“De treasure ye seek, she be beyond de peak. A siren’s great sound, de bounty be found,” Avery read, then flipped the page over to see if there was any other information.
“That’s it?” Sara asked.
“That be all, matey,” Cherylynn said, trying out a pirate impression.
“Yarr,” Avery murmured, thinking back over her research of the island. “I think this is leading us to the south, where the cave and the siren statue are.”
“Excuse me… what cave and siren statue? Did you already figure this out?” Cherylynn demanded, hands on her hips.
“Seriously? Did none of you read up on this island before you arrived?” Avery asked. She couldn’t imagine being so blasé about traveling anywhere.
“I did,” Sara admitted, leaning over the map. “And I do recall that there’s either a siren statue, or some rocks that make a siren song at high tide or something. But I’m not certain I could lead you to them.”
“I bet this one could,” Cherylynn said, pointing at Avery. “First thing out of her mouth when we landed was talking about what side of the island we were on and trade winds and whatnot.”
“Then we’re lucky to have her on our team, aren’t we?” Lisette smiled at Avery.
“South is that way. Best to follow the water,” Avery said, checking the joke of a map once more before folding it up and putting it in her pack. It didn’t surprise her in the least that they had been provided with as little information as possible. The standard operating procedure of these shows seemed to be setting people up for failure – apparently that was what made for good television.
“Ballpark on how long we’re walking for?” Cherylynn asked, as they fell in line along the hardpacked sand just past the water’s edge. A few cotton-ball style clouds dotted the sky, and a light breeze accompanied them on their walk.
“How long do you think these cameramen will walk for?” Sara wondered, nodding to where a cameraman walked ahead of them, catching all angles of their beach walk.
“I doubt for very long. But there’s always a twist,” Cherylynn said.
“Maybe they have cameramen set up on the next leg,” Lisette offered, tossing her braid behind her shoulder and pulling her coverup off to reveal a slinky turquoise bikini. “Might as well work on my tan.” Avery admired the nonchalance with which she strutted her stuff, making the beach her catwalk. The cameramen were eating it up.
“Not a bad idea,” Sara agreed, sliding out of her black coverup. Avery wondered if she’d been baking in the black, and was grateful for her own loose coverup. As nice as it might have been to slink along in her bathing suit, Avery just didn’t have the skin for this sunlight. As the other women pulled clothes off, she donned her loose white sun shirt, buttoning it loosely so it covered her shoulders. If she remembered correctly, it was a long walk to the wall of cliffs where the siren rocks were located, and she’d be red as a lobster by day’s end if she didn’t protect herself now.
“I feel like the grandma of the bunch,” Avery decided, laughing at herself. “I might as well have that white zinc paste on my nose.”
“I think you look nice,” Lisette said. “The loose button-down is its own kind of sexy look. Like it’s begging to be unbuttoned and your hair let down. A lot of guys think that’s sexy.”
“You’re really sweet, Lisette; thank you. I don’t think I was thinking sexy when I pulled this on, so much as not frying to a little crisp like a vampire in sunlight.”
“Work with what you got,” Cherylynn shrugged. “We’re all unique in our own way. And not any less beautiful for our differences.”
“That’s right. We’re a team of badass babes and we’re about to kick some treasure-hunting butts,” Sara said. “Do we need a team name? What about a cheer?”
“Bountiful Beauties?” Cherylynn offered.
“Sassy Sirens?” Lisette asked.
“Savvy Sirens,” Sara decided.
“I like it,” Avery laughed, and brought her hand up for a team high-five. “Celebrating our looks and our brains. It’s perfect.” The women cheered and continued down the beach, chattering away in perfect accord.
Avery smiled, taking in the beautiful beach and her new friends. She found that despite her earlier misgivings about the fakeness of this show, she was actually having a good time. She doubted it would last – the catfights and drama would start again soon – but for now she was determined to take joy from this moment and pretend, for just a second, that she was a carefree adventurer having a wander down an unknown beach, just waiting to see what she’d discover.
