Breathless | COMPLETED

Chapter Nineteen

Author's note:   This chapter took longer than normal to publish because it was an important one as you will soon find out. There are moments in everyone's life that changes that person forever. This is that moment for Lauren. I hope you enjoy it.

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The motion was all different.

Something had gone wrong. There was no roll, no pitch. The ship was hardly moving. There wasn't even any noise or throb of the Diesel engine.

She got out of bed and peered out of her window to see that they had stopped, settled comfortably to a moderate sea and low swell. A light blue sky greeted her gaze  while a handful of small cotton bud clouds passed over a sun that was mid-way above the horizon.

She turned round and started to get dressed, happy at least to have the pain in-between her thighs reduced to a dull ache. She chose one of her plain white T-shirts. It was still with the rest of her clothes on the floor. It was creased but under one of her jumpers who would know. She put on a pair of jeans and slipped on her trainers and was about to leave when she noticed a small piece of paper. It had been slipped under her door and was lying half hidden under Rissondale's jacket. It was a note that contained just three words.

"I'll be waiting."

That was it. There was no mention of a time or place and it seemed a strange thing to say until it slowly dawned on her.

It was Roberts.

Who else? He must have waited until Banam had left and then came back while Lauren was asleep.

She swore under her breath as it brought everything back. His hands on her throat. His breath on her face. She had hoped that after Banam had come to her rescue that this would all be over but it wasn't and this note proved it.

She hurried to the bridge.

Everyone was at their station and she moved quickly to the back where she found a book marked "Emergencies." She took it to a small table by one of the front windows and opened it at a new page. She saw Rissondale running forward on the companionway with three of his men. The emergency must be forward, confirmed moments later by Rutherford.

'We've hit something,' he said gravely. 'We don't know what it is but we've stopped the ship just in case.'

Lauren started to make notes under the time and date she had added earlier.

"Vessel is hit by unknown object."

"Emergency teams mustered."

"Chief Officer forward assessing the damage."

She then added the ship's position and waited. She saw Captain Harrison at the other end of the bridge pacing up and down, wearing out the carpet her mum would say. He looked worried. A man in his sixties; Lauren had only seen him a few times and he had already left a permanent impression on her. He seemed a solid character, dependable, a no nonsense guy. The type of person you would imagine who would stand on the bridge of his ship watching it sink while he made sure that everyone else was safely in a lifeboat.

She saw him pick up his radio.

'Come on Ben. Talk to me. What's happening?'

Rissondale asked for more time.

'We think it's the Forepeak,' he said with a slight edge to his voice. 'We can hear rushing water but we need time to find out exactly what is happening. I'll get back to you as soon as I know more.'