Page 35

Red welts covered my flesh like festering mosquito bites.
Jesus, how long have I been here?
“Get off!” I forced my uncooperative muscles to brush away the scurrying ants, smearing black mud over my stinging skin.
I have to get up before some other creature finds me.
Forcing myself from the muddy suction was like wrestling with a sloth. Every movement was painfully slow. My vision blurred, and dizziness threatened to overwhelm me. I sucked in huge breaths, fighting my swirling mind with clenched teeth and fierce anger.
Finally, I sat in the thick mud and as I summoned my energy to keep going, I scanned the bushes. “Where are you, Hunter?”
A distant growl echoed through the bushes.
What was that?
Fear twisted through me as I dragged myself out of the mud and crawled onto damp leaves. Every movement was brutal.
I forced my body to stand. My trembling legs were barely able to support my weight.
A creature hissed somewhere within the dense foliage. Swaying unsteadily, I scanned the bushes, searching for eyes staring back at me, but I saw nothing but vegetation.
I took a few shaky steps and leaned against a tree trunk for support. The bark was rough under my palms as I tried to steady my spinning head.
Breathe, Layla. And move. Breathe. Move.
The giant trees loomed. The silence hurt my ears and the dense jungle seemed to press in closer, suffocating me. I pictured jaguars stalking me in stealth mode. And venomous snakes coiled and ready to strike. And giant spiders and centipedes longer than my forearm.
And those armed men.Are they still chasing me?
I felt like my head was going to explode. Monkeys screeched somewhere in the distant canopy. They were safe up there, high in the treetops. Down here, I was easy prey for any predator that crossed my path.
With a deep breath, I pushed away from the tree.
Don't stop. Don't give up. I can do this.
Tears burned my eyes and spilled down my cheek, and I flicked them away, angry that they were there. This was all my doing and crying wouldn't help.
Hunter must have thought I was dead. Why else would he have left me? Thorns scraped across my bare legs and snagged on my denim shorts as I put one foot in front of the other, forcing myself to move.
“Hunter!” I tried again, my voice strained and hoarse. “Can anyone hear me?”
Only the buzz of insects answered. Then, as if a plug had been pulled, they stopped. The whole lot of them. A crushing silence descended over me, so complete it swallowed me whole.
“Layla!” Hunter's voice pierced the jungle air, frantic and desperate.
“Hunter?” I spun to his voice, stumbled sideways, and collapsed into a bush.
“Layla! I’m coming.”
Movement rustled high above, and Hunter emerged through the foliage, climbing down a tree. His face was etched with determination and concern.
My heart leaped at the sight of him.
He’s alive--and he’s coming to save me again.
Relief crashed over me.
“Hunter!” I tried to call to him, but my croaky voice was futile.