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Back Jungle Up Save as PDF
Chapters (63)
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  10. 10
  11. 11
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  31. 31
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  45. 45
  46. 46
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  48. 48
  49. 49
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  63. Author’s Note

Twenty minutes earlier, when Andy was finishing up packing, ridding his pack of everything that wasn’t absolutely necessary, he’d pulled out his wooden box. Andy had been stuffing the box of trinkets back into his pack, when he found himself shaking his head. He took off his watch, added it to the rabbit’s foot, the Shin’s Hollywood menu, and the small tan rock. He wrapped the box in his green i paused my game to be here shirt, then he pulled the lighter from his emergency kit and set the shirt on fire. For the next few minutes, Andy had watched the shirt and box burn.

“My watch broke,” he lied.

Farah wrinkled her nose, then glanced at her own watch. “It’s 1:09.”

“We need to head out,” Andy called to Darnell.

“Ready when you are, buddy,” Darnell said, adding two jars of Nutella and a bag of tortillas to his pack, then zipping it shut.

Andy turned and saw that the rest of the expedition team had gathered around the tent to see them off.

Holland stepped forward and said, “Noon, three days from now. That’s the last chopper ride out of here. If you don’t make it back by then, I’ll try to track you down, but no promises.”

“Three days,” Andy said, more to himself than anyone else. “Got it.”

Andy glanced at the others. His eyes fell back on Farah, who was standing not far from Holland.

Jungle up! he yelled in his head.

He walked toward Farah.

She bit the inside of her lip as he approached.

He walked past her to where Libby was standing and staring down near her feet. She lifted her head as he approached.

“Hey,” she said, shyly. “Be carefu—”

Andy leaned forward and kissed her. Her lips welcomed his. After a long second, Andy broke away.

Libby’s face danced as Andy said, “I’m coming back for more.”

45

45

jungle
august 23, 11:12 p.m.
days since abduction: 18

“I have to pee,” Gina said.

“Again?” Patrick said. “You just went.”

“I think I have a UTI.”

“Don’t you have some antibiotics you can take for that?”

“I took some a few hours ago.”

“Fine,” Patrick said, letting out a sigh. “My wife used to get those all the time.”

Gina couldn’t help but notice that Patrick had said “used to get.” The two could have been divorced, but something about the quick tug at Patrick’s mouth made Gina think she’d passed away. Gina felt a flicker of compassion for Patrick, but then she remembered that this was the same man who’d sent soldiers to abduct her from her village, held her hostage for going on eighteen days, and who, just five days earlier, had held a gun to her head.

“Make it quick,” he said.