Page 24 of Explorer's Revenge
Logan and I share a look and rip off our shirts, laughing as we race toward the water’s edge and dive in. I hit first, and when I surface, I push my hair back and grin at Logan. “First up the wall wins first pick of the annual vacation spot,” I call.
“Deal. Cheater!” he shouts as I dive under and swim hard toward the back. When I break through, I waste no time grabbing the rock there and hauling myself up. It’s slippery, and when I start to climb, I hear a splash. Glancing back, I chuckle as I realize Logan plummeted back into the water. Focusing on the wall, I move swiftly, climbing as high as I can, but I soon hear Logan behind me, and when I crest the edge, he is just seconds away.
When we reach the top, we are both panting and grinning. I wave at Wilder, who’s at the bottom, shirtless and filming us. Way and Aiy watch us with twin looks of amusement and incredulity.
“Together?” I look at Logan and hold out my hand.
“Always.” He slaps his palm in mine, and we take a running leap, jumping off.
I feel weightless as we plummet, our laughter echoing around the jungle until it is swallowed by crystal-clear water. When we kick to the surface, I can’t help but smile. “Come on, it’s fun!” I call to the others. “Wilder, Wilder, Wilder,” I chant.
His eyes narrow as Logan joins in, then Way and Aiy. “Fuck it, fine.” He kicks off his pants and boots, placing the camera on the portable tripod before he heads toward the wall. We turn to watch him as he quickly and effortlessly scales it, moving so fast he’s a blur. It’s his specialty, and it’s always impressive. No matter how much we try, we can never beat him.
At the top, he gives us a wave and then turns around, the real Wilder coming out to play when he flips backwards. We shout in encouragement, and when he hits the water, he splashes all of us.
His head appears, and he’s grinning. “Don’t you dare!” I yell before I’m yanked under.
Everyone’s laughter filters to me while Wilder fights me underwater. Despite it, I can’t stop smiling. It’s rare for my brother to let go, but I love seeing this side of him.
We play for hours, competing in diving and swimming, picking crazier paths up and down until we collapse onto the boulders at the side to dry off before we head into the jungle.
“Hey, did you see this?” Aiyaret calls, and we stride over, Wilder tugging his shirt on as he goes.
“What?” he asks as Aiy points at the ground where he’s crouched. “Am I crazy or are those . . . footsteps? Human ones?”
We turn to where he’s pointing. He’s right.
The tracks are maybe a few days old, but distinct.
Those are human footsteps on a deserted island where we are supposed to be the only people here.
“Well, shit just got interesting,” I mutter.
Wilder does not look happy, his eyes scanning the jungle. “He’s right. Those are human. We need to be extra careful. If someone is here, then they might not be happy we are as well.”
“Oh, come on,” Logan mutters. “It could be an animal.”
“It’s a boot,” I scoff.
“Wilder is right. We need to be careful,” Way murmurs, and they share a look. I know fun time is over. They’ll be anxious about this all day now—hell, all trip.
It does make me curious. If someone else is on this island, then why?
Do they live here?
Are they after the same thing?
If they are, what happens if we get in their way?
It’s clear Wilder is having the same thoughts because he stalks back to his bag, dresses, then turns to us.
“Alright, playtime is over,” Wilder states, studiously ignoring the tracks, none of us wanting to read too much into what it means. “Time to hike.”
Our groans fill the air, even as he smiles sadistically at us.
EIGHTEEN
WILDER
