The ocean’s embrace was a refuge and a battlefield. The wood had thrown them like ragdolls, dragging them under and then throwing them back up for a gasp of air. Sarah and James clung onto each other with dear life, struggling against the force of the tide. Nathan had forged ahead, taking deep, purposeful strokes toward the blurred outline of the shore.
The cliffs towered behind them, Syndicate operatives still looking down, silhouettes all but invisible against the dark sky. But their guns were of no use here. The sea had devoured its prey, and as far as the Syndicate was informed, they were dead.
James kicked harder through gritted teeth, pushing past the burn in his muscles. They needed to make it to the shore before fatigue set in.
Finally they reached a quiet cove where the waves p
