Stranded!

By Pepper Pace

This first novel published by author Pepper Pace continues to remain one of her most enduring reads. Now, re-edited, Stranded promises to be even more entertaining.

Oceans Delano and Marshall Cohen could not be any different. She is a shy Jamaican born woman returning to the states after her father's death. Marshall Cohen is a privileged young businessman traveling out of the country to engage in 'sketchy' business dealings for his boss. When their small plane crashes, the two lone survivors are forced to depend on each other and in the process they learn to face their fears and to accept their differences. Caution: Includes graphic descriptions, sex and language.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pepper Pace
• Release date: Feb 1, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370587780

Pepper Pace

Pepper Pace stories span the gamut from humorous to heartfelt, however the common theme is crossing boundaries.Pepper's unique stories deal with taboo topics such as mental illness and homelessness. Readers find themselves questioning their own sense of right and wrong, attraction and desire.In addition to writing, the author is also an artist, an introverted recluse, a self proclaimed empath and a foodie. Please check out her e-book trailers on this page! You may contact the author at [e-mail] the Pepper Pace Newsletter and receive free stories! http://eepurl.com/bGV4tb

Book preview

STRANDED!

Pepper Pace

©Pepper Pace Publications

Copyright © 2011 by Pepper Pace. Stranded! is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of Pepper Pace. For information regarding permission contact; [e-mail]

First appearance of Stranded! Appeared on Literotica in 2009.

~Prologue~

Marshall climbed onto the plane nervously gripping a small overnight bag and briefcase. His boss with all of damned secrets was becoming too much for Marshall. Instead of taking an airline home from the Caymans he was made to book a private plane. Since his boss wanted everything off the grid, the pilot was some suspicious looking character straight out of a low budget drug run movie.

Despite that, Marshall wasn’t so comfortable with flying that he enjoyed two-plus hours pitching, jerking, and feeling as if the damned plane was going to come apart at the seams. It only made it marginally better that there was a pretty woman already strapped into one of the few seats. She had a magazine opened but seemed preoccupied, maybe a bit sad.

She spared him the briefest look before turning back to her own thoughts. His nod of greeting went unnoticed so with a shrug he stowed his belongings and sat across the aisle from the woman.

Oceans absently leafed through the magazine trying not to think about her dad. Events were supposed to have gone in a totally different direction. It was supposed to be just a short trip to Jamaica to secure her sick father’s possessions, sale his small home and then bring him back to the states where she’d lived almost all of her life. But it had become pretty obvious that Dad was not leaving Jamaica. He had his routine, which kept him grounded. When it was disrupted, he became a little lost child. Daddy needed to take his morning walk along the Oceans front in the morning. It was essential that he walk to the outdoor market in the afternoon and chat with his old friends. And at night he had to sit on his porch and watch the moon and the stars before going to bed.

Oceans had no choice but to move into the little spare room and to once again call Kingston her home. She’d quit her job at a local telemarketing firm, sold her few possessions and then she had to break it off with her boyfriend Franklin—no big loss there. They’d been together for six years and he hadn’t thought twice about marrying her. He seemed to think that she was his hole when he wanted to fuck, his maid when he needed his underwear washed, and sometimes his punching bag when he was angry.

Oceans pursed her pretty full lips as she noted the man that had just boarded the plane. He was a tall, good looking, and obviously a rich businessman. His expensive suit and briefcase gave him away. He seemed too young for such a suit; he couldn’t have been older than thirty. He screamed ‘privilege’ with his neatly cut brown hair and Armani suit. Oceans turned away, not wishing to see his eyes appraise her worn sundress, the flip flops that donned her feet and the way she had carelessly pulled her short curls back to be held by a cheap, plastic band. Oceans wasn’t poor, but she wasn’t rich either. She just hadn’t cared about things like fashion while looking after her Dad.

The pilot pulled himself up into the plane after Mr. Businessman. His name was Geddes. He was a weathered Aussie with long grey hair and matching steely grey eyes. Tall and thin with a perpetual cigar shoved between his lips, he also had a great smile.

Okay, mates. Strap up. We’ll be flying for approximately three hours and then I’ll need to make a fuel stop in Cay Lobos. There’ll be time for you two to stretch your legs and such. With a quick slap of his hands, Geddes directed the remainder of his speech to Marshall. Mr. Cohen the lifejackets are along that wall—which I’ve already explained to Miss Delano. The weather has been choppy so I’m going to suggest that you stay in your seat and belted. Geddes good-naturedly saluted them and then disappeared behind a small door.

Marshall got as comfortable as he could in the small seat. It definitely wasn’t made for a broad shouldered 6’2" male. His mood had soured once Geddes announced the choppy ride. He reached into his briefcase for a pill to calm his nerves. He’d gotten a prescription once he found out that his boss had expected him to personally make the trip to the Cayman Island in order to deposit money into an account free of the prying eyes of the American Government. As the engines began, Marshall squeezed the armrest and closed his eyes. Soon they were in the air and after a few moments Marshall drifted off to sleep.

Chapter One

~DAY 1~

Someone was shaking his shoulders, but all Marshall wanted to do was roll over in his bed and pull the covers over his head. He grumbled and tried to rollover before feeling the resistance of the seatbelt. Marshall dragged himself back up to awareness from his drug-induced sleep. Everything was moving and trembling while a pretty black woman had gripped his lapels and was shaking him with a strength that seemed at odds with her small form.

Wake up! She was wearing a bright orange life preserver and holding another one clutched in her arms. Marshall lurched up in his seat looking around frantically. The woman was yelling but it was so loud, that he could barely hear her. Put it on! Hurry! She thrust the preserver at him and then buckled herself into the seat next to him.

