With a quick breath, he dropped down fully into the water.
It was dark and murky. The water rushing into his ears and muffling his hearing. He looked about and saw Lydia swimming under water, frog style. She was a natural.
Paul followed suit, and soon was up next to her.
There were no gunshots or sounds of pursuit, not that they would really notice under here.
But the sound of the waterfall was all encompassing. As they approached the point of the water curtain hitting the river, white bubbles frothed their view.
They pushed under. He felt pressure against his head and body, then nothing. They had made it to the other side.
Paul raised his head up first and looked about. He was in a narrow gap between the falling curtain of water, and the rock wall behind it. Satisfied everything was okay, he used his hand to guide Lydia up.
She sputtered as she surfaced. They were both gasping for air. He wasn't sure how long they were under water, but it was obvious they had both reached their limit.
Then, through the sheet of water, Paul saw movement. It was hard to see through the falling water, but he could tell it was a person moving along the shore line.
Instinct took over and he pressed himself up to the corner of the little alcove, pulling Lydia along with him. When he could go no further he sunk down so just his head was above the water. Lydia did the same.
From here, he was certain they would not be spotted through the water, or in the little corner with just a small part of themselves exposed. But he couldn't count on miracles with so much at stake.
He pulled Lydia closer to him, and she hugged him almost eagerly. One arm around his shoulders, the other around his waist. He was tall enough to stand here, but she couldn't reach the bottom.
It was logical for her to cling to him like that. Yeah, that made sense, he thought to himself.
With apprehension they watched the figure move along the water's edge. It stopped, and whomever it was seemed to be looking around. Had he discovered the bag and put two and two together?
They waited with bated breath, unsure of what was going to happen. Would they be spotted? Would the person think of the waterfall as a hiding place?
After a few moments, the man started moving again. He was joined with another who seemed to materialize out of the jungle. They conferred briefly.
Then, to Lydia and his great relief, the two figures wondered further down the river and out of sight.
The two water born fugitives breathed a sigh. Lydia was still pressed against his body. She looked up to him and smiled.
He was again struck with how stunning she was. How beautiful.
He wasn't sure why, maybe it was the tenseness of the situation, or the danger which heightened his emotions but he felt a sudden and irresistible urge.
He pulled her closer, leaned down a little and kissed her.
Chapter 13
Lydia
To say that Lydia was surprised was an understatement.
When Paul had pulled her close while they were hiding, she did not offer a hint of complaint. In fact, she greatly enjoyed his closeness, despite the circumstance. She felt safe, hidden away behind the waterfall but she felt even more so when she clung to Paul.
Then he had to go and kiss her.
At first, her eyes widened in shock, but she did not resist. Then, when her brain was processing what was happening, she reacted. She kissed him back.
For several long, water drenched moments they did not part, lips locked together. The only thing that registered of the outside world was the splashing of the waterfall.
She wasn't sure how long they remained like that, but eventually they stopped. They both grinned at each other like high school sweethearts.
I did not want him to stop, she thought. But maybe later. If there was one.
Paul started to say something. His lips moved but she couldn't hear anything over the rumbling of the water.
He laughed, and so did she. Both sounds drowned out in the splashing around them.
Paul grabbed her hand, and nodded in the direction of the water fall. He wanted them to leave.
Lydia was genuinely afraid. Armed men were out there. And they didn't want to do nice things to them. Yet, they couldn't stay here. It was quite possible this spot would eventually be checked. Or they would go deaf waiting here for rescue.
Paul took a deep breath then eased under the water, not letting go of her hand. Lydia followed suit. Beneath the surface they swam, hand in hand. It was a little awkward but it gave Lydia a little comfort.
They passed under the water fall, but instead of swimming on, Paul pointed up. She understood.
Inch by inch they surfaced until up past their noses. The water churned around them, so close to the falls. If she reached out she could touch it.
Paul and Lydia scanned the river's edge. Jungle, jungle and more jungle. They looked over it all, slowly tracking across their field of vision. No one was around.
Carefully, they swam back to the spot they first submerged, ready to plunge under the surface at the first sign of trouble. They slunk out of the water, dripping wet. As Paul kept watch, Lydia fetched her bag from the bushes. She was relieved to find it still there. It hadn't been discovered, thankfully.
"Which way?" she asked. She found she was standing close to him. Closer than she normally would have.
Paul looked about. "Best we head in the opposite direction those two did. That would still put us in the same direction we were walking in. But I really think we need to avoid the river."
