Chapter 1

"Drop that knife right now! Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Melanie Watkins' panicked shouts crackled through the radio.

With the knife pressed against the rope, I let out a cold laugh. "I'm giving you two choices. Either you contact the rescue team to get me off this ship, or I cut this rope right now, and the more than 20 people escorting the ransom die with me."

The other teammates who had been playing dumb finally panicked. One after another, they began speaking up for me.

"Melanie, everyone knows how much Mr. Zimmerman cares about his daughter, so you'll be held responsible too if the money's gone. Just tell him where the backup fuel's stored."

The crates tied to the rope held the ransom for Ella Zimmerman, daughter of Starbury's wealthiest man, Hugh Zimmerman. The kidnappers gave us an hour to hand over the 20 million dollars in gold bars, or they would kill her.

Hugh paid top dollar to hire our technical team to deliver the ransom by cargo ship to the border. We were just 30 minutes away from the border when the fuel ran out.

Before departure, I had repeatedly checked everything to ensure that the mission would go as planned. Clearly, someone had sabotaged me on purpose, but I never imagined Melanie, my wife, to be the culprit.

Melanie swallowed hard and tried to calm me down. "The hurricane's coming. Even if the rescue teams set out now, they won't make it in time.

"Don't do anything stupid, Clifton. The backup fuel is in the aft compartment.

"Once you get it, you can reach the shore. There are only 30 minutes left, so move!"

Her voice was shrill with worry, and it didn't sound like a lie.

Clutching the knife, I stood up and headed toward the rear of the ship. The hurricane had swallowed the sea, and the howling wind stirred deep fear. Every step I took felt like a gamble with death.

I held tight to the edges and was careful not to rock the ship with my movement. One misstep nearly sent me overboard, but I finally reached the spot she had indicated.

What I found sitting in the aft compartment was a turtle shell with my name carved on it.

Darell Parker's mocking laughter came through the radio. "You're obedient, just like a sea turtle, Clifton!

"There isn't any backup fuel here. We dumped it all onshore ages ago.

"This is all your fault for trying to show off and steal Hugh's gig. Running into a hurricane is your karma!"

Melanie chuckled lightly. "You love stealing credit and lecturing us, don't you? Well, today's just your lesson.

"If you think you could threaten me with the ransom, you'd be pathetic, Clifton. I know you too well to understand that a bootlicker like you would never dare offend Mr. Zimmerman."

Her words made it clear that her earlier concern was just an act. Everything she was doing was revenge for Darell, just to get back at me.

Before the ransom run, I knew that a hurricane was coming, but I was the only one on the technical team with the skill to pilot the ship safely to the border before it hit. So, I took the job alone because I was worried about the safety of the rest of the team.

I hadn't taken a single penny more in commission compared to the rest of them, but they misunderstood and wanted me dead, lost at sea when the hurricane arrived. It was a perfectly planned setup to make me disappear.

I crushed the insulting sea turtle shell in my hand and snapped into the radio, "This is your last chance, Melanie! If I die, Ella won't get rescued, and you'll be the first person they come after!"