At the resort
Wesley didn't return until late that night. Ivan, Niles, and Kinsley had been waiting for him on the shore. "Something bad happened. There's no sign of the boat, or its crew," he told them.
Niles asked anxiously, "How could they just vanish like this? We couldn't find them either. Or their boat. You'd think there would at least be wreckage."
Wesley fell silent. After a few seconds, he said, "Keep calm. I'll dispatch some helicopters tomorrow."
"Get a hold of them now. That way they can be mobilized immediately," Niles urged, scratching his head. He regretted not having gone with Debbie and Carlos. He might have been able to help.
They went back to the village to rest and regroup. Ivan was about to walk into his room when he found a woman hanging out, sitting outside the door.
Kasie.
"Any news?" she asked anxiously once she saw him.
Ivan checked the time. It was already past 2 a.m. "Why are you still up?"
"Debbie is not back yet. I couldn't sleep." Tears streamed down Kasie's cheeks. Yesterday, she and Ivan were kissing, and now Debbie vanished. She felt so sorry. She wondered if it were her fault.
Ivan's face went solemn. He took Kasie into his arms, giving her a comforting squeeze and patting her back. "Everything will be okay. She's with Carlos. He won't let anything happen to her," he said quietly.
Kasie shook her head miserably. "She's my best friend. I can't lose her. Can... can I go with you tomorrow?" She had already lost Emmett. If she lost Debbie too, she wouldn't be able to stand it. Myriad emotions stirred in her heart—anxiety, sadness, and guilt all mixed together.
Ivan looked around. Then he opened the door and invited Kasie in. Closing the door, he hugged her again, consoling her. "Relax. Under Wesley's orders, they'll be sending out search and rescue teams, professionals, helicopters. Debbie and Carlos will be fine."
Kasie rested her head on his chest. They were so close she could feel his heartbeat. His arms were strong and warm. "But I can't sleep. I saw Debbie cry for help as soon as I closed my eyes." She also saw Emmett in her dream. He had called out for her, said her name so sweetly.
to it, "Do me a favor."
Then he took off his trunks, and Debbie pretended not to notice, though she did keep her head turned while he was buck naked. While she busied herself collecting fish, Carlos slit his swimming trunks with a rock and tore a piece off before donning them again.
Then he put the piece into the killer whale's mouth with half of it hanging out. "Buddy, take this to people. Lead them here. Thank you," he said as he stroked the whale's head again.
As if the beautiful mammal could understand him, it made a happy sound and disappeared beneath the waves.
Holding a fish she'd caught, Debbie watched the killer whale disappear. "Will it work?" she asked.
Carlos grabbed the lobster and decided to cook it. "Dunno. Worth a shot." He had a hunch that it would work.
"All right." No matter what, they had to try. They couldn't give up on hope.
Meanwhile, at the resort, some helicopters landed there, along with a rescue team.
Wesley took control of the team, directing them each with the easy demeanor of a man used to being in command. "You, take south. You, go southeast. You, southwest. You, retrieve the boat. They were on a cruiser."
When everything had been straightened out, Ivan and Niles said to him, "We want to go too."
Wesley looked at them and said, "Leave it to them. This is the best rescue team in Y City. They'll find them. Oh, Niles, you should come along. You're a doctor. Ivan, please wait here."
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