Sara Thacker's Blog: Red Skhye In Morning, page 6

Since I write suspense I've always been interested in what happened to DB Cooper. Did he die when he jumped or live? Could he be living somewhere in the US now? The $200,000 he took wasn't a lot of money, but at the time it was. Some of his money was found at one point by a kid playing along a bank of a river. Now the FBI has something that they are comparing back to the evidence from the original crime.



This lead that the FBI is investigating seems promising, of course only time and a little investigating will tell. If DB Cooper did survive, could he have been Duane Webber of Florida, who on his deathbed confessed? The FBI didn't think so.



In 1980 a young boy, Brian Ingram, found $5800 of the money. It had degraded and is in pieces. So at one point DB Cooper somewhere close enough to the Columbia River that the washout carried the money to the Columbia river near the Washington and Oregon border.

Could DB have survived the harsh weather in street clothes. He wasn't wearing any winter wear and he jumped at the end of November.



All in all, I don't think the FBI will find definitive evidence of DB Cooper. It's been too long. Too many variables come into play. The guy could have jumped and died, never to be seen again or he could be your next door neighbor.

With only inches to go, Marissa stopped and breathed in deeply. This was crazy and she knew it. 'Call the police,' echoed in her head, but that would bring Tony. The girls on the switchboard would call the ever-important detective Tony Santos if there were a hint of trouble at her apartment. But he was the last person she wanted to see. She reached down and felt for the cell phone in her pocket.

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Sam slid the knot on his tie and buttoned his suit jacket. He'd had to buy all new suits to fit his trim physic. The clothes felt foreign. The house alien. Nothing about this life was right.



He needed to find a way to be grounded. Something had been missing after Delanie left. He hadn't heard from her again after the Coast Guard had picked her up. They'd whisked her away to a hospital in Miami. Bill had gone to interview her, but she hadn't called or said anything about seeing him.



It was for the best he though. He could get his act together before he went searching for her. The board meetings would be over by early tomorrow and then he would contact her agent.



The drive into work was painful and slow. He'd asked for a driver since he'd sold of all of his cars when he'd moved out to the ocean. He hadn't missed one of them at all. Not because he didn't appreciate a good car, but he didn't like the traffic. He guessed he could get used to the manic pace but did he want to.



When he arrived at the office the first of a long day of meetings was just beginning. He took his place and tried desperately to pay attention but all he could think about was Delanie. Almost losing her to that bastard had changed the way he thought about life. Really he had been stupid for not chasing after her, but he wanted to give her some time.



Now, after sitting through hours of boring rhetoric about operational budgets and finance he was ready to tear his hair out. He should be with Delanie. At the next break he would call her and make plans for them to get together.



****



Delanie knew her body wasn't totally healed when she slipped on a pair of heals and had to abandon them for flats. Her foot still ached from the beating she'd received.



This was totally unlike her. Not the getting dressed up but the fact that she'd come here. She twirled in front of the mirror and checked her dress. The flats would have to do. It would be weeks and maybe months before she could wear anything with more than an inch of heel.



Her stomach had butterflies as she took the elevator down to the first floor. The building that she wanted was right across the street from her hotel. She'd called ahead and asked if Sam would be in the office. Lucky for her he'd come back to New York and had a few meetings to take care of this week.



She waited through three traffic lights, not sure if going to Sam was the wisest of choices. After looking like a fool for too long, Delanie crossed the street and did her best to stay focused on the entrance to the building where Sam was in meetings. Two paparazzi found her and began taking shots. She ignored them like she'd been trained to do.



Once inside the photographers were whisked away before she stepped into the elevator. He was on the forty-eighth floor. The ride up seemed to last forever. She held her breath as she stepped out of the elevator, afraid of what he might say or how he would react. He may not want a relationship. If he didn't want her then she would swallow her pride and throw herself into her work. Her heart would never be the same though.



She walked to the reception desk and cleared her throat, "I need to speak with Sam Taylor."



