by Jacobs, Kyle
"Who do you think? The coast guard?"
Cole paused for a second, considering. "I want the United States Navy to show up. That would be cool."
Owen laughed. "Yeah, we can only wish. With our luck it will be a local police patrol boat. They also double as fishing trawlers around these parts."
They both laughed. Cole found himself enjoying Owen's presence more and more. There was certainly a connection between them. He hoped that after all this nonsense was over, he would be given a chance to see if something more would become of it.
Even if it didn't, there was no denying the fact he was fast developing feelings for this beautiful man. Perhaps it was the dire situation they had been thrown in together, or the dang heat playing with his head. Either way, it felt good. He could very well be a potential keeper.
He found he was smiling at Owen, not saying anything.
Owen arched a quizzical brow and smiled back. "Something the matter?"
"If your not counting being chased by a gang of pirates something the matter, then no. Nothing is the matter."
They laughed again.
Suddenly, someone shouted at them.
Cole and Owen turned to look.
Two men stood on the other side of a rocky outcropping, looking directly at them from a short distance away. Both were carrying machine guns.
"Oh, God," Owen said.
Cole noticed both men had their machine guns pointed directly at him. Then, one man spoke to the other. The men changed their target from Cole to Owen.
"Get down!" Cole shouted and jumped.
He pulled Owen down to the ground at the very instant the tree he was standing in front of exploded. Bullets riddled the trunk, bark flying everywhere.
Owen was shouting, but Cole was already moving. He dragged him further down the slight incline they were following. Getting him out of the way.
The firing stopped. The men were shouting again. Coming for them, trying to scramble over the rocky outcropping.
Cole pulled Owen up, his eyes were wide with fear. "Run!" he said.
They ran. Tearing through the jungle, branches whipped at their faces and arms. Cole was keeping Owen directly in front of him. He didn't want Owen to be an easy target.
They tried to kill Owen, he thought. Because of me, they tried to kill him.
Behind them were more shouts, but he couldn't tell how close they were. Yet there was no denying it. They had been good as spotted. Soon the men would find them.
And they would kill Owen.
As if a curtain was ripped aside, they broke through the jungle. Owen gasped and stumbled. Cole grabbed him at the last moment.
They were on the edge of a ravine. It was just a little to wide for them to try jumping across. It was maybe thirty feet deep, with sheer walls at its sides.
"Well this isn't good," Owen said.
Cole glanced in both directions. With the jungle pressed in so close to them it was impossible to see how long it was. Which direction should they go now?
Then Owen's face brightened. "I know this from my research. There's a rope bridge, somewhere here."
"Where?" Cole asked, looking behind them. He could hear their pursuers crashing through the brush.
Owen pointed to their left. "This way. Come on!"
Scrambling along the ravine's edge was difficult, plus navigating the trees and bushes that insisted on leaning over, blocking their way.
Within moments he saw something ahead of them, spanning the ravine.
"There it is!" Owen said, elated.
But as they got closer Cole felt whatever relief he thought he should have at that moment evaporate. It wasn't a normal bridge. It was a rope bridge. One thick rope to walk on, with two others on either side to hold onto. Not ideal. And it looked old and neglected.
"Doesn't look really safe," Cole said as they hurried up to it.
"Well, it's not like we have many options at the moment," Owen said. He grabbed one of the hand ropes and shook it. The entire sagging bridge wiggled, but appeared to be secure.
Somewhere behind them were voices, men calling to one another.
"We gotta go," Owen said.
"Cute guys first," Cole said, with a tight smile.
"Such a gentleman," Owen said, grinning. He looked almost giddy. All this running and adrenaline was making them act a little goofy.
"Always," he said, and meant it. Right to the end, he thought.
Owen stepped out onto the rope. If wiggled about under his weight but after a few steps, seemed to settle a bit.
Cole watched Owen navigate his way across, his mind already made up what he had to do. This couldn't go on any longer. If it was just him running around the jungle, he would be fine with trying to evade these men. But not with Owen. He would always be in terrible danger right up until rescue arrived. If it did arrive.
When Owen was almost across Cole withdrew the knife from his pocket. It was the one he took from the man he had tackled.
He heard the men in the jungle getting closer. They would arrive in moments. Even if he started to cross the rope bridge now he wouldn't make it.
Placing the knife against one of the hand ropes, he tightened his grip. Cutting both hand ropes would effectively keep anyone else from crossing. He hoped that would be enough of a deterrent to their pursuers that they would not go after Owen.
