Back on Solid Ground

by Debra Trueman

  They walked down the beach and came to a dock and pier where they stopped and the men sat down in the sand. They were discussing some sporting event, so Stacy headed out to the end of the pier for some solitude. It was impossible to tell how deep the water was because it was crystal clear. She could see every grain of sand, every shell on the bottom, and hundreds of brightly colored fish swimming around. It would be an incredible place to scuba dive or snorkel.

  Stacy scoped out the place from this angle and noticed what she assumed was a boathouse and a couple of sheds further down the beach. Possibly a means of escape and definitely something she would need to check out when the time was right.

  The place was truly incredible. She stripped down to her oversized T-shirt and underwear and dangled her feet in the water. She was bummed that she didn’t have a swimsuit; the water felt great. But no sooner had she sat down than the brothers had the nerve to intrude. She was sitting with her back to them, but could feel the vibration from their footsteps as they got closer. Unbelievable! She considered that maybe they were tormenting her on purpose. When they reached her, she turned around ready to be irritated, but they had not come empty-handed.

  Niki offered her another Piña Colada. “It was going to melt.”

  “Oh.” She accepted the drink without getting up. “Thank you.”

  She was glad they had brought her the drink, but she wanted them to leave. She needed privacy to plan her escape.

  Niki sat down beside her. “Planning your escape?” he asked.

  “Escape from you? Now why would I want to do that?” she said, looking out into the water.

  “Before you go taking off into the jungle, let me warn you that there are snakes in there as big around as your thigh,” he said, looking at her legs.

  “Well, then why don’t you take a long leisurely stroll in there?” she said, trying not to laugh. Stacy could feel Niki looking at her and she turned and met his stare.

  “Our eyes are the same color,” she said, out of the blue.

  The comment threw him and he lost his train of thought.

  Eli poked his head down, “What was that?” he said smiling.

  “Fuck off, Eli,” Niki said irritably.

  “That was ugly,” Stacy told Niki.

  “For someone with such a foul mouth, you should talk,” Niki shot back.

  “I do not have a foul mouth,” she said.

  “Uh, let’s see . . . we have asshole, son-of-a-bitch, fucker, am I leaving anything out?”

  “And taken in context, all used appropriately,” Stacy fired back.

  “You two sound like an old married couple, ‘nag, nag, nag’,” said Eli.

  “Fuck off, Eli!” Stacy and Niki said in unison.

  “Add another one to the list,” said Niki, pointing at Stacy.

  “Don’t point your finger at me, unless you want me to break it,” she threatened.

  “Point . . . point . . . point,” Niki said, jabbing his finger at her each time he said it. He couldn’t resist tormenting her.

  “Stop it!” Stacy grabbed his finger and pushed his hand away from her. She took a sip of her drink to hide her smile. She should have eaten something because she was already getting a buzz.

  Niki got up, laughing. “Anybody want to swim?” he said, taking off his shirt.

  Stacy caught herself staring at his chest. It was bare, except for a small tuft of hair right in the middle. They should bronze that body and make a statue out of it, she thought.

  “You want to swim?” he asked her.

  Stacy took the last sip of her drink and thought about it. “Why not?” she said. She was stiff from sitting and she ached when she stood.

  Niki jumped in and shouted up to her. “You better go in from the stairs.”

  Stacy climbed down the steps with Eli behind her, and she pushed off into the water. It was deeper than it looked and she couldn’t touch the bottom. She was having to move her legs to stay above water and each movement brought a stab through her side. The current was carrying her further from the steps and Eli could tell she was struggling so he swam over to her.

  “Here,” he said, offering his arm.

  Stacy hated to do it, but it was either that or sink. She grabbed on to Eli’s arm. “Can you touch?” she asked.

  “Just,” he said.

  She moved closer to him and held on to his shoulder so she wouldn’t drag Eli under.

  Eli loved it. “I bet it really pisses you off to have to accept help from me,” he said.

  “You have no idea,” Stacy admitted. She held on to Eli as he walked back over to the stairs. His shoulders were strong and muscular and if he hadn’t been such an asshole she might have enjoyed it.

