Tender Savage (Siren Publishing Allure) (15 page)

“
How could you
!” she screamed. “How could you laugh at me? Can’t you see it? It’s a snake, and it could have eaten me!”

“Hardly.” Abraham let go of her wrists and, grinning, turned her to face the snake. “What is this obsession you have about being eaten? Look! It’s one of the children’s pets, and it’s also very useful for keeping the rats down. It’s well fed and so has no interest in you whatsoever.”

Her breath catching in her throat, Eleanor glared at him.

“Well, how was I to know?”

“You could have tried staying calm, come to find me, and tried asking, instead of getting all out of control and hysterical.”

“
Huh
! Well if you were a gentleman, you would have woken me, or waited for me to wake up instead of doing a little disappearing act as soon as I was asleep. Men who take advantage of a woman, have sex, and run are no better than they ought to be.”

Grabbing hold of her arm, Abraham pulled her round to face him, his jaw tight and his face set into a cold, hard mask. He glared at her.

“Since when have I taken advantage of you, woman? You wanted sex last night and the night before that. You’re one hot lady who thinks with her libido, so don’t go giving me that crap. And as for leaving you, I had actually just left to go get your clothes, but next time you can walk out of the jungle naked for all I care.”

He bent and picked up the clothes that he had dropped when he ran into the hut. Throwing them at her, he eyed her scathingly, his eyes showing her more than his words that she disgusted him. Then spinning on his heels, he left.

Dumbfounded, she gazed after him, tears filling her eyes.

* * * *

Eleanor was hot. She pulled the damp shirt away from her breasts, and she was wet. Looking up as yet another downpour drenched them, she tiredly placed one foot in front of the other. They had left the Indians’ settlement some three hours ago, and after returning to the clearing where they had first made camp to collect their belongings such as they were, they had begun the final trek out of the rain forest. Abraham had barely spoken to her, and she was desperately sorry that their last day in the jungle was fraught with tension.

* * * *

It was nearing midday when they first stopped to rest. Eleanor threw her pack on the floor and thankfully took a swig of water. Looking up as the heavens opened again, she cursed everything. Abraham, the insects, the rain forest, and its goddamn awful weather. It didn’t seem to have stopped raining the entire day.

Abraham was busy checking his radio. He’d mentioned that they were nearly in range, and that he’d hoped by now to be able to pick up a signal from his recovery team.

Eleanor, previously questioning him about how he had got to her in such a short time after the crash, had been told that he had parachuted in. Returning, he informed her, would have been made back on foot whether she had been with him or not, and then, at a prearranged spot, his recovery team would have picked him up. Although, he’d had to admit that she had been an unknown factor in his evaluation, and because of that, he’d had to use an alternative, easier route back from the one mapped out. Having a greenhorn tag along also had made a big difference to his estimated time of arrival at the rendezvous point. But he had reassured her that he was of the opinion that his team would wait for at least two weeks before sending out search and rescue teams, and as a fortnight was not yet up, he could guarantee they would still be waiting.

Abraham indicated that they should be leaving, and resentfully Eleanor swung her pack back on her shoulders. She wished that they weren’t at such odds with each other—all her fault, she supposed. She loved him, and although she finally accepted that he didn’t love her back, she didn’t want to part on bad terms. She had hoped that once they went their separate ways, they would still keep in touch and maybe meet once in a while when she was in the vicinity, for dinner or a movie, but it didn’t look like that was a possibility now.

The day wore on, and after another couple of drenchings, Eleanor, heartily sick of feeling wet all the time, demanded they stop for a moment so she could at least change her clothes.

Abraham’s look was sardonic, and she could tell that he was frustrated at the continuing delays, but he gave in to her request, although, rather grudgingly in her opinion. Now thoroughly annoyed with his insensitive attitude, Eleanor rummaged in her pack for a dry if not entirely clean blouse and trousers and marched off to change her clothes behind some trees. A little pointless really, she thought, as he had seen her naked on a number of occasions, but doing something decisive restored some of her dignity and made her feel a little better.

