For what felt like an eternity, Mallory battled the elements, his knuckles white as he held the wheel steady against the waves. The boat tilted dangerously to one side, and then, with a final, desperate turn, Mallory managed to pull them free of the chaos.
Mallory exhaled a long, shaky breath, while Jacob and Tanner, both pale and wide-eyed, slowly picked themselves up from where they had braced against the boat’s violent movements. The three men exchanged glances, the unspoken question hanging in the air: What had just happened?