by Rylee Swann
“Your choice.” He gripped the door handle. “Decide now.”
Another flurry of gunshots hit the car, and the car settled, the snake hiss of blown-out tires audible.
Rayna screamed and covered her ears. “Oh, god!”
She flung open her door and jumped out at a run.
Wishing he had a visible target to shoot back at, Shawn quickly did the same and caught up with her. He grabbed her hand and together they ran out onto the beach. He forced her into a zigzag pattern as puffs of sand flew up on either side of them. He was reminded of the silent gunshots that had forced him to backtrack, leading him to Rayna’s house. Either this son of a bitch was a terrible shot or…
Rayna stumbled, going down onto her knees and derailing Shawn’s train of thought.
He turned around and yelled, “Get up, Ray. Now!”
He pulled her by the hand as she regained her feet and they continued a straight all-out run to the ocean.
By the time they arrived at the water’s edge, Rayna gasped for breath and held her side. “I can’t...go...any farther.”
“You’ll be alright. We’re on my turf now. Come on!”
He didn’t wait for a reply and ran into the ocean, dragging her along with him.
He experienced the comfort of the sea at once and melted into its embrace. If not for Rayna, he would have dived under and not come up for hours. But she was with him, so he pulled her into a crouch as wave after wave hit them, sending them back three steps for every one they took.
“I’m holding you back.” She sputtered as another wave knocked her off her feet.
Shawn refused to let go, forcing her forward and farther into the ocean. “We’re alright now. They can’t see us. We’re far enough out and it’s too dark.”
She bobbed beside him, chest heaving, face almost translucent with terror. “You sure?”
He wasn’t sure at all, not knowing anything about the attacker or even how many of them there were, but he chose this time to allay her fears. “Yes, I’m sure. But we’ll need to stay out here until we can be certain they’re gone.”
“How long? I can’t touch the bottom. I can’t swim forever.” She flailed in her efforts to stay afloat, panting like a dog.
“It won’t be forever.” He reached out, touching her shoulder. “Take a deep breath and go under. It’s easier than keeping your head above water. When you need air come up in a different spot.”
“You said they couldn’t see us!”
“Just do what I say, alright?” He floated back a little, splashing her in the face. “Rabbit.”
She sputtered in surprise, spitting out water. “Damn.”
She reared her arm back and sent as much water as she could in his direction.
He dodged it and allowed a genuine smile as she disappeared beneath the surface.
He dove down beneath her and looked up at her swimming form. Admired the length of her bare legs, the curve of her breasts, the humorous puff of her cheeks filled with air. He swam in lazy circles, moving with her as she floated to the right. She went up for air and made it back down safely two times. The third time, he came up with her.
“Keep doing what you’re doing,” he said. “I’m going to look for a good place to get you back on land.”
She nodded, her face drawn, haggard. Telltale signs of exhaustion lived in her eyes and her labored movements.
“I won’t be long.”
“Wait.” She reached toward him. “Sharks. W-what if there are sharks?”
Terror made the whites of her eyes seem like two ghostly moons in her pale face, and he realized how genuinely helpless she was in the one place he felt most at home.
“It’s unlikely. Stop frightening yourself. But if the worst happens and sharks swim by, I’ll know. And, I’ll get back to you before they sense you’re here.”
What he’d told her was only half true. He’d know if sharks were nearby, but they were fast, damned fast.
“I-if you’re sure.”
“I am,” he lied.
He dove down and past her to the right, toward the closest jetty. It took him only a few minutes to get to the manmade rocky structure, yet he frowned with the knowledge that it would take Rayna much longer. Diving deeper, he examined the way the large rocks were put together until he found what he sought at the waterline, closer in toward shore.
A natural indentation. Almost a cave where the water didn’t get in. Large enough to hold Rayna and him.
He’d get Rayna up onto the jetty and help her to safety, but now he also had a backup plan if things went south. A place to hide should the sniper start firing at them again and climbing onto the jetty became too dangerous.
Swimming back, he surfaced in front of Rayna, noting the relief in her eyes when she spotted him.
“C’mon. Time to go.”
“O-okay.” This time her stutter wasn’t due to fear. Her lips had turned an unhealthy shade of blue.
Inwardly, Shawn sighed. One more emergency to deal with.
Rayna started to dog-paddle in the direction Shawn swam but did more splashing than forward motion. The exhaustion and cold water had done her in. Tilting his head, he considered her for a moment. Such a human problem. One he’d never encountered before. He never grew tired in water, nor too cold. He thought, not for the first time, how delicate humans were. So quick to succumb to disease and the elements. So easy to kill.
He could leave her. She’d die of exposure or drown soon enough, and that would resolve the problem of all he’d told her.
Yet, that didn’t sit right with him. He stole another glance at her determined face. He admired the valiant effort to follow him, her will to live, and her resolve not to ask for help.
He’d help anyway.
Returning to her, he held her by the arm to stop her frantic paddles.
“Climb on,” he said, and turned his back to her.
“What?”
“Get on my back. I’ll swim for you. It’ll be faster.”
“Oh…” She smiled, her eyes glistening.
