Page 21 of Guarded By the SEAL

“Benji, I’m just asking for some extra research or surveillance or something. I don’t know what, exactly, but I need you to believe me that something isn’t right here. It just isn’t.”

“Alright,” he finally replies after what I consider a little too long. It doesn’t flood me with confidence, I will admit that. “I’ll speak to Max and see what I can do for you. But only because if you tell me that this is because of your gut, then I will trust you. I know that’s helped us out before.”

“Thank you.” Finally, I can let go of all the tense air and breathe with relief. “Thank you, Benji.”

“I’ll give you a call as soon as I know anything. Until then, just keep yourself safe, okay?”

“I will.” I just about manage a smile now. Finally, I have someone on my side. Whatever is going on, Petra and I are goingto be alright, and that really is the main thing. “Thanks, Benji. Speak soon.”

Once he’s gone, it’s time for me to get my ass back to the island. I bet Petra is going nuts without me. Actually, I kinda like the idea of her going nuts without me. It makes me wonder what will happen next…

“Petra?” I kind of expected her to come running out to greet me, but she hasn’t. I guess she’s taking her locking inside seriously, which is good because any sound could be linked to the stranger. “Petra, I’m back.”

I wander through the house yelling her name louder each time, but I get no reply. I start to think that maybe she’s sleeping upstairs, so I wander into her room, expecting her to be snuggled up cutely under the sheets. She has been sleeping, that much is instantly obvious, because the bed is mussed up and she doesn’t ever leave it that way, but she isn’t in there now. The bed is warm, but empty. It wasn’t long ago that Petra got out of bed, but since I can’t see her, she must have gone far…

“Petra?” Fuck, I’m really trying not to freak out, but this is a bit weird. “Petra, where are you?”

My heart is pounding like crazy. I can barely breathe. It’s making me feel sick. The paranoia that has been gripping me all day long intensifies. I can’t help but go to the darkest place immediately, thinking that the worst has happened. That while I’ve been gone, the visitor the hat belongs to has returned and now I don’t know where she is. Max will fucking kill me if something has happenedto Petra. I’m not supposed to leave if there are other options, and I could have gotten someone else to bring food.

He will know as well. He’ll understand that I went on a hunt for the danger he told me wasn’t around. Not only is Petra in a whole heap of trouble, but I am as well. All because I couldn’t let the hat go.

“Petra, where are you?” I cry out as I burst outside. I don’t want to get too freaked out because she could have gotten bored and gone for a walk or something. I can’t panic yet. “Petra, are you here?”

I run around the island. I have to check absolutely everywhere to be one hundred percent sure, but with every passing second, I become increasingly panicked. This is not right. Petra wouldn’t leave me this long without answering me. If she’s here, I’m sure that she would have heard me by now.

This isn’t right. She’s gone. Something has happened to her and it’s my own fault. Because of my paranoia, even if it was right, I left her behind, and now she’s been taken. What the fuck am I going to do now? I need to get the hell out of here, that’s for sure, and I need to call Max and Benji as well. Things have gone to shit and I need them onsite. Even if it lands me in the shit, which it might do.

17

PETRA

Urgh, my head. I don’t open my eyes. Instead, I let my hand fly up to my aching skull. It’s pounding, shattering, painful. This is worse than the hangover. It feels different, worse in every way. But I don’t know what the hell could have caused it. I can’t really remember anything, which is worrying.

“What did I do?” I mutter to myself. “Harry went to the mainland, and I… I went to sleep.”

I pop my eyes open, expecting to see the bedroom swimming around me, but it isn’t that. The room is wooden and strange, definitely unfamiliar to me. It takes me a couple of moments to let the panic settle in. Because of the pain ricocheting through my head, I’m foggy and struggling to understand what’s going on.

“Ah, you’re awake. Good.” The growling voice makes me bolt upright into a sitting position. It’s only then I notice my legs are tied up and attached to a giant pole. I can’t move anywhere. “I’m glad. I was starting to think that you were dead, which would have been a bit of a bitch after everything I’ve gone through.”

Who is that?I think in a bit of a state. I recognize him… sort of. There is something vaguely familiar about him, but I can’t place him. I certainly don’t know him well enough to be here with him.

“It’s been a massive bitch to get to you, but I have you now. I’m going to get paid. And I fucking deserve to get paid as well. I do not need to be in the middle of this shit, I can tell you that much.”

“What… what happened?” I stammer out, my panic shining free. I can’t keep it inside, even if I think I probably should try. This is hell, and I don’t even know how I ended up here. “What is going on?”

The man glares at me. He narrows his eyes so tightly that his bushy eyebrows block his vision. He’s older, but a man who I can only assume is attached to Jake somehow. That must be how I sort of know him. He doesn’t so much look evil, just very unpleasant. Like he could easily be swayed into anything.

But I don’t know if I’ll be able to change his mind from this… whatever this is.

“Can you please… please, just let me go?” I beg weakly. “Please? I haven’t done anything wrong. I don’t deserve whatever Jake has planned for me. I want to be free. Please… please, let me go.”

For a split second, his face seems to crack a little and I grab onto the tiny bit of hope that I might get out here safely. But of course, the man has something to work for and it isn’t my freedom.

“You don’t know what you’re asking for, Lady.” He shakes his head hard. “I can’t let you go anywhere.”

Fuck, I need to escape. I don’t know how I’m going to get out of here, but I need to escape. If I don’t, then I’m doomed to the fateI ran away from. Jake will get ahold of me and sell me off or kill me. I might not be worth the money anymore. It might be better for him to take me off and shoot me.

I lean forward and try to loosen up the ties on my legs because I need at least that much to be able to get out. I know the man might be looking at me, but I don’t give a shit. I have to get out. Yet, instead of him yelling at me, he tosses his head back and laughs loudly, nastily, like I’m an idiot.

---