The Salinian by Katherine Hightower

Author:Katherine Hightower [Hightower, Katherine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Goddard Place Publishing
Published: 2020-07-20T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

OK OK

“I will consider it, if you explain to me exactly why we’re risking our lives, because that’s exactly what we would be doing. Throats don’t get slit on accident, Frankie.” Spencer was now standing at the door, right in front of Frankie. Both women had their arms crossed, body language speaking what their silence had yet to express.

“That was the captain.”

“Yes. Go on.”

Frankie rolled her eyes. “The captain and first mate navigate this ship. If they’ve died or, heaven forbid, been murdered, then we have no way of finding our way to our destinations or back to San Francisco.”

“You can’t possibly think this is an accident.” Spencer’s nails were digging into the inside of her elbow.

“I don’t want to assume the worst. Any number of things could have happened.” Frankie’s eyes darted up and to the left.

“Think about it. His throat was slit, really clean from what I could see, from one ear to the other. There aren’t very many accidents that could cause that.”

Frankie began to pace, from the door to her stateroom window and back again. Her steps were slow and deliberate, her head bowed chin to chest. The bun she’d put her hair up into wobbled back and forth.

“I just want to know for sure. I don’t want to lock ourselves in this room. If we stay here, they have all the power. If we find out what’s happening, we’ll at least be able to make a plan. Does that make sense?” Frankie asked Spencer.

Spencer considered this. Fifteen years ago, she would have been one hundred percent certain that going with Frankie was the right thing to do. They were bold, ruthless, and brave. But the accident, and the years following, had made Spencer more cautious about almost everything.

She momentarily thought of the sharks, which were certainly swimming underneath the boat at this very moment. They didn’t think, stress, reason, or worry. Their primary objective was to feed. It would be nice for life to be that simple , Spencer thought.

“It makes sense,” Spencer conceded. “I don’t want to be trapped.”

“I know you don’t, that’s why I’m trying to get us out of here.”

They locked eyes, and again Spencer felt that spark of familiarity bringing her clarity. Frankie wasn’t going to put her in harm’s way if she could avoid it. She’d never been reckless in that way.

“Alright,” Spencer said, placing her hand on the door. “Let’s go.”

Frankie, who had not expected this answer, put her hand on Spencer’s shoulder. “Let’s stay quiet, but don’t act like you have a reason to sneak around. If we pretend like everything is okay, whoever is behind whatever is happening won’t have a reason to hurt us.”

“Okay.” Spencer breathed out uncertainly.

She turned the knob and stepped out onto the deck. The night air was bitterly cold, laced with sea salt that cut into her skin like diamond grain. They rocked in the wind, and she could hear the waves lapping against the sides of the ship.

It was unnerving to Spencer, who had never spent much time on boats, much less boats in the ocean.

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