Page 31 of Explorer’s Revenge

TWENTY-NINE

MAEVE

W ay is still hooked to the rope, so he’s a sitting duck. The creature focuses on him as he struggles with the line, eyeing it as Wilder, Rick, and Logan gawk in shock. Way glances from it to the rope as Aiy’s voice comes from its other side.

“Run!”

It snaps us all into motion, and the croc slides closer to Way. He freezes, knowing he’s going to be too late.

With my good foot, I kick the side of its snout. It snaps and turns its head, focusing on me. I start to back up, but it whirls around and concentrates on the others. They must have gotten its attention somehow.

It’s the chance we need.

Turning to Way, I see him gaping at the croc, his hands frozen.

I grab his knife from his side, cut his rope, and kick him out of the way. “Run, idiot!” Keeping the knife, I turn just as the croc’s tail swings for me. It hits me in the stomach, sending me flying. I smack back into the rocks with a groan, the force making my head spin for a moment.

Sitting up, I see Aiy backing away from the thing as it prowls toward him.

Way is trying to get its attention, but it isn’t working.

Climbing unsteadily to my feet, I look around for a big rock, then I palm one, but when I look up, the creature is focused on Wilder, who has pushed Rick and Logan toward Aiyaret and is yelling, smacking his palms into the wall he’s in front of.

It lunges at him, and he rolls out of the way at the last second. When he stands, it whips its head around and looks at him. “Go, get out!” he orders. “I’ll keep its attention.”

When it snaps again, Wilder lunges at the last second and gets tossed to the ground. The croc is going to attack again, and he’s a wide-open target.

I throw the rock with all my might, and it smacks into the side of the croc. It spins, lashing out with his tail as he hisses, and I cup my mouth. “That’s it, you ugly fuck, over here!” I back up as I yell, smacking my hands against anything I can.

“Fucking damsels in distress!” I shout, but we are spread around the room, and the croc is in the way of the ropes. It’s like it knows that’s our exit and is blocking it on purpose.

It keeps lumbering my way, obviously annoyed by us and deciding I’m the easiest target. “That’s it, you ugly fucking prehistoric dinosaur wannabe!” I bellow as I step backwards.

My back hits the wall, and I know I’m fucked, until I feel air blowing across my legs. I don’t dare look in case it lunges, but I glance over the creature to the others who are in a line, trying to get its attention.

“Go, get the fuck out of here!” I scream.

“Carter!” Wilder roars, walking toward me, but I shake my head.

“Go!” I yell just as the croc opens its maw and lunges at me.

I take the chance, turning and throwing myself into the space where I felt the wind.

I find a tiny tunnel and crawl as fast as I can.

The smash of the animal against the wall is loud, sending rocks flying across me, but I keep crawling, feeling its hot breath panting in the air.

Stopping, I turn on my back to see its huge fangs snapping at the entrance, the monster still not wanting to give up its prey.

I can’t hear the others anymore, and all I can do is hope they listened to me.

I turn and crawl as fast as I can, hoping it comes out somewhere that isn’t in the jaws of that beast. The drugs they gave me have kicked in, but it won’t be long until I feel pain again.

It means I have a couple of hours to get out of this place without their help and hope I can find them and get the hell out of here.

I check my watch and set a timer as I go.

Pain pulses every now and again, but I ignore it. My life depends on it.

The sound of the croc slowly disappears, and that makes my heartbeat slow slightly, the adrenaline Wilder gave me causing it to beat faster.

It’s probably the only thing keeping me from crashing, so I make the most of it.

I cut my hands on the rock, having to duck my head so I don’t smack it on the roof of the tunnel.

I lost my light a while back, and it gets darker as I go, leaving me blind, but I still crawl.

Even as something scuttles over my hand, I keep going, but I only realize the tunnel is tilting down too late.

I start to slip as I try to crawl backwards, but it’s slick, so I slide down and out, plunging into something wet and solid—water.

I float under it for a moment before I swim to the surface, taking a deep breath as I look around. I know where I am.

I’m back where I started—its feeding ground.

A growl makes my head snap around, and I see the outline of the croc in the tunnel.

I won’t make it out of here in time, so with no other option, I silently swim back under the water, holding my breath.

My eyes remain locked on the surface before I realize the stupidity of that. Water is where they see and hear best.

Fuck.

Swimming backwards as gently as I can, I feel the rock around the edge, and I debate trying to get out when the water ripples around me like something big slid into it.

Yeah, fuck this.

I am not being ripped apart today. Gripping the edge of the rock, I push myself up and out as silently as I can.

My leg cramps up, and I try to breathe as noiselessly as possible as I scoot backwards across the rock.

I stare into the water, holding my breath, when the monster suddenly bursts from it and lunges at me.

With a yell, I throw myself to the side, narrowly missing being eaten, and then I’m up and running.

I can hear it following me as it crashes from the water.

It snaps again, and I throw my arm up as stones tumble over me, and then I race into the tunnel.

I slip into the darkness, but I push myself to move faster, knowing it will chase me.

When I glance back, I see it trapped under some rock, giving me a chance to get away.

I run as fast as I can, which is slower than normal due to my fucked-up leg, but it’s all I have.

This time, I pass through the tunnel much faster, wishing Aiy were here to help.

When I burst out into the cavern, I don’t see anyone there, nor bodies, which gives me a moment of relief, but a bellow behind me has me ignoring my worry for anyone else and diving from the edge of the tunnel.

Racing across the rocky surface of the cavern, I see a dangling rope and know it’s for me. With a yell as I feel the creature behind me, I push off the ground and leap. When I hit the rope, I wrap myself around it, dangling in the air just as jaws close below me, missing me by inches.

Glancing down, I see the rope in its mouth, and I hope like hell the line can hold up.

The croc falls back on its tail, the edge of the rope in its jaws.

I look up and start to climb, using my upper body instead of my legs.

Luckily, I have my strength there, and I move quickly as I hear the croc below me.

I have no idea how it usually gets up here, nor do I want to find out.

The darkness recedes the higher I get, and when I look up, I see five faces peering over the edge before they start calling out.

I climb faster.

The rope begins to move, and I look up to see the guys there, hauling me up and over. We fall back together, safe on solid ground.

“Well, that was fun,” I tease just as something tugs me—the rope.

It yanks me back toward the edge.

Oh fuck.