A gorgeous man in a tailored suit turned to stare at her. She was used to that reaction and ignored him until he started moving towards her then she turned her head to look at him. "Sam?"



"Delanie, I'm on the phone with your agent. I guess I don't need to find out where you are."



"You were going to come looking for me."



"Yes." He moved to her and took her hand. "Follow me." He led her back to a large private office and closed the door. "I can't live without you."



Her heart soared. The man wanted her. This was the best news she had ever heard. She smiled up at him and he returned her smile. "That's good because I need you in my life."



She pulled him close, wrapping her arms around his neck. He hesitated for a second, his face going serious.



"We are getting married, right?"



Delanie sucked in a deep breath, her head spinning. "Yeah, we're getting married."



The End

This time Delanie broke the kiss and slumped against him. "I didn't think I would ever see you again."



"What happened?"



"When?"



"Did you kill him?"



"No, I didn't have anything to shoot him with and I didn't want to get close to him again."



"Do you think he's close?"



"No." She pulled away, fear pinging through her body. "I've been going for about thirty minutes. He has to be far away from me now."



"We need to call Bill."



He moved away and she sank to her knees. With a sure hand he lowered her to the deck and made sure she was moderately comfortable.



She watched as he picked up the radio. He talked but the words didn't break through the fog circling her brain. No longer was she captive but confusion had set in. People would have questions but she doubted that she would be able to answer them.



Sam sat down beside her and pulled her onto his lap. "The Coast Guard is going to pick you up and fly you to a hospital."



"I'm fine."



"Shh, sweetie, they just want to make sure. Your agent is on her way."



"Oh God, tell me you are lying."



"She insisted once she found out you were abducted."



Her insides turned cold but Sam's hand on her body warmed her up fast. "Great, this will be another media event for her."



"I can help with that."



She sighed and snuggled deep into he chest. In the distance she hear the choppers closing in. She doubted if they would ever find her captor. The ocean could have swallowed him up, or he could have caught a ride with an unsuspecting boater. One thin she knew was that she wanted to get as far away from the ocean as she could. At least for a little while.



****



Bill wrapped up his investigation, impounding Richard's boat. The forensics team would spend the next few weeks taking the sailboat apart. The clues would be sifted and catalogued in the off chance that Richard ever showed back up.



From what Delanie said Richard had been unconscious when she'd knocked him overboard. The old bastard could have been faking it, but he doubted it. Richard would have wanted to win and playing possum didn't fit his style.



Baker had forgiven him since Delanie had been returned unharmed. The FBI looked good for the most part. It would have been better if Richard would have been in custody, but an international APB had been sent to Interpol. If he used his passport or any other ID then Bill would be alerted.



Bank accounts had been frozen but Bill doubted that they knew enough to shut down Richard if he survived the ocean.



Lucky for the rest of the world a school of sharks had been seen in the area where Delanie indicated Richard had fallen overboard. She thought she had made him bleed, but she wasn't sure.



When Bill had gone out to check out the area he hadn't seen anything. Of course Delanie didn't know where she was or how far she had traveled. The possible area of interest was huge cone with a sweeping arc at the other end. It was a daunting task to search when you thought about the whole area. It was better to think that sharks had gotten the guy



His plane would touch down in less than an hour and he still hadn't heard from Shana. There was no hope really. She would do what she wanted. The divorce would be quick. He would make sure his lawyer had enough information to squeeze Shana into behaving.



He hated acting that way, but her behavior had been too erratic. She'd cheated on him and that hurt. He couldn't forgive her for sleeping with that other man.



In his perfect fantasy world Amanda would be on his arm, but he couldn't pursue any relationship with her until after the divorce was final. It wouldn't be fair to her. He wanted something Amanda couldn't give him right now and she needed something he didn't have.



Plus Baker had already assigned him to a new case. A set of murders in the Grand Canyon. At least there wasn't much water out west. He'd have twenty-four hours to go over the details before heading to Arizona. Maybe this case would go smoother.

