Page 66 of Four Cards Exposed

Two chances.

We just need one.

He looked down at the sea and there, in the distance, he could see some of the boats drifting away from the ship.

“We need to go now,” she said urgently. “We can’t be near her when she sinks.”

James nodded. Susan had grown up in Sharp’s Cove. She was bound to know a lot more than he did about boats.

“How do we get it down?” he asked.

The girl’s hands tightened on his shoulders and he almost cried out in pain, but managed to hold it back at the last instant.

Susan seemed to see it, anyway. She saw everything.

“We’ll take this one,” Susan said decisively. “Somebody already did the hard work.” She jumped onto the boat. “All lines are clear. Pull that tackle.”

James pulled, hoping he was pulling at the right thing. Relief, hot and heavy, struck him as the boat came alongside the embarkation deck.

“We’re clear. Come aboard!” Susan shouted.

The ship rolled again. James found himself falling forward. His hand cradled the back of the girl’s head protectively, but he managed to stop the fall with his knees. The resulting pain was nothing—just a reminder that they had to get out of here, before the boat stopped rolling back into position.

He helped Pia onto the lifeboat, then waited as it lurched again and a ten-foot gap opened up between the ship and the lifeboat. Too wide for him to jump, even without a child in his arms. He had to wait.

He gazed straight into Susan’s eyes.

“Wait for it,” she said. “Wait for it. Now.”

James launched himself into the lifeboat. Pia sobbed, ripping her daughter from his arms. Susan pushed them both down in the center of the boat.

“Stay there. Find something to hold on to, Pia.”

“Now what?” James asked, hating that he was putting this pressure on her but hoping she had an answer.

“Pull on that. Deadman’s handle.”

James pulled, and the boat fell, along with his stomach. Pia screamed. The girl laughed.

Fuck.

He released the handle, and the boat lurched to a stop. James looked down. They were still a long way away from the water.

“Quickly! Before it rolls again, or it’s going to crush us. Get us right over the water.”

James didn’t need to be told twice. He pulled on the handle and they started falling again. He let go of the brake when they were almost on the water.

“There.”

Susan released the last remaining cables.

“Does this thing have a key?” he said, moving to the small engine at the back of the boat. “I hope you know how to hot-wire it, if not,” he joked weakly.

Susan gave a soft smile and sat down beside him, her knee pressing against his.

She engaged a lever and cranked the engine.

Nothing happened.