by Cindy Bell
“Yes. I think it came from over there.” She pointed to a low hill not far from where they stood.
“Sh.” Suzie put her finger to her lips then began walking in the direction of the hill. Mary walked right behind her. “I think there’s a car over there. Do you see it?”
“I think so.” Mary peered through the brush. “Is that even a road?”
“Whether it is or not, they’ve turned it into one.”
“Do you think Paul is in the car?”
“I’m not sure. But I’m going to find out. You stay here.” She turned to look at Mary.
“Suzie, I said I would stick with you and I meant it.”
“Mary, if something goes wrong and I end up in danger, I’m going to need you to get help. You’re the only one that knows what’s going on here. If I’m not back in ten minutes, go back to Paul’s boat and use the radio to call Jason for help. Okay?”
“No, it’s not okay.” Mary frowned. “What if something happens to you?”
“I will be fine, I promise. I need to know that you can call for help if we need it. Will you do that?”
“Yes, I will.” Mary’s hands balled into fists at her sides. “But I don’t like this. Not at all.”
“I know that.” She looked through the brush again, then back at Mary. “Everything will be fine. Remember, we have a wedding to host.”
“Yes, a wedding.” She nodded. “So make sure you don’t get hurt.”
“Don’t worry.”
Chapter Nineteen
Suzie slipped through the brush towards the car. She could hear muffled voices but couldn’t make out what they were saying. Then she heard Paul’s familiar voice.
“This is crazy. You are not going to get away with this.”
“But I already have. No one knows that you’re here, do they?”
“Look, there has to be a reasonable way that we can work this out.”
“No, there’s really not.” Suzie crept a few steps forward in an attempt to get a good look at the man she heard. However, when she set her foot down, she shattered a shell beneath her shoe. The sound drew the attention of an armed man. She couldn’t make out who he was, but he was headed straight towards her. Suzie’s breath caught in her throat when she saw the man who held the gun. Pedro.
“Well, look who it is?” Pedro pointed the gun at her. She held her breath. Even with her panicked mind she remembered the cut on his hand and the oyster shells in his trashcan and in that moment she could think of a thousand ways that she could have avoided exposing herself to him. However, it was too late for that. She looked past Pedro, at Paul, who grimaced the moment he saw her. “Your girlfriend is here?” Pedro smirked at Paul. “Time for a party.” Pedro moved his gun from Suzie and pointed it at Paul. “Hm?”
“Leave her alone!” Paul demanded sharply.
“Looks like I can handle everyone at once. Come on.” He waved his gun at Suzie to move her in the direction of the door.
Suzie’s eyes widened when she saw Simon stagger to his feet as Pedro pointed the gun at him. Simon kept his eyes to the ground. Was he even involved in this? Pedro ushered them towards a path.
“Let them go, they didn’t have anything to do with this,” Simon said.
“Sure. I’ll just let you all walk away, now that you know that I’m involved. Move it.” He shoved Simon forward. Paul looked over at her with wide eyes as if he might lunge for the gun, but she shook her head slightly. It was too risky. She held her breath as they walked past the area where Mary was a few moments before. Luckily there was no sign of her. Pedro led the three of them back to Simon’s boat and ordered them on board. Suzie tried to convince herself that he would be merciful and let them go, but she knew that there wasn’t much chance of that.
“Go inside.” Pedro waved the gun in their direction.
“Why? What are you going to do?” Paul started to move towards Suzie, but Pedro held him back. “Get inside.” He released the safety on the weapon. “Don’t move, or you’re not going to live to take another breath.”
Simon walked into the cabin. Pedro shoved Paul in. Suzie followed close behind.
“Against the wall.” He gestured with the gun towards the back wall of Simon’s boat. Simon didn’t argue. When Paul stood still and didn’t move he aimed the gun at Suzie’s head. “Up against the wall, Paul! Or she gets it.” Paul went against the wall next to Simon.
“What are you going to do to us?” Suzie stared at Pedro and kept her feet planted exactly where she was.
