Flood Rising (Jenna Flood #1)

“I can do cool,” she replied, giving him a reassuring nod.

As they inched closer to the flashing lights, Jenna saw vehicles in the right lane merging into the left ahead of them, shunted aside by a line of guttering orange flares and hastily deployed traffic cones. Raul followed the lead of the car that pushed in front of him, veering to the extreme left edge of the highway. The Corvette was not made for such low speeds, and the delicate job of accelerating and clutching kept his attention fully occupied as they rolled past the crash scene. Jenna risked a casual glance off to the right. She saw the battered Ford pickup resting on the deck of a flatbed tow truck. It was surrounded by men in uniform. She looked back at Raul. Just like that, they were through. The road opened up to two lanes, and motorists charged ahead like racehorses out of the gate.

“See?” Raul said cheerily, letting the Corvette do what it did best. “Stay cool, and there’s no problem.”

“No problem,” echoed Jenna, wishing that she could believe it.





15



Sugarloaf Key, Florida, USA

11:37 p.m.



Jenna awoke with a start, dismayed that she had so easily surrendered to the seductive embrace of sleep. A person was never more vulnerable than when they were sleeping, and she had let her guard down with a potential enemy seated right next to her.

She straightened and looked down to see if her clothes had been disturbed—there was no indication that they had—and then glanced over at Raul. He smiled back at her.

She looked away from his unnerving gaze and out the window. The Corvette moved slowly, no longer on the highway. The constant rate of speed and the persistent thrum of the engine had lulled her to sleep. The change in speed as they exited the highway, had woken her.

“Why did you turn off?” The question burst from her, revealing her trepidation.

“Gotta gas up,” he replied, but she saw his eyes flicker ever so slightly.

He’s lying. Jenna felt a chill pass through her, but forced a nod. “Maybe we could get something to eat. I’m starving.”

He grunted and returned his attention to the road.

Jenna stared through the windshield looking for some hint of where they were, but the road ahead was featureless. They could be anywhere, but she was pretty sure there wouldn’t be a gas station on this remote tree-lined stretch of asphalt.

She glanced down at the door lever. The Corvette was barely crawling forward, maybe twenty miles an hour. A leap from the car would cost her only a few more bruises, but what then? Run?

Running was looking like a pretty good option.

She forced herself to relax as she mentally rehearsed her escape. She would have to release the catch on her seatbelt. She might be able to do that without Raul noticing, but the dashboard indicator would give her away. The door had electronic locks. She recalled that they had automatically engaged when the car had gotten up to speed earlier. If she tried the handle first and the door didn’t open, that too would reveal her intentions and give Raul time to take action.

She would have to synchronize her actions perfectly. Seatbelt with my left hand, the lock with my right.

The engine revved suddenly, but only because Raul had depressed the clutch and shifted to neutral. The abruptness of the move caused Jenna to falter and miss the perfect moment to initiate her plan. But her curiosity overrode her urge to flee. She looked forward and saw a metal fence on either side of the roadway. A man swung a gate open to admit them.

Jenna glimpsed the man’s face in the headlights.

It was Carlos Villegas.

She reacted instantly, stabbing a finger at the lock button, but even as she grazed it, something slammed into her chest, driving the wind from her lungs and knocking her back into the seat. As she gasped for air, she felt Raul’s hand at her waist, groping for the seat belt, sliding along its length to find the catch so he could hold it secure.

“Nice try, baby,” he said, his voice a smooth and dangerous croon.

“What…?” She couldn’t find the breath to finish the question.

“Good news, chica. You know that job I told you about? It’s all yours. You’re going to love it.” He swung his gaze around to the figure that now stood just outside the window.

Carlos looked in and gave Jenna a cursory glance. “Well, well. The captain’s daughter. Nicely done, hermanito.”

“I thought you’d like. She just walked right up and gave herself to me. Couldn’t believe it.”

“You’re sure this isn’t a setup?”

“Look at her, hermano. She’s all beat up. Her old man did that, like I told you. She’s for real.”

In some distant recess of her mind, Jenna heard the deep sense of satisfaction in Raul’s voice as he savored his older brother’s praise. That was about the only thing that made sense to her.

How did I miss this?