Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 132491 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 662(@200wpm)___ 530(@250wpm)___ 442(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132491 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 662(@200wpm)___ 530(@250wpm)___ 442(@300wpm)
Marcus shakes his head. “You’re a piece of work. Are you going to walk, or do I need to carry you?”
“I’ll walk.”
McClain’s gaze lands on the knife at my waist. “I’ve been looking for that.”
Marcus ties the rope around McClain’s midsection, then secures it around his own waist.
“You try anything, I’ll knock you unconscious and carry you the rest of the way,” he says.
“There’s no fight left in me. I’m just existing until the day I die.”
Marcus scoffs, disgusted. “How fucking zen, you selfish bastard.”
When his eyes meet mine, I offer a sympathetic look. His tortured expression reaches inside me, making me even more curious about his history with McClain.
I know enough, though. McClain made aromium, which means he worked for Whitman. Which makes him my enemy.
35
Construction has begun on a wall around our camp. The aromium shield is effective, but an enhanced jaguar became so crazed that it was undeterred by the shield. It died from the shield’s effects about twenty yards outside our camp. A physical barrier between our team and the aromium-enhanced creatures has become a necessity.
- Excerpt from the journal of Dr. Randall McClain
We’re the last team of two to make it back to camp. Nova’s waiting for us at the cutoff area for the aromium shield, holding a torch that lights up the inky darkness of night. Her expression goes stony when she lays eyes on McClain.
Amira’s with her, and she throws her arms around me in greeting as Nova deactivates Marcus’s aromium.
“You guys did it,” she murmurs in my ear.
“I can’t believe it.”
She pulls back, her hands on my shoulders. “We ran into a group of megamantises. Total horror show.”
A smile pulls on Nova’s lips as she runs the aromium device over my hip. “Our Artemis took five down with arrows.”
Amira beams proudly. “Got two of ’em right in their freakishly large eyes.”
The device beeps and energy seeps from my body. I stumble, unable to stay upright with the aromium off. Marcus is there. My back lands against his chest and he wraps an arm around my waist.
“Give it ten seconds,” he says. “It’ll get better.”
“What should I do with Runaway Randall?” Nova asks, untying the rope around Marcus’s waist.
“Put him in a cell. Bring him some food and water.”
“I don’t need food,” McClain says.
Marcus gives him a murderous glare. “Nova’s going to monitor your food and water intake. Try some hunger strike bullshit and I’ll force-feed you.”
“I won’t hunger strike. I just don’t eat very much.”
Marcus’s face is drawn with anger as Nova leads McClain, the rope still secured around his waist, toward camp. Amira walks on one side of me, Marcus on the other.
“I didn’t notice when my aromium was turned back on, but I definitely noticed when it was turned off earlier,” Amira says. “It was like getting hit with a tranq dart.”
“Yeah, I could sleep for the next few weeks,” I say.
“Want me to bring you guys some food?” Amira asks.
Marcus puts an arm around my shoulders, looking over my head at Amira. “Will you ask someone in the kitchen to leave some food outside the door of our room?”
“Sure.” Her eyes shoot to mine, her knowing smile making my cheeks warm.
Our room?
The past five days in the jungle have brought Marcus and me closer. We had to rely on each other, and we got to know each other better. The thought of going to our separate quarters to sleep has been making me uneasy the whole walk back to camp.
I can’t keep taking his bed while he sleeps on the floor, though. He didn’t sleep the entire time we were out searching, and he has to be exhausted now that his aromium is off.
Amira says a quick goodbye and ducks off toward the kitchen, glancing back at me with a conspiratorial smile.
“She’s subtle,” Marcus says lightly.
“Is it done already?” I look up at the tower in the center of camp as we pass it.
“Looks like it. I think Stella might be after my job.”
He keeps his arm around me, and we’re almost to the housing block when we see Niran approaching.
“The team that lassoed the eagle!” he cries, grinning.
He embraces Marcus, clapping him on the back. When they part, I’m surprised when Niran hugs me, too, lifting my feet a few inches off the ground.
“You guys coming to the Hub?” he asks, setting me down. “A bunch of us are hanging out there.”
Marcus shakes his head. “We’re wiped, man. Just showers and sleep for us.”
My stomach twists with excitement. We kept our hands off each other for five very long days, even though aromium made me feel like a bitch in heat. And now that I’ve seen Marcus’s erection tenting his shorts, I know what I’m missing, making it extra tragic.
“See you kids tomorrow,” Niran says, waving as he turns toward the Hub.