Page 47

Chapter Forty-Seven

A bi remained with Mackenzie in her lap until the bottle of water ran out and the sun blazed directly above them. She was hungry, sore, tired and angry. Angry that yet another life-threatening situation had been thrust upon them.

Haven’t we been through enough?

She tossed the empty water bottle into the bushes but sighed as she imagined Mackenzie cussing her for throwing it away.

She eased him off her lap, rose to her feet and brushed her dirty hands on her pants. All her muscles ached as she fetched the empty water bottle from the bush. On her return a shimmer in the tree caught her attention and she squinted against the sun to see it. Her heart jumped to her throat. An enormous snake, its body as thick as her arm, draped several times over a branch. Its slick golden scales reflected in the afternoon sun.

“Jesus, we picked the worst tree to sleep under.”

She searched the snake for signs of life, but it was completely still. Maybe it’s dead. Abi eased back to the ground, positioning herself so she could watch the snake and then tugged Mackenzie onto her lap. She stared at the reptile until her eyes hurt and her spine became a tangle of knots from not moving. But just when she started to relax the snake swelled up and slithered along the branch. Blood drained from her face at the thought of it coming anywhere near them .

Shit! I don’t have a weapon.

Her eyes snapped to their gear, still nestled at the base of the trunk.

“Mackenzie, babe, can you hear me?” She rattled his shoulder. But the man she loved was still trapped in his own living nightmare.

Their plan to leave the plane now seemed completely foolish. They weren’t ready for this. Their survival so far had been based purely on luck, no planning whatsoever. But then maybe it wasn’t all luck. How many people could survive as long as they had?

She gritted her teeth until her jaw hurt.

This is another test .

But this time Mackenzie is counting on me.

The snake began to move. It slithered with deathly silence toward the tree trunk. Abi had to get the axe but the thought of going anywhere near that thing made her cringe.

I can do this. I have to.

She slipped out from under Mackenzie and lowered his head to the dirt. Then walking with false confidence, she kept one eye on the snake as she tiptoed to the tree trunk. She would have to lose sight of the snake to reach the backpack.

When she was a couple of steps from the trunk, she took one last glance up the tree, noted where the snake was and dashed forward. With her breath trapped in her throat, she snatched the bag up and bolted backwards. The snake was still there, but it was lower down.

As it slithered down the trunk, she unzipped the backpack trying to be as quiet as possible.

Can snakes hear?

Something about them hearing through vibration ran through her mind, another useless piece of trivia from Spencer. But it wasn’t so useless now.

With the axe now in her hand she was a bit more confident. But can I really kill it?

She spied Mackenzie out the corner of her eye and resisted the urge to look in his direction.

I have to do this. He needs me now .

The snake moved fast, slithering down the trunk as if being sucked down by gravity. She stood frozen, axe poised over her shoulder, her heart pounding out like drums of war .

The snake reached her head height, her waist, knees, it was at her feet. It was faster than she thought and most of it was on the ground when Abi squealed and brought the axe down.

She used so much force it chopped right though the tail-end of the snake and embedded in the ground. The snake snapped around hissing, trapped by the blade. It launched up and bit into the axe handle.

Suddenly it broke free and slithered away, leaving the end of its tail and a bloody trail in its wake. A growl burst from her throat as she plucked the axe from the ground, took a deep breath, and in one swift movement she brought the axe down, severing the snake’s head.

The snake’s body thrashed spasmodically.

Abi screamed and jumped away. “It’s dead! It has to be dead.”

A wave of nausea wobbled up her throat and she fell to her hands and knees and gagged. Her stomach was too empty, and her mind swirled with dizziness as she fought the urge to pass out.

When her queasiness abated, she leaned back on her haunches and stared at the first animal she’d ever killed. Its sleek body was a striking pattern of gold and pale green diamonds that shimmered in the sun. The axe blade was almost smothered by the tangle of bloody flesh that was now in three pieces.

What do I do now?

The appearance of ants got her moving. Abi stumbled to her feet and tugged the axe from the ground trying not to look at the blood that would be there. She dug a hole with the axe and satisfied it was deep enough she rolled the snake head and tail into it and quickly covered it up.

Then, despite being repulsed by the idea, she rode a wave of nausea as she picked up the slippery carcass. It was so heavy she could barely lift it and her stomach turned as she curled it over her shoulder. The snake was enormous and even with it up and around her neck both bloody ends still touched the ground.

“Hey Mack, I wish you could see me now.”

It took all her strength to drape the dead weight over one of the low hanging branches and she was completely drained when she finished.

I hope we can eat it after all that.

She fell to the ground gasping for breath. But the sight of dripping blood made her get back up .

She checked on Mackenzie. He was still unconscious, but his chest moved with steady breaths, reassuring her he was alive. Abi washed her hands and face and the axe and then she forced some more water into Mackenzie’s mouth.

Her stomach rumbled but she had no intention of eating without him. She put on a shirt, relieved herself in the bushes, fetched another bottle of water and then resumed her position with Mackenzie on her lap.

For the first time in her life, she began to pray.