Page 81 of Lost

“And if you do that you’re just like them,” Kevin said. “Plus, I’ll bet Anastasia will be super pissed at you.”

“Not to mention what will happen if I don’t go back up there very soon. Stark will come down here looking for me. And what the hell do you think he’s going to do if he finds me missing? Just let you and your group swim home?”

Dragon frowned at Aphrodite, but he took the knife from her neck.

“Now what?” Dragon asked.

“Now you need to get out of here. Fast. Stark’s going to—”

“Aphrodite! Heffer! Dammit, where the hell are you two?” From above them, Stark’s annoyed voice drifted down.

Aphrodite didn’t hesitate. She cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled up the bank. “Go away! I’m peeing! As if it’s not bad enough that a stinking red vampyre is following me around and I broke my fucking Jimmy Choos out here in this stupid wilderness. Can I get not one tiny bit of privacy?”

“She’s fine, General!” Kevin added. “She’s just around the other side of a clump of bushes. I can almost see her and—”

“Do not fucking look!” Aphrodite shrieked, making the whole line of retreating people freeze and stare back at them. “I swear to Goddess, if you two do not get off my last nerve I’m going to report to Neferet that you treated me like shit—with zero respect. No matter how pissed she may be at me, she’s definitelynotgoing to tolerate her Prophetess being disrespected!”

There was a pause while all three of them held their breath, then Stark’s voice—just as annoyed—finally answered. “Just hurry up! This isn’t a damn picnic.”

“I will not hurry up! I will take my time peeing! And you can take the stinky lieutenant back there with you!” Aphrodite shouted, then she whispered to Kevin. “Get up there quick and be sure he doesn’t come down here.”

“Got it.” But before he left he looked at Dragon. “You’re going to let her go, right?”

“Yes. I’ll let her go,” he said with obvious reluctance.

Then Kevin scrambled up the bank and sprinted through the junipers. Aphrodite and Dragon remained very still until they heard the sounds of two men moving away from the creek.

Aphrodite breathed a long sigh of relief and then realized Dragon was staring at her.

“What?” she snapped.

“Why did you do that?”

“Because I don’t want anyone else slaughtered by those damn red vampyres.”

“Aren’t you on Neferet’s side?” Dragon asked.

“No. I’m on my side.”

“Then how can I trust you won’t betray us?”

She shrugged. “I have no idea. You’ll just have to take a leap of faith. My guess is it’s the same kinda leap of faith you took to trust Kevin.”

“He proved himself trustworthy,” Dragon said.

“Isn’t that what I just did?”

They stared at each other until finally Dragon looked away. “I’m leaving now. With my people.”

“Fine. I’ll wait as long as I can push Stark, and then go back to the field. Oh, the Red Army is hiding in the pecan grove across the street, so don’t come back.”

“We won’t.”

“Did you get one truck out of here before the soldiers showed up?” she asked.

He hesitated, but answered, “Yes.”

“Good. That’s what I hoped when I only saw one up there.”