Lights Out

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Operating a jet ski was fairly easy, Mindy discovered, but trying to navigate it in the dark was not. She was surprised that the proprietor even agreed to let them rent one this late in the day.

They rented the biggest jet ski the place had to offer, so they could ride double. The craft was so big that, to Mindy, it felt more like a boat. With the flared sides and long nose, they did not even get wet.

Their eyes had adjusted to the darkness, eliminating the need for a flashlight. Most of their time had been spent trying to figure out how to get from one boat to the next in the shortest amount of time. The first vessel, a sailboat with a green light on the bow, was only a few hundred yards from where they launched. Even from shore, Mindy and Jenny could hear people laughing and talking amid blaring music.

"Well, we know it's not that one," Jenny said from the back of the jet ski. "Try that one over there." She pointed over Mindy's shoulder to another boat north of where they were drifting.

Mindy turned the key and revved up the engine. She pressed the accelerator then, launching the jet ski in the direction of their next target.

Matthew ran down the back stairs and left through the maintenance entrance at the rear of the building. Frantic, horrified screams reached his ears from the opposite side of the hotel, where Spencer's body had landed. Soon, all eyes would be on the street and not the water.