Chaos erupted. The pirate boat lurched, its motor sputtering half-alive before choking out again. By then the Coast Guard was on them. Grappling lines flew, officers vaulted aboard, and within seconds the pirates were forced to the deck under shouted commands and steel restraints.
An officer reached Ethan first, gripping his shoulder firmly. “Smart move, sir. Without that, they’d have slipped us—and taken everything with them.” Liam sagged against the mast, trembling, tears welling as he glanced at his equipment crates still lashed to the sailboat’s deck. “You saved it,” he whispered.