“Here.” Mia reached over and handed him a can a second before the sharp scent of insect repellent hit his nostrils.
“Great. Nothing like bug spray to wake you up,” he joked. He held his breath and doused himself with a heavy layer of the pungent stuff. He’d stink, but at least he wouldn’t get eaten alive.
“Once we’re out of the woods, we should have a better signal. Then we can call for backup.” He handed the spray back to her. “How’s your phone charge holding up?”
She pulled her device from her pocket and swiped it to open it. “Forty-one percent. I turned it off last night. Otherwise, it would be nearly dead.”
“Hmm. I have a portable battery charger. I used it while you slept, but it still has some juice. If you get too low, I’ll grab it from the pack.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Hopefully, we’ll be out of the woods, literally and figuratively, before that’s needed.”
He nodded but didn’t reply. There were too many variables. Once again, he sent up a silent prayer. He doubted he’d have any hope if his faith weren’t strong. He’d seen God act too many times in his life since he’d graduated high school to doubt Him now.
The river gurgled ahead in the distance.
“I hear water,” Mia announced in a hushed voice. “It sounds worse than yesterday.”
“It’s probably swollen from all the rain. That was some storm we had last night.”
He glanced her way. A rosy tide flooded her cheeks.
Whoa. What had caused that reaction?
“I’m a sound sleeper when I finally get there. I think I missed most of the storm.” She cut her eyes at him. “And my second shift.”
He shrugged, a smile tugging at his lips. She seemed to have slept better resting against him than she had on the hard ground. “No worries. I wouldn’t have been able to get back to sleep. And you didn’t snore—that much.”
Those gorgeous eyes flared wide, then narrowed. “Grrr.”
“Not going to claim you don’t snore?”
She snorted. “I’m not awake to hear myself, so I don’t know.”
Hmmm. That was telling. “I’m pulling your leg. A little sniffing. That was it.”
Within minutes, the roar of the river made conversation impossible unless they wanted to shout. The uneven ground became treacherous. Twice, they stumbled over roots or a rut in the narrow path between trees. Each stumble sent waves of agony burning up his side. He didn’t complain. They kept moving.
The river came into view, and the wind carried the spray to them.
“Watch your step,” he shouted near her ear. “These stones are slick.”
She nodded, her gaze trained on the terrain.
Jackson tugged on her sleeve. She turned, her eyes questioning. He jabbed a finger in the direction of the cliff. “This looks like a good place. Plenty of holds.”
Mia shrugged free of her pack in response, letting it thud to the ground.
They donned their climbing equipment and prepared to ascend. Jackson indicated that she should go first.
Mia approached the rock wall with confidence, plunged her hook in, set her foot on the rock, and began climbing. When she raised her arm, her short sleeve fell back enough to reveal the toned muscles on her upper arms.
She’d always been fit, but this was a woman who took working-out seriously. When she’d said she could take care of herself, she’d meant it.
Impressed, he followed her, letting her set the pace.
It might not have been as high as other spots, but ten minutes in, he felt the strain on his ribs and his shoulder. He blocked out the pain as much as possible. He had no other option if he wanted to get to the top and resume searching for the missing boys.
Mia disappeared over the top of the cliff, and instantly, the adrenaline flowing through his system hiked up. Putting on a burst of speed, he scrambled the next few feet of the incline. Rocks shifted and gravel crumbled beneath his feet. Readjusting his foothold, he silently rebuked himself. Mia is FINE. But he wouldn’t be if he got stupid and careless. Too many people depended on him at the moment to give in to fear.
