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Back Jungle Up Save as PDF
Chapters (63)
  1. 1
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  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
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  29. 29
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  31. 31
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  40. 40
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  43. 43
  44. 44
  45. 45
  46. 46
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  48. 48
  49. 49
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  51. 51
  52. 52
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  63. Author’s Note

The ethnobotanist checked a compass heading every now and again, but for the most part, it appeared, at least to Gina, that he had no idea where he was taking them.

“It’s not too much farther,” Martin said.

“You’ve been saying that for a day and a half!” said Patrick.

“No, really, it’s just up ahead.”

Patrick stormed forward, and just like he had three days earlier, he dug his fingers into the wound behind Martin’s left ear. Squeezing tightly, he said, “Are you leading us on a wild goose chase?”

“No, no, I swear.”

Gina watched as Patrick gritted his teeth, pressing his fingers into the wound as hard as he could. “Is the tribe close?”

Martin shook his head from side to side. “I can’t go back there,” the ethnobotanist wailed. “They kept me in a cage. I can’t. I won’t. You’ll have to kill me.”

Patrick released Martin’s shoulder. Martin crumpled to the ground. “I can’t go back,” he sobbed. “I can’t go back.”

Patrick pulled a gun from the waist of his pants and pointed it at Martin.

He shouted, “Martin, look at me!”

Martin wiped his eyes and looked up. Even at the sight of the gun barrel pointed at him, he didn’t so much as flinch. He would rather die than go back to the tribe.

Patrick lowered the gun, then he strode three steps to where Gina stood watching. Gina’s limbs froze as she felt the barrel of the gun pressed to her left temple.

Patrick glared at Martin. “If you don’t take us to the village right now, I’m not going to kill you, I’m going to kill her.” He pressed the gun a notch harder into the side of Gina’s head.

Gina felt her heartbeat against the barrel of the gun.

“What’s it going to be?” Patrick asked. “Are you going to let the woman who saved your life die? I’ll give you three seconds to think it over.”

A high-pitched whine escaped Martin’s lips.

“One,” Patrick shouted. “Two.”

Gina closed her eyes.

“Three.”

44

44

base camp
august 22, 8:23 a.m.
expedition: day 9

After helping to outfit Thomas, Rix, and Diego for their mission and then seeing them off, Andy and Holland joined the others at command central.

“I don’t see how we can continue without Jonathan,” Bernita said. “It doesn’t seem right.”

The previous evening, everyone had been so numb from Roth’s death that it was decided they would wait until morning to determine what to do next.

“I think we owe it to Roth to finish the final three days,” Farah said. “It’s what he would have wanted.”

Andy glanced at her.