"To easy to spot us walking along it."
"Yeah, or even swimming in it. Not worth the risk. No, we should continue on, but head back into the jungle. Maybe find a place hide and wait this out."
"I liked our hiding spot," Lydia said and smiled.
Paul focused on her, and smiled back. "I liked it, too. But if they come back this way, it would be the most obvious place to check."
As he spoke, his eyes roamed over her face; her eyes, her lips, her nose. Lydia was starting to get a little flustered. But in a good way.
Then, again by complete surprise, Paul leaned forward and kissed her on the lips.
Lydia kissed back, then laughed. "What was that for?"
Taking her hand, he said, "For luck. Now let's go."
Together they reentered the jungle. But Lydia felt distinctly different than before.
Chapter 14
Paul
They pushed on through the jungle, the terrain doing everything in its power to slow them down. But they couldn't stop. It wasn't safe, and they hadn't come across anything that would be considered a good hiding spot.
"Do you think we lost them completely?" Lydia asked.
Paul shook his head. "Hard to know, for sure. They certainly aren't going to stop looking for us. Probably will do so right up until the last second."
"Until rescue comes," Lydia said pushing branches out of her way. It was getting more difficult to move.
"Yes, whoever that would be."
"Who do you think? The coast guard?"
Paul paused for a second, considering. "I want the United States Navy to show up. That would be cool."
Lydia laughed. "Yeah, we can only wish. With our luck it will be a local police patrol boat. They also double as fishing trawlers around these parts."
They both laughed. Paul found himself enjoying her presence more and more. There was certainly a connection between them. He hoped that after all this nonsense was over, he would be given a chance to see if something more would become of it.
Even if it didn't, there was no denying the fact he was fast developing feelings for this beautiful woman. Perhaps it was the dire situation they had been thrown in together, or the dang heat playing with his head. Either way, it felt good. She could very well be a potential keeper.
He found he was smiling at her, not saying anything.
Lydia arched a quizzical brow and smiled back. "Something the matter?"
"If your not counting being chased by a gang of pirates something the matter, then no. Nothing is the matter."
They laughed again.
Suddenly, someone shouted at them.
Paul and Lydia turned to look.
Two men stood on the other side of a rocky outcropping, looking directly at them from a short distance away. Both were carrying machine guns.
"Oh, God," Lydia said.
Paul noticed both men had their machine guns pointed directly at him. Then, one man spoke to the other. The men changed their target from Paul to Lydia.
"Get down!" Paul shouted and jumped.
He pulled Lydia down to the ground at the very instant the tree she was standing in front of exploded. Bullets riddled the trunk, bark flying everywhere.
Lydia was shouting, but Paul was already moving. He dragged her further down the slight incline they were following. Getting her out of the way.
The firing stopped. The men were shouting again. Coming for them, trying to scramble over the rocky outcropping.
Paul pulled Lydia up, her eyes were wide with fear. "Run!" he said.
They ran. Tearing through the jungle, branches whipped at their faces and arms. Paul was keeping Lydia directly in front of her. He didn't want her to be an easy target.
They tried to kill her, he thought. Because of me, they tried to kill her.
Behind them were more shouts, but he couldn't tell how close they were. Yet there was no denying it. They had been good as spotted. Soon the men would find them.
And they would kill Lydia.
As if a curtain was ripped aside, they broke through the jungle. Lydia gasped and stumbled. Paul grabbed her at the last moment.
They were on the edge of a ravine. It was just a little to wide for them to try jumping across. It was maybe thirty feet deep, with sheer walls at its sides.
"Well this isn't good," Lydia said.
Paul glanced in both directions. With the jungle pressed in so close to them it was impossible to see how long it was. Which direction should they go now?
Then Lydia's face brightened. "I know this from my research. There's a rope bridge, somewhere here."
"Where?" Paul asked, looking behind them. He could hear their pursuers crashing through the brush.
Lydia pointed to their left. "This way. Come on!"
Scrambling along the ravine's edge was difficult, plus navigating the trees and bushes that insisted on leaning over, blocking their way.
Within moments he saw something ahead of them, spanning the ravine.
"There it is!" Lydia said, elated.
But as they got closer Paul felt whatever relief he thought he should have at that moment evaporate. It wasn't a normal bridge. It was a rope bridge. One thick rope to walk on, with two others on either side to hold onto. Not ideal. And it looked old and neglected.
