TENDER TREACHERY (Mystery Romance): The TENDER Series ~ Book 2

by H. Y. Hanna

  Finally she heard Angela give a puff of relief and heard the other girl’s voice coming from slightly higher above.

  “I-I’ve g-got on.”

  “Good. Okay, stay there a minute—I’m going to have a quick look around.”

  Leah turned and started feeling her way along the wall. It had occurred to her that most huts have windows—wouldn’t this one as well? So perhaps there was an opening somewhere along the walls, below the water level, that they could get out of. The water had to be coming in from somewhere, right?

  Leah undid her sarong skirt from around her waist and pulled it off. That would hopefully reduce the drag in the water. Taking a deep breath, she dived. She kicked strongly, keeping a hand on the wall to guide her, as she moved down through the water. She stretched out the other hand, reaching towards the bottom. Something touched her fingers. It was the floor of the hut. But it didn’t feel like wood. Leah blew out some air, sinking even lower, while her hands moved over the cold, hard surface.

  It was a metal grill, she realised suddenly. Like the floor of a cage. Designed to let water flow into the hut freely from underneath, but not let the occupants escape. Leah felt a wave of fury for the Matronae. The witch! She had had this old hut converted and outfitted to be a watery torture chamber.

  Or execution chamber, thought Leah bleakly, as she let herself rise back to the surface. She could no longer stand now, even on her tiptoes. The level had risen so that she had to tread water just to keep her head above the surface. Leah grabbed a fresh mouthful of air and dived down again. This time, she stayed in contact with the wall and moved slowly along, trying to find a window. Even though she strained her eyes in the murky darkness, it was practically impossible to see anything in the black water. She had to rely almost completely on touch.

  Leah was rewarded at last with a large frame set into the wall. She moved her hands over it eagerly, feeling for the panes of glass, the latch. Disappointment flooded her as her fingers encountered solid wooden planks. The window had been boarded over.

  Leah ran her hands along the length of the boards, hoping to find one with a loose corner. Her heart leapt as something shifted. One of the nails seemed to be loose. She prised the board with her fingers and felt it shift again, but only slightly. She tugged and pulled in frustration, but it was not moving much more and she was running out of air.

  Resigned, Leah gave up and rose back up to the surface. She burst out of the water, coughing and gasping, and breathing in big gulps of air. She trod water for a moment, trying to get her bearings. She seemed to be on the other side of the hut to Angela now. And the roof seemed much lower—it was scraping gently against the top of her head. The water level was rising quicker than she expected.

  I have to try again, thought Leah desperately. That loose board was their only hope. She wasn’t going to just wait here and drown.

  But even as she breathed deeply in preparation for diving again, Leah could feel that her body was starting to seize up. Her legs felt like lead and they were finding it harder to kick in the water. Her fingers were swollen and slightly numb. And that tired feeling was starting to edge into the beginnings of exhaustion. It would have helped if she had gotten some dinner. With the measly breakfast and lunch she had had, she was practically running on empty.

  The best way for her to conserve body heat, Leah realised, was to copy Angela and climb out of the water as much as possible. Or at least stay as still as possible. Swimming—and especially diving and immersing herself totally in the water—was only increasing her rate of heat loss and draining what little energy she had left.

  But if she didn’t try to find a way to escape, they might die in here anyway.

  Leah flailed her arms in the water, fighting the wave of panic that threatened to choke her. What should she do?

  “Leah! Leah! Are you in there?”

  Leah jerked around, her eyes widening in shock. Surely that couldn’t be…

  “Julia?” She couldn’t believe it, but it was definitely her friend’s voice above the sound of the wind outside. “JULIA! I’m here! Can you hear me?”

  Something hammered against the roof of the hut. Leah realised that it was coming from the direction where the hatch was. The next minute, she heard the sound she had been desperate to hear. Toran’s voice. Deep, calm, in control. Leah felt a warm sense of relief flood through her, giving her new strength.

  “Leah—are you all right?”

