by Susan Cliff
“I don’t know,” she said, her lips trembling.
“What did you see?”
“I saw a ship in the bay, and a raft at the shore. I didn’t stop to stare. I just turned around and started running.”
“You did good,” he said, kissing her forehead. She’d saved his life. She’d probably saved her own life with that scream, but she also might have alerted the other men. There had to be others. The Polynesian hadn’t arrived here on his own. “Let’s go.”
He ran as fast as he could on unsteady legs. They reentered the cave, wading through the knee-high water. His hands shook as he untied the anchor rope he’d just secured.
“Where are we going?” she asked as they climbed inside the raft.
“Around the island. I have to sabotage their raft first. Then we can take the ship.”
“Forget the raft,” she said. “Let’s just take the ship.”
“Too risky,” he said, starting the engine. It sputtered twice and turned over. “If they have guns, they’ll follow and shoot at us.”
He drove out of the cave as fast as possible. There were no kidnappers on their tail as he rounded the southernmost tip of the island. He hooked a left, cruising by Treasure Cove. Before they reached East Eden, he slowed down. “You have to get out.”
Her lips parted in shock. “What?”
“Stay here and hide. I’ll come back for you when it’s safe.”
“I’m not getting out!”
“Get out, or I’ll throw you out,” he said in a hard voice. He meant it.
She stared at him in dismay. Tears filled her eyes, but she didn’t argue. “Promise me you’ll come back.”
“I’ll come back,” he said, crushing his lips to hers. “Nothing could keep me from you.”
With an anguished sob, she climbed over the side of the raft and swam the short distance to the shore. He waited until she ducked behind a cluster of rocks. Then he continued on his journey, hoping he hadn’t lied to her.
Praying he wouldn’t fail—again.
If he couldn’t execute this plan, they were both doomed.
* * *
Cady couldn’t believe he’d left her.
She sank to a sitting position behind the rock, filled with dread. She shouldn’t have been surprised he’d left her behind. She knew he’d do anything to protect her. He was more than willing to risk his own life. She remembered how hard he’d fought during the kidnapping, and how aggressive he’d been with her captors. The sight of him using lethal force had terrified her. It still did. She was trembling uncontrollably, her heart racing.
She squeezed her eyes shut and took deep breaths.
Damn it.
If only she wasn’t crazy in love with him. If only he wasn’t crazy.
After a slow count to ten, her tremors subsided. She hated being here alone, but maybe it was better than watching him in action. She didn’t want to see him taking on men twice his size, or gutting his opponents like fish. She didn’t want to fight alongside him. She’d tucked the whalebone club into her waistband, though the thought of using it again made her queasy.
She heard the whine of an approaching engine, which was strange. Logan couldn’t have circled the island already. He’d only been gone two or three minutes. The motor sounded funny to her ears, buzzing too high. She froze as she realized it wasn’t him.
It was the kidnappers, looking for him.
They were going to find him at Shelter Bay. Or they’d follow him back here. She bit the edge of her fist, horrified.
She had to do something to help him. She had to take the risk. If she caused a distraction, Logan might have time to get away.
Decision made, she jumped to her feet and ran for the cliffs. There wasn’t really a path, so she couldn’t climb fast. The last time she’d done this with Logan, she’d almost plummeted to her death. But she was stronger now, and more confident about her abilities. She grabbed a handhold and pulled herself up. The whining motor grew louder. She glanced over her shoulder, swallowing hard.
Then two men in a raft flew by.
She didn’t recognize either of them. The man Logan had fought near the tide pools wasn’t in the raft. For several breathless seconds, she thought they weren’t going to see her. Then her foot slipped, sending a spray of pebbles down the cliff. She clung to the rock face and locked eyes with the passenger. He pointed at her.
The driver slowed, turning the raft around.
She reached the top of the cliff and searched for a hiding place. There was no convenient boulder to crouch behind, so she got down on the ground among a thick tangle of vines. She covered her head with her arms, anticipating gunfire. Her pulse pounded with adrenaline, and her life flashed before her eyes.
The men didn’t shoot at her or even dock their raft. They had a short conversation she couldn’t hear. Judging by their gestures and expressions, it was contentious. As she watched them through the foliage, the passenger jumped overboard and started swimming. The raft sped away.
Cady didn’t know what to do next. She hoped she’d given Logan an extra minute, and a fighting chance. Maybe she’d put herself in danger and done nothing helpful whatsoever.
That was the problem with taking risks. You never knew when they’d pay off.
She waited for the passenger to reach the cliffs, staying low. As soon as his attention was focused on the climb, she leaped to her feet and kept going. It would be easy to hide in the jungle interior. She had the advantage here. She was familiar with the terrain. She knew the rocks, the plants, the water, the soil. She’d become one with it.
She ran into the jungle and immersed herself in the foliage. He’d never find her. She was a sea krait in shallow water, a centipede scuttling across a rock, a stonefish camouflaged by the ocean floor.
She wasn’t six feet tall and fearless, like Logan. She didn’t have his muscle mass or his nerves of steel, but she was a force of nature in her own right. This island had taught her that the smallest things could be the most deadly.
