by S. E. Rose
I’m not sure how long I’ve been unconscious. My head kills and I am lying down on the ground. It is rocky and cold. I can hear waves nearby and the smell of the sea fills my nostrils. I hear movement. Suddenly, I am afraid, although I don’t know why. I open my right eye just slightly in case someone is here. I can make out that I am indeed on the ground. I can see a shell not far from my face. It is small and white, likely a clamshell. The earth is sandy beneath me and rocks crop up here and there. I can see feet and suddenly they are coming toward me.
“Good morning, Ms. Stevenson,” a voice says. I shut my eye hoping to feign sleep. “I know you are awake, so you might as well open those lovely eyes.” The voice is heavily accented and I know it. As my mind awakens further, I suck in a deep breath of air as I realize who it is: Alexei.
I open my eyes and he is standing next to me looking down. A cold smile on his lips makes me shiver as I try to stand, except I quickly realize my hands and feet are tied making the task impossible.
“Here, let me help you up,” Alexei says and he grabs me by my shoulders and hoists me upright. I cringe from his touch. He brushes his knuckles over my cheek. “You are quite beautiful. Jack always had excellent taste in women. You remind me of her. Such a shame what happened to his fiancée. She was beautiful too. I’m sure their baby would have been just as beautiful.”
I gasp at this statement. He knows?
“I know,” he muses as he smiles at me. “Abby was in the way of Jack doing his job. The baby, well, that was just luck—two birds with one stone. Unintentional as it was, it worked out quite well. Jack had nothing after that. And Jack will have nothing again. Shame, I would have loved to taste her—to make her mine, but alas that wasn’t in the cards. However, the result was equally useful for me.”
I take a breath and remember all those lessons my dad taught me. I look around and realize I am in a cave. I can see the sea outside. However, it’s only visible through a small crack in the rock barely ten feet wide. The water pools in the middle of the cave and it must come up to where I am because the ground is moist around me. Farther up, it is dry. I can see a small table and two chairs and a cooler. A blanket is draped over one of the chairs. A small boat sits in the water, tied to some rocks. I can tell by the crashing of the waves that it is not possible to swim out of here without risking one’s life.
“You are wondering where you are? No?” Alexei asks. He doesn’t wait for my answer. “A little place I like to keep my girls while I wait for transport. Unfortunately, there is only one way in and one way out and it is by boat through that opening. We will have to wait for the tide to change before we can go.” He pauses and motions to a chair. “Please, have a seat.”
I sit as he opens the cooler next to the table. Inside I see bottles of water and cash and then I see a note. It is in Jack’s handwriting and resembles the one I found with the money in the graveyard. Shit, this is where the money is going. Alexei places a bottle of water in front of me and grabs one for himself. His phone pings and he looks down at it. He presses a button and brings it to his ear.
“Ben, sort it out!” he yells after a moment and then hangs up and looks at me.
“I may need to leave you here for a bit while I handle a situation,” he says as he takes a sip of water. He eyes me suspiciously and looks over his shoulder at the opening of the cave. He stands and comes over to me. “You won’t make it out alive. I promise you that. The current and the waves will crush you. We lose girls occasionally. But you, my beautiful, are mine and I don’t want anything happening to you.” He stands and comes up behind me and whispers in my ear. “You may be too old for me to sell, but I’ve been watching you and I can see exactly what Jack sees in you.” He caresses my breast and I jump. He laughs a cold sinister laugh. “You will be like, how do you say? Taming a wild horse, yes? I will enjoy this very much.”
He glances at his watch. “I only have a short window of time with this tide. I will be back for you. There’s food and water in that cooler.”
I watch him as he gets in his boat and quite expertly maneuvers it out of the cave entrance. I frantically look around as I struggle to free my hands and feet. The cave isn’t very deep and he is correct, there is not an exit. I close my eyes and take three deep breaths after I untie the ropes. I open my eyes and decide to explore the entrance. I gingerly touch the back of my head and feel a small bump. I can feel a little dried blood, but as I assess myself, I know it’s not bad. I slowly climb the rocks trying to keep my footing as I inch toward the mouth of the cave. I am able to lean out just enough to see around the rocks and I am greeted by a shower of salt water as a wave hits the rocks outside of the cave entrance. The vision of the lone boat in the water earlier this morning comes to my mind. This is where it disappeared to. I just know it. I am literally below my cottage. Is anyone looking for me? I go into survival mode. I don’t know how long Alexei will be gone, and I don’t know what I can do. He is correct; I cannot get through those waves alive.
