A race was developing between the two boats along the rocky coastline. The cliffs and hills created dead spots of wind where the smaller boat caught up until it found itself becalmed and the larger boat headed past the hill and into a fresh gust of wind. They went in fits and starts until they were beyond the headland and out in open sea. Then the real race began. The brothers tightened up the sheets to pick up speed.
Continue reading“Kids,” Jonas whispered. “Kids…right sorry I am about this. I hadn’t any intention of you getting caught. Honest. Right sorry.”
The two children didn’t say anything – they still weren’t too sure whether they should trust him or not. They stared wordlessly back at him.
Continue readingAnthony and Lucas watched their sister walk up the path with trepidation. They suddenly felt like it was a really bad idea but neither of them had had a better one, so they had gone along with it. They followed at a discrete distance and watched from the wooded area just below the Captain’s house. They saw Frankie and Joe acting their socks off to be casual, but there was real fear in their eyes when they came out in the grasp of the two men. The men picked them up like sacks of flour and headed in the direction of where the brothers were hiding. They let them go past. Jonas was accompanied past them by his body guard. Anthony and Lucas could see that he was not there by choice. They let the group get ahead a little bit and then followed them slowly keeping them in sight.
Continue readingThey heard voices and footsteps coming up the path and hoped beyond hope that it was the Captain or one of Frankie’s brothers. They both peered their noses over the window ledge to check who it was and to their horror saw the men from the beach walking up to the Captain’s house, with Jonas! They both gasped in horror…
Continue readingAnthony and Lucas headed out as soon after breakfast as they were allowed and hurried down to the village. They were worried about their sister again – half of Anthony’s mind thought that she might have run off again. Then he had to remind himself that she hadn’t run off in the first place. She’d been abducted. He hastened his steps. “Hold on a second, Ant!” gasped Lucas, as they almost broke into a run. “Slow down, or we’ll miss her!”
“Sorry Luke. I’m worried! What happens if we’re too late?”
“Let’s think about this logically, Ant. Where would our Frank be most likely to be? She’s not likely to be in town. More likely fishing on the river or roaming the countryside, I should think.”
“OK then, let’s try the beach first.”
***
Frankie and Joe burst into the Captain’s kitchen, out of breath and hysterical. But there was nobody there! They weren’t aware that the Captain, his wife, and her two brothers were out searching for them. In their haste and youth, though they didn’t think to stay put and wait for somebody to come home. Fear drove them back out into the open.
“Where shall we go Frankie?”
“I don’t know, Joe. We have to find somewhere safe, where we can hide. If they know about me, this is the first place they’ll look. What about your Ma – is she home?”
“Probably not. She’ll be down the market.”
“Well let’s go there then, so we can think for a moment. At least your house is on the path, so we can see if anyone comes home.”
They ran down to Joe’s cottage and let themselves in. They both sank back against the closed door and got their breath back.
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5
Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10
Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15
Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20
Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24