“Do as I say.” Pedro gestured to the wall again. “Oh no, Simon’s about to be held responsible for another murder.” He grimaced.
Suzie regulated the pattern of her breaths in an attempt to avoid panic. She suspected that the moment her back hit the wall the man would pull the trigger and they would all be killed, and he planned to frame Simon for their murders. She thought of Mary and wondered if she would be able to get help. Outside the boat she heard a loud roll of thunder. Rain pelted the boat and the rough water around it. With the storm that raged no helicopter or boat would be able to reach them anytime soon.
“Not unless you tell me what is going on here. What are you going to do?” She looked into Pedro’s eyes. They were cold and indicated that he had no desire to sympathize with her. However, he lowered the weapon a few inches. “These are the people you have known for years. They are your friends. Robbie was a fisherman and just a young man.”
“I don’t care. I don’t care about any of that. Robbie was not one of us, he was a coward and he is a part of my past. You’re all going to be just a part of my past. So close your mouth and do as I say.”
“Why would you kill us? You could just let us go. Are you really going to shoot all three of us?” Suzie asked.
“Shoot? No. I don’t need any more drama again.” Pedro smirked. “The storm can do my dirty work for me.”
“Why are you doing this?” Suzie asked. “Did you kill Robbie?” She wanted to keep him talking and she wanted a full confession.
“Enough!” Pedro said harshly. He reached down and threw some ropes to Paul and Simon. “Tie them up, around the railing.” He gestured to Suzie.
“But we’ll never survive out there on the water,” Suzie said.
“Exactly.” He aimed the gun at Suzie. She bent down and tied the ropes around Simon’s hands, her hands were trembling. Then she tied them around Paul’s. She tried to keep them loose. Pedro gestured to the wall. “Now, against the wall.”
She backed up against the wall next to Paul. She moved closer to him.
“Stop!” Pedro shouted. “Stay exactly where you are.” Suzie stopped. Maybe the illusion of compliance would keep her alive long enough to form a plan. If Pedro didn’t plan to shoot them they had a better chance of survival. But what were the chances with the storm that thrashed the water around the boat?
The boat started moving more violently as the storm picked up. She wondered if she might be able to use that to her advantage. Pedro trained his gun on her. She needed a way out. Maybe if she could distract him she could get the gun away from him.
“Oh, I’m feeling so sick.” She pressed her hand against her stomach. “I can’t help it, I think I’m going to vomit. Can I go to the bathroom?”
“Stay right there.”
She groaned and made a choking sound in her throat. “Ugh, I’m going to be sick.” She coughed and gurgled.
“Shut up!” He grimaced as there was a loud crash of thunder and the boat lurched to the side. All of a sudden she saw her opportunity and lunged forward. She reached for the wrist of the hand that held the gun in the same moment that she drove her shoulder into his chest. However, Pedro was much stronger than she expected and more used to the rolling seas. He wobbled a little, but did not tumble. The force did knock the gun out of his hand. When it fell to the floor of the boat a shot rang out. Suzie froze. Had she been hit? Had Paul or Simon been hit?
After a moment passed and no one cried out in pain and she coul
d feel no searing pain anywhere in her body Suzie dove for the weapon. Pedro dove for it at the same time. She managed to snatch it up before he did. The boat rocked so hard that Suzie rolled to the other side of the boat. She almost lost her footing. She gripped the gun as tight as she could. Water spurted through the hole that the stray bullet had left in the boat. Pedro also fell with the lurch of the boat. He crawled towards the door. She rushed up to him and lifted the butt of the gun prepared to slam it down on his head and knock him out, but before she could he swept his leg through her legs and she crashed to the floor. As she did she lost the grip on the gun and Pedro snatched it off the ground and shoved it in her face as he got to his feet. Suzie shuddered at the sound of a crash of thunder.
“Nice try.” He smirked. “Now against the wall!” He shouted. She stood up and walked towards the wall.
“Suzie.” Paul frowned. “Are you okay?”
“I am. Are you?” She looked into his eyes.
