Page 78 of Fighting Salvation

“I’d rather that at this point.” Bás had no intention of staying there waiting to die and his team didn’t know about this place. But they’d be looking for him at least, unlike these men.

“You got names?”

The taller one with dark hair motioned beside him. “That’s Santa, I’m Brand, and beside you is Hustle.”

“Yo.”

“Hey.”

“So when are they coming around next?”

“Soon. They give us some slop to keep us alive and let us use the bucket.”

Bás went silent trying to formulate a plan. He was a good swimmer but with these kinds of wounds, he’d be shark bait. He needed time to heal. Which meant not provoking anyone, including Hansen. He wasn’t sure if he had that in him but he’d try. He couldn’t imagine what Val was going through right now. When the situation was reversed, he’d thought he’d go crazy and they weren’t even together then.

As predicted, the guards came and threw some wet-looking oatmeal at them and some water and held guns on them while they used the buckets to piss and shit before shoving them back into their cells. The few minutes outside did allow him a clear view of the island though, and Brand wasn’t wrong. Those cliffs were deadly and if their friend survived, it would be a miracle.

He couldn’t gauge time properly but he guessed it to be around two am when he heard heavy footsteps heading toward him.

Hansen appeared in the doorway with two other guards. “Your friends found us. Now you and I are gonna watch as they sail straight towards us and get blown up by the little surprises I left for them in the water.”

He unlocked Bás’ cell and dragged him out, with Bás leaning and falling heavily on him to make him think he was useless.

“Pathetic. One little beating and you’re good for nothing.”

He dragged his feet as Hansen held him up, a gun pointed at his head and pushed him in front.

“Bring those three, too. They can see what happens when you cross me.”

Bás almost smiled. Hansen was doing the work for them and he didn’t even know it. He had no clue what his team was planning but he knew them well enough to know it was something.

“Up there.”

Hansen pointed toward the cliffs and Bás pretended to fall on his knees. It took two of the men with them to drag him up as Hansen waved the gun at the other three.

The sound of gunfire reached his ears and he fought the urge to turn and look out to sea. He had a part to play here. He just didn’t know what it was yet.

Once near the top, Hansen motioned for them to stop. “Turn around.”

He stood beside Bás to his left, with the other three hostages on his right.

“You can watch as your team dies trying to save you. I wonder if pretty little Valentina is on board. Maybe I’ll have my men save her so I can have a nice, pretty plaything. Tell me, Bás, is her pussy as good as I imagined it to be? Would she make a good breeding mare for my cum?”

A growl slipped from his throat and Hansen laughed.

“I’m going to kill you, Hansen. Make no mistake about that.”

Hansen laughed and whirled around slowly, his arms wide as if making himself a larger target. “What’s stopping you, Bás?”

His fists clenched and his jaw ached from clamping it shut and grinding his teeth. His injuries were another thing altogether. Hansen was taunting him. He wanted under his skin so he’d strike out in anger, but Bás wasn’t a fool and wouldn’t let his temper rule his actions this time. Not with so much at stake and being so close to the end of this nightmare. Turning his gaze to the dark horizon, he blocked the menace in Hansen’s eyes out, concentrating on the boat. The people were tiny specks in the distance, the flashes of gunfire from the muzzles of the guns bright in the dark of the night. With his back to the cliffs, he couldn’t make out the rocks but chanced a glance behind him as Hansen revelled in what he thought was an ambush.

A slight movement on the rocks caught his eye and he blinked, trying to make it out but it was gone before he could define what it was. Facing front again, so as not to tip Hansen off to his intent, he mulled over what he saw until it dawned on him. It was a flipper from a diving suit. Either that or he had a head injury that was worse than he’d first thought, but he knew his body and what it could take, and he didn’t think that was the case.

Excitement and adrenalin flooded his body and everything that was hurting before was suddenly filled with renewed vigour and energy. Looked like Sutton was right and someone could make it on and off the island that way. Hansen’s arrogance might just end up costing him everything.

“I’m not seeing anything that impresses me so far, Hansen.”

Hansen moved closer to him, giving him a smirk. His overconfidence would be the end of him and Bás would relish every second. “Oh, you will. Keep watching. My men are the best.”