I try to put the fantasies out of my mind and focus on the moment, enjoying the cool, ocean breeze and the warm, flickering fire, the birds chirping, Gio’s deep voice echoing around me, and the waves of pleasure that pulse through me as I dance with Avery. This is good, this is enough. I’m happy here, with them.
When the song is over, I beg for another, but Gio complains that his stomach is upset and heads off for the trees. He comes back a short while later looking a little unsettled.
“Are you okay, Gio?” I stare at him as he sits down slowly, rubbing his stomach.
He waves me off. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Probably shouldn’t have eaten that leftover fish.”
Jude takes over the dance lessons, putting a twang in his voice and singing a song about an achy-breaky heart that makes me laugh. The moves are fun and fast, but I like Avery’s dance better only because it kept me in his arms.
“Now, these dances are good if you go to a ball or a country bar, but if we take you to a club, you gotta learn to bump and grind, baby girl.” Jude makes strange sounds with his lips and mouth, creating a fast beat, and starts gyrating his body against mine.
“Come on, Coral. Let loose and feel the music. Do whatever you like.”
I copy Jude’s movements at first, eventually feeling confident enough to make up a few of my own. When he sidles up behind me, I rub myself against him, and he grabs my hips and pulls me even closer. “Damn, girl. You’ve got moves. I better not take you to a club or somebody else might take you home.”
I glance at the other guys and notice that Liam and Avery are watching with interest, but Gio’s face is red and damp, and he’s clutching his stomach again.
I stop dancing and drop to my knees beside Gio, rubbing a hand across his sweaty brow. His forehead feels hot, yet his body is shivering. “Gio, are you okay?”
He looks up at me with glazed eyes then his body convulses. He turns his head away and vomits into the sand. Long strings of saliva dangle from his mouth as he wretches over and over again. When he’s done, he flops onto his back and closes his eyes, groaning.
“What’s wrong with him?” I cry.
Liam walks over to the half-eaten fish that Gio discarded, leaning over to peer at it. “Probably scombroid poisoning, possibly ciguatera. He’ll be okay, but it might take a few days.”
I hold one of the water containers up to Gio to drink, helping him lift his head so he can take a sip. He groans as he flops his head back down. I dunk a shirt in the water and wipe the sweat off his face.
“How can I help him?” I look up at Liam.
“That’s about all you can do for him.” He motions towards the water. “If we had some Benadryl I’d give him one of those because the scombroid bacteria releases histamines, but otherwise, all you can do is keep him comfortable and hydrated.”
“Gio, do you want to go to the raft?” The soft, air-filled boat would be more comfortable than the cold, hard sand.
“I don’t think I can make it that far, Princess.” Gio’s voice is hoarse and weak.
“The guys can help you,” I suggest, but Gio just shakes his head.
I grab some clothes from the duffel bag and fold up some shirts to place under his head. The others I drape over his curled up body. I wrap myself around his back, trying to warm him, and run my fingers through his hair. The barely-there fuzz has grown out just enough to soften his appearance.
“Princess?” he mumbles, barely loud enough for me to hear. “Will you lay on this side?”
I climb to my feet and walk around to his front then settle down right next to him. He snakes an arm around my waist and pulls me tight against his middle, and I bury my face in his chest. He tucks his head down against mine, and his breath is warm on my scalp. A short while later, Gio is snoring. It’s time for Avery and me to go to the lookout, but I don’t feel right leaving Gio.
Avery takes one look at me curled up with Gio and says, “Hey Jude, you want to go to the lookout with me tonight?” I’m grateful he understands. “Liam should probably stay down here to keep an eye on Gio, since he knows what to watch out for.”
I make eye contact with him and whisper, “I’m sorry.”
Avery gives me a gentle smile. “It’s okay, Coral. I’m glad he’s got you.”
Chapter 21
“There’s a boat!” I wake to Liam hollering and whistling as loud as he can, tossing more logs on the fire.