I look out again and see a small buoy nearby and a little farther out a small outcropping of rocks with a light beacon on it. The metal top of the light beacon periodically flashes with the reflection of sunlight as clouds pass in the sky. I scramble back down toward the table and begin to look around. There are little items washed up on the rocks. I find fishing line, a shoelace, some shells, several plastic bottles, some bottle tops, some pieces of glass, a piece of metal, a buoy, even an old license plate.
I survey my options. Think, Laura, think. I pick up each item and turn it over in my hand. It takes a few minutes as I begin to devise a plan. I tie the fishing line to the buoy and put the shiny side of the license plate facing up and wrap it over the top of the buoy. I use the shoelace and more fishing line to tie it down. I rig the piece of metal on the bottom of the buoy and then grab the shiniest piece of glass I can find. I scramble back toward the cave opening and I get as close to the opening as I can. I tie one end of the fishing line to a rock. With all the strength I can find, I throw the buoy out trying to get it past the crashing waves around the cave entrance. It doesn’t make it. I try this three more times, cursing myself each time. Finally, on the fourth go, I get it just far enough out to stay beyond the crashing waves. I feed the buoy some more line and it goes slightly farther out. Part A of my plan is complete. I then look at a rock near the opening. I need to climb up and jump over, but it’s risky. I put the piece of glass in my pocket and climb. I use my hands to fling myself onto the rock. I flail my arms slightly, trying desperately to cling to the rock and somehow I manage to pull myself up onto it. My ankle kills. I hope I didn’t re-injure it. I hug the rock and sit still for a moment as waves continually spray cold salty water on me. I’m dripping wet and freezing, but I am taking my chances. I pull out the piece of glass and clean it the best I can with my shirt and then wait for the sun to come out again.
The sun peeks out from behind a cloud ever so slowly and I reach out of the cave entrance with my hand and the piece of glass. A single ray creeps down and makes contact with the glass shard. It reflects and I squeal with delight that part B of my plan is working. Thank God! I hold the shard of glass out as far as my arm will go and I angle it toward the sun. It takes a few tries, but eventually, I can see the reflection hit the beacon’s shiny top and it lights up as the ray of light reflects off of it. Now, I steady myself and close my eyes and try my damnedest to remember Morse code. All I need is S.O.S.
My mind returns to my past. I’m ten years old and Dad and Jesse and I are having a campout in the backyard. After roasting marshmallows, Dad decides we should play a game. “Let’s play Morse code,” he says. He teaches us S.O.S. and a few others and then sends Jesse up to the tree house with a flashlight. Jesse gets to send me messages and I have to decode them and then we switch and see who gets the most right. I win the game and Dad scoops me up and carries me around on his shoulders while I giggle. The codes come flooding into my mind like a tsunami and I’m overcome from the memory. I take deep
breaths and focus on the one I need. Dot, dot, dot, dash, dash, dash, dot, dot, dot.
I start sending my code over and over and over. My arm is nearly numb, but I don’t stop. I have no idea how much time has passed. I can tell it’s getting later though as I have to reach my arm out farther to get a ray of light to reflect. Then I hear a boat. I stop the reflection for a moment and the boat stops. Shit. What if it’s Alexei? I shake my head and muster all the courage I can and I continue with my code. The boat starts again and I can hear it getting closer. When I feel it is very close, I pull my arm back. I look across and contemplate jumping, but it’s too late. I can see the boat’s bow coming into view.
It’s not the boat Alexei had earlier. That gives me hope and I squint into the light and see Jack, Oliver, and two military-looking men, one of whom looks like Agent Banks.
