Trapped : The Island of Torment

Chapter 12 : Second Day

I felt someone patting on my shoulder, the same person also shaking it to wake me up. "Isa." I heard Candice's voice. "It's time to wake up." I opened my eyes, pulling myself up slowly while my eyes adjusted to the light. The bonfire had already been put out and most of us are now stirring from our sleep. The cave terrain offered little comfort except for shelter so we had to make due by sleeping on the cave floor. Taking the tattered suit jacket in hand I gave it a dust-off and put it back on. "It reminded me of the dark dungeon Dom and I were held at when we were kidnapped by terrorists." 

"Terrible experience I imagine." Candice said. 

"Doesn't beat the near-death experience when I was trapped in that small town while the terrorists from the same group hunted me down." I say. "It was hell." Candice nodded in agreement as Barbara unexpectedly walked up to us. She moved to protect me but I lowered her arm, signalling to her that I can handle this. 

"What's our next step?"

"We're trapped on a deserted island where rescue would not be arriving within days or weeks, what do you think we should do?" I say. "There are ways we can do to get ourselves noticed, but we'll get killed or captured.

"Yes, since your mentor trained and taught you things, you are more than capable of doing jungle survival." Candice said. "After all, you had a cat burglar for a stepmother no?" with a cold laugh she walked away. I too found resonance in what Candice said, as I had already known that most of the members of the Batfamily have distrusted me. Kate walked up to me and showed me the map. 

"There's a cave here." Kate said, pointing to another location a few klicks away from our location. "Might have to trek for a few days. You think we can make it?" 

"I'll ask the gang first Kate." I say. "Not all of us can pull this off." 

"You got it Major Reagan." she said. I approached Laurel, Sara and Nyssa, who were up and ready for the day ahead. 

"Kate located another cave on the map." I say. "But we'll have to trek for a few days." 

"It is best that we relocate as soon as possible Sayalfir." Nyssa said. "We're still on an island where the occupiers are actively hunting us down." 

"Let's go then." Laurel said. "I'll try my best to keep up."

We left the cave after burying the already burnt firewood, beginning our trek with Kate leading the way. I kept the longbow at my side at all times should we encounter enemy troops or find valuable supplies, mostly food. I have already lost the battle of trust when it comes to who the members of the family felt a kinship towards, so I didn't try to seek endearment towards them anymore following the revelation, and the current situation of being stuck on Lian Yu with Barbara does not help it. I hear the sounds of leaves rustling, but cannot tell whether it is either our footsteps or an enemy group's. Kate raised her hand for us to stop, and signalled again, telling us to take cover. 

Candice and I ducked into a nearby foliage and ducked low in waiting to anticipate what was ahead. A group of enemies passed by, dressed in assassin's gear. "Where do you think the prisoners went after escaping?" one of them asked. 

"They wouldn't have gone far." the second one replied. "Only the one with the gold hair is important." 

"There are two." 

"The younger of the two." Hearing this my heart skipped a beat and I shared a look with Candice. "If we captured her, the order is to do nothing except keeping her locked up." 

"You believe that the surgeon is going to do something to her?"

"I do not question the orders given to me." the man said. A few seconds later crimson blood was splashed across the foliage as the man slit the throat of the second man with his weapon. "And you questioned too much." We hear the man gurgle as he falls dead on the ground. "Any questions?" he asked. Nobody said a word and the team walked away from the spot. 

"It's clear." Candice said. "But Isa, you're in danger now." I nodded. But the man's statement raised a few suspicions, however, it did give me a hint on who was behind the kidnapping. 

"I think it's Thomas Elliot." I say. Kate looked at me with a stunned look on her face while Candice grimaced. 

"Elliot? The childhood friend?" Candice asked. "I knew he was trouble from the get-go." 

"So Bruce wasn't his only childhood friend." Kate said. 

"Bruce knew Elliot's true nature before I did." I say. "He brought them together you know."

"Bruce and her stepmom." Kate said, referring to Selina Kyle. "I've heard that tale. He orchestrated the whole deal which eventually brought them together, even though it wasn't his plan." 

"It doesn't affect me at that time." I say, as we continue our journey. "I was still stationed in Europe as lieutenant." 

We continued to trek until we reached a nearby river to take a break and drink some water. The cold waters of the river gave me a chill as the water splashed across my face. With the cold water briefly firing up my mind I had the time to think about Elliot's motives. When I met both Bruce and Thomas for the first time I would never have imagined that Bruce would become my future husband and Thomas an enemy. Bruce was mad at Elliot for another reason, and it was a personal reason, because it was when he travelled abroad to look into another case in Elliot was possibly involved I went into labour with Harald prematurely while staying with dad at his ranch in California. 

But I don't have time to think back now, as it is clear now that Elliot is gunning to have me captured and used as leverage against Bruce for something. "It might take days for help to arrive from Yongsan or Yokosuka." Candice said. "For now we'll avoid this former friend of yours as much as we can." 

"Let's move people." Kate said, just as the sound of an aircraft flying over us was heard. "Take cover." she called out, as we spotted the visible signs of parachutes being opened while the occupants drifted downwards."