Richard saw the change in her eyes. She didn't want to die. Good, that survival instinct would keep her from having to be killed early. Maybe he could make her into his slave and keep her for months instead of weeks.



She was different. This girl knew she had to please him. She wanted to be here. Sure, he'd believed that before but not like this time. This time Delanie Skhye was his and she wanted to be.



Her pupils dilated as she stared into his eyes, it was one of the key factors of attraction. Any idiot knew that. Her cheeks flamed pink too. Oh boy, she wanted him. Few of the women he took ever got to this point. They fought the circumstances. They fought the pain. Delanie would welcome it.



"Tell me what I want to hear."



She hesitated, making him wonder if he'd been correct about her feelings.



"Tell me."



The smile she displayed blew him away. This was what he dreamed about. This was the type of situation he'd been searching for. Someone who wanted him. Someone who would do what he wanted.



"I'm not sure what you want to hear, but I think it might be something about the way I feel."



"More."



"I want you. You're nothing like the others I've known."



"More."



"I'll do whatever you want."



For a brief second he wondered if she was lying. He thought he'd heard hesitation in her voice, but her face told a different story. She wasn't acting, no one was that good. No, the bitch wanted him more than she could contain.



Undoing her hands would be stupid, but what could the scrawny thing do to him. He would be able to handle the girl if she got too uppity.



He ruled her, that much he knew. With out any hesitation he undid the ropes binding her arms. He pulled her to her feet, and drew her near. The desire surging through his body felt good, almost better than any of the women before.



After their first fuck he would tie her to the main mast and teach her how to beg. Just the thought of her begging him to split her crack with his rod made him jumping crazy with lust.



He unzipped his pants, pulling them down around his thighs. Her gasp caught him off guard. For a moment he couldn't reconcile the disgust on her face with the love he knew she had for him. With one hand he reached down to prepare himself while he grabbed for her pants. "You won't be needing these."



The blow caught him off guard. He stumbled, grasping for any rope or line he could find. His hands slipped as she pummeled him again. This time her knee found his crotch and pain echoed through his body fuzzing his brain.



****



Sam knew Delanie was dead. That was the only logical conclusion anyone could make. The killer had her. He took her away and no one knew where they were. Simple as pie, but painful as shit.



He kept going though. He wouldn't give up. Not now. There was still a chance at finding her. Maybe in two or three hours he would stop searching on his own and bring in the big dogs. Media, private planes and his own security force. They would comb the islands, search the seas and find the bastard.



He didn't want to think about what the guy was capable of but he'd heard about Amanda and it was bad. She'd been messed up beyond belief. The guy wouldn't think twice about hurting another.



They already suspected that he'd killed other women. Bill had suggested that there were around five or more. All he knew was he needed to stop this guy from getting to any one else.



How Bill did this kind of shit day in and day out amazed him. Bill was one man who didn't need to work. He could be taking it easy hitting the links every day, but no, the man had scruples. He had integrity and a drive that kept him honest. Sam knew he wasn't like Bill. He would have blown up or gone bad. The pressure of catching people who thought nothing of murdering others would bake his insides and turn him into something horrible.



Sam checked his watch. Another hour had flown past and still no sign of Delanie. It was time to call in help. He picked up the radio mic ready to tell Bill he was going to call in help when he saw a sailboat having trouble.



The mainsail was half up and almost knocking the soul occupant into the water. He watched as the person fought the riggings. The sail dropped and she fell back on her butt. Sam grabbed the binoculars and saw it was a woman. Where the hell was her help. No way had she made it out this far without someone to help her.



She kept her back to him as she pulled twice on the outboard motor's start cord. He could tell when the engine took because she fell again. Not someone who knew how to sail and she needed help before she killed herself.



