Chapter 33 #2
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Garry’s eyebrows pulled down, and his nose wrinkled in disgust and confusion. He ran his light from my face downward to the black swirling around us. “Fuck.” He jumped back.
With all the energy left in me, I steered behind Garry and pushed him on his back.
He stumbled, then tripped and fell to his knees, losing a grip on his iPhone.
The phone perched sideways, projecting light on Garry.
He shouted and struggled to get up, but the look on his face froze in horror.
His body jerked once, twice, and then he stilled.
My hand trembled, and my leg ached, but I could move. I took in a wheezing breath, grabbed Garry by his shoulders, and sat him upright, his face away from the water. He was a worthless person, but I didn’t want his death to be on my hands. Deep down, I was a spiteful woman, but not a murderer.
Moving carefully around him, I found his gun and threw it into the water. Well, I shouldn’t have done that. Stupidity must be contagious.
“Garry, I’m not an expert on these snakes, so just know that you might die,” I said, looking at his wide-open eyes.
The hut was a blazing mess, sending smoke signals to the world.
And to Jack, too. My eyes scanned the bay for the approaching lights of the smaller boat.
The coast was clear. He must not have seen the BBQ party with his good eye.
Or maybe, just like Garry, he had an ulterior motive too and was gearing up to leave us all on this island. Or he was asleep.
Exhausted and dehydrated, I crawled out of the ocean onto the beach and fell on my back. My legs throbbed with pain. Saltwater burned my wounds, assuring me I was still alive. There was no time to rest, but I had no energy to move. Hunter. I needed to find him.
And then I heard him calling my name.
“Hunter!” I pushed off the sand and rushed toward his voice.
At the line of the jungle, Hunter appeared near the leaning palm tree. My knees buckled when I drew near him, and he caught me by my forearm, wrapping his strong arms around me.
“You’re okay.” Hunter pressed a kiss on my head. I nodded, sobbing into his chest. He leaned back to look at me. “Did Garry hurt you?”
I shook my head.
“Where is he?”
“Snakes,” I croaked, hot tears slipping into my mouth. “I took him there.”
Hunter pulled me into a hug again. “I’m so sorry I didn’t stop him.”
I wiped my nose on his dirty shirt. “I can take care of myself.”
“I have no doubt. What happened to the hut?”
“Remodeling.” I joked, and Hunter chuckled.
God, I was so glad this was almost over. All that remained was to wait for Jack to come back—if he was coming back—and take over the Nauti Guy.
“Hunter, we should move off the beach if we want to surprise Jack. He is still on the boat.”
The boom of the gun ripped through the air. Then the gun went off again. We were too late. Jack had spotted us.
“This way.” I pulled Hunter into the jungle.
Hunter jerked me to the left on the beach. “No. This way.”
We were white targets against dark woods. Even with one bad eye, Jack could see us.
“You are dead!” Tom yelled, then broke into the harrowed cough.
What the hell? Tom wasn’t supposed to be here.
He should have been in the hole. Hunter’s head whipped around to look over his shoulder.
Gray smoke made it impossible to pick out any movement in the jungle.
The gun went off again, and this time, something—a bullet—struck the palm tree.
Could Tom see us, or was he firing at random?
Hunter yanked on my hand, and this time, I followed, running after him along the beach, staying close to the edge of the woods. I twisted to see a figure running out of the jungle and charging in our direction.
Hunter turned into the darkness of jungle and pulled me with him. Was there a plan? Or were we just running? When we reached the workshop, I skidded to a halt.
“Hunter, wait.” I bent, planting a hand on the side of my stomach, where the cramps hurt the most. “We need to find a tool or something.”
“We need to lose him.” He tugged on my hand.
“Let’s hide in the grotto.” We would be cornered rats, but that was fine. They couldn’t stay on this island forever. “Please,” I pleaded, choking on the word.
The snap of the branches nearby and the rush of a body through the woods gave a shove to our feet. Taking an extra zig-zagging turn to confuse Tom, we ran toward the undisclosed cave. The path inclined. The taste of blood coated my throat with each deep breath I took. Our safety was within reach.
We neared the entrance, and Hunter gripped my hand and pulled me behind him up the hill until we were out of the jungle. Fright soared through me. He kept taking me higher. We reached the cliff jumping spot.
I dug my heels into the ground, wrenching my hand out of his.
Hunter swiveled around, his chest heaving just as fast as mine. The wind lifted strands of his tousled hair in a chaotic dance. “Do you trust me?”
“Yes, but—”
He pointed down at the ocean. “This is the way out.”
A breeze battled with the hem of my shirt. Chills ran up my skin from the morning air or was it Hunter’s suggestion.
“We have to jump?” I squeaked.
The early sun’s golden threads seeped into the night, bringing optimism with it but also a reminder that it was harder to hide in daylight.
“We jump and take my boat. Look.” The small vessel quickly moved away from the Nauti Guy to the beach. Jack was on his way to save his friends. Or hurt them. If Jack looked up to his right, he would spot us. I wasn’t sure I could do this.
“You are a strong swimmer,” Hunter said, firmly. “The distance from the cliff to my boat is shorter than from the beach. We have some time, but not much, soon it will be bright enough for anyone to see us. If we jump now, don’t scream. Sydney, please. This is the way.”
After weeks of living here, I had proved that I could do things that before had seemed unimaginable to me. I looked at the tall man I loved with messy hair and a face covered in dirt and scrapes, wearing clothes that resembled a zombie apocalypse survivor, and laced my fingers through his.
“Do you want to count to three?” He squeezed my palm as we inched to the edge.
I swallowed a hard lump of fear. “Just say that you love me.”
“I love you,” he said.
I took a deep breath and took a leap.