  “Yes!” she gasped, splashing across the hut until she reached the wall by the hatch. Because the water had risen, she no longer had to reach up to touch it. She pressed herself against it. “I’m in here with Angela. But the water is rising. I’m not sure if… if we can hold on much longer.”

  There was a sudden thump against the hatch and it rattled in its frame. Toran was obviously throwing his shoulder into it. He hit it again and again, but it didn’t give.

  “It’s reinforced!” shouted Leah. “That Matronae woman had this hut converted and reinforced so that it’s an effective prison. I don’t think the hatch will give easily.”

  “Is there another opening?” asked Toran.

  “There’s an old window along the wall, underwater on the opposite side,” said Leah quickly. “It’s boarded up, but one of the boards is loose.”

  “I’ll find it.”

  Leah heard a deep splash outside the hut. Toran must have dived off the pier into the water. She turned and swam back to the opposite wall, then took a deep breath and dived down again. Instead of the inky darkness she had come to expect, she was surprised to see a faint glow in the water. The light seemed to be coming from outside the hut. She pushed herself along the wall until she came to the boarded window again and got her fingers around the loose plank. This time when she tugged, it shifted a bit further, revealing a triangular-shaped gap just large enough to push a hand through.

  Leah peered out and saw Toran swimming slowly around the side of the hut. In one hand, he held a small underwater torch which gave off a ghostly white glow, lighting up a portion of water around him. Leah saw the undulating bottom of the seabed, sloping away into deeper water, and a few fleeting forms of fish and other sea creatures darting around. It was a completely surreal world that was suddenly illuminated before her eyes.

  Toran twisted in the water and turned sharply as he caught sight of the gap. He kicked and glided in close to her.

  Their fingers met through the gap. Leah closed her eyes for a second, feeling the warmth of Toran’s hand. It was something real, something solid to hold on to at last. He squeezed her fingers, then he let go and flipped around, placing his feet against the wooden planks. He motioned with his hands and she understood. He was going to try and kick it in.

  Leah pushed back from the window and rose to the surface, grabbing another quick breath of air before diving again. But this time, she kept some distance between herself and the boarded window. In the faint grey glow, she saw the wooden planks shudder suddenly. Then again. And again. A crack appeared in one of the planks, then another splintered.

  There was a pause. Toran must have risen to the surface to get some air. Leah kicked forwards and swam over to the window, grabbing the splintered board and giving it a strong tug. A piece broke away in her hands. Elated, Leah dropped it and tackled the other half of the board.

  By the time Toran swam back down, she had managed to pull off most of the splintered board. Leah moved out of the way as he rammed at the boards again. Her lungs were burning and she was just thinking of rising to the surface for air again when Toran gave a powerful kick and two more boards suddenly shattered and fell away, leaving a jagged hole in the wall.

  He’d done it!

  The hole was barely big enough to fit Toran’s broad shoulders, but it should be enough for her and Angela to wriggle through to safety. Quickly, Leah rose to the surface again and was shocked to find how much higher the water had risen. There were only a few inches of space now between the water and the top of the hut roof. She h
ad to tilt her head upwards, almost floating on her back, in order to raise her mouth and nose free of the water’s surface and take a few gulps of air.

  “Angela!” Leah turned and swam towards the other corner. She hoped that the other girl was hanging on. “Toran’s here! We’ve found a way out.”

  She was relieved to feel movement in the corner. Angela’s hand reached out and touched hers. Her fingers were ice-cold, but at least the other girl’s breathing still sounded strong.

  “Angela? Can you hear me? You’re going to be okay,” said Leah, fumbling in the dark to find the ties at the back of the girl’s neck. She pulled the knots loose and peeled the sodden hospital gown off Angela’s body. “I’m sorry, but you have to take this off. It’ll add too much drag in the water. Listen, I need you to swim down and through a hole in the wall of the hut. Do you think you can manage that?”

  “I-I-I d-don’t know,” said Angela. “I f-f-feel so w-weak now…”

  “You have to try,” said Leah. “You can’t stay here. The water is still rising. Come on, I’ll hold your hand. And Toran is waiting on the other side to help you. Just hang on to me and kick as hard as you can, okay? And hold your breath!”

