Page 45 of Extracted

Dallas took the bottle of water from her hand and unscrewed the top. He held it to Eli’s lips, and the man chugged.

Eli gasped then took another sip, this one not as desperate. Slowly, his breath became less haggard.

He met her eyes and nodded. “I thought you two were dead.” His mouth trembled. “So glad we all made it.”

She rubbed his arm, and tears misted her eyes. “You’re fine now. We’ve got water, food, and supplies. Everything you need to rest up. Can I get you something to eat?”

He nodded weakly. “Please.”

She scurried to the back of the plane and dipped into the rations. The fire was probably out by now, and he needed something quickly. They could always cook him a bigger meal after. She grabbed some beef jerky, a protein bar, and trail mix and delivered the food to Dallas, who quickly opened the packages.

She returned to the back of the plane and poured water into one of the pots—thank god they’d still have more than they could carry on their trek tomorrow, even with Eli here. Then she retrieved some paper towels for him to clean up with.

Fifteen minutes later, less strain creased Eli’s skin, and his breathing was normal. He’d washed his face, and his ebony skin was much brighter, as were his eyes. The food and water had clearly revived him.

“I must have drifted much farther from the plane than you two. I don’t even know how I found it. I wasn’t even really looking anymore, just trying to find a place to hide from predators. I knew I was going to die tonight. Then . . .” His voice broke. “I saw a small flame. I ran toward it thinking I’d found you guys. And then I saw the plane.” A tear crept out of his eye.

Gemma pulled him into a hug. “It’s almost over now. We have each other, and Dallas has a satellite phone, so we’ll get a route planned tomorrow. We’ll be out of here in no time.”

She was being too optimistic, but with Eli on the brink of a breakdown, she had to reassure him. She pulled away and looked at Dallas. His expression was dark.

She gave him a look and his eyes narrowed, but he clapped Eli on the shoulder. “She’s right. We’ll be out of here in no time. How about we set up a bed for you?”

Eli’s gaze drifted to their setup at the back of the plane. “I see you guys are settled. There’s two of you and one of me, so makes sense for you to keep the bed.”

Gemma swallowed over the lump in her throat. If Eli had shown up earlier, he would have walked in on her and Dallas doing the nasty—rather interrupted, which would’ve really sucked.

“I’ll just use the seat cushions,” Eli said, his tone light. He patted the one he was leaning against. “They pop right off to be used as flotation devices.”

Dallas stood. “I’ll grab you a blanket.” He returned with a blanket from their bed and the only pillow. In five minutes, they had a makeshift bed set up for Eli near the cockpit and door.

An uneasy sensation flooded Gemma. They’d used Eli’s things, food, and water. Was he perturbed? It was too hard to read him, especially with fatigue clinging to his body. She made her way to the back of the plane and settled into bed.

Eli had survived, she told herself, and she and Dallas were stronger now with another person. His arrival was a blessing. All day she’d feared they’d spot him dead, hanging from his parachute in the trees. Still, despite her relief that Eli was alive, a little nugget of worry pinched the back of her neck.

She was being ridiculous.

Eli had cried tears of joy when he described how he’d found the plane . . . and them. He was on their side and an asset. She was just spooked by how he’d approached the plane, and the energy inside it had been shaken—it was no longer her sexy little haven with Dallas. That’s all.

Dallas strode down the aisle to their alcove. The lantern they’d given Eli switched off behind him. Theirs still glowed from the trunk as Dallas settled into bed next to her. He clicked off the light, and she curled into his side.

“You okay?” he asked softly.

She winced at how loud his whisper was. She didn’t want their conversations broadcasted, or to keep Eli up.

Her throat tightened. “Fine,” she whispered.

“I’m going to do everything in my power to get us out of here tomorrow, okay?”

She nodded and he hugged her to his side. Closing her eyes, she waited for sleep to pull her back into its comforting arms.

Only this time, another man’s snores kept her awake.

* * *

The clanking of metal pots made Gemma blink her eyes open. The blanket was piled around her, as if she’d been tucked in. The spot next to her on the mattress was vacant. An orange glow streamed through the plane’s windows, indicating the sun was starting to rise. It was still early, though.

Memories of the previous night rushed in.

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