Sara dropped on the sand and closed her eyes. Her legs were sore, her arms weren't there anymore; at least she didn't feel them anymore and her eyes burnt. She wasn't able to move a single yard anymore.

"Do you want to stay there like a stranded mermaid?"

"Yes."

"You'll get burnt in the sun, Sara. Come on, a few steps and you're under a palm, can spend there the rest of the day with a cocktail and some salad. Or do I have to carry you?"

For the split of a second Sara was tempted to tell Sofia to do so then her pride set in. It was impossible that she let Sofia come this close to her and it was even more impossible that she let her carry her. No way! Before that happened she would prefer to stay in the sun and end up like a well done steak. Or walk herself.

"So?"

"You touch me and I'll get your head under water for five minutes." Sara hissed, got on her knees, stayed there for a few seconds before she found the strength to get up. Slightly shaking and unsteady on her feet she made the first step.

"Yeah, you look really scary." Sofia laughed, took Sara's diving gear and walked to the bar where they were awaited by Rhys.

"How are my Golden Treasure and the Beauty?"

"She's more a Bitchy right now."

"Shut up!"

"See." Sofia chuckled. "I think she needs a cocktail."

"And a baseball bat to break the treasure. You can keep the pieces after I've shattered her, Rhys."

"She's lovely, isn't she?" Sofia asked.

"Yeah I can tell the two of you have a very special relationship."

"One that's over as soon as I think I can dive."

"As soon as you've the certification to dive." Sofia corrected. "I won't let you dive without the certification. You don't pass all tests you won't dive here."

"She's the boss when it comes to dives, Beauty. She tells the boys to get you out of the water they will and you'll be in trouble. Might even make them kick you off the island."

"She hasn't change, she can't fight her fights alone, always sends somebody else."

"I'm always in a position where I've people who will do what I want. Don't be jealous because you've never been in such a position, Sara."

"I think the two of you should drink your cocktails." Rhys stopped Sara's reply. "Have a cocktail, get the heat of the sun out of your heads and then my Golden Treasure has to continue her work while my Beauty can stay for a salad."

"You better listen to him and don't make him mad, he's a voodoo priest." Sofia said and took a sip of her cocktail.

"I don't believe in such things as voodoo."

Rhys cocked a brow. "Science is only one side of the universe, Beauty."

"It's my universe, Rhys."

"I might introduce you to my universe."

"There's no way I'll give you some of my hair for your voodoo doll. Take the hair of the blonde, I'm more than happy to stab into that doll a few times."

"She's insulting me the whole morning, Rhys."

"It's her way to tell you she's happy you gave her such a discount and let her make her dive license. As beautiful she is, as talented she might be in her job, she isn't good with people. We have to teach her a few things about how to thank people proper."

"You can do that, I've to go now. Take care of my student I want her back tomorrow."

"What about your lunch?"

"I take these." Sofia took two bananas. "No time for more. Somebody is waiting for me."

"Must be somebody special."

"Yeah, a two hundred dollars per hour client."

"That doesn't sound like diving instructor anymore." Sara said dryly.

"Make sure her doll really looks like her." Sofia grinned at Rhys and walked away.

"Bye my Golden Treasure, take care of yourself." He cleaned a few cocktail glasses before he placed a small sundae in front of Sara.

"A two hundred dollar client?"

"Yes, a two hundred dollar client and no she isn't doing anything else than teaching him how to dive. He's a VIP, living on the other side of the island in one of the bigger bungalows."

Sara had seen these bungalows. There were maybe five of them, all four times bigger than her own bungalow and as she was told they came with two bedrooms, a huge bathroom, a kitchen, a living room, a pool (what do you need a pool for when you've got the ocean in front of your bungalow?) and a – as they called it – fairy. Somebody, who was the whole day around to please you, make and bring you tea, cocktails, food, cleaned your bungalow and carried your towel if you felt like going for a swim at the ocean.

"Do they get anything special for this price? I mean like a really nice spot for a dive?"

"No, they get the same you get. Usually she has two students at the same time, four hours a day so that both pay a hundred dollars each. The VIPs are alone, they pay the full price. If you want more than the basic at this place, Beauty, you have to pay a lot of money as you might have fond already."

"Yeah." Most things were included, her non alcoholic cocktails, two alcoholic cocktails per day, the fruits, salad, ice cream also the three kayaks in the bay. If they were taken and you wanted another one or any other thing for your water sport you had to pay and the prices were high.

"Even in paradise nothing is for free."

"No it isn't. How many clients does she have?"

Rhys smiled. "You can ask her that yourself."

"No, I prefer to talk to you."

He shook his head, still smiling. "So beautiful and so stubborn. There are days when she has eight to ten hours with diving instructions, other days are free. Depends on the guests. We're not that busy this week, from next month on we'll be fully booked which will make her busy. I don't know how her bookings look like but I expect she'll have her share of guests."

"Like you will."

"Yes, I'll have some more people here too. What doesn't mean you won't be my Beauty anymore."

"I won't be here anymore. The last day of this month is my last day here."

