“Did no one else see or hear what was happening? Couldn’t anyone else help?” Farache asked politely enough, but Eban was becoming irritable.
“I don’t know. I was unconscious,” he reiterated. “They probably tried. The island was full of only women and a lot of them were elderly. The ship was sinking fast as soon as she hit the rocks. She was heavily laden. There wouldn’t have been much time for the women to get over from the main island and then swim out to the sailors, even if they were still alive. I was lucky.”
Jerusha clung to Eban’s arm.
“I’d say you were very lucky, Mr. Gal.” Blum sniffed.
“Well thank you very much for your time, sir, ma’am, and for your hospitality. Very much appreciated. We’ll be on our way now, but if you hear from Amaranda could you please call this number and speak to myself or Sgt Blum? In the meantime we’ll do what we can to find her.” Farache shook their hands and was halfway to the door already.
“Don’t you need a description?” Eban eyed them suspiciously.
“We’ve got all we need, thank you.” Blum was obviously caught off-kilter.
“But how do you know who you’re looking for?” Eban frowned.
“We know what the young lady looks like, don’t you worry about that.” Blum was adamant as he hurried to the front door behind Farache.
The door slammed after them.
Something doesn’t add up here!
* * * *
After a whole day spent searching the neighborhood and beyond for signs of Amaranda, Eban eventually headed for home. He was exhausted, distraught, and hungry. His mind had whirled all day but it still didn’t make any sense.
Something else that didn’t make sense was the crowd of people with cameras outside his house.
“Thank God you’re here!” Jerusha cried as he neared them.
“Eban Gal, would you like to explain your side?” A bullish man shoved a microphone into his face while cameras flashed all around him.
“Mr. Gal, can you confirm that there really are such things as Sirens?”
“Eban, what is your take on prostitution?”
“Can you explain the murder of your comrades?”
Questions were fired at him thick and fast, and from all angles. Eban shoved the reporters aside as he bulldozed his way to the front door. Jerusha was in tears, begging them to go away. He grabbed his mom and pulled her inside with him, kicking the door shut behind them. He dead-bolted it and took her into the lounge at the back of the house. He held her in his arms as they sat on the sofa. She cried. He seethed. They didn’t speak for a long time.
“You won’t believe what they’re saying,” Jerusha eventually spoke between sobs. “The most awful things, Eban.”
“It’s not true. Mom. Whatever they’re saying about her isn’t true.”
“Oh I know that, dear. I’ve met the girl. She’s nothing like how they describe her. She’s lovely. I just wish we knew where she was.” Jerusha took a soft handkerchief and dried her face as she sniffed.
“I can’t find her anywhere, Mom. It’s getting dark and it looks like rain. She’s out there somewhere. Lost and alone. Where would she go?” He sighed as he rubbed a hand through his blonde, tousled hair.
“Pascal called. He said to tell you there were lots of ships heading out for Refrainia today. He said he could probably get you a passage if you needed to go. He doesn’t believe the rumors, of course, but someone’s stirring something up. Oh, and he said there’s another matter you should know about, too.”
“Oh God, no!” Eban’s face turned a whiter shade of pale. He ran to the study and grabbed his laptop. It was already firing up by the time he returned to the lounge.
“Those people won’t know what’s hit them if a bunch of reporters turn up at the island. Switch the news on, Mom.”
Jerusha flicked the television on as he loaded Super-Skype. There were ships of all sizes heading out to sea, and a map showed the location of Refrainia. The headlines ran across the bottom of the screen. Sirens exist on Refrainia. Murderous whores kill sailors. Death and carnage prevail on remote island.
Eban felt sick in the pit of his stomach. There were a couple of flickers on the laptop before Rechavia’s face appeared. His face was even more tanned and he looked the picture of health as he grinned back at his friend.
“Hey, Eban, you look like hell, man. What’s up?”
“Rech, listen to me. Something’s happened. Someone’s spreading a rumor that there are Sirens, whores, on the island. It’s all over the news. The cops have been round asking why I was the only survivor of the New World. Reporters are camping on my doorstep asking about prostitution and the island. Several ships are headed your way already. They’re baying for blood, bro, you all need to be careful.”
“Don’t worry, man, we can handle it.” Rechavia sounded a lot more positive than Eban felt.
“There’s something else.” Eban took a deep breath. “Amaranda’s gone missing.”
Rechavia’s face fell. “Left or been taken?”
“Left, I think. I’d know about it if anyone had been here.”
The telephone rang and Jerusha went to answer it.
“Does she have friends?”
“Hell no. She hasn’t been out except with me and my mom. A few people have been to the house but no one she’s made friends with. Rech, she doesn’t know her way around. She’s got to be lost somewhere. I’m going back out to look for her.”
“OK. What about enemies? She got any of them?” Rech sounded doubtful but it was worth a thought.
Eban almost dismissed the question without thinking—almost!
“Fuck!” His mind was reeling. “Rech, I think I know who’s behind all this!”
“Eban, it’s Mitzi.” His mom came in as he shut down the laptop.
“I know, Mom. The bitch!”
“No, dear, I mean Mitzi’s at the hospital. She’s taken something.”