Lucky for him she was headed in his direction. He let up on the throttle and let the engine idle. Had this been any other time he would have found her situation humors. Right now he was annoyed beyond belief that some bubble-headed blond was having so much trouble that he needed to save her from herself.



As she pulled closer something nagged him. She looked like someone he knew. Hell, the woman looked like Delanie.



The boats moved closer. He squinted and pulled up the binoculars. Holy hell, it was Delanie. He waved his arms and yelled her name but doubted if she could hear over the noise of her boat. She cut the throttle turned to him. Her face erupted in to a huge smile. She abandoned steering the boat and ran to the side. She waved her arms furiously and shouted at him before looking into the water and diving overboard. He threw out a line as she swam the twenty feet separating them.



He was too stunned to say a word as he pulled her aboard and kissed her. He broke the kiss and searched her body for marks, he found angry red rings rimming her wrists and a welt on her face, but otherwise she looked good.



She pulled him down into another mind numbing kiss, holding on tight. He never wanted to let her go.

Sam knew he was getting close. He'd seen glimpses of the sailboat with its sails down. The gas in is outboard was almost out. He had a few more minutes, but not much more.



He was still too far away to see what was happening or if Delanie was on board. If this wasn't the right boat he would hire as many sailboats, helicopters, and small planes as he could and get them to track down Delanie.



This boat had to be it. He could make out a man standing on deck, but not much more. Damn, he needed the binoculars but he didn't want to step away from the controls and risk slowing down.



As he moved closer he could see another person on deck. They were laying face down. The blond could be Delanie, but then again maybe not.



The guy aboard the other boat began signaling but Sam kept going, getting closer. He'd kill the bastard if he'd hurt Delanie.



Now the guy looked upset and started yelling but Sam couldn't hear him above the roar of his outboard motor. His heart thundered faster as he approached the boat. He knew he was coming in too fast and going against every rule of maritime etiquette but he had to know.



The woman sat up, her face a mask of fear. It took Sam only a second to realize that it wasn't Delanie. He backed off the throttle and let the boat drift to a stop. The guy on the other boat yelled a few choice curses before Sam could speak.



"Hey, there's a guy out here who kidnapped my friend. He's killed one woman and he'll kill again. Have you seen any other boats?"



The guy hunched his shoulders and spoke to the woman she stood up and yelled. "What?"



"My girlfriend has been kidnapped. They guy is on a boat. He tortures women and kills them. Have you seen any other boats?"



"No, no one else has been around."



"Damn."



"Can we help?"



"I don't know. He's dangerous. Be careful."



The woman went to the man and wrapped her arms around him. "We will," the man hollered out.



Sam went back to the outboard and bent to start it up but stopped. "Hey, do you have any extra gas?" He called out to the couple.



"What?"



"Gas, do you have any extra?"



The man shrugged. "We have some we can spare."



Sam pulled his sailboat closer to the couple and thanked them over and over again as they transferred half of their gas to his outboard.



He took off, racing west, praying that he could find some clue of where the bastard had taken Delanie. It was doubtful that he would find anything, but he had to try.



With radio mic in hand he hesitate calling Bill to tell him he'd totally lost Delanie. What if he called off the Coast Guard? What if they gave up? They couldn't give up now.



Hell, he was screwed. Bill had to know and then maybe they could start searching somewhere else. Tears streaked down his face as he clicked to talk to Bill. It wasn't the news he wanted to relay, but he had no other choice.



****



Delanie watched her captor as he moved about the sailboat. His movements were sure and athletic, but she noticed that he didn't trust his feet when a huge wave rocked the boat. It wasn't anything big, only a small hesitation in his movement.



She watched him for a few more minutes, confirming what she'd guessed at. After one of the larger waves rolled the boat she saw the way his knee gave way and how he steadied himself. Maybe she could use that to her advantage.



The guy was also a self-obsessed jerk. He constantly touched his body. She could use that too. She just needed to be free for a few seconds and then she could totally kick his ass.



"You know, this could be your greatest role."



