Dawn Patrol by Jeff Ross Page A

they’ll end up on the other side.”
    â€œWhat do you want to do?”
    â€œI need to take the next wave.” I grabbed the rope. “Can you tow me in?”
    â€œYou’re crazy, Luca. I can’t tow you in there. Those waves are pushing sixty feet.”
    I was filled with adrenaline. I had never surfed waves this big before. There was no way to work up to these giants. You just had to do it.
    â€œHe’ll disappear again,” I said. I shook the rope. “Please.” She looked at me, then back at the wave. “Come on, Alana.” I clung to the side of the Jet Ski, my face turned toward her.
    She leaned over and kissed me on the mouth.
    â€œThat’s just in case I never get another chance,” she said. “Hold on.” She gunned the Jet Ski, and we shot toward the next wave.
    To get on a big wave you have to cut along the side of the break and steer into it at just the right spot. If we went in too late, the wave would break and both of us would drop sixty feet onto the exposed reef. Big waves pull everything into them, including fish, sharks, logs, bottles and cans. Once I even saw a mannequin rolling in the face of a wave.
    Alana approached the wave slowly. She gunned forward and then let off a bit as we drew toward it. “Here we go,” she yelled.
    The mass of water rolled up beside us. As we approached the lip, another Jet Ski flew past. I was turning into the wave, preparing for the dizzying drop, when I looked over and saw Kevin smiling.
    â€œKevin,” I yelled.
    His smile faded. “Luca, what are you doing here?” he yelled.
    â€œLet go!” Alana yelled. The wave was cresting. She needed to take off before she went over with it. I let go after Kevin did, and the two of us dropped.
    The wave was messier than the first one I had taken. Kevin immediately cut to the right. I was more interested in outrunning it. The wave was breaking from right to left again, so I followed Kevin toward the rocks. Kevin had cut back up the front of the wave. He was carving back and forth as though he was on a six- or seven-foot wave. I kept going straight down, thinking only of getting to shore as quickly as possible. Kevin would have to come in. He had seen me, and he knew I’d seen him. If he didn’t come in, then I had no idea who he was anymore.
    I glanced over my shoulder at Kevin. He was carving, rushing ahead of the barrel. I focused on the shore, feeling the press of the massive wave behind me. The wave slowed, and I glanced back.
    Kevin was gone.

chapter fifteen
    I carved out of the wave and lay down on my board. My heart was thumping. But I didn’t have long to rest. The next wave was coming in, and it looked angry.
    I couldn’t see Kevin anywhere, just white foaming water where the wave had crashed. I looked toward the shallow reef and spotted a surfboard, just the tip, bobbing in the foam. But I didn’t see Kevin. I started to swim back out. Where was Jose on his Jet Ski? He was supposed to make sure Kevin came up on the other side.
    I heard the whine of an engine, and Alana was beside me, standing tall on her Jet Ski. “Where’s your friend?” she yelled.
    â€œI don’t know. He didn’t come out. There’s a bit of his board over there.” The next wave crashed down. I clung to the side of the Jet Ski until the surge passed. I looked at the rocks once the water had receded. Something moved. I paddled out to get a better look. It was Kevin, clinging to the side of a rock.
    â€œHe’s over there!” I yelled.
    â€œThere’s another wave coming in. He’s going to get battered,” said Alana.
    â€œWe have to go get him,” I said, releasing my board and pulling myself up on the Jet Ski.
    â€œThere’ll be no room for him if we both go,” Alana said. She rolled off the Jet Ski into the water. “You go get him.” She grabbed hold of my board, pulled herself onto it and