The ravine was one of many in this area, and although thinner and less steep than the others, it was quite long. It was a mildly difficult climb down, and then a short trek through a stream before the ground dried up. Small caverns lined the base, mine being one of the smallest and hardest to find.
I was so close now. Nearly home.
Jonah and I descended first, and I was impressed as he managed the descent with ease and grace, as if he’d done it a hundred times before. I was much less graceful, half out of my mind with so many mixed emotions.
Once at the bottom, I sloshed through the familiar shallow stream. Recognizing each rock, each grouping of wildflowers growing along the edges, I began to feel as if I were walking through a dream. As if none of these things were really happening, and at some point I was going to wake up.
Oh my God, do I want to wake up?
“I think I see it!” Jonah exclaimed, and took off jogging through the water. Several guards pushed past me in order to keep up with him.
I continued on at a snail’s pace, a bit overheated despite the cool air down here. Overhead, a sweet sort of chirping sounded, echoing off the walls of the ravine. Looking up, I saw a large bird circling our group, an eagle maybe, its wingspan the widest I’d ever seen.
“This is them!” Jonah shouted. “This is them!” On his knees in the water, Jonah slung his backpack off his shoulder and began rifling through it. Pulling out a small book, he skimmed through it quickly. “And these too! I can use these too!”
“Jesus fuck,” one the guards beside me muttered. “He’s going to bring the rotters right to us.”
I glanced around, looking at each guard. They were all busy scrutinizing our surroundings, their discomfort and worry plain on their faces. It was the perfect time to disappear. They’d all be busy watching out for biters and protecting Jonah.
Making my way to where Jonah was crouched, digging up the earth, I bent down beside him and said quietly, “Jonah, I, um, I have to pee.”
Pausing, he looked up at me, and for a moment simply stared at me. “You take care,” he said finally, shocking me. His gaze flitted to where a few of the guards were standing, talking amongst themselves. “I’ll keep them here.”
Confused, I stood up slowly as he went back to digging. Did he know? Did he realize what my plans were? And he was going to help me? Still a little stunned, I started slowly down the center of the stream.
“Stay with the group,” one of the guards barked, and I froze in mid-step.
“She needs to take care of business,” Jonah called out. “Leave her be a moment.”
The guard grimaced but said nothing more.
I started walking again, doing my best not to tremble, to appear as if nothing was out of the ordinary.One foot in front of the other, I told myself. Don’t look up, don’t look back, and don’t appear suspicious.
Rounding a bend and now out of view of the group, I pressed my back up against a rocky wall and blew out a breath. I could do this. I could go home right this second. They would search all they wanted, but they’d never find my cave. If anything, there’d assume I’d climbed back up and took off into the woods.
Swallowing hard, my heart racing as it pounded out a brutal beat inside my chest, I pushed myself away from the wall.
And then I ran.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Eagle
“What the fuck did you just say?”
Fists clenched, I stared at the doctor’s wife—Alice, I think her name was—half shocked, half ... No, fuck that, I was just downright shocked.
Alice’s eyes rounded, as if surprised I didn’t already know. What a joke. If I’d known, if I’d even had half an inkling that Autumn would be leaving Purgatory, I would have ...
Shit. What the fuck would I have done? That was the plan all along, wasn’t it? To somehow get her out of here, past the gates and back to wherever the fuck she’d come from. After all, that was what she’d wanted, and that was what I’d promised her.
“I ... um ... I assumed you knew,” Alice murmured. “But I can assure you she’s safe. Jonah is with her, along with seven of the guards. I promise, E, nothing will happen to her.”
I nearly laughed in her face, but if I laughed I might yell, and if I yelled I might actually lunge at her, wrap my hands around her neck, and choke the life right out of her. Instead, I spun around and stalked out of the room.
I should have never allowed her to work anywhere but at the garage. I should have kept her fucking chained to me. I should have ...
“Fuck!” I bellowed, sending my fist into the wall, straight through the already cracked and crumbling drywall. I was making too many mistakes. That’s all I done recently, make mistake after mistake, ever since Wildcat had shown up with her red hair and blue eyes, giving me an up-close glimpse of my own personal hell.
