Chapter 56

The interior of the ship is a definition of luxury, from the wood brown furniture to the white beddings and curtains

Inside the boat are four long couches arranged around a round center table. A curtain opposite where we entered from covering a king sized bed with white beddings and a brown wood frame structure

The inside smells of strawberry and mint and the cupboard has shelves with spare towels, toothbrushes and robes

Beside the bed area is a bathroom, with an oval bathtub and a waterproof curtain. If anything, this cruise boat is the highlight of my stay in this island. Would you look at that? I don’t know Harem but this?

The pain in my head suddenly disappears as I look through the boat, even the tension of waiting for them to leave had completely disappeared. I need a cold bath and to sleep on an actual bed and I didn't need get back to civilization to experience all these. I love my life

I sink into one of the couches rubbing myself against the smooth fabric and beaming to myself, Thelma and Rose joins me as Olivia just stares into the boat with teary eyes, I understand how she feels what I don’t know is where the boys had gone again.

Tony shows up with a box “you are pretty active for someone with a nasty head injury” he jokes and I laugh “I found a first aid kit, I figure that a boat with a champagne bottle should have a kit”

I don’t know what I am excited about, whether it is the kit or the champagne because I am hungry and no place invests in champagne without some snacks tucked out somewhere

Right? When was the last time I had something to eat again? I sit up as he removes the cloth that was over my head “I think I need a bath first” I suggest

“its not going to work, it uses water from the sea so you have to be on the sea to use it”

“so you are going to dress the wound twice?” I ask

“worth a shot” He shrugs

“actually, the tank is filled up so we can have our baths before dressing our wounds” Willow says playing with the shower and yet again, I love harem!

I hurry to the towels and grab one, it is only four so I take a robe instead. I dash into the bathroom and leap in. with a deep breath I turn on the shower and – and – gracious goodness

That all I can say because the height of euphoria chilling in my wounded brain blacks me out to anything. Well until Rose yells out at me for her turn

In minutes we had tidied up ourselves and we also had on a few change of clothes that was intended for Olivia and Harem. Relaxing on the couch like our lives are not in imminent danger and waiting for the sound of these people leaving

They could either be checking the bodies still or preparing the bomb and maybe taking out anything that would lead this back to them because the bombing will draw attention – maybe that is why it was the last resort

Olivia had been quiet like she was when we arrived and I understand why she would be. I don’t know how I would feel if I was in her position though so – no judging

I sit beside her on the couch and spread my arms apart allowing her to slide into them. she wasn’t crying, just moping and sniffing

“Harem was a wonderful person, he didn’t deserve to die just like that” Olivia says, I pat her shoulder

“well, I thought same for Harper” I whisper back

“so you decided to risk us all and yourself most especially because he was hurting” Olivia jokes and I grunt… that was not part of the plan

“what?!” Tony yells

“actually I was wondering why Bella was being extra nice to me and protected me. But after that night, I don’t know what to wonder about” Harper narrates. Obviously enjoying the show, I show him my fist and he sits back

“Bell, what are they talking about?” Tony asks me, not in the least amused

“I was just being a good person for a change… I am working on personal growth and Harper is my muse” whatever that means

“that is not being good, I was scared you are starting to like him” Olivia teased further

“I don’t. T don’t listen to them” I say

Tony laughs “well, I may have hated Harp all the more with the way you were kinda favoring him so much” he confesses and Harper offers a handshake which he accepts

“but that is how you are with Rose. You love her a lot and worse still, you met her way before you got to know me. I will have to compete with that” I complain

“I would rather wrestle that” Olivia jokes

I look at her confused “Olivia! What happened to girls first?”

Everyone laughs and Olivia shrugs at me “where is Willow?” Thelma asks, I look around, he must be outside.

He walks into the boat again in white singlet and a nicker, a huge bandage wrap around his right lap “I am looking out for the plane”

“we will all hear it, come in already” I say and he joins us, though staying close enough to the covered window. I am happy with his paranoia because only then can I relax

“so guys, lets celebrate” Rose walks in with glasses of half-filled wine and a bottle. She drop the bottle on the center table and walk round distributing the champagne to each of us. we raise our glasses and sip from it

“I have a confession to make” Thelma say, drawing all our attention to her “I may have betrayed you guys and let them in on the fact that we already know everything. I understand that the girls didn’t want to make a big deal out of it by not telling you anything but I still need to apologize. It is my fault that the villagers died”

“I don’t think so” I say

“they sent for reinforcement after I told them” Thelma counters with breaking voice

“oh, figures” Willow comments and sips from his glass

She knelt down and dropped her glass on the table “I am really sorry for everything, I don’t deserve forgiveness but I have gone way past living without you guys. Please –” she chokes on her tears and we all laugh at her making her cry all the more

“I was also scared about what leaving will mean for me” Willow says “being a suspect and all”

“on that topic” I sit up as Rose help Thelma to her feet “we will have to lay low, my mum will help with our treatments so that they don’t get a hint of us making it back to civilization. we will work together to uncover the secret organization and expose them. that way we can stop them”

“they are powerful people Bell” Will warns

“yet they operate in secret, that is their weakness. So we will expose them. we just need to lay low until we notice a pattern relating to them” I say

“where do we stay? If we have to be separated from our lives how will we survive?”

“my mother know a person or two. We will change our hair styles and all. Then our identity and we will split up. we will only unite when we have a lead. I for one need to train properly”

“and we cannot work with the police because we don’t know how much they can control” Tony suggests

“yea, its either we help or the cycle continue” Thelma says

“what about Harper’s memory?” Rose asks

“I don’t want to wait on it but if he remembers, it will make all the work easy” I say

“so we need to drink to that. a promise that we would unite again against them” Tony announces and we all raise our glasses and drink