She said nothing, just watched the way he moved. The bindings on her wrists were uncomfortable. They bit into her flesh. He'd hit her foot and that stung like fire. If he'd kept at it he probably would have broken some bones.



Walking would be a bitch. The souls of her feet would ache for days. Right now, even without putting any weight on them the pain snaked up her calves to her knees.



How could someone even think about beating the bottom of someone's foot? It was a particularly cruel punishment. She couldn't imagine if he'd kept at it or had a better angle.



She wouldn't break though. She would fight the bastard until she drew her last breath. He might damage her body, break her feet or worse, other bones, but he wouldn't get her to submit to him.



Her only experience with things like this had been in the movies. Her boyfriends might have been jerks but none of them had ever beaten her. If one of them had tried she probably would have hit back and had to deal with the consequences.



This guy had no clue how angry his punches and beatings made her. Once, a long time ago she'd read for a script where the woman was beaten and fought back. She hadn't gotten the part but she remembered how angry she'd felt at the unjust of the situation. This brought back all of those feelings.



From what she knew about this guy he had done this many times before. Amanda wasn't the first girl. He'd probably killed at least ten women. She wanted to beat the crap out of the guy. If she ever got a chance at taking him down she would.



The reality was that she was trapped and no one would be coming around to save her. Their plan had felt foolproof when they'd hatched it. Well, not really, but close.



For a few seconds she wanted to cry. Tears stung her eyes as her thoughts turned dark. How the hell was she supposed to get out of this one? There were no stunt doubles and no stagehands waiting to get her out of a tough situation.



The guy's name, she wanted his name. Had to have it. He came close again. A knife glinted at his side. Fear ricochet around her brain. She didn't want to die yet.



He laughed, "Oh, no. I'm not going to cut you yet. I want to talk. You wouldn't believe how lonely it can be out here with no one to talk to."



The knife slid through the cloth covering her mouth. Then he moved so fast before she knew it a slice of her hair fell to his hands. The bitch of it was that previous to the trip her hair had actually been contracted. She couldn't cut the locks or change the style in any way. She'd wanted to go short for some time but not this way.



Laughter bubbled up her throat and out of her mouth. The haircut she'd been dying to have might just kill her.



"What? You think that's funny."



She looked up and saw the anger beading in his eyes. The sobering effect was immediate. "No, not at all."



"Good. Maybe I should have kept the gag on?" His left hand grabbed her chin and jerked her head back. She wanted to cry out, but didn't. His thumb dug into her jaw, leaving what she knew would be a nasty mark.



Damn, the desire to laugh hit her unexpectedly but she caught it before letting the giggle fly. It had to be the stress and the fear acting together. Normally she wasn't giggly, shoots were done quickly and efficiently when she was on set. Sure there was a time to goof around, but movie making was serious business. She just couldn't channel the same spirit right now.



This was it. If she didn't get away from this bastard now then she never would. Drastic was her only option

Bill hated that the helicopter pilot had dropped him at the nearest island. Sure he'd found a spot near the marina and he'd been able to rent a boat, but now it looked as though the storm was clearing the closer he moved to the island.



He could see the green dot of land before him but no signs if Delanie was safe or not. With little hope he picked up his phone but got no bars. He prayed that Sam had picked up the message he'd left for him earlier, but his radio had remained silent.



How the hell had this investigation gotten so out of control? The man he'd sent to watch over Delanie wasn't responding. He hadn't checked in with police headquarters. It bothered Bill that no one had heard from him.

The choppy sea smoothed out more. Gone was the huge thunderhead. The sun shined above and the wind was low. The radio crackled and Bill turned up the volume.



"Bill, you there?"



He grasped on to the mic and pressed to talk. "Sam, is Delanie with you?"



"No. I think she'd on a boat heading south from the island."



"South?" Bill's stomach dropped.



"Yeah, he got to her first."



"Did you see my guy on the island?"



