through flesh and bone.

  “Watch,” Logan said. He walked over to a huge cooler and pulled out an enormous tuna. He attached it to a large hook, on a pulley, and lowered it until only half of the tuna was submerged, head up toward the sky.

  Within seconds, the gigantic, dark grey shadow emerged from beneath the surface and the shark’s head rose out of the water, her mouth round and impossibly big. Rows of serrated teeth chomped down on the tuna, severing the lower part of its body, and leaving only the head.

  The head of the shark remained above the surface of the water, she brought her teeth down on the tuna’s body, her mouth moving in a sawing motion, and my stomach clenched. A sense of dread greater than I’d ever known clawed at my stomach. I watched, paralyzed with all-consuming fear, thinking, this is what those girls had seen last. Sharks ripping their limbs off. Their last, screaming, terror stricken moments spent being eaten alive by jaws like those.

  A wave of dizziness made me grip the railing tightly. I closed my eyes at the sight, and then opened them at the sound of Logan’s amused voice next to me.

  “A Great White has about three thousand teeth, Leah. Three rows of them. And when they lose a tooth, another moves forward to take its place. They’re never at a loss for teeth. Did you know that a Great White of 20 feet long can bite down with the force of 18,000 newtons? That’s 4,000 pounds of pressure. Lana is just a foot shy of that. When she bites down on her prey, it’s trapped. Unless she releases it, it’s impossible to get away. Not in one piece. And let’s face it. Even if she releases it, it won’t be in one piece. Not with that much bite force.”

  Get a grip. Don’t show him you’re scared. “Good to know.”

  “I’ve read that you’re a badass, Leah.” He smiled, but his eyes were hard as rocks. The effect was beyond eerie. “You’re no match for Lana.”

  “No. I’m no match for Lana. I don’t plan on going up against her. I’m not into fighting sharks.”

  “Your best bet to keep her off you would be a hard punch to the snout. But once she has you, your best chance would be the eyes. Or you could grab the gills. They don’t like that. Of course, if she had you facing away from her, well, that would be nearly impossible, wouldn’t it? A shark her size, not much would stop her.”

  I stared at him. Said nothing. He was anticipating my death. Telling me how it would go down.

  “So what do you say, Leah? You want to go into the cage?”

  “Not tonight, Logan.” I kept my voice calm and even. Stood straight. Logan was like a shark. If he sensed weakness, it would be all over.

  “You sure? Nothing cures a shitty day like some perspective. Maybe getting in the cage and looking at Lana face to face would make you feel a whole lot better. I think completely submerged this time would be the way to go. You get a better sense of what it’s like down there with them. It’s a whole other world.”

  “I said, no.”

  His widening smile turned deranged. “Why did you call me, Leah?”

  I stared at him, feeling my body tremble but refusing to show it. “I’m beginning to wonder that myself, Logan.”

  “I think I know.” He studied me, saying nothing more for a long moment.

  “Oh, yeah? Why’s that?” I was trapped on a boat, on the ocean, with a demented
maniac. I’d lost contact with Chris and Jackson, and every second I had to deal with this lunatic was a second I was losing in getting Shelly back.

  I needed to end this shit now and find a way to get to that lighthouse before Logan threw me overboard for giggles. And I had a feeling that’s what he’d do. Stand there and giggle while I was eaten alive.

  And where were Jackson and McCool? I turned from Logan, looking out over the water toward the direction of the beach, now miles away. No sign of their boat. The fog was back, as heavily as it was the day before. Thick and swirling over the water. Visibility was almost nothing.

  “You looking for your friend Jackson? Or is it detective McCool you’re looking for?”

  I turned back to Logan, trepidation crawling into my chest. “Just looking out over the water, Logan. It’s the reason I’m here. Thought I could relax a little bit with a friend. But you know what? You’re acting mighty strange.”

  “I’m acting strange? You should see yourself right now. Nervous as a rabbit. Looking for your friends. They won’t be making it out here any time soon, by the way.”

  I stiffened. “What are you talking about?”

