Dangerous Tides

  "Liiiiibbeee." Icy fingers of fear went down her spine. The hair on the back of her neck stood up. Her heart thundered in her ears so loud she wasn't certain she heard that low whisper.

  "Liiiiibbeee." Her name was drawn out a second time, a long eerie undertone floating on the breeze along with that scent. Libby pressed one hand against her mouth, afraid a sound might escape as she tried to reach into her memory to identify when she'd smelled that particular cologne.

  Her mind seemed numb, sluggish with mounting terror. Terror kept her paralyzed, holding her in one spot while she fought to think. Maybe she just didn't want to know. Maybe the knowledge was too terrible and she couldn't face it. The thought crept in unbidden as the light wind touched her face. Because she knew exactly who crept through the tunnel stalking her. She had probably known all along but just couldn't face the truth.

  "Tyson." She whispered his name, aching for him as the realization swept over her. For a moment heartbreak for him sent anger coursing through her. Just the knowledge alone would kill Tyson.

  Her anger gave her courage. "Sam. I know you're there."

  There was a heartbeat of silence. The disembodied voice came out of the darkness. "You just couldn't leave him alone."

  Libby turned toward the cave, shielding the light as she swept the interior. She had no idea if Sam was behind her or in front of her. If she were lucky, she might find a place to hide. Once she knew his location, she could get past him and go for help. Tyson would be gone already, working his way through a burning house to try to save the very man who had worked so hard to kill him.

  She spotted a crevice toward the left side of the cave. She was small and might fit. Libby skirted around an opening in the cave floor that, when she flashed the light, dropped straight down fifteen feet to a rocky surface. She clicked off the light and slid into the crevice, her heart pounding, her throat raw with fear.

  "Libby. Oh, Libby. Don't you want to play with me? I saw how you liked to play with Ty."

  His voice was chilling. Sam sounded as if he were enjoying the cat and mouse game, wanting to heighten her fear-- and it was working. Had he sounded closer? She heard the drip of water. Was that his breathing? Libby closed her eyes, but that terrified her more and she snapped them open, her gaze darting around the small chamber. It was so dark. Too dark. Wrapping her fingers around the small flashlight, her only weapon should Sam find her, she held it in close to her body, concealed in her fist.

  "I took a lot of pictures of you, Libby." The voice floated to her out of the cold and dark. "Standing there up against the glass, whoring yourself out for money."

  Libby pressed her hand over her mouth to keep a sob from escaping. His voice was turning creepy. Evil. Hate spewed out of him, coloring his tone as he taunted her.

  "You're such a little slut. I'll bet it turns you on knowing I was watching. You must have been pretty good for him to want to marry you. I never would have guessed."

  His voice definitely sounded closer. There was a slight echo in the chamber. Did that mean he was standing near the entrance? Had he come from behind her, or ahead of her? She couldn't freeze up. She had to think, not panic. She wanted to scream for Tyson. For her sisters. She wanted Sam to go away. She couldn't answer him. She had to keep silent or it would give away her position.

  Without warning a picture sprang to vivid life in her mind. Tyson battled his way through a burning house, flames all around him, above and below, streaking up the walls and running across the ceiling. The images were so dramatic that she knew she was sharing her mind with Elle. She clung to her sister, holding the connection tightly, terrified for Tyson, frightened for herself.

  A light suddenly bounced through the chamber, swept past the crevice and continued in a circle. Libby shrank back as far as she could, choking back an audible gasp, unable to take her petrified gaze from Sam. She couldn't make out any features as he stood behind the light, but he seemed taller. Broader. Stronger. More a monster than a human being.

  To her horror, the light swept in a second circle, went beyond her hiding place, hesitated, and slowly traveled back, to spotlight her. "There you are. I knew you couldn't have gone far." The voice sounded smug this time. Much more like Sam.

  Libby struggled out of the crevice, standing upright to face him, chin up, eyes steady. Her hands shook, but she had the presence of mind to keep the small flashlight hidden, tucked safely in her fist against her leg. She was afraid to speak, knowing her voice would wobble, and she wanted to appear fearless.

