Chapter 18
Jeb’s watch vibrated against his wrist, and he shifted away from Skylar to answer the call.
“You need to hide.” Leo barked the order.
“What the fuck is going on?” he asked, pulling on his briefs and black cargo pants.
“Natalie has just spotted a boat that has landed at the southern tip of the island. There’s too much interference to see what’s happening, but it looks as if two men have disembarked.”
“No fucking way that’s a coincidence,” Jeb said, considering that in the six months Skylar had been stuck on the island, she said she’d never had a visitor. “ETA?”
“On foot, about ten minutes.”
Disconnecting, he whirled to see Skylar sitting up in bed, pushing her messy hair from her face with her hand as she blinked. He pulled on his long-sleeved T-shirt.
“What’s going on?” she asked, her voice rough with sleep.
“You’ve got visitors.” He threw her pajamas at her. “Get dressed.”
Her eyes widened, and she leaped from the bed, immediately jamming her feet into her pajama bottoms. “What do I need to do?”
“We don’t have time to escape before they get here. I’m stepping outside to get out of their sight, but I’ll be right with you. If they’re just coming to check on you or bring supplies, fine. Otherwise, I’ll handle them.”
“But…”
“You trust me?”
She didn’t hesitate as she jerked her head up and down in a nod. “You’re the only person in the world I could think of contacting, Jeb. Of course, I trust you.”
He leaned over, snagged the pillow and blanket off the floor, and tossed them onto the bed. His gaze took her in, from her messy hair to her socked feet.
“I’m slipping out, and you get back in bed. They’re coming at a time when they would expect you to be asleep, so play along.”
“Is there anything I should say? Or not say?”
He placed his hands on her shoulders and leaned down so his face was directly in front of hers. “Pretend everything is just as you were before I came. Pissed off that you’re stuck here. Wondering when this is going to be over. Getting tired of not seeing progress. All of that. Act completely normal, as you would have if they had shown up before I arrived.”
Nodding in haste, she agreed. He hated walking out but knew it was the best way to hear what was happening. Planting the small listening device in the room, he raced up the stairs and planted one there. Heading back down, he stopped long enough to give her a quick kiss, hard and fast, then said, “Lock the door behind me.”
He slipped out, heard her push the bolt, and then darted out of sight into the edge of the woods. It only took a few more minutes before he heard a noise crashing through the underbrush and shook his head. Their inability to be more discreet let him know they weren’t professionals and certainly not military trained. Refusing to be overconfident, he didn’t relax his stance.
As the intruders stumbled along the narrow path, Jeb recognized that with a little difficulty, he’d be able to overtake them when needed.
* * *
Skylar climbed back into bed, thinking that would be the best place to be in case the men just forced their way inside. Glad that the room was dark, she hoped she’d be able to hide her nervousness. A few minutes later, she could hear the unmistakable sound of boot steps approaching. The noise was so loud she was surprised they were not more like Jeb and his fellow Keepers, who had approached with such stealth.
Even though she was prepared, the knock on the door still caused her to jump. Heart pounding, she started to call out, then remembered what Jeb had said. Act as though I wasn’t expecting anyone to come. Another knock sounded, and she got out of bed and walked to the door. Since she had no way to see out, she called, “Who’s there?”
“We’re here to bring you supplies,” a man’s voice said.
That surprised her since the only supplies she’d ever received had come by helicopter drop.
“How do I know that? I didn’t receive any notification that someone was coming.”
“Mr. Butler sent us. He’s the one who sends you the supplies.”
It flashed through her mind that if Jeb weren’t here, she would have been all alone and completely vulnerable with these intruders. While grateful he was close, her hand shook as she threw open the bolt and cracked the door open, peering out to see two men standing on the stone slab just outside the door. Their features were barely visible in the predawn sky. They were dressed warmly in large coats and hats. Refusing to back up, she said, “I wasn’t expecting supplies today. And I’ve never had them brought this way.”
“Let us in.”
“No” was barely out of her mouth before the two men moved forward, pushing her back into the small space. They stepped over the threshold and closed the door. Crossing her arms in front of her, she said, “What are you doing?”
The taller man looked around the small living space, and she tried to ascertain whether his gaze was searching for something or he was just curious.
“You said you came here to bring supplies, but I don’t see anything with you.”
“We’ve got supplies in the boat. We wanted to make sure of what you needed before we hauled everything in.”
“I don’t know who gave you your instructions, but I was never supposed to be here this long. While I would be grateful for whatever supplies you brought, they shouldn’t even be necessary.”
It appeared the taller man was in charge since his gaze swept over her and the space, plus he was the one answering her questions. The other man pulled his hat off to expose his red hair. He didn’t appear overly curious, letting the other man do all the talking.