Owen had said that crossing this bridge was their only option, but he was not correct. There was one more option, and only Cole could do it.
The very moment Owen stepped onto the solid ground on the other side, Cole started cutting.
Owen turned, to look at him. Immediately his expression changed from one of hope to horror.
Just at that moment, the two men burst out of the jungle directly behind him.
"What are you doing?" Owen called out. He looked shocked.
The rope cut. Cole quickly turned his attention to the other hand rope and started cutting. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the men running up to him, shouting something angrily in their language.
Just as he cut the second rope, he sensed the men were upon him.
The butt of a gun caught him in the side of the head. The world exploded in color, and he tumbled to the ground.
Owen was still shouting, but he couldn't tell what it was. It didn't matter. He had to go. Now!
"Run! Run and hide!" Cole shouted. He felt wetness stream down the side of his face.
One of the men was at the ravine's edge, next to the now solo rope that spanned it. He levelled his gun across, pointing it at Owen.
"No!" Cole shouted. He found himself moving, crashing into the other other man.
The machine gun fired.
Chapter 15
Owen
Owen was screaming even as he dove for cover. Bullets passed by him like lethal angry insects intent on his death. He scrambled into the jungle, trying to get away from the shooting.
He hugged the ground, laying as flat as he could.
The shooting had stopped.
What had happened to Cole?
Slowly, unsure of what was happening, he crawled back toward the ravine. Once he was close, and sure he hadn't been observed, he parted some leaves.
There, across the ravine, were the two men. They had hoisted Cole up from the ground. Even from this distance he could tell he had been hurt. Shot?
No. There was blood along the right side of his face. Had he been hit?
Thankfully, the men no longer gave Owen any regard. Instead, they turned their backs to the ravine, and with Cole wobbling between them, moved off into the jungle.
Oh, my God, he thought. They got him. No, that was entirely true. Cole had given himself up to them. To save him. That was the only explanation for his insane behaviour, cutting the ropes on the bridge.
It kept the men from crossing after his, but it prevented Cole from crossing, too. He had sacrificed himself for Owen's safety.
The fool! He thought, tears welling in his eyes. The
handsome, wonderful fool!
Get a hold of yourself, girl. You have to do something. You can't just let them take him away, whether that was Cole's intention or not. It wasn't going to happen. Not on his watch.
He wiped tears away from his eyes and face. He needed to follow them. Somehow. If they got away from his, he would never have an opportunity to help. Whatever that mysterious help may be.
Okay, that's what he would do. Follow them. But first, he had to get around this ravine. He turned toward the east, since he sensed it was the closest direction to the edge of the island and pushed through the jungle.
Soon, he passed the ravine entirely, and trudged on. It was only after a short while that he realized he no longer had his day bag. He must have dropped it when the man was shooting at his. He shrugged. Nothing he could do about it now. he kept going.
He must of been marching through the jungle for a good twenty minutes when he noticed a change in his surroundings. Through the trees, in the distance he could now see the ocean. He had made it to the east side of the island. At least he had an idea where he was.
Turning north, he resumed his trek. he hoped that the men would not march Cole all the way back to the resort. Instead, there was a good chance they may pick him up at a nearby beach. If he got there in time maybe he could do something.
But what?
As if on cue the trees ahead of his thinned out. He could see a long white beach extend out in front of his, which was nestled up against a little cove.
Not here, he thought glumly. But as he started to turn away, his eyes caught movement.
Peering through the trees he could see two men walk onto the beach, way down at the other end. They had Cole between them. he felt his heart leap in his chest. He was alive, and mostly unharmed.
The three men stopped, looking out to sea. Owen turned to look. He saw a large ship pulling into the little cove a short distance away. At first he thought it might be a rescue ship of some sort, but that thought quickly vanished when he recognized it.
It was the same one that had arrived at the dock back at the resort. The pirate's ship.
Still, he had to do something. What it was he did not have the foggiest notion. he started walking toward the beach.
"Ah," someone said. "There you are."
Owen stopped in his tracks, just as a man stepped out from behind a large tree right beside his.
They looked at each other.
"Who is stupid?" The man asked. "You are. And I'm going to teach you some manners. Yes?"
Owen was shocked. It was the man Cole had tackled back at the resort. The man he had shot.
He didn't look much worse for wear for someone who had been rendered unconscious a few hours earlier. He did have a huge red welt on his neck from the dart. But he was up and about now.
And he was right here.
