Ali whirled around and caught her gaze.He smiled.
Yeah, all he was interested in was Agus’s good favour.She turned and ran deeper into the jungle, away from the village and the shore, making as much noise as she could.
Where should she run to?She couldn’t lead them back to the bay where Damien was headed.
Focus on evasion first.Then she’d figure out how to get back to Damien.
Ali’s cry was loud, hopefully loud enough for Damien to hear and realise something was wrong.
Branches and vines scraped her legs and feet, but she didn’t slow.She had to get far enough ahead to hide.
Footsteps pounded behind her and she risked a glance back.Ali was gaining on her.
Lungs burning, she pushed herself faster, scanning the forest ahead for a path.
She stepped on a rock, the uneven surface causing her ankle to roll and she stumbled, trying to catch herself before she fell.
Her foot landed hard and pain shot through her ankle.She shrieked and fell to the ground, narrowly missing a plant covered with thorns.
She twisted, trying to get up, but the pain in her ankle was too much.
Ali came to a stop in front of her and smiled.“Mila, Agus will be happy to see you’re all right.”
Her pulse raced.At least they had stopped looking for Damien.
She had to delay their return to the village for as long as possible.
“I think I broke my ankle.”
***
Damien glanced up at the shout in time to see the two men who had been walking along the shore dash into the forest.
Shit.Mila.
Which meant he had to get back to shore.
He’d finished cleaning out one engine casing and reassembling it when he noticed the men on the shore.Three of the oars were still strapped to the inside of the pontoons and the bow was full of fronds and debris, but he didn’t clear it yet.It camouflaged the boat and kept it low in the water.
Instead he slipped back into the dirty water and pulled the boat towards the point.The swirl of the water wasn’t as strong this far out and it was easier to move.
Dobby kept his eye on the shore and a few minutes after the men had disappeared, they reappeared pulling a limping Mila with them.She didn’t have the backpack with her, and she was injured.
The older man, who was one of Agus’s men, spoke into a radio, but Dobby couldn’t hear anything.
Mila glanced towards him and he lifted a hand to show he’d seen her.She averted her gaze with a slight nod.
Good.She understood he would come for her.
Now he needed to know what they would do with her—take her back to Agus’s house, or keep her here.
He wished he had his scope with him.He would have to find it before going after her.
Agus’s man sat Mila down on a tree trunk at the edge of the village.
Dobby kicked harder, making it around the point and into the next bay.He brought the boat closer to the shore until his feet touched and then he dragged it through the water until he found a spot to hide it.
As he was about to empty all the rubbish from the inside, he heard an engine out to sea.