  Stacy sat down on a step. “That hurt,” she said. She pulled her shirt up and examined the bandage. There was a stain of green ointment mixed with blood seeping through and it looked disgusting. “Gross,” she said.

  “What’s up?” Niki said, swimming up to the steps.

  “She was drowning so I saved her,” Eli stated.

  “I was not drowning,” she said exasperated. “I was in pain.”

  “That looks disgusting. I’d take the bandage off, ” Niki told her.

  Stacy removed the gauze and exposed the bullet wound. She touched it gingerly but even the slightest contact was painful.

  “Want to check out your handiwork?” she said sarcastically.

  “You do know that we didn’t intend to shoot you, don’t you?” Niki said defensively.

  “Well, someone’s a lousy shot,” she said.

  “That would be me,” Eli told her.

  Stacy pulled her shirt up a bit further so they could get a good look, and Niki and Eli moved in closer to examine the wound.

  “That doesn’t look good,” Niki said.

  “Have you ever seen a gunshot wound that does?” she shot back.

  He ignored the jab. “Exactly what did Carlos say about it?” Niki asked.

  “I told you. He put that smelly green stuff on it and said I’d live.”

  “The green stuff is medicine?” he exclaimed. “I thought it was gangrene or something. You’re fine,” he declared, waving off further concern.

  Stacy released her shirt and climbed up the stairs to the dock. She had hoped to swim towards the boat shed to get a closer look but her plan had fizzled. The only buildings in sight were the house and the boat shed, and she wondered where the closest village was. From where she sat, it almost looked like a deserted island. Stacy decided that she needed to put a plan into action before they discovered that the gun was missing.

  “I think I need to get some rest. I’m really tired,” she said, putting her pants back on. “I’m going back to my room.” She hoped they would let her go by herself.

  “Go with her, Eli,” said Niki.

  Stacy walked ahead, trying to come up with a plan. Niki had stayed back with Jason, and Eli was following her, but not closely. She walked away from the beach, up to the treeline to see if there was a path in the jungle. It didn’t appear so. She wondered if Niki was serious about the snakes, or if he was just trying to scare her. Stacy decided she’d take her chances.

  Stacy and Eli got back to the house and she took a seat at the kitchen table. She looked at the clock; it was almost noon. Stacy realized that she didn’t even know what day it was or how long it had been since the bank robbery. She determined that Eli would be her target.

  “I’m hungry. Can I get something to eat before I go back to my cell?” she asked.

  Eli smiled. “Yeah. Let’s see what’s in here,” he said, opening the fridge. He took out a bowl of potatoes, a chunk of pot roast, and a container of fruit salad. Stacy was looking through the liquor cabinet while Eli was heating the roast in the microwave. She found a bottle of tequila and brought it to the table. If she could dull his senses a bit, it would help. She knew men like Eli and they hated to be upstaged by a woman. If she suggested they do shots, there would be no way he would refuse.<
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  “What are you doing?” he asked. “Are you an alcoholic?”

  “I have no place to be,” she said matter-of-factly. She looked through a cabinet, produced two shot glasses, and filled each with tequila.

  “I’m not drinking that!” said Eli.

  “Oh, come on. Don’t be scared.” Stacy smiled and held out a shot glass.

  Eli shook his head, but he took the drink from Stacy. He touched the shot glass to hers and they both downed them. Eli made a face and shivered; Stacy didn’t flinch.

  “You are an alcoholic,” he laughed.

  Stacy laughed with him and poured another shot. They clinked the glasses together again and both downed it.

  “I know what you’re doing Stacy,” Eli confided, “but I’ll drink with you anyway.”

  “What are you talking about? I’m not doing anything. Carlos told me to enjoy myself, so that’s what I’m doing,” she said, trying to sound innocent.

  “Indiana Jones, Raiders of the Lost Ark. You think you’re Marion,” he said.