She liked this Avery, and hoped she’d stick around.
Chapter 17
“They’re losing their shit,” Cherylynn whispered, peering around a cluster of bushes as one of the other groups descended into a full-on screaming match.
“I can hear,” Lisette said, studying her nails before looking up at the group. “What should we do?”
“Watch them tear each other apart?” Cherylynn asked, her eyes alight with glee.
“I can go try to mediate,” Avery offered, though she didn’t think she was likely to make much headway. Especially now that one of the women was insulting the other’s butt. She delivered the line well, but she lost points for meanness, Avery decided, peeking around the tree in time to see the woman with the aforementioned large butt tackle the other into the water. The cameras descended and madness ensued with a bevy of shrieks and insults.
“I think this is a good time to carry on and get ahead of them,” Sara decided. The group all looked at each other and nodded.
“Run for it?” Cherylynn whispered, pointing to a spot where the path along the beach narrowed between two cliff walls that came together like guards protecting a fortress.
“Go!” Avery agreed and together they dashed across the sand, not looking at the bedlam in the sand behind them – though Avery was pretty sure she saw a bikini top go flying into the air. Duly noted: Do not pick fights with these women, Avery thought. She gave a small shudder at the idea of brandishing her breasts on national television. A giggle bubbled up as she thought about it, and about the ridiculousness of them scrambling across the sand and ducking behind the cliff walls so the other group couldn’t see them.
“I think we made it okay,” Cherylynn said, fanning her face with her hand. “But we should keep moving on. How much longer you reckon, Avery?”
“Um…” Avery pulled out the poorly-drawn map and studied it, realizing it was really more of a cartoon than anything indicative of where they were. Relying on her memory, she looked around at the cliffs surrounding them. “I hate to say it, but it’s either up the side of this cliff and over, or out in the water. And I’ll be honest, I’m not going to handle going out in the water well.”
“Why’s that?” Beckett asked from behind her, causing her to jump what felt like a foot in the air.
“What the –! Beckett! Don’t sneak up on people like that,” Avery gasped, bringing a hand to her chest. It felt like her heart was going to pop out of her skin.
“It’s hardly ‘sneaking up’ with three cameramen and a producer lounging around,” Beckett said, and Avery glanced around to see that the crew was hunkered down in the cavern they were in. They’d done a good job of concealing themselves, and she imagined it took some talent to blend into the background with a huge camera on your shoulder.
“Still. I swear you move like a panther,” Avery grumbled, not enjoying being caught unawares but also not wanting to discuss her fear of water with Beckett.
“Wait until you see my other moves,” Beckett said, his grin just shy of a leer.
Avery smacked him on the arm. “You’ll have to work a lot harder for that,” Avery promised. She turned away to scan the beach again, missing Beckett’s approving gaze on her.
“I vote we climb as well. I don’t like how the waves are crashing around those rocks.” Cherylynn pointed. “See? It looks like there’s some kind of current or undertow there, and I certainly do
n’t need this pretty face getting smashed upside a rock, now, do I?”
“No, you do not,” Beckett agreed. Cherylynn immediately shot him a sassy grin as he moved to her side. “I’d hate to see your perfection marred.”
Cherylynn, true to her nature, whooped out a laugh and put her hand on Beckett’s arm, gently squeezing his muscles.
“Honey, you’re good for my ego, that’s for damn sure. I think I’ll keep you around,” Cherylynn said, laughing up at him. “Especially with these here strong muscles of yours. I can only imagine what kind of trouble they’d keep me out of.”
Surely that wouldn’t work on him, Avery thought, then rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses when Beckett flexed and the rest of the women dissolved into oohs and ahhs. Sometimes she wondered about the fragile male ego.
