A Thousand Salt Kisses (Book 1 of Salt Kiss series)

><> Chapter Fifty <><

I was aware of whirring sound, and that was it. It grew louder and then quieter as I drifted in and out of consciousness.

Everything was black and I felt numb. My only sensory experience was the whirring.

This must have gone on for about an hour, until I gradually became aware of other things. A sharp stabbing pain in my back for instance, and a dull thudding in my head.

Slowly I heard other things too. Voices. Male voices.

I groaned. What's happening to me? I felt like I'd had some kind of terrible accident; I couldn't move a muscle.

"She's awake," said one of the voices. Am I in hospital? God, I hope so.

I wanted to shout out, but there was something in my mouth. Was it one of those tubes they stuck down your throat to help you breathe?

Never in my whole life had I felt so uncomfortable and disempowered. I was starting to seriously worry I'd been paralysed  when slowly I remembered the hand around my mouth on the jetty, and the poisonous vapour in my nostrils. I groaned again.

The sound of footsteps approached and I felt something touch the back of my head. I whimpered, terrified of what it might be. And then there was light.

I squinted as I struggled to adapt to the brightness. Slowly shapes began to form and I was able to make sense of my surroundings.

There were two figures looming above me. I blinked a few more times, and my vision became clearer and clearer. A pair of smart shiny shoes stood on the floor in front of me. They were brown and had little leather laces, tied up neatly and tightly.

"Lush ain't she?" said one man, in a thick Welsh accent. He squatted down to inspect me further. 

My eyes widened and I opened my mouth to scream as I recognized the face before me. No noise came. I was gagged.

Garraint Geake raised a hand to my face, and gently squeezed my cheek. It was a creepy feeling and I tried to scream again but I could not force it out.

"Yes, even if she does look a little dead," came the other voice. I strained my eyes to the left and could see a wider, besuited individual overhead.

"Dead hot you mean, Simon," laughed Geake. His finger still fondled my face and I wished more than ever that I wasn't gagged. I would bite it off and spit it in his face!  He was close enough that I could smell him. He reeked of cologne; a horrible overpowering type that would have given me a headache, had my poor head not already been pulsating.

I brought myself to examine his face, before quickly looking away again. I noticed his eyes were green, a similar shade to Llyr's only void of character and sincerity.  His upper lip boasted a thin mustache which up close and personal, looked as though it had been gelled into place.  Yuck. Like, literally who does that?

"Only child aren't you Crystal?" Geake said now, his finger trailed down my face and onto my neck. I twitched as I felt it around my collarbone, "You must be very, very precious to Mum and Dad." 

I strained my neck away from his touch and his smile broadened into a grin. He seemed to delight in tormenting me. "Take a photo of Precious, will you?" he said to his companion, removing his finger and standing up.

The other man came before me. He was short and overweight with a head of slicked back hair; another gel overkill. 

"Simon Sherman," he chirped, as though we were sitting down to a business meeting."Pleasure to meet you."

I recognized the name. It was the guy who Mum had overheard discussing the office fire with Mr Geake; the fire that they had started to kill the inspectors and their bosses.

I froze as Simon Sherman pulled out a phone from his suit pocket, and aimed it in my direction. The phone make a snappy sound as he took several photos.

I can't believe this is happening to me. 

He let out a sigh and then he too squatted so that he was on my level. "Which one do you prefer then, Sweetheart? Which one shall we send to Mum 'n' Dad?"

He thrust the phone before my eyes and I felt my guts tighten all the way through to the pit of my stomach. My breathing became quicker, more rapid, as he flicked through the images.

I was pale and red-eyed with a white piece of cloth tied round my mouth, but worse of all my legs and arms were bound to a huge metal something or other. My breathing became tighter yet as I focused on the barnacled curves of the something or other.  

I was strapped to an anchor; a really, really large anchor.

I felt the room sway back and forth and I suddenly realised where we were. Jesus Christ, how far out had they taken me? 

Simon Sherman sat on the floor and crossed his chunky legs. He began typing on his phone, reciting his words as he tapped them in.

"Your... girl... is.... safe... and... sound - just adding a little text to the picture Crytal," he said, before continuing, " Lets... hope... we... don't... have... to... anchor... the... boat... anytime... soon."

This time when I opened my mouth a muffled scream escaped. Would they really do it? Would they actually throw me overboard on this anchor?

Yes, probably. They've done worse, Crystal. 

"Maybe...we...won't... have... to... if... you... cooperate," Mr Sherman finished. "How's that?" he said turning to Geake. I felt tears stream down my cheeks, as I thought of my parents opening the text message.

"Yes, yes, fine send it," said Geake. "Oh Precious, let me get you a tissue."

"No signal," said Sherman with annoyance. "I'll have to take the bloody dingy and head towards land. Probably take a good hour"

A good hour? We must be way, way out at sea. I suddenly thought of Llyr. Surely he must have picked up that something was wrong by now...

"You can take that gag out of her mouth now the photoshoot is over," said Geake. "It's not like anyone will hear her out here, is it?"

Sherman nodded and he reached behind my head and fumbled with the knot. Whilst I hated  this creature being so near me, I was also desperate to get the thing off. My mouth was agony; it had been stretched backwards for hours now.

I gasped with relief as the gag was removed. It was an almost heavenly sensation to have my lips fall back into place again. I moved my jaw around, it was so freaking stiff.

"You know I have a boyfriend," I shouted out.

The two men looked at each other and simultaneously erupted into laughter.

"Well look, I'm happy for you 'n' all," smiled Geake."But he's not going to be much use out here, is he?"

They howled with laughter again and I choked back a sob. They were so pathetic but a little part of me believed them. I mean, maybe he's right. If Llyr was going to rescue me then surely he would be here by now. It must have been ages since I was captured.

"I'm afraid most fellows only want one thing, you know..." Sherman chided, standing up. 

I narrowed my eyes into a death-stare. Llyr wasn't a pig, unlike them.

"She's only young," said Geake. "She'll find out soon enough, well providing Mum and Dad do the clever thing, that is."

They cackled riotously, the veins in their necks were visible so intense was their mirth. 

God - such a  disgusting noise; like a pair of suited and booted man-witches. And their jokes aren't even funny,  they're  just purely getting off on torturing me. 

I stared at the floor helplessly, I really didn't know what to do...

Suddenly my sorrow was interrupted by a loud smashing.  I jumped and as I looked up I saw that the ceiling of the boat had been ripped off and I could see the sky.