Shadowed Eden (24 page)

They sat together for another four songs, and disappointment washed over her when the group broke up for the night.

Daddy wasn't coming back, at least not right now.

Her legs felt like they weighed a million pounds each as she dragged them to the van. She let everyone else climb in before she joined them, and she scanned the trees one last time before closing the door with a thud.

The others closed their eyes and fell asleep within minutes, but Avery stared out the window long into the night.

30

Avery was the first one up the next morning. She pushed her way out of the van and into the cool morning air. Sunlight glared from a million miles out in space, but it wasn't enough to heat the desert just yet.

Shivering, she moved toward the fire to stir up the embers. A few guys moved inside the shelters when she dropped a chunk of wood into the fire and it popped, but she didn't wake anyone. Being alone was a rarity here. It was almost peaceful sitting in the open space by herself.

No wonder Luca had tried to sneak away.

Memories of his solitary hike came back to her. He'd met someone else, someone named Rafa.

Chills broke out across her arms, and she shivered and pulled her sweater tighter. Who else lived here? Watched them? And what were they doing here? She had her theories, but she could be wrong.

She stood and moved to the trees. The air grew warmer and moister the closer she stepped. It felt like a sauna after being in the cold desert air.

They were low on water and they'd have to go in today to resupply. If they were going to be at the creek anyway, there was no reason they couldn't cross over and check it out. Daddy was missing, after all.

Something moved in the trees, and Avery froze. Straining her eyes, she peered into the jungle. Daddy didn't burst through. In fact, nothing seemed to move besides the leaves.

The chills were back.

She scrambled over to the logs and climbed on top, remembering the snakes from a few nights ago. Had it only been three nights? Or had it been two?

Time didn't seem to move in order in this place.

No snakes slithered into the opening, though. Nothing came out.

“What's up?”

Avery screamed and fell off the log. Luca's arms caught her before she could smack into the side of the next log. They stood like that, his arms wrapped around her, and she swallowed hard.

He didn't move, only looked into her eyes. She couldn't lie to herself any more—she didn't only miss his friendship.

A twig snapped, and she scrambled out of his grip and backed away. “You scared me half to death, Luca!”

He put his hands up defensively. “Sorry. I just saw you standing up there and wanted to make sure everything was OK.”

“Everything is not OK. Daddy didn't come back, and no one even questioned it.” She didn't mean to sound so hateful, and she worked to calm her racing heartbeat.

“We questioned it, Aves. We went in to see what was up, but we didn't run into him.”

Avery took a deep breath. He was absolutely right. She glanced around to make sure they were alone. “I think I know why we didn't run into him. I think I know which way he went.”

“What?” He lowered his voice to match hers and pulled her farther from the guys' shelter. “What are you thinking?”

“I saw him talking to Gabby and Katelyn the other night, and so I talked to them myself to see what he'd said. They told me they crossed the creek.”

“We can't trust what they said. They think they were gone a few hours.”

“I don't know,” she said with a shrug. She pulled out the map and showed him the “x”. “I think he took what they said seriously. I'm sure he crossed the creek. I thought we could check it out when we go to get water later today.”

His gaze moved to the trees and he scanned the area around them. “OK. There's no reason not to try.”

Hope burst through her chest. This was good. Trying was good.

The van door squeaked open and a few girls piled out. The guys stirred, too, and soon the camp came alive. They ate together then broke into groups to gather more fruit, wood, and water.

Avery, Luca, June, and Benny stuffed empty bottles into backpacks to take on their hike.

“We'll leave in the morning if Chad gets back tonight, right?” Benny asked as they started into the jungle.

“That's the plan,” Luca said.

Avery froze. She grabbed Luca's arm, shaking her head. “No, Luca. We can't leave if Daddy's still missing.”

“We're going to find him, Avery. Don't worry. Of course we won't leave him.”

She nodded and dropped her hand from his arm. June and Benny stared at her, but she shook off the bad feelings their strange looks brought. She pushed past them and restarted their hike.

“Chad might not get back until tomorrow anyway,” Luca said. “That's how long it took Bradley's group to make it back the last time. If that's the case then it will be another day before we leave.”

That made her feel slightly better.

They reached the creek and worked silently at filling the bottles. When the last bottle was capped, Avery stood and looked to Luca. “Should we just leave the packs here while we go deeper?”

“Whoa, deeper?” Benny stepped forward. “What are you talking about?”

“We wanted to check out another place Avery's dad might have gone.”

“When were you going to tell us this?” Benny said. “Because I'm tired of getting yanked around. First yesterday and now today? No way. If you want my help you've got to start treating me like I matter.”

The hurt on his face outdid the anger. He was right. They were still treating him as bad as they'd always treated him, only in a different way.

Luca opened his mouth but Avery stepped forward. “I'm sorry, Benny. You're right. I should have mentioned it, I was just so anxious to find him I wasn't thinking.”

“You had time to tell him.” Benny nodded to Luca. “And you could have mentioned it during our entire hike here. You kept it to yourself.”

“Let's just remember to keep everyone in the loop from now on,” June said. “Deal? We're all friends here. We're in this together.”

Avery glanced at June and offered a smile of thanks, but paused. Today, June's eyes were blue.

Perfect.

“OK. I think he went over the creek and tried to get into the secret area from the backside. I want to see if we can pick up a path.”

“You want us to go over there?” June asked. “I'm not sure I like that idea.”

“Why not?” Avery asked. “You went across the other day when you and I stayed here alone.”

“That was different. I was in and out, not tramping through a side of the jungle none of us had explored yet.”

“That side of the jungle looks exactly like this side,” Luca said. “If you don't want to come along, you don't have to. But if you're in, we're heading over.”

