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Authors: Ronie Kendig
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again, she pulled the sari around her shoulders, quickly surveyed the beach, and started back to her hiding place.
With her options limited, she had to find a way to get information on Khalid's condition. Since certain fake cops scouted the hospital and the hostel, she’d have to sneak in through the back tomorrow. If she needed to stay with Khalid until his father arrived in a couple of days, she would find a way. Somehow, she would.
A dolphin lurched out of the water less than twenty meters from shore, arched, and then dove back in. Shiloh walked to the edge of the rippling liquid and slipped off her shoes, letting the cool seawater tease the tips of her toes. She drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out.
God … The prayer lodged in her throat. Would He care about Khalid, about this insanity gripping her life? Surely He would. Khalid was a Christian. Granted, a new Christian, but he believed in Christ, the Messiah.
Yeshua . She could hear him speaking the name he preferred to the Anglicized “Jesus,” saying it gave him peace. And she had to admit that peace rose in her even now. She ached for the soft whisper of Khalid's voice. To hear him lecture herabout her relationship with God—or lack thereof. Guilt hung around her heart. She had always rebuffed Khalid. He couldn’t understand. Her life had been marred by cruel and unusual punishment—punishment for her parents’ mistakes. She wasn’t the average American college girl, even though that's what she’d longed for with all that was Shiloh Blake.
She pivoted and started back to the rocky outcropping. As she neared, her heart skipped a beat. Then another.
My pack! The bag sat on the ledge with a bottle of water.
Stopping cold, she attuned her senses to the surroundings. Shadows flickered across the sandy terrain. Shiloh pushed forward cautiously. Suddenly, the lapping ocean sounded deafening, drowning out everything but itself. Nothing seemed out of place … except for the unexplained appearance of her backpack.
Her mind worked the labyrinth of details. One family had left. A motorcycle went by. Another family left. Even in the bathroom, she’d not heard anything or anyone approach.
She scanned the beach as she closed the last few feet between her and the pack. Was it really hers? Black and tan with a star-fish keychain her mother had given her hanging from the zipper tab. Definitely hers. From her hotel.
Somebody had brought the pack and water. Somebody aware not only of her location and needs but of her identity. Her stomach plummeted.
There! To her immediate right. Metal or glass glinted.
As she stood in front of her pack, she let her hands wrap around the strap and then hoisted it up, testing the weight. The nylon bottom bulged outward. Hopefully, it would be enough if she needed it as a weapon. She shifted one foot back to brace herself against an attack.
“Planning to use that on me?” Amusement radiated through a man's tone.
Shiloh shrank from the deep voice. No, don’t pull away.
It took several seconds for her eyes to adjust, to spot him. In shock, she saw that he sat right in front of her on the rocks. Dressed head-to-toe in black, he had been camouflaged directly under her nose. Shoulders broad, neck thick … the guy was nobody to mess with. Brownbeard.
Would he toy with her first, then torture, rape, and kill her? Leave her body for the sand spiders and vultures?
“Who are you?” She lifted the pack and held it close. It weighed at least twenty pounds. Had he packed all of her belongings?
“Sit down. Let's talk.”
The undulating sea sparkled under the caress of the moon, forming a silhouette of her figure. Nice. He’d never paid attention before. He wished he hadn’t now.
“I don’t think so.” She drew herself straight, moving the bag away from him.
Her defensive posture didn’t worry Reece. He’d have been disappointed if she wasn’t ready to fight. “You’re alone. Your sponsor and a colleague are
With her options limited, she had to find a way to get information on Khalid's condition. Since certain fake cops scouted the hospital and the hostel, she’d have to sneak in through the back tomorrow. If she needed to stay with Khalid until his father arrived in a couple of days, she would find a way. Somehow, she would.
A dolphin lurched out of the water less than twenty meters from shore, arched, and then dove back in. Shiloh walked to the edge of the rippling liquid and slipped off her shoes, letting the cool seawater tease the tips of her toes. She drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out.
God … The prayer lodged in her throat. Would He care about Khalid, about this insanity gripping her life? Surely He would. Khalid was a Christian. Granted, a new Christian, but he believed in Christ, the Messiah.
Yeshua . She could hear him speaking the name he preferred to the Anglicized “Jesus,” saying it gave him peace. And she had to admit that peace rose in her even now. She ached for the soft whisper of Khalid's voice. To hear him lecture herabout her relationship with God—or lack thereof. Guilt hung around her heart. She had always rebuffed Khalid. He couldn’t understand. Her life had been marred by cruel and unusual punishment—punishment for her parents’ mistakes. She wasn’t the average American college girl, even though that's what she’d longed for with all that was Shiloh Blake.
She pivoted and started back to the rocky outcropping. As she neared, her heart skipped a beat. Then another.
My pack! The bag sat on the ledge with a bottle of water.
Stopping cold, she attuned her senses to the surroundings. Shadows flickered across the sandy terrain. Shiloh pushed forward cautiously. Suddenly, the lapping ocean sounded deafening, drowning out everything but itself. Nothing seemed out of place … except for the unexplained appearance of her backpack.
Her mind worked the labyrinth of details. One family had left. A motorcycle went by. Another family left. Even in the bathroom, she’d not heard anything or anyone approach.
She scanned the beach as she closed the last few feet between her and the pack. Was it really hers? Black and tan with a star-fish keychain her mother had given her hanging from the zipper tab. Definitely hers. From her hotel.
Somebody had brought the pack and water. Somebody aware not only of her location and needs but of her identity. Her stomach plummeted.
There! To her immediate right. Metal or glass glinted.
As she stood in front of her pack, she let her hands wrap around the strap and then hoisted it up, testing the weight. The nylon bottom bulged outward. Hopefully, it would be enough if she needed it as a weapon. She shifted one foot back to brace herself against an attack.
“Planning to use that on me?” Amusement radiated through a man's tone.
Shiloh shrank from the deep voice. No, don’t pull away.
It took several seconds for her eyes to adjust, to spot him. In shock, she saw that he sat right in front of her on the rocks. Dressed head-to-toe in black, he had been camouflaged directly under her nose. Shoulders broad, neck thick … the guy was nobody to mess with. Brownbeard.
Would he toy with her first, then torture, rape, and kill her? Leave her body for the sand spiders and vultures?
“Who are you?” She lifted the pack and held it close. It weighed at least twenty pounds. Had he packed all of her belongings?
“Sit down. Let's talk.”
The undulating sea sparkled under the caress of the moon, forming a silhouette of her figure. Nice. He’d never paid attention before. He wished he hadn’t now.
“I don’t think so.” She drew herself straight, moving the bag away from him.
Her defensive posture didn’t worry Reece. He’d have been disappointed if she wasn’t ready to fight. “You’re alone. Your sponsor and a colleague are
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