“Hey, you’re awake! Help is on its way,” Mitch exclaimed.
“What happened?”
“Your boat exploded. You were caught in the blast,” Mitch said.
Jess/Loch Ness Monster
Shit. The moment they identified the wreckage, they’d know it wasn’t her boat. She closed her eyes and pretended to be unconscious again as she tried to figure things out. The man’s body would be discovered sooner or later, which then posed the question of why she’d been on board.
Her mind racing, Jess came up with a plausible explanation. She’d claim she was working for Willow and had learned about this idiot dumping contaminated sewage over the side into the loch. She’d state she tied a small inflatable up by the bigger boat, which was empty when she arrived. Then Jess could claim the oil drums had exploded, which was true. God knows what the fool had been transporting, but it had been very unstable.
Jess heard voices and realised someone else was on the boat.
“Miss, can you hear us?” a man asked.
Jess let out a low moan. Her body was already healing itself, but she made sure it didn’t heal the cuts. The guy who’d pulled her out of the water had wrapped them, and no doubt would be curious if they suddenly healed.
“Yes,” Jess murmured, pretending to be dazed.
“I’m with the RNLI; we’re going to transport you to land. Was anyone else with you?”
“Crap, I never thought to check?” her rescuer exclaimed.
Bless him; he sounded panicked. Well, Jess could set him at ease. “No. The boat had been empty when I boarded.”
“Boarded? It wasn’t her boat?” the crew member asked.
“I don’t know. It exploded, but I saw her and pulled her out.”
“This whole thing seems pretty strange. You’ve got no objections if we call the police?”
“Be my guest. I’ll sail this back to land and meet you at the hospital,” the rescuer said.
“Maybe you ought to come with us,” the RNLI member demanded suspiciously.
“You know whose yacht this is? Yes? Good. If you believe I’m leaving Diar’s baby floating out here alone, think again. Especially since…” he broke off.
“Since?” the lifeguard asked.
“Nothing.”
Wow, he wasn’t going to brag about seeing the Loch Ness Monster. Jess was surprised.
“There was a report tonight that the Loch Ness Monster was seen,” the other guy probed.
“No comment. Let’s get her onto your boat, shall we?”
Ha. That was a clear shutdown and a ‘do as you’re told’ order. This guy believed he had power.
“Certainly, meanwhile, one of my men will sail your yacht back to its dock. Something like this, I’m sure you don’t mind,” the lifeguard replied.
Uh oh. They were about to get their dicks out and wave them about to see whose was bigger. Jess made a pathetic noise, and they both shut up and got her on board the RNLI boat.
“Hang in, Mermaid,” the rescuer murmured.
“Huh?” she muttered, confused.
“The Little Mermaid,” he said, chuckling.