  “I wanted you all to myself tonight. Didn’t want them bothering us. I tampered with McCool’s boat. Nothing serious. It’s dead on the water by now. Lost in the fog. It’ll just take him a little time to get it up and running again. Just enough time that they won’t be able to follow us. They’ve lost track. It’ll give me time...” He let the sentence trail off, and his eyes drifted, a far-away look in them.

  My eyes narrowed, and at that moment I hated him so much that I wanted to throw him overboard. “We’ll see about that. They’re more resourceful than you think, ass-face.”

  “Resorting to name calling.” He laughed, truly amused. “That’s fine. Have at it. It won’t change anything. Oh, and the call you had them listening in on? They hadn’t heard a thing. There’s no reception out here. Trust me on that one.”

  “Maybe your phone provider just sucks,” I said between gritted teeth. “You’re one sick ticket, you know that, Logan?”

  He nodded. “I do. Sometimes I look in the mirror and say to myself, ‘Wow. I am really bugshit crazy.’” He giggled. “Woooooooweeee!”

  I watched him, afraid to take my eyes off him, my mind scrambling to figure out a way to get through this alive.

  “I’ve always been off. People seem to sense it. But you didn’t. Not right away. I like you, Leah. I’ve been watching you. Especially from the water. Watching you lounge on the deck of that beach house. I watched you sleep yesterday. Your big watchdog there beside you. He guards you like a Rottweiler.”

  “Why don’t we go to the lighthouse? Go see Spooky Sally up close? I’d really love to see it. Hang with the seals.” I said. I hoped the guy was so delusional that it wouldn’t matter what I said, as long as I made it sound like I wanted him with me.

  His face lit up. “You want to see the seals up close? Pet them? They’re really friendly.”

  “I really do. I’ve always wanted to pet a seal. I’ve seen so many videos of seals. They’re so cool. Don’t you think?”

  “They are cool.” He nodded. “Okay. I’ll take you there.”

  Relief flooded my entire being.

  “But I want you to do one thing for me first?”

  My hopes sank. Oh, God. Is this where he asks me for a sexual favor? “I’m really not feeling very well, Logan. I’m not up for any romantic escapades right now.”

  His face looked blank for a second. Then he caught on. Barked out a laugh. “No, no. I wasn’t suggesting that. Not that I’d refuse. But there’s something else I want from you.”

  I had a full-blown case of the creeps. My nerves were popping under my skin. I was out on the water, miles away from anyone who could help me, and Logan wanted to throw me to the sharks. The reality of the situation hit me like a truck. I kept my voice even. “What is it?”

  “I want you to get into the cage. Completely submerged. I’ll have you on the cable. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.”

  Logan’s psychosis was making itself known in living color. There was no way I was getting in that cage to frolic with the sharks. What was I going to do, swim to the lighthouse? Not with that enormous Great White in the water.

  I looked down at the white caps. Several shadows were passing below us now, close to the boat. Fear rocketed through me. I counted five dorsal fins. “Logan, there are so many sharks out here.”

  He sounded happy as he said, “I’ve been feeding them.”

  I turned to look at him. “Look, I don’t find this romantic. Can’t we just go to the lighthouse? Please?”

  “I’ll take you to the lighthouse after you get into the cage. Come on, Leah. Ten minutes. I promise. I really want to see you surrounded by gorgeous sharks. I want them to see how beautiful you are.”

  I stared at him. He was crazier than a shithouse rat. If I pissed him off, he might throw me overboard. There was only one thing to do.

  I brought my knee back and shoved it forward, hitting him with as much force as I could, right where he lived.

  His face went white, and his mouth opened and closed like a fish struggling for air. He doubled over and I took the opportunity to shove his head down, bring my knee up and break his nose. I heard the crack even above the boat noise and the sound of the water rushing against the sides of the boat.

  Logan fell sideways. I booted him in the belly, so hard that his body lifted slightly, then fell back down. He threw up on himself.

  I leaned down. “Now you listen to me, Jackwad. This is how it’s going to go. I’m going to drive this boat to the lighthouse, and you’re not stopping me. If you approach me, if you come within five feet of me, I’ll throw your crazy ass overboard so you can really see how powerful Lana’s bite force is. Savvy?”

