Chapter 59.
Mammoth Cave
Daylight.
Not triumph. Not a reveal. Just the mouth of the cave ahead, a slice of white like an exit wound.
And waiting there—because of course—an inflatable boat with black-clad crew, braced like they’ve done this drill before. The rescue boat sent by The Host slowly makes its way across the water.
They don’t know what the surprise was that The Host had promised.
Jack McHenry doesn’t care.
He just sits in the back of the small boat, cradling Elena Torres’s body in his arms. Conner and Rupert are in front, facing him. The boy is acting stronger and stronger, even after another shocking tragedy.
Maybe this has become a war.
The boat noses farther into daylight and Jack squints, hating the brightness. Hating that the world looks normal.
Rupert turns back once and looks at Elena, then at Jack. His voice is tiny. “I’m sorry.”
Jack can’t answer.
It’s worse now than anything Jack has ever known—probably because of his surprising feelings for Elena.
He stares at Elena’s face. He memorizes it because he’s terrified his mind will soften later and he won’t be able to hold on to her features. Jack can feel tears on his cheeks, and he can’t remember the last time he cried. Maybe not since the death of his mom.
Jack feels the tears on his face and hates himself for every second he didn’t say what he felt when he still had someone to say it to.
What was the last thing Elena said to him?
He has been trying to remember but everything in his brain is a terrible jumble, everything is happening so fast.
Then he remembers.
His brain drags up her last words to hurt him.
I’ll be right behind you.
She said it before he jumped. She said it, and meant it.
He’d had to get to Rupert before it was too late.
I’ll be right behind you.
He hadn’t checked once. He hadn’t even looked back.
The boat rises out of the water slightly as the pilot increases the speed.
The bumps just make Jack hold on to Elena more tightly.
She really does look peaceful. He brushes wet hair away from her eyes.
He doesn’t say I love you out loud.
He can’t.
But it’s there in the way he holds her, in the way he can’t stop shaking.
Jack has so many regrets in his life. But he knows in this moment that he will never have a more painful one than this:
Not telling Elena how completely he’d fallen for her before it was too late.