" _______________ What I noticed first was the difference in sound. There was that shushing roar of breaking waves that had always relaxed me to near ...bonelessness. A few seabirds spoke to one another in the distance. The air smelled like salt and sunshine. Even the feel of water lapping at my feet did not alarm me. My hands dug into warm silkiness beside my hips. I let the sand slide out between my fingers. The touch of a hand on my ankle stilled me even further. The firm grasp was tender and. Smiling I look at Bobby and Mary before I say, No good deed goes unpunished. I pause while Bobby laughs, You two want to make me work here dont you? Well its not going to work, Im going to be your silent partner. Ill put up the money, and keep you guys going. But you guys got to manage the restaurant, I will only help with the finances and any other business issues you have. You get four hundred thousand dollars for allowing me to be your silent partner, plus twenty-five thousand dollars a year. Soon we ran out of topics and I gathered up courage and asked her about her sex life and when did she lose her virginity, initially she was a bit shy but later told me about her boyfriends and how she married her third boyfriend and lover. I decided to be a bit bolder and asked if she missed it, she just drew an angry emoji and did not reply. I wished her goodnight and turned my phone off. Following night she ping me and asked about my day and made small talk, I just responded to her and she. I turned back to the remaining five, who had been shocked into silence. They had drawn into a small group, arms around each other."Karel," I said, "you and I will stand guard. The rest of you, you know what to do."There were five men, one for each female remaining. They stacked their weapons in a corner and advanced on the cowering group. Reaching into the cluster, the men grabbed at arms, pulling the group apart and dragging the women with them. Skas and Micha both had grabbed the same girl,.