Page 55 of Hooked

He was going to throw me over the cliff.

I was about to become just one more dead woman in Captain Huckley’s life.

My fight only made him pause long enough to slap me across the face and then throw me over his shoulder.

The blow to my head was hard enough that it took me precious seconds to clear the fuzz from my brain. Then I pounded on his back. I jerked and squirmed, but he had one arm secured around my waist where it rested on his shoulder, and his other arm wrapped around my knees as he jogged toward the cliff. His shoulder punching into my stomach with each step weakened me further, and the wind coming off the sea chilled my tears as they gathered in my eyes. I did my best to kick at him but I didn’t have the right angle.

As the wind increased and the roar of the crashing waves grew to a crescendo, I knew the moment was at hand and I fisted my hands into the fabric of his coat, determined that if I were going into the ocean, I would drag him with me.

There was the sensation of falling for the barest portion of a moment before his shoulder dug into my abdomen again. The sensation repeated over and over until I opened my eyes and realized that he was traversing a rough stairway that had been cut into the side of the cliffs.

Relief and confusion stole my air and I blinked away the spots that dotted my vision. He wasn’t going to throw me over the cliffs; instead he was taking me down to the water.

But why?

I pulled my head up just enough to look around at the gray shapes of rock and water. The path Huckley traversed was not wide. The cliff face rose up, jagged and raw on one side, then sheered off to nothing but open space on the other.

If I fought, if I tried to free myself right now, I would end up dashed on the rocks below.

I went limp, resigned to do nothing until my situation was less precarious.

I thought through my situation, my options. My hands were bound together, dangling in front of me, resting against Huckley’s back. The binding was tight, making my hands throb with my pulse.

The fabric in my mouth was not as tight. In fact…I curled my arms up, wedging my fingers beneath the fabric that pressed against my cheek and pulled, prying it from my mouth and pulling it below my chin. I took a deep breath, making a decision.

I had to hope that getting information was my best defense at the moment. “What will you do with me now, Captain?” I asked.

His steps stuttered, but he kept going, choosing not to answer. He didn’t seem concerned that I could speak freely now, which left me even more frightened and befuddled.

My words were abrupt and warbled as I fought to breathe while his shoulder consistently knocked the wind out of me. “Clearly someone knows that I do not belong with you. You are the one being hunted now.”

“I’ve been prey before, and as I said, I always win.”

“But where can you hide? There is nothing below us but deep ocean.”

He let out a winded guffaw. “You think I had these stairs painstakingly carved into these cliffs so I could go down and enjoy the sandy beaches? No, my beauty. You forget I am a merchant and a captain. Our escape floats on that deep ocean you spoke of.”

I raised my head, looking over the waters, taking in the reflection of the moonlight as it glinted off the waves and lit up the white canvas of six sails lashed to three great masts.

The captain’s ship was here, anchored in the inlet.

I closed my eyes, trying not to let defeat claim me, searching for a different avenue, any means of redemption.

In desperation I filled my lungs as much as I could and then let out a blood-curdling scream.

The captain dropped me to my feet in front of him, then took my arms firmly in hand and turned so that my back faced the edge of the cliff. He forced me back, danger burning in his eyes as my feet slid back over the dirt until my heels no longer touched the earth.

I gasped and trembled, reaching out and clutching at the front of his coat, pleading, “No! Please don’t do this. Please!”

My toes pressed to the earth, desperate for purchase as he pushed just a little harder. I was leaning back, supported only by his hands that held me and the precarious balance of my toes.

Then he stopped pushing, letting me feel the wind snatching at my skirts, hearing the pebbles as they dislodged beneath my feet and skittered down the cliff.

He pushed just a little more and I cried out, the sound cutting off as he abruptly pulled me toward him, capturing me in his grasp. I stood trembling and frozen, sobbing as he stroked my hair.

“Make no mistake,” he whispered in my ear. “Those that hunt me may catch up with me eventually, but it won’t be soon enough to save you.” He grabbed hold of my arm and pulled me down the stairs.

It took all my concentration just to keep my knees from collapsing as I stumbled after him, sobs still wracking my body. I fought to control myself, needing my vision clear so that I could step carefully, so that I could see and plan and do something!!