by Debbie Behan
Phew it’s hot in here. To hug a naked woman was weird. Yet just being with her so intimately and pressed against her, made him hard. The excitement heated him up further.
A giggle sounded. ‘What’s that?’ she whispered quietly, still coming around.
‘Wish you were a bloke, this would be much more enjoyable. Unbelievable I had to get buck naked to warm you up.’
‘Then, if you feel nothing for me, what’s that digging in my leg.’ She chuckled.
He turned and sat up, threw off the rug and pulled his trousers on.
‘Not for you sugar.’
‘Damn, what a waste.’ She lightened the situation.
‘Bitch!’
‘How did we end up here? Does this guy know if Ricco and Kev got out?
‘He is weird,’ Jay mouthed to her.
Tears filled her eyes. ‘Can we go look for them?’
He nodded. The hand-gesture let her know they were sneaking out and leaving Eldon to his own devices. Jay was more than sure someone as well equipped as he would do just fine. No way did he want him to tag along.
Eldon coughed and woke himself up.
‘You’re awake lady.’ He eyed Alina.
‘Tell us what happened?’ she asked him politely.
‘I was watching you both dance and went out to make sure your rooms had been made up. I took two bottles of our finest wine.’
He shifted and groaned slightly with pain. ‘On my way, a couple of marines jumped me and in the bushes, slapped me around. They were very interested in who you were and didn’t believe what I told them. They continued to hit me even though I couldn’t tell them anything else about you. I ended up pretending they had knocked me out so they’d stop. To bring me around they tossed water in my face but I kept playing dead so they left me alone with only one guard to watch over me.’
‘You knew our names though. Did you tell them?’ Jay asked.
He shook his head. ‘I knew then you guys were important or something. I certainly knew after spending a week with you all, that you weren’t dangerous, and that they were the bad guys. I told them nothing they could use.’
He took a gulp of the drink Alina passed to him.
‘Anyway, that one guard turned his back on me while he took a leak and that’s when I jumped him. I threatened him with my pocket knife to his jugular, and made him tell me what he knew. He had a bigger knife and we fought and I won. As he lay dying he gurgled out a laugh. Told me that the entire island would be toast and he’d see me in hell.’
‘That’s when you came to help us?’ Jay moved the conversation along. ‘But why not just save the prince or the band first? Why did you choose us?’
He looked at Jay for a minute and his lip curled. ‘The one you call the prince looked as if he could find his own way out. The girl needed help. You agree, yes.’
‘Yes.’ Jay nodded.
‘Okay, now we’ve established trust here, what’s our next move?’ Eldon asked.
‘No clue. We thought you had all the answers, bringing us here,’ Jay said.
‘Well, I have got a friend I could contact. The CB over there should still work. If it does I’ll get him to come rescue us.’
‘Sounds good,’ Jay agreed.
Eldon switched it on. Not a surprise to Jay, it worked perfectly. Just before Eldon was about to talk, Jay quickly picked up a club and hit him from behind, knocking him out. Not to waste a minute Jay pried the handpiece from him and put his foot on him to make sure the lying fool would not be getting up anytime soon.
Jay clicked on the hand device. ‘Got them both tied up; come pick em up.’
‘Good,’ came back a voice. ‘What’s the location?’
‘Corner of fuck you and get fucked,’ he said, turning off the CB set.
Alina stood shaking in shock that not only had Jay worked it out and had the guts to knock the deceitful Eldon out, but because she just heard Detective Berry’s voice.
‘That was Berry. How did you pick up Eldon was double crossing us? I thought the way you talked you trusted him.’
‘I had to make him comfortable. Well, enough to ring those he worked for.’
‘When did you catch on? I had no idea and I can usually tell when someone lies.’
‘I may be a lot of things but I’m not stupid. The cave fell in around us as we ran. He was immobile with his leg and couldn’t have run near fast enough, even in the opposite direction. Plus I looked before we ran, and there were no other exits out of that tunnel we fell into. Also how mysterious was it how he got out with that limp and then managed to find a boat?’
