A Search for Paradise (On Hold)

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The rope tied tightly around my wrist cut into them as I struggled to get free.

“Stop moving,” an angry voice ordered. “It’ll only make the rope tighter.”

I froze, not wanting to sabotage any slack in the rope I had to get free.

The man who had tied me up lifted me over his shoulder and threw me into the aquaplane. Jayce and Tristan were thrown in after me. They both wriggled towards me and smiled weakly, but I ignored them. I craned my head in search of Mae.

“They left, Sara,” Tristan reasoned. “You saw the aquaplane leap into the air. Mae isn’t here, but hopefully they will take us where they took her.”

I dropped my head and the waterworks switched on.

“There, there, Sara,” Jayce soothed awkwardly, trying unsuccessfully to pat my shoulder with his tied up hands. Tristan moved closer to me and I laid my head on his shoulder.

“What are we going to do?” I moaned quietly. Jayce just shrugged and Tristan sighed.

“We just have to stay positive and hope for the best,” he responded, but his voice sounded defeated.

A couple of the men, led by David hopped onto the aquaplane and sat at the front. David smiled at us apologetically.

One of the unknown men nodded at the other and they both grabbed David and tied his hands up.

“Guys? What the hell?” David squirmed. “Oh right, I get it. Very funny, guys. Nice joke!”

“We’re not joking David,” one of the men said uncomfortably. “Somebody called boss and told them that you told people on Anya that you came from here, and he said to capture you and… well do what we’re gonna do to the other captives.”

“You can’t be serious!” David exclaimed. “I stuffed up, sure, but it was a mistake. People make mistakes!”

“You know the rules,” said the other man who seemed a lot stricter than the other. “Just imagine, if the captives just happened to be older natives and recognised you, we all would have been in deep trouble. And all because of a mistake, a slip of the tongue, whatever you want to call it.”

My heart went out to David as I saw his whole life that he set up for himself slip out from under him. Just because of an honest mistake.

The aquaplane roared from beneath us and I squeezed my eyes shut. I had no idea what to expect when the aquaplane leapt into the air. My stomach felt like it jumped into my mouth and the unusual feeling of being in the air made me feel faint.

“You okay, Sara?” David asked. I was surprised it was him asking and not Tristan and Jayce, but when I looked over at them, they looked just as sick as I felt. I nodded in answer to David’s question, not trusting my voice not to wobble.

The aquaplane continued through the air and I lost track of time. The scariness of the whole thing made the time feel longer.

“Its time,” one of the two men said. He stood up and the other took control of the plane. The man tied Tristan and I together and added a large piece of material. He then tied David and Jayce together and did the same. The unlatched the door and the wind slapped my face and smacked my face.

“You know what to do, David.” David and Jayce got pushed out of the door and Tristan and I screamed.

“You killed them!” I cried. “Jayce! Jayce!”

“It’s okay, girlie, you’re next,” he flashed a cruel smile and me and pushed Tristan and I out next.

The fall was… frightening wasn’t a strong enough word to describe the absolute terror I felt falling through the air. I felt my hair flying and the wind attacking my face like an angry animal.

“Trist!” I screamed. Somehow the wind had torn off the rope on my wrists, so I grabbed Tristan’s hand tightly.

I heard David’s voice from below us. “Pull the tab!” he shouted at the top of his voice. I looked on my shoulder and there was a yellow tab. I tugged on it as hard as I could and the material was released. It caught the wind and slowed down our fall.

I looked down at the ground and Jayce and David had already landed on the ground and were jumping up and down, waving at us to let us know where they were. Tristan and I held tight until we landed on the soft sand.