Page 34 of Explorer's Revenge
Peering over the rough edge, I strain to see any color or earth inside, but the hole seems to go on forever. There is only inky blackness, which makes it impossible to see, so I lean back, but my boots slip in the loose rocks at the rim.
Rocks shift under my feet, crashing into the cavern, and I start to tumble forward, when Maeve catches my arm, pulling me back. “Careful, idiot.” She chuckles before following the others, circling as they film. I watch her for a moment, trying to calm my erratic heartbeat. I tell myself it’s from the near miss and not the warmth of her touch.
Dragging my gaze away from her and my team, I scan the edge of the hole, wondering if it was a natural disaster or if it has always been here. Something farther down catches my eye. Moving in the opposite direction of my team, I carefully pick my way across the uneven rock until I can crouch closer to it.
For a moment, I can’t seem to comprehend what I’m seeing, or maybe it’s my brain, but when it does, I go cold all over. That same feeling from the other night when I knew something was wrong courses through me.
In the dirt and rocks, there are claw marks leading from the edge of the hole, as if whatever creature made it had climbed in or out.
Putting my hand up against the grooves, I frown at the size. What wild animal did this, and was it before or after the people who lived here left?
“Yo, Wild, come get in the picture!” Rick calls, and I lift my head to see them gathered before the chasm, crouched together with a camera set up a few feet from them. Even Maeve is involved, positioned between Way and Rick. Rolling my eyes, I spare the claw marks one last look before I stand and dust off my hands. I tell myself it could have been here for years, maybe as long as the village. It’s nothing to worry about.
Nothing at all.
I squeeze in on the end, and Logan wraps his arm around me, dragging me closer until we squish together. “Okay, everyone, shout, ‘Maeve won!’” she yells, and the camera captures our exact reaction to that comment. I can’t help but laugh at the angry look I must be aiming her way, and the camera snaps again.
“Alright, fuckers. Get out of the frame. I’m going to record some footage since I’m the one who found it.” She winks at me, purposely trying to piss me off, and I wonder if Way is right. Do we like fighting with each other? Turning away before she can read my thoughts on my face, I move over and take a seat on one of the rocks. She fiddles with her camera and begins recording, then she starts to speak as she moves around, showing everyone what she found.
She’s a natural—I’ll give her that. Her excitement is palpable and real, and she breaks it down easily enough for people to understand. If I overlook her daredevil, no fucks attitude, she’s a good explorer. It doesn’t surprise me that Ajax recruited her, though I’ll never tell her or him that.
“Starting to hate her less, are we?” a mocking voice remarks as Logan sits on my right, grinning at me.
“The way he’s staring at her ass makes me wonder if it’s something else,” Rick teases as he perches on my left. They cage me in, and I roll my eyes, purposely looking at Way and Aiy instead of her, but as she speaks, I keep stealing glances. She’s dangerously close to the edge, and I worry she will fall.
That’s all.
“Hey, moron, don’t get too close to the edge. If you fall, we aren’t helping you!” I shout.
She turns and flips me off, but she’s smiling. “The only one who almost fell was you, dickhead!”
I know her camera is still rolling, and I can’t help but smile. Despite her retort, she steps farther away from the pit and gestures to it and then me as if to say, “Happy now?”
“She’s good, you know. I’ve seen her records, and she holds some killer titles and wins. She’s an all-rounder like you, Wilder, wanting to be the best at everything. It wouldn’t be the worst thing for us to work together while she’s here,” Rick says.
“Aiy,” I start.
“Doesn’t seem to mind,” Logan interrupts, pointing at Aiy, who is watching her with a ghost of a smile on his lips. I don’t know what they spoke about, but he seems more comfortable with her. However, I won’t risk the hard-won safety and comfort he has found with us for anything.
Carter can’t stay, no matter who wishes she could.
“So what now?” Rick asks when I don’t respond.
I shrug. “We document and send the footage back, then I guess call for pickup and head back to the beach. She won this one, but there will be others.”
“Are you conceding defeat?” Logan gasps and pretends to swoon. “The horror! The shock! It must be love.”
I shove him off the rock and focus on Carter. He’s right, I hate admitting defeat, but I’ll give credit where it’s due. She found it,so it’s hers. I’ll let her take all the accolades with Ajax and the world—she deserves it.
“Okay, I’m done,” she calls. “I’m thinking we should explore the cavern. It can’t be that deep. We can send a camera down first then repel down.”
I head over, and the others follow. “We don’t need to.”
“No, we don’t, but why wouldn’t we while we’re here? Come on, Wilder. I can see your curiosity too. Deny it all you want, but you’re a daredevil like I am. You want to go in the hole and see what’s down there,” she taunts.
Fuck her, but she’s right, and she knows it.
She peers down at the chasm and then turns to us, her eyebrows arched as she waits for us to disagree, but none of us do. She knows she has us.
