Capture

by Flora Dain

  The next shot splinters the rail. I feel something whistle past my head.

  Shit. I can’t even see where I’m going. I crouch down low and start to wrench the steering now this way, now that.

  Did somebody once say it was harder to hit a moving target? If I thought I’d be the target I’d have paid more attention …

  All at once there’s another shot and the glass panel explodes in a cascade of water.

  I’ve no time to think. I gasp a lungful of air, close my eyes and dive.

  Stifling, dense, solid water closes over my head, blocking out sound and air and light. Slowly I drift back up to the surface, rigid with shock as the cold hits me.

  I look round in a panic, but it takes a moment for my eyes to adjust. I know roughly where the shore was, but the current’s following the outgoing tide and I need air.

  Lungs bursting, I thrash my legs and bob back to the surface for a few precious seconds, just enough to breathe.

  At the same time I try to work out where I am. Blinking away the salt water, I can just make out the dark blur of land somewhere ahead. Behind me all I see is empty ocean. My boat has disappeared, along with my only hope of escape. Now all I can do is stay out of sight. If Ryan sees me, I’m done for.

  I grit my teeth, duck my head, keeping as low as I can in the water before bobbing up for air, and head north.

  It’s not far to the next cove. The current helps but it’s the hardest swim I’ve ever done. I stay under the surface as long as I can, breathing only when I must. Out here the water’s choppy now, shielding me a little from the land. But even so, surfacing for air is terrifying. Every second I dread the explosion of another bullet.

  Even wasting my youth in the shallows of the Maine coast is no kind of prep for an ordeal like this. I’m seriously out of condition and hampered by clothes. And if he sees me he’ll kill me.

  Now the shooting’s stopped. He could be reloading, already taking aim …

  In long, hard-going minutes I’m round the headland, out of sight. And now I can feel sand just below my toes. I’m in the shallows. With hardly any current I glide along easily, keeping close to the cliff.

  Praying he’s not spotted me, I head up the beach. At last I stand up and wade through the breakers. I think I hear shouting.

  Ryan again?

  Too late to worry now. I’m exhausted. I haul myself onto the sand, half blinded by seawater and the sharp, hollow pain in my lungs. I collapse on the beach, my chin jutting painfully into the rough shingle.

  I’ll rest here for a minute and then hide among the rocks. Not much cover but the best I can do …

  As my eyes clear and my breathing steadies a shadow steals over me. I’m staring at a leather boot.

  Slowly my eyes travel upward. The boot is attached to the leather-clad leg of a slim figure towering over me. My heart sinks.

  But it’s not Ryan. It’s Freda.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  ‘Ella? You OK? Here, let me help.’

  I’ve just missed death by a whisker. Help from a dominatrix with attitude’s not my first choice – it’s my only choice. ‘Thanks,’ I mutter.

  Freda grabs my hand and hauls me to my feet. ‘You look terrible. Lean on this rock for a minute.’

  I shiver as the wind slices through my wet clothes. She frowns and puts her arm round me. ‘How the heck did you make it? When I saw the boat capsize I thought you were dead.’

  I clench my teeth to stop them chattering. ‘Where’s Ryan?’

  ‘Gone. I took his gun and threw it off the cliff. I told him if he comes anywhere near you again he’s toast.’ She peers at me anxiously. ‘Help’s on its way. But first there’s something I have to tell you. Sit here out of the wind.’

  She keeps her arm round me. I’m glad of her strength but I notice her mascara’s smudged. She’s been crying?

  ‘Ryan contacted me just after Christmas. He was on the run, heading for Mexico. I hid him in that cave. We used Chet as a go-between. I warned Ryan it was just for a couple of days. But I had to keep Chet quiet, so I told him Ryan was a troll and he’d get him if he told anybody. Scared the shit out of him, but it worked. Even Syra never knew. It seemed safer that way. But Ryan flew out around six weeks ago, I thought for good. I’d no idea he’d been in touch with you.’

  ‘He asked me for help. Said he wanted to go straight.’ I tail off, my voice husky. ‘I’ve been a fool.’

