Title: A Little Faith
Series: Ocean Beach #1
Author: Emma James
Release Date: October 9, 2014
Synopsis
I had no idea a carefree island vacation would tear my life apart.
But now it’s time to put my walls up, make them impenetrable.
It’s the only way to survive.
~Faith
Six Years Later…
Harley, the protector. Retro, the straight shooter.
Keanu, the funny bone. Levi, the model. And Text, who can’t seem to find himself.
All their lives were permanently altered by one event.
With a pact made, these five best friends need something from Faith.
Is she ready now to give them what they have been waiting for?
Join Faith as she goes on an emotional and heartwarming discovery where all may not be what it seems.
But with every ending, comes a new beginning, a second chance.
You just gotta have A Little Faith...
Welcome to Ocean Beach.
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Excerpt
“You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice
you have.”
- Bob Marley
It’s a hot and
humid night. We’re all looking forward to a beer and some nightlife as we take
the short walk from our hotel to the Coconut Club.
At this time of the year, the island is packed
with tourists from all over the world. This means lots of beautiful girls in
their tiny bikinis with a tan and a smile and everybody looking to have a good
time.
Only ten days into our two week surfing vacation
with my friends, I’ve been having the time of my life. We’ve met some great
locals who have entrusted us with their secret surfing spots, which they keep
on the down-low. These are their
places to surf, not to be overrun by tourists.
The surf has been awesome. We’ve ridden
alongside the locals, our boards attached to our motorcycles as we follow them
through the hustle and bustle of the crazy traffic. I shit you not, it almost
appears like there are no road rules over here. It’s like dodge ball with motorcycles.
It’s been a hell of a lot of fun taking the bikes to the streets, weaving
through the ridiculous traffic, honking our horns—quite the adrenaline ride.
Once we make it out of the shit storm of
traffic and get on the quieter roads around the island, we're able to put the
pedal to the metal and enjoy the scenery.
Fan-fucking-tastic!
Just don’t fucking crash has
been our motto because the hospital service isn’t that great over here. You
don’t want to wind up in it.
Since Faith would’ve loved to see some of the
places we’ve been to and photograph them, Jase brought his camera and saved
some of these memories for her. I can’t help thinking he has an interest in my
sister. But Jase is a great guy, so I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.
The locals have showed us the clubs and bars to
check out. We know they receive commission for pointing us in the direction of
certain places, but these guys don’t have the same opportunities we have been
given in life, so why not help a guy out?
The food has been awesome. Keanu only got the
shits for a few days—we did warn him about the water. We could smell him from
across the hallway, making me glad I wasn’t sharing a room with Keanu. Levi got
the short straw for those few days.
We’ve sat on the beach at night while Keanu,
Levi, and Jase sang and strummed their guitars, entertaining a small crowd that
gathered each evening while the sun sets. It's a pretty awesome way to watch
the sun go down if you ask me. This has been such a great trip.
After four years of college, we all just
graduated and decided to take this trip as a gift to ourselves for summer
break. We’ve all got stuff we have applied for or are in the process of locking
down when we get home except for Jase, who is the youngest in the group and our
friend Harley’s younger brother. He wanted to come along, so this is his
vacation before he starts college.
We weren’t stupid; we all knew life was getting
more serious and we were entering the next phase. We have our futures ahead of
ourselves, yet who knew when we would be able to all get together and do this
again? My only regret is Harley couldn’t make the trip.
He is moving ahead with his dream of owning a
business—his college years were more about a backup plan. The guy is so smart.
He plans way ahead. Out of all of us, he’s got his shit together the most. He
landed himself a job that he couldn’t pass up. The boy is thinking big and has always
been like that. He sees his future of owning a security business empire like a blueprint
in his mind. I know he will make it happen, as well. He’s just that kind of
guy.
Fuck, I love all these guys. My friends mean
the world to me, and I would do anything for them.
Any-fucking-thing
they asked of me.
The guys are all completely different. Well,
maybe with the exception of Keanu and Levi. Those two are hilarious without
trying and have this bond which glues them together. They have such a bromance
going on that they will be friends for life. Nothing will get between them.