Abraham sat down on a fallen tree, shouting after her not to go far and to get a wriggle on, as they didn’t have all day for her to pamper herself. He knew he was being intractable and in doing so was getting her back up, but he couldn’t help it. He didn’t want her to think he was softening in his attitude toward her. He couldn’t wait to get back to civilisation and get her off his hands. She was more trouble than she was worth, although he had to admit there had been some pleasant, well, more than pleasant interludes along the way. The times when he’d held her in his arms, the good-natured ribbing, and the nights when she curled up to him like a kitten, but the negatives of hauling her through the jungle had certainly outweighed the positives. She was hard to handle, belligerent, spoiled, and skittish, a magnet for trouble, and he smiled again, more undisciplined than a force of nature. But, he had to admit, he would miss her. Her sweet smile, her warm arms, and her welcoming body. He sighed, glancing at his watch. Where the hell was she now!

“Eleanor!” he shouted, rising impatiently. “Eleanor! Where the devil are you?”

Abraham listened tensely. Eleanor was being remarkably quiet, no squawking or screeching or even the usual swearing. Concerned at her acting so out of character, he caught up his water bottle and machete and strode off the way she had gone. He could clearly see that he was on the right track. Ferns had been broken back, and the undergrowth had been disturbed. She’d ploughed ahead with no thought as to the trail she was leaving. He could hear the rush of water from one of the streams that led to the river, and he uneasily acknowledged that it was probably the river she had headed for. He cursed himself. God! If he should lose her now! With all the rain they had been having, the banks to the river would be unstable and the water wild, which was why he’d given it a wide berth, and it was only now he realised he should have warned her as to its dangers.

Nearing the rush of water, he stopped and listened. Yes, there it was, a faint cry. Running toward the sound, Abraham closed his mind to what he might find He’d deal with it, whatever it was, when he got there. Arriving at the river’s edge, he looked down. The bank had given way, and there was now about a twelve-foot drop to the rushing torrent.

“
Eleanor
!”
he shouted, scanning the water.

“
Abraham
!
Abraham, I’m here. Please help me!”

Easing forward, Abraham realised. Eleanor had fallen about six feet and was clinging to a root protruding out of the bank.

“For god’s sake, Eleanor, hang on.”

“Abraham,” Eleanor whispered, crying in earnest. “Please, I don’t want to die.”

“You’re not going to die, Eleanor. Just do as I say and hang on.”

Abraham uncoiled the rope from his belt, tied one end about his waist, and slowly lowered it down to Eleanor.

“Grab the rope, Eleanor!”

“I can’t. I can’t reach it. I’m too frightened, Abraham.”

“Eleanor, dig your toe into the mud to give you support, then let go of the root with one hand and grab the rope.”

Eleanor, biting her lip until it drew blood, and with tears blurring her vision, forced her toe into the mud and, trembling in fright, reached a shaky hand out for the rope. Her fingers brushed its coarse length, but she felt herself slipping and clutched back at the root. Pressing her brow against the mud, she sobbed.

“I can’t, Abraham. I’m slipping.”

“Eleanor, you’ve got to try.” Abraham went silent and then shouted to her again. “Listen, Eleanor—now, take a deep breath and try again.”

“No! No, I can’t. I can’t, I tell you. Abraham, I’m slipping.
I’m slipping
!” she screamed as she slipped another couple of inches.

Abraham moved further away from the bank and untied the rope from his waist.

“
Abraham
!
Please don’t leave me
!”

Finding a sturdy tree, Abraham wrapped the rope around its trunk and tied a secure knot. Catching up its length, he pulled the line with all his weight behind him. It held.

“
Abraham
!
Please, Abraham
!”

Returning to the bank, Abraham looked down into Eleanor’s terror-filled eyes.

“I’m here, Eleanor. Now I’m going to come down and get you. I want you to hang on as tight as you can to that root and dig your toes in deep. So just hold on.”

