Luke came through.
A low shaking moan comes from the edge of the campsite where Natalia lies, curled up. A thin strip of wood protrudes from her left shoulder. Her pistol lies forgotten on the ground.
“¡Mierda!” Sebastián shouts into the jungle, his face purple with fury. The authorities are searching for us, and we’ve just sent up ahugeflare.
“¡Vamos!” Silvana shouts. But instead of pointing at the jungle, she points toward the beach.“¡Oculten el narco! ¡Evacúen!”
Hidethenarco?As in narco sub?Maddie said there areseveralsubs.
Gunmen run for the footpath to the shore. Óscar helps Natalia stand, then bends for her pistol. Holden beats him to it.
Another gunman pushes his way out of the military tent, carrying the cardboard box of cell phones.
“Genesis!” Indiana shouts. I turn to look for him, but Sebastián steps into my path. He has Maddie clutched to his chest, his gun pressed to her temple. “You and Madalena are coming with me.”
Maddie’s face is streaked with tears. She’s frozen in terror.
“Okay.” I raise my hands, palms out. “It’s okay, Maddie.” But my focus is on Sebastián. “She’s no threat. Let her go and aim the gun at me.”
He actually laughs. “You tipped your hand with your boyfriend,princesa. Theonlyway to control you is to point a weapon at someone you care about.”
“Sebastián!” Silvana shouts.“¡Vamos!”
He turns for just a second.
“Duck!” I shout, and Maddie lets her legs fold, pulling him off balance. I spin and kick his hand. The pistol goes flying.
Maddie scrambles out of the way, and I spin into another kick. Sebastián catches my foot and shoves me back.
I fall in the dirt, and he’s on me. He grabs a handful of my hair and slams my skull into the ground. My vision swims. My head falls to the side, and I see his pistol lying on a torn leaf mat.
Sebastián pulls his arm back, fist clenched. I buck him off and scramble for the gun. My hand closes around the barrel. Sebastián pulls me across the ground by my leg, skinning my back.
I grunt as I swing the butt of the pistol at his head.
He goes down hard.
MADDIE
I stare at Sebastián’s unconscious body on the ground, stunned. I’ve never actually seen Genesis fight.
“Go down to the beach!” Genesis yells at me. “Now!”
But I can’t go without ...
Where’s Luke?
“Luke!” I shout as I race past the green tent. Panic tightens around my chest. The jungle is on fire, I’m half deaf from the blast, and I have no idea where he is. “Luke!” Smoke stings my eyes. People are running. Shouting.
“Maddie!” Luke’s suddenly beside me. Holding me. “Maddie.” He’s lost his cap, but he’s whole and unburned. And still carrying the rifle. “The boats! Let’s go.” He takes my arm, but I pull away.
“No, we have to get a detonator. For the warheads. We’re going to blow them up once we’re on the water.”
“But I’m supposed to—”
“Stand guard.”
I turn and run around the corner of the tent, dodging men racing toward the beach path with supply boxes. I duck through the tent flap, and Luke reluctantly takes up a position at the entrance, facing the chaos. Rifle at the ready.