“Laura!” Jack screams. I can see him more clearly now. He looks like he hasn’t slept and he also looks like he got in a fight.
“Jack!” I cry out as I frantically look around trying to figure out how they will get to me. The boat is bigger than the one Alexei had; it won’t fit in the cave entrance. “Stop! The boat won’t fit in here. It’s too big, you’ll crash!”
The men talk to each other and point and talk some more.
“Hold on, Laura, we’ll figure it out, OK?” Jack screams over the roar of the waves.
I nod and look nervously around. A crazy idea hits me. I know I should just wait until they get a smaller boat, but the fear of Alexei coming back grips me and all of my rationality ceases to exist. I start pulling the buoy line in and when it reaches me, I tie it around my waist over and over. I grab the buoy.
“I have an idea, Jack!” I yell over the crashing of the waves.
“What?!” he yells back. I can’t tell if he’s asking about my idea or if he just hasn’t heard me.
“Don’t freak out. Just catch me!” I scream and I jump into the middle of the cave opening and swim like hell. The current gets me and starts to pull me out and away from the cave and the boat. I use all the swimming skills from years of swim team and playing at the community pool. I go under the water and let go of the buoy. I can move better under the waves, but the current is strong, so strong. I come up and gasp for air and pull the buoy to me as a wave crashes down and pushes me under the water. I can feel my legs hitting rocks. I ignore the pain. I bounce back up quickly with the buoy and gasp for air. I am maybe fifteen feet from the boat and I throw the buoy at it with all my might. Jack is yelling at me. I can’t hear him over the screaming waves and throttle of the boat’s motor. He misses the buoy and I go back under the water trying to kick off the rocks so I don’t hit them. I know I’m getting battered against them, but I don’t care. The water is freezing and I need to get out of it quickly. I pull the buoy back once more and go under with another wave. I come up and look up at Jack. I throw the buoy again and he catches it. Oliver and Jack start pulling me to the boat which is bouncing all around in the waves. I don’t know how long I’ve been in the water, maybe a minute. I can’t feel my legs as they hoist me over the side of the boat. Jack pulls me to him and I collapse into his arms. He’s so warm.
“Go!” Jack yells at the man driving the boat. “Jesus, Laura, you’re freezing. Oliver, hand me the emergency pack under the seat.”
Oliver is searching for something. I’m not paying attention as I focus on trying to stay warm. Jack takes off his coat and puts it around me and I shiver while he keeps me held tightly against his chest. He rubs my legs and my arms. I can hear my teeth chattering, although it takes me a minute to realize the sound is coming from me. At some point, Oliver throws something at us and Jack wraps that around me. It feels like plastic, but it also makes me feel much warmer. I know I’m hypothermic. What the fuck was I thinking? I try to steady my breath as I feel the pins and needles sensations in my limbs. Jack is still ferociously rubbing my arms and legs.
“She needs more heat, she’s so cold!” I hear Jack yell, but I’m only half aware. I feel Oliver sitting behind me and he leans into me as well. I’m cocooned by the two of them and their arms are around me. I feel safe for the first time in a long time. I’m dizzy and I’m tired and I just want to go to sleep.
“No, baby, don’t go to sleep, stay with me,” Jack yells at me and shakes me. My eyelids droop and I fight to stay awake. I can do this. I can stay awake. But in the end, the sleep wins.
Chapter 32
Laura’s Playlist: “Ashes” by Embrace
I wake with a start. My eyes fly open and I look around me. The beeping sound registers first, followed by the smell of disinfectant and then in the half-darkness of the room I see I’m in a hospital. There’s an I.V. in my arm and those heart monitor pads are stuck on my chest. The beeping machine is a heart monitor. I sit up and look to my right and see Jack. He’s asleep. His head lies on my bed and his hands are on mine. He stirs and his head pops up as his intense green eyes find mine.
“Oh thank God, you’re awake!” he says as his eyes flicker from sleepy to high alert in a matter of seconds. “How are you feeling? I’ll…I’ll get a nurse, uhhh…,” he says as he looks around for something. “Just a second, love.” He fiddles with a button on the wall. “Hello? Hello? Can we get a nurse in Room 344? Laura is awake.”
