We made it to a good vantage point, several yards away from the boat.
I swung my bag around and started going through it, pulling out my pair of binoculars.
I held them up to my eyes, and began searching the boat.
"What's happening?" Nick asked.
"I can see…your family." I replied. "They're…tied up. In the living room."
"Can you see each person? Is everyone there?"
"Yes. Everyone's there."
I scanned the rest of the boat that I could see.
"He's alone?" I said. "Wait, Craig came alone?"
"He's by himself? That's good right?" Nick asked.
I nodded. "It means that he knows how strong your group is. He doesn't want to risk losing anyone else."
"Or he's just an overly confident dick, who thinks he can take all of us by himself." Nick replied, bitterly.
"Shit." I said as I looked back through the binoculars. "Shit. He brought Kerry and Levi with him."
"There's others?" Nick asked, his voice shaking slightly.
I lowered the binoculars and stared at him. I could see him panicking beneath the surface.
"Hey, look at me." I said.
Nick looked over at me, worry written all over his face.
"You don't have anything to be scared of." I said. "We can do this."
Nick nodded. "I'm going to try my hardest."
"And that's why I know we can win." I gave Nick a reassuring smile.
"Got a plan yet?" He asked, as he grabbed the binoculars to look for himself.
"Yeah. I think so."
"Tell me what to do, and I'll do it." Nick said as he smiled lightly at me.
"I need you to follow my lead. I know Craig. And I know how he operates." I paused. "Just follow along with me, got it?"
"Yeah. I got it." Nick replied.
"We can do this." I repeated.
"Can we end this for good?" Nick said, gaining confidence back in his voice.
I nodded. "We end this for good."
"I'm ready when you are." Nick replied.
We stood up and made our way to the boat.
It was now or never.
And I was ready for this to be over, once and for all.
We reached the boat.
I looked over at Nick as he looked back at me.
"Ready?" I asked.
Nick nodded. "Lead the way."
"Remember, follow my lead."
"Always." Nick replied.
I took in a deep breath as we walked down the dock to the boat.
"Nick!" I heard Madison's muffled voice, trying to call out, as we made our way into the living room.
Craig spun around as his eyes landed on me.
I was trying not to show how badly I was shaking, I was so nervous for what was about to happen.
"Cassie!" Craig beamed at me. "So nice of you to finally show up!"
"I told you I'd be here." I replied.
"Look, look!" Craig said, as he pointed to everyone tied up on the couches. "Everyone's here! And they're all unharmed, just like you asked."
I looked around at them, feeling their panic. They were all tied up, with pieces of duct tape covering their mouths.
"Do we still have our deal?" He asked.
"Even better." I replied, as I pulled out the gun Nick and I had taken with us, from my pocket.
I turned to the side to face Nick and pointed the gun straight at his face.
"Give me your weapons." I spat at Nick.
"What?"
"Give me your damn weapons!"
Nick's eyes widened as he realized what was happening.
"Now!" I yelled at him, shoving the gun closer to his face.
He looked stunned as he took off his backpack and began to take out the few knives he had. He dropped them to the floor and put his hands up slowly.
The others watched in horror, as Alicia let out a muffled scream.
"Cassie…"
"Shut up." I hissed.
"Cassie, don't do this!"
"Shut the fuck up, Nick." I said. "Turn around."
Nick turned slowly, so that his back was towards me.
I place the gun in between his shoulder blades. "Move to the chair."
He began walking towards an arm chair.
"Sit down." I said, as I shoved the gun into his skin.
I slid the gun upwards, and aimed it at the back of his head, as he began to lower himself into the chair.
"Cassie, please don't do this." Nick pleaded.
"Shut up, or I'll blow your fucking head off." I said.
Tears started streaming down Madison's face, as she watched me threaten her son.
"Tie him up." I said to Craig.
"You heard the lady!" Craig said to one of his followers, Levi. "Tie the boy up!"
Levi grabbed some rope and began to tie Nick up, as I still pointed the gun at his head.
