“I’d like you to stay off this foot as best you can,” Avery instructed. She looked up as Cherylynn drew her attention. “What?”
“The sun’ll be setting in the next hour or so. I think we need to figure out shelter and some sort of crutches for her if we do plan to stay here. Otherwise it’s going to be an uncomfortable, and dark, night out here.”
“I have headlamps,” Avery said, pulling two from her bag.
“I think I love you,” Cherylynn decided.
“I am a little neurotic when it comes to being prepared,” Avery admitted, then looked down at Sara. “Are you cool to chill here while we scope out the top of this cliff and figure out our plan for the night?”
“No problem.” Sara smiled meekly. “I’m sorry I’m dragging you guys down. I should’ve watched my step better.”
“Don’t worry about it. We’ll figure this out,” Avery promised, and patted Sara’s shoulder reassuringly.
“Okay, so what are we looking for exactly?” Lisette asked.
“Shelter for the night, maybe a way to make a fire, sticks or something we can fashion into a walking stick or crutches for Sara, and maybe – ideally – a way off this cliff. Maybe the other side isn’t as bad,” Avery said. The three girls stood, hands on hips, and turned in a slow circle surveying their surroundings. Avery glared at the camera guy who followed them, furious that he wasn’t stepping in to help.
“Tamp down on that look, killer,” Cherylynn whispered as they took off toward the edge of the cliff.
“It’s just absolutely infuriating to me. She needs help – people should help her. I don’t understand how this is even a question,” Avery bit out.
“It makes for good TV. My guess is that if she was really seriously hurt they’d come and get her.”
“I should hope so. I don’t think watching someone die on television is exactly thrilling.” Avery rolled her eyes as they came to the edge of the cliff. Together, the three of them surveyed what lay on the other side.
“Wow… this is insane,” Lisette said, looking down at the expanse of private beach that beckoned to them from below. Beautiful white sand was sheltered by rock walls and a long line of palm trees. It looked restful, calm, and inviting. Turning, Avery studied the top of the cliff they now stood on. Aside from the pile of boulders that Sara sat propped against, there was nothing but jagged rocks and a few small, stubby cactus plants surrounding them. Here, they’d be exposed to the elements – wind, rain, and sun. If they could get down to the beach, they’d have more protection.
“Do you think we can make it down there?” Cherylynn asked.
“Look, the path is over here. It actually looks way more gentle than the way we came up. See? It sort of slopes down the side of the cliff and switches back. I bet Sara could do that much more easily than the other way we came.”
“What happens once we’re down there, though?” Avery demanded.
“Well… look.” Cherylynn pointed to where the beach wrapped around the other side of the cove. “You can walk on the smooth sand over there. And I bet there’s something on the other side, isn’t there? I swear I can see lights.”
“There should be another village on that side,” Avery agreed, going over her mental map of the island. “We were smack in the middle of the east coast, and there are definitely more developments on the south end.”
“So, if we get her down and around that beach in the morning, I bet we can flag down a car or help. Plus, the treasure might be in this little spot here, right? Weren’t the cliffs where the sirens sang or something? If we get Sara down, find the treasure, and get her out safely – we all win!” Cherylynn smiled brightly at Avery.
“That’s a lot of ‘if’s.”
“Got a better plan?” Cherylynn asked, her voice sweet as honey.
“No, I really don’t. I don’t think we’ll be comfortable up here on this rock tonight,” Avery admitted.
“Hey, there’s some driftwood here,” Lisette called from the other side of the ledge, brandishing a gnarled stick. “I think someone had a bonfire up here at some point.”
“There’s our crutches,” Cherylynn said.
Avery sighed, running her palm over her face. “Fine, let’s do this. But I’d like to go on record as stating that I think the producers should medically evacuate someone who is hurt,” Avery said, raising her voice and looking around just in case Roman was lurking nearby.
“It’s on the record. Stamped and sealed. Now, come on, let’s go make some crutches.”
