When they arrived at the area across from the stairs, they knelt in the trees to search for any hint of the Savages. Charlie didn’t see or hear anything unusual, and when she scented the air, all she detected was pine and the musky scent of the wild animals. But she couldn’t shake the feeling something wasn’t right.
“I’ll go look,” Jack said.
She gripped his wrist. “Wait.”
He turned to look at her. “What is it?”
Charlie didn’t have an answer as she gazed around them. Though she didn’t sense anyone nearby, she was sure someone was watching them. Her fingers slid into his as the hair on her nape rose, and everything in her screameddanger!
Then she tipped her head back. Her stomach plummeted when she saw the cameras in the trees; they pointed toward the cliff.
“Oh,” she whispered.
“Those bastards,” Kirha snarled. “They have cameras on this island too. They have the hunt rigged in their favor.”
“No,” Charlie said. “This is a new addition. They probably added them after the escape. Whoever runs this place is going to make sure no one else makes it out of here alive.”
“What if they’ve decided the thrill of the hunt isn’t worth the risk of losing their prey and they’ve put cameras all over the island?” Clifford asked.
“I want to tear them out of the trees,” Kirha muttered.
“Then they’ll know someone’s here,” Charlie said. “We have to leave them, and we have to get out of here. I think we’re going to find a lot more added security around the island. We’ll have to be extra careful.”
“Let’s go,” Jack said. “And keep an eye out for more cameras.”
Charlie didn’t let go of his hand as they rose and started through the trees again. She searched for more cameras, but she relied more on her instincts as they moved. Jack was right about her ability being stronger since they completed the bond. As much as she often considered her ability as more of a curse than a gift, she hoped she might finally be able to use it for some good.
As they went, she didn’t see or sense any more cameras. They made it halfway around the island before Jack called for a rest and they settled behind some boulders.
“It’s really quiet today,” Kirha said. “Normally, we would have seen at least a couple of guards, hunters, or the hunted by now.”
“Do you think the Savages left the island after the others escaped?” Clifford asked.
“It’s a possibility,” Charlie said, “but I doubt they believe they have anything to fear from the escapees or any of their remaining prey. We’re not seeing many of the hunted because there probably isn’t many of them left. Which makes things more dangerous for us.”
Jack rested his hand over hers as he surveyed the forest. Every killer instinct he had was on high alert as his fangs slid free. Fewer victims to hunt meant the hunters wouldn’t have as many distractions and would be more concentrated on trying to track down those who remained on the island.
They shouldn’t have come out here, but there’d been no choice. If he could be sure they would have Brian with them when his friends arrived, he would hide Charlie away, but without that certainty, they had to keep watch for Mike and the others.
“Okay, so maybe there are fewer victims left, but where are the Savages?” Kirha asked. “We haven’t seen any of them either.”
“And it’s giving me the creeps,” Clifford muttered.
“Normally, they’re crawling all over this island during a hunt, but they could be at the mansion. It’s not typical behavior for them during a hunt, but then nothing about this hunt has been typical,” Charlie said.
“Where’s the mansion?” Jack asked.
“It’s in the center of the island. It’s where they all stay during the hunt and where those who run the hunt reside most of the year,” Charlie explained.
“Can you take us to it?” Jack asked.
Charlie hesitated as she glanced at the faces surrounding her. “We’ve always gone out of our way toavoidthe mansion.”
Jack rested his hand on hers as he gave it a tender squeeze. “If you don’t feel comfortable going to the mansion, we don’t have to.”
Charlie closed her eyes as she contemplated this. They stayed away from the mansion, but not knowing where the Savages were was more dangerous to them than being near the mansion.
“No, we’ll go. It’s better we know where they are,” she said.
