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Bradan crossed to the other side. Then I nodded to Olivia. “You next.”
She started across. This time, I watched the bridge more carefully and my stomach knotted when I realized it was definitely hanging lower now. Some rope had stretched or some knot had loosened. We’d just have to hope it held for the rest of us.
Olivia was about two-thirds of the way across when Cal suddenly snapped his rifle to his shoulder and started firing. A second later, JD and Colton did the same. I followed their fire and saw soldiers pouring out of the jungle on their side of the river. Shit!
I waved to Olivia. “Come back!” We’d have to retreat across the bridge and find some other way across the river.
Olivia nodded, turned around and started back as fast as she dared. But she was only at the midpoint when gunfire erupted behind me. I spun around and saw Danny firing at soldiers behind us. They’d caught us between two patrols. And we were massively outnumbered.
We had to regroup and fight together. I thought fast. There were five people on the far side of the bridge and only three on my side, with Olivia halfway across. Plus, carrying the stretcher across made us sitting ducks, plus Colton might not be able to handle coming back. We had to join JD and the others on the far side. “Go!” I yelled to Olivia. “Go across!”
As she hurried back towards JD, I joined Danny in shooting. We held off the soldiers while Marcos hurried onto the bridge, then I followed, walking backwards, still firing, and Danny brought up the rear. I checked over my shoulder to see if Olivia had made it across yet.
She was frozen, still near the middle of the bridge. Why wasn’t she going across to JD?
Then I looked up and saw JD with his hands up. Cal, Colton, and Bradan were doing the same. They’d been overrun and soldiers were surrounding that end of the bridge. Olivia had nowhere to go.
Danny, Marcos and I were all on the bridge now. With Olivia, that made four of us, more than when the stretcher had gone across. And the bridge was weaker now. I could feel the whole thing sinking. “Back!” I yelled to Danny. “Go back!”
But we couldn’t: the soldiers had already reached the edge of the bridge and were pointing their rifles at us, yelling at us to throw down our guns. And the bridge kept sinking. The ropes let out a long, faltering creak.
We had no choice. We had to give ourselves up and get the hell off the bridge before it gave way. I threw my rifle at the feet of the soldiers and Danny did the same. “Let us off,” I yelled in Spanish. “Bridge—” Dammit, what was weak? “Bridge dying!” I tried.
But either the soldier I was talking to didn’t understand the danger or he didn’t believe me. He pointed his rifle right at me. Stay there!
I checked over my shoulder. Olivia was right in the middle of the bridge, looking frantically between the two sides. “Come to me!” I yelled.
She started towards me.
The creaking became continuous, rising to an ear-splitting shriek.
“Run!” I yelled.
She managed three running steps, the bridge sinking with each stride. Then there was a cracking sound from JD’s side of the bridge. For a second, I thought one of the soldiers had fired. Then I saw the snapped rope falling free.
The floor under my feet went vertical. I grabbed hold of a rope, more by luck than anything else. My eyes went straight to Olivia. She was dangling from the center of the sideways bridge, her legs kicking in space.
I started to climb sideways along the bridge towards her. Behind me, I glimpsed the soldiers grabbing Marcos and Danny and hauling them off the bridge. Luckily, I was too far away for them to reach.
I can do this. It was just climbing along a rope. Just like the assault course in basic training. “Hang on!” I yelled to Olivia. “Hang on, I’m coming!”
I could see her panting, hanging on to the rope with all her strength. I climbed like I was possessed. Another thirty seconds and I’d reach her. Another twenty. Another ten.
“Just hang on!” I yelled breathlessly.
She nodded, pale-faced but holding it together. Attagirl!
I reached out to grab her.
There was another hard crack.
The other rope on JD’s side gave way and the bridge dropped. I was suddenly weightless, gasping and flailing as we fell. Then the bridge started to swing sideways, towards the side that was still attached to the cliff. I looked down and saw Olivia, her body stretched out like a flag as she was pulled through the air. I watched the rope slip free from her fingers—
No!
And she fell screaming, a hundred feet to the river below.
