Page 41 of Dance Practice, Marooned: Part 2

He nods at the ship. “You’ll find a stash in the captain’s room. I put them all there.”

“I’ve got this,” she nods, turning and disappearing into the darkness.

Ace turns towards me. “You stick close. No hero shit, you hear?”

“I know,” I whisper.

My heart is a jackhammer in my ribs. I want to clutch his hand for comfort but settle for shadowing him up the sand. It’s cold, the kind of cold that tells you it’s late, but there’s no comfort in what daylight will bring if we fuck this up.

We slip through the darkness, skirting the edge of the jungle. Ace moves in silence, every inch of him predator, and I do my best to match, even if my legs ache from the sheer amount of walking we have done today. We don’t say a word, not even when I catch my knee on a sharp berm and almost faceplant. Ace just grabs my arm, steady and blood-warm, and keeps going.

After what feels like forever, we reach the edge of the clearing where Zeke was last seen. The campfire is embers now, and it’s dead silent. There’s nobody stoking it. A shudder rips through my body, like it knows something I don’t. It’s so fucking silent it’s terrifying. Something doesn’t feel right, that’s for certain.

“You see him?” Ace whispers.

I squint, letting my eyes adjust a little more. Near the fire, against a tree with his hands bound behind him, is Zeke. His head is slumped forward, but there is nobody with him. At least, I can’t see anybody. Most importantly, I can’t hear anybody.

“I see him,” I whisper back. “He’s there.”

I point, and Ace is already moving. He stops short and turns back to me. “We don’t have much time. I am going to check the perimeter, you get Zeke. The second you hear me whistle, you get Zeke and run. Don’t look back.”

My heart skips a beat. “And you?”

“I’m going after Kellen.”

“Ace—”

“If something goes wrong—” he cuts himself off, jaw tight, and takes a moment to regather. “You leave. You hear me? You get on that ship, and you go.”

I’m already shaking my head. “I won’t leave you out here.”

His hands find my shoulders, grip hard. “If it comes down to me or those women, you choose them. Do you understand me? You get them out, and you get them home.”

I swallow, tears burning under my eyelids. “Ace...”

“Say it.”

I can’t. I shake my head again.

“Say it, Gracie.”

“Ace.” My voice breaks on his name. “Please don’t ask me to leave you here.”

He moves toward me, taking my face in his hands. “Promise me, Grace. That you will make sure they get out alive.”

A lone tear slips down my cheek.

“Them,” I whisper. “I choose them.”

He holds my gaze for one more second, like he’s memorising something.

Then he kisses me, long, hard and deep, then disappears into the black, making for the tree line and whatever hell lay beyond. I stare after him for a second, every nerve in my body screaming run, but I don’t. I wait, and after a minute, he lets out a low whistle. That is my signal to move forward with the plan. I push off and sprint for Zeke. He is asleep, or passed out. I can’t tell. I take his shoulders, shaking.

He jerks, his head snapping up. Relief flickers when he realises it’s me.

“Hey there,” I smile, even though it wobbles.

I pull out my knife and start cutting the rope while he takes a minute to become fully with it.