Avery left them behind to fawn over Beckett and made her way toward what looked like a small path leading through a pile of rocks and up toward the top of the cliff. Looking up, she gauged they’d have at least an hour or two hiking to the top, and who knew what lay on the other side. Glancing back out at the water that churned around the rocks at the base of the cliffs, Avery shuddered once more. This time her stomach did little flips as she thought about trying to swim out and around the rocks.
The funny thing was that she had once been a really strong swimmer. In fact, she likely still was – it wasn’t a skill you just lost, Avery mused. She started the climb, knowing the other women would follow once they stopped drooling over Beckett. She’d grown up going to the lake on the weekends in the summer, spending hours in the water and jumping from the dock, or being pulled in a tube behind their motorboat. She’d only ever come in from the water when her mom would whistle for her to come inside; her dad would be standing by the grill, carefully attending to the meats he was cooking there. Thinking of them made her smile – they’d had different reactions to her joining this show.
When she’d first told them, they’d both immediately asked if Ruby had put her up to it. Knowing their daughters well, it wasn’t difficult to determine the root cause of Avery suddenly leaving her carefully cushioned existence for a wild trip to the Caribbean to film a reality television show. Her dad had been excited for her, happy to see her taking risks, and had started following all the blogs about the show online. He’d been the one to send her maps of the island and go over the history of where she was traveling to. Her mother, on the other hand, had been immediately worried for Avery. She’d been the one to stay with her for months after her accident, making her soup and helping her to feel normal again. Avery’s mother knew better than anyone just what a huge step this trip was for her.
“Use good sense,” her mother had cautioned. “And above all – be kind. You don’t want to be one of those women who make other women look bad. We all need to support each other, not fight against each other. Women should lift other women up.”
Thinking about her words, Avery turned back to make sure her group was still close behind her. They’d finally stopped fawning over Beckett and had now fallen in line on the hike, Beckett joining them. Avery turned back to the path. The sun’s heat was relentless in the midday, and sweat trickled down her back beneath the pack she wore. Reaching for her water bottle, she took a swig and reminded herself to ration her sips, even though she’d likely get dehydrated. They really had no idea how long they’d be out here, and water was everything when it came to energy and survival in the heat like this. As the hours drew out, the group became silent, each lost in their own thoughts as they worked their way up the side of the cliff.
When they reached the apex, a generous breeze shot over the edge, bringing a smile of sweet relief to Avery’s face. It had been exhausting to hike in the stillness all day, and now, at the top of the path, she welcomed the beautiful trade winds that the cliff wall had been blocking all day.
Her foot skidded and she forced herself to focus on where she was stepping. The path here was uneven, with loose gravel, bits of rock, and sand making the climb slippery. She had just turned to call out a warning about watching their steps when Sara shouted and went tumbling down the path.
“Sara!”
Chapter 18
“Is it broken?” Cherylynn hovered over Sara, who lay sprawled haphazardly across the path, her ankle twisted at an angle.
“I don’t think so,” Sara gasped, pushing herself up to a seated position. There was a swipe of dirt across her sweaty face and her eyes were wide. Gingerly, she wiggled her toes and moved her foot up and down. “But it’s a nasty sprain, that’s for sure. I’ve done this a few times now; I know the drill.”
“We’ll have to get you evacuated,” Cherylynn said and looked directly at one of the cameramen. “Don’t you have medical assistance?” The cameraman just shrugged and kept taping, and Avery’s blood boiled.
“The incompetence of the producers running this show,” Avery hissed, kneeling at Sara’s side. “Listen, we’re going to carry you to the top. There’s a nice breeze, some shade behind some boulders, and I have a first aid kit with me. But you’re looking a little shocky and I’d like to get you in the shade first before I deal with your ankle.”
Sara nodded, her eyes wide, and Avery looked to Beckett.
“You’ll have to carry her.”
“I’m not sure I’m allowed…” Beckett trailed off as Avery stood up, hands on hips, and glared at him.
