Read Online Give Yourself Away by Barbara Elsborg - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Barbara Elsborg
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a gasp into blackness, sucking air and treading water because he couldn’t feel the bottom.
Caleb ripped his phone from his pocket and held it up. He gave a whimper of relief when it still worked, and shed enough light for Caleb to see he’d fallen into a cave. He was lucky his lenses hadn’t popped out. Aware his mobile could stop working at any moment if water had leaked into it, Caleb swam around in the freezing cold, trying to find a way out.
He finally crawled onto a ledge of wet rock, trembling from the cold and the shock of what happened. His phone might be working but he had no signal. He yelled for help and the sound echoed around him.
Waves surged forward and the noise scared him, the water hissing and slapping at his feet like a flood of snakes. Was the tide coming in or going out? He used the flash from the phone’s camera to get a better look, pressing the button time and again, scaring himself more each time until he accepted he was trapped.
Think. Think. The water had to be getting in somewhere, which meant it was flowing out too. Caleb stopped using his phone and let his eyes grow accustomed to the dark. Almost opposite where he sat, he caught glimpses of small changes in the shades of gray darkness and worked out it had to be the mouth of the cave. The opening was small now because the tide was high, but when it dropped, there would be a way out. Though when a wave splashed his knees and Caleb registered the water was still rising, he knew if he didn’t go back into it and look for the way out, he’d drown.
Caleb shuddered as he slid into the sea, holding his phone as high as he could, his finger over the button that would give him a burst of light. His teeth chattered so hard he thought they’d break. Waves hit his face, the water lifted him up, dragged him down. He kicked his way through the blackness, sculling with one hand. All he had to do was find the place the water was coming in.
But he couldn’t. There seemed to be no variations in the light level now and his eyes struggled to adjust to the flashes from his phone. He was too afraid to dive down to search, too afraid of getting trapped underwater and too afraid to lose the little light he had.
With a sob of frustration, he let the sea carry him back to the ledge. He tried to climb higher, but kept slipping back on the slick rock. Finally, he collapsed and screamed for help over and over. His cries rolled right back at him but he kept yelling until he had no voice left. He pushed to his feet and stood pressed against rock, feeling it wet behind his head and he knew the water would overwhelm him.
I’m going to die.
How many times had he thought that after he’d been taken? How long before he’d wanted to die and understood it wouldn’t be allowed to happen? How long before he was determined to live? After all he’d been through, he didn’t want things to end like this.
Caleb wrapped his arms around himself, trying to conserve his body heat. Maybe the tide would turn soon. Maybe all he had to do was wait. But fear, like the water, kept rising in his throat and curled around his limbs like a constricting snake. Even though he’d stopped shouting, he could still hear himself screaming. Except that was then, not now. That moment when Liam, the man with dead eyes, said Caleb was his.
Caleb clung on to the rock as water swirled around his calves, thought about trying to swim again, but couldn’t make himself do it. If he left his phone on a ledge, what if he couldn’t find it if he didn’t discover a way out? His only hope was that when it became too deep to stand, he could tread water, maybe float up to where it would be easier to climb to a dry spot. Then he’d wait until the tide went out and pray hypothermia didn’t get him first.
Chapter Six
Baxter imagined Tye racing away, willing him to be careful, urging him to move quickly. Tye could run fast, but they didn’t know where they were. If they were lucky there might be a
Caleb ripped his phone from his pocket and held it up. He gave a whimper of relief when it still worked, and shed enough light for Caleb to see he’d fallen into a cave. He was lucky his lenses hadn’t popped out. Aware his mobile could stop working at any moment if water had leaked into it, Caleb swam around in the freezing cold, trying to find a way out.
He finally crawled onto a ledge of wet rock, trembling from the cold and the shock of what happened. His phone might be working but he had no signal. He yelled for help and the sound echoed around him.
Waves surged forward and the noise scared him, the water hissing and slapping at his feet like a flood of snakes. Was the tide coming in or going out? He used the flash from the phone’s camera to get a better look, pressing the button time and again, scaring himself more each time until he accepted he was trapped.
Think. Think. The water had to be getting in somewhere, which meant it was flowing out too. Caleb stopped using his phone and let his eyes grow accustomed to the dark. Almost opposite where he sat, he caught glimpses of small changes in the shades of gray darkness and worked out it had to be the mouth of the cave. The opening was small now because the tide was high, but when it dropped, there would be a way out. Though when a wave splashed his knees and Caleb registered the water was still rising, he knew if he didn’t go back into it and look for the way out, he’d drown.
Caleb shuddered as he slid into the sea, holding his phone as high as he could, his finger over the button that would give him a burst of light. His teeth chattered so hard he thought they’d break. Waves hit his face, the water lifted him up, dragged him down. He kicked his way through the blackness, sculling with one hand. All he had to do was find the place the water was coming in.
But he couldn’t. There seemed to be no variations in the light level now and his eyes struggled to adjust to the flashes from his phone. He was too afraid to dive down to search, too afraid of getting trapped underwater and too afraid to lose the little light he had.
With a sob of frustration, he let the sea carry him back to the ledge. He tried to climb higher, but kept slipping back on the slick rock. Finally, he collapsed and screamed for help over and over. His cries rolled right back at him but he kept yelling until he had no voice left. He pushed to his feet and stood pressed against rock, feeling it wet behind his head and he knew the water would overwhelm him.
I’m going to die.
How many times had he thought that after he’d been taken? How long before he’d wanted to die and understood it wouldn’t be allowed to happen? How long before he was determined to live? After all he’d been through, he didn’t want things to end like this.
Caleb wrapped his arms around himself, trying to conserve his body heat. Maybe the tide would turn soon. Maybe all he had to do was wait. But fear, like the water, kept rising in his throat and curled around his limbs like a constricting snake. Even though he’d stopped shouting, he could still hear himself screaming. Except that was then, not now. That moment when Liam, the man with dead eyes, said Caleb was his.
Caleb clung on to the rock as water swirled around his calves, thought about trying to swim again, but couldn’t make himself do it. If he left his phone on a ledge, what if he couldn’t find it if he didn’t discover a way out? His only hope was that when it became too deep to stand, he could tread water, maybe float up to where it would be easier to climb to a dry spot. Then he’d wait until the tide went out and pray hypothermia didn’t get him first.
Chapter Six
Baxter imagined Tye racing away, willing him to be careful, urging him to move quickly. Tye could run fast, but they didn’t know where they were. If they were lucky there might be a
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