The road lights up and I wait for the car to get closer. My heart beats wildly as I get ready to jump from my hiding place.
My feet are bleeding and hurting like hell when the lights dim. I have to run again—now I wish I hadn’t stopped to hide.
The pathway to the beach is on the opposite side of the road. I know that’s my best chance of escaping. Dominic and his henchmen will search for me in their cars.
My hands are shaking, my nerves are so frayed. Tears blur my vision as I scuttle from my hiding place and limp away. There is no big rescue for me today. I can only help myself.
But I have to escape from this place for good. My secret bank account has enough money in it to hide for a short while. But as my fingers touch my diamond bracelet, I know I’ll get enough money to fly to Europe once I land in London.
My fingernails claw at my spaghetti-strapped blouse.
A small smile curves up as a plan forms.
When I get on the beach, I’ll drag it off my body, tear it, before I wipe my bloody feet on the top and leave it lying at the water’s edge.
Everyone knows that nobody would survive going into the sea at night. Bull sharks love the Queensland coast. They’ll scavenge on human flesh the moment they smell it.
My family and the police will spend too much time checking the ocean for me, not knowing I’ve escaped from here.
I just need to cross this damn road.
I creep to the front of a parked SUV, take a deep breath before I dart out into the road, running in a diagonal direction toward the pathway.
A car roars behind me. I turn, but it’s in darkness.
“Fuck!” My feet are killing me as I dash toward the parked cars at the side of the road. But I throw my shoes away and run faster along the road, looking for the opening.
My escape is near. I can hear the sound of the ocean lapping against the shore.
But it’s being drowned out by the engine. It’s getting so loud–and close. So near, I can almost feel the heat of the car on my legs.
A blast of a horn fills the air; my eyes widen as I freeze in the darkness.
I spin toward the car and headlights suddenly blind me.
Then, I’m floating in the air.
Pain rushes through my body…
Thud…
My head cracks against the road and my eyes flutter as I try to move.
I can’t move.
The lights are off now and it’s so quiet as I lie on the cold ground staring at the stars up above.
Every blink of my eyes causes the pain in my head to intensify.
I turn my head to one side and gurgle on a coppery liquid that I’m struggling to swallow.
My eyes are lowering, each slow blink heavy and stubborn. Barely open now as I stare through the narrow squint in my eyes while footsteps get near to me.
Closer and closer the shadow gets, stealing the moonlight and the stars.
I give up trying to see as the footsteps start again.
I want to cry out for help, but I can’t. My throat is full of liquid.
