Where am I? The shouting hurts my head. As I open my stinging eyes, I’m at the top of the steps covered in a foil blanket. I’ve been saved. The man’s terrier begins to lick the salt from my face and I welcome its warmth.
‘You’re okay,’ he says, as he places a warm hand on my arm.
I glance at the angel above me and gasp. There’s no way I can answer him right now but I’m safe.
‘We’re going to get you in the pub, warm you up a bit, okay? Paramedics are on the way but it could take awhile.’
All I can do is cry, grateful that this man put himself at risk to help me. Two men and a woman head over and they all help me up, and part carry me into a cosy pub. Flames lick the hearth as a huge chunk of wood catches. The customers are asked to retreat to the lounge, leaving me alone with my rescuer and the woman. As I violently shiver, the man hauls my limp body onto a couch by the window and the woman hurries over with a pile of towels and a huge fluffy hoodie. My teeth won’t stop chattering, making it impossible for me to create coherent words. I want to thank them, tell them that I owe them my life, but I can’t.
‘Hello, my lovely. There’s help on the way. We going to get you checked out, just hang in there. Was there anyone else out there with you?’ The woman dabs and rubs at me with the towel, then she removes my jacket and replaces it with a dry hoodie.
I nod.
‘Jeff, we need to get rescue out there, now.’
‘N-n-no,’ I stammer. ‘Someone attacked me.’
‘Forget that, Jeff. Don’t call rescue, call the police.’
With stiff fingers, I pull my phone from my bra and pass it to the woman. She takes it but it’s not coming to life, then I remember that it died. I wonder if too much water got in it. If I can’t get my phone going, I have no idea how I’m going to contact Damien. He doesn’t have any idea I’m here and that someone left me in that cave to die. Tears fall down my face and the woman wedges in beside me and gives me a hug, transferring her much-needed body heat.
‘It’s okay. Let’s get you properly warmed up. Jeff, throw some more logs on that fire.’
I want to tell her it’s not going to be okay.
‘You’re safe now.’
I’m not safe. Now that I know someone wants me dead, the game has changed. Will brought me here to kill me, to kill me along with Jess. Reaching deeply into my jeans pockets, I pull out my keys. I have to get to the car and get back to the cottage. Damien has to know what’s going on. Nudging the woman, I try to get up.
‘You’re not going anywhere in this state.’
I snivel and choke on my tears as I try again, this time succeeding. ‘I can’t stay here. My family might be in danger.’
At first I walk with a stagger, then I manage a few steps in a straight line. With the feeling coming back to my body, I’m good to go. All I want to do is get back to the cottage, be with my family and have a hot shower.
‘But the police are on their way,’ the man with the terrier says.
‘Thank you, all of you. I’m sorry.’ With that I open the door and allow it to slam behind me. I’m shivering so hard, I ache and tiredness enshrouds me. I want to get back to the cottage, then I’ll go to the police with Damien. First, I need him to know how much I love him. Then, I need to sort my phone out. I’m going to find out who did this to me, if it’s the last thing I do.
After what feels like an eternity of stepping into puddles and listening to the low rumbling of thunder above, I reach the car park just before the heavens open. Hopping and staggering, I hold my keys out. It’s a far cry from earlier. I’m the only person in the car park and there aren’t many cars. I instinctively gaze around for the dark car that was by the cottage but I can’t see it.
It takes me several attempts to press the open button. It doesn’t work. The seawater must have killed that too, along with my phone. I prod the key at the lock but scrape the paint instead. ‘Damn it.’ All I want to do is curl up and cry. Taking a deep breath, I try again. This time the key enters the lock and I open the door. Without wasting a second, I turn the ignition on and pop the heating on its highest setting. Cold air comes from every vent. As I go to start the wipers, I see a bit of folded paper on my windscreen. It’s a parking ticket.
I ran out of time. Great. I read on, looking for the number to call in order to sort this out when I get back. The paper mulches in my wet hands and I can barely read what’s on it. That’s when I see the message in the dirt on the passenger window, then rain starts to pepper the glass, washing it away. This can’t be real! I plug my phone in, hoping that it will spark to life, but it doesn’t. I don’t even know the way home without Maps.
My gaze flits to every corner of the car park. I see a figure walking along the back of the car park through the rain-smeared windows, but it vanishes into the darkness. Struggling to control the sobs that are forcing themselves up my throat, I lock the doors. I lie back as the warm air floods me, my senses getting sharper. That message tells me everything I need to know. I feel sick to the stomach knowing that someone tried to kill me. The scrawl is barely readable now as the message drips away down the window. Slamming my hands on the steering wheel, I yell as tears fill my face. I can’t even take a photo of it. The message is lost, forever, but I’ll never forget what it said.
YOU’VE ALREADY STAYED TOO LONG!
A face appears at the window and I scream. He’s trying to open the door. The man in the dark coat stares at me with pleading eyes as I grip the handle. All this time, my father was here, following me. Was it not enough that he allowed Jess to die that day? Did he have to come back and finish me off too?
‘Katie, open up.’
I shake my head. There’s no way I’m letting him in. Tears drip down my face as I rev up the engine. I have to get out of here, now.
‘I can explain.’
No he can’t. How did he know I was here? He had to be following me. It’s only now, I wonder if he is Will. Why would my father do this to me? He hasn’t changed at all.
