Chapter 9

Naomi and Jeremy walked down the beach until they were out of earshot. “We have a problem,” Jeremy said.

“Oh?”

“It appears that Anabell is still trying to help her employer or former employer, and he plans to take it out on one of the girls, and he wants to kill me.”

“When did you hear that?” Naomi asked.

“Last night, I heard something down the beach and saw the three of them talking. And heard most of what they had to say.”

“I see. Well, in that case, I am guessing that we need to get going more urgently than before.”

“I agree. What do we do about Anabell.”

“We can’t force her to go with us.”

“No, but we can’t let them. That is the boys interfering with our plans and terrorize us.”

“What’s your plan?” Naomi asked.

“We could always knock her out or something?”

“How about a blindfold?”

“That could work. Let’s do it then.”

The two walked back to the beach encampment.

“Okay girls, Rachel, Pricilla, Rose, and Anabell, come here. We talked about it and we decided that I have found a secret place its so secret I can’t tell you where it is so I need you to put on blindfolds and hold hands I’ll lead you. The rest of you wait here with Naomi. She’ll be in charge while I’m gone.”

He didn’t wait for an answer, just waited until the girls had tied strips of cloth across their eyes. He took Rose by the hand and got all the girls in a single line and led them in a crisscross course across the island to where the canoe was hidden. He loaded them one at a time into the canoe and paddled them across the straight between islands. He then got them out and led them to the little cove where he had them sit down.

“Okay ladies you can take off your blindfolds now.”

“Where are we?” Rose asked.

Jeremy chuckled. “Again with that question, safer than you should be. You all wait here, I’ll get the rest of the girls and be back in a jiffy.

“Okay,” Pricilla said.

“Were we in a boat?” Rachel asked.

“All will be revealed when everyone else gets back.”

“Okay,” the women chorused, though Anabell looked more than a little worried.

He got back in the canoe. There was a black cloud on the horizon and he hurried back to the camp, not bothering to conceal the canoe this time. He loaded the other girls on and handed them paddles. Naomi took one as did Sara, Shannon, Tiffany, and Sunni sat in the bottom of the boat with Norman as they sped out across the straight.

The clouds were getting blacker and the wind was starting to pick up as they beached the canoe. The girls helped haul it onto shore and camouflaged it as best they could. He led the girls down around to the lagoon and to where the other girls waited.

“No blindfolds for them?” Anabell asked.

“Well...” Jeremy began.

“Anabell,” Naomi interrupted. “Sunni and Shannon both knew about the boat and I already knew about the plan and Tiffany, well, she and Shannon and Sara are best friends and best friends don’t keep secrets. So no, no blindfolds, but I want to talk about the little chat you had on the beach last night with Joe and Gary.”

“What?” the girls asked, glaring at Anabell who gulped.

“I ... How did you know?”

“Never mind how I know. I know. Now, can we count on you to behave yourself?”

“I...”

“You bitch!” Sunni screamed, leaping onto Anabell and punching her two or three times, tearing her blouse and rolling around on the ground. Jeremy quickly grabbed Sunni and pulled her off of Anabell, who looked for a moment like she wanted more, but the other women closed ranks with Naomi looming in front of her.

“Now can we count on you to behave, or do I tell Jeremy to let Sunni go and...”

“No, no, I’ll behave.”

“Very good, but until you have proven you can be trusted, you will have to be with one girl at all times. I suppose it’s best if we tied one of them to you. You will bathe with them and talk to them and do whatever they ask you do you. Once you have gone through every girl, then you will be free to go. You will have a different girl with you every week. If you try to escape, we will find you and leave you tied up for Joe and Gary to find. Any questions?”

“Don’t you think that is a little harsh?” Jeremy whispered.

“No I don’t, this is life and death,” she whispered back.

“Now,” she said, so everyone could hear. “Does anyone object to this judgment?” No one said anything.

“Does anyone wish to say anything about this?” and again, no one said anything.

“Very well then.” Naomi picked up a piece of rope and tied it around Anabell’s waist loosely. She walked amongst the girls with the other end and chose Shannon and tied the other end around her wrist.

“Jeremy, what do you want us to do?”