Page 88 of Tide and Seek
“I’m sure that’s true, but by the time you’re found, it’ll be too late.You’ll be just another tragic accident.A country hick tourist who didn’t understand the dangers of our rocky coastline.”
Ethan came back inside.“Okay, everything is loaded up.”
“Excellent.”Stiles approached with the syringe.“Time for your vitamin shot, Royce.”
I tried to jerk away, but there was nowhere to go.The needle pierced my upper arm through my T-shirt, and a sharp burn spread as the fentanyl entered my bloodstream.
The effect was almost immediate.The edges of my vision began to blur, and a strange heaviness crept through my limbs.My thoughts felt thick, like trying to think through molasses.
“You shouldn’t fight it,” Stiles said.“Try and enjoy the ride.People pay good money for this shit.”
“Fuck you,” I mumbled, my head lolling forward as the drug took hold.I could still see, still hear, but my body felt disconnected, like it belonged to someone else.When Stiles cut the ropes binding me to the chair, I slumped forward but couldn’t coordinate my muscles enough to run or fight.
They hauled me up between them, my feet dragging uselessly across the hardwood floor.They made sure no one was around before they hauled me to the pest control van parked in the driveway.The sunlight outside was too bright, making me squint.Everything felt surreal, like watching a movie where I was somehow both viewer and unwilling participant.
They dumped me in the back of the van among the chemical tanks and equipment, my head bouncing against the metal floor.I tried to speak, to protest, but my tongue was thick and unresponsive.
The van roared to life, and I was tossed around in the back as Ethan drove out of the colony and onto the main road.It wasn’t a long drive to the rock formations, and the van slowed, turned, and then bounced over ruts and rocks, each jolt sending pain through my drugged body.
When the van stopped and they cut the engine, they pulled me out, leaning me against the back bumper.My legs buckled immediately, the fentanyl turning my muscles to rubber.They grabbed me under my arms and I couldn’t coordinate my movements enough to resist as they dragged me across the sandy ground toward the dark rock formations that jutted up from the coastline.
“It’s 2:50 p.m.now,” Stiles said, breathing hard.“High tide is at 7:00 p.m.tonight.That’s just about perfect.The odds of anyone finding him in time are basically zero.”
“He’s right, Max will look for him,” Ethan said.“He’s that type.”
“Yeah, he’ll do the usual shit.He’ll waste time calling people they know to see if they’ve heard from Royce.”Stiles sounded impatient.“He might even go to the cops, but they aren’t going to do shit until tomorrow probably.He’s a grown man, not some little kid who wandered off.”
“Max can file a missing person’s report right away.They don’t make you wait forty-eight hours,” Ethan argued.“That’s ancient history.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Stiles growled.“The cops aren’t going to launch some huge manhunt for him.”
“But they might because he’s a cop,” Ethan insisted.“They might take that more seriously than if you or I went missing.”
“Even if they do look for him,” Stiles said testily.“There’s no reason for them to think he’s here in these caves.Nobody saw us grab him.We just need to be sure we put him in one of the deeper caves.It has to look like he was exploring, got disoriented, and then he got caught when the water came in.”
“Okay,” Ethan said glumly.
While my brain wasn’t firing on all cylinders, even I could see the rocky stretch was a maze of crevices and sea caves carved by centuries of waves.If they picked the right cave, Stiles was right, no one would find me in time.
Ethan reluctantly headed toward the rocks to find the perfect cave.After about twenty minutes, he returned for Styles.When they both came back, Stiles looked pleased.
“I think you’ll enjoy the spot I’ve picked for you, Royce.”Stiles gave a mean spirited grin.“It’s very rustic.Just your style.”
Ethan muttered, “Boss, it’s not too late to change your mind about—”
“Shut up,” Stiles growled.“Help me move him to the cave.”
They grabbed me under my arms and dragged me over the rocks, and down into a narrow, long chamber hollowed into the stone where the crash of waves from outside echoed off the walls.The floor was uneven, slick with seaweed, and scattered with sharp-edged barnacles that scraped against my skin.
Cold seawater already pooled at the bottom of the cave, soaking through my shorts as they positioned me in the deepest section.The water was shockingly cold against my drugged body, making me shiver uncontrollably.
“You sure he can’t just crawl out?”Ethan asked.
“He’s too weak and disoriented.He’ll never find the opening.When the tide comes in, this whole area fills up,” Stiles explained to Ethan.“He’ll be unconscious by then, and even if he wakes up, he won’t find his way out.There’s no way.”
“Seems like a horrible way to die,” Ethan said softly.
“There are few good ways to die.”Stiles sounded disinterested.