  He nodded. Choked out, “Jesus Christ, Leah. What the hell?”

  I turned away, headed toward the wheel.

  As I passed by the cage, I shivered. I hated that thing. Why anyone would pay up to three grand to get into one escaped me. I never wanted to get into a shark cage again, as long as I lived.

  Something moved in my peripheral vision. I turned in time to see Logan coming at me with a .45 gripped in his hand.

  “Are you kidding me?” I said. I’d had about enough of his shit. When I got the chance, Logan was going overboard. I glared at him.

  “Does it look like I’m kidding you?” He lurched forward, looking like something out of a nightmare. Blood covered his nose and chin and dripped over his neck, onto his shirt, and mixed with vomit. His eyes bulged, moving around in their sockets like some creepy doll. “You’re getting into that cage, Leah.” He shouted. “You’re getting in there now. You want to go to the lighthouse after, I’ll take you. But you’re getting in that cage right now. Move.”

  There was no reasoning with him, and he had the gun. If I got shot, Shelly would die. I considered my choices, which were few. Get chased around the boat by Logan the lunatic, jump into the ocean and try to swim for Sally, which was suicide, or get into the shark cage for what he promised would only be ten minutes.

  I had no choice. I was going to have to get into that cage. This time, completely submerged. My blood ran cold in my veins. “Fine.”

  “Good girl. The oxygen tank is already attached to the cage. Put on the mask.” He waved the gun in the direction of a wetsuit and scuba diving mask lying off to my left.

  Sure. Look like a sea lion in a cage. No thanks. “I’m not wearing the wetsuit.”

  “Your choice,” he said. “But unless you want to drown down there, you’ll need the mask.” Blood from his broken and bleeding nose bubbled over his lips when he spoke, and he didn’t seem to notice.

  I’d never used an oxygen tank, but I was getting a crash course in deep sea diving gear, now.

  Logan walked me through securing the mask. A cable ran from the small tank to the mask, so I wouldn’t be carrying it. It felt surreal, and looking at
Logan from inside a diving mask was even more than a little unnerving. But what I found most disturbing was the large bulge in the front of his shorts.

  I’d been in some odd situations before but this one was the weirdest. Logan wasn’t your average, garden variety freak.

  I didn’t believe him when he said it would only be ten minutes. But then again, if he wanted to feed me to the sharks, he wouldn’t force me into the cage. He’d simply tie me to the cable and lower me into the water.

  “Go get a knife out of my tool box,” he said.

  I was confused. Had he changed his mind about me going down in the cage? It would be an unfair fight. Gun trumps knife. But I’d take what I could get.

  I walked over to his tool box and found a large, nasty looking, curved knife, the kind that would aid in cutting open large fish, like tuna. I turned back toward him.

  “Cut yourself with it. I don’t care where.”

  I frowned, and then got it. He wanted me to be bleeding when I went into the water. Get the sharks nice and frenzied. “Come on, Logan.”

  “Do it. And if you try to throw that knife at, me, I’ll shoot you in both legs. Throw you overboard and watch them tear you to pieces.”

  I really didn’t want that to happen. I looked down at the large knife in my hand, wishing I’d chosen one with a smaller blade.

  “Look, Leah. The sooner you get in that cage, the sooner you can get out.”

  Looking at the cage, I realized this wasn’t the same cage I’d been in the day before. “New cage, Logan?”

  “Yes. How cool that you noticed. I got it off Craigslist. A shark diving company was selling it after a mishap with one of their customers.”

  Was he messing with me? “Mishap?”

  “Yes, but I’ve fixed the problem. Nice and secure now.”

  Yeah, I’ll bet you fixed it. Fixed it especially for me. I stared at him.

  “Don’t worry about it. You’ll be fine.”

  Right. It wasn’t like I had a choice. Slowly, I turned and climbed into the cage. I studied the cable pulley system. Would this thing really hold?

  Logan came over and secured the cage door. The front was Plexiglas, so the sharks wouldn’t know there was a barrier between us. I shuddered at the thought of them approaching me, inspecting me. Knocking their heads against the plexiglass, trying to get at me. Remembered them becoming territorial and agitated.