"No, no one was there. I didn't look around either. Delanie's too important to waist time."



"I understand. Damn, I'm calling in the police to search for him."



"Do whatever you must. I need to get Delanie. Do you have any idea what this guy will do if he's left alone with her for too long."



"Unfortunately I do. If she's not in immediate danger wait for me once you see them."



"No way. I'm going to kill the bastard and if you're there you'll have to arrest me."



"Sam, don't do that." Shit, he didn't want Sam to ruin his chance of capturing this guy.



"He's dead."



"We can put him away for good."



"If you get a conviction."



"Sam, listen to me. You don't want his death on your hands."



"Don't tell me what I want."



"I'm not going to let you do this. I'm calling in a helicopter."



"I didn't think the police had a working unit."



"Damn, your right. Just don't do anything stupid."



Sam didn't speak again and Bill needed to switch to the emergency station and call for help. He wanted more information but doubted Sam knew exactly where Delanie was or the true heading he was chasing.



The other boater could change headings, leaving Sam wandering aimlessly in the Atlantic Ocean. Really, chasing Delanie without the help of a helicopter was foolish.



The Coast Guard was the only option. After placing a radio call to the Bahamian police he called for the Coast Guard. They were about an hour out but they would start searching the sea going south of the island when they arrived.



If he lost Delanie it would not only ruin his career but he would be crushed. The Amanda thing had crushed him. And then his wife acting so crazy had thrown him off big time.



He turned the boat south and raced after Sam. If luck was on his side he could pass Sam and catch the bastard wreaking havoc on the islands. Then, maybe his career wouldn't be in the tank and he could figure out a way to work out some sort of truce in her personal life.

Copyright Sara Thacker 2011

Richard dropped the sails and pulled Delanie up on deck. She made a face and squinted. The sun blinded her after being held below. He liked how disturbed she looked. It gave him satisfaction to see her not look put together.



It might be easier to break her than he thought it would be. Her body shook and tears filled her eyes as he tied her arms above her head. He wanted to remove her clothes but thought that leaving them on might mess with her mind more. If he could make her think she had a chance of escape then he could break her once she saw there was nothing she could do.



He didn't know how long he stared at her, lost in the beauty of her pain, but at some point she stopped crying. All day could be spent this way, but he couldn't afford to just laze around.



After looping a rope around her neck to make her fear ratchet up he raised the sails and took off again for the open ocean. The entrancement of watching her cry and then go brave held onto him. He had to stop and do something.



With the sails lowered he took a seat in front of her and ran his fingers down her arms and across her legs. She tried to kick out at him but he knocked her leg away and slapped her face.



"Oh, Delanie, I have plans for you. So don't try to kick me again. If you do you'll regret it."



She mumbled something behind the tie he had covering her mouth but he couldn't understand the words. Boy, was she a fighter though. She fought the bindings and anger glowed in her eyes.



He loved every minute of it. The anger, the hate, and the fear. "Sweet Delanie, I'm going to break you."



She shook her head and let out a muffled yell.



"You can try to deny it, but I'm going to teach you how to be submissive to me. The quicker you fold, the easier it will be for you."



He watched her eyes go wide then she closed off her expression. He'd seen it before. They all denied that they would fight then lose.



"Yes, you will fold and I'll be there to have you do exactly what I want you do. You'll beg for me to take you. They all do."



This time her head shaking and screaming went on too long. He slapped her to get her attention. He held her head back, forcing her to look at him.



"When I say it it's time for you to suck my dick you'll do it willingly. Hell, who knows, if you start to obey me I'll allow you some freedom. Think of it, I'll let you live and you can be my sex slave."



She recoiled, a reaction he wasn't expecting. He reached around and grabbed the wooden dowel he kept for disciplining his charges. He grabbed her right foot and flipped her over. She knelt on the ground and for some reason found a new interest in fighting him. He turned around and pushed his but against her back, holding her in place.