  Stacy burst out laughing. “You’ve seen that, huh?” She refilled the shot glasses and waited until he drank his, then she put hers down on the table. The bell rang on the microwave and as soon as Eli turned around, she looked for a place to pour hers.

  “Don’t even think of pouring that out somewhere,” he said with his back to her.

  Stacy laughed so hard she snorted. “I can’t drink any more. Here, you finish mine,” she said, pouring hers into Eli’s shot glass.

  Eli brought their plates to the table and they had just started eating when Carlos came in. He looked from Stacy, to Eli, to the bottle of tequila and a broad smile spread across his face.

  “I see you decided to take my advice,” Carlos said happily.

  Stacy smiled. “That’s exactly what I just told Eli.” She turned to Eli, and she pointed to the shot glass. “That’s yours.”

  Carlos noticed Stacy’s wet shirt. “You need to keep the wound dry and covered. I’ll give you some bandages you can take to your room.”

  Stacy finished her plate of food and took it to the sink. She rinsed it and put it in the dishwasher, scoping the place out for anything useful. She was opening and closing all the drawers, making a terrible racket.

  “What are you doing over there?” Eli asked.

  “I’m looking for a towel,” she lied. There were several sets of keys in the junk drawer, and one looked like it was for a boat – the key ring would float. She didn’t see any car keys.

  “Over there,” Eli said, pointing.

  “Here?” she said, intentionally pulling out the wrong drawer. Nothing.

  “Next one,” said Eli.

  “Who organized this place? Why in the world would you keep the towels there?”

  Carlos and Eli looked blankly at each other like it had never crossed their mind.

  “Thanks for lunch. I’m going upstairs,” Stacy said, slipping through the door.

  Eli put his plate in the sink and followed her out of the kitchen. “I’ll walk you up.”

  Stacy managed the stairs, and Eli stayed there, watching her as she made her way down the hall to her room. She turned back before opening the door and smiled and waved, then went into her room and closed the door. She counted to five then opened the door a crack to see where he was going. Please go back to your room, she willed him. Eli had passed the stairs and was opening the door to his living quarters. Stacy was set to roll.

  Chapter 6

  She’s definitely up to something, Eli thought as he sat down on the couch. He didn’t have to wonder for long what she was up to. He hadn’t been sitting for two minutes when Stacy opened his door and came inside.

  “Hello, Eli,” she said, smiling. “Do me a favor and turn on your computer.” Stacy had the pistol leveled at his head.

  “Shit!” Eli jumped up in alarm. “Put the gun down, Stacy.”

  “No fucking way, Eli. Now go turn on the computer.”

  Eli went to the desk, sat down, and turned on the computer.

  “Get me into e-mail,” she instructed.

  While the computer was going through its start-up functions, Eli was trying to figure out how to get the gun away from Stacy without getting shot. Stacy pulled up a chair and took a seat. She was drunk but her hand was steady.

  “Stacy, you don’t want to do this,” Eli tried to reason with her.

  “Actually, yes, I really do,” she said. “Paybacks are hell aren’t they, Eli? I guess you’re thinking of all the rotten things you said and did to me and you’re wishing like hell you had been nicer.”

  “That pretty much sums it up,” he agreed.

  “You do get merits for your drinking effort though, and for busting me on the movie scene,” she laughed.

  “Do me a favor and don’t laugh while you’re holding a gun to my head. It might go off accidentally,” he said, moving the mouse around.

  “Guns don’t just go off, someone has to pull the trigger. And I’m not going to do that unless you make me. I don’t want to kill you, Eli. I just want to get away from you,” Stacy said.

  “We’re in e-mail,” he said.

  “I’ll dictate, you type,” Stacy said. She was trying to think of people’s e-mail addresses, and she realized she didn’t know many without her contacts. “We’re sending it to two people,” she said, and she dictated the addresses. Re: Stacy Trent. Message: I’m being held by kidnappers on an island,” Stacy stopped. “Where are we?”

  “In the Mediterranean.”

  “The Mediterranean! You brought me to the Mediterranean?” she said, bordering on hysteria. “Where in the Mediterranean?”

