Chapter Thirteen
Suddenly, there was the sound of a crash and wood splintering as they saw a small truck impact with tremendous force against the wooden barrier on the far cliff. It had apparently been going so fast that it kept moving in the air and slowly arcing down past the tide pools and into the deeper ocean water. Katherine gasped as Charles jumped up, grabbed her hand and started to run toward the area of the accident as some others who had viewed the demolition were also heading toward the disaster scene.
"We've got to try to get whoever that was out before the truck sinks." Charles didn't give her a chance to speak as he pulled her along.
Two young boys were dashing up the triple flight of stairs from the beach toward them crying out,” He went right over us. He could have killed us. Help him." Both boys appeared to be under twelve and highly upset at the thought that this vehicle had soared right over their heads and not that far away, while they were playing in the tide pools.
"Go to that house and call 911," Charles ordered them. They were just about to the stairs themselves. "Stay here," he commanded letting go of her hand and sprinting down the steps, along with three other men at various levels of the stairs.
Further out, the truck was bouncing about in the surf while two kayakers were attempting to get close enough to give some help. In the distance, Kathy could hear the wail of the sirens coming toward them. Apparently, the fire department was close to the area. Why would someone be driving so fast toward the cliffs? Certainly the person could see them. Several people were rushing out of the homes facing the shoreline. Most of the men were responding to the obvious need of help getting the person or persons out of the truck. In moments two rescue groups were running down the stairs to the beach, their feet fairly flying in spite of the equipment in their hands. The resplendent sunset appeared to create a lie of peaceful calm as the men on the beach tried desperately to rescue whoever might be in that vehicle losing their battle with life.
Katherine stood at the railing along with other local women watching the rescue in fear, fear for the safety of the rescuers and a sympathetic fear for the people in the truck. For some unknown reason, the truck was still afloat. Perhaps it was caught on one of the rocks that were out there. Some of the men were in small boats along with the kayakers surrounding the truck and attempting to get the people out. High waves kept bouncing the boats about hindering the rescue. If the truck would just keep from sinking into the depths. Kathy closed her eyes and prayed silently. It seemed as if hours had passed.
Suddenly, there were several shouts from the onlookers. All the boats were moving away quickly toward the shore. Surely they wouldn't have left the scene if they hadn't completed their rescue, unless the truck was going under. In the distance, the truck was rising and falling with the harsh waves battering it inward. As the boats approached the sandy beach, Katherine could see that there was what appeared to be one man lying prone in the first boat. Once on shore, the other men lifted him to a waiting stretcher, strapped him in and proceeded to carry him carefully up the flights of stairs. Somehow, some one had gotten a few ropes attached to the truck and the majority of the men were trying to maneuver the truck in closer to the beach. Katherine looked about trying to see a place where they might be able to get it up to the street level, but none was visible. Cliffs that reached out far into the ocean blocked a beach route and there were no roads that led there. They must have decided to bring it up the side of a cliff by use of the tow trucks that were standing by. Large bright lights were being set up to illuminate the crash site.
As the men carried the young man on the stretcher to the waiting ambulance, everyone was shocked to hear him speak. The words were unintelligible, but he was amazingly alive.
"Going to get the truck out?" one of the other spectators asked the fireman.
"Yeh, it will take a while. We can't seem to get the lines under the truck. It keeps rising and falling with the waves and we can't get the lines in a secure place. But we'll manage. We always do."
"Always?" Kathy questioned one of the locals.
"Oh, yes, something like this has happened about once every few years since I've been here and that's been 'bout ten years now."
Crunching sounds of the truck crashing against the rocks, reached their ears. Katherine winced. If another person or persons had still been in the vehicle, no, the thought of what would be happening was too horrible. What had caused the truck to fly off the cliff like that? The exquisite colors of the sunset were rapidly being replaced by the darkness of evening. Kathy leaned over the railing hoping to see Charles. He should be coming up the stairway soon unless he had elected to help the men with the dangerous task of securing that truck.
A figure came up beside her casually asking, "What happened there?"
Kathy was turning about to tell him when she felt a sharp jab of something hard against her ribs. The voice told her to walk away from the railing. "Just come with me. Don't say a word and you won't be hurt." Another man joined the first pulling her arm. Everyone else was so absorbed with the accident that none noticed the two men forcing the woman back toward the gazebo.
Kathy wasn't sure what was happening, but dreaded asking as she was sure it was a gun so close to her heart. Left with no viable choice, she allowed them to lead her to her own easel. The first young man picked up one of the brushes left on the easel and wrote on the canvas destroying her work. "Note on car" it said.
"Do you think this will do it?" the young man with long blonde hair asked of the darker shorthaired man.
"What have we got to lose? If we don't get that stuff, it's our heads."
"Would you please tell me what is going on?" Kathy finally dared to question the fair-haired young man.
"Look, lady, your boyfriend has something we want back. If we have to kill you to get it, we will. It’s you or us. You had best pray that he will agree to return what is ours and we will let you go."