“You know, I could be home with a good book right now,” Avery grumbled.
“And I could be shopping the fall sale at Nordstrom. Nevertheless, here we both are. Let’s build us some shelter and watch a beautiful sunset.”
“If we get to the bottom in time,” Avery said, stooping to gather as many of the driftwood sticks as she could.
“We will, we will,” Lisette promised. Together they took every last bit of driftwood they could find and brought it over to Sara, piling it in front of her.
“Well, you guys get an A+ for gathering skills,” Sara decided, smiling up at them. “If you have any rope, or even a knife, I can build a crutch.”
“Well, let’s see this crutch you keep talking about. If you can even build it?” Lisette demanded.
“Carpenter, remember? I just need to create a notch for the pieces and I should be okay.”
“Knife,” Avery said, handing Sara a serviceable Swiss Army knife from her pack.
“Perfect. Let me get to work. Tell me what I’m dealing with to get off this cliff,” Sara said. Cherylynn filled her in on their plan as she picked up stick after stick and discarded them. When she found one that seemed to measure about to her shoulder, she set it aside and picked out two smaller pieces.
When she was done, Avery carefully bundled the rest of the wood and tied it with a climbing rope she had in her pack.
“A true survivalist,” Lisette said. “You have rope, a knife, a first aid kit… how did you know to pack all this?”
“I don’t particularly like being caught off guard. In fact, when I first found out I was coming here, I kept thinking we’d be sleeping on the beach and building our own huts. I wasn’t really expecting a luxurious villa. So I packed all this stuff. It was my… friend who made me pack all my different outfits.”
“Looks like your premonition is coming true – we are going to be sleeping on the beach and building our own shelter. So, I guess, good job on being prepared. I’m really glad I partnered with you.”
“Thanks, Lisette. Think you can carry this stack down?” Avery motioned to one of the bundles of sticks.
“No problem. I’m here to be your pack mule.”
“How are your feet holding up?” Avery asked, realizing suddenly that Lisette had been barefoot this whole time.
“Scratched, a little sore, but nothing I can’t handle. Don’t worry, you won’t have to carry me out of here.”
“Roman and Beckett will have to be carried out of here after I’m done with them,” Avery promised, hoisting her bundle of driftwood and attaching it to the back of her pack.
Cherylynn stood, helping Sara to her feet. She had made a nice-looking crutch from what, moments before, had been scraps of driftwood. Avery held her breath as Sara took a few wobbly steps forward and then got the hang of it.
“I’m good! Let’s keep going, ladies,” Sara said. “I have a feeling we’ll find this treasure down there.”
“Shall we?” Lisette said, looking at Avery, who seemed to have become the de facto leader of this little group.
“I don’t think we have a choice.”
“Saddle up,” Cherylynn cried.
“Do you think she says that every morning as she starts her day?” Lisette wondered.
Avery burst out laughing, watching as Cherylynn hovered close to Sara, ready to catch her if she fell.
“I’m certain. Her daddy’s a rancher, after all.”
“That explains so much.�
�
Chapter 19
Maybe she had overreacted, Avery thought, second-guessing herself on the way down from the top of the cliff. There was something about trauma and injury out in the wild that dredged up remnants of pain from her own experience in the rapids. It might not make sense, but then nobody ever said that emotions were rational. She had every right to feel the way she did, Avery reminded herself – or so her therapist had said. She was supposed to honor those feelings, and understand that she was still dealing with the ramifications of almost dying.
Mainly, she just felt angry. More specifically, angry at Roman. For some reason, even though the man seemed to make the hairs on the back of her neck prickle, she had thought more highly of him. Yet he’d disappointed her today, she realized. She wasn’t sure if she’d been expecting a knight in shining armor to save Sara, but at the very least, a competent medical professional on the scene would have been nice. Instead, she’d had to be her own hero.