And she would attack, if she had to.
Chapter 20
Logan surveyed the scene as he arrived at Shelter Bay.
The mother ship was docked about a half-mile from the reef. It was the same cabin cruiser he remembered. In the harsh afternoon sunlight, it looked shoddy and worn down. Even so, it was a beautiful sight. A sea-worthy ship beat his patched-up raft by a long shot. His spirits soared at the thought of stealing it from the pirates and sailing away with Cady. That kind of poetic justice was what dreams were made of.
But his dream evaporated as soon as he got closer, because there was no other raft to sabotage.
What the hell?
The man Cady had knocked out cold was sitting on the driftwood log by Logan’s fire pit, eating a banana that Logan had picked. Logan’s gaze narrowed in irritation. He should’ve cut the guy’s throat when he had the chance. Killing a defenseless man was unpleasant, but sometimes it was good strategy. He hadn’t been thinking clearly. Spending a month here with Cady had turned him into a goddamned hippie.
The Polynesian had roused, dragged himself down the beach and alerted his friends. They’d probably taken their raft on a trip around the island. There was a chance that they’d spotted Cady. His gut clenched with unease. When he’d left her, she’d been hidden. She wouldn’t have done anything to attract attention.
Would she?
Swallowing hard, he made a beeline for the mother ship. Stealing it wasn’t an option at this point, because he wouldn’t go anywhere without Cady, but he could use the radio and look for a gun.
He hadn’t gone far when the pirate raft appeared, racing toward him at full speed. There was only one man inside. Another European. Logan got a glimpse of a long face and graying beard.
Logan cursed under his b
reath and changed course again. Now he didn’t have time to climb aboard the mother ship. Graybeard would catch up to him before he got there. Even if the guy was unarmed, which Logan doubted, his instincts told him to evade and outmaneuver.
He sped along the reef, pushing the limits of his patchwork raft. Judging by the sound of the motor, the man wasn’t hot on his tail. A glance over his shoulder revealed the reason. Graybeard had stopped at Shelter Bay to pick up reinforcements. The Polynesian climbed into the raft before they continued after him.
Logan returned his attention to the shoreline, his jaw tight. He really shouldn’t have let that guy live. They’d tussled twice, and he’d needed Cady’s help to win both times. He didn’t feel good about a third matchup.
He drove into the dark recesses of Sea Krait Cave, grateful for high tide. His pursuers were less than a minute behind him. They hadn’t seen him come in, but they’d figure it out soon enough. He cut the engine, jumped into the shallow water and waded toward the opposite exit. He waited there, his heartbeat thundering in his chest. He strained to listen for the pirates. Then he spotted the raft.
The driver cruised by and doubled back to look for him, just as Logan had expected. The instant they were out of sight, Logan emerged from the cave and started climbing the outside wall. It was technically difficult. He’d never done it before. He wasn’t sure it could be done. That didn’t stop him.
He had to kill both of these bastards. He could not fail. His plan was risky, but it was his best chance of survival. It was also his best chance to save Cady. If he succeeded, he could salvage their relationship and win her heart.
First, he had to survive this climb.
He managed to get to the top somehow. It was half adrenaline, half insanity. He reached the summit and lay flat on his belly, looking down over the falls. He was perched on a perilous, moss-slick slope. There was a basketball-sized boulder within reach. He’d seen it from Cady’s Rock, ironically. The day she’d been spying on him, he’d glanced toward the falls from her vantage point and spotted that boulder. He’d made a note to check its stability because it looked like a hazard. Then he’d noticed her flushed face and twisted bikini bottoms, and his brain had short-circuited.
The forgotten boulder was easy to dislodge. He held it there, ready to roll.
The pirates didn’t enter the mouth of the cave at first. Graybeard returned to the opposite side of the island to drop off the Polynesian. Logan watched as the Polynesian jumped into the water, swam ashore at Treasure Beach, and went inside the back of the cave to flush Logan out.
Graybeard drove back to the main entrance and parked there. He left his raft at the edge of the sand. He was tall and lean, with the confidence of a man who trusted his muscle to take care of business. Even so, he released the snap on his gun holster, wiggling his fingers in anticipation.
Logan waited for him to approach.
He had no idea who these men were, why they’d targeted Maya O’Brien, or if they even knew Cady wasn’t her. He wasn’t sure why they’d landed here, but he was going to make them regret it.
Come and get me, you bastards.
When the Polynesian man appeared at the entrance, empty-handed, Graybeard swore in French and stepped closer to take a look. Logan pushed the boulder down the slope—and almost went tumbling after it. He slid several feet, struggling to regain his handhold, as the boulder picked up momentum. It dislodged rocks and rained pebbles down the falls. It also rolled off target, and might have missed both men completely if Graybeard hadn’t panicked. He shoved the other man’s shoulder in an attempt to get clear. The Polynesian stumbled and caught the boulder like a cannon.
He fell flat on his back, his chest crushed.
Logan had been aiming for Graybeard, but at least he’d hit something. He expected Graybeard to flee into the recesses of the cave. He didn’t. He glanced up, spotted Logan and lifted his arm to shoot.
