Lester pulled something out of his pocket, and Sara cringed, trying to shield the kids. But Lester didn’t have a weapon. It was only a camera.
He snapped a picture, the flash momentarily blinding her.
“The Sara woman is pretty.”
Sara blinked a few times, tried to focus.
“Thank you for the compliment, Lester. Now you really do have to go. I don’t want to have to shoot you.”
Lester took another picture.
“I’m serious, Lester. It’s time for you to leave.”
A tongue flicked out of Lester’s mouth, running across his bottom lip. “Lester is going to ask Martin. Lester will ask. Lester wants permission. Lester wants permission to bite the Sara woman’s pretty face off.”
He opened and closed his jaw several times, his sharp teeth making clicking sounds.
“Get. The fuck. Back.” Sara said. “Now.”
Lester raised the camera, took one more picture, and then slipped into the woods.
Sara stood guard for a moment, listened to the woods. All she heard were crickets.
“That was seriously effed up,” Tyrone said. “I would have shot his ugly ass.”
Sara nodded. “Me too. But the flare gun is empty. I couldn’t find any cartridges.” She looked over her shoulder. “Let’s get going. I think we’re really close.”
Sara led them through the woods, following the compass, the water sounds getting stronger until…
“It’s the beach,” Cindy said, her enthusiasm making her sound ten years younger.
Sara was relieved as well. That relief became excitement when she saw the running lights of a boat moored offshore. She headed for the boat, her leg hurting a little bit less, her energy level kicking up several degrees.
“Do we have to swim to it?”
“No, Cindy. The Captain will use the dinghy again.”
The dinghy was a sixteen foot inflatable, shaped like a large U. It sat five. When they’d arrived at the island, it took two trips to get everyone from the boat to the shore. Sara listened for the outboard motor, but the lake was quiet.
“Maybe he just got here,” Tyrone said.
“Or maybe he’s already here.”
Sara spun around. Captain Prendick stood on the sand. Sara’s joy in seeing him was immediately dampened when she saw the rifle the pistol in his hand. It was pointed at her.
“Drop the flare gun, Mrs. Randhurst.”
“Captain, what are—”
He fired. The bullet went well over Sara’s head, but the sound was so loud and such a surprise she almost fell over.
“Drop it. I have orders to take you to the prison. If you don’t want to come willingly, I was told to shoot you in the leg and leave you for the ferals.”
Sara dropped the empty flare gun. “You work for Dr. Plincer.”
Prendick shrugged. “I’m his supply man. He needs something, he pays me to get it for him. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship. Now start heading up the shore. Anyone tries to run, they’re a cannibal snack.”
“What do we do?” Cindy whispered.
“What he says.”
They began to march back the way they came. But Sara wasn’t ready to give up yet. Being at Dr. Plincer’s tender mercies was a worse proposition than fighting it out with the wild people. Prendick obviously hadn’t called the Coast Guard, like he said. But maybe he didn’t know she had. Which meant it was just a question of stalling him until they arrived.
“You’re probably taking us to our deaths,” she said, over her shoulder.
“Maybe. Of maybe you’ll just wind up crazy with a taste for other people.”
“If it’s money you want…”
Prendick grinned, and it was an ugly thing. “I was wondering when you’d get to that. Everyone tries that, eventually. I’d happily listen to any offer, but the problem is the pay-off. You could promise me money, but then instead go to the police when we get back to the mainland.”
“I could make a bank transfer. All I need is a cell phone.”
“Again, what’s to stop you from going to the authorities?”
Sara glanced at the water, looking for other boats. There were no other lights for miles. She stopped walking, and stared at Prendick.
“Maybe I can offer you something else.”
He smiled. “I get that offer a lot, too. But there’s still the law thing. I let you go, I get in trouble.”
Sara took another look at the water, then began to walk toward Prendick.
“Maybe I can convince you I won’t say anything.”
Prendick shook his head. “I find you very attractive, Mrs. Randhurst. But I’ll be honest, here. Having to hold a gun on a woman while I make love to her isn’t exactly a turn on.”
“I’ll hold it for you,” Tyrone said.
“Nice try, kid. But the answer is no. Besides, I don’t want you thinking that you just need to stall me until the Coast guard gets here.” Prendick pinched his nostrils together. “Mrs. Randhurst, this is the Coast Guard. We have been informed of your situation. Estimated time of arrival is nineteen minutes.”
Sara felt herself deflate.
“Don’t blame yourself,” Prendick said. “The radio I gave you was broken. Only worked on my frequency.”
In a burst of anger, Sara unclipped the walkie-talkie from her belt and pitched it at him. She missed by two feet. He bent down and picked it up, keeping the gun on her the whole time.
“I told you to pick another island, Mrs. Randhurst. I tried to insist. But you wanted this one. Now turn around and get to walking, or I will shoot you.”
“You’re a bastard,” Sara said, with as much venom as she could muster.
“I’ve been called worse, by better. Now move your ass, bitch. Or you can walk the rest of the way with a broken jaw.”
Captain Prendick pulled the heavy iron door closed, then wiped the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve.
He’d lied to Mrs. Randhurst. Several times, actually. But the doozy was when he’d told her he didn’t enjoy making love to a woman while holding a gun to her head.
He actually liked it quite a lot. In fact, the last three times Prendick got laid involved that very scenario. Had he been alone with Sara on the beach, he would have definitely gotten his groove on.
But those kids had been there too. Not that Prendick had any sort of performance anxiety. It just wasn’t easy to drill some broad while making sure they didn’t run off.
After they were safely locked up, Prendick did seriously consider throwing Mrs. Randhurst up against the bars and going at it.
But he didn’t do it. He’d wanted to. It’s not like it mattered. Everyone who came here was as good as dead. Giving them a final toss before they met their maker was throwing a starving dog a bone.
Heh heh. Bone.
The Randhurst woman, though, didn’t have that desperate, needy, broken look about here. She looked like, if given the chance, she would kick Prendick’s ass.
So he locked her up with the kids, and left horny and frustrated.
It never occurred to Prendick to try anything with the girl. She was too young, and he considered himself a good man.
Halfway back to the beach, he heard something in the woods. He stopped, listening, and there was only the sound of crickets. But when he started to walk again, the sound repeated.
Those damn wild people?
They’d become more brazen lately. Last time he’d dropped off supplies, two of them had even come up to him, waving sticks and hooting like monkeys. He shot at them a few times, scared them off.
If they were following him now, he’d do the same thing. But this time, he wouldn’t miss.
Prendick had never taken a life, but he would if he had to. He wasn’t some rube, unable to defend himself. If cornered, he knew he could be as bad as they come.