Reborn to Bury Them at Sea

An emergency alert on my phone jolted me awake. Hurricane Rosalind had strengthened to Category 4, with winds reaching 140 miles per hour. It was expected to make landfall in Palm Beach in 12 hours. All residents were ordered to evacuate immediately. I'd seen this alert before, in my past life. In my previous life, my boyfriend of three years, Paul Morris, had forced his way aboard the yacht I'd converted into a storm shelter. He'd brought his spoiled sister, Lily Morris, and his parents, Martha Morris and Ethan Morris, who always took their children's side. His parents complained about everything I cooked. Once, his mother even threw a bowl of hot soup in my face, screaming that I couldn't do a single thing right. His sister was worse. Lily secretly slashed my life jacket, then turned around and accused me of trying to kill her. Paul took her side. He slapped me so hard my eardrum ruptured, then called me a vicious bitch. They took every last supply I had. Then, with the help of my best friend, Vivian Cole, they kicked me straight into the storm surge, where bloodthirsty parasites lurked beneath the surface. I struggled to breathe as the creatures tore into me, devouring me alive. When I opened my eyes again, I'd been reborn! The storm had only just begun. The first raindrop had barely hit the windowsill. I reached behind me and locked the yacht's reinforced hatch. This time, I'd be the one watching as they struggled and screamed in the rising water. Chapter 1 A push alert from the National Hurricane Center popped up on my phone. "Hurricane Rosalind: sustained winds of 130 mph." "23 hours until landfall at Tampa Bay." "Babe, I heard you had a catamaran converted into a storm shelter at a Miami shipyard last month. "The National Hurricane Center just upgraded Rosalind to a Category 4 hurricane. It's supposed to hit Tampa Bay tomorrow morning, and the storm surge could flood the whole area. I was thinking I'd bring Mom, Dad, and Lily aboard for a few days until it blows over. You don't mind, do you? "Besides, you wouldn't want to make a bad impression on your future in-laws by turning them away the first time they visit, would you?" Paul's warm, deep voice came through my Bluetooth earpiece. He sounded as caring as ever, though he clearly expected me to say yes. I gripped the steering wheel of my SUV and watched the first raindrop hit the windshield. Deep in my right ear, I could almost hear the roar from the day he ruptured my eardrum in my past life. Long lines stretched outside the supermarkets, and the interstate was packed with cars heading north. "Are you listening, Susie? Are you still upset about dinner last week? "My Mom might've gone a little overboard throwing that soup in your face, but you know she has a sensitive stomach. You put black pepper in her cream soup anyway. What did you expect? "And Lily even defended you yesterday. She told everyone you were just clumsy, not that you meant to disrespect Mom. "I've already smoothed things over with them. Just let them stay on the yacht until the storm passes and get on their good side. Then we can forget this whole thing ever happened, okay?" Paul gave a soft laugh on the other end, as if he were coaxing a sulking pet. In my last life, I'd fallen for his routine of cruelty followed by affection, and it had kept me trapped for three years. My parents ran an international cargo fleet out of Singapore. I grew up alone on our estate in Palm Beach, and I had always longed for a warm, noisy family. Paul knew exactly where my soft spot was. When he was courting me, he brought me breakfast every single day. When it rained, he tilted his whole umbrella over me. I thought I'd found a safe harbor for the rest of my life. No matter how much his parents criticised me or how often Lily schemed against me behind my back, all Paul had to do was take my hand and say, "We've always thought of you as family." And just like that, I'd give in to their every demand. When the hurricane came, I even let his entire family take shelter aboard the ocean-going yacht I'd spent nearly $7 million converting into a storm shelter. And how did they repay me? By cutting up my life jacket, rupturing my eardrum, and leaving me to drown in filthy water crawling with parasites. "Susie? Is the signal bad?" "I'm listening, Paul." I swallowed my anger and kept my voice perfectly calm. "Where are you guys now? Do you want me to send a car to pick you up?" "No need. I just pulled out of the neighborhood. We're headed to the Palm Beach marina now. "Oh, and make sure the primary suite is ready for my parents. Lily's a light sleeper, she can have the guest room upstairs with the panoramic terrace. "There's a crew cabin down in the hold that used to be a storage room, right? You can stay there for a few days. It's not ideal, but you'll manage. And you can cook while you're down there. "Mom and Dad like their beef bone broth made fresh, so stop by the supermarket before it closes and pick up some ribs and organic vegetables. "And whatever you do, don't get any peanut butter this time. Vivian's severely allergic. Even the smell makes her break out in hives." My fingers went still on the steering wheel. Vivian was my college roommate and the person I'd trusted most in my previous life. I was severely allergic to shellfish, but whenever I