“It’s not helped by the fact you are over six and a half feet tall, brother. You’re the easiest damn target here.” Tiny laughed at Doc’s joke as he was patched up.
Liam ignored them and a burning pain in his right shoulder as he looked around the cave for Alejandro. The man’s white suit was easy to spot though now it was mostly covered in dirt. Liam walked up to him and saw Alejandro lying on his stomach. There were blood spots on his back. Shit. It looked like Alejandro had been hit by stray bullets. He obviously hadn’t thought this whole plan through. Liam turned him over, and almost missed the gun in one of Alejandro’s hands; Liam barely ducked out of the way in time before it fired. Liam easily disarmed him. Alejandro didn’t put up much of a fight. His breathing was labored and his skin pale. There were three bullet wounds in his chest. He was dying. Liam leaned down and grabbed Alejandro’s shirt and pulled him up. “Tell me where she is.”
Alejandro struggled to breathe. His mouth opened and closed several times, but no words ever came out.
“Tell me.” Liam shook him.
“Fuck you.” Alejandro rasped before taking his last breath.
“No,” Liam shouted.
“Sunshine, let him go,” Midas ordered behind him.
“She has to be here somewhere, and he knows.”
“He’s dead. He can’t tell you anything. Sunrise will be here shortly. We’ll have Commander Jones circle the area and see if he can spot her. If she’s not in the area she’s back at his base. We’ll find her. First, you need to have Doc look at that shoulder.”
Fuck his shoulder. If they waited any longer to find her then it would be too late Liam feared. Why would Alejandro lead them out to the island if she wasn’t here? It didn’t make any sense. She had to be here. Liam stormed out of the cave and looked out at the water. “Where are you, baby?”
~
Cora had managed to move up a foot or two on the rock and had been able to bend her head down to her hands and pull the tape off without trying to drown herself. She took a minute just taking deep breaths. It hurt like a bitch, but she could breathe a lot better now. After Alejandro made it back to the island, two more boats had arrived and hid at the back side of the island. They were lying in wait for Liam and his team. It was a trap. She had to warn him, but she didn’t know how. She didn’t even know if she would spot them in time to warn them. Cora kept struggling to rise on the rock, but the chain was held tight around her. The water was starting to rise now and went from the top of her breasts to her neck. She could see the early rays of sunrise peaking on the horizon. She was running out of time. Cora managed to gain a few inches up the rock, and as she placed her foot down it landed on algae, and her foot slipped dropping her back down. The water half submerged her face, and she managed to kick her legs back up. Her body was shivering now, and her feet could barely hold her up, but she refused to give up. Cora looked back at the island and had to squint when she saw a blob come out of the water followed by another until she saw seven all together. Liam. He had come for her. She didn’t know how but she didn’t care. Cora screamed his name and cringed in pain at the piercing pain in her ribs. No. She was so close. He was here. She had to tell him where she was. She had to warn him about the two boats hiding with men behind the island. She screamed his name repeatedly then suddenly the blobs disappeared.
“No, Liam.” She whispered. Cora forgot about her fight for freedom and watched the island for any signs of life. The two boats moved around from the back to the front, and she watched the men slip in. She had to get to him. Cora redoubled her efforts to be free and managed to gain an inch up the rock before it caught on something and refused to move anymore. Cora pulled and tugged with all her might, but it refused to move further up the rock. Cora laid her head back on the rock and took a moment to calm herself. That calm was broken when she heard screaming and gunfire.
“Liam,” she cried out. All to soon the gunfire ceased. She watched the island with anticipation. For a long while, nothing stirred. The team had to be okay. There had been a lot of men, but Liam’s team was better trained. They were fine. They had to be. A lone shadow stepped out of the tunnel. She didn’t know who it was. It could be one of Liam’s teammates or it could be one of Alejandro’s. Whoever it was it was worth the risk to call out to them. The water level was rising by the second now. She was out of time. “Liam,” she screamed at the top of her lungs repeatedly until she was hoarse.
~
Liam gripped his hair in frustration and pulled. Where the hell was she? She had to be here. He looked out over the horizon. Could it have been some elaborate trick and she was back at his base? The area the hostages used to be held, had been mostly destroyed when they had last been here, so he doubted she was there. She had to be here somewhere, but all there was was this island in the middle of nowhere. There wasn’t another place for her to hide. Liam hung his head in defeat knowing he had failed someone else important in his life. “Just give me a
