Read Online Time Storm Shockwave by Juliann Farnsworth - Free Book Online
Authors: Juliann Farnsworth
Ads: Link
sappy.”
She walked closer, put her arms around his neck, and smiled at him. He leaned down, kissed her, and then she told him, “Goodnight, wake me up when we get there. I’m just going to lie down on the sofa in the pilothouse.”
“Why there ?—” he asked “—surely your bed is more comfortable.
“I don’t want to be that far away”—she winked—“from you.”
He smiled and let out a barely audible laugh . He then pulled her closer to him and moved his lips gently over her mouth.
Her response made him think twice about going back to Bimini right then, but after a while, he loosened his arms from her ; letting go felt almost painful. She smiled and went down the stairs reluctantly. He mulled over the idea of sleeping, but he knew he wouldn‘t be able to. He felt too elated.
***
When they arrived at Bimini Island, Mark woke Ashlyn as he promised.
“I spoke to the guy at the harbor office; he told me where Stewart was staying. I’m going to get him.”
“Wait”—she looked a little dazed and blinked a few times—“I’ll come with you. My sleep schedule is all screwed up anyway.”
“Yeah, I think I’m just going to force myself to stay awake until nighttime comes again —” he laughed “—and hope that this time it lasts for a few hours.”
He eyed her with a mischievous smile, and she raised one eyebrow slightly, “You really had fun didn’t you?”
He beamed like a child. “Let’s go.”
They had to stop several places before they found where Stewart had been staying. When they asked the manager which room he was in, he pointed across a sandy beach area without ever looking up from his magazine.
Mark waited until they were out of earshot before speaking, “He’s not the kind of guy I would want to have working for me.”
“No kidding”—she agreed—“not much for security either.”
He knocked on the door, but there was no response. He knocked again, harder.
“Maybe he went to lunch —” she studied the sun “—at least I’m guessing that it’s lunchtime.”
He didn’t comment; he couldn’t wait to tell Stewart what had happened. When Mark turned the door handle, it opened easily.
His brow furrowed, “I guess he needs to learn a thing or two about personal security.”
“ Apparently”—an odd expression crossed her face—“especially with a manager like that guy.”
When Mark opened the door, it was clear that Stewart was no longer there. The room had been torn apart. The drawers were pulled out onto the floor, their contents dumped . The room had clearly been tossed.
Mark clinched his jaw and took a deep breath, “Wherever he is, he didn’t go willingly.”
Chapter 5
Scientific research consists in seeing what everyone else has seen, but thinking what no one else has thought. — Unknown Source
~
Mark and Ashlyn checked everywhere on the island that they could think of, but nobody seemed to know anything. Finally, they picked up supplies, and then went back to the boat.
“I should never have left him, ” he lamented as he sat on one of the steps that led up to the aft deck. He put his head in his hands.
She didn’t say anything, but she stood next to him and put her hand on his shoulder.
“Do you think somebody hurt him ?—” His expression was tortured “—I can’t imagine that he had any enemies.”
“I don’t know”—she looked worried—“Mark, I’m really sorry I suggested we leave him.”
“You co uldn’t have known,” he said quietly.
She looked as if she were about to say something, but a boy, who was running down the dock called out to him, “Wait mister, I’m supposed to give you this.”
He handed Mark a note and then left quickly.
“What is it?” she asked.
He studied it, and then after a long moment he answered, “It’s a note from Stewart, and I’m sure it’s his handwriting. He says he was really angry and decided to go home, but …,” he hesitated.
“What is it?” she
She walked closer, put her arms around his neck, and smiled at him. He leaned down, kissed her, and then she told him, “Goodnight, wake me up when we get there. I’m just going to lie down on the sofa in the pilothouse.”
“Why there ?—” he asked “—surely your bed is more comfortable.
“I don’t want to be that far away”—she winked—“from you.”
He smiled and let out a barely audible laugh . He then pulled her closer to him and moved his lips gently over her mouth.
Her response made him think twice about going back to Bimini right then, but after a while, he loosened his arms from her ; letting go felt almost painful. She smiled and went down the stairs reluctantly. He mulled over the idea of sleeping, but he knew he wouldn‘t be able to. He felt too elated.
***
When they arrived at Bimini Island, Mark woke Ashlyn as he promised.
“I spoke to the guy at the harbor office; he told me where Stewart was staying. I’m going to get him.”
“Wait”—she looked a little dazed and blinked a few times—“I’ll come with you. My sleep schedule is all screwed up anyway.”
“Yeah, I think I’m just going to force myself to stay awake until nighttime comes again —” he laughed “—and hope that this time it lasts for a few hours.”
He eyed her with a mischievous smile, and she raised one eyebrow slightly, “You really had fun didn’t you?”
He beamed like a child. “Let’s go.”
They had to stop several places before they found where Stewart had been staying. When they asked the manager which room he was in, he pointed across a sandy beach area without ever looking up from his magazine.
Mark waited until they were out of earshot before speaking, “He’s not the kind of guy I would want to have working for me.”
“No kidding”—she agreed—“not much for security either.”
He knocked on the door, but there was no response. He knocked again, harder.
“Maybe he went to lunch —” she studied the sun “—at least I’m guessing that it’s lunchtime.”
He didn’t comment; he couldn’t wait to tell Stewart what had happened. When Mark turned the door handle, it opened easily.
His brow furrowed, “I guess he needs to learn a thing or two about personal security.”
“ Apparently”—an odd expression crossed her face—“especially with a manager like that guy.”
When Mark opened the door, it was clear that Stewart was no longer there. The room had been torn apart. The drawers were pulled out onto the floor, their contents dumped . The room had clearly been tossed.
Mark clinched his jaw and took a deep breath, “Wherever he is, he didn’t go willingly.”
Chapter 5
Scientific research consists in seeing what everyone else has seen, but thinking what no one else has thought. — Unknown Source
~
Mark and Ashlyn checked everywhere on the island that they could think of, but nobody seemed to know anything. Finally, they picked up supplies, and then went back to the boat.
“I should never have left him, ” he lamented as he sat on one of the steps that led up to the aft deck. He put his head in his hands.
She didn’t say anything, but she stood next to him and put her hand on his shoulder.
“Do you think somebody hurt him ?—” His expression was tortured “—I can’t imagine that he had any enemies.”
“I don’t know”—she looked worried—“Mark, I’m really sorry I suggested we leave him.”
“You co uldn’t have known,” he said quietly.
She looked as if she were about to say something, but a boy, who was running down the dock called out to him, “Wait mister, I’m supposed to give you this.”
He handed Mark a note and then left quickly.
“What is it?” she asked.
He studied it, and then after a long moment he answered, “It’s a note from Stewart, and I’m sure it’s his handwriting. He says he was really angry and decided to go home, but …,” he hesitated.
“What is it?” she
Similar Books
