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Back Jungle Up Save as PDF
Chapters (63)
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  63. Author’s Note

I dropped the knife between my thighs, knocked it over so it fell flat, and then covered it with my legs.

I glanced up just in time to see Bill and two soldiers emerge from behind one of the small wooden houses. Benecio jumped up from the bag. Bill threw his hands up, and Benecio pointed at us. Bill strode in our direction and squinted. When he was within five feet, he asked, “Is that a sloth?”

Gina nodded. “She—well, I think it’s a she—just crawled out from the forest. I know you’re going to kill us here pretty soon, but could you get her some water? She’s parched.”

“You know what,” Bill said. “If the last thing you want to do on this earth is watch a thirsty sloth drink water, well, who am I to stop you?”

I waited for him to ask why there was tape around the sloth’s belly and back, but as I looked at Camila, I noticed the tape was gone.

Gina noticed my gaze and licked her lips.

I fought back a smile. Gina had somehow pulled the tape off of Camila with her teeth and eaten it. And I speculated that, like the knife beneath my legs, the sheath was hidden beneath hers.

What a fucking rock star.

Bill beckoned Benecio forward.

He filled his hand with bottled water and offered it to Camila.

Camila lapped at the water a few times, then smiled up at him. He broke off a small piece of energy bar and held it out to her. She sniffed it, then pulled her head back.

“Did the villagers escape?” I asked Bill.

“Nothing we couldn’t handle.” He turned to one of the soldiers and said, “Enough of this. Juan, go grab your machete.”

One of the soldiers turned and made his way toward their supplies. Bill, Benecio, and the other soldier watched him from ten yards away.

I glanced up at my wrists. I’d cut enough of a slit in the right zip-cuff that I was certain I could snap it off whenever I pleased. But I would still need to grab the knife and cut my ankle restraints, and there was no way I would be able to do that before one of the soldiers shot me down in cold blood.

Still, this might be my only shot.

Gina coughed next to me.

When I glanced her way, she nonchalantly motioned with her eyes downward.

I followed her gaze to a small red dot on her thigh. It disappeared a moment later.

I casually peered in the direction the laser beam had originated. It was coming from the jungle to our right. Not far from where we’d left our packs.

I scanned the thick green foliage, expecting to see Vern and his rifle hiding there, but I didn’t. Instead, I saw a pompadour of orange hair.

Andy.

59

59

tribal village
august 23, 4:48 p.m.
days since abduction: 18