Cruel Summer by James Dawson

Author:James Dawson [Dawson, James]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Orion Books

The bow of the boat cut through the water like a fin. Ryan cursed the noise the propeller made – wasn’t there a silent mode? Waves sloshed up against the sides and he felt either seasick or simply sick.

Now that they were here, it didn’t seem like TV any more. It wasn’t a jolly romp. It wasn’t a teen thriller. It was real. The night air was somehow both humid and cold, clinging to his skin like grease. He didn’t even know what type of crime they were about to commit. Manslaughter? Perverting the course of justice? Murderer-helping? One of them, in all likelihood, was a killer. A chill twisted the base of his spine.

The beach was still in sight, the villa a dot of light in the distance because they’d left the lights on inside. Ryan kept his eyes fixed on that. He figured they couldn’t let it out of their sight or they’d never find their way back. That thought scared him most of all. But on the other side of tonight, there would be a new day: a new start.

Why is this taking so long?

‘Is this far enough?’ It was like Greg had read Ryan’s thoughts.

Katie stopped the engine. The boat lurched with the waves, the sea making gulping-glugging noises against the side of the vessel.

Ryan’s head felt full of fluid, swishing with the water. ‘Far enough for what?’ he asked.

Ben spoke up. ‘We need to make sure she won’t wash up on the beach.’

‘She won’t.’ Greg pointed to a pile of rocks near the door to the boat’s cabin. ‘I put them on earlier. We can weigh her down.’

‘But how is that going to work?’ Alisha pointed out. ‘What if the rocks come off? She’s already coming undone.’

Alisha had a point. The last thing they needed was the body bobbing to the surface in a couple of hours’ time. Ryan started to look around the floor of the boat. ‘Katie, have you got any rope on this thing? We need to secure her better.’

‘I don’t know,’ Katie sighed with a distant look in her eyes. Ryan got the impression she had switched off. She was refusing to engage with the whole thing. He knew she felt that he’d abandoned her. And, in that moment, he also knew that he’d never get Katie Grant back. She was lost to him. No more Ryan-hugs. It was a price he guessed he’d have to pay for his freedom.

Ben lifted one of the seats. ‘There’s rope in here. We can use that.’

Katie peered out from under her fringe, dark shadows circling her usually sweet eyes. Through gritted teeth she muttered, ‘You don’t have to use rope and rocks. In the cabin there’s all my dad’s diving stuff. You can use his belts and weights.’

‘What belts and weights?’ Alisha asked.

‘For deep sea diving.’ Greg’s eyes lit up. ‘They stop you floating back to the surface. That’s awesome. Thanks, Katie.’

She said nothing, but turned away from them and laid her weary head on the steering wheel.

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