  Leah felt the other girl nod and she gave her hand a squeeze. She took a deep breath, heard Angela do the same, then plunged back into the water.

  She felt the resistance on her hand instantly as Angela’s body weight dragged behind her, slowing her down and making it harder for her to move through the water. Leah’s stomach churned. Would Angela be able to make it? Or would her exhaustion and hypothermia make her too weak to swim the necessary distance?

  Leah could see the gap faintly in front of them now and she kicked harder, fighting her own buoyancy as she dragged Angela with her towards the broken window. She turned and propelled the other girl forwards, pushing her head into the gap. Angela struggled, kicking weakly, as she tried to wriggle through and, for a panicked moment, Leah wondered if she had got stuck. If Angela couldn’t get free and she ran out of air, she would drown down here. Leah felt paralysed by horror. What if she had forced the other girl to her death?

  Then she saw two forms appear in the water on the other side. Toran and Julia! They reached for Angela and, after another moment, freed her and pulled her through the gap. Leah felt all the muscles in her body sag with relief. Angela was safe.

  She was out of air now—she needed another breath before she could try the gap herself—so she swam back up. Leah broke the surface, only to nearly smash her face against the hut roof. There was barely an inch of air left. Leah scrabbled face-up against the roof, her fingers clawing the wood, as she tried to float on her back long enough to take a mouthful of air. This was her last breath, she knew. If she ran out, there would be no coming back up again. She had to make it through that gap or she would drown.

  Taking one last breath and filling her lungs as deeply as she could, Leah turned and dived.

  CHAPTER 26

  Time seemed to slow down as Leah sank towards the broken window. She reached out for it and felt the jagged edges of the wood beneath her fingers. She shoved her head and shoulders through the gap, then wriggled as she jammed at the hips, wincing as the sharp edges of the wood dug into the skin of her bare thighs. Leah kicked frantically, bubbles rising around her as she began to panic. Her legs were feeling weaker and weaker, her fingers thick and numb as they wrestled with the edges of the wood. What if she got stuck here? She was bigger than Angela, with wider hips than Angela’s slim Asian figure. What if she couldn’t get out?

  Then Toran was there. His strong hands reached for her, pulling her gently and easing her out of the gap. She felt his muscular arm go around her waist, holding her as he kicked strongly, taking them both towards the surface. They shot upwards and burst out into the air.

  Leah gasped and wheezed, gulping air greedily. Her head was spinning and she felt like her heart was going to explode out of her chest. She panted and clung to Toran, grateful for his strong arms around her as he kept her afloat and began swimming steadily, pulling them both to shore.

  Sand suddenly bunched beneath her toes and Leah stumbled, nearly crashing headfirst into the water, as they arrived back at the shore. Toran grabbed her and steadied her, holding her close to him as she slowly stood upright.

  Leah slid her arms around him and let herself relax at last. After being submerged for so long, it felt strange to have the water only up to waist-level again. Her legs felt like jelly and her whole body was shaking. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against Toran’s broad chest, savouring the feeling of his closeness. Where their bodies met, through the wet clothes, the heat from his body seared into hers, warming her chilled skin.

  “Leah…” Toran tipped her chin up with his hand. “My God, I thought I’d lost you.” He kissed her forehead, her temples, her closed eyes, before claiming her mouth with hungry urgency. Leah could feel his terror and fear for her in that kiss and realised that Toran hadn’t been as calm as he seemed. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, wanting to reassure him and herself that they were both here, both still alive, both together.

  Finally Toran eased her gently away from him. “We’ve got to get out of here and back to the boat… get you warmed up.”

  “Where’s Angela?” asked Leah, looking around for the first time.

  “Julia’s taken her back to the boat. We’d better join them. Come on.”

  He grabbed her hand and led her back up the beach, towards the mangrove swamps. When Leah stumbled over a root, Toran gave an exclamation under his breath and swung her up into his arms.

