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“Okay, take a few minutes. I’ll check ahead.” Yanking at the plants in his way, he stepped through the bushes and vanished.
The sounds of him crashing through the bushes were replaced by the ruckus of the insects around me. The rushing river added to the cacophony, and I leaned my back against the giant rock, and feeling the warmth from the day emanating from the stone, I inhaled a few deep breaths. I’d been in the jungle every day for eleven months, and yet I’d never felt as remote as I did right now. Before, my compass had always been my way back to safety. Without Hunter, I would die out here for sure. Many people had been lost in this jungle forever.
I was not going to be one of them.
My body throbbed and ached with equal measure. My thighs burned, and the bruises on my legs and arms were painful to touch. I had no idea how long we’d been walking or how much longer Hunter intended to continue before he stopped. I didn’t know how much farther we had to go or if we would make it in time. Or if those gunmen were still at the lab, or if Neville was still alive. The never-ending questions were like ninja stars attacking my sanity.
Two days ago, I knew who I was, what I was doing, and what I wanted.
Now I couldn’t answer any of those. My career would be down the toilet, the formula for my burn ointment was destroyed, and the idea of having to start over again was like a concrete block on my chest. I would need to find a new company to pitch my ointment concept to for financial backing. It took four years to reach the success I’d found a couple of days ago.
Now I was right back at the start.
A knot swelled in my throat.
My chest heaved but I sucked it back and clenched my fists. I had no idea if Icouldstart over again.
Rustling bushes announced Hunter’s return. “You okay?”
“Fine,” I lied.
“Come on then. Time to roll.” He held back a giant fern leaf for me to pass next to the rock.
Taking a deep breath, I pushed on, gripping the fern and forcing my legs to take me through the dense underbrush around the dump-truck-sized rock. My emotions were a hot mess by the time the river came back into view.
While Hunter charged ahead with the energy of a marathon runner, my legs threatened to buckle beneath me. My boot slipped and as I tumbled forward, my knee connected with a rock. Searing agony shot through my leg and a cry burst from my throat that was equal parts pain and frustration. “Shit!” Tears streamed down my cheeks as I clutched my leg above my knee.
“Hey. Hey.” Hunter kneeled beside me. “You okay?”
“No, I’m not okay. I can’t do this anymore. I’m not like you. I’m not an elite soldier. I can’t keep up.” The anger bubbling inside came out in my fierce tone.
“Okay, calm down.”
“No, I won’t calm down. This is stupid.”
“Listen.” His eyes locked on mine. “I know you're scared and in pain, but we can't stop. We need to keep moving if we want to be rescued.”
“I can’t go any farther.” A sob burst from my lips, and I hated myself for it.
“It’s okay.” As he glided his hand over my back, he scanned the area.
The jungle loomed over us, darkness and thick vegetation pressing in from all sides.
“We’ll rest for a bit. Come here.” He helped me to my feet and pulled me into his strong embrace. His arms around me felt so natural and his warmth enveloped me like a protective cocoon. “You wait here, and I’ll find a place for us to get comfortable for a few hours.”
With his arm around my waist, we hobbled away from the river a couple of feet, and he lowered me to the damp ground.
His gentle touch had my anger morphing into bone-deep weariness.
“Stay here.”
As he shuffled away, I wiped the hot tears from my eyes and nursed my throbbing knee. My body seemed to pound to one united beat, and I would hate to see how many bruises I would have come daylight.
The silvery moon reflected off the river, providing an eerie glow to the bushes around us. I closed my eyes, trying to block out the continuous drone of the bugs, and listened for Hunter’s movements. He trudged back and forth somewhere in the bushes behind me, and I couldn’t decide if his stomping was because he was angry at me, our situation, or the bushes that made every step an effort. It was probably all three.
As the giant fronds on a palm tree parted, Hunter returned.
“Righty ho, let’s get you settled.” He offered his hand.
