Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

The sun glistened off the calm surface of the lake, casting a shimmering path that stretched out before the sleek speedboat boat. Jared revved the engine, causing the boat to leap forward. Gabby clutched the side, her knuckles white as they sped across the water, much too close to the shore for her comfort.

"Jared, slow down!" Gabby shouted, her voice nearly drowned out by the roar of the motor.

Jared just laughed, the wind whipping through his hair. "Relax, Gabs! We're fine!"

But Gabby wasn't convinced. "Seriously, Jared, stop it!"

Jared grinned and whipped the wheel hard. Gabby screamed as waves slapped against the side of the boat, making it lurch frantically from side to side. Gabby grabbed the edge of the seat, clinging to the fabric with all her might. "Jared! You better stop before you get caught!"

They were already deep into the no-wake zone, and the waves crashed against the shore with violent force, frothy and white.

Jared rolled his eyes. "We're not going to get caught. There's no one out here."

"The people who live here will be pissed," she said, gesturing toward the homes tucked within the canopy of trees along the shoreline. "They're going to call the cops on you."

"Fine." He turned the wheel again and pushed the throttle, sending them back out toward the middle of the lake.

The boat shot forward, and a scream caught in her throat as Gabby was jolted off the seat. A sickening screech filled the air as the bottom scraped against something below the surface.

"Shit!" Jared eased off the throttle, and the boat slowed to a stop.

"I told you," Gabby shot back. "There's all kinds of stuff this close to shore. You better hope you didn't ruin your dad's boat. He'll be pissed."

Gabby peered over the side of the boat, straining to see into the depths. A dozen feet away, a patch of blue bobbed in the water.

She pointed at the object. "What's that?"

Jared squinted, then shrugged. "Probably just some trash. Grab it before it gets caught in the propeller."

Gabby dug out an oar then leaned over the side, using the paddle to slap at the water, dragging the object closer. It drifted toward her, trapped air lifting it to the surface. From here she could make out what appeared to be fabric, once bright blue but now faded with age and stained from the lake.

Gabby angled the oar downward, trying to pin the fabric and drag it toward her. It was heavier than she expected, and she struggled to pull it in. "It's stuck on something," she muttered, giving it a harder tug. "You probably hit a log or something down there."

She tossed a look over her shoulder at Jared, who shrugged sheepishly. "My bad."

Rolling her eyes, Gabby turned her attention back to the task at hand. Nice of him to help , she thought to herself as she dragged the fabric closer, aided by the gentle rolling of the water.

"Almost got it…"

She bit her lip and strained her muscles, reaching just a bit farther. She dragged the oar over the rippling water, the fabric trailing in its wake. The surge of satisfaction that shot through her quickly turned to dread as the fabric rolled under the pressure of the oar and something began to take shape.

"What the…?" Her brows drew together as the object dipped below the surface, then reappeared.

The fabric slipped free of the oar and as it did, something dark began to rise from the depths. Terror slid through her as Gabby found herself staring into the empty sockets of a human skull, its mouth agape in a silent scream.