Page 78 of Escape Velocity

Chapter Sixteen

Every nerve in Amber’s body vibrated as a figure stepped through the door.

Then, in an instant of recognition, she saw it was Rafe.

Max lowered the knife he had raised. “What the hell are you doing here?” he asked.

He gave them a considering look. “Sorry to interrupt your playtime, but I heard a bunch of the men talking. Some of the younger guys. They don’t trust us.”

“Why not?”

“I didn’t get that far.”

“Crap,” Max exclaimed.

He looked toward Amber. “You’d better change into something more suitable for a trek through the swamp.”

“Where are we going?”

“Back to the shuttle, if we can make it.”

She turned around, discarded her dress and pulled on a rough shirt, then a pair of pants.

When she pivoted back, she saw Max and Rafe looking around the room and cursing.

“What?”

“I have this knife, but nothing bigger,” Max said.

“Yeah, me too,” Rafe muttered.

She joined the search and saw a pole leaning against the wall. “Can you make this and the knife into a spear?”

“How?” Max demanded.

She picked up the dress where she’d tossed it. “Give me the knife.” When Max handed it over, she ruthlessly began cutting long strips from the beautiful fabric of the skirt.

Max used the thin lengths to bind the handle of the knife to the shaft, tying it off several times.

“Okay, let’s get the hell out of here.”

“Wait.”

Max’s head snapped toward her. “What?”

“I was just thinking. I know where we can get more weapons.”

“Where?”

“The kitchen.”

He looked torn between a quick escape and the possibility of securing better armaments. Finally, he nodded and turned to the doorway.

Pulling the curtain aside, he looked out, scanning the compound. After a few moments, he said softly, “Let’s go.”

He climbed down first. Amber was second, and Rafe brought up the rear.

At the bottom of the ladder, she stood in the semidarkness, thankful that two moons had risen, sending tendrils of silver light between the leaves of the trees that sheltered the camp. The orbs gave enough illumination for them to see where they were going. But it would also expose them to anyone who was keeping an eye on the visitors. Now, however, she saw no one nearby. And when she strained her ears, she heard nothing but sounds from the swamp—insects buzzing, and the roar of a large animal. What was that? She didn’t want to meet it, but she knew they couldn’t stay here.

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