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The pirate reached out to grab my arm to hurry me along, but then stopped and gestured at my pants. On my right leg, just above my kneecap, a brown tarantula-looking spider the size of a small cat was crawling up my thigh.

Holy spidergeddon!

“AAAAAACK!” I screamed and started to jump around like a deranged person, trying to get it off my leg without actually touching it. Unfortunately, the spider wasn’t having anything to do with that plan and clung to my pants like a long-lost lover.

I started to hyperventilate so badly, I was in fear of passing out. Holy crap, I was having a panic attack right in the middle of the rainforest. My brain had been hijacked by intense fear and was racing through a variety of horrifying scenarios that ended with my lifeless body being dragged into the rainforest for digestion. Littleeepswere coming from mouth as I shook my leg harder and harder, but the spider wouldn’t let go of me. I began to freak out so badly I completely forgot about the pirates, the guns, and the fact that Slash was nowhere to be found. Instead, my entire world had narrowed to this one moment in time where I was locked in a weird dance of survival with a giant spider.

Desperate, I ripped the laptop bag off my arm and swung it at my thigh, missing entirely. But the spider finally got the hint. He flew off my pants and scuttled away. Dripping with sweat, and gasping like I’d just run a marathon, I turned to face the guy with the gun.

Slash was standing in his place.

I almost had a heart attack right on the spot. I stepped back, clutching my chest. “What the—”

“Are you okay,cara?”

What had happened? I looked around in disbelief. The rest of the group were staring wide eyed at us. The two pirates were lying unconscious on the ground—one right next to me—both of them divested of their weapons. The guy near the jeep was being tied up by the soldiers and Slash had his boot on the back of the other.

“Where did you get that?” I pointed at the gun in his hand.

He jerked his head toward the guy on the ground. “He was reluctant to share, but I convinced him otherwise.”

“What...happened?” I asked.

Slash put a hand on my shoulder. “Your timing was excellent, as always. As I was trying to figure out a distraction so I could take them down, you provided the perfect one.”

“I did?”

“You did. Come on,cara, let’s get going.”

He took the arms of the pirate, dragging him back to the jeep and depositing him into the care of one of the guards. Gwen dashed over to me and gave me a big hug. “OMG! Are you all right, Lexi? That was so scary.”

I had no idea if she was talking about the situation with the pirates or the spider. Honestly, I wasn’t sure which onehadbeen scarier for me. “I’m fine, Gwen. I’m glad it all turned out okay.”

“You and Slash were amazing, working in perfect sync as always.”

That was kind of a stretch, but I figured now wasn’t the time to argue that point.

Gwen lowered her voice and dipped her head toward Melinda. “But not all of us are okay.” The doctor was still shaking from her ordeal, and Salvador was talking with her, patting her on the back.

When the pirates were conscious again, Slash and the soldiers loaded them into the jeeps. Apparently, we were taking them back to camp with us. That meant it would be a super tight fit. We played a round of musical chairs in the jeeps until everyone was satisfied the pirates would be well monitored during the drive. Salvador drove one jeep and Vicente the other, and the soldiers sat next to the pirates. The rest of us had to squeeze in wherever we could. Comfortable, it was not.

Before she got in the jeep, Natelli touched my arm. “Good work, Lexi. You and Slash really do make a great team.”

I’m not sure why she was including me in the accolades when Slash had done all the work. “Oh, thanks. I guess we do.”

No one even mentioned the spider.

Chapter Twenty-One

Lexi

The ride back to the research camp seemed a lot longer than the drive to the village, but we were hot, upset, and even more cramped than before with the extra load. We finally arrived and turned the pirates over to the gruff security chief, Gabriel Costa, who was quickly briefed on events. We left it to Gabriel to get them turned over to the Brazilian authorities.

The rest of us—minus Martim, who apparently had to update some government officials on what had happened, and Natelli, who had to call Hayden and Lilith to explain the situation, offloaded the supplies and equipment and restocked them in the lab. Melinda stayed in the lab talking to the others about what had happened, so Gwen, Slash and I went to get something to eat in the dining area. We were eating when Natelli and Vicente returned to give us an update on the situation.

“Gabriel has taken the bandits into town,” Natelli said, setting down a plate and bottle of water as she joined us at the table. “Apparently a quick check with the authorities in Coari has confirmed those two are known troublemakers and outlaws. They will be held in the jail until their trial. We’re lucky no one got hurt.”

“Absolutely.” Vicente sat next to her, setting his food down in front of him. He glanced over at Slash. “That was impressive what you did out there. You took them both down quickly and efficiently. You’ve done that before.”