Page 12 of Explorer’s Revenge

ELEVEN

MERRICK

“ R ick, wait!” my brother yells, but I scramble over the sand and gape at the giant shipwreck emerging from the water.

I don’t know how we didn’t see it farther down the beach, but up close, it’s huge.

The old, scarred, knotted wood is covered in sea life, and there are some holes in the sides. It’s unlike anything from this century.

“Shit, that’s ancient,” Aiyaret confirms. “Probably a cargo ship that ran aground and washed up here.”

“Um, guys,” Logan calls, and we hurry around the front to see him pointing behind it. “There are at least four wreckages here.”

We sputter because he’s right. Hidden behind the mostly intact ship are four smaller wrecks. Some are mainly just pieces, but one is a tiny fishing boat, probably from a few years ago. The others span in size and time, but they are all here.

As Logan strides over, he picks up a piece of wood and shows it to us. There are teeth marks on the side. “Probably a shark,” I remark, but I can’t help scanning the rest, looking for more. There aren’t any.

What made them wreck here?

Storms?

Mechanical failure?

“I guess other people have been here before,” Way murmurs, sharing a look with Wilder, but we are all thinking the same thing—if they have been here before, then why haven’t they reported their findings?

Unless they didn’t make it out alive or they didn’t tell for a reason.

Neither option bodes well, but we can’t let the mood sour, so I turn the camera and pose in front of the ship, grinning. “I am the captain now,” I mock.

It does the trick, breaking the tension, and Wilder rolls his eyes. “Whatever the reason, we’ll leave them here. This doesn’t affect us. Shoot some footage if you want, but be respectful. We might need to show it when we get back so they can help identify the boats if anyone is still missing.”

I read between the lines—if there are any bodies, we need to be careful.

We shoot from all angles before turning our attention to the jungle.

We can’t afford to be distracted, not in there, and it’s already late morning, which means we need to get moving if we want to cover ground.

We plan to be in the city within the next two days, which means setting a grueling pace of trekking from sunup to sundown.

It’s nothing we haven’t done before, but in this heat and with the unknown factors, it spells trouble, so I promise myself I’ll keep them laughing. Otherwise, there’s no point. Wilder’s moods have the tendency to sour, especially on long excursions or if things go wrong.

It’s my job to keep him smiling and enjoying the adventure. He’s my big brother, and the only reason he is here is because of me.

They call him Wild, but if it wasn’t for me, he’d probably have a normal, mundane life.

I was the one who needed adrenaline, adventure, and an outlet to keep me out of jail.

He simply gave me one, and he fell in love with it along the way, but I know deep down Wilder is the same as I am—a lost spirit in search of a purpose.

“Rick, keep up.” Wilder grabs my shoulder and shoves me in front of him. Way is in the lead, Wilder is at the back, and the rest of us are in the middle. It’s how we always do things. Way and Wilder keep us safe.

An hour in, Wilder hands me my bottle, silently demanding I drink. I roll my eyes but do as I’m told, knowing better than to defy him.

“Thanks, Dad,” I tease, and he rolls his eyes, but his smile grows.

He is like my dad. Our parents are amazing people, and we love them, but they could never handle me.

They didn’t know what to do with me, so I always got into trouble.

Only Wilder could calm me down and keep me sane.

He’s the reason I made it through school and out into the world.

Without him, my life would be very different.

He’s the brains, I’m the brawn, and that’s the way I like it.

He does all my thinking for me. “Look at that.” Aiy points, and we all follow his gesture through the densely packed trees.

“Is that—” I squint. “A building?”

“Looks to be,” Wilder murmurs.

“Let’s check it out.” Logan marches in that direction, and we have no choice but to follow, even as Wilder’s sigh fills the air.

Oh well, he should be used to it by now.