Page 21 of Knox's Mission

Mouth agape, Donnie seemed to think better of saying what was on his mind.

Amy could feel the heat coming off Knox in palpable waves. Good. It would keep Donnie in line. She wondered if there was any chance she could help Lorna see the guy for who he was: a jerk.

Knox had been right, though. People might act differently when they were in love but co-dependance was a problem. As much as Amy wanted to walk away from the situation if—when—they made it back to civilization, she would say her piece later. Ultimately, it would be Lorna’s choice to stay with someone who treated her like an afterthought.

A second later, Knox moved to his pack, shouldered it, and then said, “Move out.”

The fact he’d felt the need to prepare her for what lay ahead said it was going to be bad. And that was just the threats he knew about. The ones he could see coming. The others? Amy involuntarily shivered.

She focused on sticking close behind Knox as he wielded the machete with ease. She wondered if her brother had these same skills. Decided he must. When Garrett had been around, life had been easier. She’d felt safer. Had Knox ever felt the same?

She remembered walking downstairs to hear the low hum of whispers coming from the kitchen. Following the voices, she saw Knox hovering over the kitchen island. His hands were clasped and he stared at the granite like the world might crumble if he lifted his gaze. There’d been blood on his face. His lip was puffed up like a float at the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade. But there was nothing celebratory about his expression. He couldn’t have been more than sixteen years old.

And she couldn’t have loved him more.

Her brother offered reassurances based on his tone, but she hadn’t been able to quite pick up the actual words he’d been saying. Whatever had happened, Garrett was there to help his friend pick up the pieces.

How she wished her brother had been there for her freshman year when…

Amy shook off the reverie, focusing on the present danger instead. Because it was everywhere. It was real. And if she turned her attention away too long, she could end up bitten by a venomous snake or half a dozen insects.

Knox tapped the base of a vine and then warned, “Pit viper. Give it a wide berth and it should leave us alone.”

Lorna clung to Donnie. His expression sour, Amy couldn’t help but wonder if he cared about Lorna atall? Or was she convenient, content to follow him around like a puppy hoping for a treat? Her friend had been strong once. Right?

Or had Lorna been strong compared to Amy all those years ago when Amy’s world had been ripped out from underneath her?

A lot had changed since then. Amy had found her footing again. She had a goal. She was going for it despite the challenges.

All of that effort couldn’t end here in the jungle, she decided. She’d come too far to let her dream slip away. As resolve grew inside her, the sound of rushing water grew.

Knox chopped through thick vines and then stopped. Three more steps and he would be in the water.

Skimming the surface, Amy noticed brown-black spots the size of a hand or man’s foot floating on top of the green-brown water.

“Tarantulas?” she said in an almost inaudible tone.

Knox must have heard because he gave a slight nod. He turned his head to the side and said, “Their bite feels more like a wasp sting than anything else. Their hairs can irritate your skin though, so don’t get too close.”

Did he seriously think she intended to cozy up to one of those creatures?

“Not going to be a problem for me,” she said.

“I can’t go in there,” Lorna’s panicked voice cut through the air. “I just can’t. There has to be a different path.”

“Yeah,” Donnie chimed in. “Plus, you’re facing the wrong direction. Base camp is that way.” He brought up his watch, no doubt complete with compass, and pointed the opposite way.

“I know where I’m going,” Knox stated. “If you want to break out on your own, be my guest. But Amy is coming with me.”

The determination in Knox’s voice told her not to question his decision. He was the expert. He was the one with the skills to get them out of here alive. And, based on his tone, he had a plan.

“Amy, can you talk some sense into your brother’s friend?” Lorna whined. The whining was starting to get old. Plus, who was she to tell Knox what to do? And why did Lorna mentioning Amy’s brother feel the equivalent of fingernails on a chalkboard?

She could unpack all that later when they were safe. In the meantime, she would file the comments away.

“I’m going with Knox,” Amy supplied, matter-of-fact. “You two can do what you want.”

“Are you serious?” Lorna asked. “You would leave us out here?”

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