The flames shoot higher, and smoke billows up into the sky. He races to the other fire and stokes it as well. When I turn my head towards our lookout spot, I can see that Jude and Avery are doing the same and have even set the shelter on fire. The sun is just starting to peek over the horizon, so hopefully the fires are still easy to see.
Gio gasps and sits up, holding his stomach. He’s too weak to do anything but gaze out into the water, hope and disbelief warring on his face. Liam starts jumping up and down, waving and screaming as the boat comes closer, and Jude and Avery come barreling out of the trees, whooping and hollering.
The ship drops anchor a little ways away from the shoreline, and soon a smaller boat appears and motors towards us. Liam, Jude, and Avery all rush to the water’s edge, laughing and yelling, while Gio clings to me, excitement thrumming through his body.
“We’re going home, Princess. We’re finally going home,” he whispers to me, and fear and excitement crash into me in overlapping waves. I’m not ready for this yet!
An older, heavyset man climbs out of the boat, his clothes faded by the sun and sea. His eyes scan the guys by the shoreline then glance towards Gio and me. He runs a hand over his scraggly, gray-streaked beard and adjusts the battered hat on his head.
“Here, put this shirt on, Princess,” Gio mumbles, handing me a tee shirt. I stare at it for a moment in confusion but then do what Gio says. The man from the boat watches with interest.
I get up and hang the duffel bag over my shoulder. Gio can barely walk, so he leans heavily on me as we hobble over to the others. His body is burning up and covered in sweat, and he presses a hand against the lower right half of his abdomen.
“He’s getting worse, Liam.”
Liam looks at Gio and nods tersely. “I’m worried he has appendicitis. He needs to see a doctor as soon as possible.” I don’t know what any of that means, but I can tell it’s serious by Liam’s expression.
“Captain James Hendricks.” The man tugs on the brim of his hat as he saunters closer. “Saw your fires. You folks in need of some assistance?”
Liam steps forward and sticks out a hand. “Yes! Our boat went down about three months ago. We’ve been shipwrecked here ever since. I’m Liam, and this is Jude, and Avery. Gio and Coral.” Liam points towards us.
“Well, I’ll be damned.” The man raises an eyebrow and shakes their hands. “You all look pretty good for being out here so long. Don’t even look hungry. Musta had damn good luck to wash up in a halfway decent place.”
“It didn’t feel like good luck when our boat sank and our emergency beacon failed, but we survived. Can you get us back to the Keys?” Jude blurts out.
“Can’t hardly say no, now can we? Especially when there’s a lady in need.” James’ eyes rove up and down my body, and I cower into Gio’s side.
“You’re a godsend.” Liam nods at him.
“Ladies first?” The captain holds out a hand to me, and I go still as a stone, suddenly petrified.
“Go on, Coral,” Gio whispers. I look at him and see confidence in his eyes, and it inspires mine.
I take the man’s hand, carefully avoiding the water as I step into the small boat. His skin is rough and cracked and smells strongly of dead fish and smoke, but different than the campfire. I let go as soon as I’m in the boat. It wobbles under me, and I teeter off-balance and plop down on one of the benches.
“No sea legs, eh?” He chuckles at me.
“Looks like we came just in time for you.” The man eyes Gio. “Let’s get you into the skiff.” He reaches out a hand and helps Gio
climb into the small boat, and Gio immediately collapses on the seat beside me, his eyes glazed, his body shaking.
“Let me get these two aboard, then I’ll come back for you three.” He climbs in and starts up the motor, dropping down on the seat across from us.
I stare at the island as we putter away, emotions flooding my mind. I’m desperate to see the rest of the world, to experience all that the human world has to offer, but I’m also terrified. Will things stay the same between me and the guys, or will I lose them when they return to their lives? I know the guys each have their own homes and families, but where will I live, and what will I do? Will I be able to fit in there? My fear grows as we get farther away.
My worry must be obvious because Gio takes my hand and squeezes. “It’s gonna be okay, Coral. I’ll take care of you, I promise.” At this point, he needs someone to take care of him, but his words reassure me nonetheless.
