Page 37 of Explorer’s Revenge

THIRTY-FOUR

WAY

W e need to find Maeve. We ran off into the jungle when she did, but that thing followed her. We trace our steps back to the truck. It’s still wrecked, but we manage to grab some stuff as Wilder shines his flashlight around, picking up their tracks.

“They went that way. Spread out and remain in shouting distance at all times, okay?” he orders. We could leave her, but not a single one of us would ever do that. She needs us, and we need to find her.

Spreading out in a line, we head into the forest, careful to keep our noise to a minimum in case the creature is lurking somewhere nearby.

I swear I hear a scream in the distance, but the rain soon swallows it.

Wilder and I share a look as Aiy moves closer to me.

All of us are worried and terrified. We walk for a while, following the broken branches and marks in the muddy ground until it starts to disappear and we have nothing to go on.

Whatever trail she left is long gone, thanks to the rain, but we try our best.

“Maeve!” Aiyaret yells, and I pull him closer, covering his mouth as his eyes widen.

“Shh, that thing is still around,” I murmur.

He nods, and I release him, but his head is still turned to me, his hair soaked and eyes worried as he leans into my side. “We have to find her. She’s hurt.”

“I know, and we will,” I promise, but he looks so concerned. I lift my hand and cup his face. “I promise we’ll find her, alright? Maeve is smart. She’ll be okay.”

“What if she’s injured?”

“More than before?” I scoff as I pull him closer by the neck. “She’s capable. Trust in that, okay?”

He closes his eyes. “I’m scared, Way,” he admits. “I have this horrible feeling none of us are going to make it off this island alive. We never should have come here.”

“There’s no point regretting our actions, babe. It’s done, and we are here. We can’t let the past control us.” His eyelids flutter open, and he meets my gaze. “I’ll always protect you. You believe that, right? I will always keep you safe.”

“I know,” he croaks, “but what if something happens to you—” He hiccups over the word, a tear sliding down his cheek. “I don’t think I could survive without you.”

“Of course you can.” I smile, but it fades. “Aiy, you can do anything. You are so much stronger than you know. You don’t need me.”

“I do.” He fists my jacket as he looks up at me. “I need you, Way. I can’t do this without you, so don’t be a hero and get hurt, okay?”

“Okay,” I murmur softly as I press my forehead to his. “I’m scared too,” I admit. “But we are going to get out of here, and when we’re old, it will just be a story we tell.”

“To your kids,” he murmurs.

“No, to our kids,” I correct, my heart hammering despite where we are and what’s happening. “You’re my future, Aiy. Okay? I’m never leaving you, not here and not then. It’s us. Do you believe me?”

His eyes meet mine for a moment, and I swear they glance down to my lips. Something moves through me—something I’ve never told him about and never will. I will never be someone who hurts or uses Aiy like everyone else has. He needs a best friend, and that’s what I am and will always be.

“I do,” he murmurs. “We’ll make it out together?” he asks, his chest rising rapidly, and I frown.

“Of course, together,” I promise. “It will be okay—” I freeze as he presses his lips to my cheek in a soft, chaste kiss.

“Okay, then let’s get moving. I want to go home.” He pulls away, and it’s like the kiss never happened, but my cheek burns from his touch. It was such an innocent gesture, but it rocked me to my core. He moves back into line, and I keep glancing at him before I focus on where I’m walking.

I remind myself we are looking for Maeve.

A roar rocks the earth, and we freeze, sharing a look.

It was the creature, and it sounded close.

Too close.

“Maeve,” I murmur at the same time as Wilder. Forgetting all about our hesitation, we run into the jungle, following that roar.

The earth seems to shake from it, and I keep Aiyaret behind me as we burst into a clearing, my heart pounding in terror at what we might find. As I search the dark, though, all I see is turned-up mud and slide marks.

It was here, but now it isn’t, and the world around us seems to fall deathly silent. Wilder slips from the jungle like a ghost, his finger to his lips, then he points in a direction farther away from us. I scan the area, straining my eyes, and see the slide marks leading away.

Did it leave?

Why?

I get his message though. Logan and Rick emerge, and we silently move closer, freezing when we see the gun lying carelessly in the mud. Maeve had it, and there was no way she would let it go. Rick scoops it up, his eyes wide and worried as he looks at Wilder like a child demanding comfort.

