4: Thriller in Paradise-2
617 Words
BELLE HAD A TASTE OF Bryce’s brand of humour when he put a finger to his lips and said, ‘Can you hear that?’
She stiffened. Her eyes darted left to right. Her head turned every which way, then she said, ‘No.’
His forehead wrinkled. ‘Someone’s coming.’
She gasped, ‘Oh God.’ She reached for her shirt.
He held down her right wrist and said in a nonchalant way, ‘It’s okay, I’ll cover your modesty.’
‘No! You’re insane. You’re really insane.’
He grinned at her, enjoying her discomfort. She was increasingly frantic, trying to struggle free even as her eyes remained peeled to where she imagined this lurker might suddenly appear.
Bryce cackled his head off, watching her squirm was funny.
That’s when she figured that he’d pulled her leg. She snarled at him and gave him a kick.
He caught her leg with his other hand, pinned the other with his legs, leaving her with just a left hand to defend her honour. She battered his shoulder when he couldn’t stop laughing.
In the end, he had a grip on her left wrist, too.
So, there she was lying on the ground, her arms pinned down over her head with his right hand, her left leg in his left hand, her right leg pinned between his legs.
He leaned over her with a devilish smile.
‘Do you think Adam and Eve felt this way?’
Despite her compromising situation, she couldn’t help but banter back.
‘Except in their case, it’s a snake that walked in on them.’
He winked at her, shrugged his shoulder slightly.
‘Well, the Daintree is home to a number of sna—’
She didn’t let him continue. She was struggling to get free again.
‘You sonofabitch, let me go! Get off me!’
He heaved with laughter again. He only stopped laughing when she stopped struggling. Then, something happened she didn’t expect. Something she hoped for but never even thought was going to happen.
He whispered, ‘I love you’ into her ear.
She locked eyes with him. Her face softened. He released her hands to frame her delicate face, leant in to kiss her with such tenderness tears came rolling down her face again. When he stopped kissing her, she professed her love for him.
‘I hope you don’t live to regret that,’ he said in all seriousness. ‘You really don’t know what you bargained for.’
He surveyed their surroundings to read the shadows.
‘We better head off if we want to reach the homestead before dark. I’ll bring you back another time to see the twin Kauri pine trees.’
They dressed, and he hefted the backpack.
‘You must be exhausted,’ he said. ‘Want a piggyback?’
‘No,’ she said, ‘I’m alright.’
They strolled hand in hand admiring the scenery. Suddenly, he noticed something odd that aroused his suspicions. He stopped in his track.
‘What is it?’ she asked.
‘A path.’
‘What about it?’
‘Hikers aren’t allowed to walk outside designated trails. It damages the flora.’
His eyes narrowed.
‘Wait here; I’ll have a look. I won’t be long.’
She tightened her hold on his hand. ‘No, I’m coming with you.’
He sighed.
‘Okay. Hand on my back.’
They walked in, her hand on his back as he instructed. She let go at one point. He turned around and said sternly, ‘Hand on my back.’
Three-hundred yards in, they found a clearing. Someone had cleared an area of the rainforest stripping it of native flora to plant a weird plant. She didn’t recognise it.
‘Cannabis. Some fuckers...’
Suddenly, he tensed, and put a finger on his lips.
She wasn’t sure if he was pulling her leg again. She opened her mouth to speak, but he clasped them with his hand. He whispered and directed her to move away and hide behind a giant fern.
‘Stay low.’
‘Bryce...’
‘Trust me.’
She obeyed. Seconds later, a heavily-tattooed man emerged from the bushes. She heard him say, ‘Who are you?’
The villain looked and sounded threatening, especially when he produced a handgun and aimed it at Bryce.
She covered her mouth with her hands, closed her eyes and prayed silently. When she opened them again, she saw Bryce with his hands up.
*
- Writer
