Page 42 of Dance Practice, Marooned: Part 2

“Somethin’ has happened,” he murmurs, his voice raspy and dry.

“I know,” I say. “I know, which is why I’m here and Ace isn’t.”

“Grace,” he rasps, stumbling to his feet as soon as the ropes are gone. “Where are they?”

“I don’t know, but Kellen hasn’t come back. Ace is going after him. I’m getting you to the ship.”

“I’m helping.”

He takes a step away from me and I take his arm, stopping him. “Zeke, no.”

Turning, he glances down at me. “I’m going, Grace. You know I won’t leave them alone. Go back to the ship, make sure everyone is safe.”

For some reason, this makes me want to cry. Maybe it’s because I know better than to argue, or maybe it’s because if anyone can help, it’s Zeke. So I nod, even though my eyes burn. Zeke disappears as if he was never here. I stand alone in the darkness for a few minutes, and then I turn and run as fast as I can in the dark.

Aggie is standing on deck when I arrive, gun ready.

“Aggie,” I call out, because I know she can’t see me, but I can see her. “It’s me. Grace. I’m coming in.”

“Grace? You’re alone.”

I rush forward and get onto the ship as fast as my legs will allow. Aggie is standing under a dull orange light, and she spins on me the second I approach. Her eyes are wide, full of fear and uncertainty. “What happened?”

“Kellen wasn’t there,” I say, trying to catch my breath. “We got Zeke, but he went with Ace to find Kellen.”

My voice cracks, and Aggie takes my shoulder, squeezing. “These guys are made for this, honey. They’ll be back.”

I nod, sliding down on an old barrel. The deck is empty, the world is silent, and I have never wanted anything more than for Ace to walk out of that jungle, battered and grinning and alive. I don’t pray, because I don’t think anyone is listening. But I make a wish, and hope that’s enough.

Time passes. A lot of it.

They don’t come back.

“Something is wrong,” Aggie whispers, standing beside me, the gun in her hands.

“I know,” I say, heart pounding against my ribcage.

Turning towards me, her eyes lock onto mine. “We need to do something.”

“I know,” I repeat.

She’s right.

We can’t risk leaving this much longer, but at the same time, what if it’s a set-up? What if they know we’re here and are trying to get us away from the ship so they can kill us and leave.

God, what if they have already....

No.

I can’t think like that.

Dammit.

We need a plan.

Fast.

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