He shook his head.“You’ll be safer here and I need you well rested.”
Though her face still showed her worry, she nodded.
He couldn’t help touching her.“I won’t let anything happen to you, sweetheart.”He brushed a kiss against her forehead.
She cupped his cheek, her hand soft and warm.Her eyes searched his and she smiled.“I know you won’t.”She kissed his cheek and then lay down again.
Dobby’s breath left him.The faith she had in him was humbling.He waited until she was asleep again and then took his scope and his rifle and moved through the jungle towards the small village.
When he got to the tsunami devastation on this side, he found a high spot and scanned the area.The two motorbikes weren’t in sight, but that didn’t mean they were gone.
There wasn’t a building left standing here.What was left of the wooden structures was pushed against the trees or strewn along the shore.The bay was full of floating items; a soccer ball, fishing nets, furniture.
Some people stood around talking, others crying and comforting each other, and still more had started the inevitable clean up.
Given the choice he would help them, but right now his priority was Mila’s safety and that meant getting her off the island.
Slowly he scanned the ocean for anything he could use as a boat.
The bow of a fishing vessel was pointing straight up in the air and as he watched, another fishing boat approached it, tied a tow line and began dragging it to shore.It had only gone a few metres when it became clear it was only the front portion.
He kept searching, stopping when he spotted something that might be useful, before realising it was too broken and moving on.
As he was almost finished his scan, he spotted something dark floating low in the water out in the bay, covered in debris.
No fucking way.
He zoomed closer and followed the sleek lines.
He grinned.The zod.
No one had noticed it yet.Only the one fishing boat was in the bay, sifting its way through the debris for anything to salvage and the zod was still far enough away, about twenty metres offshore.It was impossible to see what condition it was in, but the two motors were still attached and it was almost completely full of water and debris.Enough of the pontoon sections were intact to ensure it hadn’t sunk which was a great sign.
The village ended about two hundred metres from where he was and no one nearby had started cleaning up.
But there was no way he’d be able to pull the zod to shore here without notice and he and Mila would be vulnerable if they swam out and the engine didn’t start.
He wasn’t sure how strong a swimmer Mila was either.
Best option would be to tow it around the bay to the other side and bring it to shore where he could take his time examining it.
The water swirled still, which would be dangerous, but if he dragged the boat closer to the shore, he’d be able to walk it around the bay.
Should he tell Mila?If something happened to him, she’d be alone, and he’d promised he wouldn’t leave her.
Damn.
With another check to make sure no one else had noticed the zod and the fishing vessel was still on the opposite side of the bay, he hurried back to where he’d left Mila.
She lay curled on her side, some of the tension gone from her face.Her legs were covered in mud and her face was covered in scratches and bruises, but she still looked beautiful.
He hesitated, not wanting to disturb her when she finally slept but he didn’t want her to think he’d abandoned her if something happened to him in the ocean.
He gently touched her leg.“Mila, sweetheart.Wake up for me.”
She blinked at him sleepily and he fought back the temptation to kiss her awake.
“I’ve found the Zodiac.I’m not sure what condition it’s in, but I’m going to swim out to investigate.”