cooked at Paul's house, his mother made me peel shrimp with my bare hands. Even when my hands were swollen and covered in sores, Paul would just shrug it off. "Peel a few more and you'll build up a tolerance." Yet Vivian only had to mention her peanut allergy once, and Paul was already policing what I could keep on my own yacht. "Vivian's with you guys too?" "No. She lives alone in an apartment in a flood-prone part of West Palm Beach. It's not safe for her to stay there, so I'll pick her up on the way. We can even play bridge once we're all aboard. "You've always been such a good friend. Surely you won't mind one more person, right?" "Of course not. The more the merrier." "That's my girl. Once the storm blows over, I'll get you that Tiffany diamond ring you've always wanted and pop the question." The call ended. I hit the gas and turned my black SUV onto the road to the private marina, driving into the thickening rain. Half an hour later, I pulled into the Palm Beach marina and boarded the Noah at slip three. I hadn't bought a single beef rib. Instead, I went straight to the bridge on the third deck and hit the switch for the titanium blast door that sealed off the luxury living quarters on the top deck. The hydraulic lock engaged with a heavy clunk, and a red light flashed on. Built to meet SOLAS international maritime safety standards, the blast door could withstand several tons of water pressure and external impact. I'd sealed it shut from the inside. Chapter 2 "19 hours until Rosalind makes landfall." "Shut every freshwater tank valve in the hold and take out the backup generator. Don't leave so much as a candle or an emergency blanket." I stood in the second-deck corridor, giving orders to Mark Dalton, the mechanic the shipyard had sent. "Ms. Grant, do you want me to service the ventilation in the hold too? The National Hurricane Center just issued its highest storm surge warning. Waves and rainfall like this come once in a century. If the hold isn't sealed properly, seawater will flow back through the vents." Mark wiped the rain from his forehead and gave the box of HD security cameras in my hand a puzzled look. "Don't service it. Remove half of each gasket from the four check valves on the outside of the hold." "Remove the gaskets? But once the water rises, filthy water will flood straight into the hold! The hurricane will wash leeches, horsehair worms, and even flesh-eating bacteria out of the Everglades. If those bacteria get into an open wound, they can cause tissue necrosis. It's incredibly dangerous!" "Do as I say. Here's $50,000 for your trouble. Install these eight waterproof night-vision cameras throughout the hold, making sure there are no blind spots. Connect them directly to the control room on the third deck." Mark glanced at the thick wad of cash and immediately fell silent. He grabbed his toolbox and headed down into the hold. Just then, the phone in my bag buzzed again. "Susie, where the hell are you? The wind's terrible out here! Why aren't you waiting for us at the dock?" As soon as I answered, I heard the reproach in Paul's voice. Lily was complaining shrilly in the background. "Why are you wasting time talking to her? My Chanel shoes are completely soaked! Tell her to get down here and carry my bags!" "Did you hear that, Susie? Lily twisted her ankle. Bring two big umbrellas to the parking lot and meet us. Then carry the four big suitcases in the trunk onto the boat." It had been just like this in my past life. The four of them strolled ahead under their umbrellas without lifting a finger. Meanwhile, I struggled through the wind and rain, making three trips to haul their heavy suitcases, stuffed with designer clothes and personal belongings, aboard the yacht. I was drenched to the bone, developed a fever of 103°F, and curled up in the hold, shivering uncontrollably. But Martha complained that my coughing was too loud and disturbed her card game. She carried a bowl of scalding seafood soup from the stove into the hold and dumped it over my head. The scalding seafood chowder contained shrimp, which I was severely allergic to. Within seconds, blisters covered my face, and my throat swelled shut, leaving me struggling to breathe. Crying, I begged Paul for help, hoping he would bring me an EpiPen. He just stood on the steps, staring at the mess on the floor. Then he frowned and let out a sigh. "Susie, Mom's getting older and has high blood pressure. Do you have to pretend you're sick just to upset her? "It's just some seafood chowder. Wash it off and you'll be fine. Stop being so dramatic and making things difficult for me." Just remembering the searing pain of my burns and the terrifying sensation of my throat closing up made my hand tremble as I held the phone. "Sorry, Paul. I was up on the top deck checking the electrical system and didn't hear my phone." I walked to a porthole on the second deck and watched the security feed as a silver sedan pulled into the marina parking lot. I kept my voice meek. "I hurt my back moving supplies yesterday, so I really can't lift anything heavy. But I've hired two marina security guards to wait for you at the slip. They'll carry your luggage aboard." "Well, at least you've got enough sense to hire someone to wait on us." Ethan snatched the phone and began lecturing me with all the arrogance of a man who thought