  “Toran! I can walk,” said Leah, flapping her hands weakly.

  “And I can carry you,” he said. “Don’t argue.”

  Leah gave up protesting and slid her arms around Toran’s neck, enjoying the feeling of being held against his chest. He climbed over the mangroves, holding her firmly and safely as he negotiated the twisted root clusters. She nestled her head against his shoulder and sighed, closing her eyes.

  “I knew you’d come for me,” she whispered.

  “I couldn’t have lost you, Leah.” He brushed his lips against her forehead. Then he gave a crooked grin as he sank knee-deep into a mud hole. “Next time you need to be rescued, though, try picking somewhere less muddy, eh?”

  Leah was a bit surprised to realise that the storm had died down while she had been struggling to escape in the hut. By the time they reached the abandoned jetty and Toran’s speedboat, the rain was easing off and the wind had lessened. It seemed that the typhoon was finally passing over.

  Toran deposited her gently on the bench at the back of the boat, next to Angela, then took the helm and started the engine. Leah found herself suddenly enveloped in a thick blanket and she looked up to see Julia eyeing her with concern. Her friend unscrewed a thermos and poured out a cup of hot coffee. The fragrant steam that rose from the cup smelled like heaven. Leah took the cup in both hands and gulped the hot liquid greedily, feeling it slide down the back of her throat and warm her insides.

  “Are you okay?”

  Leah gave her a watery smile. “Yeah, I think so. Nothing a hot bath and some food won’t fix.”

  Julia hesitated, then suddenly grabbed Leah in a hug. “I was so worried, Leah!”

  Leah returned the hug, patting her friend’s back in some surprise. She had hardly ever seen Julia this emotional.

  Julia sat back and brushed her eyes, then sniffed and said with a return of her usual no-nonsense tone, “Okay. Do you want another cup of coffee? Wrap that blanket closer around you. There. You should really cover your head, you know—most heat loss is through the head. Oh, I’ve got some chocolate bars too—they’re in the locker here. D’you want to have one of those—”

  “Julia,” said Leah with a wan smile. “I’m all right. Honestly.” She did wrap the blanket tighter around her, though, as the boat picked up speed and the wind whipped her hair. She glanced at Angela, who was huddled in a blanket nex
t to her. “Are you all right, Angela?”

  “I-I’m okay.” Angela’s voice was faint, but her teeth were chattering less. She managed a weak smile. “I’ve had a couple of cups of c-c-coffee so I’ve warmed up a lot now. Julia’s been great.” She looked soberly at Leah. “And you saved my life. I d-d-don’t know how to thank you.”

  “There’s nothing to thank,” said Leah awkwardly.

  “No, there is,” Angela insisted. “I don’t know where I would be if you hadn’t c-c-come to Sanctum Bona Dea for me.” She looked up towards the helm. “And Toran. Thank you. It’s… it’s nice to know that you still care.”

  Toran turned and met Angela’s eyes. “You know I care.”

  Leah felt a pang of jealousy stab her heart. Much as she liked Angela, she couldn’t bear seeing the closeness between the other girl and Toran. They had a history—a shared time together—that Leah felt completely excluded from. Angela had been a part of Toran’s adult life; her knowledge of him wasn’t just built on the hazy memory of first love. Leah squirmed and looked away.

  Julia cleared her throat. “Well, I still can’t believe that bloody Matronae women left you two in there to drown. That must be how she got rid of those two other girls as well, so that they looked like they just drowned ‘naturally’. She needs to be locked up! Aside from the shocking things that the retreat is doing to women. Toran,” she called to him. “You make damn sure that woman gets what she deserves.”

  Toran gave Julia an amused smile. “Yes, ma’am,” he said.

  Leah looked at the two of them wonderingly. Since when had Toran and Julia become this friendly with each other? Before she could think about it more, though, they were arriving back on the Singapore main island. The next few hours passed in a blur as she and Angela were whisked to the hospital to be treated for shock and hypothermia. They were to be kept overnight for observation—or what was left of the night anyway.