"Maybe I can make you stay longer. I did that already once."

"That time I had money and could stay in my bungalow. Like you said this place will be fully booked I'll leave you."

"I'll have use some voodoo magic to make you stay."

Sara laughed. "I told you I don't believe in such things."

"And I told you I'll introduce you to my universe. Your cooperation isn't even needed. Just tell me if you want to stay longer and the magic will find a way for that." He was serious now, no laughter, no tease, no mock. Which made Sara serious too. Did she want to stay longer? Could she imagine to stay longer? Of course she could but she couldn't afford it. She ran out of money, had no job to go back to and needed some money to survive in the 'real world' until she found a new job.

"If your magic can also solve my financial problems that will come with a longer stay I'm more than happy to stay."

"We'll work something out, Beauty. I promise."

After a little nap in a hammock Sara took her wetsuit and her snorkeling gear and went back into the water. Slowly her fins took her away from the sandy beach to the first coral. Only a few fishes were here, only a little bit of color. Too many careless people had stepped on the sensitive underwater world and destroyed most of it. It was the usual problem with human when they found something they liked they had to go there so often until they had destroyed it. It seemed to be impossible for them to simply keep a distance and watch how nature and animals lived together in perfect harmony, how they created a paradise that was a treat for all senses to watch. No they had to touch it, step on it, take pieces away, leave dirt behind and kill everything with every visit they made. It made Sara angry whenever she saw this.

She had seen the same in jungles and rain forests in South America. The green lung, the masterpiece of environment, hundreds and thousands of different animals, flowers and trees live together at the same place, everything is perfect until the humans arrive and destroy it. To get more meadows, to get more wood, more space for cities, kill animals for money, for their fur, because they could be a threat or just annoy them. The human being was the most vicious killer she had ever seen and nobody prosecuted him. It was all right, it was right because a human was above everything. She hated this arrogance.

When she came to a coral she couldn't really see anymore because it was too deep for her she tried it with short dives. It was about time to get her dive license so she could appreciate the corals better and longer. When she looked to the right she froze. There was a turtle! And it swam relaxed only two yards next to her. Keeping the distance Sara followed the turtle for a little while before it disappeared in the deep water. That was definitely the best experience so far!

Another experience was waiting for her when she paid attention to where she currently was. Very far away from the shore. She must have been swimming straight away from the beach into the ocean. It wasn't like she couldn't see the beach anymore but it was a distance she had to swim. Quite a distance. A look around told her she was close to the island she wanted to go to yesterday. What did Rhys say, it was private property? Bad luck for the owner, Sara needed a little break before she could swim back to her beach. Whoever owned the island had to live with that.

She swam to the island, got on the beach, pulled off her fins and snorkeling mask and sat down. Her legs needed a break. The way to here had been easy, she had been rested and the currant helped her to come here fast. Plus the corals, the turtle and her never-ending curiosity about the ocean and what was going on there.

An all too familiar sound made her stop breathing. Somebody had loaded a gun not too far away from her. Was the owner of the island around, had seen her and was not happy about her little break? That was understandable to a point to load a gun before you talked to whoever was sitting on the beach without a weapon was something else.

"Hold on, I can explain why I'm here!" She said before she dared to turn. You never knew who was behind you with the gun, how loose the finger on the trigger was. Maybe a little move was enough to make him shoot.

"This is private property."

A very strange voice. Sara wasn't sure if it was a man or a woman and if this person was a native English speaker.

"I know. I'm sorry for trespassing, I…I was snorkeling and when I paid attention to where I was I was in front of the island. The way back to the main beach is long, all I want is a little break before I swim back. I swear I haven't been sniffing around or…" She stopped when something cold got placed in her neck. This couldn't be true. Was she about being shot for sitting on a beach? That couldn't be real. She had explained how she ended up here and way and that she wanted to leave soon.

"I…I…can leave right away if you want…"

"No!"

"I…okay…uhm…don't shoot, please. I'm sorry I…"

"Too late."

"But I…you…please…" Sara closed her eyes. This person was serious. She would die because she sat on a beach of somebody else. Okay, she had seen people kill for far less but she didn't want to die like this.

"Open your eyes, Sara."

"What?" Surprised she opened her eyes. She wasn't dead, nobody shot her and she knew this voice. "Sofia!" It wasn't a stranger who was willing to kill her, it was Sofia who had been talking to her. A very amused Sofia.

The blonde stood in frond of her, laughing loud when she saw Sara puzzled face and had to hold her belly.

"That's not funny!" When the relief was gone fury set in. Sofia had known it was Sara and she had scared her to death, had put a gun in her neck, had…where was the gun? Sara didn't see one. It had to be here somewhere, she had felt it in her neck.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist. Rhys told me you wanted to swim here and that he told you it's private property. Apparently you don't care about that."

"It was like I said, I was snorkeling and…what are you doing here? Does your special client live here?"

"No, I live here."

"Pardon me?"