“You can and you will carry her to the top of this damn cliff because you’re a decent human being. It doesn’t matter what the rules are or if the cameras are running. She’s hurt, and going into shock. Now pick her up and get your ass to the top of the cliff before I make you sorry you ever stepped foot on this stupid reality show.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Beckett said, his face flaming. He bent and scooped Sara easily into his arms.
“Watch that ankle,” Avery warned, and raced ahead up the path until she found a spot in the shade. Dropping to her knees, she opened her pack and pulled out a thin quick-dry towel to lay on the ground, and her first aid kit. Motioning for Beckett to lay Sara on the towel, she instructed Cherylynn to come sit at her feet.
“Elevate her legs across yours,” Avery instructed, and pulled out a travel ice pack. She cracked the crystals to activate the cold, and gently laid it over Sara’s visibly swelling ankle. “Now, just let that cool there for a bit and we’ll wait this out with you. It’ll give you a moment while your adrenaline calms down a little.” Avery sat next to Sara and held her hand, squeezing it while the woman breathed slowly, then looked up at Beckett, who hovered over them.
“You can’t honestly think we’re going to keep hiking like this, can you?”
“I… I don’t know what happens in these circumstances. I’m sorry.” Beckett held up his hands. “I can go ask. I’m sure Roman is lurking around here somewhere.”
At Roman’s name, Avery glanced wildly over her shoulder, trying to find him, but to no avail.
“You go find that man this instant, and you tell him that no show is worth someone’s life. What if she falls and hurts herself more? What if the ankle is broken? This isn’t a survival show. It’s a dating show. I highly doubt she signed up for this. There has to be some sort of medical assistance,” Avery fumed as she watched Beckett hike away.
“I can’t imagine they would let her continue out here in the elements,” Cherylynn agreed.
“Actually, they might,” Lisette said, crouching on the other side of Sara’s head and covering her with the coverup she’d pulled off earlier that day. Brushing her hair back, she felt Sara’s forehead and made a small noise of distress. “It really depends on what Sara wants. Ultimately, I think she gets to make the decision.”
“Is that true? No way,” Avery said, her mouth open. She glanced back to the cliff that had just taken them hours to climb, and then out to where the sun dipped toward the horizon. It would be dark by the time they got to the bottom of the path again. There was no way Sara would be able to maneuver or manage the path in darkness. She’d bar
ely be able to do it in daylight, Avery thought, and frowned down at Sara’s ankle while her brain whirled with various scenarios.
“I think I’m okay,” Sara said, trying to sit up a bit, but Avery put a hand on her shoulder to push her back. “I’m not really in shock, I just get this rush to my head when I get injured. It’s happened a few times on the job. At least I didn’t faint this time.”
“That’s good. I don’t need you going into full shock,” Avery agreed, and glanced back at Sara’s ankle propped on Cherylynn’s leg. “But I do think your ankle is really hurt.”
“It is. But it’s not broken. Really. Do you have anything to wrap it with? I think if we wrap it and maybe find me a walking stick, I might be okay.”
“Are you crazy? You don’t want to make this any worse,” Avery protested.
“I mean, what’s my choice here? If they don’t evacuate me, then I have to figure out a way down. Plus, I’m certain it’s not as bad as it looks. I just get really really lightheaded when I hurt myself. I’m sure that made it look more dramatic than it is. Is there… can I have any water?”
Avery handed her the bottle from her pack and cautioned her to take small sips, then dug through the first aid kid for some anti-inflammatory pills.
“Take a few of these. I’m going to wrap it up now, if that’s okay with you?” Avery asked, brandishing a roll of bandaging.
“Please. I’m sure I’ll be fine. I don’t want to go yet,” Sara whispered.
Avery sighed, annoyed that people were more concerned with a stupid show than basic safety.
After Avery’s accident, she’d become an emergency first responder, hoping to help manage some of the stress that lingered from that day. Her training took over as she carefully wrapped Sara’s ankle, then she checked to see how many other ice packs she had with her.
A Good Chance (The Siren Island Series Book 3) Page 10