Deep Water by Mark Ayre (best big ereader TXT) 📕

"I don't understand."

"You don't need to."

"Abbie, I'm scared. They'll get through. They're going to come for me and—"

Abbie kissed him. "Tony, remember the lightning bolt... if you thought that was good, then just stay calm, and stay alive, because if you do that, I’ll give you the storm. Okay?"

His eyes remained wide, but fear was becoming wonder.

"Okay?" Abbie repeated.

He nodded. Said nothing. That was better. Abbie considered giving him the gun but didn't think it would help. He'd either go mad and start shooting it everywhere, probably killing Abbie before anyone else, or he'd fail to use it at all and Blondie and Baldie, seeing it as a threat, would make its existence a reason to kill him. No, the gun couldn't help him, nor did Abbie want Baldie and Blondie finding it on her if they took her down.

Turning, Abbie dropped to the ground, picked up the coffee cup, and removed the lid. Masking her actions from Tony, she shoved the gun inside and forced the cover on top, then she placed the cup back on the floor by the opposite wall of the cave where she hoped it looked inconspicuous or at least uninteresting.

"What was that?" Tony asked as Abbie stood, and she forestalled his question by placing a palm on his chest.

"Stay where you are. Remember to shout your name," she said. "Think of the thunderstorm, and try not to die."

He wanted to speak. Before he could, Abbie removed her hand from his chest, turned towards the sea, and went to face the enemy.

Sixteen

The sea washed against the shore. A light breeze rushed across the sand, disturbing but moving very little of the tightly packed grains. Somewhere nearby, their movements masked by the sounds of nature, Blondie and Baldie approached with determination in their eyes and cruel intentions in their hearts.

Behind Abbie, Tony was somehow keeping quiet. Their assailants would approach from the right because approaching from the left would mean crossing the cave's entrance. Keeping her back as close to the rock wall on that side as possible, Abbie made her way to within inches of the cave entrance. On and on droned the sea and the wind. Abbie had no weapons and only one chance to get this right. Failing to hear their approach could be fatal.

For what felt like an hour, but must have been no more than thirty seconds, Abbie remained at the entrance, eyes closed, controlled breathing, listening to the ocean like it was on tape, and she was trying to get to sleep. It was a relaxing noise, which was infuriating. Abbie became sure she would not hear the enemy approach.

Then, from nothing, the crunch of a boot in hard sand. Something else, was that a whisper? Then another boot.

Once she'd identified the boots in the sand, Abbie heard them consistently as Blondie and Baldie crept towards the cave entrance. It was still difficult to judge how far away they were and therefore judge when she would need to strike. She hoped they would do something else to reveal their location before they spun into the cave.

The footsteps stopped. Over the wind, Abbie heard a rustling and knew hands were going into jackets. The plan was not to assault Abbie and Tony with bare fists alone. Baseball bats would not fit in their coats. The men were probably withdrawing knives. Knuckledusters or guns were also possible, though the latter was the least likely.

Be ready for anything. Always.

A final whisper. A command.

If Abbie and Tony had sold their little act, Baldie and Blondie would believe the duo were towards the back of the cave, hands all over each other, possibly partially undressed. If so, they would risk a peek into the crevice before charging in, hoping to pinpoint their targets' exact locations before striking. Tense but ready, Abbie twisted a little, waiting for a head to appear. If she had to guess which, she'd go with Blondie. Baldie seemed to be in charge and, Abbie reckoned, the kind to lead from the back.

Five long, tense seconds passed, during which time Abbie tried to ignore the creeping fear that Tony would grow too agitated and would rush forward from the back of the cave to join her.

Tony didn't.

At the end of the five seconds, Blondie's head appeared.

Abbie didn't hesitate. Her first swung like lightning, smashed his mouth, shook his jaw, sent him reeling.

Before he could go too far, Abbie leapt forward, grabbed the back of his head, and smashed his face into the rock.

A couple of teeth flew loose as blood exploded from his nose. Something dropped to the floor.

Releasing Blondie's head, Abbie raised a foot and smashed a boot into his chest, sending him tumbling into the sand.

Having witnessed blood explode from his colleague's face, shock had taken Baldie. Shaking it off, he dived forward, appearing in the mouth of the cave with his knife raised.

By the time he appeared, Abbie was already dropping, having thrown herself to the ground.

The move surprised Baldie. For a second, he didn't get it. Then he looked to his foot and saw the glint of Blondie's lost blade.

His eyes widened. He moved his foot, hoping to trap the blade and kick it away.

Too late. Abbie's foot was on the knife a second after Baldie noticed it, dragging the weapon towards her outstretched hand.

Baldie had to act. His best shot at victory was diving to the ground, putting himself on top of Abbie and aiming to rip her torso to shreds with his blade. Too afraid Abbie would lift her knife and skewer him as he dropped, he instead sent in a vicious kick.

Abbie could have scampered backwards and avoided the worst of the blow, but only if she sacrificed her chance to get Blondie's blade, while to roll away from the strike was to risk impaling herself.

She grabbed the knife hilt.

Took the kick.

Baldie's foot, clad in a steel-toed boot, smashed Abbie's behind. With a scream, she