The first thing I notice when I woke up was that it was still dark outside. The second, was that Nick wasn't laying beside me.
Normally, that wouldn't bother me but tonight, it just felt as if he was up to something.
So after pulling on some pants, I went in search of him and found him upstairs, pulling a plastic bag from his things.
"What are you doing?" I asked and he jumped at the sound of my voice, "Are you going somewhere?"
"Strand needs me to go to shore."
"Shore?" I repeated, "What? That's insane! You can't even see the shore we're so far away from land. The Zodiac won't make it that far."
"Then it's a good thing I'm not taking the Zodiac." he informed me and left the room.
"What?" I demanded, following him outside where the chilly air nipped at my exposed arms, making me pull the sleeves of my jumper down, "You're going to swim? Don't be so stupid, you'll catch a death!"
He turned around and placed his hands on my shoulders, "Strand needs me to do this for him."
"Do what?"
He ignored my question, "He says that if this all goes to plan, we'll have somewhere safe to stay. Somewhere more permanent."
I sighed and looked away from him. He wasn't going to not do it and there wasn't anything I could do to even try and stop him.
"I gotta do this, Tay." Nick whispered and I looked up at him again, "I owe him. For bringing us with him."
I began playing with the bottom of my sweater, "I guess it'd be nice to get off the boat."
"There we go," he grinned and the two of us walked down the steps to the small deck, where I anxiously looked down into the choppy waters.
"You can't let anyone know where I'm going," he said from behind me, "So if my mom asks,"
"I'll say I don't know." I finished, looking over my shoulder, "Got it."
He gave me a smile in return and started pulling his shirt over his head.
"What are you doing?" I asked, eying his now revealed skin, "N-Nick, you're going to freeze."
"They'll only cause drag." he muttered, throwing the shirt at me and his hands went to his belt.
Oh Jesus.
"Nick!"
"More weight." was all he said and looked away as he continued to undress.
"Trying to tease me." I said under my breath.
"Taylor," he said and when I didn't look, he threw his pants at me, "Put 'em in that bag there and come on, like you haven't seen it before."
"That was different, Nick! We weren't standing on the deck of a boat where your mom and or sister could come out at any time."
He gave me a kiss on the forehead, "I'll see you when I get back."
I grabbed his hand and finally turned to look at him, standing up, "I'll come with you."
"Taylor," he said quietly, smile on his face as if he wasn't standing buck naked, "You can't swim."
"I know," I shrugged, resting my forehead against his, "Just be careful."
He nodded his head, pushing some hair behind my ear, "I will. Nothing can get me."
"Nick-"
"I'm kidding," he murmured, kissing me again, "Look out for a Alicia for me."
"Okay," I whispered, puckering my lips again and he smiled, granted me my kiss before turning to make his leave.
I watched as he made his way down to the deck again, teeth nibbling on my bottom lip while I admired him in all his naked glory.
Hot damn.
He tied the bag that was full of his clothes around his ankle, turned to give me one last smile before leaping into the water.
Shivering to myself, I pulled my sweater tighter around me and took a seat on the cool deck, planning on watching Nick until he disappeared from my sight.
**
After returning inside last night, I passed out on the bed and didn't wake again until I heard a commotion from somewhere else on the boat and immediately, I realised that something was wrong; the voices I was hearing didn't belong to any of our group.
I jumped in the bed when there was a couple of gunshots and then I heard Alicia's voice.
"Jack, what are you doing?"
"C'mon man," a strange voice then snaps, "Get them tied up. You said she has a brother, right? And his girlfriend too? Find them and get them up here. Where the hell is Vida?"
The conversations quieten down and when I hear footsteps on the stairs, I quickly get up, haphazardly making it so it looked as if it hadn't been slept on and then finally, grabbed my boots and pulled them under the bed with me.
I hold my breath as the door creaks open and from the gap between the blankets and the floor, I see a pair of dirty sneakers.
They approach the bed and I hear the blankets being moved and then the mattress is being pushed down. Seconds later, there is a click of a gun.
They know I'm here.
They circle the bed and I hear the door to the balcony sliding open. They step out and for a moment, I let myself relax.
I'm too busy trying to keep myself calm that I don't realise that they've come back in until there is a hand wrapped around my ankle.
I yelp and try to grab onto the bed frame, which results in the whole piece of furniture coming with me, so I then result to violence, kicking the intruder in the face.
He cries out and something thuds onto the floor next to my head; his gun and I grab hold of it and point it at him.
He mutters under his breath and slowly raises his hands while I quickly get up, keeping the gun pointed at him. I briefly scan him, taking in his dirty clothes and bloody face. He can't be that much older than me.
"Who are you?" I demand, attempting to keep my shaking hands still, "What do you want?"
"Please," he whispered, "Just listen to me, I'm not going to hurt you."
"Who are you?" I repeat.
"My name is Jack. Jack Kipling."
"Jack?" I repeat softly, "The guy Alicia's been talking to? How did you find us?"
"Jack!" an angry voice comes from outside and I look at the door, "What the hell is taking you so long?"
Using my distraction, Jack lunges forward and grabs hold of the gun, pushing me back into the opposing bunkbeds at the same time to try and get the weapon back from me.
"No!" I groan, managing to get my finger onto the trigger but he moves out of the way just before I pull it.
The bullet goes straight out of the balcony doors just as the bedroom door is kicked open and soon, I have two guns pointing at me and I stop, holding my hands up.
"Now that the drama is over," the other man says lowly, "Tie her up and get her up with the others. You find the brother?"
"No," Jack says, "She was hard to find. He might be down in the engine room. But Reed, don't hurt him."
'Reed' scoffs, "Don't you trust me?"
He was gone before Jack could reply so the man behind me started muttering under his breath and he roughly grabs my arms and pulled them behind my back.
As we emerge from downstairs, I see that everyone, bar Strand, has been herded into the living area of the boat and I see a heavily pregnant woman sneering at everyone.
"Taylor," Maddie breathes as Jack shoved me down onto the floor, "We heard a gunshot. Are you hurt?"
"No," I whispered as Reed came from downstairs, "I'm fine."
"Where's the brother?" the woman asks and I'm assuming that she's Vida.
"He's not here," Reed answered, "I've checked everywhere."
I gave a startled squeak as he points his gun at me, "Where is he?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," I mumbled, "He was here when I woke up."
Vida rolled her eyes and shoved Reed out of the way and got in my eyeline, "Where is he?"
"Like I said, I don't know."
Her palm hits my face so quick that I didn't have time to react, her nail catching my lip and I felt a little bead of blood making its way down my chin, "You're lying."
"Taylor," Alicia whispered, "Tell them the truth."
Reed let out a small hum, "The sister is smart. Come on, Tay. Tell us where your boyfriend is."
"My name is Taylor," I growled, glaring at Vida when she raised her hand again, "And he left, okay? He swam off last night."
"Swam?" Maddie gaped, "Swam where?"
"I don't know. He said that Strand needed him to do something."
"Fine," Reed mutters, "He's not here. That's not important. What is important, is that we get the key to the boat. Jack, take your friend here and find the radio. Get in contact with Connor."
"Where are you taking her?" Maddie demands as Jack pulls Alicia up, "Hey, where are you going?"
"Shut up!" Reed barks and looks at Travis, "Who has the key?"