  “I don’t really know, I’m not good at geography,” he said lamely.

  She went back to dictating, “on an island in the Mediterranean,” and then she added, “or possibly the Caribbean.”

  Eli turned and looked at her and Stacy shrugged her shoulders, “I don’t trust you. Turn around,” she motioned with the pistol. “Have the authorities trace this e-mail. Love Stacy.”

  She read what he had typed over his shoulder. “Send it,” she directed.

  Eli clicked the send button and the message disappeared from the screen.

  “Okay, let’s see,” Stacy said, thinking aloud. “I need some shoes. And by the way, how did I end up with no shoes?”

  “I don’t know. They probably got left on the plane,” he guessed.

  “Let’s go check out your closet.” Stacy motioned with the gun for Eli to lead the way. “Don’t try anything stupid, okay Eli. I really don’t want to have to shoot you, but I will if you fuck with me. You understand that, right?”

  “I have no intention of fucking with you, Stacy. Just don’t walk with your finger on the trigger.”

  “I already told you that if I shoot you, it’s not going to be by accident.”

  They walked down the hall into the bedroom and Eli opened his closet doors. “They’re all going to be huge on you,” he said. “You’re going to trip and put a bullet in my back!”

  “Well, I can’t go barefoot, so unless you have a better idea?” she said, waiting for suggestions.

  “Consuela’s shoes would probably fit you,” he said.

  “Who’s Consuela, and where do we find her shoes?”

  “The housekeeper; on the lower level,” he said.

  “Lead the way. And Eli” she said, “be discreet.”

  They left Eli’s room and went down to the first floor, then Eli led the way to another set of stairs that went to the lower level. Stacy hadn’t even realized that there was a lower level. They walked down the hall to the last room and Eli knocked on the door.

  “Don’t try anything stupid,” she said, pressing the gun up against his back.

  A small woman answered the door. “Eli!” she said, giving him a hug. “Como estas?”

  Eli picked Consuela up off her feet and hugged her, then he put her back down and pointed to Stacy’s feet. “Necessita zapatos.”

>   Consuela looked down at Stacy’s bare feet. “Si, si,” she said, disappearing into her room. She returned with a pair of huaraches, and smiled, offering them to Stacy.

  Eli took the shoes. “Gracias, Consuela. Adios,” he said, smiling.

  “Adios,” she said, closing her door.

  “Oh, they’re perfect!” Stacy said, putting the shoes on her feet. “I used to have some like these.”

  Stacy stepped around Eli so she could see his face. “You are such a liar,” she said. “The Mediterranean. I ought to shoot you right now.” She shouldn’t have done the tequila shots; she was having a hard time keeping a straight face. Stacy looked around. “Where’s the closest exit?”

  “Right there,” Eli said, pointing to a door down the hall.

  It sucked not knowing her way around. Stacy could have kicked herself for not planning better. “Where does it come out?” she asked, then added, “and if you lie to me again I’m going to be really pissed.”

  “The back of the house.”

  “In plain view?” she asked.

  “Well, if someone happens to be looking out a window, yeah, it’s in plain view,” Eli said.

  “You’re going to take me to the boat dock through the jungle,” Stacy instructed.

  “The jungle? Why do you want to go through the jungle? You want to get snake bit?”

  “Because we are less likely to be seen,” she said. “Now let’s go.”

  The door opened into a steep outdoor brick stairwell that ascended into a courtyard at the back of the house. Eli considered running when he got to the top knowing that Stacy wouldn’t be able to catch him, but he didn’t know how good a shot she was. She certainly seemed comfortable with a pistol in her hand, and although it occurred to him that her confidence could stem from the alcohol, he didn’t think so. He decided to wait for a better chance.

  They walked along the back of the house and headed off into the jungle. There were masses of tangled vines hanging from the canopy of trees and Stacy realized the place would definitely be a haven for snakes. They had walked several hundred feet deep into the jungle, but Stacy kept imagining snakes intertwined with the twisted vines hanging right above her head and it was giving her the creeps.