The Light Keeper's Daughter

The Light Keeper's Daughter - Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Daniel was at his wits end. Franklin had left over an hour ago to find Mr. Underwood at the police station and lead them to the warehouse. It couldn’t be taking this long and someone needed to do something to help Camila. He made a foolish promise to Franklin that he would not be hasty and rush in, but now he really wanted to get her out of there.

The wagon had remained behind the closed doors of the warehouse and Daniel wasn’t sure if Camila was still in the back of the wagon or had been moved. He kept an eye on the warehouse, but dusk was coming and with the night approaching Daniel wanted this matter finished and Camila in his arms where she belonged.

Not wanting to think about how empty his life would be if something happened to her, Daniel tried to focus on the future. A future with Camila, but questions meshed with memories that kept floating through his mind. One thought would lead to another, with a memory mixed in to his random thoughts. He had watched his mother die and he did not want to lose someone else that he loved. The woman he loved. Yes he loved Camila and after today, he never wanted Camila in danger again. The sight of his mother standing on the street moments before her death transformed into Camila standing on the bluff smiling at him. Why did she come to the cave? She had promised to stay away, but something had to bring her there. He vowed to himself to ask her when he rescued her from this very dangerous situation.

Twenty minutes. He was giving Franklin twenty more minutes and then he was going in with or without help and rescue the woman he loved.

******

Fog. Deep, thick fog clouded Camila’s mind as she started to wake up. She had never felt this way before. The room was dark. Almost as dark as her mind. Unable to move her arms and legs, Camila decided to lay still and try to clear her head.

Her mouth felt dry. So dry that she felt like she had sand stuck in every crevice of her mouth. Camila tried with all her might to gather saliva to help, but the more she tried the drier her mouth felt.

“Please God, help me. I know you are here with me because you will never forsake me. And though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table for me in the presence of my enemies. Lord, I am in the den of my enemy, protect me.”

Closing her eyes when she heard the footsteps, Camila tried not to react in the slightest way when she was poked by something into her back. She knew in her heart that the best thing right now was to lay still and pretend unconscious. Besides, she could barely move her fingers much less the rest of her body. All she knew was that she would not drink anything else, no matter how thirsty she was.

“Tell Mr. P that she’s still out,” one gruff voice said.

“How much longer until she wakes up? He’s anxious and I don’t want to take him disappointing news.”

“Not sure how much she ingested, could be a few minutes to another hour.”

“So, within an hour. Got it. Watch her. And Parrino said hands off.” For that Camilla was glad to hear.

She heard the door close and someone settle in to the chair across the room. The drum that had been beating in her head was slowing down, but the pressure and ache did not lessen. The need for clean, fresh water was so overwhelming she almost asked for some until she remember that was what got her into this situation.

No. What got her into this situation was going to the cave to warn Daniel and Franklin, and they didn’t even know that she was here. No one knew she was here. She was on her own.

No. God was with her.

Camila was about to allow the darkness to encompass her again when she heard a commotion in the warehouse. Popping. No. Gunshots. Someone was shooting guns in the warehouse. Her captor almost fell out of his chair in his rush to get to the door. Once opened, he quickly looked out in the hallway and just as fast closed it bringing the gun out of the back of his belt and aimed it towards the door.

Opening her eyes more than she anticipated, she watched as the man pulled a gun out of his waistband.

“Lord, protect those that come for me. Please Lord, let them have come for me!”

There was several loud bangs on the door and Daniel finally broke through the barrier. Her mind suddenly became clear. Daniel was in danger. But before she could form the words in her mouth, the gun in her captors hand went off and she saw the blood stain spread like a web on Daniel’s shirt. He smiled at her and sank to the ground. Camila heard someone scream and moments later realized the sound came from deep within her. Daniel laid bleeding on the ground.  

******

The police chief was there giving orders. The first thing he did was tell Daniel to stay out of the way. But he couldn’t do that. Camila needed him. Once the police rushed in and began apprehending the mobsters, Daniel started in behind them. The warehouse was wrapped in darkness so no one would notice him.

“Where are you going?” Franklin grabbed his arm, stopping his momentum and turning him slightly around. How could he forget about Franklin?

Shaking off Franklin’s hand Daniel said, “To find Camila.”

Walking quietly in the shadows, Daniel knew Franklin was following him without looking back. They made their way past a cluster of mobsters fighting with the police. Staying out of their way they found two other gangsters with one police officer holding them in the chairs by aiming his gun at them.

Walking up a flight of steps Daniel came to his first bit of trouble. He sees a man coming out of a room and begin rushing down the steps towards him. A feeling of assuredness comes over him and he knows, without understanding why, that Camila is up these stairs. He must do anything to get to her. He rushes up a few more steps to meet the larger than life man coming towards him with anger in his eyes. Just below where they will meet, Daniel braces himself and when the man reaches out to grab him, Daniel squats and manhandles the mobster over the side railing of the stairs and watches as the assailant drops to the ground below landing solidly and not moving.

