“Hold tight. Sounds like we’re about to board the ship.”
“Thank God.” Macy breathed. The first part of their journey was over. She’d managed to sleep for most of it, but now she itched to stretch her legs and be out of this box. In some morbid sense, it felt like a casket. She tried to keep that thought out of her head, but it kept creeping back in.
The box jolted, lifted suddenly, and began moving at a fairly swift pace. She heard the sound of a loader, people shouting over the noise. Everything was happening to them, around them, and she could see none of it. With every movement of the trunk she tensed, waiting to see if someone opened the lid and discovered them. That was the worst part. Worse than the ache in her leg from being bent for so long.
Add to that being stuffed in a tiny space with a man who smelled like sin and made her fantasize about the bath they’d taken together. Only in her fantasies Nate didn’t put her bed afterwards. He took her to bed and made love to her like there was no tomorrow.
Nope. Not the time to go there. Nate put a barrier up last night. She’d all but thrown herself at him and he’d turned her down. Politely and like a gentleman because that was who he was, but dammit, she wanted him to put that side away and take her. Show her there was still a woman buried somewhere beneath the tattered surface. She was beginning to wonder if that woman would ever be allowed to surface.
Or, if she existed anymore.
She couldn’t sleep without having nightmares. Every sound made her jump. She was consistently looking over her shoulder. How did she get over that? How did she become a whole woman again?
The loader jerked around a turn and started ascending. The wheels bumped over what sounded like wooden planks. Refusing to let her thoughts stray down a path that involved ships and planks, she started counting in her head. Anything to distract her from the nineteen-day journey ahead.
It didn’t take long before they were set down and the loader faded into the background. But their bumpy travel wasn’t over. What felt like six men picked up the trunk and began walking with it, jostling them around inside. Macy bit down on her lip to keep from crying out when her wounded leg hit the side of the box.
They were finally set down, not gently, and the footsteps and voices retreated. Afraid to breathe, Macy listened for signs of their location. Seconds later she heard the shuffle of horse hooves on the floor.
“We’re on the ship.” Nate said quietly in her ear. “Shouldn’t be long now and we’ll be on our way home.”
Home. She liked the sound of that. Not that she had any family waiting for her. She’d lost her parents long ago. But, Avery had become her family in college. More like a sister than a boss. They had shared an instant bond. Both passionate about saving the world. And books. And charities. Macy had often wondered if they had been born a couple decades too late. They would have made great hippies. They’d had more than one laugh over that. Neither one able to imagine themselves at Woodstock.
God, she missed Avery. Her chest ached every time she thought of all they had lost, but life had given her sister back and for that she’d always be grateful.
“Hey, you okay?”
“I’m fine. Just getting a little stir crazy being locked in here for so long.”
He gave her a reassuring squeeze. It helped. A little.
Men’s voices grew louder as they approached. Macy couldn’t make out what they were saying but they didn’t sound happy. She thought she heard Salim’s voice, calm and steady, in the fray but couldn’t be sure.
She felt Nate go rigid behind her. That made her own unease rise. “What’s going on?”
Nate shifted ever so slightly so that her head no longer rested on his arm and he more or less covered her with his body. His weight felt good, but suffocating in the small space.
“They want to check the trunks.” He said, low and tense.
Not good. Not good at all.
She knew Nate would protect her, but by the sounds of it he would be outnumbered and he had no weapons. Not good odds. If they found her…
Something thumped on the lid and she jumped. If not for Nate’s hand clamping over her mouth she would have screamed. Her breath came in short pants, making her dizzy.
For a few terrifying minutes, they waited for the lid to be opened, for them to discover their hiding place. By some small miracle the voices ceased and footsteps faded into the distance. Someone tapped a light beat on the lid that sounded like Morse Code to her. She’d heard it before. Now, she realized it was Salim because this time Nate tapped his fingers on the inside of the lid in response.
“All clear.” Nate said quietly.
Macy went limp. “Thank God. When can we get out of this box?”
“Maybe during the trip. Salim will let us know.”
He shifted again, getting more comfortable. He had to be miserable given his size. She barely fit and she wanted to break free.
She did her best to stay still while they waited for the ship to leave the dock. Felt like hours before they finally started to move. Macy’s heart raced. It was happening. She was on her way home.
Elation flowed through her, making her uncomfortable position more tolerable. All they had to do was make it a couple weeks on this boat and they’d be home free. Well, home anyway. She’d never be truly free until the bounty was lifted. And the hopes of that were zilch. She’d murdered a man in a foreign country. Her life would never be the same again. Looking over her shoulder would become the norm. The thought of that dampened her spirits. Did she really think she could go home and get her life back?
Macy wanted to laugh and cry all at the same time. And, she wasn’t a crier. Instead, she focused her attention on slowing her breathing and getting through the next couple weeks. One day at a time, that was her new philosophy.
****
The lid to the trunk opened and blessed fresh air filled the tiny space. Nate shook Macy’s shoulder, but she had already awakened. In fact, she began moving so fast he barely had time to catch her before she fell out of the trunk.
