The almonds had been a great find as well as the canna lilies – but sweet potatoes would be the thing that saved us from what killed sailors more than any other nutritional problem – scurvy. The sweet potatoes would be full of good old Vitamin C. I was instantly ravenous. Even thinking about eating something other than another fucking fish or mussel was enough to make my stomach growl repeatedly. Glancing around the area, I got a good view of some of the more unique parts of the landscape to make it easier to find again. In addition, I subtly marked the spot where I found them by bending two thin branches of a nearby tree to point towards the little crop of plants. I realized afterwards that I didn’t have to be sneaky about it since there weren’t any opponents to compete against here, but it was habit, so I did it.
I wrapped the sweet potatoes up along with the lilies and almonds and headed back towards the beach. I found myself a little excited to be able to show Raine what I had found. There were still a couple of hours before sunset, so we’d have plenty of time to get the almonds out of the fruit and wash the tubers. I wondered if Raine knew of some clever way to cook any of this stuff. I could heat something over a fire and boil water, but that was just about it. At least she wouldn’t have to eat fish again tonight if she didn’t want to. We could make something that resembled an actual meal because I was fucking starving for something different, and she’d smile and be happy and I’d make love to her on the sand. Within a couple of days, I’d be able to make love to her in our new shelter. Maybe it would even qualify as a house. Whatever it was called, I was going to feed her decent meals and make love to her in it as often as possible.
That’s when I heard her scream.
All thoughts of food and sex disappeared from my head, and instinct took over.
I had just come over the hill hiding the open beach from my view. I heard the scream right as I looked down from the top and saw Raine, arms held behind her back by a deeply tanned man in jeans and a plain white T-shirt. There were three others all gathered around her – laughing, jeering. The one standing in front of her reached out, gripped the hem of her shirt, and pulled it up, exposing her breasts as they all continued to laugh.
“Bastian!” Raine’s scream pierced through my ears, my head, my heart. I didn’t even feel my feet start to move or consciously register the gathered nutrition as it fell from my arms; I was just suddenly flying down the sandy bank, already seeing their blood on my hands.
I’d slaughter every last one of them for even considering touching her.
I guess I wasn’t all that hungry after all.
Chapter 13 - Fury
Five hundred feet away. The darker skinned guy with dreadlocks held the hem of Raine’s shirt up high and chortled as he started reaching for her bare breast.
Four hundred feet away. One of the other two, a short and chunky man with dirty blond hair, moved to one side, making sure he had a better view. His hand dropped to the front of his pants so he could palm his dick.
Three hundred feet away. The bastard with the buzz-cut and beer gut placed his palms against Dreadlocks’ back, pushing him forwards and making his hand collide with Raine’s breast. They all laughed.
Two hundred feet away. The motherfucker with the slick, black-colored ponytail, who was holding Raine’s arms backwards, pulled back harder, making her cry out.
One hundred feet away. They all turned to look at me as a guttural, infuriated roar erupted from my chest.
I collided with Dreadlocks before anyone else could move, throwing him several feet backwards into the sand with me on top of him. I didn’t recall pulling my jackknife out, but it was already embedded in his neck, and blood spurted out in violent streams, matching his heart rate. He tried to scream, but a wet, rasping sound was all he could make with the knife in his throat. I twisted the blade, severing his left carotid artery before one of the others grabbed my shoulders and started pulling me off of him. It was Buzz-cut, the fucker who pushed Dreadlocks into Raine. If he hadn’t, the fucker never would have had the chance to touch her – not like that. I started seeing everything through a crystal clear, red haze.
My mindset was complete. I could have been in any environment – in any arena, in any jungle, or on any beach. There was nothing inside my head but the deaths of the motherfuckers around me, and I would not be stopped until they were all nothing but lifeless flesh. I didn’t think about it or rationalize it, it was just automatic. This was my element. This was my forte.
Buzz-cut yanked on my elbows, and I let him haul me upright and grab onto my elbows behind my back. He was screaming and cursing in Spanish, but the words themselves didn’t register. Dreadlocks rolled onto one side, his hand gripping the side of his neck as blood continued to drench the sand from the hole where my jackknife was still embedded.