Chapter 14
Chapter 14: A Promise in the Dark
The spotlight passes without finding them, but the threat pushes Michael, Rita, and Ron to move at dawn. During a quiet moment, Rita shares her dream of a white wedding in a Catholic church, Ron volunteers as best man, and Michael admits he wants a wife who can appreciate his past and help with investigations. As they prepare to leave, a second light appears on the river, forcing a hasty evacuation with a failing motor.
The spotlight crawled across the water, slow and deliberate, throwing a pale finger over the ripples. Michael held the rifle low, his other hand pressed Rita's shoulder down into the sand. Ron had gone flat beside a clump of brush, barely visible in the starlight.
Nobody moved. The river lapped at the shore. The spotlight slid past their island, grazing the trees but missing the dark hollow where they lay. Voices carried from upstream—Vietnamese, a man's laugh, then a short command. The light kept moving, downstream now, and the motor sound faded with it.
Michael let out a breath. "They're not stopping."
Keep reading "Chapter 14: A Promise in the Dark"
Open the same story in AIBookCraft. Later chapters may require an active subscription.
Free on iOS & Android · No signup to read