Although bile rose in her throat, Raine swallowed and forced herself to breath shallow as her eyes linked with the man who had spoken, the odor of decaying fish breath permeating the air around him. A faded, red bandanna was wrapped around his head where slippery, seaweed-like hair peeked out from beneath. Intense frown lines cut through his darkly tanned features that were speckled by colossal black pores. Brownish teeth, some missing, were visible behind his dry, cracked lips and little gray needles made up a sparse beard over his leathery skin. Worn and beaten attire covered his gangling frame and in her peripheral vision she could see he was barefoot, though she dared not look down. His eyes were milky blue and unfriendly. Although the