"Cassie, are you doing, what I think you're doing?" Craig asked me.
"What the fuck does it look like?" I asked.
"It looks like, you're turning on your new friends."
I laughed briefly. "Friends? Please. These people were merely my next conquest. You know me better than to have friends."
"I must say, I am impressed." Craig smiled at me. "You come on this boat, kill Johnson and Stevens to gain their trust, tell them you'll help them get away, and then turn on them in the end."
"You forgot about the part where I got one of them to fall in love with me." I replied, as I shoved the end of my gun into the back of Nick's head.
Craig laughed cheerfully. "This is fantastic. I knew I chose you for a reason. I should have known I could always count on you."
"Of course." I replied. "Anything for you."
"What happens next?" Craig asked.
"I think you know." I smiled at him.
"Did you find where they keep them all?" He asked.
I nodded. "Downstairs. Last door on the right. It's full. Take it all. Leave them with nothing."
"God damn, this is the best day!" Craig said as he clapped his hands together, excitedly.
"Go get the stuff. I'll stay up here." I said. "Watching my friends scared, pathetic faces, is giving me the rush that I crave."
"You got it, darling." Craig smiled. "Let's go."
He began making his way down the stairs, followed by the other two men.
They were out of sight when I lowered my gun.
I bent over Nick's shoulder as he flinched slightly.
"This was my plan to get us out." I whispered quickly in his ear, as I began untying the rope around his hands.
"This was your plan?! You fucking scared the shit out of me!" Nick replied, as I got him free.
"I told you to follow my lead. Well done."
Nick stood up from the chair as I handed him one of his knives.
"You're a genius." He smiled down at me. "I really thought you were double crossing us."
"Thanks. Now help me free your family. We don't have much time."
Nick and I both began cutting everyone free.
"This was my plan. Sorry if I scared you." I whispered, loud enough so everyone could hear me.
I didn't have time to fully apologize to everyone. They would be coming back upstairs any second.
"Alicia, Chris, Ofelia, you guys go hide!" I whispered to them. "Go! Go now!"
They tried to protest, but Madison and Travis pushed them in the direction of the stairs that led up to Strand's captain's quarters.
I quickly grabbed everyone's weapons that Craig had taken from them, and started handing them out.
"If you want to also go, it's fine. I can do this on my own."
"No. We're not leaving you." Madison replied.
I looked around to see everyone clutching their weapons, standing their ground, ready to help me fight.
I felt so grateful and lucky to have these people's support.
"Nick, you can go." I whispered to him.
He shook his head. "No way."
"You sure?" I asked.
Nick grabbed my hand. "I've never been so sure of anything in my life."
I smiled up at him briefly.
"Everyone, split up. I need you all to cover the exits. Take them out. All of them." I started. "Nick and I will stay in here. Good luck."
Everyone nodded in return, before quietly and quickly exiting the room.
I could hear Craig making his way back up the stairs.
"Just grab them all!" He yelled at the other men.
Nick and I exchanged quick, reassuring glances, as we both gripped our guns.
Craig entered back into the room we were in, stopping and staring at Nick and I in shock.
I aimed my gun at Craig, my eyes staring at him hard.
"What's this?" He asked, his voice low.
"It's me, ending this thing for good." I replied.
"Cassie, Cassie, Cassie." He began. "And I thought you were doing so good."
"I am doing good. I'm making it so that you can NEVER do this to anyone again."
He laughed. "Oh really?"
He began walking closer to me. "And just how are you going to do that? Hmm? You and your little boyfriend, going to take me down?"
"I'm giving you a choice. You either get the fuck off this boat, and we never have to see each other again."
"Or?" He asked.
"Or, I blow your fucking brains all over the wall." I paused. "So, what'll it be?"
"Those sound like two very good choices. Give me a minute to think it over." He replied, slyly, as he began to pace around the room.
I followed him, with my gun still aimed at him.
"You have ten seconds to give me an answer, or I'll answer for you. And you don't want me to decide." I said, angrily.
