Living Legends

16) They're Not Just Napkins

After tossing and turning all night, numb with fear and unsure of how to cope with yesterday’s events, Hayley finally awoke.  Though she was relieved to find none of Clyde’s men snooping around her quarters, she showered and dressed with caution.  Her stomach growled, but she spent nearly a half hour pondering whether or not to go upstairs to the dining hall.  What if one of the bad guys was right outside her door? What if they decided to just shoot her for no reason?

            She was nearly driven mad with what-ifs.  She finally decided to open her door a few inches, with her entire body weight behind it in case she needed to slam it closed in an emergency.  She sucked in her breath and reminded herself not to be too rash.  I should only yell for help if I need it, she told herself, or else I’ll get a bullet in my head.

            She unlocked the door.  She pushed it open one inch, then two.  An elderly couple sauntered by, but no one else was in sight.  Hayley fingered the empty space around her neck where a camera strap should have been.  She narrowed her eyes and pushed open her door all the way.  The coast was clear.

            Nimble and light on her feet, Hayley glided into the hallway and locked her door behind her.  After glancing left and right, she headed upstairs to the dining hall.  So far so good.

            Just as she rounded the corner, her heart leapt into her throat.  She froze and had to force herself to keep walking.  One of Clyde’s men was casually observing the passengers walking to and from the dining hall.  When his gaze landed on Hayley, he grinned toothily.  It wasn’t a friendly smile.

            Hayley swallowed and quickened her pace.  She let out a sigh of relief when she slipped inside the dining hall, thinking she was out of sight.  But when she turned to get in line for food, another one of Clyde’s men was directly behind her.  She shrieked.  A few passengers turned and gave her wary looks, so she ducked her head.  Idiot.

            “A bit jumpy today, aren’t we?” the man whispered down her neck.  His breath made Hayley’s blood run cold.  She ignored him and pressed forward in line.  As soon as she piled some breakfast on her plate, she rushed downstairs into her quarters, locking the door behind her.  The only sound was the sizzling of bacon and her own heartbeat as she shook with fear.

            The rest of the meals went the same.  Hayley was sick with fright, eating all of her meals in her quarters and never knowing when Clyde or his lackeys would pounce.  They seemed to be everywhere—in the dining hall, on the deck, meandering through the hallways.  She had never been so afraid.

            Occasionally her thoughts drifted to her Gran, and on more than one occasion she felt tears spring into her eyes.  She missed her dear grandmother and the luxury of feeling safe.  She hated The Queen Francis with a passion.  Soon, her cabin fever became too much to handle, and Hayley dared to eat dinner in the dining hall instead of cooped up in her quarters.  Though she felt eyes on her back, she acted as normal as possible.  At least I’m not starving or being held at gunpoint, she thought, which brought Jack to mind.  She hadn’t seen him once since they had been shown to separate rooms last night.  I hope he’s okay…

            The boat trip had become a nightmare.  Another day went by.  Hayley was slowly becoming less and less fearful, but her nerves never went away completely.  She was bored out of her mind, too, since she was forbidden to go to any of the islands the other passengers visited.  And she had still yet to see Jack.

            Finally, the following night, Hayley took her usual seat in the dining hall and was shocked to see Jack enter the room a few moments later.  Her eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets when she saw his cleanly-shaven face and trimmed hair.  A younger face suddenly came to mind.  Jack Patterson.  She almost smiled in relief when the memory came to her.  So that’s Jack Patterson!