being older made him superior. "Since your back is bad, you'd better move fast once we're aboard. Heat up the sauna first, then bring us a plate of good Iberian ham. "And if you serve us another cold salad like last time, I'll teach you some manners, even if Paul's watching!" "Of course, Ethan. Everything's ready. I promise it'll be an experience you never forget." "All right. As long as you take good care of my parents and Lily this time, I'll take you to get our marriage license once the storm passes. Then you'll officially be part of the family." Paul took the phone back, tossed out the promise as though he were doing me some grand favor, then hung up. I looked down at the mandatory evacuation alert for Palm Beach County flashing on my phone. Outside, the steel-gray sea was already rising rapidly. Mark climbed up from the hold, brushed the dust off his hands, and handed me a tablet. "Ms. Grant, all the storage lockers in the hold have been cleared out, and I've removed the check valve gaskets. All eight surveillance cameras and the two-way PA system are installed and tested." I took the tablet. Eight live feeds filled the screen, each showing the empty hold's bare metal walls from a different angle. Chapter 3 "16 hours until Rosalind makes landfall." "Ms. Grant, are you sure you want me to weld the backup mechanical lock shut from the outside? The one between the second deck and the hold?" Mark held a welding torch and pointed at the four-inch-thick steel watertight door at the top of the stairs. "Once it's welded shut, the electronic magnetic lock will be the only way to open it. If you cut the power from the top deck, even the Coast Guard won't be able to get anyone out of the hold without heavy-duty breaching equipment." "Weld it. And move every lifeboat, life ring, and piece of wooden furniture that floats from the second and third decks into the storage room on the third deck." "But if the hold takes on water, the people inside won't even have anything to hold on to..." "Mr. Dalton, I'll add another $20,000. Get it done in ten minutes, then take your speedboat and get out of Palm Beach immediately." "Deal. Have a nice vacation, Ms. Grant." Sparks flew in the narrow stairwell, and the acrid smell of scorched metal filled the air. In my last life, I'd wanted the Noah to be as safe as possible, so I had it custom-built to ocean research vessel standards, with three separate, sealed levels. Each level had its own power and ventilation circuits, and the master console was in the master suite on the third deck. But back then, I'd let my guard down completely and given Paul the highest level of access by registering his fingerprint. I'd also stocked the hold and second deck with enough vacuum-sealed steaks, purified water, medical kits, and imported red wine to feed ten people for a whole year. They'd only been aboard for a few hours when Lily cut the inner lining of every life jacket I'd stored on the second deck to shreds with scissors. As floodwater tore through the marina and the yacht pitched in the huge waves, Lily pointed at the ruined life jacket and threw herself into Paul's arms, tears streaming down her face. "Paul, I caught Susie cutting up my life jacket! She's jealous because you love me more! She wants me dead! She's going to push me overboard and let me drown!" I shook my head and tried desperately to explain that the life jacket had my initials on it. It wasn't Lily's. But Paul didn't even look at the initials. He raised his hand and slapped me hard across the right side of my face. The blow sent my head into the metal railing. Blood ran from my ear, and I instantly went deaf on my right side. "Susie, I was so wrong about you! Lily's only 20. How could you be vicious enough to try to kill her? "Strip her of all her waterproof gear and supplies! Give everything to Vivian! A vicious witch like her doesn't deserve to stay on this yacht!" Then Vivian came out of the main suite in my cashmere sweater, slipped her arm through Paul's, and looked down at my bloody face. "Paul, don't be angry. Susie's just acting crazy because she loves you so much. But we're already running low on fresh water, and keeping her around would only mean one more mouth to feed." With the rest of the family watching coldly, Ethan and Paul each grabbed one of my arms and tossed me like a piece of trash into the murky floodwater surging across the deck. Thousands of finger-thick, dark red leeches and horsehair worms burrowed into my body through my mouth, nose, ears, and wounds. Even in this life, I could still remember the horror of being eaten alive from the inside, my cries for help drowned out by the muddy water filling my mouth. The memory sent a chill through me. "All done, Ms. Grant. I've also connected the magnetic lock controls to your tablet." Mark put away his welding torch, grabbed his toolbox, and hurried down the gangway. Moments later, his speedboat disappeared into the curtain of rain. I turned and went into the lounge at the stern of the second deck. Two retired mercenaries, Taylor Briggs and Ryan Kade, were waiting there. Both were six-foot-three, with Glocks on their hips. "Taylor, Ryan, remember my rules. No matter what kind of scene that family makes down there, make sure they don't set foot on the stairs to the second deck. "Once they're in the hold on the first