He nodded and glanced over at Pedro. “Just let us go. There’s no reason to make this worse.”
“Oh, I’m going to let you go all right. I’m just going to tie Suzie up.” He grabbed a length of rope and tied her hands up. She hoped that if she didn’t fight he wouldn’t bother to tie the rope too tight, but she was wrong. He tied it so tight that it cut into her wrists. She bit into her bottom lip to keep from crying out.
Pedro checked Paul and Simon’s ropes and tightened them. Once they were all tightly tied up, Pedro headed towards the cabin door.
“Pedro.” Simon spoke for the first time. “Don’t let them die this way.”
“Ha Ha, acting innocent now,” Pedro said. “If you didn’t stuff up and get caught by Robbie then we wouldn’t be in this mess and Robbie would be alive.”
“You can kill me, but please let them go,” Simon pleaded. As Suzie listened to the conversation she tried to make sense of what they were saying. Was he trying to save them? Was Simon innocent?
“Good luck.” Pedro chuckled as he pulled the cabin door shut. Suzie heard something slide into place to block them in. As her heart raced she looked over at Paul.
“What are our chances?”
He looked into her eyes. “It’s you and me, darling. There’s no chance we won’t get out of this. Turn your back to mine, I’ll get you untied.” He stretched out his hands towards her, but the fact that they were tied around the railing restricted his movement. She did as he instructed while she kept a watchful eye on Simon in the corner. His rough fingertips scraped along her palm and wrists as he tugged at the ropes around her wrists. She winced as the harder he tugged the tighter they became.
“Paul, it’s not working. It’s not working.” She pulled her hands away from him. “You’re making it tighter.”
“I’m sorry without being able to see it’s really hard to do.”
“Let me help.” Simon stood up from the corner. His hands were untied and in one hand he held a knife.
“How did you get out of the rope, Simon?” Suzie shied back as he approached her.
“I had a knife in my pocket. Pedro didn’t find it because I keep it tucked behind my cigarette pack. It throws off the cops, too.” He held the knife out towards her. “Let me get you free.”
“Don’t come near me.” She glared at him.
“Suzie, it’s okay,” Paul said.
“It’s not, Paul. He’s the one that caused all of this. He’s the one that killed Robbie.”
“He didn’t.” Paul frowned. “Pedro did and now, we’re all in the same boat, literally. Simon’s not going to hurt you.”
“I wish I could believe that.”
“Let me show you.” Simon lowered the knife but stepped towards her. “I’m not going to hurt you, Suzie. I know what you must think of me, and you’re not wrong. I did a horrible thing. I kept his murderer a secret. I did try to save him. If I wasn’t involved he might never have been murdered. But I’m not going to make the same mistake again, I’m not going to let someone else die. If we’re going to survive this storm we’re all going to have to work together.”
Suzie’s stomach churned at the thought of working with someone that was involved in a murder. She glanced over at Paul who nodded to her. With a deep sigh she turned her back to Simon. With every step he took towards her she waited for the plunge of the knife into her back. However, all she felt was the cool glide of the blade against her wrist as he slipped it between her skin and the tight ropes around it. With one sharp movement he cut her free. Her eyes filled with tears as the pain in her wrists finally eased. She rubbed them and turned back to face him.
“Give me the knife.” She held out her hand to him.
“What? I can free Paul.”
“No. You’re not going anywhere near him with that knife. Give it to me and I will cut him loose.”
“What if you decide to kill me first?” Simon stared at her.
“Of the two of us, who has more chance of doing that?” She glared into his eyes. Simon frowned and glanced over at Paul.
“You weren’t lying about her courage.”
“Give her the knife, Simon. This boat is going down fast.” Paul looked towards the water that reached up to his ankles. Simon handed her the knife. Suzie hurried over to Paul and cut his hands free. Then she tucked the knife into her back pocket. There was no time to argue or even discuss their escape. The boat lurched hard to the left, then to the right, and a huge wave of water washed into the cabin. She shoved her shoulder against the door in an attempt to open it, but it wouldn’t budge.
