But first things first. Clare was her priority now. Once the girl was safe and the drama over, they’d go home and Faye would tell Derek that she was leaving. Then she’d leave—and start living again.

The terrain had levelled out when Faye heard the river. It was hidden behind a dense bank of tall reeds, but the proximity of the water made her want to call out. What if the others were on the other side and could hear her? She jogged along the path between the cliff and the reeds and, as she paused at the sign indicating the river crossing, two duikers appeared from the other direction, stared at her for a moment and sped out of sight. She made a mental note to tell Clare about them.

Her spirits sank at the sight of the water. There was no way, rope or no rope, anyone would be able to cross it. Tempestuous and muddied, the river rushed, carrying with it clumps of vegetation and deadwood. Where it wasn’t swirling around boulders, tapping the lower branches of trees or streaming smoothly with lava-like power, the water created deep eddies that looked large enough to swallow a duiker—or a person. Faye stared, disappointment tugging at her gut. She’d wasted hours hiking in the wrong direction. There was no way she could traverse the river to get to the Grootkloof Cabin to check if the others were still there. She’d return, immediately.

The thought of climbing back up the ravine made her weary. Steep and slippery, it wasn’t going to be easy. A drink of water would help. She walked to the edge of river, knelt and, scooping water in her hand, drank. As she leaned back, preparing to stand, Faye looked upstream. A flash of red caught her eye. A cap. A red one like Geoffrey’s. There was someone sitting on the bank.

She jumped to her feet, keeping her eyes on the figure as if it might disappear if she looked away. The boulders on the edge of the river were slippery and, where the water was close to the bank, Faye held onto the plants and eased her way upstream. Finally she saw the ropes ahead of her and, as she gripped one with both hands to support herself, she called out.

“Geoffrey! Geoffrey! Over here!”

He raised his head, eyes widening as he saw her. “Faye! Hey!”

“My God! I am so relieved to see you,” she shouted, trying not to cry. “We have to get help to Clare.”

Geoffrey jumped to his feet, whipped his cap off his head and held a hand behind his ear. “What? I can’t hear you.”

“Clare needs help.”