"Doesn't look really safe," Paul said as they hurried up to it.
"Well, it's not like we have many options at the moment," Lydia said. She grabbed one of the hand ropes and shook it. The entire sagging bridge wiggled, but appeared to be secure.
Somewhere behind them were voices, men calling to one another.
"We gotta go," Lydia said.
"Ladies first," Paul said, with a tight smile.
"Such a gentleman," she said, grinning. She looked almost giddy. All this running and adrenaline was making them act a little goofy.
"Always," he said, and meant it. Right to the end, he thought.
Lydia stepped out onto the rope. If wiggled about under her weight but after a few steps, seemed to settle a bit.
Paul watched Lydia navigate her way across, his mind already made up what he had to do. This couldn't go on any longer. If it was just him running around the jungle, he would be fine with trying to evade these men. But not with Lydia. She would always be in terrible danger right up until rescue arrived. If it did arrive.
When Lydia was almost across Paul withdrew the knife from his pocket. It was the one he took from the man he had tackled.
He heard the men in the jungle getting closer. They would arrive in moments. Even if he started to cross the rope bridge now he wouldn't make it.
Placing the knife against one of the hand ropes, he tightened his grip. Cutting both hand ropes would effectively keep anyone else from crossing. He hoped that would be enough of a deterrent to their pursuers that they would not go after Lydia.
Lydia had said that crossing this bridge was their only option, but she was not correct. There was one more option, and only Paul could do it.
The very moment Lydia stepped onto the solid ground on the other side, Paul started cutting.
Lydia turned, to look at him. Immediately her expression changed from one of hope to horror.
Just at that moment, the two men burst out of the jungle directly behind him.
"What are you doing?" Lydia called out. She looked shocked.
The rope cut. Paul quickly turned his attention to the other hand rope and started cutting. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the men running up to him, shouting something angrily in their language.
Just as he cut the second rope, he sensed the men were upon him.
The butt of a gun caught him in the side of the head. The world exploded in color, and he tumbled to the ground.
Lydia was still shouting, but he couldn't tell what it was. It didn't matter. She had to go. Now!
"Run! Run and hide!" Paul shouted. He felt wetness stream down the side of his face.
One of the men was at the ravine's edge, next to the now solo rope that spanned it. He levelled his gun across, pointing it at Lydia.
"No!" Paul shouted. He found himself moving, crashing into the other other man.
The machine gun fired.
Chapter 15
Lydia
Lydia was screaming even as she dove for cover. Bullets passed by her like lethal angry insects intent on her death. She scrambled into the jungle, trying to get away from the shooting.
She hugged the ground, laying as flat as she could.
The shooting had stopped.
What had happened to Paul?
Slowly, unsure of what was happening, she crawled back toward the ravine. Once she was close, and sure she hadn't been observed, she parted some leaves.
There, across the ravine, were the two men. They had hoisted Paul up from the ground. Even from this distance she could tell he had been hurt. Shot?
No. There was blood along the right side of his face. Had he been hit?
Thankfully, the men no longer gave Lydia any regard. Instead, they turned their backs to the ravine, and with Paul wobbling between them, moved off into the jungle.
Oh, my God, she thought. They got him. No, that was entirely true. He had given himself up to them. To save her. That was the only explanation for his insane behaviour, cutting the ropes on the bridge.
It kept the men from crossing after her, but it prevented Paul from crossing, too. He had sacrificed himself for her safety.
The fool! She thought, tears welling in her eyes. The handsome, wonderful fool!
Get a hold of yourself, girl. You have to do something. You can't just let them take him away, whether that was Paul's intention or not. It wasn't going to happen. Not on her watch.
She wiped tears away from her eyes and face. She needed to follow them. Somehow. If they got away from her, she would never have an opportunity to help. Whatever that mysterious help may be.
Okay, that's what she would do. Follow them. But first, she had to get around this ravine. She turned toward the east, since she sensed it was the closest direction to the edge of the island and pushed through the jungle.
Soon, she passed the ravine entirely, and trudged on. It was only after a short while that she realized she no longer had her day bag. She must have dropped it when the man was shooting at her. She shrugged. Nothing she could do about it now. She kept going.
She must of been marching through the jungle for a good twenty mi
nutes when she noticed a change in her surroundings. Through the trees, in the distance she could now see the ocean. She had made it to the east side of the island. At least she had an idea where she was.
Tropical Trouble (Billionaire Romance) Page 7