Liam saw it through tear-blurred eyes and gasped. “Ethan—they’re giving up! One of them’s pulling back!” Hope lit briefly in his chest, wild and desperate. Maybe luck had turned. Maybe the pirates weren’t invincible after all. Then the engine beneath their feet gave a violent shudder. The droning hum choked into silence.
The boat lurched, momentum carrying it a few lengths before it began to drift aimlessly again. Ethan’s hand smacked the throttle, twisting uselessly. “No. No, no, no…” Liam’s voice cracked. “We’re dead in the water.” Ethan didn’t answer. He didn’t have to. The second pirate boat roared up alongside them, spray soaking the deck.