They are brothers from another mother, through and through. Although, we all
get along incredibly well.
Keanu and Levi have been spreading themselves
among the ladies, while Retro seems happy enough just surfing, eating, and
drinking. He’s got a lady on his mind back home, so he’s just letting his free
spirit enjoy the waves and soak up the atmosphere.
I’ve been keeping a subtle eye on Jase; he’s
been throwing back a few beers. The chicks love his blonde hair and mismatched
blue and brown eyes. At eighteen, he isn’t technically underage here, only back
home; as a result, he’s enjoying it while it lasts. I promised Harley, his
brother, I would have his back and not let him get too out of control, and so
far, he’s only thrown up like the exorcist one night. I think that helped cure
him of hitting it too hard for a few more days. The waves are more important
than getting totally wasted and not being able to surf anyways.
We enter the Coconut Club and make our way to a
high-top table with the stools. This place is starting to fill up. The DJ is
playing loud techno, and the club is pumping with bodies on the dance floor
moving in sync.
Retro offers to buy the first round and takes
off to the bar before it gets too busy and you wind up waiting to be served for
ages.
Levi and Keanu are already scouting the club
for hot chicks, talking in each other’s ear, being each other’s wingman. The
next second, they are both shouting, “Challenge. Accepted!” and bumping fists.
I roll my eyes. They do this every night once they have locked down their
female prey. The girls are here to party, looking for a good time, and these
two aim to please.
The tourists are all in party mode on the
island. Inhibitions are left at the door. After what I have seen, I don’t think
I will be letting my future daughter ever come on a vacation for summer break
until she is at least thirty.
Hell. No.
Jase has already been spotted by a group of
girls who are all giggling and pointing at him. I can’t help feeling proud of
him. He was somewhat of a geek at school and I suppose Harley and my boys
rubbed off on him. Now he’s buff and enjoying the female attention. His blonde
hair and striking mismatched eyes make him stand out from the crowd.
We are all a pretty good looking bunch. We look
after ourselves, and we hit up a fair bit of extreme sports. It keeps us fit.
We aren’t the indoorsy type. We study hard, but we play hard, too.
One day, all this carefree stuff will have to
be locked down, but at the moment, we are young and single and generally don’t
do anything by halves.
It’s all or nothing.
••O••
We’ve been here for a couple hours now. It’s
been a great night of letting loose and jumping about on the dance floor.
“It’s my buy,” I have to shout over the music.
I head over to the bar, where the crowd is two people deep all along its
length, waiting to be served. This could take a while with only a couple bar
tenders serving.
My mind drifts to Faith, my kid sister by eight
years. I’m looking forward to seeing her when we get home. I’ve got a week
lined up to spend with her and the folks before heading back to San Diego.
Today, I bought her a brightly colored sarong, figuring chicks love that sort
of thing when they come here. Jase has it packed in his suitcase since I’ve
bought quite a bit of souvenirs for family, and my bag is at its weight limit.
I know how much she wanted to come on this
vacation with us and loves photography; as a result, I've taken a lot of
pictures on my phone to show her.
I bought her a Canon old-school camera when she
was nearly eleven, just before we left for college, so she could play about
with it. I hoped to keep her busy with a hobby while I was away because I hated
leaving her. She hung around with us more than her own friends. Regardless, I
loved having her around, and the guys didn’t mind. I knew leaving her was going
to leave a hole in her life.
Four years later, she is now nearly fifteen. I
think she may have a career as a photographer. She takes awesome photos, and I
know she wants a dark room. Our mom and dad have bought her a digital camera
for her birthday in just over two months, while I’ve organized for some dark
room equipment—the perfect present for Faith. I can’t wait to see her face when
we give it all to her. The best of both photography worlds for her to play
around with.
Jase clamps one hand on my shoulder and yells
in my ear, “Hey, Chance, thought you might like some company while you’re
standing up here waiting. I’ll help you bring the beers over. The wingmen are
working the beat, and Retro’s gone to take a piss.”