  She hugs me a fraction tighter. ‘You and me both.’ She looks away for a moment. ‘Some people are born shits, Ella. He could have been a nice guy if he’d tried. He had his moments.’ Her voice catches. ‘I even fell for him. But he double-crossed me once too often. And when I saw him shooting at you –’

  She looks away for a moment. ‘I only found out the rest this morning. Chet finally told us everything. Seems Ryan had it in for you pretty bad. He flew in from Mexico last night. That business with Chet going missing? Ryan staged all that. He wanted everybody out of the beach house so he could get inside. I heard about your things. And I guess that’s when Ryan planted the photos.’

  I stare at her.

  ‘Darnley told me,’ she says, gently. ‘Actually, it was just the one photo. Kraik gave it me years ago. I’d kept it as a kind of souvenir. Ryan took it back in the summer.’

  She swallows. ‘But I swear, if I’d known he was planning anything like this –’ She breaks off. ‘I guess I can tell you this now. For a while I was pretty mad at you over Darnley. That time I found him in San Francisco? He’d been missing for days. I tracked his cell. He was in a bad way. I swore I’d never forgive you.’

  She looks away. I see her chin tremble. ‘I’m sorry, Ella. I was wrong about you. And Ryan. I just wanted you to know that.’

  So she’s human after all. I manage a shaky smile. ‘Thanks, Freda. Big of you. But it’s too late now. Darnley and I split up.’ I stand up, holding the rock for balance. ‘And now I’ve got to get to the highway. I’ve got to find my car.’

  I’ve got to find my life …

  As I let go of the rock I pause. I feel weird, hot and cold both at once. I shiver again but this time I can’t stop. Everything around me seems to shimmer.

  I take a few steps up the beach. Walking feels weird. My clothes feel weird. What’s happening?

  ‘What are you doing? Wait for the rescue people.’ She makes a grab for me but I pull away from her and start to walk.

  She seizes my arm.

  ‘Get off me.’ My yell startles even me.

  She tightens her grip but her touch on my arm scorches like flame. I snatch my arm away. She grabs me again and I scream, shaking her off me like she’s a fireball.

  What’s wrong with me? I’m cold, but my skin feels like it’s on fire. Every touch of my damp, clinging clothes flashes over me like sparks.

  I start to run, forcing myself up the slope …

  ‘Ella? Come back here.’

  I’m dimly aware that the air ahead is full of noise and rushing wind as a helicopter lands on the headland. People leap out and race towards us, Darnley at their head. He blocks my path, his eyes blazing.

  ‘Ella? What the fuck? Why do you always go off-plan? You were supposed to go with Bullen. Why did you take the boat? I was waiting for you in San Francisco.’

  He’s here – and he’s angry? He pulls me to him but I scream again. The pain, or whatever it is, is too much. I can’t bear it.

  ‘What’s the matter?’ He lets me go so fast I stagger backwards. He catches me again but I wrench my arm away.

  ‘Don’t … It hurts.’ I can’t explain it. I don’t know what it is.

  He holds me tight but I’m in agony. Blindly I fight him off …

  * * *

  I don’t pass out, but mercy comes in the form of a hypodermic someone plunges into my arm and in seconds I’m sleepy. As I grow calmer he scoops me up in his arms and carries me to the helicopter. I’m still shaking but the flames are dying down.

  Soon I lie back, dazed, and t
ry to work out what’s happening. At the last count he had no place in my life any more. Now, suddenly, he has.

  I’m lying across his lap and he’s stroking my hair. He’s telling me to relax, we’re on our way to hospital. The flames are still flickering, excruciating stings and prickles like ultra-sharp pins and needles all over my skin. Every time he touches me I twitch.

  * * *

  A little while later I’m lying on a hospital bed, in a thin cotton gown. Maybe I dropped off because all at once Darnley’s deep voice snaps me awake.

  ‘Nurse? Get back in here. She’s coming round.’ He’s sitting on the edge of the bed, looking down at me. ‘How do you feel?’

  ‘Like I’ve been through a spin cycle,’ I mutter. ‘What are you doing here? I thought we’d split.’ I tail off, bewildered at the fury in his face.

  ‘Is that what you want?’ For some reason he’s still angry.

  ‘I don’t know.’ I close my eyes for a second. What’s the use of having him back, just to send me away again?

  A nurse comes in and checks me over, says the doctor’s on his way and leaves.

  Darnley sits down again, frowning. ‘So what do you want, Ella? Tell me.’

