The Forbidden Script (19 page)

Moving further inside with the flame in front of her, she saw another carved out hole in the wall. Praying for her lighter to keep alight, she knelt in front of the gap to see if it was just an odd hole. As she placed her hand inside she felt the sand beneath her sinking under her own weight. The hole was actually bigger than it seemed, and large enough for her to enter. She scooped the sand away until she was able to enter with ease. Holding the lighter in one hand and crawling as low as she could, Sally entered yet another room, but much narrower, more like a corridor. The flames from the zippo flickered as she walked deeper into the bedrock. She felt both sides of the walls, which were rough to the touch, but still carved out by man. After ten yards, she noticed a slight incline with each step she took, just like walking up a small hill. The air inside also seemed much cooler and had a salty taste to it. Sally stopped to think. Should she go back the way she came and wait to be caught, or take her chances and continue into the unknown. Being an adventurous person, she decided to continue forward, with her lighter held out in front of her. The flames started to dance as a light breeze was felt. Moving even slower than before, not wanting to fall into a crevice or suddenly finding herself at a cliffs edge, she knew the breeze meant another opening up ahead. Squinting her eyes, she could make out a small archway three feet in height, leading to a tunnel entrance. Plucking up courage, she crawled through it inch by inch for about five minutes, when suddenly she came out into a vast circular cave having a dome type ceiling. The place was incredible. Over fifty feet in diameter, and reaching thirty feet in height. The walls and ceiling seemed to shine, letting off enough light to see to the other side. Sally stepped out, walking towards the center of the cave, when she nearly lost her footing with the next step. In the middle of the cave was a deep pool of water about ten feet in diameter. She held the lighter above her head. The water level was rising and falling from the movement of the waves, meaning the pool had access to the outside. Sally thought this could be her escape passage from Travis and the others, but it was dark and dangerous to enter the pitch black water. She had no idea how far underwater she would have to swim before resurfacing. Sally preferred to be captured again, then risk drowning in some dark underwater cave.

The helicopter search lights were directed by the pilot as they flew above the waves in search of the boat. The chopper zigzagged, covering more area with precision. Danny covered the right side wearing night vision goggles while Jason scanned the left seeing into the night as if it were day.

They were now half an hour out to sea, and still saw no sign of a boat. The waves had died down, giving relief to Jason, fearing the boat might have capsized.

Another half hour passed and still no luck. Jason was under immense stress, and things got worse when the pilot announced their fuel was past the half way mark, and had to turn back.

Jason exploded. “I don’t care if you have to fly on fumes! Just keep going until we see that damn boat!”

The pilot thought otherwise. “I’m sorry sir! But we have to turn back, or we’ll end up in the ocean!”

With lighting speed, Jason was at the pilot’s throat. “You keep going or it’s you who’s going to end up in the ocean!”

Danny intervened, placing his hand on Jason’s shoulder in an attempt to calm him down.

“Jason! It’s alright. We’re gonna find her I swear!”

Not more than five minutes had passed when they saw some small islands up ahead in the distance. The pilot again announced their fuel was way passed the safety mark.

Danny said, “Jason we have to turn around!”

“There! I see a light up ahead!” Shouted out Jason.

Danny and the pilot could see nothing.

The pilot said, “I can’t see anything, I believe you’re mistaken!”

Jason again went for the pilot who was about to turn the helicopter around.

“Fly lower god damn it! Take us as low as you can!” Instructed Jason.

The pilot didn’t seem to care what Jason had just told him.

It was then that Danny stepped up front taking hold of the helicopter’s flight stick and forcing it forward. The chopper dived suddenly, ocean waves coming up fast.

Danny was now face to face with the pilot.

He said, “if he said he saw something, then he saw something, okay! Now take this bird down as low as you can!”

That was all Jason needed, the next instant he was gone, diving into the dark ocean, swimming towards the light he had seen.

The pilot couldn’t believe what he had just witnessed.

“Is he crazy? Who the hell jumps out of a moving helicopter, and in the dark?”

Danny sat back in his seat patting the pilot on his back saying, “Jason Mallock does! And yes! He may be crazy!”

The helicopter was out of sight, and Jason was alone in the warm Bahama waters. He swam with all his strength towards the dim light with his weapon tucked in his jeans, and an army knife strapped to his lower leg was all he had facing the danger ahead.

The glittering surface of the sea shone bright as his arms cut the water like knives. Now and then he would hear splashes only yards away from him. He knew the risk he took knowing sharks prowled these oceans in search of an easy meal, but they were the least of his worries.

Inside the cave, Sally began to shiver from the cold and dampness. There was nothing inside the cave to keep her warm. She had her lighter but had nothing to set alight.

All she could do was wait, so she looked around the cave to find a place where she could lay down and rest.

The ground was dry and surprisingly warmer further against the cave walls. She made sure she was facing the entrance just in case Travis or one of the others entered.

Soon exhaustion got the best of her, and she dozed off into a deep sleep. Her dreams were happy dreams when she was still about eight years old. Her mother was playing with her in the garden, pushing her on a swing that her father had made for her. She kept telling her mother, “higher, push me higher so I can touch the sky.”

Anne pushed her higher just enough for her daughter to think the sky was getting closer. Sally then had enough of the swing and embraced her mother saying, “I love you mummy, love you forever.”

