Her stomach churned again. It had been hours since she’d eaten a few appetizers. Now the shrimp cocktail sat heavily in her stomach. She didn’t know where the other passengers were. She didn’t know how many armed men were aboard.
Evelyn shook her head. “No, they shut off the engine over an hour ago. I have no idea how far out in the ocean we are. We were moving for a while, but they could’ve gone in a wide circle for all I know.”
“A wide circle?”
“No sharp turns,” Evelyn said.
“What do they want?” Caitlyn whispered. “We’ve been on this boat for hours.”
The older woman blew out a sigh. “I’m worried it’s somehow related to the threats my husband was receiving. He has access to highly classified information. Someone was trying to blackmail him, threatening to release some nonexistent incriminating photos. We’re still not certain what that was about. There’s nothing that would’ve caused us any concern. But they also said harm would come to our family if he didn’t cooperate.”
“Good grief,” Caitlyn said. “So they hijacked an entire boat? That seems extreme.”
“They’re extremists,” Evelyn said. “Obviously no sane person would act that way. The Navy began investigating the threatening letters, they had federal agents guarding us…. Oh God. I just hope my children are okay.”
“They are,” Caitlyn assured her. Of course, she had no idea if that was true or not. But she’d assured the woman multiple times over the past few hours that the Navy and police would protect her kids. It’s not like the hijacking had gone unnoticed. They’d fired shots into the air right there on the pier. Anyone within earshot would’ve called 911.
A tear rolled down Evelyn’s cheek, and she tried to swipe it away with her bound hands. “This is bullshit,” she whispered angrily. “We’ve been in here for hours. We should untie ourselves and fight.”
Caitlyn bit her lip, panicking. She wasn’t a match for an armed man. She didn’t even know how to shoot a gun. “What if they come in and see us trying to untie the ropes?” she asked.
“You can lie on the ground,” Evelyn said. “They know you’re not feeling well, so it wouldn’t be a real surprise. I’ll start working on the ties around your wrists. If they come in, hide your arms under the bed.”
Caitlyn took a deep breath and nodded, trying to scoot on her butt closer to Evelyn. Despite worrying about her kids, the other woman looked much calmer than Caitlyn felt. She was nauseated, her head was starting to throb, and it felt like she was caught in the middle of a nightmare. Except she couldn’t just wake up and end it.
Evelyn shifted slightly on the cabin floor, glancing over at the door. “They’ve been coming by every thirty minutes or so. I think we’ve got twenty minutes before they’re back.”
“Unless something happens,” Caitlyn muttered. She lifted a shoulder, trying to brush a strand of hair back from her face. She’d pulled it back earlier since she was working tonight, but a few stray strands had pulled free.
Briefly, she wondered if the tall gunman had recognized her because of her red hair. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time she’d stood out because of it.
“Hold out your hands,” Evelyn said. “I don’t know how long this will take. The ropes seem really tight, but thankfully, they tied them in front of us, not behind our backs.”
“And you really want to fight them?” Caitlyn asked, her eyes darting around the cabin. It’s not like they could toss pillows or a bedspread at the armed men.
“Or run,” Evelyn said. “We can’t very well jump overboard in the middle of the ocean. Even if we were close to shore, it’s quite cold this time of year. But we can hide.”
Caitlyn frantically shook her head. “This boat is beautiful, but it’s not that big. They’d find us for sure.”
“Maybe, but we can’t just sit here and wait for help. It’s been hours.”
Evelyn began picking at the knot binding Caitlyn’s wrists together, using her fingers to attempt to loosen the rope. Caitlyn was growing alarmed that she didn’t hear anything—no voices from the other passengers, no talking amongst the gunmen. She supposed that was better than hearing gunfire or other sounds of violence, but it felt like they were just drifting in the ocean. Helpless. Alone.
“Who do you think will come rescue us?” she asked in a low voice. “The police or Coast Guard?”
Evelyn shook her head. “There are multiple high-ranking Navy officials on the yacht. Honestly, I think the Navy will get involved. They’ll send in a dive team or something.”
“A dive team?” Caitlyn asked, crinkling her nose. “That’s like out of a movie or TV show.”
“Believe it or not, it’s more common than you’d think. There’s a large Navy base here, and several SEAL teams are stationed in Coronado. You and I were separated at first, but I saw a small Coast Guard boat coming after us when the gunmen first took over the yacht. They fired at them. I didn’t see what happened with the boat, but obviously we’re still stuck here. With the firearms the gunmen have, a small boat approaching won’t work. And it’s not like they can just blow us out of the water with all the hostages.”
“How do you know all this?” Caitlyn asked, looking at her in bewilderment.
Evelyn worked at the knots more, frowning. “Like I said, my husband’s an admiral. Of course, I’m not involved in any military issues or discussions that he