He glanced back at her. Smiling and about to cry? He’d never understand human females. Yet, he took the smile at face value, his heart lightening.
She put her hands on his shoulders, holding on tight when he straightened his body and began gliding through the water. The gun he’d secured at his waist in the back of his pants shifted and scraped along his skin. Rayna adjusted her position, and the weapon dislodged and began to sink. Submerging his head, Shawn watched the descent, unable to do anything about it. He wouldn’t leave Rayna at the surface by herself, knowing she might not survive.
They’d get along without the gun, he assured himself.
He had to admit he liked the feel of her stretched across his back. The way her body melded to his. Her skin, although cold, was soft. Even the trust she put in him to save her life he found remarkable, too.
For the first time in his life, he wished to be back on Paros. At least there he understood the rules, knew his place—lowest of the low—and knew what to expect. This business with Rayna made no sense. She was nothing more than an albatross around his neck, so why he stuck said neck out for her was a question he couldn’t answer.
It had always been better not to form attachments. They were liabilities of which no good could come. On Paros, he looked different from all the others, having taken after his Native American mother’s dark looks, when all Parosians were light-skinned with bright yellow hair. As a child, he’d been teased, ridiculed, excluded by the others around his age and older, and had only his brother to rely on for true companionship. He’d never resented Kyle for taking after their father in looks; they had a bond much too strong for petty concerns.
Kyle had been his savior on many occasions, doing battle with others to stop them from hurting Shawn. He’d also taught Shawn the weaknesses of many of his tormentors, so he could take on the battles himself. Sometimes, Shawn even won, which pleased him, although it led to greater torment from the o
thers.
After his mother helped establish diplomatic trade between Earth and Paros, ships from Earth started coming to Paros, and Shawn volunteered for shipboard duty—whatever it took to get off his home planet. Going to a planet where he blended in had to be better than his situation.
The scientists aboard the flagship told him about their experiments in time travel and how it related to Parosians, and he’d jumped at the chance to be an alpha tester. The scientists, in turn, were thrilled to have the opportunity to try their science on someone both human and Parosian. When Shawn told his brother, Kyle had known he wouldn’t be happy on Paros without Shawn, and also signed on to be a time traveler.
Despite Shawn’s sudden desire to be back on Paros, he wasn’t there. Instead, he found himself stuck in an Earth ocean with a woman who perplexed him beyond all reason.
Arriving at the jetty with his passenger, he swam to the spot where he thought it would be easiest for her to climb up. She slid from his back, gripping a rock to steady herself.
“Thank you,” she said through chattering teeth. “I’d have never made it here by myself.”
He brushed off the comment, pointing above her. “See how the rocks form a stepladder of sorts? We’ll go up here.”
Rayna gasped as laughter came from above. Her eyes grew wide in panic, but Shawn was ready for the possibility of discovery.
“Come with me,” he whispered close to her ear, silently cursing their bad luck. Laughter meant harmless fun, and not whoever was trying to kill him. But bad timing was still bad timing that had to be dealt with.
He led Rayna to the makeshift cave, and taking her hand, led her into the small but sturdy enclosure, settling beside her on a moss-covered rock above sea level. Breathing hard, Rayna shivered violently, and Shawn did the next most confusing thing he’d done since meeting her: he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and drew her to him.
She molded herself to him, laying her head on his shoulder and shutting her eyes. She fell asleep as the waves crashed around them and he enjoyed having her close.
Some time later, as the sun warmed the earth, Shawn nudged Rayna awake.
She opened her eyes and smiled up at him, stretching her arms and back. “’Morning.”
He noticed a slight ruddiness to her cheeks and admired the blush for a moment before kicking into gear. “It should be safe to go up onto land now. The laughter was from early morning fishermen, but they’re gone. Ready?”
She nodded, rubbing her arms and legs. “I guess so. It’ll be nice to get out of these wet clothes.”
One side of his mouth quirked up for a moment. “The longer you stay with me, the wetter you’ll become.”
He enjoyed the sight of her blush deepening before he jumped into the water. Holding up a hand, he invited her in, and together they swam back to the spot he’d located earlier and climbed up. Hand in hand they walked down the slick rocks of the jetty, Shawn steadying Rayna lest she misstep and land back in the ocean. When they’d reached the last of the rocks, they jumped down to land on the dark, wet sand.
“Thank goodness.” Rayna heaved in a grateful gulp of air and turned her face to the warming sun.
Shawn bent to roll up the ends of his jeans so they wouldn’t drag in the sand. Glancing around, he noted the beach filling with sunbathers eager to take advantage of another beautiful summer day. The sun and the growing crowd were good signs of the unlikely possibility that the sniper would take any potshots at them, but regardless, Shawn wouldn’t let down his guard.
Straightening, he took Rayna’s hand and led her through the dry sand, just starting to heat up, toward the exit to the street.
“Do you think it’ll be safe to get my car?” She plodded along beside him, her feet sinking into the sand, the granules clinging to her skin.
“I won’t know until I check it out.” He offered nothing more, as he kept up a continuous scan of the beach.
“Oh, um, well...I just want to thank you again. You know...for saving my life.”