As Jay tied him up he continued. ‘Plus the guy got sea sick. No way. Not with all this commando gear. He wanted me to row so he could slip you overboard only I kept my eye on him the entire time.’
Jay gave her a hug. ‘Sorry girlfriend, didn’t mean to scare you. But I need you to hold it together and do something for me.’
He pointed to the bench. ‘I found an old coding machine. Can you use it to contact your friend that saved us last time? None of this other equipment is safe, I’m afraid.’
She looked at it with interest. ‘For a desk clerk you are really quite the OO7 when you want to be. Give me a go. I think I still remember how to use one.’
‘Well, you’re old enough.’
‘You’ll keep.’ She lashed out her hand and punched him.
‘Ouch, that hurt,’ he stirred her. ‘Not.’
She slapped him again before she sat to give it a go. Locking her fingers together she cracked the knuckles and wiggled her fingers. ‘Now let’s let see what we have here.’ She looked comfortable nutting out the antique link to the outside world.
Jay dragged Secret Agent Eldon over to the far corner. Even though he was angry with Eldon, he did feel grateful that he saved them. For that he kept him alive. ‘Mongrel.’ Jay dumped him against the wall.
Back beside Alina he felt like a bodyguard. His quiet, non-violent persona disappeared when he was with her. Not only Alina, but Ricco also, trusted him. Their faith in his abilities since the explosion helped get him through whatever came his way, including the dipstick in the corner.
She smiled at the look he gave her as she used the old fashioned cryptogram.
‘Done, they’ll pick us up on the shore after dark. So we just have to hold tight until then.’
Jay wasn’t convinced. He mulled over her words before he spoke. ‘Alina, last time you called them they got to us in a couple of hours. Dark’s not for hours yet. I don’t trust this equipment. We have no way of knowing if that message was intercepted by the enemy. This doesn’t feel right. We have to go.’ Suddenly freaked out, he added, ‘these feelings I have usually are right and this is really gut wrenching.’
‘I have to trust your instincts Jay. Mine are all over the place. I feel totally rattled without Ricco. We’ve both connected somehow and even though I know he’s not dead, I’m frightened for him.’
He held her shoulders and looked into her eyes. ‘So you can still feel he’s alive somewhere.’
She looked sad. ‘Yes, I would know if he was dead and even though he’s not yet, he’s close to it.’
‘Then let’s go find the prince. When we do, then we’ll work out how to get off this island. I’m so sick of those mongrels chasing us. I reckon it’s about time the hunted become the hunters.’ His mood changed and with a positive tone, he shook her gently. ‘Are you with me Ali?’
‘With you?’ She lifted her eyebrow up. ‘I’m so with you Jay. Thanks for being my rock.’
‘My pleasure.’
His attention was now on what they might need, a flare, torch, pocket knife and other items. He stuffed them in his pockets. ‘Let’s get moving before Eldon wakes and starts mouthing off. I might not be able to control the outcome.’
‘Jay.’ All fun was out of her voice. ‘What if we don’t find them. I’m so stressed.’
He put his arm protectively around her. ‘We’ll find them. I know the prince
would have protected Kev with his life as I would you, Ali. They’re laid up somewhere as we were, waiting for us.’
‘You’re right! If he’s unable to come to us he would wait for us to find him. We are immortal soul mates; there’s a magic that comes with that I can surely tap into. But I can’t do it in here, it’s too negative.’
He had got her spirits back up and both of their moods became more positive as they scrambled out of the bunker and headed along the beach.
They hadn’t gone far, before Jay spotted Alina struggle in the sand.
‘Stop!’
He took out the pocket knife, ‘Hand over those shoes.’ He cut off the heels and tossed them back.
Alina slipped back into them and shuffled her feet. ‘Much better.’
She put her thumbs up and ran off with him on her heels. A flick and Jay had tucked away the knife before catching up to her.
‘Ali! Up here!’ He pulled her up a hilly mound.
