It looked as if the practicalities were finally done. At last, they could head out onto the water and chase down this escaping suspect.
May pulled on her life jacket, seeing it was very clear that this man was not letting her set foot on the boat without one. And then, they both jumped aboard, and Owen turned the boat in the direction that Keenan had gone.
With a roar and a spray of white foam, they went after the fleeing suspect, Owen sailing as if he was in the home stretch of a speed competition.
May held on tight, her heart pounding. Where was the boat? Obviously, he wouldn't have turned on any lights. She scoured the dark lake for any sign of its pale blue hull.
"There it is! There!" She pointed. It was just visible in the darkness, no more than a pale shimmer on the huge, dark lake. But now they had seen him, and Owen could push the speedboat to its limits.
"Hang on!" he shouted, and the boat surged forward, racing across the dark waters.
May felt the burst of acceleration underfoot as the little craft shot over the lake. The wake foamed out behind them, the boat bouncing gently over the waves that the evening wind had whipped up.
Soon they were near enough to make out the shape of the other boat. Now, May felt the thrill of the chase, the chance that they might actually catch this man. She saw Keenan was doing as much as he could, sailing for his life, zigzagging across the water in a last-ditch attempt to lose them.
But it wasn't working. They had caught up.
Soon the gap was closing, until they were close enough to see the fear on Keenan's face as he glanced around.
Now, it was time to close in and make the capture. May knew, with a twist of her stomach, that they were heading toward the most dangerous part of this pursuit.
CHAPTER TWELVE
The lake's water was churning, inky blackness with gleaming highlights, and May gripped the side of the boat tightly as Owen closed in. She knew this would involve risk. The fleeing suspect was not going to be any less desperate now that Owen was just a few yards away. In his panic, Keenan could easily do something that would endanger all of them. They were hundreds of yards from shore, in a deep and lonely section of this vast lake.
Owen closed in steadily, maneuvering the boat until it was just a couple of yards away from the fleeing suspect.
"Keenan, we need to talk," he yelled.
But Keenan was still hell bent on getting away. His hands were welded to the wheel. She could hear the scream of the throttle. He was going to take this down to the wire.
And then, suddenly, with a roar of engine and a spray of water, Keenan turned the wheel sharply left and accelerated away. He was making a break for it!
Cursing under his breath, Owen veered sideways and followed. May braced herself as the boat slewed left. The two boats raced over the lake, the speedboat’s engine roaring as Keenan careened wildly across the lake. He was clearly desperate to escape. But Owen was just as determined, and he kept the throttle open, pushing the boat to its limit to keep up with the suspect.
With spray blinding her and the boat battering over the wake, May couldn't help feeling admiration for Owen’s reactions. Keenan had barely gained a yard by doing that. Owen was still hot on his trail and still calling out in a steady voice.
"Police. You're not in trouble. We just need to speak to you."
He was doing everything possible not to panic this man, but to get the job done safely.
May held her breath as Owen steered even closer. Now, going at full speed, the boats were less than a yard apart. One ill timed swerve could cause a serious accident, she knew, with a clench of her jaw.
The other boat was close enough now that they could hear the defensive shouts of the man at its controls.
"Stop! You can't do this!" he yelled, as Owen came alongside. She could see the desperation in Keenan's face and heard the fear in his voice.
Now, May pulled herself forward, because Owen was about to do the most dangerous part of this entire adrenaline-packed endeavor. Since the suspect was clearly not prepared to reduce his speed, he was going to have to board the other boat, while going at full tilt, and force Keenan to slow down.
Feeling her heart jump into her mouth, May took over the wheel from Owen as her partner nodded, looking resolute. Gritting her teeth, she held the boat on course.
Finally, Owen was so close that he could reach out and grab the other boat's stern. May gripped the wheel, hoping against hope that Owen would not end up in the water, or worse still, crushed between the two boats. This was so dangerous!
With a powerful vault, Owen had made it. He'd gotten into Keenan's boat. He’d done it and was now getting his footing. Then, hopefully, he’d get Keenan himself. Her boat rocked briefly, and she hastily corrected its course.
Of course, Keenan immediately panicked when he realized what Owen had done. Feeling the boat rock, he looked around with a cry of dismay, and when he saw Owen lunging toward him, his boat veered sharply right.
May caught her breath, swinging her own boat away as hard as she could to help avoid a crash. A collision now would badly damage this borrowed boat, and if Owen was thrown out, May didn't want to think about what would happen.
