Page 39 of Marks of Rebellion

---

"Have you had them before?"

"Before I was abducted. Where have you been?"

"I went to wash up in the river."

"With Andre?"

"Yes."

"Did he say where they are dropping us off?"

Naomi swallows hard. "Everyone goes back to their home countries, except me. I'm being taken to the U.S."

Panic rises. "What? I can't stay in Belize. And why would you go to the U.S.?"

"I'm not sure. I can't figure it out."

"Emilia isn't going to the U.S., either?" I ask.

"No."

"Andre didn't say why?"

Naomi's frown deepens. "He doesn't know, and Interpol won't tell him. It's above his pay grade, apparently."

"Seriously?"

"Yep." She arches her eyebrows.

"What are we going to do?"

She shakes her head. "I'm not sure, but the plane isn't scheduled to pick us up until tomorrow. So there's a small window of time to figure it out."

I twist my fingers and rack my brain about what to do.

"Have you eaten breakfast?" Naomi asks.

"No."

"Let's go eat. Andre said it's important we get food in our bellies."

"Okay."

We step outside the tent, and I immediately scan the campground for Hunter, but I don't see him anywhere. Everyone else is eating pancakes, and Dirk is roasting several things on a stick.

"Where's Hunter?" I quietly ask Zoe.

She gives me a sympathetic smile. "He took off into the woods."

"What?"

She shrugs.

I glance around to see if I can see him in the trees, but I can't. My pulse increases again.

Oh jeez. Calm down. I can't have another panic attack just because he needed to get away from me.

Andre approaches and hands me a plate of pancakes. "Have some breakfast, Vanessa."

---