Chapter 17 - THE BOATHOUSE
The smell hit immediately.
"Everybody up!" Ruiz shouted.
Owen lifted Emma. Ryan grabbed Lily.
Caroline searched the walls. "There's a maintenance hatch under the dock side."
"How do you know?"
"My father owned this place when I was a kid."
Ryan almost laughed from rage.
Of course he did.
A spark snapped near the ceiling.
Ruiz fired twice at the door lock. Nothing.
Caroline found a floor panel beneath a rack of ropes.
"Here!"
They pulled it open.
Black water moved beneath them.
"Kids first," Ryan said.
Owen lowered Emma onto a narrow beam. Caroline took Lily.
The gasoline ignited.
Flames rolled across the floor.
Ryan dropped through the hatch as heat exploded behind him.
They crawled beneath the dock until Ruiz kicked through a rotten side panel and everyone spilled into the freezing water.
Ryan surfaced choking.
On the far pier, Victor stood beside a second boat.
He was smiling.
"You should have taken the life I gave you," he shouted.
Owen swam toward him.
"Stay back!" Ryan yelled.
Victor raised a handgun.
Caroline stepped onto the dock between them.
"Dad."
For the first time, Victor hesitated.
"Move, Caroline."
"No."
"Everything I did was for you."
She laughed through tears. "You used me as a key. You never cared what door I opened."
Victor's face hardened.
He aimed at her.
Ryan lunged from the water.
The gun fired.
Caroline fell.
Lily screamed, "MOMMY!"
Ryan reached Victor and drove him against the railing.
The gun skidded across the dock.
May you like
Victor smiled even while Ryan's hands closed around his collar.
"Ask your brother who really signed the murder order," he whispered.
