Page 63 of Explorer's Revenge
What should I do?
I’m losing time. I need to find them.
Swallowing, I scoot down the branch and look out, straining to hear and see, then I finally catch a voice in the distance.
It has to be them.
Without a second thought, I climb down, but my bad leg slips, and I hit the water with a loud splash. Groaning, I stumble to my feet, grateful nothing was below me that could stab me, but I need to be more careful. I wade through the chest-high flood, limping and stumbling over the uneven ground and debris, all while blindly following that voice.
It grows louder and louder.
“Hello?” I yell before coughing.
It stops for a moment, and I freeze. “Maeve?” someone shouts, and my heart pounds.
Moving faster, I propel myself in the direction of the voice. My eyes strain in the dark, but then I finally see their outlines.
I move faster, dropping to my knee as I trip over something, but I get up and keep going until I can see them.
Logan holds onto a tree with one arm, holding Rick with the other. Rick’s eyes are closed and blood drips down his face, his legs floating. “Maeve,” he whispers. “Thank God. Thank God. Did you see any of the others?”
“No. Just you,” I reply as I move closer, stroking Rick’s face. He groans, and I nearly double over with relief.
“He’s okay, but he hit his head hard. I can’t let go. He won’t wake up enough, so I’m trapped,” Logan explains in a rush.
Moving past Rick, I grip Logan’s head and press my cheek to his. “Shh, it’s okay. You did really well. Let’s get up into the tree, okay? Once we are safe, we can make a plan to find the others. If we swim or walk without a strategy, we could lose.” He nods, and I look at Rick. “Okay, hand him to me while you climb up onto that low branch, and then I’ll pass him to you.”
We work quickly after that, wanting to get out of the water in case it gets worse again. You never know. He scales the tree swiftly and crouches on the thick branch just above the water, reaching as far down as he can while I hold Rick. His weight tugs me deeper into the water, but I dig my feet into the ground below.
“Okay, hand him over.”
My hands slip on Rick’s skin, but I keep hoisting, using all my strength. My bad leg screams at me, and my numb arm aches, but I ignore it all.
Grunting under his weight, I manage to get Rick high enough for Logan to grab him under his arms and lift him onto thebranch. Breathing heavily, he settles Rick into the crook before leaning down and offering me his hand. “Okay, now you.”
“Maeve . . .,” Rick groans, lifting his head and looking at me.
“Here, babe.” I wink as I jump and try to reach Logan’s hand. My wet palm slips through his grip, so I grit my teeth and try again. My fingers just hit his when something hard and large crashes into me under the water, dragging me down and away.
I hear their yells and a splash, but it’s all secondary to a stabbing, burning pain in my arm.
My eyes widen as I stare into the empty orbs of the crocodile. My scream fills the water as it sinks its teeth into my arm and shoulder, rolling us deep into the murky abyss. Water fills my lungs, and I know I need to get free or I’ll die. I frantically search the water until I see a sharp rock. I reach for it with my other arm, screaming as the monster yanks on the limb in its maw. I finally grasp it, and with a victorious yell, I swing my arm up, smashing the rock into its face. It gnaws on my arm, so I try again. This time, I hit its nose, and its jaws open as it recoils. I drive the rock deeper before pushing to the surface.
I choke as I splash and scream, blood filling the water around me.
“Carter!” The shout brings my attention upward, and I see Way, Wilder, and Aiy about twenty feet away. “Carter, we’re here!”
I’m knocked to the side, the water moving in a wake as the croc cuts through it, swimming toward them. My throat burns, and I try to scream a warning, but I choke.
With no other choice, I grip the sharp rock and dive at the monster. I land on its back, and we sink under the surface. Pounding the rock against it, I try to hurt the creature, but its scales are too thick and its body is too big. It’s like trying to hold onto a whale. Gripping its dorsal scales, I focus on my breathingand the creature below me as it dives deeper. Luckily, though, it’s swimming away from the guys.
When it starts to roll, I know I don’t stand a chance. My head smacks into the ground below, disorienting me, and my grip loosens. My eyes burn from the saltwater as I see it disappear into the darkness, then I push off the ground and break the surface once more.
My head is spinning, and every inch of my body both aches and feels numb. The muddy water around me is visibly red, even in the dark, with my blood, and I know it’s only a matter of time before that monster returns to finish me off.
Arms unexpectedly wrap around me and lift.
I slam my head back out of instinct, and someone groans as I whirl. Way holds his busted nose, his eyes wide. “It’s me! It’s me!”
