“Since Pen and Holden won’t help, I’m going to set this off in the jungle, to distract the guards while we blow up the rest of the explosives,” I explain. “There’s another phone in my pocket. I’m going to use it to call the one strapped to C-4.”
“You’re going to blow upthoseexplosives?” She points to the tent. “That’ll kill us all!”
“There’s nothing in there but C-4. No point in blowing that up,” I assure her.
“We figure they’ve made something bigger,” Indiana whispers, “maybe pressure cooker or backpack bombs, and we’re guessing they’re on the beach. But G can’t get into the jungle without a distraction, and I’ve already played the only card I have.” He glances at the pole where Óscar’s guitar no longer hangs.
“So you want me to, what? Make a scene?”
I nod. “Preferably without getting hurt.”
Domenica closes her eyes for a second, as if she’s thinking. Or praying. Then she opens them and nods. “I’m in. When do you want to do this?”
“Yesterday,” Indiana says. “But we’ll have to settle for now.”
MADDIE
The path to some sort of base camp is easy to see from the beach, but we take a route parallel to it, to keep from being seen, stepping carefully in pools of moonlight. About a quarter mile inland, we glimpse torchlight shining through the vegetation.
Luke tugs me behind a tall tangle of underbrush, and I scan the base camp between the branches.
“There she is.” Relief eases part of the tension I’ve been carrying for two days. Genesis sits on a grass mat in front of the nearest fire pit, between Indiana and Domenica, with her back to the trail leading to the beach. To the boats that will get us out of here.
Does she know that a means of escape is just a ten-minute hike away? Have they let the hostages leave camp at all?
“I have to talk to her. I have to tell her about the boats.” I turn to Luke. “Any ideas?”
“Well, if we had something to write with—or on—we could wad up a message and throw it at her. Or shoot it to her through a bamboo shoot. Like a spitball.”
“We don’t have anything to write with or on.”
Luke shrugs. “That’s why it was a hypothetical. I’m assuming neither of you knows Morse code?”
“A solid assumption.”
“Well, then, short of just shouting at her, I’m out of ideas.”
“I—”Wait. “You’re a genius. And not just a math genius. Like, arealgenius.” I kiss him on the cheek, then stand, but he pulls me back down.
“Donotstart shouting. You’ll get us caught.”
“Only one of us,” I tell him.
“No, Maddie, listen to me.” He takes me by both arms and stares right into my eyes in the dark. “I’m a genius. You just said so. And I’m telling you this is averybadplan. Why don’t we just go make out in our tree hammock again? That was safe, and fun!”
“There’s a tree in this plan too, but you’re going to be in it by yourself. Find one nearby, where you can still see the camp, but won’t be seen.”
“Maddie,no.” Luke crosses his arms over his backpack straps.
“There’s no other way.” I’m talking fast, because I have to do this before I chicken out. Just like with the cliff. “I’ll tell them about the boats, and we’ll make a break for it the first chance we get. You just stay ready and follow us.” I glance at the rifle. “With the gun. Just in case.”
“No!” Luke whispers fiercely. “We’re in this together. We staytogether.”
He starts to say something else, but I cut him off witha kiss—the only reliable way I’ve found to shut him up. “Mmmm, see? There’s making out in this plan too.”
“That washighlymanipulative.”
“Yeah, well, sometimes a girl has to play dirty. Two minutes. Find some place to hide, or I’m giving us both up. But I really need you to be my backup, Luke.”
