Prologue
Her heart slams against her ribs as the boat slices through the water, the roar of the engine vibrating through her bones.In front of her, the other boat looms, just within reach, its outline blurred by the spray.
Where is she going?
There's nothing but open ocean stretching in every direction, no land, no escape.
What's her plan?
She glances at the man beside her.He clenches his jaw, his knuckles white as he grips the wheel.His focus is absolute, eyes locked on the boat ahead.He's not giving up—nor can she.
Adrenaline surges through her veins, tightening her chest.They have to catch her.They have to get the dry bag.But how had it spiralled to this?
Suddenly, the other boat jerks to a halt.The woman at the helm screams, but the wind snatches away her words.
What is she saying?
None of it makes sense.The woman's wild eyes dart between them and the small bag she's now holding, dangling it over the edge of her boat.
The man shouts something—a plea—but it's too late.The woman drops the small bag, and the ocean swallows it.
Without thinking, she dives.
The cold ocean engulfs her in an instant, and she kicks hard, pushing herself deeper, faster.The bag is sinking, plummeting through the darkening water.
No, no, no...
Her lungs burn; the surface feels impossibly far above her.The ocean, once her sanctuary, now feels like an enemy—cold, thick, pressing in from all sides.The water is wrong here, darker, heavier, suffocating her.
With a desperate surge, her fingers close around the bag.But the weight is dragging her down, pulling her deeper, her strength slipping away.Panic claws at her chest.She fights it.
Swim.
Her arms feel slow, like she's moving through molasses.The surface ripples in the distance, the light above flickering, teasing her.He's there; she can see him, a blurry figure leaning over the side of the boat.His eyes are wide, pleading.
Her lungs scream for air.
Kick.Kick.
Her legs are leaden, her body sinking, her strength gone.The surface is slipping further away.She stretches a hand toward him.
Almost there.
Their eyes lock for a fraction of a second.
Blackness rushes in; there's a faint clicking in the distance.
She's falling—deeper, colder, into an endless ocean.
Chapter 1
The trainer
3 years earlier
1994
Riley steps off the plane and breathes deeply, savouring the new air.The island breeze, the palm trees, the ocean—everything feels surreal.Riley is not in Canada anymore.