And wasn’t that a revelation? Avery skidded to a stop, as the women continued down the path. She took a deep breath, and then another. Her gaze took in the view – the way the sun was kissing the water, the frigatebird that swooped lazily overhead, and how the leaves of the palms fluttered together in the breeze. Here she was, on a random island in the Caribbean, exposing herself to national television, and she hadn’t broken or failed when her friend got hurt far away from help. Instead, she’d handled it like a boss, and now they were on their way to making a shelter and settling in for the night. Everyone was safe, nobody was going to die, and that was in large part due to her actions.
A newfound sense of power filled Avery, its warmth coursing through her core, as she realized that maybe she didn’t need to be chained so much to the fears of the past. She could be her own hero. It was time for her to stop living small and start embracing life again – in all its ups and downs. That was what Ruby had been trying to tell her for years now, she realized, and the source of the worry that hovered in her parents’ eyes when they looked at her. She’d cocooned herself in a ball of virtual cotton wool, keeping herself as sheltered and safe as she could. But was that really how she wanted to live her life?
“You gonna give a speech or something?” Cherylynn called from below. The other three had made it to the beach, and Avery realized she was still standing halfway up the path, looking out over the beach.
“I could, but I don’t want to bore you,” Avery laughed, and all but scampered the rest of the way down the path, feeling happier than she had in years. It was as though virtual chains around her shoulders had snapped, and a lightness filled her being.
“Well? What say you, O fearless leader?” Cherylynn asked, saluting as Avery neared the group.
“Sara? How much pain are you in?”
“Manageable,” Sara said, rotating her ankle slightly. “Though if you have another ice pack, I’ll take it. Or maybe I can submerge my foot in the water to cool it a little bit.”
“I do have two more ice packs I can activate. Can you wait just a bit while we find a spot and then we’ll settle in?”
“No problem. Over there looks nice.” Sara pointed to a small cluster of palms on the side of the beach, sheltered by the rock wall. “There’s shade from the trees, but it’s still sandy beach, so it’ll be soft to sit on.”
“That looks good. Let’s go set up what we can, then we’ll get some ice on you,” Avery said, glaring again at the cameraman who hovered nearby. Just because she could be her own hero didn’t mean she wasn’t annoyed at the lack of medical assistance from the crew.
“I wonder what happened to Beckett,” Lisette said when they got to the cluster of palms and dropped their packs on the ground. Avery unhooked the bundle of sticks and set them in the sand, then opened her pack.
“Too much hard work so he ran away?” Avery said. She pulled the hammocks from her pack, then untied the rope from the bundle of sticks.
“Geez, Avery,” Sara laughed. “You told him to go.”
“Well? He should be back by now. I didn’t mean leave us out here alone. What kind of man runs when you’ve hurt yourself? Is that really what you want in a partner?” Avery wondered.
“I thought he was running for help,” Sara said.
“Is he though? I mean, there are cameramen here. All of whom have walkie-talkies clipped to their belts, and likely cell phones as well. I don’t doubt that any one of them could have radioed for help and you would have been evacuated by now.”
“True,” Sara said. She sighed. “Well, everyone has their faults.”
Avery thought it showed his true character and was more than a fault, but she kept her words to herself. Instead, she busied herself with tying the two hammocks between the trees. Standing back, she surveyed her work and nodded. Now she just had to figure out two more beds.
“Sara, would you like my hammock?” Cherylynn asked.
“I… no, I couldn’t possibly,” Sara said, a frown deepening her pretty face. “I’ve already caused too much trouble.”
“It’s really not a problem. I’ve slept on the ground more times than I can count. When we ride the ranch – which is thousands of acres, mind you – I’ve had to sleep in a bedroll on the ground. This sand is nice and cushy compared to that.”
“I’m happy to sleep on the beach too.” Lisette shrugged. “I’ve napped in the sand a ton between surf sessions. It’s no bother to me.”
“You’re sure?” Sara asked.
“No problem. I can use my pack as a pillow,” Lisette promised, patting Sara’s shoulder.
