"I'm sorry, Mr. Ward, but I am not going to put your lives and that of my crew in danger. We'll have to wait until the weather clears."
Alexander wanted to hit something, anything. Or anybody. Damn this fickle weather. Damn everything. Erica touched his arm, trying to calm him.
"Alright, Jack." he growled. "I'll give it two more days. After that I don't give a shit. If you don't take us I'll find someone else who will. It's been almost a week. Time is running out."
Jack Nolan nodded. "I understand your frustration, Mr. Ward. As soon as the storm passes we'll ship out."
"Thank you, Jack. This has been so hard for all of us." Erica said, "The authorities don't seem to care as it is a private plane and not that many lives at stake. At least it feels that way for us."
Richard and Claire Morrison stood in the captain's quarters looking crestfallen and tired. Richard had his arm around his wife's shoulders. Her face looked bloated from crying. Alexa
Christine stood shivering in the lean-to, hugging her wet clothes to her body. He kissed her. On the lips. Not like the last time. It was soft and sweet and she wanted to reciprocate. Instead, she ran away. "What the hell is wrong with us? I can't do this. I can't fall for him." She wanted nothing more than to fling herself into his arms and forget about everything. But it felt wrong. Was Mason right? Could he just be using her to get back at Mason? It would kill her. Chase filled the entrance, still only clothed in his briefs, his body glistening from the rain. He carried something in his shirt. He gave her a tentative smile. "I've found something to eat. It's safe." He sat cross-legged on the ground, spreading his shirt in front of him. There were yellow and red berries Christine did not recognize. "Are you sure?" she eyed the fruit cautiously.
"Goddammit Chase!" Can you believe this man? Christine threw her hands up in the air. She shook her head in disbelief. "Your acting like a child, Chase." she shouted after him. But he had disappeared in the thicket. What was she supposed to do? Just fall into his arms like a ripe fruit because he wants her? No way.Hands on her hips she stood there, waiting for him to come back to her. In reality she was afraid to go further by herself . God knows what creepy crawlies there were in the bushes. It didn't seem to bother him. Of course not. He was like freaking Bear freaking Grylls!"Fuck it." she needed to pee. Mustering her courage she decided to go behind a tree. While squatting and searching around her, a movement caught her eye. A rusting sound in the dense grasses a few feet from her had her frozen."Chase?"she managed to whisper, her mouth cotton dry.No answer.She stood up slowly, drawing up her pants. The rustling began again and a low growl
Two years ago...Chase hurried home from the firm. Eager to see Amanda. He knew she would be angry because he missed the appointment with the wedding planner. Their wedding would take place in a fortnight and there were still a lot to do. Truthfully, such frivolous things were unimportant to him. If it were up to him they would get married tomorrow at the Justice of the Peace."Weddings are more for family and friends." His mother said those words to him when he complained about it. "And your girl has probably been dreaming about this since she was five. So don't be a selfish ass."Of course, Ma was always right. At least there was the honeymoon to look forward too. He grinned like a cat. She would love where they were going, he thought. The Cayman Islands for a blissful three weeks. No court, no idiots to defend and definitely no Mason Pritchard.Chase loved Mason, but lately he's been around
Present Day“And now you see, we hate each other equally.” Chase said, a bitter expression on his face.Christine put her hand on his knee. “Chase, I don’t know what to say.” She felt shocked, she didn’t perceive Mason as being so underhanded. But do we really have control over who we love? She couldn’t judge him for it.“I don’t handle betrayal well.” Chase said. “I value trust and loyalty more than anything.”“I get that. I really do.” Christine searched his face, she needed to know that if she fell for him, he won’t hurt her. But looking at him, seeing the hurt in his face, the vulnerability plain to see, she knew he would never do that.This Chase was the real man, not the cut-throat attorney of Ward and Associates. This man with the pain in his eyes. She leaned closer to him. Placing her hand on his cheek, she said: “I wouldn’t do that to you.
“CHASE!” Christine shook his limp shoulders. His head lolled to the side. “Oh, please, please wake up,” she cried. The rain lashed down on her bowed back, driven by the howling wind. But she was impervious to it, her focus on the unconscious man.He was unresponsive and Christine feared the worst. Her breath became erratic and her heart threatened to jump out of her throat. She grabbed onto Chase to try and steady herself. The world was slowly spinning.No, no, no! I can’t get a panic attack now.She willed herself to breathe, in and out, steadily. Gradually her heartrate slowed and she exhaled deeply. Chase let out a pained groan. His eyes fluttered open. He tried to sit up, but fell back with a muted cry. The debris from the fallen trees pinned him securely.“Christine…” he moaned, “Get out of here. Go to higher ground.” He tried to move his legs, but they wouldn’t budge.
They walked towards the pool, Chase leaning on Christine’s shoulders. The ground being soft and muddy with rain made the going arduous and Christine slipped a few times, making Chase grunt.Finally, they made it. Dawn broke over the rocky outcrop just as they fell down next to each other. The waterfall cascading down the rock face reflected the rising sun’s rays in hues of crimson. Christine thought how it made the water seem bloody.Christine worried over his swollen knee. It had already turned a dark, angry purple. Her fears seem to be validated. If his kneecap had shattered, he would need surgery.Could things get any worse? Why aren’t they looking for us, damn it? Chase lay with closed eyes, his chest heaving. Christine gently wiped his hair away from his face. She placed her jacket under his head for a make-shift pillow. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she held them back. She needed to be strong now, for Chase, for both o
Big Jack cut through the cold waters of the Atlantic, it’s twin 350 horsepower Cummins engines at full speed. Jack Nolan was at the helm, studying his charts and the latest results from the cyclone moving to the west coast of Africa. He felt confident that the worst weather had passed and hoped for smooth sailing.This was a gamble, but Ward paid him handsomely. God knows he needed the money. Maintaining an expedition yacht, however small in comparison to others and its five crew members were expensive, to say the least. Business had been slow lately. He just hoped the money would be worth it.There’s no knowing what they would find once they’ve reached the last known co-ordinates of the private jet’s black box. If there’s anything to be found. There were too many variables at play, but Alexander Ward was a stubborn man. Jack shrugged; it was his money to waste after all. Maybe he would have done the same thing if he had children.T
“Move it! Move it!” a voice lashed over the frightened passengers and crew of the luxury yacht. “Everybody down!”Five armed men stood over the terrified group, their automatic rifles threatening.“Please… Don’t shoot.” The captain of the vessel put his hands up, facing the leader on his knees. “There’s some money in the safe. You can take all of it. Just please, don’t kill us.”The leader, a tall redheaded man, pulled the captain to his feet. He held a gun to his head.“Take us to the safe, Cap’n.” he had a British accent. A mask hid his features, except his blue eyes that were cold as ice. “Diric, if anyone of these fuckers move, shoot them.” He addressed one of the armed men, a tall, waif-like man.The man grinned broadly. “Effendi.” He glared at the group, making threatening moves with his rifle.The Brit pushed the captain