The taller man lifted his hands and shook his head. “You’re complaining to the wrong person, lady. We’ve got nothing to do with who’s here, how long you’re here, or anything. We were just told to bring supplies.”
“Fine. Bring them in and leave.”
He took a few steps toward the bed, dropped his gaze to the messy covers, and then looked over at the kitchen, his gaze continuing to search the area. She glanced at the red-headed man standing in one place, then turned to the other. “What are you looking for? As you can see, this place is hardly big enough to turn around, so I can’t imagine you think I’m hiding extra supplies here.”
He looked down at her, his eyes cold. Nerves slithered down her back, and she had no hope of hiding her fear, but Jeb said to act naturally. Well, being terrified is natural!
The inquisitive man turned to the other and said, “I’m going upstairs. You go get the supplies from the boat.”
The red-headed man grumbled and sent a glare toward his partner before sliding it over toward her. Standing her ground, she refused to look away. He finally turned and stomped out the door, closing it firmly.
Her instinct was to call out, but she knew she had nothing to hide from the second floor. “Go ahead, but I’m coming up too. There are expensive computer equipment and programs up there that I can’t duplicate. I’m not going to let you mess things up.” Without giving him a chance to deny her, she started up the stairs directly behind him.
Once there, she watched as his head swiveled slowly over the space. She nervously looked to ensure there was nothing of Jeb’s up there but knew he would have taken care of it before heading out the door. Still, she couldn’t seem to stop her galloping heartbeat.
The man appeared diligent, but she couldn’t imagine what he was searching for. Did something tip them off that another person was here? Was there a bug she didn’t know about that the Keepers missed? Summoning up more bravery than she felt, she asked, “What are you looking for?”
He didn’t reply but turned quickly, staring down at her. She was used to people being taller than her and realized that in the past, she would often step back, maintaining her own personal space. But now, she wanted to see what he was doing. Strangely, the lighthouse felt like her place, and he was the intruder. His glare made her insides quiver, but she kept her expression steady.
He finally mumbled, “I just wanted to see what was up here,” before turning to walk back downstairs.
“I’m going to call my contact,” she said. “I want to know why the protocol for delivering supplies has been changed, and I wasn’t told. Especially, considering you came while it’s still dark outside, demanding entrance.”
The man stopped at the bottom of the stairs and twisted around to glare. “There won’t be any need for that. Everything looks in order here, and we’ll soon have your supplies.” He moved to the kitchen area and grabbed the kitchen chair. Plopping it in the middle of the floor, he sat on it backward, resting his forearms on the back.
The only other place for her to sit would’ve been the bed, and she refused to sit there while he was still in her space. She felt vulnerable enough without adding to the awkwardness. Remaining standing, she clasped her hands together. “You still haven’t told me who you are, who sent you, and your real purpose.”
“Who we are, doesn’t matter. Who sent us also doesn’t matter. Someone knows you’re here and that someone wants supplies delivered. Our purpose was to?—”
“I want to know your real purpose,” she emphasized. “I hardly think that delivering food means you need to search this place and look upstairs. I’m pretty sure a deliveryman can’t understand computer code.”
A flash of anger moved through his face, and her insides quivered again. She was trying to be brave, but it was hard when she was so nervous. She reminded herself that Jeb was just outside, listening.
“You talk big for someone who’s stuck out here.”
She couldn’t think of a quip, considering he was right. She was stuck out here. But if they have a boat–
The sound of boots stomping on the stone just outside the door met her ears.
“Jesus, Mac, do you have to make so much noise?” the man barked as he stood and walked toward the door. “I’m coming?—”
Suddenly, the door burst open, swinging inward and cracking the man on the forehead. He cried out as he stumbled back, and when his jacket flew open, she spied a gun holster.
Seeing Jeb rush in, she cried out, “He’s got a gun!”
Jeb had deftly knocked the man unconscious and rolled him over, tying his hands behind him with zip ties. Pulling the man’s gun out of its holster, he searched for more weapons.
Her heart raced, but she couldn’t believe how easily Jeb had manhandled the man to the floor, rendering him unconscious and disarming him. “The other one is coming back,” she rushed.
“Already got him,” Jeb reported.
Her eyes widened. “Oh…” she mumbled, realizing Jeb would have everything under control. “He wasn’t bringing supplies, was he?”
Jeb held her gaze and slowly shook his head. “No.”
“So… they were here for…?”
His jaw tightened, and for a second, she was distracted by how the dangerous glint in his eyes only made him more attractive. And it didn’t escape her notice that he offered no answer to her question.
“Right,” she muttered, letting out a long, shaky breath.
“How much more coding do you need to do for us to get out of here?”
“I was going to finish this morning. It’s not too much?—”
“Do it. Do it now. I’ll take care of the trash.”
Without question, she nodded, then turned and ran up the stairs without glancing back at the man on the floor.