Avery sighed in relief. “Let's go.”

She and Luca started through the water, their footsteps splashing with every stride. After a moment, another set of splashes sounded behind them, and then another. They reached the other side and started up the bank.

“There.” Luca pointed out a trail to their left. A definite path had been trampled down in the grass. “The grass isn't dead yet. This path was made in the last day or two.”

They fell into step behind him as they made their way to the inner jungle.

“What do you think he's looking for?” Benny asked.

Avery wanted to blow off his question, but his rant from earlier made her stop.

“He's an archeologist. The Middle East has been his playground since I was a little girl.”

“Do you think he knows where we are?” June asked. “If he knows the area so well?”

Did he know it? It didn't matter if he did, she had to stop him. They had to get out of there before any big battle started.

Her ideas and suspicions about their location grew with every passing moment, but she hadn't even told Luca everything she was thinking, everything she'd heard Daddy say about this area of Iraq. Mainly because she could be way off.

She shook her head to get rid of the thoughts. “I don't know, but he must have some suspicions about something out here. I just want to find him before Chad gets back. Then we can all get out of here.”

They walked a few more steps in silence before Benny started again. “Erin looks good, don't you think? The antibiotics must have started working.”

Avery didn't mention that whatever had been bothering Erin had nothing to do with her illness. Surely, everyone realized that. Benny had seen Rae himself. How could he forget that weirder things were going on here?

No one spoke for a few paces, and Avery worked at calming her annoyance. It wasn't right to snap at everyone, especially if she needed their help. It was this jungle. This air. It was like the whole place was cursed.

They took a few more steps before coming to a fork in the path. One side went deeper into the jungle to the right, and the other veered left and back toward the creek.

Avery stopped and frowned. “He couldn't have gone both ways.”

“The paths are fresh. He might have gone one way and realized he was on the wrong path. Then he turned around and tried the other direction.” Luca bent to the ground to look more closely at the grass.

“So which way do we try?” Avery asked with a sigh.

Luca stretched back to his full height. “I don't know. Eeny meeny miny moe?”

“Ha ha.”

He grinned. “Glad I could help.”

“What if we split up?” June asked. “We could count out our steps. No one goes more than two hundred paces before turning back this way. We'll meet back right here.”

“No way,” Luca said. “We're not splitting up out here. We can try the left first, then the right, if that doesn't pan out.”

Avery didn't mind June's idea all that much, except she didn't want to split up from Luca and she didn't trust Benny and June to be able to find their way back.

No one complained and they fell back into step behind Luca. He led them down the path on the left before they came to a shallow slope.

“I'll go first.” Luca started down and a moment later Avery followed. The mud was slicker than she realized, and she slid into Luca at the bottom.

“Sorry,” she muttered.

He caught her eye and shook his head slightly. “What for?”

She shrugged and gave him a small smile.

They walked a few more minutes before the sounds of the creek babbled on their left. Avery looked through the trees and spotted the water rushing in its bed. “We chose wrong.”

“No, look.” Benny pointed to the path that clearly moved away from the creek and to the right.

Luca laughed and slapped Benny on the shoulder. “You're picking up on this tracking thing, huh?”

Benny grinned and Avery's heart squeezed. How long had it been since someone complimented him?

They followed the path for a few more yards before the trail went cold. Luca dropped to the ground and searched the grass. “It stops here. He turned around and went back.”

Avery scanned the area. “Why? There's nothing here that says he was on the wrong track.”

It didn't make sense. Why hike this far into the jungle then turn around and go back?

She sighed. Since when did Daddy do anything that made sense?

“Let's turn around then,” she said.

Luca nodded and they turned back toward the fork in the path. They hiked for ten, fifteen, twenty minutes in hot, steamy silence. Avery's breath became steadily shallower until finally she grabbed Luca's arm. “I'm thirsty. I need a drink.”

Luca nodded and pulled two bottles from his pockets. They each took turns drinking from them, and Avery closed her eyes and sighed as the cool water rushed through her.

“So you guys all know each other?” June asked. She leaned against a tree and took another drink. “Like, for a long time?”

Avery frowned. June's eyes were green again, which might not bother her except they'd sort of had this same conversation the day before when June's eyes were blue.

She stepped forward. “June, when was the last time you drank anything?”

June frowned. “What?”

“Your eyes changed again. From blue to green. It happened when you took a long drink of water.”

“I don't know. That sounds really weird to me.”

“I don't understand it either,” Avery said. “I just know what I saw.”

“I drank a few sips at breakfast this morning.”

“But then we came into the jungle,” Avery said.

“Yeah, so?”

June was right. So what? Avery hadn't figured it all out yet, but she was going to.

A loud crack sounded down the path and everyone jumped.

“What was that?” Benny asked, his voice panicked.

“Probably just a branch falling.” Luca's face pulled together in worry.

“Must have been a big branch,” Avery said. “We better keep going.”

They packed up the water and went back to walking. They had just rounded a corner when Luca stopped short. Avery ran into his back, and June ran into hers.

“Luca, what's wrong?” Avery peered around him and then she saw exactly what was wrong.

It hadn't been a branch falling that made the loud crack.

It had been an entire line of trees engulfed in flames. The blast of heat that hit her in the face nearly knocked her backwards.

“What on earth?” June asked.

Luca snapped out of his shock. “I have no idea, but we're not getting through that.”

“Um, I'm thinking we should run now, right?” Benny asked. “Fire in the middle of a bunch of trees is no good.”

A blast of flames flared near them. It caught the next set of trees on fire.

Avery and the others stumbled backwards. “Benny, I think you're absolutely right.”