35

 

Kate’s words gave him another shot of adrenaline. Josh sat up and surveyed the area around them.

A seventy-foot high monolith stood like a sentry guarding the point he had just traversed. Each successive wave seemed bigger than the last.

Kate hooked his arm with hers. “They won’t come around the point. Not now. But I wish they would try.” She gave him a weak smile.

He looked at the next point, twenty yards beyond them. “We can’t get around the next point, even at low tide. Water’s too deep and too many rocks.”

Kate studied the tall rock they had skirted. “I don’t think they can climb around it above the water. It’s a sheer rock cliff.”

“But if they can climb to the corner of the rock, they—”

She muted his mouth other hand. “They can’t. They won’t.”

“Depends on how badly they want us. With all the shooting, they probably can’t just walk away from here. Somebody would surely have called the police or the Rangers. If these two go back up the beach and cut through the forest to get up there…” he pointed to the top of the steep cliff behind them, “…they still might not be able to get in position to shoot, especially if we hugged the cliff.”

“So what are you saying, Josh?”

I think they’re going to try to climb around the rock.”

Kate let out a blast of air. “Then we need a plan to stop them.”

A rasping sound of something hard against a rock surface was followed by the clank of metal.

“You’re right, Josh. Darn this stupid ankle!”

“Keep your voice down, Kate. We don’t want to encourage them by letting them know we’re trapped here.”

“If my ankle wasn’t sprained, I could knock him off the rock with a rock of my own.”

“It is no use.” A voice with an accent. “I think you are trapped.”

Kate squeezed his arm with an incredible grip.

“It looks like they’ve gotten the picture.” Josh shook his head. “They know we’d be gone if we weren’t trapped.”

Tears welled in Kate’s eyes. “I’m so stupid.” She wiped them away. “It was my voice that told him we’re trapped. Josh, I’m so sorry I got you into this mess.”

“None of this is your fault. These people are evil. That’s where the fault lies.”

“That sounds like something I would say to you.” She studied his eyes for a moment. “What’s happening with you, Josh. Ever since yesterday you—”

“I’m coming for you, my blonde-haired princess.”

Anger flashed hot in Kate’s blue eyes and on her face.

The subject she had approached would have to wait until later, and one way or another, Josh was convinced there would be a later for Kate and him. That thought caused him to smile at Kate.

She turned the full force of her furious gaze on him. “It wasn’t funny, Josh. He called me a—”

“I heard what he called you. No. It’s not funny. But—”

A louder clank sounded, followed by the rasping of shoes on rock.

“He’s nearly to the corner.” Kate’s expression vacillated between anger and fear. “I’m going to take him out with a rock.”

“When you push off on your bad ankle, can you hit what you’re throwing at?”

“I don’t know. How hard can you throw, Josh?”

“Really hard. Harder than anyone else on the football team. But not so accurate.”

Kate stood, hobbling on her sore ankle as she picked up a baseball size rock. “Grab some rocks.”

“I’ve got another idea, Kate. Let me walk out into the water until I can see him. I’ll try to negotiate with him, to stall, buy us some time. Eventually, help will come because of all the shooting. Also, I saw a few people at the north end of the beach when we crossed the driftwood. Somebody will report the trouble. I’m going to try this, Kate.” He stepped toward the water.

Kate hooked his arm. “No, Josh. He’ll kill you the moment he sees you.”