Callen’s eyes widened with fear, but he nodded faintly, trusting Elias even as terror seized him. They climbed onto the slick railing, both men shaking as the ship leaned harder toward its grave. Then, a sound broke through the storm—the deep thrum of rotor blades. Elias whipped his head up. A helicopter burst through the rain, its searchlight slicing the night wide open.
The beam locked onto them, a pillar of white that made Elias squint. Voices echoed faintly through a loudspeaker: “Stay where you are! We’ve got you!” The ship groaned louder, the deck beneath them beginning to split. Waves smashed higher, spraying salt into their faces.