In moments, we’re at the boat, and two other men are hovering above us on the deck. One is short and trim, just a little older than Gio, with tanned skin and sandy hair, and the other is middle-aged with a medium build.
“Sam, Roy, we’ve got some shipwreck survivors that need a ride back to civilization.”
They mutter curiously as they stare at me and Gio, lust swelling in their minds. “What’s a pretty, little thing like you doing out here in the middle of nowhere with a crew of guys?” Sam, the younger one, asks with a cocky smile.
“Treasure hunting.” I smile, pretending I was part of Gio’s team. Gio flinches, and I stiffen, wondering what’s wrong.
“Treasure hunting, eh? Did you find any?” James stands up and holds out a hand to help me. I sway as I try to balance in the rocking boat with the heavy duffel bag on my shoulder. “Here, darling, why don’t you let me send that bag up first?”
James lifts the bag off my shoulder, and his arm immediately drops with the weight of it. His face registers surprise, and he uses both hands to lift it up to the other guys.
“What on earth have you got in here, sweetheart? Bricks?” Sam asks as he takes the duffel. The other man reaches for me, helping me onto the deck. He wears dulled gold jewelry around his neck and wrist, and a large ring on his hand.
“Gold,” I say, and everything around me stills as all four men stop and stare at me. Gio’s face is twisted with anxiety, and the others are gaping in surprise.
Sam drops the duffel to the deck and bends down to unzip it. He rummages through the clothing, eventually pulling out the gold bar and holding it up with both hands, a mesmerized look on his face. “She’s not kidding.”
“Holy shit, would ya look at that!” Roy hurries over to take a look at the bar in Sam’s hands. He reaches out and caresses the gold, whistling. “What else did you find?” He glances at me.
Gio has a wild look in his eyes, and the things he imagines these guys doing to us is enough to scare me silent. “That and a few coins was all we found there,” he says.
My hand reaches for the pearl necklace I found, but it’s tucked under the shirt I’m wearing. I drop my hand and hope no one noticed.
“Now, that seems highly unlikely to me, Son. I imagine there were at least a few more bars like this one. I think we ought to make a little side trip to wherever you got this from.” James gives Gio a menacing stare.
Gio shakes his head and raises his hands. “Look, even if there is more to be found there, I couldn’t tell you where to look. A storm destroyed our boat along with all our navigational equipment and logs.”
The three men look at him with skepticism, malice bubbling in their eyes.
Gio clutches his middle and grits his teeth. “Please, I need a doctor. Just take us to shore and the gold is yours.”
James narrows his rheumy, grey eyes at Gio. “Ain’t nobody gonna give up half a million dollars in gold that easily unless he knows how to get his hands on a bunch more. I think you know exactly where the rest of it is.”
Gio cries out as a sharp pain pulses through his abdomen, and he grits his teeth and doubles over. “I’m not going to make it that long. I think my appendix is about to burst. Get me to a doctor, and I’ll bring you back out here when I’m well and help you find the treasure.”
“All right. But we’re leaving your pals on the island and keeping your woman with us to make sure you keep your end of the bargain.”
James shoves a shoulder under Gio’s arm and hefts him, up, pushing him up the ladder. Sam and Roy help pull him up onto the boat. Gio collapses as soon as his feet touch the deck, and I rush to his side.
Roy cranks up the skiff, and James heads to the helm. I stare at the island as we pull away, my chest squeezing as the three figures on the shore get smaller and smaller. Do the others think we’ve abandoned them? These men seem dangerous, and I don’t trust anything they say. Will I ever see the others again?
Eventually, Sam and Roy help get Gio into a bunk in the cabin. I sit next to him and wipe his forehead with cool water, holding a rusted, metal bucket to his chin when he needs to vomit. His skin is hot and clammy, and he moans with each roll of the boat, shivering violently.
I have no idea how long the trip will take or if he’ll even make it, but I can’t think of anything else I can do for him. I wrack my brain, trying to come up with a plan, but I have no idea where we’re at, where we’re going, or how to pilot a boat, so, for the meantime, we’re subject to our captors.