Owen's eyes went to the submachine gun he held in both hands, pointed at him. He noticed the man had another dart pistol holstered on his hip.
"You found me," Owen said, trying to buy some time. He needed a plan. They were taking Cole away. He couldn't afford to waste time on this idiot.
The man took a few steps toward him. He leered at him with his half toothed smile. "I think for a stupid man-bitch you are pretty. Pretty enough to make me happy, huh?"
Dread washed over Owen. Ice shot up his spine. This was going to get ugly, and quick if he didn't do something. But what?
As the man entered his personal space, Owen cowered in fright. He had been shorter than Cole, but was still a couple of inches taller than him. He was very wiry, and he stunk to high heaven.
"You make me feel good, maybe I let you live, huh?" He licked his lips. His eyes raked over his body hungrily. his legs, his crotch, his mouth. It made Owen shudder in revulsion.
"I... I think I understand," Owen said. He allowed his look of fright to slowly morph to one of appeasement. He tried to smile at him.
"That is a good man-bitch. Stupid, yes. But maybe good for us both," he said. Now unable to contain himself he started to grab at Owen, pulling up against him.
Owen endured it. The man kissed at his neck and groped at his body. Owen even embraced him, rubbing up against his wiry frame. The man was excited to the point of bursting.
"That's a good girl-man," he said, breathing harsh smelly air into his ear.
After a moment, Owen stood upright and looked directly into the man's face, bare inches away.
The man was surprised, but scowled. "What is this? Stupid bitch tricks?"
"I have a question for you, you handsome devil," Owen grinned at him.
Genuinely perplexed the man said, "What question?"
Owen shot him in the groin.
The man gasped in pain and pulled back from him. He gaped down at the little dart that protruded from his crotch.
"Who is stupid?" Owen asked.
The man then looked at him in complete surprise. Then he went cross-eyed, and fell to his knees. He made some sort of keening noise, then pitched forward into the dirt face first.
Owen allowed himself a moment of satisfaction. Letting this cretin feel him up gave him the opportunity to take the pistol from him. So intent on drooling over his flesh, the idiot didn't even notice.
He cast the spent pistol aside, then quickly bent down over the man. Mr. Smelly was snoring loudly in the dirt. He managed to pull the submachine gun out from under his still form.
He stood, examining it. This was exactly what he needed.
"Thanks for this," he said to the unconscious man.
He looked back down the beach again. To his relief, Cole was still there with his captors. The ship had dropped anchor and a small motor boat was making its way across the cove toward Cole. There were a couple of men on it. They were coming to take Cole away.
Not going to happen, he thought.
He hefted the submachine gun in his grip, and started hurrying toward the beach. He was going to show these idiots what an angry, armed Realtor would do to protect a client.
He was going to rescue Cole.
Chapter 16
Cole
Owen was safe, Cole thought. That was all that mattered now. They wouldn't pursue his anymore. They got what they wanted.
He tried to ease his worry with these thoughts as the two men half dragged him through the jungle. He had tackled the one that had been shooting and he stopped almost immediately. It was obvious they could not risk Cole getting seriously injured. They seemed to settle on just scowling at him, and cursing in their language.
At some point they paused. One of them was speaking into a handset of some sort. Something short range, modulated so as not to be effected by their jamming device.
Orders came over it, and they changed their course. Instead of heading north, back to the resort he assumed, they were heading east. Probably to the shore to be picked up.
And then what? Whisked away to some unknown island not much different than this one. Chained up and thrown in hole? They would demand money, that was for certain. He would play along with them. His security firm, once they realized he was kidnapped, would leap into action. And those guys were good. It could be that they could home in on his position and attempt a rescue.
If it was a success, he would give them all a bonus.
But then his attention would turn to the only thing on his mind: Owen. He would follow up with Owen, sending his security team to the island to scour it for him.
He prayed he was safe, and unharmed. He also hoped he had enough sense to stay far enough away from him right now. No sense them both getting caught. Or worse.
He and his captors suddenly arrived at a beach. Pure white powdery sand stretched off down the shore almost out of sight.
But his eyes caught movement out at sea. It was a ship, the one the pirates were using. Great. This was it.
The two men pushed him to his knees in the sand. Cole sagged. They had long before tied his hands together with twine, which cut into his wrists. He did not even
have the energy to try and break them. Best to save his energy for whatever the future presented to him.
A boat left the ship, and headed toward the beach. Cole could make out two men on board. One didn't look Filipino. Maybe a Westerner, or European.
