Excerpted from COLLATERAL DAMAGE by Lindsay McKenna, published by Blue Turtle Publishing. Copyright 2015 by Lindsay McKenna
Pointing out toward the ocean, Sky said, “Look at that...”
Abby lifted her chin. There was a small sea plane coming in for a landing not far from where the waves were forming. “Wow.”
Sky took several photos of the white and dark gray striped plane landing. They could barely hear the engine as it shut down and the pontoons drifted expertly onto the smooth ocean’s surface. Today, without much wind, Sky noticed the ocean was almost like glass, the waves very small compared to when she was here with Cal the other day. “Cal said there was a lot of sea plane traffic in the area, mostly civilian.”
They both looked north when they heard a helicopter engine. Sky squinted as she took off her sunglasses to see what kind of helicopter it was. “Oh, it’s the Coast Guard Search and Rescue helicopter coming by,” she murmured, taking more photos as the orange and white helicopter buzzed past them on its way south. “Cal said they’re constantly patrolling the area beaches. Sometimes swimmers get in trouble and he said there are not enough life guards at every beach, so the Coast Guard patrols to help out.”
“Well,” Abby said, retrieving roast beef sandwiches from the picnic basket, “we don’t have to worry about being rescued today. The Beach here at La Jolla, California is too cold for me to even put a toe into it!”
Laughing, Sky watched the sea plane. It was a good quarter mile away and the noontime sunlight made it tough to see many details. She saw people begin to emerge. She thought she saw a raft inflate and get put into the water next to the pontoon. Several people, probably men judging from their size, got into it. She took more pictures. “I wonder what they’re doing out there? Hunting for lobster or abalone in the kelp beds?”
Abby handed her the sandwich and looked. “I don’t know. Looks like a raft? Are they fishing, I wonder?” She laughed and looked over at Sky. “Can you fish off a sea plane’s pontoons?” Shrugging, Sky said, “I really don’t know. This is the first time I have ever been out here.” She set the camera aside and began to eat her sandwich, her gaze on the raft as it floated closer and closer.
“Maybe they’re scuba divers?” Abby wondered, opening up a sack of potato chips and setting them between them.
“Could be,” Sky murmured, fascinated. “Cal said there’s lots of people at the kelp beds area. Scuba divers, snorkelers, and abalone divers who swim down to the sea floor, find them, and shoot back up to the surface.”
“Looks like they’re coming ashore,” Abby said.
“What a fun thing!” Sky said. She laid down her half-eaten sandwich and picked up her camera. The three men in the raft were dressed in black wet suits with weight belts around their waists. As the raft bobbled and rode in on the foamy waves to the edge of the beach, she took more photos. “Maybe some SEALs?” she whispered excitedly. “They look like SEALs, don’t they?” Abby laughed. “You’ve got me. My husband, Joe, said they were always practicing missions along this stretch of water. You’re right, they’re in wetsuits just like SEALs.” She grinned. “Take lots of photos. I’ll bet Cal and Joe, when we show them to them tonight, will know who these guys are,” and she chuckled. “SEAL’s are a small, tight fraternity, and everyone knows everyone else.”
Sky saw the three men pull the raft up beyond the water line where it would not be washed back into the surf. Something wasn’t right. All of them had their gazes on her and Abby. As they turned toward her, she gasped.
“Oh, my God!” Sky whispered, stricken. “I recognize one of them!” Her heart took off at a furious beat. “Abby! Get up! Run! Run!” and Sky leaped to her feet, dropping her camera on the blanket.
“What?” Abby said, confused. She looked at the three men quickly walking toward them, their wetsuits gleaming in the sunlight.
Sky grabbed her by the hand. “They’re Russians! They’ll kill us!” she cried, jerking her to her feet. “That one! He was with Vlad’s drug running team! Come on!” and she cried and yanked Abby forward.
Sky pushed Abby ahead of her, digging her toes into the warm, deep sand. Terror shot through her. Abby was confused, but ran, sprinting at her side. They hadn’t gotten more than fifty feet when Sky felt the sting of something biting into her calf.
Abby cried out in front of her, tripping and falling. She grabbed at her lower right leg as she slammed into the sand.
Sky turned, open-mouthed, as she saw a dart of some kind stuck in Abby’s leg. And then, she stumbled. Her vision began to gray. Staggering, Sky tried to stop herself from falling sideways. Tumbling into the sand, landing on her back, she felt her body not obeying her commands to run, to escape. More terror sizzled through her as she saw the man she recognized from Vlad’s team. Triumphantly grinning down at her.
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