“There’s no need.” He fell silent for a moment. She deserved more. He wanted to say more. “It’s not like I’m a monster to leave you to drown.”
“No, oh, no. I didn’t mean to imply... I just…”
He glanced at her with his usual stern expression, and she stopped talking. They walked a few more steps, but Rayna apparently couldn’t help herself.
“So, this is how you live? Always on the run? Always in danger?”
He shrugged and quickened his step.
“Sorry, I don’t mean to pry. But you did save my life, and I might have a solution to help you in return.”
“A solution to what?” He didn’t look at her, grunting out the words.
“To you always being on the run and in danger.”
This piqued his interest and he stopped, turning and studying her until she wilted under his gaze.
“Look, maybe it’s a stupid idea and won’t work but…” She kicked at a shell with her toe. “You never know. Maybe it will.”
“Go on.” He kept his voice steady, level, and without an inflection of hope. She couldn’t possibly have a solution to his life. In fact, he didn’t need one, did he?
“Not here.” She glanced around. “Let’s get dry, eat breakfast, and I’ll tell you everything.”
6
“So, what’s this plan of yours?” Shawn asked as he dug a fork into his spinach omelet. He’d made sure that the waiter of this health food restaurant understood that he required it to be cooked in real butter with farm fresh eggs and organic spinach.
When he’d asked for no seasoning, the waiter had raised a brow of disbelief. Even more so than when they’d entered barefoot in damp clothing with dripping hair.
Of the few tables occupied, most patrons were elderly, sipping tea and reading newspapers. A couple of them had glanced up when they’d come in, raising eyebrows at the wet clothing, but had paid them no heed beyond that.
“Is it safe to talk here?” she asked.
Shawn picked up his bottled spring water and took a sip before nodding. “The diner’s almost empty and no one is sitting near us. Stop talking when someone walks by and we’ll be fine.”
He also had his eye on the door but didn’t bother mentioning that.
“So, it’s okay to say that you really are a mermaid...I mean, merman?” she said in a low, amused whisper.
He rolled his eyes to the ceiling but continued eating.
Rayna pouted, which he would never admit that he enjoyed. “You know, you’re no fun.”
“Do you have a solution for that too?” He gazed at her, his expression lighter than his normally hardened appearance. Enough to let Rayna know he was joking.
“Ha ha, you’re so funny.” She stabbed her fork in his direction. “You’re lucky I’m not stark raving mad by now with all this new information running circles in my brain.”
He nodded slowly, taking a quick look around. “I understand I’ve given you a lot to process but you’re predisposed to believe me since you already believed your father’s stories about me being a time traveler.” He glanced up at her with interest. “Unless you lied to dear old dad about believing his theories?”
She sighed and picked up a triangle of buttered toast, speaking to it rather than to Shawn. “Let’s just say I don’t know what I believe right now, okay?”
His grip on the fork tightened, the only outward sign that he was displeased with her response. “Do you think I’m crazy for what I’ve told you?”
She blinked at him, her mouth opening and then forming into a frown. “There’s no good way to answer that. It’s like a trick question. So, I’m not going to.”
“And we’ll revisit it later.” It wasn’t a question; he meant to come back to the subject and waited until she nodded her agreement.
“Picky, picky. Okay, now can I tell you my idea?” She took a bite out of the toast and Shawn watched for a moment, fascinated by her delicate movements. Yet, he saw a depth of inner str
ength too that almost frightened him and made her all the more interesting.
“Please do.”
“Thank goodness. I’m not sure I can keep my eyes open much longer.” She leaned forward conspiratorially. “Okay, so the way I see it is you make all these bad decisions…” He narrowed his eyes but didn’t interrupt. “About taking illegal jobs. And all this nasty business about killing people for money. What if the jobs you took weren’t against the law?” She raised her eyebrows, waiting for his reply.
Already annoyed with her choice of words, he spat out, “You’re getting to a point, aren’t you?”
Undeterred, she waved her fork at him. “Yes, of course I am. Why not work for the government? One of those secret clandestine branches that needs people with your skills? You know, something like the CIA, since you like to travel.”
She laughed at her little joke and took a sip of coffee.
“Because they’d lock me in a cage and throw away the key, I’d imagine.” He used a flippant tone, unwilling to fully admit to himself that the idea intrigued him.
“Not if you presented it the right way. Make a deal with them. Get their attention and really sell it.” She yawned and covered her mouth with a hand. “I’m exhausted. Maybe I’m not explaining this right.”
He took a final bite of his eggs and washed it down with water. “Come on. Let’s get out of here. There are several cheap motels along the beach road. We’ll crash in one of them and pick up your car later.”
“Wait. Why can’t we go back to my place or… Hey, where do you live?”
“I have an apartment in the city. A nice one. Penthouse with a pool but we’re not going there or to your place.”
“A penthouse with a pool? Are you messing with me?”
“No.” He started to grin and fought it back.
“Then I want to see it.”
“You’re very demanding.”
“You are messing with me.”
“Listen to me. We can’t go back to your place. The shooter could have run your plates to get your address and be waiting there for us. We’re not going to my penthouse. The shooter knew where I was, so might know where I live. It’s too dangerous.”