Chapter 13
Amaranda felt Eban snuggle in beside her and relished his warmth. She wanted to hold on to this feeling for as long as she could. Soon it would be all she had left. Her own misery kept her awake as she heard his breathing relax to a perfect rhythm that told her he was asleep. She carefully slid away from him as soon as she felt it was safe, and crept out of the bed. Grabbing the clothes she had strategically left near the bedroom door, she headed for the stairs, pulling on her dress as she stealthily made her way to the front door and out into the dark night.
She ran down the streets that were more familiar to her, the ones they had driven down, but soon found herself in strange surroundings. She stopped running and looked round for signs of where she was. It was a cloudy night and the blackness closed in on her. The streets near Eban’s home were lit, but there were no lights here. She walked for what felt like hours, not knowing where she was or where she was going. Tears streamed down her face, making it even harder to see. Animals, some of them like the ones she had seen on the computer-thingy that Rechavia had shown her, prowled around the empty streets. She remembered him telling her that those slinky ones were called cats and wouldn’t harm her unless she got too close, when they could scratch hard, but not kill her. Dogs worried her a little. There were so many different kinds. She mainly saw large ones tonight, and jumped every time one growled or barked, even though they weren’t really close to her. She recalled Rech saying that some dogs could be vicious and could even kill a person, but that most of them were pets belonging to other humans, and wouldn’t hurt anyone.
Her mind wandered back to those days on the island. Rechavia was a genius when it came to the computer and taught her so much. Aitan had always been joking, he had such a wicked sense of humor. Eban had been so loving. It was hard to believe it had only been a matter of days since they were all together. Although the island held some sad memories for her, she wished she were back there now. She knew her way around Refrainia, and could never get lost. She knew everyone there, even if she didn’t much like some of
them. Hermandine had always frightened her so much, but that was nothing to the fear she felt now. She didn’t even know what dangers were out here. She knew men could be violent and cruel, and she knew that women could be really bitchy and mean. She knew some of the animals that could hurt her, and tried to remember which ones were kept in safari parks and which ones were allowed to share the same areas as people. Vehicles were dangerous, too, and some of them were so fast they took her breath away even when she was on the sidewalk. She had never felt so vulnerable.
Footsteps came up from behind her. Her heart thudded. She heard them getting closer and closer. She took deep breaths to calm herself. Walking. They were only walking, like she was. Not running. Not threatening. Just someone out walking like her. She forced herself to look round. If she was going to be attacked by someone she would see who it was if nothing else! An old man was walking behind her someway off. The quietness of the deserted streets made every sound echo, so she had felt that he was right behind her. She sighed with relief.
Finding herself in another run-down backstreet, she took advantage of some derelict buildings and crept inside. It was becoming cooler as the night drew on, and she was exhausted. There was a stale stench of urine as she made her way inside what seemed to be an old house. A room to her right seemed dry and didn’t smell as badly as some of the others, so she opted for that one. The windows were boarded up, though some had also been smashed, and she cut her leg on some broken glass as she sat down. She couldn’t see the damage to herself so she tried to ignore the sting and curled herself into a tight ball, leaning against a wall. Thoughts of sunshine and flowers, sea and happy memories filled her head as she drifted into a deep sleep.
Amaranda was amazed to see how light it was when she awoke. The wooden boards had blocked out most of the sunshine, and it must have been mid-morning judging by the height of the sun, which she could just make out through a crack in the ceiling. She stretched her cramped body and looked around at the mess. Bits of wood and broken glass were strewn all over the floor, and the walls were almost black with dirt. She shook herself and made her way to the doorway. The stench hit her and she remembered it from last night. Out in the street there were a few cats roaming around, but even at this time of day, it was mainly deserted. She could hear traffic close-by and headed in its direction. She caught sight of her reflection in a shop window and stared, horrified. Her hair was matted and her dress a filthy, crumpled mess. She wore a bikini under her dress, old habits die hard, and planned to find her way to the sea so she could have a wash and clean her clothes before deciding what to do next.
She felt better already. Having a plan put a more definite stride in her step as she searched for road signs leading to the coast or the quay. She remembered that it had only been about a half-hour ride in the car to get from the quayside to Eban’s home, and she had been walking for hours. Unless she was walking further inland, she should get there soon, surely.
A wooden bench at the side of a main road beckoned her and she sat down gratefully. She was exhausted, having walked for several hours since waking this morning. The sun was starting to set and she could hear her tummy rumbling angrily.
“Would you like a sandwich, my love?” A tattered old lady sat down next to her, offering her something in a paper bag. The lady looked more in need than she did. Her tummy growled again.
“Here, take it. I’ll get a good hot meal from the soup kitchen as soon as they open, it’s only down there.” The scruffy old dear waved a bony arm loosely in the direction of a row of buildings nearby.
“Well, if you’re sure?” Amaranda took the bag from her and devoured the sandwich. She wasn’t sure what was in it, and the bread was a little stale, but it was good.
“Thank you so much,” she said to the old lady.
“That’s all right, my love.” The old lady gave her a toothless grin.
“Can you tell me how to get to the sea, please?” Amaranda asked, hopefully.
