Chapter 34: Chapter 34

A few seconds later and I'm wiping the remnants of the wooden door from my clothing. I take a step outside the room, a victorious smirk on my face. When I turn around to face Calvin, he's watching me with complete shock and surprise. A second passes before he lets out a low whistle, walking forward and stepping over the now broken up wooden door. He glances down at it before looking back up at me and I bite back a laugh at his reaction.

"Can you teach me that? Like for real?"

"Sorry, no can do. FBI techniques are strictly secret." I shrug. He groans in disappointment and my lips twitch upwards into a smirk.

"Or you could google how to break down a door in less than five seconds. That works too." I tell him. His shoulders perk up in response and he gives me a wide grin, excitement flashing through his eyes.

"I'll put it in my diary." Calvin responds, humour lighting up his green eyes. I smile and silently curse myself for being drawn into Calvin's presence and losing sight of what's important — catching Christopher Black. I've never done this before, fallen for someone on a mission. I didn't realise how distracting it can be and I don't have time for a distraction. I sigh and begin walking through the dimly lit corridors of under the boat. It continues to rock back and forth, the scent of sea water almost suffocating the fresh air.

My wound is still lightly bleeding and I don't feel completely steady on my feet. My mind wonders to Micah's whereabouts and whether he knows where I am. I glance down at my watch but the screen has smashed, causing it to drown in complete darkness. I curse under my breath, hearing Calvin's footsteps lightly behind me. I turn around, giving him a neutral expression.

"You should stay down here, it isn't safe for you up there." I tell him, nodding at the decking above my head. He immediately frowns, his green eyes narrowing in my direction.

"I'm not staying here Hunter."

"I don't want you to get hurt Calvin." I tell him tightly, my words strained. He stands up taller, his body screaming a defensive stance. I resist the urge to roll my eyes.

"I'm coming with you, I can take care of myself."

"You're father is a criminal and I may not be able to bring him in alive if he tries to kill me again. You understand that, right?" I tell him bluntly, needing to make sure he's on the same page as me. My words hit Calvin straight in the gut and he breathes in sharply. His green eyes zone in on mine and he doesn't blink, the air between us becoming suffocating.

"You don't have to kill him." Calvin eventually speaks, words cold as ice. I barely hesitate before responding —

"I may not have a choice."

Calvin opens his mouth to respond, eyes blazing with a green fire. Before he can argue back with me, I lunge forward, taking him by surprise. My arm wraps around his neck and I whirl around behind him, keeping him still. He fights against me for a few seconds but I apply the right amount of pressure to the side of his neck. Moments pass and eventually he stills underneath me, growing unconscious. I close my eyes and breathe in heavily, hating that I had to do this to him. I gently lower his knocked out body to the ground, making sure his airways are clear.

"I'll be back soon." I tell him quietly, tearing my eyes off his body. As I begin to make my way up to the top deck, tears glaze over my eyes. Part of me knows I had no other choice, it's for Calvin's safety. The other half of me hates that I'm able to knock someone out that I have feelings for with barely a second thought.

"Come on Hunter, pull yourself together." I murmur to myself, reaching up to wipe at my eyes. My vision clears and I breathe in sharply, holding my head up high. In front of me lies a staircase leading to a wooden door at the top. I begin to slowly climb it, keeping my ears strained for any noise that could signal Christopher Black's whereabouts. The boat suddenly jerks underneath me, swaying to the right. I grab onto the stair rail, feeling my stomach churn with nausea.

I'll never grow accustomed to the rocky sensation of travelling by sea. The motion usually knocks me completely off balance and eventually makes me throw up. It's one of my very few weaknesses.

I reach the top and pull down the handle causing the door to creak open. Wooden walls and paintings greet me and I know I've made it back to the main deck. I squeeze myself through the gap, glancing around for something to use as a weapon. My gun and knife has been taken from me and I'm left with nothing but my fighting skills. I search up and down the corridor, making my way back to the control room. When I glance outside a window, the ocean stretching for miles on end stares back at me and I wince.

We could be in the middle of nowhere by now.

The boat doesn't appear to be slowing down either. I continue briskly walking over to the control room and finally push the door open. Christopher Black has his back to me, focused on steering the boat in the right direction. He's muttering under his breath, sounding agitated and on edge. I don't hesitate before lunging forward and wrapping my arms around his broad shoulders. He doesn't expect my move and he lets out a strangled noise in surprise. I pull him down to the floor, using all my energy to straddle him and pin him down. My fist pulls back and I slam it hard down into his face repeatedly.

His hands scramble around before gripping onto my body and throwing me into the metal boards of the control panel. I let out a low grunt, jumping back up onto my feet. Christopher has a chance to compose himself and lets out a noise of frustration. Blood is pouring from his nose and the sight of it gives me satisfaction. Our eyes connect together and he sneers, darkness flashing through them.

"It's over! Give yourself up." I shout at him, aware of the boat continuing to surge through the water. The sea is growing rougher the deeper we sail through it and the floor of the boat rocks harder.

"You must be crazy if you thinking I'm giving up now." He spits back at me, shaking his head.

"Do it for Calvin, your son." I hiss, anger cursing through my blood.

"I don't have a son." Christopher lets out a sick laugh, his eyes flashing with hatred and evil. He reaches inside his pocket for his gun but I'm quicker than him. I slide against the floor, using my feet to kick him off his. He falls to the floor, the gun clattering against the surface. My hand reaches forward for it but Christopher's fist slam down into the side of my head, knocking me completely off balance.

As I'm struggling to clear my vision, we continue fighting, neither of us giving in. He has the advantage of weight, height and build but I've been trained by the best, Micah.

I release a loud scream of anger and adrenaline curses through my blood. A burst of energy washes through my body and I jump onto the control panel before lunging at Christopher Black. His eyes widen as I soar towards him, my fists aimed for his throat. I land heavy punches and several kicks to his body, dark spots filling my vision. I continue beating Christopher until it's a blur of punches between us. Eventually a loud thump fills the air and I fall to the floor, rolling over to land safely on my back. When I sit up, Christopher Black is knocked out cold on the floor. His face is a bloody mess, red bruises cover his neck and his right arm is twitching slightly.

I swallow and stand up slowly, stumbling on my feet. The pain flooding through my muscles and mind continues to increase but I choose to ignore it. I slowly make my way over to his body that is lying completely still. When I grow close, my fingers find the pulse in his neck and I shudder from having to create contact with him. Dread suddenly fills my body as I realise . . .

I can't find a pulse.