"I don't understand."
"It's simple. He took something that is ours. We want it. We've been following you for just the right time. This is it. As soon as he gives us our stuff back, you'll be free and we'll be long gone."
With all the books she had read and television she had watched, Kathy was sure that these young men wouldn't be able to keep their word. What had they said about never being led away from the scene? But she had no choice, not with the gun so close. Once they got what they wanted, they wouldn't need her, especially as a witness and they were doing nothing to prevent her from seeing their faces. What would Charles do and what did he have of theirs? Her only hope was to cooperate for now and watch for a chance to escape.
"No more questions." the dark haired youth spoke as he shoved her toward a van so filthy it was hard to distinguish the color parked in front of her "blue princess". "Bobby," he spoke to the other one, "you put that note where he can see it. Tell him to have our stuff ready and we'll call him where to meet us or else where he can pick up her body. That ought to get him, for sure."
"Yeh, how about we ask for some money too while we're at it?"
"No, stupid, we want to get our stuff and get out of town fast. If we have to wait for some money, he would have to have more time. Just do as you're told. Ain't we in enough trouble? If you hadn't..."
"Shut up. So I made one mistake. She was your girl. Sue me. We'll get it back and then drop it. Okay?"
In moments, Katherine was propelled into the back of the van; hands and feet were bound tightly. This certainly didn't offer any easy means of escape.
What did Charles have that belonged to these young men that was worth more to them than her life? If only she knew what it was that they were after and what she might do to save herself? The vehicle drove off with both men in the front seat and her securely bound in the back. Kathy didn't know where they were headed, only that the van kept moving with very few stops, presumably meaning there were very few stop lights. They couldn't have gone too far from the place where she had been ca
ptured since either way were larger towns with plenty of lights. Kathy had the feeling that they were driving around that area of Shell Beach just killing time. Better to kill time than to kill her, the thought went through her mind. What little sky was visible to her was definitely getting darker. Still they hadn't stopped to make that phone call they had mentioned to Charles on where and how to meet them.
Suddenly they pulled over and the one called Bobby brought out a piece of cloth and placed it over her eyes and untied her ankles. "Come on, lady, we're gonna put you in a safe place while we get our stuff."
"Safe?" the other one snickered. "It is safe alright, as long as he gets here in time." Grabbing her arm hard enough to bruise it, Bobby pushed her through what felt like tall grass and some sand. "Just walk where I tell you and you'll be okay."
"Why do you insist on blindfolding me? Where are we?"
"Shut up. We're gonna have to take that off so she can see to get down the ladder, Rick."
"She'll see our faces." So they were concerned that she would recognize them. Good, that meant they planned to let her live.
"Don't worry about it." Kathy guessed it didn't matter which only meant.... She didn't want to think about that. So, the other one was called Rick; not that any information at this point would do Kathy any good. They continued walking for a few more feet when she was pulled to a halt. "No more, lady, not yet." Her blindfold was removed and she could see by the few street lights that she was right in the midst of what had been referred to as the "Dinosaur Caves". A rope ladder had been attached to the chain link fence at the edge of the cliff and Kathy was pushed toward it. "Go on down and be careful. I still got the gun here," he patted his pocket. "and I don't mind using it. We'll still get our stuff 'cause he won't know for sure you're dead until we get it back."
Kathy was not going to risk what little chance she had on some unplanned heroics, so she forced herself to descend the rope ladder, both men close behind her. They had apparently been waiting until it was very dark with no chance of running into people. As soon as she put her feet on the sandy beach below, Bobby was immediately beside her pushing her toward what appeared to be a giant rock sitting just a little bit in the water. The moonlight showed a tremendous cave that had been worn out by generations of crashing waves. Surely they weren't going to put her in there.
The tide was low enough so that it only took a few steps through the water to reach the inside of the cave. Though the evening air was warm, the water was chilling. Both men followed her until they reached the center of the rock. By flashlight, Kathy could see that there was a ledge of some sort up above where they were standing.
"Up there. Use those rocks to climb up," Bobby gestured with the light showing her the way to go. There was no point in arguing. Katherine did her best to ascend to the ledge. Once there, Rick pushed her down and proceeded to secure her hands and feet with duct tape and placed several strips of it over her mouth so that she could not scream, not that there would be anyone to hear. He then wrapped rope around her waist and secured her to a rock.
"We're gonna leave you here until we get what's ours. If we get it in time, your boyfriend will be told where to find you. If not, well, the tide will fill up the cave. I don't know exactly how long that will be, but we are giving you a fair chance. I'm even gonna leave you this flashlight so you won't be completely in the dark, until it wears out." He acted as if he were soothing his conscience. So saying, the men left Katherine alone to think.
What if Charles didn't have what they wanted? What if he couldn't get to her in time? Would Beth ever know what happened to her and why? What if, what if? Kathy started to sob, her body shaking violently with alarm and cold.