Her Cruise Ship Surprise | ✔

Chapter Thirty

He shot her. Frank actually shot Darla. Tamara hoofed her way down the stairs with tears burning in her eyes as she held her injured arm, her stomach rolling. She couldn't get sick, not now. She had to keep her wits about her otherwise she'd end up dead, too. And that wasn't part of her life plan.

What was she going to tell Jason? Swallowing back bile, she hopped the railing to move down to the next landing using her good hand. If she didn't move fast, he'd catch up to her and if he did, she'd likely be dead, too. She had to hide, but where?

Sucking back a sob, she wiped the tears from her eyes so she could see and dashed around the corner. She watched as people were herded down the hall and contemplated joining them, but she had a feeling they were being rounded up—the next step in their captor's hands.

After being captured once, she had no intention of letting that happen again. Keeping out of site, she let her gaze scan over the crowd, trying to see if Logan was with them, but she couldn't find him. Damn it. Where was the meathead?

Upon hearing footsteps on the landing above her, she glanced up and saw Frank. Not wasting another second, she hopped the railing again and began running down the stairs. As she rounded the railing at the next level, she smacked her bad wrist on the railing and ended up biting her tongue in the process as she cried out loud.

But she didn't have any time to stop and baby it. She had to keep moving before he caught up with her. Huffing and puffing, she raced down the hallway, cabin doors on either side. She had to find a place to hide. Seeing one door propped open, she ducked inside and shut it behind her. Spinning around, she found herself in the housekeeping supply room, and a smaller Pilipino lady was staring at her.

Tamara lifted a finger to her lips to indicate to remain quiet. The ladies gaze dropped to her injured hand and her eyes widened in panic. Knowing that a cry was building up in the young woman, she rushed over and placed a hand over her mouth. "It'll be fine. We just have to stay quiet," she whispered.

One thing she couldn't figure out was why the woman was in here and not gathering with the rest of the groups at the muster stations. And she would have asked, but couldn't risk being heard while the man was outside the door.

Tamara jumped when there was a loud bang and she heard him yell, "Shit!" Good. He didn't know where she went. Waiting until there was silence outside the door, she poked her head outside and saw him moving down the hall, shaking his head.

"Madam, I need you to get to the captain immediately and tell him that there is a hostile takeover happening. Hurry, and be quiet."

And as the woman disappeared out the door on the other side, Tamara poked her head back into the hallway that she'd disappeared from and debated on what to do. Frank was continuing to walk in the direction they'd been moving. Now that he didn't know where she was, she should take th opportunity to check on Darla and make sure she's still alive. Get them help if she could.

Taking a deep, she waited until he'd good and disappeared himself before moving back into the hallway, retracing her steps. Silence had filled the halls and it felt a little eerie, like a ghost ship. Goosebumps covered her skin as she raced towards her friend, as she murmured, "Please be alive. Please be alive."

It didn't take long to get back up to where Darla was. Her friend was leaning against the wall, holding her stomach, her face pale and her lips a light blue and a pool of blood on the ground seeped from her side. She had to get her to the medical clinic. "Can you walk?"

"I don't know," Darla replied hoarsely.

"I'll help you up, just keep holding pressure on the wound."