  He snickered. "You look like a deer caught in the headlights. Your eyes take up half your face you're so scared. How the hell could Ty ever fall for a little mousy thing like you?"

  So much for looking fearless. Libby remained silent, trying to figure out how she could get around him to get back into the tunnel.

  "I suppose Ty, ever the hero, is upstairs trying to save me." Sam sighed. "I tried to warn him. I tried to keep him safe. Burning is a hell of a way for him to die."

  Her heart contracted painfully. Abruptly Sam switched off the light, leaving her in total darkness. She heard a whisper of movement and her sister's alarm echoing through her mind. Libby sprang forward, determined to get past Sam. She was small, she could be the little mouse he thought her and squeak by.

  Sam caught her hair, yanked her backward. She stumbled, crying out at the pain. He transferred his hold to her wrist, dragging her to him. Libby slammed the bottom of the flashlight as hard as she could on the back of his hand, turned her wrist and drove the metal into his cheekbone. He let go of her, cursing, swinging his fists at her as he stumbled away from her. One punch caught her in the chest, knocking her back. It wasn't a hard blow--just enough to make her lose her balance, forcing her to take a couple of steps back. She hit air.

  Frantically she threw out both arms, trying to find something to save her. She fell straight down through the hole in the floor of the cavern, to the rocky surface below. She hit hard, heard the crack of her bone as her leg snapped in two. The pain drove the breath from her body and tore a scream from her throat.

  Mocking laughter floated down from above her and the sound steadied her. She drew in deep gulps of fresh ocean air. Looking around her, she could see that there was an opening cut into the cliff face by the continual assault of the water. It was only a few feet away, yet it might as well have been a mile. Her leg was bent at an awkward angle and she could see the bone jutting up through her skin. Her skin was clammy and she recognized signs of shock.

  "Hurt yourself, did you?" Sam taunted. "Where's your hero now? Where are your sisters with all their magic? You're all alone. Mine to kill whenever I want."

  Libby fought to stay conscious, to keep her mind clear. Sam was definitely a sociopath. She had been in his way all along and by refusing to give up Tyson, she had sealed her fate. Poor Ty. He had never realized how good old affable Sam, so charming and caring, turned into something altogether different when he was thwarted.

  She reached out with her left hand, found a raised portion of rock and gripped it, gritting her teeth hard and dragging herself forward by inches. The edges of her tibula ground together. Sweat beaded on her body and for a moment, white spots danced in front of her eyes. She breathed deeply to keep from fainting.

  She heard Sam moving above her, a strange brushing she couldn't quite identify. She turned her face up toward the hole, struggling to listen--to see. He was definitely up to something. Small rocks rained down on her, pelting her on the head and shoulders. She covered up with her arms, the movement jarring her. She had to move before he found anything bigger to dump on her.

  She searched for another hand hold and finding none, she forced herself to drag her body closer to the wide opening on the cliff face. Tears streamed down her face and twice she threw up. If it had been a regular break instead of a compound fracture, she could have easily begun the healing process, but she had to press the bone back together and she knew the pain would be excruciating. She couldn't do that and risk pas
sing out until she was safe from Sam.

  The light shone down. "I see blood, Libby. Did you cut yourself? Are you slowly bleeding to death?"

  Libby rested her head on a jutting rock, dragging air into her lungs, trying to breathe away the pain. "I'll bet you tortured little animals for your own enjoyment."

  "I'd never do that. Not unless they were stupid enough to get in my way."

  Libby pulled herself closer to the opening, away from the pool of light spilling down. She took the journey an inch at a time until she reached the very edge of the cliff. About six feet below her was the sea, waves crashing against the rock, spraying water, salt and foam into the small cavern. The walls were sheer in both directions. She was truly trapped with the water rising quickly.

  She rested, deliberately tuning out the scraping sounds she heard coming from above her. Drawing a ragged breath, she faced the water and raised her hands to the skies, calling for the wind. She was shocked at the strength of the response. Her sisters were waiting, all of them; she felt the connection leaping from sister to sister.

  A large rock crashed down from above. Sam flashed the beam of light around, trying to catch sight of her, but she was out of the reach of the illumination. She watched in horror as he dropped a rope through the opening.