The way she struggled had him worried, but he knew she couldn't do any harm to him, not really. He held up his arm with the stick and brought it down hard on her bare foot. She shrieked and bucked against him.



If only he could see her face too. He should untie her and cinch her to the deck. That way he could see her face as he beat the bottom of her foot. He hit her again, relishing the way her butt pushed against his ass as she fought his control.



He laughed out loud, and moved off of her. She flipped over and tried to stand. His automatic reflex was to strike out and he did, bringing the wooden dowel down against her thigh. She dropped to the ground, tears streaming down her face.



Her makeup was messed up, not at all the way she would want to be photographed. "Oh, I have a wonderful idea. I'm going to take pictures and then email them once I hit shore."



The hate in her eyes pleased him. If only he could get her to hold onto some of her fire while she submitted. It really would keep his interest for longer.



"Let me see. What should we do first Delanie? Maybe a shot of you being beaten? That would be wonderful."



She pleaded with her eyes, but he knew she didn't mean it. If he undid her arms she would fight. No, he wouldn't trust her to willingly submit yet, maybe not ever. "I plan on keeping you around for a long time Delanie. A very long time."

Copyright Sara Thacker 2011

Sam threw the rope around the docking cleat and sprinted up the hill to the house. He hoped like hell he wasn't late. She hadn't answered her phone. That worried him. The storm had abated and now only a soft mist flowed down from the clouds.



The island looked peaceful except for a few palm leaves lying about. He crested the top of the steps and saw that all the shutters had been closed. His steps faltered and he slowed to a stop.



Something felt off. The island was too peaceful. If anything the guy Bill had come to the island would have signaled him. He took off running towards the house.



"Delanie." His voice was too soft. He needed to find her.



"Delanie." This time his voice boomed across the gardens and up to the patio. He yelled for her again and again, but no one came out.



He busted through the French doors still yelling for Delanie. She wasn't there. No noise other than the echo from his shout greeted him.



"Delanie, Delanie. Where are you? Delanie." He sounded desperate. She wasn't here. The bastard had probably already gotten to her.



Sam raced out of the house and to the edge of the hill. He gazed out to the sea, searching for a sailboat. Nothing. He pulled the table from under the patio and crawled up on top, using it to pull himself up to the roof of the house.



He could see the whole island. It didn't look as though anyone was on the island. He looked out to the water and didn't see anything. He jumped down off of the roof and ran back into the house. He grabbed the binoculars out of the kitchen pantry and ran back outside.



When he jumped back onto the table his foot slipped and he banged his shoulder against the porch support. Pain sliced through his arm but he didn't give in. He hopped up, clambering back onto the roof.



With the binoculars he could make out a few ships on the horizon. He had to pick one to follow but which one? North, east, and west he saw multiple sailboats. Only to the south was there a singular boat. He zeroed in as much as he could on this one sailboat. Standing at the wheel was a man. No one else was visible on the boat.



He swung around and looked at some of the other ships. They all had two or three people on the sailboat. Something bugged him about the boat to the south. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something didn't seem quiet right.



It was their guy. He would bet his life on it. That sailboat making it's way south with only one man visible on board was the ship that Delanie was on.



Sam slid down the roof and landed on the table. He hopped off and ran down the slope to his sailboat. He threw off the line and jumped in. He had some gas for the small outboard motor he'd installed but not much. If things went well for him he could probably use the engine to catch the bastard. But would Delanie remain unharmed?



After he left the lagoon and headed south. He put in a call to Bill, hoping he could get though. The phone rang for a while and finally went to voicemail. Thoughts of what the bastard could be doing to Delanie made his head pound.



Once he rounded the island and the ocean smoothed out he ramped up the speed, praying that he was chasing the right boat. With the motor opened up he sped along the waves with little chop.



The wind had died down and the ocean had calmed tremendously. For that he was glad. The other boat had been running on sails. The guy probably thought no one would give chase, but he was wrong.

Copyright Sara Thacker 2011