He stepped out beside her, stretching his limbs. Damn, that had been one cramped ride.
“Are we home?” Macy asked, hope in her eyes.
Nate glanced at Salim who shook his head and flashed his hands twice. “Sorry, not even halfway.”
Her face fell. “Is it safe for us to be out here?”
Salim stepped forward, offering an arm. “No one will bother us now. The horses are my responsibility. Come, have something to eat.”
Macy took a step, wobbled, and gripped Salim’s arm. “Haven’t gotten my sea legs yet.” She said with a small laugh.
Nate followed them to the small living area behind the stalls. It wasn’t more than a wooden table built into the wall and two benches. A cooler. A couple bags that belonged to Salim. A hammock swaying with the movement of the ship.
“The facilities are crude, but functional.” Salim said, motioning toward a curtain to their left.
“Me, first.” Macy piped up. She let go of Salim’s arm and took a cautious step toward the head. With the sway of the ship, her limp, and tight muscles she didn’t get far before she started to stumble.
Nate grabbed her and guided her behind the curtain. Crude for sure with simply a toilet and sink that had seen better days.
“You good?” He asked Macy.
She nodded, nose wrinkled. “Better than nothing.” She said, making the best of it.
“It’s only temporary.”
“Yes. And I’ve seen much worse.”
He left her alone to do her business and went to talk to Salim. The man had two plates served up and sitting on the table.
“Thanks.” Nate said, sliding onto one of the benches. “Anything I need to be concerned with beyond the obvious?”
Salim shook his head. “I have made this trip many times with more cargo than this. I can’t let you be out in the open, but at least you’re out of that box.”
“Agreed.” Nate took a bite of flat bread and chased it with some tender meat and thick cheese slices. “Where do you want us to hide out?”
“With the straw. You will be hidden within it and it will be more comfortable.”
Nate nodded and continued to eat while he waited for Macy. She emerged a few minutes later, face a bit pale, but looking positive. She made her way slowly and carefully toward them and dropped down on the bench across from him.
“Thank you, Salim.” She said, helping herself to the food on her plate.
When they finished, Salim showed them to where the straw for the horses was held. In the corner, away from the door. The bales had been set up like a wall, with one broken open to provide a layer between the floor of the ship and them. There were even a couple horse blankets folded there.
“We can stay here?” Macy asked.
“Yes. For the duration.”
“Oh, good. No more box.”
“Not unless we run into trouble.” When she sent him a sharp look he amended, “Which we shouldn’t.”
“I hope not. My nerves are shot.” She said, walking onto the straw and finding a soft place to sit. She maneuvered pretty well considering her muscles were probably still stiff and her leg wasn’t completely healed.
Nate went to use the facilities and returned to find her leaning against a bale, looking a bit green around the gills. He sat down next to her. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Maybe a little seasick. It’ll pass.”
Being in the belly of the ship tested even the most hardened sailor. He wasn’t bothered by the movement of the ship. In fact, it felt like home. He loved the water. Loved being in it, on it, near it. Probably why he lived on a houseboat during the spring, summer and fall months. There was just something soothing about the sway of water beneath his feet.
“So, how are we going to pass the time?” Macy asked. “Got a deck of cards hidden on your person somewhere?”
“Sorry.”
She rested her head on his shoulder. “Worth a try. Is it always going to be this rocky? I feel like I’m on a roller coaster.”
Nate didn’t tell her that this was nothing compared to what it could be. Right now, they were coasting along at a comfortable pace. When they picked up speed it would get worse.
“Nineteen days, huh?”
Nate grinned and got comfortable. “You got this.”
If anyone could get through this, it was Macy. That, he had no doubt about.
****
“Oh, dear, God.” Macy moaned, holding her stomach. With each swell and dip of the ship her stomach rolled. The first week hadn’t been so bad. Nate made sure she stayed hydrated and ate enough to keep her from starving, but eating only made her seasickness worse. “Make it stop.”
Beside her Nate said, “I wish I could. Might suffer some rough seas for a while.”
“Not helping.” She grumbled. “I swear if I make it through this I am never setting foot on a boat of any kind for the rest of my life.”
The ship lurched again, taking her stomach with it. Another week of this? No problem. She’d be dead in a day.
She groaned and curled up into a tighter ball. Not even Nate’s reassuring hand rubbing her back made her feel better. Which sucked because a hot guy touching her should be heaven.
Salim’s voice murmured in the distance. Speaking to the horses who didn’t like the stormy seas any more than she did. Their hooves danced nervously on the floor and she heard an occasional whinny. It didn’t give her comfort to know she wasn’t the only one suffering. She felt sorry for the poor animals.
Her head started to spin so she sat up, still clutching her midsection. Nate wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. It helped, a little, being near him.
“Talk to me.” She said. “About anything except your boat.”
Nate chuckled, the sound echoing through his chest. Then, he began telling her a story about six brothers and a sister who used to get in so much trouble the sheriff named a cell after them. Before she knew it, she had drifted off, the sound of Nate’s voice lulling her to blessed sleep.