  The wind returned to her, howling with anger, shrieking as it raced through the cavern. Fog and mist poured into the small confines, quickly filling it, surrounding Libby, brushing her face and body with small droplets of water. Feminine voices rose on the wind, calling out, weaving a spell of magic in the mist. Strength and resolve flowed into her. She took a deep breath, clung for one moment to the mind bond she had with Elle, and then put both hands over the jagged bone protruding through her skin, applying pressure and manipulating it back in place.

  She thought she screamed. She heard screaming, but it came from a distance and she couldn't identify the voice as her own or one of her sisters. She vomited again, reduced to the dry heaves as she sobbed and sweat drenched her body. Once she almost passed out, only to be prodded awake by the relentless wind.

  A wave crashed against the cliff sending icy water into the cavern. She gasped as it drenched her. She'd forgotten. The earth, sun and the moon were in a line. It was a full moon and the tide would be extremely high. She had to hurry. Once again she lifted her arms toward the opening, sending the wind back to her sisters, conveying the urgency of her situation.

  The wind returned, stronger than ever. The mist and fog increased, rising to curl around the rope and rush upwards to the chamber above her. Sam cursed loudly as visibility plunged to zero. Libby tuned him out, focused completely on her own body and opened the well of healing energy deep inside of her.

  Peering down, Sam saw a glow in the mist below him, but couldn't make out anything in the thick fog. He didn't have time to play with his prey much longer. He was going to have to go back and face the mess. Damn her to hell. Ty would be dead.

  He swore again and took a hold of the rope. He was going to strangle the bitch and toss her body into the sea. She deserved it, too, for making him do this. It was her fault. Ty started talking bullshit, messing everything up and forcing Sam to take action. She'd used sex to get Ty's money, to weasel her way into his life. Tyson had been so obsessed with her, coming home this time, telling Sam his big plan-- how he was going to court and marry Libby Drake.

  After the initial rigging of Ty's harness had been unsuccessful, Sam realized it was Libby he needed to get rid of. He could keep Ty alive if the idiot would just stay out of the way and let things happen naturally. Sam had tried to be nice about it, but no, Libby just wouldn't go away.

  Hand over hand, he went down the rope, the mist in his eyes nearly blinding him. It didn't feel right, almost as if the vapor was alive and something moved in the minute droplets of water. Had fingers brushed his skin? He slapped the air around him. He heard voices whispering. Whispering. The bitch was trying to trick him. That was all.

  His feet touched the rocky surface. He heard her breathing, over by the opening. Good. It was less distance for him to have to drag her skinny body and throw it in the ocean for shark bait. He wished he hadn't thrown his gun away, but after shooting Jonas Harrington, he didn't dare keep it. It was at the bottom of the sea along with the safety harness. He should have thought to bring a knife, but the truth was, he wanted to feel his hands crushing her throat, feel her gasping her last breath and look into her eyes. She'd caused him to kill his own cousin. Damn, he might not ever get over that.

  Another wave crashed through the chamber, the sound, a deadly roar. Icy water saturated his clothing, penetrating all the way to his skin. He shivered, gripping the rope. The mist and fog were woven so tight it was hard to breathe in the small cave. He coughed several times, trying to clear his throat. Sam found he was reluctant to let go of the rope even as the water receded from around his ankles, washing back into the sea.

  "Hi, Sam." Libby greeted him softly.

  The wind carried the greeting like a melody, whirling it around the small space. It seemed to echo so that he heard his name over and over. Sam shook his head. He thought she was over by the entrance to the water, but now he didn't know. He felt surrounded, as if many pairs of eyes were watching him. Anger began to rise and that wasn't good. He liked to be in total control.

  Everyone, even his mother, thought Tyson was the smart one, the genius in the family, but Sam knew better. Tyson needed him. Ty couldn't take care of himself and he was easily manipulated. Sam had been managing him for years.

  Sam took a step toward the hole in the cliff face and stopped. There she was, just to the left of him. He spun around, hands up, expecting an attack. The wind blew through the cave and a woman laughed softly from directly behind him. He whirled around, his anger mounting. The thick mist bit at his skin, small stings that began to burn from the salt in the water.