Her eyes closed once they reached the top, and primeval scent filled her senses. ‘He’s here, Jay, I know it.’
‘The sun is above us so we have plenty of light. If Ricco is here he would have left us a clue. Let’s keep along the tree line so we don’t get seen from the air.’
‘I think it’s this way.’ Her eyes snapped open and without another word she led the way.
‘Ali, it might be something as simple as a broken twig, so don’t go too fast in case we miss something.’ He slowed her pace.
He found comfort in her confidence but while she had her mind on finding their men, Jay’s instinct for them to survive had his mind alert and in overdrive. He watched for signs, listened for sounds and made sure they stayed under cover and hidden as best he could. His adrenalin had kicked in so hard he felt as if he was going in slow motion. Yet he knew he was thinking so quickly he was giving himself head spins.
Alina was the opposite to the prince; she was fragile and stumbled too much. This held them up and he took her hand to steady her.
‘I don’t trust your people after the last attack. One of them must have given us away. How far away are they?’ he asked.
‘Pick up in in four hours,’ she puffed.
‘If I’m right and they lied, how long will it take them to get here?’
‘My best guess is about two hours. But I sent them to Orca Island. I saw you find a flare.’
She was no fool. ‘Good thinking. If Orca Island is hit with explosives we’ll know they are the ones that gave us up.’
‘If not we can send up a flare so they can find us.’
They switched between walking and a run for about an hour. A lot of ground had been covered when Jay spotted a couple of freshly broken twigs from a tree.
‘There’s no track, just that.’ Jay searched. ‘Ricco,’ he called out, not expecting an answer but hoping. He whistled and called his name again two or three times while walking inland a little way.
‘Give me a hoist. I’ll check it out from up there.’ She pointed up high.
Jay gave her a leg up the tall tree. Alina clambered it like squirrel before she looked around calling to him. She practically slid down the trunk when she got an inkling of where he was, her legs grazed red raw, but she didn’t wince, too busy concentrating on finding them.
‘I think I heard something that way.’ She pointed to the north-west of them.
They decided to separate and search in that direction. ‘Keep close enough to hear me,’ Jay warned. ‘If we find anything we can move back to each other in no time.
‘Okay.’ She ran in the direction he told her to go. Both called their names and then would stand quiet in case they had a response, but nothing. Finally Alina got something. ‘This way.’ She waited for Jay to reach her.
With his hand in hers, they moved quickly through the brush, Alina pulling at Jay now she was so close. Sensitive ears listened as she stopped suddenly. In the silence Jay could hear her heart race. Her eyes were wide and alert like a beast that tracked its prey. Then he heard it too, the faintest groan.
‘You hear it too, right.’ She tugged at him to thick bush. ‘Help me.’ She started pulling at twigs and branches. Jay pushed in and helped and beneath, he saw the entrance to a rocky cave.
‘He sure covered himself well.’ Jay worked hard. ‘He must be really crook Ali.’
Tears streamed down her face as they finally cleared enough away for them to hear he was definitely in there.
He called out, ‘Alina, help.’ His voice was weak.
Frightened for him she started hurting herself with the branches as she ripped at them. ‘Shit, shit, shit!’ she sobbed. ‘He must be really bad if he can’t move and come to us.’
‘He’ll be all right Ali, we’ve found him now and you can make him better.’
Then a terrible thought struck him. ‘If Ricco is this bad it means Kev didn’t make it.’
‘Jay, he couldn’t be dead. He’s with Ricco, surely.’
Jay heard no other sound, just the prince with his deep heaves of breaths as pain gripped him.
Jay swore, so angry they might have killed his lover; he found the extra strength he needed to rip away the last few heavy branches as if they were twigs.
He cursed Ricco as he strained and mustered enough strength to push and roll big boulders away.
‘Even unwell, he still has the strength of ten men to build this damned wall of protection around himself.’
‘Hurry!’ Alina was becoming frantic.