“Well done,” he hears Franklin say in surprise from behind him.

Going up the steps, Daniel goes to the door the man just came out of. Empty.

Opening the next door, Daniel’s eyes softened when he saw her laying still and with her eyes closed on a cot. He didn’t have long to be thankful because suddenly there was a man jumping up from a chair across the room and heading his way.

“What are you doing here?” The guard was approached Daniel with a gun raised. The bullet stung as it pierced his skin, and Daniel clenched his teeth at the sudden pain. But the bullet missed the mark and scraped across his right arm. Daniel stumbled towards the ground then thrust forward with all of his momentum and striking the mobster square in the nose. Hearing the cartilage of the nose break, he watched the man slup to the ground then he said, “Rescuing her.”

******

“She’s coming to,” Camila heard a distant voice say. She wasn’t sure who the floating voice belonged to. She prayed that Daniel was still alive. His face was the first one she saw as she opened her eyes.

“You were shot!” Her statement wasn’t a question. She witnessed the bullet flying from the gun into his flesh. Camilla watched the blood spread on his shirt.

His smile melted her heart, “Flesh wound, nothing serious.”

“What happened?” Camila asked.

“Why did you go to the cave after you promised not to?”

“I knew you and Franklin were there moving the drugs and I didn’t want the thugs to find you. So, I went to warn you, but they found me before I could.”

“They drugged you didn’t they?” Franklin asked. He was standing back away from the couple with his arms crossed over his chest.

“They made me drink something, yes it was drugged.” Camila looked pleading up at Daniel, “Now will you tell me, what happened?”

“We saw them take you and followed them. Your father went to the police and Franklin led them to the warehouse where I waited.” He looked at her with a lopsided grin on his face, “I wasn’t very patient. Just as I was about to crash in, they showed up and the police took over. We went looking for you and I found you with that neanderthal standing guard over you.”

Camila couldn’t resist anymore.  She reached up and cupped her hand on Daniel’s cheek, and he placed his hand on top of hers. “You’re truly okay?”

“The bullet grazed my arm. I am fine.”

“Did they arrest Parrino?” Camila had to ask.

“He slipped away. But don’t worry they will catch him. There is enough evidence here to put him away for a very long time.”


******

Two months later things had settled down on the island. Daniel had returned to the city, plans had to be made with his father. He finished the investigative article on the drug smuggling. Vincent Parrino was arrested. It wasn’t the drug trafficking that finally put him away. Kidnapping had been his downfall. Sure the drug ring added to the charges, but by holding and drugging Camila that sealed his fate.

Camila continued to help her father in the lighthouse. Franklin understood that Camila did love him, but not in a way that a marriage should be based on. He loved her and knew that he always would. But, in the time Daniel stayed at the lighthouse she fell in love with Daniel in a way she never loved Franklin. It hurt, but there was nothing he could do to change her mind. And he realized he did not want to settle for anything less than what she felt with Daniel.

Today was the day that Camila had been waiting for. Daniel was returning.

Two months ago before he left, he talked to her about his plan. He never wanted to take over his father’s paper. His dream was to start his own weekly publication. After talking with Mr. Underwood they decided to remake the storage shed, expand it some and set up a printing press for Daniel to fulfil that dream. Daniel had been torn, because he also fell in love with not only the lighthouse, but also the light keeper’s daughter.

On the day that he was to leave, Camilla was sitting on the bench above the bluff overlooking the sea that she loved so much, Daniel asked on bended knee if she would share her life with him. Become partners in the publication, lighthouse and in life. “Yes!” she told him as he held her face in his hands and kissed her. Tender at first, then allowing the passion of his love and devotion to come out in his embrace.

And finally tonight, at sunset everyone gathered to watch them proclaim their love. Camila thought about giving in to her mother and having a church wedding. But instead she and Daniel decided to go against the norm and start their life where everything began, on the beach feet away from where Daniel washed ashore. Daniel met her there, his father and Franklin... yes Franklin stood up with him as he began his life with Camila.

Franklin was Camila’s dearest friend and once he no longer had anger towards Daniel for stealing Camila away, he and Daniel became the closest of friends. It didn’t stop him from telling Daniel, “Treat her right,” as they watched Camila come down the steps from the lighthouse to the beach.

“I will. I love her.” Daniel could not take his eyes off his bride. She wore a white gown that the wind caressed. His lip lifted in a grin as he noticed she refused to wear the bonnet her mother had insisted on. Instead she had flowers in her hair. Her eyes met his and a lifetime, their lifetime passed between them. And in that moment they both knew that the future was theirs for the making.


The End