I had walked less than two blocks when something struck the back of my head.
I heard nothing and saw no one. My vision went black, and after that, I knew nothing.
When I came to, my wrists and ankles were tied with rope to two wooden posts. The sea wind filled my nose, salty and rank.
It was dark. A blurred moon hung above me. Beneath my feet was a bed of sharp gravel.
About a dozen paces away, Lydia was tied to another post. Her mouth had not been gagged. Her coat snapped in the wind, and her face was drained of color.
She saw that I was awake and let out a small laugh.
"Awake now?"
I did not answer.
The back of my skull throbbed. A swollen lump had risen where I had been hit.
"You think I did this?" She looked at me. "I didn't. Not directly. It was the kidnappers. They wanted Da