deck, take the jet ski at the stern and leave. The remaining balance will be automatically transferred to your Swiss bank accounts." Taylor checked his magazine and gave a crisp nod. "Don't worry, boss. We've got this. They're just a bunch of regular people. We won't even need to pull our guns." I smoothed my shirt, opened a black umbrella, and walked slowly to the boarding gate on the first deck. The storm had whipped up six-foot waves. In the distance, floodwaters had risen past the bases of the streetlights in low-lying streets. Dead rats and fish floated belly-up in the murky water. Paul and his family were floundering through calf-deep muddy water toward slip three, looking utterly wretched. There were 13 hours left until Rosalind made landfall. Chapter 4 "Susie! Are you deaf? I told you to meet us in the parking lot! And you've just been standing there like a damn statue, watching us struggle?" Paul was the first one up the swaying gangplank. His expensive suit had lost its shape after being soaked in muddy water, and his hair was plastered to his forehead. When he saw me standing dry and neat under the awning, he flew into a rage and swung at my face. "Smack!" The sharp sound rang out over the rain, but I wasn't the one who got hit. Taylor, standing beside me, stepped forward and caught Paul's wrist in his strong hand. With one small twist, he forced Paul to one knee on the deck, his face contorted in pain. "Ow! My wrist! Let go! Let go of me! Susie, what kind of psycho did you hire? Tell him to let go!" "Stop it, Taylor. This is my fiancé, Paul. How could you be so rough with him?" I gave a startled cry for show. Once Taylor let go, I took my time pulling out a tissue and bent down to wipe the mud off Paul's collar. "I'm so sorry, Paul. Desperate people have been trying to steal boats from the marina, so the security guards are on edge. He thought you were attacking me and reacted without thinking. Your wrist isn't broken, is it?" "Oh, cut the act! If you'd come to get us when I told you to, I wouldn't be standing here soaking wet!" Paul clutched his swollen wrist and got up. He glanced at the bulge of Taylor's holster and swallowed his curses. Just then, Martha, Ethan, and Lily helped one another up onto the deck. "Oh my God, something black and squishy in the water just bit me. It hurts so much!" Lily plopped down on the deck and pulled off her ruined Chanel shoes, exposing a small puncture wound on her ankle, oozing dark blood. She cursed, "Susie, you bring nothing but bad luck! Why'd you have to dock the yacht so far away? If this leaves a scar, you're going to regret it! Now get me a first aid kit and a clean towel!" Martha shook off the rain and glared at me in disgust. "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and show us to the master suite so we can take a hot shower! Is the beef broth ready yet? I'm starving!" I looked at the familiar ring-shaped bite on Lily's ankle and bit back a smile, putting on a guilty, apologetic look. "I'm so sorry. Lightning struck earlier and knocked out the power on the second and third decks. There's no electricity up there, and cold air is coming in through the AC vents. "But I've had the bunk room down in the hold prepared for you. The heat's already on, and there's hot beef broth, roast turkey, and a first aid kit waiting in the storage lockers." "What? You want us to stay in the hold?" Ethan scowled and slammed his cane against the deck. "The hold is for the hired help! Even without electricity, the main suite's still more comfortable than that dump. Take us upstairs right now!" With that, Ethan started to push his way up the spiral staircase to the second deck. Ryan stepped into his path, his face cold. He drew the pistol at his waist, racked the slide with a click, and aimed the black muzzle at Ethan's forehead. The deck fell silent. Only the roar of rain pounding on the canopy remained. Ethan froze. He went pale and stumbled back two steps on shaking legs. "Ethan, the security company has taken control of security on the upper decks. Until the electrical system is repaired, they've been authorized to shoot anyone who tries to force their way up." I sighed and tried to coax them down. "You're all soaked to the bone. It's nice and warm down in the hold, and there are fresh croissants and hot soup waiting for you. Why don't you head down, change into something dry, and grab a bite? I'll go upstairs and talk to the electrician. Hopefully, I can have the suite ready for you in half an hour. How does that sound?" Paul glanced at the gun, then seemed to reconsider at the mention of hot soup and a warm place to stay. He quickly stopped Martha and Lily from making another scene and gave a reluctant nod, trying to maintain what little dignity he had left. "Fine. If it's that drafty upstairs, we'll stay in the hold for now. At least you've thought of everything. "But make it quick. I expect to be in the main suite within half an hour. And fire those guards! They need to learn their place!" "Of course, Ethan. Go on in. Watch your step." I smiled and pushed open the heavy steel door to the hold for them. The four of them hurried into the dim stairwell, complaining all the while about how narrow it was. The moment the last bit of Lily's skirt disappeared behind the door, I stepped back and slammed the steel door shut. "Beep!"