  The wind began to move at a ferocious speed, tugging his clothes, pulling at his hair, driving him towards the cliff face. He wondered why the fog was so thick and didn't move. If anything, it drifted against the wind. Swearing, he reached for the rope. Libby could drown for all he cared. He was going to leave her there to die. If by some miracle she survived, well, she was trapped and he could come back and finish her off at his leisure.

  He couldn't find the rope. He stumbled around, fighting down panic, his arms spread wide, hoping to walk into it. The chamber was not that large. There was no rope and no Libby.

  Although noises seemed muffled in the fog, when he stood very still, he could sort through the various sounds. The ocean was building up its fury, the waves crashing hard, each one higher than the last. He heard soft, ragged breathing. Feminine voices. A siren's call to lure him to his doom.

  Sam remained still. There was something else. Footsteps above them, heavy, running. A voice calling out.

  Libby heard it, too. She had to warn him. Tyson had survived the burning house and he was looking for her. She broke away from the far side of the wall and ran for the middle of the chamber, uncaring that she put herself in danger. She would not let Sam kill Tyson. "Stay away, Ty! Stay out of here."

  Sam tackled her from behind, using her voice to guide him through the stinging mist. He covered her mouth with his hand, pressing hard, holding her down. "Down here, Ty. Libby fell and I can't get her out. She's hurt and the tide is rising fast."

  Libby bit his hand hard, but he held on grimly, refusing to let her warn Tyson. Sam managed to get to his knees, his hand clamped tightly on her mouth, the other pressed around her waist. She drove her elbow into his solar plexus, tried to snap a fist into his groin, but he twisted and the blow fell on his thigh.

  He began to walk backward on his knees, taking her with him, dragging her through the swirling mist toward the elongated hole in the cliff. The roar of the water hit them hard, this time knee deep, slamming through the cave, reverberating throughout loudly enough to hurt their ears. Because they were so low to the ground, the force drove them both over, fac
edown, the water rushing over their heads and rolling them over.

  Sam never once let go, his fingers digging hard into her face. He tried to let the water carry them closer to the entrance as it retreated, leaving them both shivering with cold. Libby grabbed at anything she could to slow Sam down, kicking and fighting every step. He knew the direction now, knew exactly where he could hurtle her into the roiling sea in spite of the thick fog.

  "Libby?"

  She renewed her efforts to fight. Tyson was close. Too close. She was certain he had found the rope. She made as much noise as she could, struggling against Sam's strength. He lifted her right off the ground so that her feet dangled in the air. She kicked out toward the wall of rock, driving them over backward so that Sam fell, still clutching her to him.

  The hand came out of the mist. Fingers closed on Libby's arm and jerked hard. "Let her go, you son of a bitch. What the hell do you think you're doing?" Tyson's face emerged, skin streaked black, clothes covered in soot and smelling of smoke.

  "I'm trying to save her life," Sam snapped, shoving Libby so hard she slammed into Tyson, knocking him off balance so that he staggered backward.

  Tyson clamped his hands around Libby's waist and took her with him, thrusting her directly behind his larger body the moment he was stable. "I realized a couple of things when I was running through the house to get to you, Sam. Libby and I talked about being in the house I bought a couple of days ago right in front of you and you didn't say a word. You knew about the house before I told you." His voice almost broke.

  Tyson still didn't want to believe the truth, not even now, when it was staring him in the face. He looked at his cousin. Sam. The one person in his life who had truly loved him. Truly cared. The one person he had grown up counting on-- and yes, loving back. It wasn't just his heart hurting. Everything hurt. His throat felt raw and tears burned behind his eyes. A part of him wanted to smash everything around him, and another part wanted to cry forever. "But more importantly, I found methoxyethanol in the lab. It's a solvent, but not one I've ever used. I didn't buy it, Sam. And it smells like chloroform and also garlic, both of which I smelled in the helicopter before I went out on the rope. It would take about half an hour to eat through the fabric of the harness once you dumped it on there."