Page 130 of Until the End

She’d put a few feet between her and the boat, but it came at a steep price.

An agonizing sensation threaded in her chest, tightening through her lungs. Her airways shrank. It was like trying to breathe through the miniscule hole in a coffee stirrer.

Her chest seized hard and panic rose in her throat.

* * *

Sanborn had been checking the bomb, examining the wiring, ensuring no loose connections—this was his pièce de résistance and would cement everything as a series of terrorist attacks orchestrated by Khan—when he heard the faint splash on the starboard side. He took one guess as to the source.

No doubt it was Ms. Westcott. A woman of many, many irritating talents.

How she continued to be a thorn in his side was an enigma. But he’d rectify the situation soon enough. There was nowhere for her to hide.

Meanwhile, she wasn’t going to distract him. Nothing and no one would rush him through this critical step.

The fail-safe was in place—cut the green wire to neutralize the primary bomb and it’d trigger a smaller, secondary one to blow. He noted the countdown—sixteen minutes—and set the timer on his watch to coincide. More than sufficient to get to the rendezvous point and flee the area with time to spare. He activated the backup detonator, put it in his pocket, and turned off the jammer onboard to prevent the wireless electronic signal from being blocked.

Now, in the improbable event the timer failed, he could still detonate the bomb remotely.

No glitches. No mistakes.

On his way up to the deck, he grabbed the telescoping pole that had a hook on the end from the wall. Each step he took, he cursed Katherine Westcott’s name, cursed her involvement with Castle, cursed her ability to slither into his protégé’s head. He cursed her very existence.

Topside, he spotted her.

She was flailing, taking in more seawater than air by the looks of it. If time had been of no consequence, he would’ve enjoyed watching her drown. A slow, agonizing death was nothing less than she deserved.

But Sanborn was acutely aware of every second ticking by.

He removed his suit jacket, tossing it to an oblivious Echo on the other side of the boat, and rolled up his shirt sleeves.

She’d only made it ten feet, hardly worth the effort she was putting in flopping about, but if her goal had been to nettle him, on that score, she’d succeeded.

Reaching over the side, he snagged the hook of the pole between her wrists and pulled her back to the boat. He hauled her onto the deck, doing his best not to get his shoes wet and allow her to be any more of an inconvenience. She was heavier than expected for someone so small.

Sanborn dragged her into the cabin with no regard for her comfort and slung her against the wall. Her face was ghost-white. She clutched her chest, sputtering and gasping like she couldn’t catch her breath.

“Medicine,” she said in a low, strained voice that was barely audible.

Ah yes. She had a faulty heart.

Westcott pointed to something on the floor. He glanced at her bag that was within his reach and turned back to her, relishing the anguished look on her face.

With any luck, she’d have an excruciating coronary that’d last until the boat blew.

Sanborn snatched her bag, went to the cabin door, and locked her inside. His one regret was that he wouldn’t see her die, but knowing that the wretched woman was suffering down to her final moment brought more satisfaction than ending it quickly for her with a bullet.

* * *

Castle raced uphill across the wide lawn, running the fastest quarter mile of his life. His reflexes were still dulled but adrenaline had him moving.

He couldn’t wrap his head around it all. The many years of loyalty, friendship, mentorship, and Sanborn’s sacrifices for the Gray Box, for his people—place those on the scales against all the dark, devious shit he’d done. The good outweighed the rest.

Didn’t it?

There had to be an explanation. Some misunderstanding.

Reaching the dock, he ducked behind a row of hedges as an inflatable motorized raft pulled up. In the distance, a larger vessel bobbed on the water.