Page 28 of Monstrous Heat
Not for one minute did I even consider that he cared about my wellbeing. “Let me guess—he thinks whatever went down is my fault.”
“What happened last night? Other than you getting lost?”
She sounded doubtful, as if she didn’t believe me. Which honestly, made me proud of my abilities. All of the research about the location of the dig site was mine, so it was suspicious that I’d get lost—when I’d led everyone to that exact spot in the first place.
“I started back to camp alone, and at first, everything was fine. It got dark, which was pretty scary, but I still thought I’d be okay. But then I heard something. Like an animal. A big animal. It chased me off the path. I ran, got turned around, fell in a hole, and finally found a place to hide.”
“You didn’t see anyone else?”
Why would she ask, unless she knew about Kroktl? But how could she? If I told her I’d found a naked man in the jungle who claimed to be an alien… Oh wait. There had been someone else last night. “I didn’t see anyone, but I heard some men shouting in the distance. They sounded… unfriendly. I didn’t want to risk calling them for help when they were yelling at each other.”
“They could have been the search party.”
“No one knew I was missing yet,” I reminded her. “Plus no one was shouting my name. They were yelling in Spanish, but I couldn’t really understand it. They were talking too fast and too far away.”
“I don’t know, Nat. Something weird is going on. I’ve never seen Snyder so… so… paranoid. Angry. Like punch a wall angry. I’m worried what he’ll do when they find you.”
I tried to think of a way to tell her the truth—without betraying anything about Kroktl. “I’m not planning on going back to camp.”
“What? How are you getting out of the jungle then? Let alone home. Snyder is already pissed. He’ll make your life miserable once we get back on campus. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have any money to get home by myself.”
“I can’t explain everything now. I’m okay. Don’t worry about me.”
“Tell me, Natalie.” Her voice sharpened. “What the fuck is going on?”
“I… I met someone.”
She snorted. “Yeah, sure. You just happened to run into a hot guy in the jungle who swept you off your feet and gave you a night of so much pleasure that you’re abandoning your career plans and entire future for him.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah, pretty much.”
“Wait a fucking minute. You’ve got to be teasing me. Right? Shit like that doesn’t happen. Did you hit your head when you fell in that hole?”
I heard a noise outside. Footsteps. Oh shit. It sounded like boots.
I never heard Kroktl when he was approaching. He certainly didn’t wear boots.
Clutching the phone against my ear, I scrambled off the bed, staying low to the ground. I reached up and grabbed the gun off the counter. “Someone’s here.”
“Who? Mr. Hot Guy?”
“No,” I whispered, crouching down behind the tiny counter.
“Rescue team?”
Hands shaking, I ran through Kroktl’s instructions on how to use the gun. “They’re not calling my name.”
Only eighteen bullets. Did I risk firing them all of now? Before he was back? If I saved the bullets for later but died, I’d be pretty fucking pissed at myself.
Someone called out further away. Male. The person I’d heard close by yelled back something aboutchoza. Hut.
“What were the men doing in the jungle last night?” I whispered to Holly. “And why would that make Snyder mad?”
“I think they’re smugglers,” she replied in a rush. “He kept talking about money and trouble.”
That rang a bell. Kroktl had said that this area was known for drug smugglers. I flipped the safety switch. “They’re here.”
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