Chapter 252: The Chase Is On (2)
Vicky tugged Georgia’s hand, pulling her toward the parking lot. "We’ll head to my office near the port. It’s closer, and from there, we’ll get updates from Nick and Liam directly. We can also see their boats’ position via the satellite."
Georgia nodded, her stomach twisting with adrenaline. Every step felt like a countdown—Nancy was slipping further away, and if they lost her tonight, there might not be another chance.
At the port, Nick’s figure was already a shadow of authority cutting through the controlled chaos. Liam was waiting near the dock, barking orders to his men. The moment Nick arrived, he gestured toward the sleek vessel gleaming under the floodlights.
The police chief and his officers froze in their tracks. "Good Lord," one of them muttered.
The speedboat looked like something out of a classified military file—long, low, matte black, armed with radar tech and GPS tracking systems. The engine purred even while idle, like a predator barely leashed.
"You’re telling me this is privately owned?" another officer whispered, disbelief painted across his face.
Nick didn’t waste time. He stepped onto the deck, checking the consoles with the ease of a man who had done this countless times. "Liam, the boat Nancy boarded—who owns it?"
Liam’s expression hardened. "East West Corporation. Raymond’s father’s company. Someone chartered it under a different name, but it’s one of theirs."
Nick’s jaw locked. "Of course. It always circles back to them."
"I’m coming with you, my boat is prepared as well," Liam said firmly. "If Nancy is tied this close to Raymond’s family, this could be bigger than just her running scared."
The chief of police nodded briskly. "Fine. We’ll split the force. Half with Nicholas, half with Liam. I’ll inform the coast guard to intercept from the bay."
Men scrambled, gear clanging as officers divided between the two boats. Radios crackled to life, sirens wailed across the docks, and the flashing red-and-blue lights bounced against the water’s surface.
Nick gripped the wheel, eyes sharp, voice commanding. "Hold tight. She won’t outrun us."
The moment the dock ropes were loosed, the engine roared—a deep, guttural sound that vibrated through the planks. Water sprayed in a violent arc as the boat lunged forward, slicing through the waves with brutal speed. Behind them, Liam’s boat followed close, officers bracing against the wind as both vessels tore into the open water.
Not an hour had passed, and finally they had spotted what they were looking for.
Ahead, Nancy’s boat was a dark silhouette fleeing under the moonlight. Its engines pushed hard, leaving a foaming trail in its wake.
"The boat’s gunning it!" Liam’s voice crackled over the comms.
Nick narrowed his eyes, adjusting their trajectory. "She can run, but she can’t hide."
The chase was a storm of sound and motion—sirens blaring, lights strobing over black waters, radios spitting clipped updates. The sea sprayed cold against their faces, wind whipping hair and clothes.
Each time Nancy’s boat shifted direction, Nick responded with sharp, flawless maneuvers that left the officers gripping rails and gasping in awe.
"Nicholas, starboard! The boat is veering right!" an officer shouted.
Nick twisted the wheel, and their boat tilted dangerously before slamming back into the waves, cutting the distance between them.
Nancy’s vessel darted like a wounded animal, desperate but reckless. The flash of her figure was visible for seconds at a time as she stumbled on the deck, clutching her suitcase.
"They are panicking," Liam muttered over the comms. "That’s when they’ll make mistakes."
Nick pressed harder on the throttle, his vessel roaring louder, faster, the prow punching through the swells. "And when she does—we’ll be there."
The chase stretched further into the night, every heartbeat an echo of the engines. Lights flared against the water, sirens cut through the salt-laced air, and the hunters closed in on their prey.
Nancy’s boat might have left the dock first, but with Nick and Liam closing in from both sides, it was only a matter of time before the net closed around her.
The dark sea churned as the chase reached its breaking point. Spray lashed at everyone on deck; the roar of engines, radios, and sirens blended into one relentless sound.
Ahead, the outline of Nancy’s charter boat tore through the waves. The bow pitched higher as the captain pushed for maximum speed, the wake frothing violently behind them. But from afar, powerful beams of light swept across the water—coast guard vessels, closing in from the direction Nancy was headed.
"They will be able to cut her off!" one of the officers on Nick’s boat shouted over the noise.
Nancy’s boat suddenly jerked sideways, its engines screaming as the captain attempted a hard turn to escape the blockade. The sea wasn’t forgiving—just as the hull pivoted, a massive rolling wave slammed into the vessel’s flank.
The boat lurched once, twice—then flipped.
Gasps and shouts tore through the air as the sound of splintering echoed over the water. A dark shape capsized, tossing passengers into the churning sea.
Nick slammed his hand onto the throttle and veered his boat toward the wreck. "Liam, cut speed! Coast Guard—form a perimeter now!" He shouted through their radios.
Both Liam’s boat and the coast guard vessels slowed and circled the overturned boat. Life vests and ropes flew into the water. Without hesitation, Nick and Liam vaulted over the rails into the freezing sea, their heavy clothes dragging but their strokes powerful.
"Over here!" Liam shouted, grabbing one of the crew members and shoving him toward a floating ring. Another coast guard officer hauled the man up as more jumped in to assist.
Nick dove once, twice, until his hand closed on an arm thrashing weakly—Nancy’s. She fought even in the water, sputtering curses, but Nick clamped his grip around her and kicked for the boat.
"Hold still!" he barked, dragging her up the ladder with one arm while she tried to pull away.
Within moments, all four people, the captain, two crew members, and Nancy, were pulled from the sea. Coast guards steadied the others while Nick shoved Nancy onto the deck of his boat, where two police officers were already waiting with cuffs ready.
Nancy coughed violently, hair plastered to her face, her clothes dripping onto the polished deck. The officer snapped the cuffs over her wrists while reciting her rights with practiced calm: "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law—"
"I know my rights!" she shrieked, twisting against the cuffs. "Why did you save me, Nick?!" Her voice cracked, raw with fury and desperation. "You could have just left me there! Let me drown, let me die! I’d rather die than be humiliated like this!"
Nick stood over her, drenched and breathing hard, his eyes cold but steady. "Death would’ve been too easy for you," he said quietly, almost like a verdict. "You’re going to face what you’ve done."
Nancy lunged, but the officers pinned her shoulders down. She kicked at the deck, screaming as the cuffs bit into her wrists.
Around them, the coast guard and police boats formed a circle, their lights flashing red and blue over the water like a trap closing for the last time.
"Let’s bring the lady to the station," one of the officers said before Nick went back to his spot.