Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 98561 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98561 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
I closed my eyes for a while and tried to imagine I was somewhere else. I blocked out the chatter from below, I ignored the ache in my shoulders and forearms. I thought about walking hand-in-hand along a beach with Gabriel, the wet sand squidging between our toes, warm water washing over our feet. I could feel the sun on my back, the wind toying with my hair. He’d slow, his hand tugging on mine, bringing me to a stop. Then he’d pull me closer and bring his lips down on mine—
My shoulders were a solid, throbbing ache now, one I couldn’t ignore any longer. I didn’t dare move them because it felt like they’d set like concrete and if I moved, they might go into spasm and I’d lose my grip completely. The soldiers must have moved on by now.
I opened my eyes and looked down. The moon had gone behind a cloud and everything was in shadow. I couldn’t see anyone and there were no voices. For a wonderful second, I thought they’d gone. I actually started thinking about how best to get down.
Then I saw a tiny, orange circle. A moment later, it split into two. Then one of those split into two. They were smoking. I felt my chest contract in fear. How long would that take? Five minutes, ten? I can’t hang on that long!
My legs were starting to shake now, not used to being bent and strained for this long. And my fingers were beginning to go numb. There was no breeze and the smoke from the cigarettes rose straight up, enveloping me. I held my breath.
Three of the soldiers seemed to be listening as the fourth told a story: something sexual, from the few words I could pick up. I was getting desperate to breathe. I twisted my head around, trying to escape the cloud, and couldn’t. Lungs bursting, I finally gave in and tried to inhale slow and steady, but the smoke was rough and stinking, and my chest spasmed. Don’t cough, don’t cough.
The story finished, and one by one, the orange circles disappeared as the men put out their cigarettes. They’re going! Another thirty seconds and they’d be gone. The cough in my chest swelled and swelled. I clamped down hard on it, eyes watering—
It burst out of me, and even with my lips pressed hard to my shoulder, a loud, rasping cough filled the air. Instantly, the soldiers jerked to attention and looked up, jaws dropping when they saw my silhouette above them. Their guns came up to fire and I screwed my eyes shut.
There was a long burst of gunfire but the pain didn’t come. I opened my eyes…
The moon had cleared the clouds again and I could see the bodies of the soldiers on the ground. Then another figure stepped out of the trees and looked up at me.
I’ve never been so glad to see someone in my life. Gabriel!
At that moment, my numb hands finally gave way and my grip slithered down the tree. My legs swung away from the trunk and I dangled from my arms, ten feet up.
“Drop!” Gabriel told me.
I was panting, trying to swing myself back up so I could wrap my legs around the trunk.
“Drop!” Gabriel insisted. “I’ll catch you!”
My stomach lurched: fear of falling plus my old insecurities coming back: I was too heavy to catch—
“Olivia,” said Gabriel firmly, “drop!”
I let go. The sky shot away from me…
And strong arms caught me and cradled me. He gave a groan of relief and crushed me to his bare chest. I felt all of the fear slowly melting away. We were still in danger, still being hunted, but nestled against him, I could cope with that.
As I relaxed, I became aware of the tension in his body. He was gripping me as if he never wanted to let me go, rocking me gently against him as his chin rubbed the top of my head. Then he gripped me hard by the shoulders and pushed me back so that he could look at me.
“Don’t ever do that again. Okay?”
I nodded quickly, the raw emotion in his voice making me go weak.
He grabbed me by the waist and tugged me to him, kissing me hard and quick. He broke the kiss and spoke from an inch away, the word a hot little gust on my tingling lips. “Ever!” he repeated.
He gazed into my eyes and suddenly, I couldn’t breathe. Something had changed since I last saw him. The need in his eyes… He grabbed my hands and took a deep breath, about to say something. Then he looked around at the jungle and cursed under his breath. “Not here,” he muttered. “Come on.”
He led me off into the jungle. But after just a few feet, I pulled on his hand to stop him. A shaft of moonlight had broken through the trees and was making something gleam in the undergrowth, something metal. Only ten feet from the tree where I’d hidden, there was a wire fence. Who would build a fence, all the way out here?!