Finally they could see a body. Alina dug her way in before Jay could clear more debris out the way, seriously gashing her legs and arms. Blood flowed from her yet she continued to push to reach her man. She was wild, a woman possessed. There was only one person in the cave and Jay’s heart sank. Kev was gone. The prince was so badly burnt he could barely recognise him. There was no flesh left down one side of his face or his arms and hands. Jay couldn’t see his legs but assumed they were not much better. God! The smell, he covered his nose. He must have been in that state for hours. Jay sat with his arms around his knees hoping they weren’t too late. He wasn’t sure if Alina was capable of healing such wounds. Alone, he shed tears, feeling the hurt of losing his love.
‘I am so jinxed,’ he mumbled to no one in particular.
Right then and there he made a pact with himself. ‘If this is to be my life and this is what I choose, then I swear I’ll never drag another person I care about into it.
He wiped his wet face when he heard a noise in the bush. There it was again. He froze.
‘They’ve found us,’ he whispered. He hoped Alina heard him as he wasn’t game to move and attract attention.
He didn’t breathe as the footsteps ran quickly towards him. Jay jumped up, pulling out his pocket knife. I’ll fight to the death! He stood ready for battle, waiting for the intruder.
‘Where the hell did you guys come from? I’ve searched everywhere for you and put that bloody knife down before you hurt yourself.’
It was Kev and he was fine. Jay chucked the knife, jumped on the red-headed hunk and knocked him down on the ground.
‘Shit, I’m so happy to see you. I thought if all that was left of the prince was burnt remains, you must be dead for sure.’ Jay shook from pure gratefulness his man was still alive.
‘Ricco got us both out and then headed back to try and get you two. That was when the second blast got him. He brought us here and insisted that if you were alive, you also would be here somewhere and to go look for you. I found the boat and your aftershave scent was all over the oars. I knew you made it. I’ve tracked your footsteps for an hour. Boy you don’t know how glad I was when I found the heels to Sleeping Beauty’s shoes. I hid them by the way. You always have been a rough careless yummy bastard,’ Kev joked as he gave Jay another big smooch. ‘Is the big guy gunna make it?’
‘I hope so. I have faith in our girl. There’s nothing she can’t do. She tracked him like a wild beast on heat. She was amazing Kev. She gashed herself open getting to him and di
dn’t even flinch. There was no stopping her instincts to be with him.’
‘Or his for her,’ Kev agreed. ‘He was burnt and still didn’t care. He kept searching until he realised her scent was no longer there and headed for this island. He would have found you only he was seriously banged up and had to stop for a rest.’
‘We should go get that boat and some supplies while we’re waiting,’ Jay said, getting up.
‘No,’ he heard a voice growl.
It was Ricco. Alina had healed the prince and he listened.
‘Give me a few more minutes. It’s my turn to help give Alina back her strength. I took all she had. There will be no more splitting up. If one goes we all go this time.’ He came out and carried Alina with him
Jay and Kev glared at each other and shrugged.
‘We’re not arguing.’ Kev put an arm around Jay and knuckled his head. ‘Got my mate back to boss around.’
Jay punched him. ‘Wake up dummy, you’ve got to be still dreaming.’ They laughed, glad to be together and neither hurt.
‘She collapsed from overdoing it again.’ Ricco sat cross legged, cradling her as he intently listened. Jay’s movements with Alina were all that interested him.
Occasionally Jay would stop while Ricco checked Alina and then Ricco would nod for him to continue. He heated his body up so much that sweat poured from his face. Ricco had no intentions of staying there any longer than was necessary.
~ Chapter Fourteen ~
Water Heaven
In great detail Jay finished telling Ricco everything including stopping Eldon.
‘Jay, that’s ruthless. You should be punished for your poor people skills.’ Kev nudged him.
Jay laughed and grabbed Kev’s hand to let him do it.
‘Stop stuffing around guys. We haven’t got long before we’re found,’ Ricco disciplined. ‘Jay, think! What was in the bunker? Did you see diving gear, tanks or anything we can use to get out of here?’
‘Yes, there was plenty of that and I also noticed keys hanging on a hook board.’