When I look over and see Levi and Keanu dancing
all over a couple of girls, I can’t help laughing at them. They certainly love
chicks.
“This crowd is sure thirsty.” I smile at Jase.
I’ve been standing here awhile already. “The downfall of summer break
vacationing.”
Jase is a nice guy. He’s always thinking about
others. He’s seen both sides of the school crowd, popular and unpopular. He was
bullied for being a geek at school, so he is sensitive to others and thinks of
their feelings. Once he started coming out of his shell and growing, his
features started to get noticed by the girls. Luckily, Harley was there to help
with his self-esteem. He used to take him out back at their home and get him to
pound the heavy bag. Afterward, they’d lift weights and go jogging together.
Jase is a much deeper guy than a lot of people
realize. We knew. The stupid assholes at his school, on the other hand, were
threatened by what they knew he could become. He had smarts, a personality to
match, and his looks were starting to shine through. Harley just helped nudge
it along with some brotherly advice and some older brother knowledge of what makes
a girl’s head turn.
Jase knew what he was capable of and never got
a big head. It was like he was waiting for the right girl, someone with smarts
he could be attracted to. Jase was always studying or hanging with his geeky
friends. You could give him a makeover, but he always stayed true to his
friends. He saw people for who they were, not what they looked like. He looked
into people’s souls, not just the pretty face. I think someone was counted very
lucky if they were friends with Jase.
Jase’s voice invades my thoughts, “So, how’s
Faith? Have you spoken to her lately?”
“I texted her earlier, letting her know how we
were all doing.”
I decide to wind Jase up a bit. “I let your dad
know you’ve been making up for lost time with the beers.” I’m trying to keep a
straight face.
“What the fuck, Chance? I told Dad I have been
behaving myself. Mom and Dad only let me come on this trip as long as I
behaved.”
I’m laughing out loud. Sometimes it’s too easy
playing with Jase. The look on his face, priceless. “I’m only joking. I haven’t
ratted you out. Harley was a lot wilder than you, anyway. Trust me, you’re a
saint compared to what he was getting up to at your age.”
I finally get served, and we haul the beers
back to our table where Keanu, Levi, and Retro are waiting. We do a salute with
our beers before taking a drink.
It’s now around eleven-thirty, and the crowd is
thinning out a little. We’re all feeling pretty relaxed. We have a crack of
dawn surf we want to get in, and we need to drive an hour to get to the spot,
so we are keeping ourselves on the right side of sober.
Barely.
Keanu and Levi have wandered off somewhere and
Retro’s gone for another piss while Jase and I are chilling and talking when, suddenly,
there is a bit of commotion in the club. A young Asian guy with a backpack has
climbed up onto a table, screaming like a wild man. I can’t understand what
he’s saying; he’s not speaking English.
Jase is standing beside me, shouting in my ear,
“What the fuck is that guy’s problem?”
I’ve got no idea. He’s still screaming wildly,
his face is dripping with sweat, and he keeps wiping his face on his sleeve.
He’s angry and agitated with fear in his eyes, and he’s gulping down air.
The young guy, who doesn’t look much older than
us, pulls something out of his pocket, holding it above his head, waving it
about. I wish I knew what he was yelling about.
Sensing something isn’t right with this guy,
the bar's crowd begins trying to move away, making their way towards the
entrance.
Seconds have ticked by.
I grab Jase and move him away from the inevitable
crush while I search the crowd for Levi, Retro, and Keanu.
I shout over the music, “Fuck! I can’t see
where the others are.” I need to know where they are. Right. Now.
It’s only been about twenty seconds since the
guy made himself known. I’ve moved us to the other side of the bar, as far away
as we can shuffle through the crowd from the crazy guy.
The front entrance is getting a line up as
people shove at others. In the few seconds we’ve grabbed, I keep my eyes on him
as we move. The kid is positively shaking. Then, his thumb raises and starts to
press down on the device in his hand.
Jesus!
I duck, grabbing a girl near me around the
waist and shoving both her and Jase behind a table and some chairs. I try to
cover them as much as I can, pushing their heads down.