Wilder’s expression is grim, however, and even my stomach rolls at the implication. There’s an abrupt tug on my arm, and I spin to see Logan pointing over the brim of a small hill to the left. I tread over and carefully walk along the edge, unsure what he’s trying to show me, but then I notice it.

Hand and feet marks, followed by what looks like slide indentations are etched down the slope. Wilder’s flashlight joins mine, and we search the bottom until our light catches on something big and unmoving—a body.

She’s covered in mud and being rained on, but it’s Maeve.

Rick goes to throw himself down the hill, but Wilder stops him, eyeing me.

The message is clear—keep him here in case she’s dead.

Nodding, I point at Aiy, who has tears dripping from his eyes, and then to Rick and Logan.

It’s clear they understand, even if they hate it.

Wilder and I carefully lower onto our sides and slide down the hill.

My feet and hands slip in the deep mud, causing me to descend faster than I would like.

I land on my ass at the bottom, but I ignore it and hurry to Maeve, dropping to my knees at her side.

She’s facing away from us, her bad leg bent, and for a moment, she’s too still.

Wilder is beside me, and we share another look before he props up his flashlight and carefully turns her over. A whine leaves her throat, and relief almost makes me collapse before I get a look at her face. It’s pale, and blood slides down her cheeks like raindrops.

Lifting my flashlight to give Wilder a better view, I watch as he examines her and finds an epic cut on her head. It’s bleeding, and there isn’t much we can do about it, but he checks her pulse and breathing then nods.

She’s alive, but for how long?

Who knows what damage has been done? We need to get somewhere safe and dry to assess the extent of her injuries.

Handing Wilder my flashlight, I slide my arms under her, the mud making it easier, and carefully lift her as I stand. I eye the hill, the others watching from above, and realize I won’t make it back up with her.

“There.” Wilder’s voice is quiet, and I see him pointing to the left, where the hill tapers off into the jungle. “We will meet them there.”

I hesitate. The idea of leaving not only Aiy up there, but the others as well with that thing about, terrifies me.

We don’t have much choice, though, so I incline my head and carefully pick my way through the mud as he conveys the message. My boots slip, and I try not to jostle her as much as I can. With each bumpy step, she lets out a tiny groan that stabs daggers into my fragile heart.

She looks so small and weak right now.

How much can one person endure?

Every time there’s danger, she throws herself into it to protect us and comes out just a little worse for wear. If we don’t get her help soon, she’ll die on this island.

Nervously waiting at the bottom of the ridge, I turn my back to shelter her from the rain even though she’s already drenched. It’s pointless, but it’s all I can do.

I see blood dripping down her face, carving a path over her beautiful features.

“Is she okay?” Logan’s hurried question reaches me as he slides to my side. His hands flutter over her uselessly as he looks at Wilder for answers.

“She’s unconscious. She hit her head. We need to get somewhere dry and safe to check her wounds,” he murmurs as Rick appears.

“Is she alive?” he asks frantically.

Sighing, I hold her closer when a jacket is suddenly draped over her and tucked up under her chin, protecting her from the rain. My head jerks up, and I meet Aiy’s worried gaze. “We should move now, get some distance between us and it, then find somewhere to let her rest.”

“You’ll be cold,” I scold, but he shakes his head.

“I’ll be fine. She needs it more. Come on.” I’ve never heard him bark orders before, but we listen, even Wilder, silently following him through the almost pitch-black jungle. It’s not advisable to move at night, but we don’t have much choice.

We walk until the rain stops, something we are all grateful for, but Maeve shivers in my arms, and she’s way too pale.

I worry about what that means, so when the sun rises, and Wilder deems it safe to make camp for a few hours on a small section of land protected on one side by big trees, I let the others work around us while I continue to hold her.

I lower my voice and lean closer to her, my words just for her. “Stay with us, okay? You’re going to be okay. We’ve got you. Just keep fighting. It’s what you do Maeve—fight.”

“She’ll be okay,” Rick says as he comes to my side, his eyes on her. “She’s Maeve fucking Carter, after all.”

I nod, but deep inside, I’m worried. Our bodies can only handle so much.