Ocean Blue (Sea Lab Book 1)

CHAPTER 15

"There's a boat garage beneath the back deck," Sarah said. "There's no boat, but we could use the rear entrance to get out of here."

"Lead the way then." Out of old habit, Jake touched her arm. When his eyes met hers, and he realized his mistake, his countenance softened and his throat went dry.

"You can't wipe away the past that easy, Jake."

He narrowed his gaze and moved his hand. "What? I wasn't... Now's not the time for this. We have to go... now."

Sarah reached for her suitcase.

"You'll have to leave that. Take only what you can run with."

She picked up her purse and laptop case and gave the handbag to Tony.

"You're kidding?" His eyes grew large.

"Not the slightest."

"The boat garage, please," Jake said.

Sarah walked over and opened a door at the back of the room that appeared to be a closet at first glance. She treaded down a narrow flight of stairs with the flashlight. Jake gestured for Tony to go next, and then closed the door behind him before he joined them at the bottom step.

"Where's the exit to this place?" Tony asked.

Sarah directed the light to the rear wall. "That way."

"I don't see anything," Jake said. "Wait a minute." He took the flashlight and strode across the concrete floor. What appeared to be a normal wall, divided into two wide swinging doors that latched in the middle. "Here it is."

"Right where I said it would be," Sarah replied. "I came down here yesterday morning. It opens under the deck, out to the beach. Outside, steps lead up to the screen room on both sides of the house."

"That means the intruders..." He held up a finger, thinking.

"... would enter the back of the house from the sides, above us." Tony finished the sentence. "Meaning, the beach would be clear for our escape."

"Why do you think I led us down here?" Sarah said.

Jake didn't waver. "We'll have to stick close to the rear wall or they might spot us from above."

Glass crashed upstairs.

Jake flashed a serious glance at Tony and then shifted his gaze to Sarah. He figured two of the men would take the front of the house while the other two would enter through the back. He suspected their plan would be to close a dragnet around them. When they came together, however, the intruders would discover they had been fooled. But they would search the house, find the access to the boat garage and follow their tracks through the sand.

Jake cracked open the doors for a check of their escape route. "It looks clear. Let's get out of here."

Crouching low, he took Sarah by the arm and ventured to the corner of the house. She didn't pull away from him this time. Tony followed them with the purse in hand.

Next to the steps leading to the screen room, Jake peered up and noticed the door swaying back and forth. Its motion wasn't significant, but it revealed the fact that someone had just used it. Light footsteps scuffed across the floor above them, and then another loud crash.