“Should I start building a fire?” Cherylynn asked. The sun had fallen below the horizon and a brilliant display of red and orange streaks lingered in the sky.
“I think that’ll be good. It’ll help keep bugs away. Here’s my bug repellent, too.” Avery handed over the bottle.
“Seriously, how much stuff do you have in that pack?” Sara wondered out loud. She hobbled over to a hammock, lowering herself gently while the group collectively held their breath, then sighed in relief when she didn’t flip back out the other side.
“More pills, if you’re in pain,” Avery said, shaking the bottle at her.
“I’ll take some in a bit. I’m okay for now. I don’t know how long we’ll be out here, so I’d like to ration them.”
“Speaking of rations,” Cherylynn chimed in. She had made a neat teepee of sticks in a hole she’d dug in the sand and surrounded it with a circle of rocks. “What’s our water situation looking like?”
“I have one full bottle,” Lisette said.
“I have half a bottle,” Sara said.
“I have almost a full bottle, half a bottle, and a water purifying mechanism,” Avery said. She paused when the rest just looked at her.
“You brought a water purifier?”
“Yeah, you just pour it through and let it do its thing. It’s meant for travel. And I have back-up purifying tablets.” Avery looked around at them. “What?”
“I feel like you were a Girl Scout,” Lisette decided.
“I might have been.” Avery shrugged. “Oh, and I have about fifteen granola bars, so it might not be the most exciting dinner, but it’s something.”
“Oh, thank god. I was not about to catch a fish and cook it,” Lisette said.
“If you want to, though, I can filet them. I used to fish a lot,” Sara offered.
“I think I’m good with the granola bars,” Avery said, eying the dark water warily. She hadn’t thought to bring a fishing line or a hook, though in retrospect that wouldn’t have made sense. Like she’d know the first thing about how to catch a fish or cut it up and cook it.
“Please tell me you have matches? I’m not ready to rub two sticks together for an hour, though I can if I have to.” Cherylynn eyed Avery hopefully.
“Even better – a waterproof lighter.” Avery dug around until she found the lighter. Pulling out another ice pack, she activated it as she walked over to Sara’s hammock, and handed it to her. “I�
�m going to just wander around the cove here, maybe find a spot for a toilet away from the cameraman.”
“You could just go pee in the water. That’s what I’m going to do,” Lisette offered.
“I am not wading into dark water at night.”
“I’m sure it’s fine.”
“Nope. Enjoy your creepy death-water pee. I’m going to hide behind a bush,” Avery said. She switched her headlight on; then, seeing one of the cameramen move as if to follow her, she stopped and looked directly at the camera.
“I’m going to pee. You do not have permission to follow me.” The cameraman flashed her a grin and nodded, swinging back to where the other girls sat as the first lick of flames climbed up the pile of driftwood.
Happy she’d held her ground, Avery followed the line of the cliff wall until she found a secluded spot behind a bush, and took care of her business. On the walk back, she stopped, her eyes caught by something glinting out in the water near a cluster of rocks. For a moment, she could’ve sworn a fish – or something – had jumped from the water. She wondered if those were the siren rocks she’d read about; from here, with the last rays of light caressing the sky, they did look somewhat like a siren rising from the sea.
“Guys, I think we’re close to the treasure,” Avery said, bounding back to the others. “Look out at those rocks. What do you think?”
“I… guess they kind of look like a siren. But aren’t they supposed to make noises? Like a song?”
“At high tide, I think,” Avery said.
“What is it now?”
“I don’t know if it is just coming in or going out, but it looks mid-way,” Lisette offered.
“And since I don’t hear any rocks singing away, I’m guessing it’s not high tide, honey,” Cherylynn said.
“Should we try to get out to them?”
“In the dark?” Avery asked.
“Well, if the tide’s low and the treasure’s out there – wouldn’t that make sense?” Lisette asked.
A Good Chance (The Siren Island Series Book 3) Page 11