Logan was stuck. Retreating wasn’t an option, because he couldn’t scramble back up the slippery slope. He was fully committed to this course of action. There was no escape route or eject button. He could either get shot or attack. So he attacked.
He let himself slide down the falls and tumble over the edge, making a human boulder. He kicked Graybeard in the face. The gun fired, sending a bullet ricocheting through the cave. They both went down hard in the shallow water.
Graybeard’s body absorbed most of the impact, which saved Logan from broken bones. He still got slammed, though. The air rushed from his lungs, leaving him light-headed. His temple throbbed from the earlier blow.
Logan shook it off and grabbed Graybeard by the front of the shirt. Instead of fumbling for a weapon on his belt, he used his fists. It wasn’t a graceful or particularly efficient form of combat, but he made every strike count. Graybeard seemed stunned by the assault. He didn’t even fight back.
“You killed my brother,” the man said in stilted English.
“He deserved it,” Logan replied.
The man looked around for his gun. Logan spotted the weapon on the wet sand nearby. When Graybeard reached for it, Logan shoved a forearm across his throat, holding him underwater. It was a struggle to finish the job. He needed to rest, to catch his breath. Finally Graybeard’s body went limp, and Logan heard a telltale splash behind him.
Someone else was coming.
* * *
Cady climbed a breadfruit tree and watched the passenger ascend the cliff.
She knew better than to try to ambush him. He was a short man, but not slight. He had broad shoulders and a cap of curly reddish hair. In a physical altercation, he’d win easily. She had to stay safe and put as much distance between them as possible.
He paused at the edge of the jungle, squinting. The most direct route to Shelter Bay was straight ahead. He headed that way, as expected. As soon as he was out of sight, she climbed down the tree and hurried south, toward Treasure Beach. She could cut through the sea cave and take the longer route to Shelter Bay. She might get there first. It was difficult terrain to navigate. The pirate might wander around in circles for hours.
Or he might double back and surprise her.
She ran as fast as she could.
The sharp crack of gunfire echoed in the distance, cutting through the muggy air. Her heart lodged in her throat. She stumbled and almost fell, sobbing with panic. As soon as she reached the cliff overlooking Treasure Beach, she dropped to her belly to study the scene below. She didn’t see anyone on the beach or near the back of the cave. She didn’t hear the buzz of engines as two rafts drag-raced around the island. She had no idea where Logan was. He could be waiting for her at East Eden.
Or he could be dying of a gunshot wound in Shelter Bay.
She leaped to her feet, pulse pounding. She could either stay here and play it safe, or keep moving and fight for her man.
She kept moving.
She scrambled down the side of the cliff and raced across the beach. Before she entered the cave, she took out the whalebone club. Inside, the cave was darker and spookier than ever. She proceeded with caution, creeping forward. She could smell gasoline and something acrid, maybe gunshot residue. When the wet sand at her feet turned into black water, she shivered. But she didn’t stop.
Two figures were locked in battle at the mouth of the cave. One man appeared to be choking the other, who was half-submerged in the shallow water. She could see the silhouette of broad shoulders, framed by a sunset backdrop.
It might be Logan. It might not.
She gripped the club tighter, ready to brain someone. Disturbing images flashed through her mind. She remembered Logan on the night of the kidnapping, grappling on the floor with veins popping out of his neck.
She blinked away the memories and kept going. Water swirled around her calves, snakelike. When she was close enough to strike, the victor let go of the man
beneath him. He glanced back at her.
It was Logan.
She dropped the club and fell to her knees beside him. He turned to embrace her, burying his face in her neck. Her chest swelled with emotion, and she sobbed with relief. They were okay. He’d risked his life for her, and she’d done the same for him. They’d survived.
He thrust his hands in her hair and kissed her forehead. Then he just looked at her, as if he wasn’t sure she was real. She glanced around, shivering. They were alone, other than the two dead bodies near the mouth of the cave.
“Is there one more?” Logan asked.
“Yes.”
He picked up a gun from the wet sand and tucked it into the waistband of his pants. Then he approached the pirate raft and stabbed his knife into the side. It began to deflate immediately. Hand in hand, they waded back into the cave to retrieve their raft. She climbed inside with him, eager to escape.
She didn’t know what to expect as they sped away from the shore. The redheaded man stood on the beach at Shelter Bay. Now he was stranded. She thought he might try to follow them, but he didn’t. She thought there might be another man on the ship, waiting to kill them, but there wasn’t.
She used the ladder to board the ship after Logan declared it safe. She helped him load the raft on the deck. It felt strange to be on the pirate ship. It felt strange to be anywhere but on the island. He used the navigation system to chart a course to the nearest hub of civilization, a place called Nuku Hiva. It was more than a hundred miles away.
As she watched Shelter Bay grow smaller and smaller, she considered all the things she’d left behind. Her cooking shells. Her coconut cups. The baskets she’d woven. The shelter they’d built together. Tears pricked her eyes, because she’d miss it. She’d miss dancing on the shore and bathing in the waterfall. She’d miss the sunsets. She’d miss the person she’d become and the man she’d fallen in love with.
Nothing would ever compare to this. Nothing would ever be the same.