Marshall felt as if he was on a rollercoaster ride. But he didn’t let go of the life preserver. What the hell is happening?! He screamed.

Oceans’ eyes were two black saucers. She gripped the armrest. Geddes, the pilot—he said the engine is failing!

The blood drained from Marshall’s face. He quickly pulled the preserver over his head but had to unsnap the seatbelt in order to put it on completely. As soon as he was no longer belted in, Marshall’s body was thrown violently against the adjacent seat. The woman reached out with both hands and gripped him. If not for her, he would have hit the ceiling next. As the plane flipped, the items stowed on the small plane began to fly about, hitting the seats and dangerously close to hitting them.

My God! We’re crashing!

Using all of his strength, Marshall pulled himself back into his seat and the woman helped him to buckle himself into it. GEDDES?! he screamed, once his body was fairly stable in his seat. But there was no answer. Marshall chanced a look out the window and he wasn’t sure exactly what he was seeing; the water was in the air and the sky was on the bottom of everything...

The woman next to him began screaming as she realized that they were spiraling down to the Oceans below.

His cheek was burning as if someone had thrown acid onto his face. What...? The sound of his own voice was like gravel—felt like gravel too, as if he had been spread too thin and then run over. Everything sounded muffled and his body was one huge ACHE. Marshall opened his eyes slowly but they burned from the brightness of the sun. He coughed and his chest and ribs hurt. Suddenly salty, briny water came sputtering from his mouth and nose. For a moment, he thought he would drown in his own fluids but then he pushed himself off the damp sand and out of a puddle of water. He coughed one last time and spit up blood tinged phlegm. Marshall squinted and looked around. He was on a beach. He pulled himself up to his feet noting that he no longer wore shoes and had only one sock. His jacket was torn so he pulled it off and tied it around his waist.

Hey! He called and then immediately began coughing. His lungs felt like someone had shoved burning embers down his throat. There was debris on the shore and floating in the water. But he didn’t see any other person. Where was Geddes and the lady from the plane?

He didn’t know why, but he began running until he was waist high in the water. Hey! He called again. Marshall began swimming amidst the debris, searching for a form, cringing at the idea that he might come upon a bloated corpse...

Mr. Cohen! Marshall could hear the faint call of his name. His ears were still hearing things muffled and he was unsure of where the call was coming from. He searched until he saw the sight of a form on the beach. Mr. Cohen! She called again. It was the woman from the plane. Feeling immense relief, Marshall swam back to shore. He was exhausted but the woman caught him before he fell on his face.

You’re alive... He was panting.

Mr. Cohen, you hit your head--you’re hurt. She helped him lay on the cold wet sand.

Where’s Geddes? He managed.

I don’t know. Oceans sat down beside him. Her legs were pulled up to her chin and she was rocking slowly. Her pretty brown eyes were wide and frantic in her head. Marshall saw her waver in and out as his eyes began to close.

No! Don’t Mr. Cohen...Pleassssse- But Marshall was already unconscious.

Oceans was cold but the violent tremors that overtook her body had more to do with the fact that she still didn’t believe that she was alive. She sat next to the unconscious man; Geddes had called him Mr. Cohen.

It gave her comfort to know that she wasn’t alone and selfishly she hoped Mr. Cohen wouldn’t die and leave her by herself. She heard sounds in the forest behind them. Despite the fact that she had spent the first thirteen years of her life living in Jamaica, she was terrified of this island and what might be living in the forests. In her heart she was still a Mid-western girl.

She closed her eyes, pushing back the burst of fresh pain brought on by her father’s death. Two weeks ago when she had buried Daddy she had thought her loneliness would be the hardest thing she would ever have to face.

She looked at the man beside her. Please be okay. His face was bloodied and bruised and covered with scratches. He was a far cry from the man that she had seen stepping onto the plane earlier this morning. It seemed so much longer than that…

She had dragged everything in sight onto the beach. It had taken all of her strength to bring the items far enough onto shore to avoid the incoming tide. Some things were simply just too heavy for her and she regretfully watched them float out to sea. She looked at the man periodically. He had hit his head and had been knocked unconscious while still on the plane. It was Oceans that had unstrapped them both after the impact.

The crash had been so huge that it sounded and felt like a building had fallen in around them. Her body had whipped against the restraints of the seatbelt, causing painful whelps to instantly form across her shoulders. Oceans’ breath was knocked from her chest and just as she thought she’d surely black out due to lack of oxygen, her body took over and a ragged breath was dragged into her lungs. Water was filling the cabin and the cold shock of it revived her quickly enough.

There was a frantic few moments when her seatbelt jammed and she didn’t think she’d get out, but with another jerk onto the release button she was free. The water was to her knees, then to her waist, so she knew that she only had moments before it would be to her chest and then her neck...

Standing on legs that almost buckled, she had jerked the seatbelt off the unconscious passenger. Blood was pouring liberally from the top of his head where his own briefcase had fallen from the overhead carriage and smashed into his skull. Limply, the man fell out of his seat and his dead weight was almost too much for Oceans. She was tall, at 5’10 and strong due to lifting her ill father for so many years. If not for that, Oceans would have had to leave the man floating in the cabin of the plane.

Instead she used the water to tow him, thankful that he was wearing the life jacket. She headed to the front of the plane where the thick metal door was now broken from its hinges and lying cocked off to the side. The water was at her head by the time she swam out the opened door towing her charge after her, only seconds from being sucked under by the undertow.

Geddes had apparently been heading for a small island because Oceans could clearly see the tree line. Two miles? She sobbed, already exhausted.

Oceans blinked and brought herself back to the present. Her eyes scanned the man freely now that he couldn’t see her do it. His brown hair fell