Page 67 of Wild Idol
“I think one got away,” the other replied.
“Solomon is going to be pissed.”
They both kept advancing and would converge on our location soon.
We crouched low, hugging the dirt.
A fire ant crawled across my hand and decided this was the opportune moment to take a bite. I gritted my teeth and flicked the little bastard off, but it was too late. The burning had already begun. This was no regular fire ant. It felt like somebody had stabbed my hand with a hot poker.
I balled my fingers into a fist, trying to take the pain. It wasn’t the first time I had gotten bitten in the jungle by an insect. I’m sure it wouldn’t be the last.
We hid in the dense foliage. The two goons came to a stop within 10 feet of our location. They had a brief conversation.
My pulse pounded in my ears, all of my senses heightened. Adrenaline coursed through my veins. The sound of the jungle became deafening. After a moment, the two goons spun around and walked in opposite directions, back the way they came.
We all breathed a sigh of relief, and I shared a glance with Jack.
When it felt safe, we stood with caution, then stepped back down the narrow trail that we had just created. Unfortunately, Star’s foot snapped a twig.
It might as well have been a canon.
It echoed through the jungle, and the two goons spun in our direction.
Gunfire erupted.
I hit the dirt and took Star with me. We hugged the earth while bullets flew overhead, streaking through the jungle, piercing leaves, smacking into trees. Bark splintered and showered down.
The goons advanced, the AKs hammering their shoulders, brass casings ejecting from ports. The deafening cacophony of sound filled the air.
“Don’t shoot!” Star shouted. “It’s me.”
Soon the goons were on top of us, the hot, smoking barrels of their AKs bearing down.
“What the fuck are you doing here?“ the first goon with long, dark hair and a red bandanna asked.
“We were in the village dispensing medication, Boone,” Star snapped. “Stop pointing that gun at me.”
“What the fuck are they doing here?” Boone said, nodding to JD and me.
“Helping me. What’s your fucking problem!?” Star climbed to her feet and shoved the barrel of the rifle away from her, pointing it into the jungle. She had some spunk. No doubt about it.
JD and I followed suit with caution.
The two goons glared at us.
“What are you doing here?” Boone asked.
“We heard gunshots,“ Star said.
“Varmint,” Kellen said.
Star gave him a look of disbelief.
“Sorry to disturb you, gentlemen,“ JD said. “We’ll just be on our way back to camp.“
We started into the jungle, but Boone had other ideas. He shouldered his rifle again and took aim at Jack. “Not so fast.”
JD froze in his tracks, knowing now was not the time to tempt fate.