"You got that right, this is my island and my gun you felt in your neck…well I brought it especially for you." Sofia pulled a bottle of beer out of the little bag, that hung around her shoulder and gave it to Sara.

"First you want to shoot me and then you give me a beer?"

"I never wanted to shoot you."

"Don't play me, I heard how you loaded your gun, I'm very familiar with that sound."

"Of course you are." Sofia sat down, got a beer herself, took a light to open it and handed the lighter to Sara. "Drink your beer before it gets warm."

"I feel more like smacking the bottle over your head."

"Understandable but don't you think that would be a waste of beer? Why not drink your cold beer and smack the empty bottle over my head later?"

"You're mocking me."

"Yes." Sofia chuckled. This little joke made her day. Sara had been priceless. Okay, it was a mean, a little bit at least, but so much fun.

"And you pointed a gun at me I can call the police…"

"Did you see a gun?"

"I heard it."

"So your ears are working again? After they didn't work when you got told this is private property."

"It's not a reason to point a gun at somebody who needs a rest before she swims back and leaves you and your island alone."

"That's in the eye of the beholder if there ever were a gun. Besides you can't swim back now."

"Why?"

"Because it's outgoing tide, you would end anywhere but not at the beach you want to swim to."

"I prefer to give it a try than being shot."

"One more time for the brunettes: you won't get shot here. You can have a shot glass that's it. Got that?"

"I don't trust you."

"That's a pity you should trust your diving instructor your life can depend on me when we're under water."

"After today I'm not sure if I want you as my diving instructor anymore."

"All right, you can have your five minutes crying school girl if you need that. If not you can get your ass up and follow me. In fact if you still want to smack your bottle over my head you should do that because I'll leave now." Sofia got up and walked towards the palms.

Sara turned her head back to the water. Outgoing tide. She preferred to fight with an outgoing tide than to spend another minute with Sofia. With one deep sip she finished her beer, left the bottle in the sand, took her snorkeling gear and went back in the water. There was no way she would spend another minute here. Not with this blonde….lunatic and her gun!

Furious she started to swim, putting all her anger into it. Who the fuck did Sofia think she was? Did she think she could play Sara like she had played her suspects? Not with her, she could stay on her bloody island and if it would be the way Sara wanted it she had never to leave it again. Stay there for rest of her life on her private property island.

Sara didn't need Sofia as a diving instructor. She could make her license somewhere else and come back to here. After she had made sure that Sofia was far, far away. Without this smug blonde bitch Magical Beach was paradise with her it was a hotter version of hell. Didn't they advertise this place with you don't have to worry, nothing will bother you and you can enjoy each day of your stay? Well, they had to get rid off that blonde sea witch first. Arrogant, smug, self-loving bitch.

It took Sara a while before she realized she wasn't getting closer to her beach. Far more the opposite she swam further away. Something was couldn't be possible she swam in the direction of the beach but whenever she moved her arms and legs to get a yard closer she was pulled away two. The outgoing tide. By now she was even behind Sofia's island.

Panic started to crawl up. She had to do something. If you are caught in a current don't try to fight it try to get out of it by swimming parallel to it. The problem was this wasn't a current it was the outgoing tide and even when she tried to swim parallel to it there was nothing to swim to. She turned, tried to see somebody or something. Maybe there was a boat around, somebody who could get her out of the water. Or another island she could try to swim to.

Blue ocean, blue ocean, blue ocean and a beach that was disappearing faster and faster. She was caught and she had no idea how to get herself out of this. It wasn't only that she was pulled straight into the ocean, that she was likely to drown when she had no power left to swim, it was much more likely that a shark made her it's dinner before she ran out of power. That wasn't the way she wanted to die. She didn't want to die at all. She didn't survive Natalie and the abduction, the night under the car with the rising water and the day in the desert with the hot and cruel sun to end up as a shark bite. No way!

Calling up all her power she started to swim in an forty-five degree angle to the beach. This wasn't parallel but it was the best she could do. She had to reach the damn shore, she didn't want to die! One, two, one, two, one, two. The beach didn't get any closer. Again. One, two, one, two, one, two. Nothing. It had to work out somehow. She needed more power, had to be stronger. One, two, one, two, one, two. Damn it, she had swallowed more than a pint of water. Salty. Disgusting. And it had her made getting under the surface for a second. She was losing her fight, she had to be stronger.

Another wave and more water. Sara coughed. Her eyes started to burn and her arms and legs began to feel tired. Don't give up, you can't stop fighting now. You never stopped fighting before you got out of trouble. You're a fighter you can do it. You will make it.

She closed her eyes. Maybe she could concentrate better when she saved the energy she needed to get the water out of her eyes. Plus her position at the moment was discouraging. She didn't want to see how she got pulled away further and further. She didn't want to see how she lost yard by yard, she didn't…something grabbed her wet suit and pulled her out of water. Was that a shark? It grabbed her, threw her up before it bit her to death? There was something hard behind her, her back crashed on it. She tried to fight, tried to use her arms and legs. She wouldn't die without a fight. The last thing she could do was giving this little fucker some pain somehow. She would find a way to…