“What about Gigi?”
“I saw her arguing with Russell. Right before the wave hit, Gigi pulled a man’s wallet from her sweatshirt and waved it in front of Russell’s face. I knew she’d figured out who he was. Then, he grabbed her arm and leaned in, probably warning her not to say anything to the rest of us. But I couldn’t risk him telling her what Courtney had done to me. After Gigi helped untangle my ankle and you went below, I told her to grab the flashlight that had fallen to the floor behind the steering wheel. Only the flashlight was already below. After I went down, Emma asked if that was everyone, and I said yes. She was too panicked to get the door closed before the wave hit to double-check.” Beth shrugs. “By the time you all did, it was too late.”
“You drugged Emma,” Russell says.
“I saw her come out of your room and saw Courtney’s diary in her hand before she had a chance to tuck it behind her. She didn’t know that I noticed. So, when she went on deck to tell you she was going to take a nap, I crushed Gigi’s pills into her Gatorade.”
“But then why did you come and get me so that I could save her?”
I slide an inch sideways on the bench. The cruise ship is getting farther away by the minute. We don’t have much time to send off the flare gun to make sure they’ll spot it.
“That was an honest mistake. Just like Nojan. I’m not a doctor. I couldn’t wake Emma up, so I thought she was beyond saving.”
I lower my gaze to Emma long enough to see from the light of the full moon that she’s still moving. Beth follows my gaze as the stern lifts over a swell. The flare gun rolls toward me. Beth loses her footing, and I dive for it.
Beth recovers her balance as I hit the deck and grab the gun, turning on my back to aim it toward the sky. Beth lowers her gun toward me. I change my aim and pull the trigger, shooting the flare into her chest. Russell rushes Beth as soon as the flare explodes with a blinding light. The front of her sweater erupts in flames.
Beth screams in pain, clutching the gun with both hands. She doubles over when Russell grips her forearm. He thrusts Beth’s arm over her head, forcing her upright as she fires a shot into the darkening sky.
I reload the flare gun with trembling hands and fire another round into the air. Beth and Russell stumble back until Beth slams into one of the steering wheels.
I drop to my knees and press two fingers against Emma’s neck. Miraculously, her pulse is strong.
“Ahh!”
I turn to the sound of Beth’s cry as Russell forcibly extends her arm holding the gun across her chest, aiming it at the water. A shot rings out as Russell pulls Beth’s arm toward the lifeline. Russell slams Beth’s arm against the deck, sending the gun flying over the edge.
I hurriedly unzip my sweatshirt and ball it up, pressing it against the bullet wound on Emma’s chest. She groans, and her eyelids flutter open as Russell wraps his arms around Beth, lifting her feet off the ground in an effort to subdue her as she claws his face.
“Emma.” I lower my face toward hers and pull her hand over my sweatshirt, pushing it against her chest. “Hold—”
The boat dips. I slide sideways on my knees toward Beth and Russell as salt water sprays over the side. Russell stumbles toward the boat’s edge as the port side tilts toward the sea. I reach for Russell, but it’s too late.
His feet have already lifted off the deck as he and Beth plunge headfirst over the side.
Chapter Fifty
Present: Day Six at Sea
I grab onto the wheel to keep from falling in after them. Emma rolls against my thighs on the deck. I grasp the wheel with my other hand and hang on with all my strength until the boat levels out.
Twisting, I scan the water behind us. A spotlight shines from the ship in the distance, sweeping the water between our two boats. It’s too dark for me to clearly make out Beth and Russell in the water, but I hear splashing and spot a white blinking light on one of their life vests. I scan the water for the other light, then remember Russell wasn’t wearing a vest. He wasn’t even wearing a shirt.
“Russell,” I yell.
“Over here.” I turn in the direction of his shout, spotting his head bobbing atop the water in the light from the full moon.
Thankfully, he’s not too far away. Yet. I frantically feel around the deck for the flare gun, praying it didn’t go overboard. I find the orange gun against Emma’s leg and shakily reload another flare into the barrel. I shoot into the air, and in the flash of light, I spot Russell treading water directly behind the boat.
“Emma.” I shake her by the shoulder.
“Hmm?”
“You still with me?”
“Yeah,” she croaks.
I press my sweatshirt against her chest and fold both of her hands over it. “Keep pressure on this and hang on a little longer. Help is coming.”