“We’re not going to get out this way,” Suzie said.
“Simon, grab that ax!” Paul pointed to an ax that hung on a wall among other tools. “We’re going to hack our way out.”
“Good idea.” Simon grabbed the ax and tossed it to Paul. Paul swung it hard at the door. He continued to swing, harder and harder, until finally the door splintered open. He made enough of an opening to get through.
“Stay close. This boat might roll.” Paul grabbed her hand and guided her out in front of him. As soon as Suzie was outside she was hit with a deluge of rain. She tried to see past it, but it was impossible. Paul and Simon climbed out onto the deck after her. Just as they made it out, the boat surged hard to the right, and Suzie lost all sense of direction as she flew up into the air.
Chapter Twenty
Mary pulled herself to her feet, but the slippery deck of Paul’s boat made it nearly impossible to keep her footing. She wrapped her arms around the railing and clung tight. She peered through the driving rain in the direction of the last place that she saw Simon’s boat. However, all she could make out were rolling waves. She saw no sign of the boat. Her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. Where was Suzie? All of her seasickness left her as she was sick with worry.
“Suzie!” She screamed her name, but the roar of the wind ripped it away. She’d never experienced anything more frustrating than screaming without making much of a sound. She rushed back to the radio again and grabbed it. She hadn’t been able to hear a response from anyone. She had no idea if anyone was on the way.
“Jason, are you out there? Jason?”
The crackle that returned over the radio had a hint of a voice. She squeezed the radio in her hand. “Jason, please. I’m on Paul’s boat. We’re out on the water. Simon’s boat is gone, we need help out here! At the pearl farm!”
Again the radio crackled. She still couldn’t make out what was said. To her relief the rain began to let up. It seemed to her that the wind pushed the boat far from the last place she’d seen Simon’s boat. Seconds later flashing lights in the distance drew her attention. She recognized the police boat and yelled as loud as she could.
“Jason!” Mary waved furiously to him from the boat. “Jason!”
The police boat drifted close to Paul’s. “Mary, are you okay? Where are Suzie and Paul?”
“I don’t know. I’ve been searching for them. They were trapped on Simon’s boat. I tried to get to them, but the sto
rm kept pushing me away. Jason, I’m afraid something terrible has happened.”
Jason shaded his eyes as he looked over the water. “Knowing my cousin, she is just fine. Look. Maybe they are there, I think I see some movement.” He looked through his binoculars and pointed to a small scrap of land that couldn’t even be called an island. “I bet they’re over there. Let’s go take a look.” He offered her a hand to help her onto his boat. One of the patrol officers climbed onto Paul’s boat.
“Take it back to the docks, but don’t let anyone else touch it. Understand?”
“Yes sir.” He nodded as he took control of Paul’s boat. Mary clung to the sides of the seat she perched on.
“Please hurry, Jason. This storm is terrible.”
Jason headed for the piece of land. “Keep an eye out, Mary, if you see anyone in the water let me know.”
“I’m looking.” Mary’s voice wavered with fear. She leaned so far forward that she could feel the spray from the water as the boat ploughed through it. Fresh tears flooded her eyes which made it hard for her to see. She blinked them back and stared hard at the water. By the time they reached the land the tears fell freely down her cheeks.
“Are they there? Do you see them?” Jason grimaced and pulled out a pair of binoculars. He scanned as much of the land as he could see. Just when he was going to put the binoculars away he saw a big piece of cloth. It flapped in the wind that still blew hard across the water.
“Suzie?” He shouted and climbed off the boat. Mary followed after him and scrambled to get from the water to the sand.
“Do you see her? Where is she? Suzie! Paul!”
“Here!” Suzie’s voice carried across the sand. Mary’s heart raced with joy. Suzie pushed herself to her feet and waved her arms above her head. “We’re here!”
Jason jogged up to her. “Are you hurt?” He looked her over.
“No, I’m okay. But Paul, and Simon.” She gestured to the two men on the sand beside her.
“Paul!” Jason dropped down beside him. “Can you hear me?”