“The sea? Well now, it’s a fair way off from here. You weren’t thinking of walking there were you?”
Amaranda nodded sadly.
“Tell you what. I know someone who works at the quayside. He’ll be along shortly to drop off his wife who works at the soup kitchen. He might take you back there in his car if I ask him real nice.”
“Would you?” Amaranda couldn’t believe her luck! She beamed at the old lady, and would have been tempted to hug her if she hadn’t smelled quite so bad.
“I would indeed.” The old dear laughed.
“That is so kind of you.”
There was a loud rattle as a roller-shutter opened down the street and the old lady steadily rose to her feet.
“Come on, then, my beauty, let’s see if they’re here yet,” she said as she led the way to the row of buildings. There was a large shop-front that had been unveiled to reveal some rickety old tables and chairs inside. A counter stood at one end and a queue of scruffy, mainly dirty people was lining up to get their supper. Amaranda felt so sorry for them, and realized that they must have thought she was one of them. The old lady bypassed the queue and stuck her head round an open doorway behind the counter.
“Is your Kabos about, my love?” she shouted to someone in the back. Amaranda couldn’t hear the other person speaking, but very soon an unkempt-looking man, probably in his forties, came through with the old lady.
“There you are, my love. This here’s Kabos, he’s agreed to take you to the quayside with him. He’s got to work there tonight, so he’ll be leaving soon. Why don’t you have yourself some soup while you wait?”
“Thank you. But I haven’t any money,” Amaranda said sadly.
The old lady guffawed. “None of us has, my love, we wouldn’t be here else would we?” She elbowed her way to the front of the queue and reappeared with two bowls of steaming hot broth. She led Amaranda to a table and they sat down to eat. The soup was delicious. Kabos had disappeared behind the counter again, but soon came back with a paper bag in his hand.
“Come on, then, sweetie, let’s get going if you’re finished?” He was rough but seemed to be kindhearted. He was unshaved and very scruffy-looking.
“Thank you so much.” Amaranda smiled to the old lady as she jumped up and followed the stocky man out of the building.
He drove some sort of truck that was open at the back, with one long seat across the front of the inside. Amaranda jumped in next to him. The truck had long since seen better days, and the upholstery was torn and stained, but she was so grateful for the ride she almost cried for joy.
“This is so kind of you,” she said, smiling up at him.
“That’s all right, sweetie, it’s on my way,” he said with a grin. “What do you want with the quayside anyway? Not thinking of stowing away are you?” He laughed.
“No, nothing like that,” she said, although the thought had crossed her mind. “I’ve arranged to meet someone there, that’s all.”
“Oh, a secret dalliance with some sailor, is it?” he teased.
She tried hard to giggle. If only! “No, it’s a girl I know,” she said, and stared out of the window in case he could tell she was lying.
“Just as well,” he chuckled. “All the sailors are setting off for that island with the Sirens today. There’ll be none left here.”
“What?” The question came out sharper than she intended. She stared at him, openmouthed.
“Haven’t you ‘eard? They reckon there really are such things as Sirens and they’ve been murdering sailors near Eastland. The cops and the press are all on their way out there, most of them left this morning. It’s a long way off.” Kabos sounded quite excited by it all. Amaranda felt sick. She started to tremble as panic welled in her. Mitzi wasn’t supposed to say anything if she left Eban! That was the deal!
The silence that hung between them was uncomfortable. Amaranda was finding it hard to hide her despair, and Kabos seemed a little suspicious.
“Are you going to—to the island?” she asked,
stopping herself from naming it just in time.
“Me? Oh no. I’m no sailor, my sweetie. I work on the docks.”
“What do you do?” She wasn’t really bothered, but thought it best to keep him talking.
“Oh, this and that. Loading and unloading mainly. What did you say your name was, sweetie?”
“Fern.” She said the first thing that came into her head.
“Fern. Pretty name. Not from ‘round here though, are you, sweetie?”
Damn!
“No. Are you local, Kabos?”
“Oh yes. Born and bred here. That’s me—oops!”
He swerved the truck as they narrowly missed crashing into an oncoming car.
“Needs to look where he’s going!” Kabos growled.
Amaranda was horrified at how far over the wrong side of the road they were, but didn’t dare comment.
“So, your wife works at the soup kitchen?” She was desperately trying to find a safe topic of conversation.
“She does.”
“Is it a good job?”
“It’s all right. Helps me make contacts and I get free food.” Kabos chuckled.
“Contacts?” She was confused.
“Aye. Contacts. Man always needs contacts, my sweetie.”
“Like friends, you mean?” she asked.
He let out a loud guffaw. “Aye, like friends, my sweetie, just like friends.”
He seemed to think something was hilarious, and was so busy chortling that he nearly hit another car. There was a loud sound as the other driver pressed his horn, before waving his fists at them. Kabos didn’t seem to notice.
Amaranda’s heart leapt when she saw the sign for the quay. She was almost there. They drove up a familiar road and she saw the sea in front of them. It was getting dark and the quayside was lit up, the water looking ominously black. She opened the door and took in a deep breath of salty air. Relief washed over her.
Scourge of the Siren Page 11