  ‘What happened?’ My mouth feels dry. ‘Ryan followed me.’ Tears are close but I fight them back. ‘He tried to kill me. I just wanted to help him. And now …’

  Darnley scans my face. ‘Hey. Easy. It’s all over.’

  ‘But Ryan?’ I swallow. ‘Where is he now?’

  His eyes narrow to slits. ‘Do I give a shit? Nowhere near you for a while, that’s for sure.’ After a moment he touches my face, like he’s scared I’ll freak. When I don’t he folds his hand around my cheek. ‘Dammit, Ella, why did you take off like that? You were supposed to go to San Francisco. I was waiting for you.’

  I gaze up at him. A couple of hours ago – or was it a lifetime? – I thought I’d never see him again. And now he’s here … The flames are almost gone now. My skin’s getting back to normal. But nothing else is … ‘You said we were finished.’

  He shakes his head slowly. ‘When I saw Chet in that state I had to act. That little episode was for the benefit of my men. You a drama teacher, and you don’t know bad theatre when you see it?’ He shakes his head slowly. ‘You thought I didn’t know about you and Mitchell? Of course I knew. But you said to trust you, so I did. You had to have some reason. But the men were scared to tell me. They put in a lot of work checking their facts. I had to show them I valued that but I planned to talk to you after, in private. I’d booked us into a hotel. Bullen had orders to take you there. But –’ he breaks off, exasperated ‘– you took the boat. And next thing I hear, Mitchell’s back in the US and heading down the coast after you?’

  His eyes blaze. ‘You meant to meet with him? For fuck’s sake, Ella, tell me once and for all – was it him all along?’

  I sit upright, horrified. ‘No. Never.’ I break off, stunned at the enormity of what he’s just said. ‘You thought I had feelings for him? Are you serious?’

  He stares at me, searching my face. ‘Christ, Ella. Watching you walk away like that was the worst moment of my life. You’re sure?’

  ‘Yes.’ I lay my cheek against his, weary now. ‘And if you don’t know by now you never will.’

  ‘In that case –’ He takes my ring from his pocket and slides it back on my finger. He folds my hand in his. ‘This is yours, like the guy who gave it you. For good, if you’ll have him.’ His eyes search mine and then our lips slowly meet in a soft, sweet kiss …

  ‘Hi, folks. Sorry to keep you waiting.’

  We spring apart as a doctor walks in, fresh-faced and cheerful. He has bright ginger hair and his eyes crinkle at the corners. ‘Thought you’d like a heads-up on the blood tests.’

  He grins wider as we straighten up. ‘You’re good to go, Miss Dean. No ill effects from the swim, according to this. Boating accident, was it? And I see the, uh, nervous system’s back on track now.’ He goes pink and glances down at his notes. ‘Ever been stung by a jellyfish before? Thought not. Scary or what? Sneaky little critters. Happened to me once, when I was a kid. Spotted the symptoms right away. Now it’s passed through you’ll be fine. Slight overreaction in your case, obviously, but perfectly normal, I’d say, with your hormones still in flux. They’ll soon settle down. Early days yet – ten or twelve at most, it says here.’

  He glances at Darnley. ‘That is … if you’d like another opinion, sir, we can fix it. I know a very good guy in LA who specialises in marine toxins …’ He tails off as Darnley rises slowly to his feet, his face stony.

  ‘Could we have a word?’ He ushers the doctor firmly out of the room and closes the door.

  Dismayed, I watch them through the glass panel. I can hear them speaking but not what they’re saying. The doctor’s expression grows solemn. I see Darnley frown. Now the doctor re-checks his notes. What’s wrong? Is it serious?

  After a moment the doctor hurries away. Darnley comes slowly back in, closes the door and leans against it for a moment, looking at me with a strange expression.

  I sit up, frowning. ‘What is it? Something bad?’

  He walks over and sits on the bed. ‘Ella, did you know you were pregnant?’

  I stare at him for a full minute. ‘I’m what?’ I think fast. I’m on a low-dose pill my father prescribed. I take it the same time every day. Well, mostly the same time, give or take … I’ve been so busy lately …

  ‘Is it mine?’ His eyes burn into me.

  I glare back at him. ‘You have to ask?’

  His eyes widen. ‘Hey, easy.’ He swallows. ‘This changes everything.’