A sinister smiled crept over his face. "Why don't you turn around, and ask them which one I should choose?"
I turned around to see Kerry and Levi holding Nick, his gun now in Kerry's hand.
"Choose! Now!" I yelled at Craig as I spun around back towards him.
"I think I choose the third option. You know? The one where I get away, after you watch me slice open your boyfriend?"
"Don't fucking touch him!" I screamed.
"Seems like we struck a chord, boys!" He replied, gleefully.
"Cassie, just go!" Nick yelled.
"Yeah, Cassie! Just go! We can take care of your friend on our own. It's just much more satisfying, knowing that you'll have to watch him die." Craig replied.
My blood was boiling, I was so angry my head was spinning.
All of the sudden, I heard gun shots go off and I hit the floor, along with the others in the room.
I realized that it was Nick's family that was shooting.
I heard Levi let out a loud grunt as a bullet hit him. He fell to the ground as Nick managed to get away.
He came over and laid on top of me, to protect me from the gunfire.
Kerry started shooting back at them, as Nick and I started to crawl our way towards the other side of the room.
Kerry got hit and fell swiftly to the ground, when suddenly Craig went over to him and grabbed Nick's gun that he had been holding.
"Strand! Start the boat!" I heard Travis yell out to Strand.
I saw quick glimpse of Strand running up to the captain's quarters, to get the boat moving.
Nick and I kept crawling, to make our way out through the set of doors in the kitchen.
Everyone kept shooting, trying to get Craig, as he was hiding behind the couch for safety.
Nick helped me stand up on my feet, once we reached the doors.
All of the sudden, a loud bang rang out, right next to my ears.
All I could hear was muffled screaming, as I looked back to see blood pouring out of Nick.
He had been shot.
I felt my heart drop into my stomach.
It's like everything after that was happening in slow motion.
Nick fell to the ground. And I saw Craig standing behind him, gun aimed at where Nick had once been standing.
"NICK!" I screamed, as I saw Madison running into the room.
She ran to Nick's side, sobbing as Travis ran in behind her gabbing his jacket and pressing it to Nick's side.
I felt as though I was watching it all happen, outside of my body.
I sprang up as I saw Craig starting to run off in the opposite direction.
I grabbed a knife, lying on the floor and charged at him.
I lunged up and launched myself onto him, hanging onto his back, hitting him as hard as I could, as I tried to stab him.
He grabbed me and flung me over to the side, where we both fell to the ground.
I started kicking, and the gun he had in his hands went flying across the room.
He immediately started trying to claw his way to the gun.
I gripped my knife as tightly as I could, and threw my whole body on top of him, straddling his back.
I dug my fingers into his forehead and lifted it back towards me, as hard as I could.
Now was my chance.
I took my knife and brought it down in one quick motion, slicing his throat open.
Blood poured out of him, and flowed over the wooden floors beneath us, as I heard him sputtering, realizing what I had done.
I sat up, gave a loud grunt as I used all my force, and jammed my knife straight into his skull, feeling him go limp beneath me.
I dropped the knife.
A feeling of freedom washed over me, as tears started streaming down my face.
I got off of Craig's back and ran over to where Nick was.
I felt the boat starting to move, as I saw everyone else rush into the room and surround Nick.
I sat down next to Nick, his eyes barely open.
"Nick, Nick!" I sobbed. "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! You hold on! You fucking hear me?! Don't you dare leave us! You have to stay with me! I need you!"
I was unable to continue talking, as my crying took over my whole body.
"Everybody move back!" Ofelia yelled as she kneeled down next to Nick.
I looked up and saw Alicia's arms wrap around me and hold me, dragging me back from Nick's body slightly.
Ofelia started yelling out to everyone what she needed, so that she could try and save Nick.
It was all a blur.
Never had I felt such relief and such regret at the same time, in my whole life.
I sat, frozen, as I stared off into space, while Nick was being put back together, in front of my eyes.
I felt numb.
I felt nothing.
I was empty.