Boom!
There is a loud explosion that rocks our ear
drums.
I look up from our crouched position over the
table top. Blood has rained down on us. It’s everywhere. Bits of what I can
only describe as flesh have landed on the table we are hiding behind. There is
a horrid, burnt smell in the air. People are crying out. The girl with us has
gotten up and blended into the crowd. Everyone is moving like a herd of scared
cattle towards the club entrance.
“Fuck. The guy blew himself up. Fuck.” I’m
talking almost to myself. I feel like I’m in a vacuum. I can’t really hear. I
can only stare.
I’m stunned by what just happened. A lot of
people tried to take cover like we did, yet I can see bodies lying on the
ground. Are they dead? There is blood and bits of flesh covering people like a
macabre abstract painting. It’s everywhere.
Where are the guys? I shake a stunned Jase, and
we get up from our crouched position. The music has been drowned out by the
screams and sounds of fear inside the club. I shake my head, my ears continuing
to ring.
As people push and shove past us, I take stock
of our surroundings. The explosion was enough to blow the kid up and collect
anybody within its radius of fallout.
What the
fuck. Was this a joke? Is this some staged prank?
I’m having trouble believing what I’m seeing.
Jase and I look at each other.
I have to snap out of it.
What the fuck did this guy do?
Why?
What the fuck!
“We need to find the guys and get out of here,”
Jase is shouting at me, the fear clearly evident in his voice.
I rub my hand through my hair, dislodging bits
of gunk. I don’t want to think about what it is. “Can you see the others?” I’m
probably shouting back at him since I can’t hear myself properly.
The rest of the crowd who are still inside the
bar have just woken up from their places of stunned disbelief and are
frantically trying to help their friends or the person closest to them. They
are as desperate as we are to get out of the club and to safety. They know
something is wrong. Very, very wrong. This is no longer the happy place it was
a few minutes ago.
I herd a group of crying European girls I
noticed earlier hanging out together tonight, splattered with blood and other
bits, towards the front entrance. “Go!” I tell the one who looks the most with
it. “Take your friends and get out of here. Get yourselves some help. Just
stick together.”
She nods slowly at me as she pushes her friends
out the door.
I look for Jase, finding him grabbing some
other girls, getting them to move and telling them not to look back.
But I did.
Carnage is spread out like a horror movie
scene. The lighting in the club is a lot dimmer in parts, and broken glass is
everywhere, being crunched under foot. Tables and chairs have been turned over,
toppled in the panic. There is a bloody mess where the guy had once stood. I
try not to look too closely.
Why would a guy do that to himself? It doesn't
make sense.
I can only hope the other guys are safe. Where
the fuck are they?
As fear fully sets in, the remaining people in
the bar are full-blown making a push-and-shove run for it. It's not a good way
to get through a narrow doorway. A couple of guys are smashing the glass
frontage with bar stools, trying to speed up the evacuation. Everybody wants
out.
I’m looking around for a back exit. While there
must be one, I can’t see a sign from where I’m standing. When I hear a new wave
of terrified screaming and crying, I turn to the front of the club. A blue
delivery van has been driven up to where the guys broke the glass front.
“Fuck, what now?” I mumble.
A guy gets out and runs off, leaving the car
door open. There are still people trying to escape through the broken windows
near the van. If that van has what I think is in it, they won’t stand a chance.
This shit is real.
“Fuck. I’m sorry, Faith, Mom, Dad,” I barely
hear myself say. I know what’s coming.
I grab Jase and try to get as far from the
front of the bar as possible.
I’m
sorry, Harley.
Anywhere, but the front.
I throw Jase in front of me, and we push
against the crowd. We make some distance, but not enough.
Retro,
Levi, and Keanu, please be safe.
Then it happens.
Author Bio
Emma James lives in Queensland, Australia with her smexi husband, three children and a big black Labrador. Life is busy and most entertaining in the James household. She often bounces ideas off her family and gets very creative responses. She loves to read as much as write. Daytime for writing, night time for reading.
Emma hopes to surprise you with her debut book, A Little Faith.
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