Tears rolled down Anne’s face as she also said, “I love you too Sally. I will always be there for you no matter what. Even when you can’t see me, I will be standing right next to you for all of time.”

Sally’s dream became a reality as she lay curled up on the cave floor. She was awakened by someone whispering her name. Sitting up, she could see her mother in a white dress just like the one in her dream.

“Sally dear, wake up. It’s me, your mother. Wake up, follow me, I will lead you out of here.”

Anne turned around beckoning Sally to follow her towards the pool of water in the center of the cave. She saw her mother enter the dark water up to her knees.

“Mother wait! I’m afraid! It’s too dark under the water.”

Sally stood up, and walked over to her mother who was now standing in the center of the pool as if she were floating on air with her arms open wide.

As she approached closer to the waters edge, a bright light shone from under the water, lighting up the entire pool and the whole cave. Sally stepped closer and closer entering the warm water.

It was then when Sally suddenly woke up sitting against the cave wall looking at the center of the cave. Her dream had ended.

Sally began to weep. She was cold and scared, but something deep down inside of her gave her courage. She remembered her dream. Her mother, Anne was with her, showing her the way out of the cave, a way out to safety.

Getting up, she ventured to the waters edge. The water was dark, not like in her dream. She waited a few minutes trying to make up her mind whether to enter the water or go back the way she had come.

The later got the better of her. She backed away from the water and ran back to the cave entrance. Sally took a few steps into the narrow passage, when she felt water slopping over her feet.

The strong gravitational pull of the moon had an enormous effect on the tide. The entire passageway was now flooded, and the sea was creeping in at a fast rate. The whole cave would be full of water within an hour.

She had no choice but to go the way her mother had shown her in her dream.

After half an hour of swimming, Jason saw something floating towards him. He stopped where he was, treading water, trying to make out what it was. Not taking any chances, he unsheathed his army knife, ready for an attack.

The object got closer, but nothing happened. He calculated the length, roughly six feet long and just over two feet in width. He recognized what it was and swam towards the piece of driftwood, holding onto it, exhausted from his continuous swimming.

Jason took the time to get his bearings. He figured he had at least another forty-five minutes before reaching the island. He prayed Sally was still alive. His life meant nothing without her. She was the one thing that kept him going in life.

He took a gamble when jumping from the helicopter. Jason was not even certain that the light he saw was where she was, but he was desperate, he could not turn back after coming this far.

The helicopter landed back at the FBI airstrip. Danny took all coordinates and carefully plotted a return trip to catch up with his partner Jason.

Danny had discharged himself from hospital as soon as he heard the news that Sally had been abducted and was in danger. Chief Berks updated Danny with all the information and gave him the go ahead with the helicopter search.

He contacted Kate as soon as he landed assuring her Jason was alright.

Now Danny’s main priority was getting back to Jason. He needed a boat, a very fast boat, and he knew the very person from whom he can borrow one.

He called his old fishing buddy Thomas O'Neil.

“Hey O'Neil! It’s Danny. Sorry to disturb you at this hour, but I need a favor, no questions asked.”

“Fire away Danny! It’s all yours.”

“I need to borrow your boat!” said Danny, in a desperate voice.

Thomas O'Neil has been a friend of Danny since high school and trusted him with anything.

“She’s all yours, loaded and ready to go. You know where to find the key. Danny, you take care old friend.”

“Thanks, O'Neil! I owe you one,” said Danny on his way to the pontoons.

Ten minutes was all it took for Danny to arrive near the boat. He arranged his blood stained bandages around his chest, tightening them as he walked towards the boat.

       Berthed in pontoon sixteen, the boat was one of the fastest around here. A fishing vessel built for speed and designed to out run any storm during one of its deep sea fishing trips. It had four, three hundred horsepower outboard motors, allowing it to glide over the water with ease.

Danny found the key where O'Neil kept hidden in a compartment on the boat itself.

He then punched in the coordinates on the dashboard GPS. Then turned on the ignition, and the four monster engines roared to life. Danny untied the mooring lines and was about to leave when he heard somebody calling out to him.

He looked up to see Kate running towards him.

“Danny wait!”

“What’s wrong Kate?” asked Danny.

“I’m coming with you. You’re in no shape to travel alone,” she said, pointing at the blood seeping through his bandages.

“Okay, hurry get in,” said Danny, tossing the mooring lines.

Sally stood where she was staring into the dark pool, knowing she had no choice but to jump into the water.

She looked behind her watching the water as it rapidly poured into the cave. This was it. She had to jump in before it’s too late.

Counting in her mind, “one, two, three.” Sally dived in.

She opened her eyes; darkness was all around her. She swam under water without knowing where she was going.

“Mother where is the light you showed me?” She said to herself.

Sally swam deeper, her lungs were about to burst, starved from oxygen. Only a minute had passed, which seemed like an hour. She had lost orientation and was now swimming blindly through the dark waters.

Sally was about to give in, when out of nowhere she saw a small ball of light up ahead. She wondered what it was as it began to move forward, leading her on, increasing in brightness as she approached it. The light seemed to be moving, swimming ahead of her. Sally was out of breath, and afraid she wasn’t going to make it. Then the orb stopped a few feet in front of her. It began to spin faster and faster when suddenly it shot upwards. Sally looked up at the surface above her, the moonlight shining through the water. Then with all her strength, she pushed herself upwards bursting out of the water, gasping for air. She looked around for the orb, which was nowhere to be seen.