  ‘Does it? What does it change? I’m still in love with you. Nothing changes that.’ I feel my voice rise as tears well up, my temper too. I’ve had a difficult day. ‘While you –’ I break off and look away for a moment, scared to go on.

  ‘While I what?’ His eyes narrow.

  ‘Do you love me?’

  He looks at me like I’ve slapped him. ‘You have to ask?’

  I see his eyes flash with real, raw pain and then his mouth finds mine and we’re locked in a kiss so hungry, so complete that it feels like we’ll never pull apart.

  * * *

  ‘And in breaking news this morning, state police have revealed that the sex pest known as The Biker, who’s prowled the region for the last few months, has handed himself in on advice from his therapist. A keen listener to radio phone-ins, the voluntary patient at a mental hospital just north of San Francisco became fixated last fall on the tragic revelations by Boston resident Wayne Forman over his late brother’s dealings with legendary popcorn tycoon Fletcher “Korn” Kraik.

  ‘Their search for The Biker led police to make only one other arrest, high-profile security entrepreneur Darnley Wolfe, whose description of his own encounters with Kraik outlining a similar MO recently took social media by storm. And now for today’s weather …’

  Darnley leans past me to switch off the transmission. He drops another kiss on my shoulder as I sip my orange juice.

  I turn to him, my heart leaping. ‘Hear that? You’re in the clear.’

  He winds his arm round me and kisses the side of my neck. ‘Let’s hope so.’

  We’re both sleepy this morning. We made a long night of it. I’d flatly refused to fly down to LA for any second opinion about jellyfish or my condition.

  ‘I’m fine,’ I kept saying. ‘It’s perfectly normal. That’s what women do.’ I wound my arms round his neck and whispered in his ear for a while about some other things women do and finally he gave in and we did them.

  Well, most of them.

  Earlier we’d flown back to the beach house. I waved hi to all the staff and then Darnley and I went upstairs and got reacquainted. We laughed a little, we cried a little, and we did other stuff a lot – hard, soft, slow, fast – just how I like it.

  I was still drugged up from the hospital, so after that we took things easy. If anything, it made every touch special,
every look more intense, like we were new to this and making love for the very first time.

  He treated me as if I was some precious part of him he’d nearly lost. At one point I think he even said something like that but I was clinging to him so tight I hardly heard.

  And to my amazement, having sworn that nothing had changed, I found he was right. Everything had. From the first touch of his fingers on my skin, the first brush of his lips on mine, something new was happening, something tender and warm and solemn.

  He pulled me into his arms the minute we closed the door. Slowly we sank down onto the bed while he explored me. His every kiss, his every caress, made me glow. My every touch made him tense and flex and sigh. Our every embrace was long and slow, and high and wild. We made love like a kind of ritual – sensual, stirring and special.

  It’s been a long, blissful night. This morning we’re closer than ever. So maybe everything’s changed, or maybe nothing has. Maybe it was always like this and we were too busy to notice.

  But now, hearing that report on the news, I’m deeply pleased. The Kraik thing that tormented him so long is nearly over.

  Nearly, but not quite. I nuzzle into his neck. ‘I guess we’ll never know how your video got out there, will we? And just so you know, I did check my copy. It’s still in my case. And it’s not faulty. It won’t play.’

  At least I’m innocent of that …

  ‘I know.’ His eyes gleam. ‘And next time you accuse one of my former companies of supplying faulty discs you’ll get your highly spankable little ass highly spanked. I never for one minute thought it was yours.’

  I sit upright. ‘You mean – you know who did it?’

  ‘Yes.’

  I stare at him, appalled. ‘It nearly ruined you. It nearly tore us apart. Who was it?’

  ‘Me,’ he says, simply. ‘I released it. I was sick of seeing the Kraik Corporation shelling out compensation time after time and keeping it quiet. I thought people should know about him. If I went down too it was worth it.’

  My mouth feels dry. ‘And – was it?’

  He puts his arms round my waist and pulls me close. ‘They’re losing market share fast. Victims keep coming forward. The corporation can’t sue – they’ve got no case. Complaints go back years. They’re paying out a fortune. My deals stalled for a little, but now they’re back on track. And hey, you’re still here.’ He smiles briefly, touching my hair. ‘So, yes, I’d say it was worth it. Every word. Let’s go for a walk.’