“But, Abraham, you’ll fall. Please don’t do it. You’re too heavy, and the rope will break.”

Ignoring her, Abraham gingerly lowered himself over the edge, the toes of his boots finding purchase in the wet mud.

Concentrating on getting to Eleanor, he closed his mind to her sobs and pleas to leave her and save himself and continued to slowly work his way down to her. Finally, after a few nerve-racking minutes, he drew level. Putting an arm around her waist, he drew her to his side.

“Eleanor, listen to me!” he ordered above her cries. “Now, one hand at a time. First, place one of your arms around my neck, still holding onto the root with the other hand.”

Tremulously, she did as bidden.

Abraham’s arm around her waist tightened. “Eleanor, I want you to let go of the root. Don’t worry. I’ve got you. Once you’ve done that, quickly put your other arm around my neck and clasp your hands together.”

Her gaze locking with Abraham’s, Eleanor did as ordered. They swung perilously away from the bank, Abraham’s strong arms holding Eleanor tightly about her waist and Eleanor’s arms becoming a stranglehold around his neck.

“Lift your legs, Eleanor, and wrap them around my waist.”

Finding leverage in the mud with his feet and grasping the rope above Eleanor’s head, Abraham slowly began pulling them up the bank. His powerful shoulder muscles taking the strain, he worked his way up inch by painful inch. His eyes on the summit, he kept his fears to himself. The abrasion of the rope against the crumbling bank was causing small landslides, eroding away the edge of the bank and disturbing the stability of the ground above.

A foot from the top, Abraham let go of the rope with one hand and placed it on Eleanor’s waist.

“Eleanor,
Eleanor
!”

She lifted her head from his neck and looked steadily into his eyes.

“I’m now going to lift you onto the bank. The rope will swing away from the wall. I’m expecting that, so I don’t want you to be frightened. Once onto the bank, I want you to get as far away from the side as you can. Do you understand? No waiting for me.”

Eleanor nodded. “But what about you? I can help pull you up.”

“No! Just do what I say, okay?”

She nodded again, her eyes full of fear.

Letting go of the rope, and with both hands now on Eleanor’s waist, Abraham waited whilst the rope grew steady.

“Now, in a minute I’m going to give you the nod. You are then going to release your arms and legs from around me, but do it slowly. No sudden movements. Don’t worry. I will still have hold of you, and I won’t let you fall. Then I’m going to give one big heave and throw you onto the bank. The rope will move, but you just concentrate on getting away from the bank. I will be fine.
Do you understand
?”

Eleanor nodded. “Yes,” she whispered, kissing his cheek.

Eleanor stared, almost mesmerised, as Abraham gazed into her eyes, his look steady, but there was something else in that look, something Eleanor found hard to define, and then there was no more time. Abraham nodded. She released her arms and legs, and then she was flying through the air. Hitting the bank with a thump that took the breath from her body, she immediately rolled away from the side and stood up, running a few feet further into the jungle.

Abraham’s feet lost their purchase in the mud, and as the rope swung wildly, he hung on for dear life. At least now, whatever happened, Eleanor was safe. Reaching forward with one hand, he managed to clasp an exposed tree root, and, hanging tightly on to it as it shifted under the strain, Abraham was able to steady the line. Taking a deep breath, he bunched the muscles in his shoulders and arms and heaved himself onto the bank, doing exactly as Eleanor had done and rolling away to safety.

Eleanor, in a complete state of shock, threw herself into Abraham’s arms. The fright of the fall down the embankment, the horror of hanging suspended above a raging torrent, and the complete and utter terror of leaving Abraham at the mercy of a disintegrating rope all caught up with her and had her crying pitiful tears. Hesitating but for a moment, Abraham’s arms then closed reassuringly around her trembling form. Momentarily she was at peace, the world blocked out, the horror of what had happened and what could have been all erased from her mind, until there was a rushing, sliding sound, and before their very eyes the rest of the mud bank disappeared from sight.