Chapter 8
1242 Words
Finnley chuckled wickedly as he tossed the unconscious Lily onto the bed. "Zain, that old fox, really goes out of his way. He even brought a drug so I could get Lily. That's what you expect from someone running a nightclub."
Zain had tried several times to make a move on Lily, but she rejected him firmly.
So, when she wasn't looking, he slipped a drug into her water bottle.
Now, with Zain and Smith off searching for Ernie, it was just him and Lily in the tent. He could do whatever he wanted and savor her beauty.
"Lily, don't blame me. It's your fault for being so tempting," Finnley murmured, his hands trembling as he undid her clothes to reveal her delicate body. His eyes gleamed like a predatory wolf.
Just as Finnley leaned in toward Lily, the tent flap was suddenly yanked open. Alice burst in with Susan and three other women.
They had been ordered to build another shelter next to the raft since the current one was too small.
Alice was hoping to confront Finnley, but seeing him about to violate the drugged Lily enraged her even more.
"You pervert! You have to send us back!" Alice shouted, gripping Finnley tightly and hitting him.
The other women angrily joined in and began to beat him as well.
"Stupid bitches, what do you think you're doing? When my bodyguards get back, I'll have them throw you all into the sea to feed the fish!" Finnley threatened, struggling against them. But that made the women even angrier.
Lily began to slowly regain consciousness amidst the commotion. Realizing her state of undress as she lay on the bed, she understood what had happened instantly.
***
"Ernie, is that you?" Myra peeked out from the cliff, her dirty little face lighting up with a smile as she saw Ernie returning.
She had already tidied up the cave and set her clothes out to dry from her backpack.
"You shouldn't have done that," Ernie said, casting an uneasy glance around the cave.
On his way here, he had noticed dust and rocks, clear signs that someone had been there.
What he had seen at the bay earlier had put him in a bad mood.
There were at least four people looking for him, and if they found Myra, she would be in serious trouble.
Thankfully, nightfall was approaching. He carefully worked to hide their tracks.
"What did I do wrong?" Myra asked, pouting at his stern expression.
"Myra, you have to learn to protect yourself," Ernie replied, not sure how to make her understand.
"Oh. I won't be a burden to you," Myra said, clearly misunderstanding as she nodded and sat down quietly.
Ernie unfolded the ghillie suit he had made and draped it over the cave entrance, blending it with the hanging vines to create a natural disguise.
This made Myra feel much safer and warmer.
"Ernie, you're amazing!" she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with adoration.
"Myra, remember, no matter what you hear outside, stay quiet and don't show yourself. If I return, I'll call out first. If anyone else tries to come up here, use this stick and hit them hard!" Ernie instructed, handing her a sturdy stick.
"Okay," Myra said, a touch of fear and concern in her eyes as she grasped some of the danger from Ernie's words.
Seeing her worried expression, Ernie gently ruffled her hair, his heart softening.
Myra immediately flashed an obedient smile.
"Thirsty?" Ernie asked.
"Yeah." Myra nodded, eyeing the water bottle with anticipation. The water level hadn't changed since Ernie had left.
"I found a water source, so you can drink as much as you want!" Ernie explained, excited about the fresh water he discovered under a rock cliff on his way back. It was just a slow drip, but it was clean rainwater.
Hearing this, Myra's face lit up. She and Ernie took turns sipping until they finished off the half-bottle of water.
Then Ernie headed back to refill it, leaving misleading marks along the way to throw off any potential followers.
***
Meanwhile, on the other side of the island, Smith, with rich sailing experience, discovered the spot where Ernie and the others had washed ashore.
They found human remains there.
The female corpse that Ernie had dragged onto the shore had been ravaged by animals. The lower half was reduced to bones, and the abdomen was hollowed out. A mostly intact breast, smeared with dirty blood, lay limply over the mangled upper limb, with the head and face unrecognizable.
"Oh, s**t!" Zain muttered, turning away to gag.
"Zain, it's not Ernie's woman; she had black hair," Joe whispered to Zain, noting the clumped red hair on the corpse.
"You're right," Zain replied with a grunt.
Suddenly, a rustling in the nearby woods made them jump.
"Smith, they're probably all eaten. Let's head back," urged Daniel, who eyed the dark woods with fear.
"Smith, you need to confirm Ernie is dead. Otherwise, we won't pay you a dime," Zain said with a sinister smirk.
"I'll find him and tear him apart!" Smith shot back, gripping his gun and glaring at Zain and Joe, breathing heavily.
Finally, they planned to resume their search at daylight.
***
Despite it being summer, the Nordic nights were still chilly at the cave shelter. Myra spread out clothes from her backpack to serve as bedding. The clothing she took from the corpse was oversized—a wool skirt worked perfectly as a blanket. Plus, Ernie had brought back a lifebuoy, which made a perfectly comfortable pillow.
Myra was exhausted from the day's events, struggling to keep her eyes open, but she stayed awake to wait for Ernie.
After fetching water, Ernie kept working with the wood he had brought back as if he was crafting something.
"You should get some sleep if you're tired," Ernie suggested to Myra.
Seeing Lily and Finnley by the harbor earlier had left him unsettled. It became clear that his ex-wife was likely involved with Finnley long before.
This realization turned any lingering feelings for Lily cold.
Now, his main focus was surviving the challenges of the deserted island with Myra.
"Ernie, you should rest too. Things will get better tomorrow. Don't worry. Maybe the rescue team will come," Myra reassured him, sensing his troubled mood. She guessed it was due to the island's hardships.
"It's okay." Ernie glanced outside the cave. Night had quickly fallen over the deserted island. Silence took over, and the trees became dark silhouettes. Beyond their blurred outlines, the sky was a deep blue and the stars shone brightly over the island.
Though the cave was small, Ernie instinctively kept some distance from Myra.
Only the sound of their breathing filled the space.
A lingering scent from the stainless steel cup above kept him on edge.
'I need to get enough rest to keep my strength up; tomorrow will bring tougher challenges,' Ernie thought to himself. Just then, he felt a warm body move closer to him.
It was Myra's foot brushing against his leg.
Ernie's heart raced, but he stayed still.
He could tell from her breathing that Myra was still awake.
He thought she might be scared.
At that moment, a hint of loneliness overwhelmed Ernie. Ernie considered reaching out to comfort her. But just then, a rustling noise came from the cave entrance, and several pairs of glowing green eyes were fixed on them.
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