I stare at the objects around me, curious about everything, but I don’t want to leave Gio’s side even for a minute, and I can’t work up enough energy to focus on anything but his well-being. Eventually, the sun sets, draping the cabin in shadows. I fall asleep, my head on Gio’s chest.
I’m jolted awake when the boat slows and lurches to a stop, and I hear noises above deck. Roy comes through the door, followed by several strangers in crisp, matching outfits. They carry a long, flat board, and they surge towards Gio. I move out of the way and watch them lift him onto the board and strap him down.
I scurry behind as they carry him out of the cabin and lift his body off of the boat and into the waiting hands of several others. One of them holds out a hand to me, and I climb onto the dock. James climbs down behind me and grabs me, scowling.
“Where do you think you’re going, sweetheart? You’ve got somewhere else to be.”
I yank my arm out of his grasp. “I need to stay with Gio.”
“Are you his wife? Girlfriend?” One of the uniformed strangers asks me, and I nod. “We’ll need some information from you and maybe a few signatures. Hop in the ambulance.”
Chapter 22
“I’m coming, too,” James says, and the two of us climb up into the back of the large vehicle.
I’m confused and terrified, but I don’t dare show it, so I just hold on to Gio’s hand and try to keep my balance as the ambulance takes off. A loud wail pierces the air, startling me. The people inside are barking out gibberish as they monitor Gio. I don’t know any of the words they’re saying. They stick something sharp in his arm, and liquid flows from a small bag, down a tube, and into his body.
“What’s his name?” one of them asks me.
“Gio. Giovanni Romano.”
“Age?”
I shrug my shoulders.
“How long have his symptoms been going on?”
“Since last night, but he’s worse now.”
“Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain in the lower right quadrant?” I nod, not completely sure about all the words he’s saying. The pictures in his head seem right, though.
“Has he taken any medicine?” I shake my head at the image.
Before long, the ambulance stops, and the doors swing open. More people help move Gio, and one of them holds out a hand to help me down. The ground is hard like rock beneath my feet, but completely flat, and I blink in surprise as I realize it extends out as far as I can see.
A giant building is in front of us, and the see-through walls slide open as they push Gio forward. Inside, the ground is still hard
and flat, but white instead of black, and perfectly smooth and shiny like the inside of a shell. The white walls are smooth, too, nothing like the stone walls of Grandfather’s palace. Cold air blows from the ceiling, and I shiver and wrinkle my nose at the strange smells.
People are everywhere, more shapes and sizes and colors than we have in the shoal. All of them seem to be wearing a lot more clothing than I am. I glance down at my ragged appearance and realize I look very out of place. My hair is wild and tangled, my feet are bare, and I’m wearing a large, blue tee shirt that covers up most of the dingy, white shirt I have tied around my waist.
The others talk and laugh and cry and scuttle around in every direction, making a lot of noise, but my pulse pounds like the ocean in my ears, drowning them out as my anxiety builds.
The people pushing Gio approach another group and start talking, and soon the first group leaves. A woman lays her hand on my arm, stopping me as they wheel Gio away. “He’s probably going to need surgery. Can we ask you a few questions?”
I nod and hope that I can answer them. James hovers nearby, making me nervous.
“What’s your name, hun?”
“Coral.” My voice cracks and trembles.
She smiles at me, her serious expression softening. Her lips are bright red and shiny, her eyelids sparkle, and her orange hair is pouffy and stiff. She glances at my appearance and raises an eyebrow, but all she says is, “That’s a pretty name. Never heard that one before.”
“Thank you,” I whimper.
“Coral, is Giovanni your husband — boyfriend?”
“Boyfriend,” I say, remembering the guys using the word to describe a person you loved but weren’t married to.
“Okay, great. What’s Gio’s date of birth and address?”
Panic seizes me at the words I don’t understand. Even the pictures in her mind are no use. I want to help Gio, but what if I say the wrong thing? I wring my hands and glance back and forth between the woman and the direction they took Gio.
The Mermaid's Escape Page 17