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“The shape you’re in isn’t good,” he quickly countered. “You barely made it this far. If I can get a few hours of rest in you and another protein bar, more fluids, we have a chance of walking out of here alive. Either way, though, I’ll stay right by your side.”
Amy wasn’t used to depending on anyone else. Having an older brother who treated her like the tomboy she’d been had taught her to fend for herself. Garrett had wanted her to be independent, to not need anyone—including him. Losing him had tipped her world on its axis. As strong and self-reliant as he’d encouraged her to be, he would have had her back in a heartbeat if she’d said the word.Even from the grave, he was protecting her. Knox wouldn’t be here without his loyalty to her brother.
Again, why hadn’t he seen fit to attend Garrett’s funeral? Did he hate the town they were from that much? Did the limp have anything to do with it?
She’d lost track of Knox, not that she’d kept a log on his whereabouts before the crash. Garrett mentioned Knox’s name the few times he’d called to check in. Contact was minimal once he entered the military. There, Garrett found his groove.
Amy was still wandering, trying to find where she fit in the world. Still trying to get out of wearing Daisy Dukes to a soul-sucking job that covered rent, bought food, and kept her in gas money with little else.
Maybe it was time to hang it up and go back to school. She’d dropped out after freshman year after…
Amy shook off the reverie before it took hold. She was a survivor. She’d survived. The incident had shocked her into her shell. Going over it again in her mind never stopped it from haunting her or eased the pain.
“What happened just now?” Knox asked over his shoulder, soldering on.
“Nothing,” she responded. “Why?”
“You tensed,” he said. “Thought maybe you saw something.”
Nothing but ghosts from the past. Another shiver rocked her body at the memory she’d never shared with anyone, not even Garrett.
Knox stoppedwhen he heard the sound of rushing water. “This looks like a good place to bunk for a few hours. Give me a minute to confirm.”
Amy stopped. Her friend was stuck to her like a wet swimsuit.
He shook his head, trying to shake out the image of Amy in a two-piece.Not the play, dude.
He walked the perimeter, found nothing to be concerned about. Being near water wasn’t ideal for his peace of mind, but Amy was weak. She was barely keeping up and Lorna wasn’t exactly helping. The woman appeared to be in a minor state of shock. As much as he wanted her to experience the same danger she’d put her friend in, he didn’t have the heart to throw her out here on her own.
It was clear to him that she’d never experienced the Amazon either. She and her boyfriend had gone off on a hair-brained scheme as a last-ditch effort to make a name for themselves.
They’d most likely read pamphlets, studied maps, and read online accounts or books to gainknowledge of the area. Being here versus reading about it was a whole different ballgame.
He cleared an area using the machete, which took longer than he wanted with the rush of the nearby stream causing his stomach to turn queasy.
After throwing up a fly tarp, he managed to set up the two-person ripstop nylon parachute hammock by tying it to a pair of sturdy trees. This would keep them off the ground while the attached mosquito net would protect them from other dangers. Snakes—God help him—could slither inside, as could some species of spiders; he’d deal with those if the time came. The Velcro seal should hold, keeping out unwanted creatures.
“We should eat and each have a bottle of water,” he said, handing out the supplies after he mixed in the hydration powder. They were gone in a matter of minutes. The hydration packs would make the water hold longer and the protein bars got the job done enough to keep his stomach from growling loud enough to wake the ladies during the night.
He was most concerned about Amy. She’d been through hell and back and had little sleep to go on. Of the three, she was physically the most drained. Lorna, he couldn’t quite figure out. But she would be distressed about the absence and unknown whereabouts of her boyfriend. As much as Knox hated leaving anyone behind, he also figured this Donnieperson was good at looking out for himself. He’d had no qualms about ditching Amy, a fact that still riled Knox up every time he thought about it.
If his calculations were correct, they were going back as close to the way A.J. had brought Amy and Donnie a couple days ago as he could manage. Which meant they had a good chance of running into Donnie, if he figured out the direction back to base camp. After losing his supplies, he would be moving slower unless he was more of a skilled naturalist than Knox assumed.
At this point, the three of them had a day’s walk ahead of them. If they left early and there were no surprises, they could make it back by nightfall. He would keep those facts to himself. Disappointments seemed bigger when your whole world turned upside down and you were in unfamiliar territory, and so far outside your comfort zone it wasn’t funny.
Keeping morale up would be a challenge but it was important.
“If we lie on our sides, we should all fit. I’m the heaviest, so I should get in first,” Knox said, after properly disposing of the wrappers. Any hint of the smell of food around them while they slept could prove deadly. He positioned himself inside the hammock. Amy joined him, positioning herself in the crook of his arm. Then, Lorna filed in behindAmy, who ended up being sandwiched by Knox and Lorna.
It worked.
Knox pulled the mosquito net over them and then secured it. The mosquitos were thirsty tonight.
He checked his watch. “Five to six hours should do the trick.”
“I won’t be able to sleep,” Amy warned.
“Any particular reason?” he asked.
