She tried to calculate how long it would take for someone to run from the work site to the place she’d fallen. Not long. If the guy didn’t show soon, she had to figure he hadn’t noticed her.
Her elbow burned and her shoulder felt like it was about to be wrenched from its socket as she struggled to hang on. She managed to take hold of the root with her other arm, giving her a measure of relief. The toes of her shoes slid across the rocky wall of the pit until she found purchase on a tiny protrusion. It wasn’t much, but it eased the pain in her shoulder.
What to do now? Instinct told her no one was on the way to help her. Climbing up was out of the question. Could she climb deeper? It was a crazy idea, but maybe there was a place lower down where she could safely wait for help. Twisting her head around, she took a look down into the depths of the pit.
Big mistake.
“Oh God! Oh no!” Her head swam as she gazed down at the small circle of light reflected on the water far below her. There was nothing between her and the bottom that she could hope to stand on, and she’d never survive such a fall. She closed her eyes and took three deep, cleansing breaths. The whirlpool in her head slowed to an eddy and she opened her eyes again.
Cold, harsh reality slapped her back into focus. She’d set off for the island without letting anyone know where she was going or when she’d return, not to mention she hadn’t obtained permission to even be on the island in the first place. No one knew she was here.
Then she remembered her cell phone. How had she forgotten her lifeline to the rest of the world? If she could manage to get a signal down here, and she wasn’t that far below the surface, she could call for help.
She let go of the root with her right hand and her body slid downward for one sickening moment, but she kept her toehold and her grip with her other arm. Fishing into the pocket of her jeans, she worked her phone free and tried to position it so she could see the screen.
Damn! It was locked. Cursing her choice of phone, she balanced it on her palm and tapped in the numbers with her thumb. 1… 7… 0… 1… Unlocked! Still working one-handed, she began to tap in the number. 9… 1…
Her foothold suddenly gave way and she screamed as she fell, scarcely clinging to the root that was now the only link between her and survival. Her cries quickly melded into a stream of curses as her cell phone slipped from her grasp. She watched its luminescent screen as it tumbled through the air, landing with a pitiful splash in the water below.
Now, to quote her father, she was screwed like a Phillips head.
“Drop something?”
The voice caught her off guard and she almost lost her grip. Down below, a diver smiled up at her. He had short, blond hair, blue eyes, and an easy smile. She recognized him immediately. So this was the famous Dane Maddock. It certainly wasn’t the way she’d planned on meeting up with him. Nothing like making a good first impression.
“What are you doing down there?” Despite her predicament, Avery couldn’t keep a tone of annoyance from her voice. Couldn’t he see she was holding on for dear life?
“My friend and I were exploring a channel under the island when this fell in front of me.” He held up her phone.
At that moment, another diver surfaced. This man had a shaved head and skin the color of dark chocolate. He looked at Maddock, who pointed up at her.
“Hey girl, what’s up?”
“Me, obviously,” she snapped.
“Well, you ought to know the water is only about five feet deep here and the bottom is solid rock. You definitely don’t want to let go.”
“No, really?”
“Sorry,” Maddock said. “Willis loves to state the obvious. How are you doing up there?”
“Hanging in there.” Just then, the root gave a little, dropping her a few inches. Her cocky façade dissolved in a girly shriek that, as soon as she realized she wasn’t plummeting to her death, at least not yet, turned her face scarlet.
“I’m coming up to help you,” Maddock said. “Don’t you let go.”
Avery gave her head a tiny shake, fearful that greater movement would dislodge her for good.
“You can’t climb that!” Willis protested.
“Sure I can. You just get back as quick as you can and bring Bones with some rope. I radioed as soon as I saw her, but I doubt they got the message.” Maddock had removed his air tank and was already feeling the wall for handholds as he gave instructions.
Avery wondered if “bones” was some sort of climbing gear or rescue device. She couldn’t think of any reason for Willis to bring actual bones, unless they were going to rescue her with some weird voodoo magic.
“Yeah, I heard it.” Willis tapped his mask. “Sweetheart!” he called up to her. “You know how to do a cannonball?”
“Yes.” Avery’s voice was so small she doubted he could hear her.
“Cool. If you slip, and I ain’t saying you’re going to, do a cannonball. Whatever you do, don’t straighten your body out. Got me?”
Avery nodded, not wanting to consider the possibility that she might fall, but grateful for the advice. She stole another glance down and saw that Maddock had already covered a good ten feet of the wall.
“What are you? Some kind of spider?”
“Nope, just a SEAL.” Cords of muscle stood out on his shoulders and arms, showing the strain of the climb, but his expression and voice were relaxed. “So, how does a nice girl like you find herself hanging around in a place like this?”
“I just felt like dropping in,” Avery grunted. It was crazy to be bandying words with this guy like they were clever college kids, but it kept the fear and discomfort at bay. Her muscles cramped and she was losing feeling in her hands. She couldn’t hang on much longer.
“Did Crazy Charlie hire you?” Maddock asked as he hooked his fingers in a cleft in the stone so shallow Avery couldn’t even see it.
“I don’t know anyone by that name. I was actually coming to…” The root slipped again, this time accompanied by a cracking sound. Avery was too frightened to cry out. She just hung there, gasping for breath. Her foot found a tiny fissure and she pressed her toe into it, more for the comfort it afforded her than the weight it bore.
“I’m almost there.” Maddock was maybe ten feet away now, but he looked like he was moving in slow motion. He was never going to get to her in time.
The sound of her rapidly beating heart pounded in Avery’s ears. She was keenly aware of the sensation of abraded flesh against smooth wood, cold sweat running down the back of her neck, the smell of brine in the damp pit, and the crack of the root giving way.
And then Maddock was there. He drew a sinister looking knife and jammed it into a crevice just as the root finally snapped.
Avery felt only a momentary lurch and then a strong arm had her around the waist. She looked into Maddock’s eyes, so like the sea, and her panic subsided.
“I’ve got you. But if you can get your fingers into that crack right there, it would help.”
She looked up and realized his knife bore most of their weight, though he still had small footholds. She couldn’t believe he’d made it up here, but time to marvel would come later.
She worked her left hand into a crevice, and draped her other arm around Maddock. She looked at him, uncertain what to say. She’d expected to dislike him, but now she wasn’t so sure.
“How are you holding up?” Maddock asked, his thickly muscled arms trembling and his knuckles white.