Chapter 1: Panic

It was not the usual night in Perth. It was one of those nights when the cloudy skies gave way to thunder accompanied by flashes of lightning.

The weather was as ice-cold, and every traveler took time to adorn themselves properly to keep warm.

From a distance, two eloping lovers are waiting at the seaport to go aboard.

The lady raced by the shore in the dark panting, her arm being held up by a masked and muscular man, he helped her with going down into the boat using the ladder.

Escaping from her wicked stepmother although she was barely dressed was her priority.

Yes, her stepmother had set her box of clothes on fire.

She gazed around. "But I don't like this boat." She wiped off sand particles from her face with the back of her palm and combed the tail of her hair with her fingers.

"It's just an old little piece of shit! This is risky, are you sure we are going to sail safely ashore"? She queried.

"We are running away, there are no other boats available and we have no time to make choices. We can manage this little piece of shit for now, it will only take a few days and we are in Broken Hill." Jason responded.

On a bench adjacent to them was a man seated with a dirty hat on his head, a fag-end stuck out of his mouth, he had a tattoo drawn on his flabby arms and then, a bearded jaw that portrayed him as evil

"Atlas! My love," Jason breathed out as he turned his back on the dreadful-looking man. "Your stepmother will never find us, we will surely get home and be married,"

Jason smiled seeing how keenly the lady listened to him. "And we will live happily together." He added.

He had met her just recently but the connection between these two seemed to have existed a long time ago.

He didn't even learn about her name and he didn't care to ask, he had just saved her from a villainous woman who happen to be her stepmother.

"I love you." The lady's soft voice echoed in the nearly empty room.

"I love you more," Jason said clasping his palm to hers, he leaned forward and pecked her left cheek.

"Hey! You are bleeding." Looking at his lover's arm, there was a minor cut sustained from the hot rush they had made in the meadow, it sent a thick line of blood crawling downwards and dripping onto the floor.

There's dull music playing from a cassette player there's a tray of fresh fruits on a stool before them and then a poorly erected bunk bed where they are seated. They are on a big but old boat.

In no time, Jason ripped off the shirt on his body, he took her arm out. He wrapped up her arm and tied it at the edge.

Jason sat up and buried his face in his palms. "I'm starting to feel like I can't live without you." He went again looking pitiful. "How about your father?" Jason asked raising a brow.

She hung her head and smiled like a little girl who has just fallen in love with the best guy ever.

"We are poor folk but dad has been trying. He sponsored me through high school but he got stricken with partial blindness, once I'm off this mess, I would make plans towards starting a small-scale business."

"Your wish is my command, my love." He took her hand, and plant a kiss behind her palm. " But unfortunately,"

She raised a sad face as she worried about what he would say. "I don't let people venture into small-scale business as long as they belong to me, I got greater plans for you." He winked and she smiled.

"You are my savior thank you for saving me."

He laid a bed and put her on it. "Let me take my torn shirt off." He said standing to his feet. Afterward, he lay beside her pressing his body against hers for warmth, then he noticed the breeze was getting fiercer.

"All hands on deck!" The sea captain's voice rang out for the first time. "All of you aboard, call upon your God!"

A fierce wind began to blow vehemently, tossing the boat from one side to the other, causing the tumbler on a stool to fall off and spill its content.

Jason went over to shut the open windows since it was starting to drizzle, he turned on a torch to light his way.

He returned to the bed to meet a worried pretty lady staring into his face for explanations, for anything that will assure her that all was fine but his face was without any expression.

"Is there something wrong?" The lady whispered into his ears.

"No sweetheart everything is going to be fine." He lied or maybe he was bent on boosting her confidence.

"How soon? The captain seems to foresee danger, don't you sense the fear in his heart?"

Jason squatted beside the bed, his eyes going around the room in search of answers.

He had to convince her somehow even though he knew that danger could be near.

"The captain's just doing his job my love, be calm and go on with your sleep." He tugged the blanket underneath her body.

With his hands, he put her back to bed and rolled his hand over his face to shut her eyes. He gave a tender suck on her lower lip.

Frightfully and stealthily, he tiptoed out of the room to see for himself what could be going on outside the room.

He saw the men and women holding onto anything that could keep them stable due to the wave pushing the ship out of its supposed direction.

The sea captain's shaky voice roared yet again some moments after. "I'm afraid we are heading toward another direction and the storm is getting fiercer."

It began to rain cats and dogs and Jason went over to meet the captain himself.

Those on board began to run helter-skelter to keep their luggage intact.

"Hello Sir, what should we do, is there anything we can do?"

"Pray, this is one of the problems we encounter on this particular boat."

The boatswain and the chief engineer ran below to the basement leaving Jason to himself.

Without hesitation, Jason followed behind him at once.

After he had made himself comfortable on an armed chair he asked one of the men. "What is wrong Sir?"

He tapped the shoulder of the boatswain so he thought but to his greatest surprise it was the dreadful-looking man.

"The compass is faulty again Mister!" He roared at Jason. "And also, the boat is broaching because of the waves from the storm. Are you okay now? You are asking too many questions. We need help and suggestions, not questions!" The angry man stormed out leaving Jason behind.

In what would seem like seconds, a jet flew over the boat and stopped in the air about 20 meters above ground level.

Four armored men dropped down into the boat using a rope. Hastily they descended the ladder and went in search of their boss.

"Sir, we are very sorry." One of the men said in a low voice as their lips were cold and shaky because of the weather. Jason raised his head to meet the desperate faces of his guards, about four of them.

"Why did you fly my jet out without my permission?"

"Your father commanded us over the phone sir, he said you will be more comfortable in it. We had no other option than to take his orders, we are sorry." They bowed.

"We came here to take you home, your father is worried." Oscar, his favorite said in a bid to turn Jason's attention to himself.

"Why didn't my father ask the rest of the guards at home to join you, perhaps all the guards? Four is not enough." Jason said intending to mock them.

The guards looked at themselves and bowed. Jason stood to his feet and walked away heading for the ladder with two hefty men walking by his sides, the other two walked behind him.

"You can't escape Mr. CEO." Said the tattooed man, the one who shouted at Jason a couple of minutes ago. "Where's the lady, the one you came in here with?" He hurled and clenched his fist.

Oscar turned around immediately aiming at the stranger's head.

"If you try to harm me I promise to attack your boss, I got nothing to lose. Just one thing, show me to Jasmine and I'll be gone." He shrugged and pulled a dagger from his undershorts. The other three surrounded Jason, each holding out a weapon.

"You will have to shoot me then." Oscar pressed the trigger.