A voice answers and says they’ll be there in a second. Jack plops back into his chair and looks at me.
“How long have I been here?”
“About half a day,” he whispers as he touches my face. I notice some bandages on my hands and I peel the sheet back. I grimace as I see bruises and cuts and some more bandages on my toes. There’s a bigger bandage near my right knee and I run my finger over it and feel stitches. The area around it is bruised and swollen. My ankle, however, doesn’t seem any worse than before, so that gives me some relief. “You were really cut up and they were worried you might lose a toe or two from the cold. It took us several minutes to pull you into the boat. How’s your head? Jesus, Laura, what were you thinking?”
A nurse interrupts us as she enters the room. “Well, hello there. How are we feeling?”
“I’m not too bad,” I say. She checks my vitals and declares that I am indeed good. She says that she will get the doctor to check in with me in a few minutes and then she leaves.
I stare at Jack. “Alexei…,” I whisper.
He nods and his hand tenses against mine. “Yes?”
“Where?”
A doctor comes in before he can answer.
“Hello, Laura. I’m Dr. Simon. How are you feeling?”
“Fine. I guess. I don’t really know. My head hurts a bit and my legs, but otherwise, I’m OK.”
He checks me over and looks at my vitals. He peels back the bandages on my fingers and toes and examines them closely, poking them and asking if it hurts. It does. He seems pleased about that and he continues to check all my wounds. He looks at what I guess is my file on some type of tablet device.
“We’d like to keep you here until tomorrow. I think your toes and fingers will heal. I’d like you to follow up with me in another week.”
“OK,” I say and look to Jack. I don’t even know if I’ll be returning home in another week. I’m supposed to be, but then I remember that my travel clock got pushed back with my visit home so maybe it’s two more weeks. And then what did that agent say, I have a resident visa, but that’s in my maiden name. Does that count? My head is a bit foggy and I can’t seem to remember.
The doctor wishes us a good day and heads out as I turn to Jack.
“He didn’t come back to the cave,” Jack finally answers me.
“I don’t understand.”
“The agents waited for him there, but he didn’t come back. They think he got tipped off that they were there and left.”
“So what does that mean? And where were you? You never came for your jog. I was worried and then I thought I saw you and I’m so confused…,” I trail off as he puts his hand back over mine.
“Breathe, baby. O
ne thing at a time.” I look at him and he looks troubled. I know something is wrong.
“What’s wrong?”
He takes a deep breath. “After I left you, I went to my house to wait for Agent Banks. Do you remember meeting a woman when you first met Agent Banks?” I nod. “That is Megan Brooks. She runs the program, or should I say ran the program. Anyhow, she showed up at my house with two other agents. She said we needed to use you as bait and I refused to hear that and told her no way in hell. She said she knew I’d say that and she got two of her agents to tie me up while she explained her plan. I’m so sorry, love. I tried to get out of my house. Around seven something in the morning, I finally got loose and started running for the cottage and I saw you, but Alexei was behind you. I started calling your name. Then he hit you over the head with something and Ben came out from behind me and we started fighting. I tried to get to you, but by the time I got Ben off me, you were gone and so was Alexei.”
He stares at me, gauging my reaction, but I’m still trying to take it all in so he continues. “We had no idea where he took you. They checked up in Aberdeen; they checked everywhere.” He pauses. “I decided to walk the trail and that’s when I saw something reflecting out in the water. I thought it was my imagination. Then I recognized the S.O.S. code. I ran back to my house and called Oliver and Agent Banks and we got a boat and went to check. Oliver and I grew up here and there are lots of crevices and caves along the shore, but we didn’t know about that one. It’s deceiving from a boat. It looks just like a deep crevice. Anyhow, that’s when we found you.”
He stops and looks at me. And my mind starts processing and processing and then I shudder as tears start to well in my eyes. “Oh God, Jack. The girls…that’s where he takes them. That’s how he gets them out of here. I didn’t even think…I…”
“Shhhh. It’s OK, love. They will get him.”
“Did they get Ben?”
