The Ties That Bind

edged toward the bluff that overlooked the sea, trying to remember where the rocks and trees were. The last thing she needed at the moment was a collision with one of the scruffy, wind-twisted trees that dotted the area.
    Shannon could hear the roiling surf as she worked her way toward the cliff edge. The crashing water was reassuring. The sound of it would cover any noise she was making. On the negative side, it also disguised the sounds of pursuit. It was impossible to tell how close the man was. It would be just her luck, Shannon thought, to run into him somewhere in this soup.
    Her best bet was to get down on the beach. Chances were the intruder would have no way of guessing which way she had gone once she made her way down the short cliff.
    "I'm willing to talk, lady." The raspy voice was hard to hear over the sounds of the sea. It came from the left but not from nearby. "We can split the profits. But that bid has to go to my client. I must have it."
    The urgency in the man's voice was unnerving. Shannon quickened her step, nearly stumbling over a clump of tough vegetation that had dug its roots deep into the rocky soil. She held her breath again as she regained her balance, wondering frantically if her pursuer had heard her stifled gasp.
    When there was no detectable pounding of footsteps, Shannon scrambled over the edge of the shallow cliff, slipping and sliding on the pebbly surface. Then, with an undignified thump, she found herself in a tangled heap at the bottom. The last few feet had not been negotiated with her usual finesse. But she still had the box in her hand as she staggered and turned immediately to the right.
    The tide was coming in and as she made her way over the uneven beach. Shannon hugged the cliff wall. Occasionally her shoes got splashed by a foaming wave she couldn't even see, and she realized how easy it would be to get disoriented. But the cliff gave her a point of reference. With gathering certainty she moved toward the far end of the beach and tried not to wonder which way the intruder was taking.
    Fifteen minutes and three unpleasant falls later, Shannon sensed the looming cliff at the end of the beach. The path to the top was somewhere close. Heaven knew she had used it a number of times. Through a momentary clearing in the fog she spotted the familiar tumble of rocks that marked the bottom of the path. With a sigh of relief, Shannon started making her way upward. When she emerged, she knew just where she would be and that was considerably more than her pursuer could possibly guess.
    The cliff was steeper here than it was down at her end of the beach, and Shannon had to use one hand to grab for support in several slippery places. She kept the box tucked under her other arm and grimly fought her way to the top. By the time she reached her goal, she was panting from exertion and the adrenaline-enhanced fear that was still roaring through her veins. She decided she really wasn't cut out to play the game of corporate espionage.
    Taking a deep breath, Shannon started walking inland from the edge of the cliff. Her destination lay a short distance away. By traveling along the curving beach, she had shortened the distance she would have had to negotiate had she taken the road. Through the fog she could see the welcome porch light of the house Annie O'Connor shared with Dan Turcott .
    A few minutes later Shannon was pounding on the front door. Leaning against the wall, still grasping the box tightly in front of her, Shannon breathed a sigh of relief as she heard sounds of movement from within. A moment later the door was opened, and Dan Turcott stood frowning under the porch light. He had obviously been in bed and had taken time to pull on only a pair of jeans.
    "What the hell? Shannon! For crying out loud. What are you doing here?"
    "It's a short, pithy story. If you'll let me in I'll tell it to you."
    "Come on inside." He reached out to catch hold of her arm and tug her over the threshold. Shannon needed no real urging. "Annie!" Dan turned his head to shout down the short hall to the bedroom. "It's Shannon. She looks like something the cat dragged in. Better get up and give me a hand."
    "Don't worry, I'm not going to collapse," Shannon declared stoutly and then promptly fell into a chair. "On the other hand, maybe I am. Good grief, what a night. First yuppie vegies and now this. I used to lead such a quiet life."
    "Shannon! What on earth happened?" Annie was knotting a robe around her