Shadowed Eden (23 page)

Still. The protected part of the jungle pulled at him. Would he leave right now if he had the chance? Would he leave without finding out what the secret was?

His gaze roamed back to the jungle. He could almost see beyond the tree line, straight to the heart of the jungle. Right to the quicksand. But he didn't care about the sand. He wanted to focus on what was beyond the sand. If he was going to almost die somewhere, he wanted to know why.

Would he leave right now if he could? Probably. But would he ever give up on what was in that jungle? Maybe not.

The farther he walked into the desert, the bigger the jungle looked. It stretched across the open space like an ocean of green. How many days had it been since they were stranded here? He wasn't even sure. Had it been a week? Ten days? Everything was so confusing. He stopped and rubbed his eyes. It was like cobwebs had invaded his brain.

Sighing, he turned back toward the jungle.

Chad's group had headed around the left side of the jungle. They really hadn't been sure if that was the way they'd come. Especially since when they'd left the first time, they'd followed the tree line but ended up coming straight from the desert.

What if Luca went the other direction? What would he find? He stared that way as he considered it. Avery would go with him, and probably Benny and June, too. They could be back in a day or two. They might be able to get into the protected part of the jungle from a different direction.

A movement at the tree line caught his eye.

The other kids were laughing and goofing off.

He couldn't leave them for a day or two. Especially not with Chad and Mr. Miles gone, not that Avery's dad was doing much to take care of anyone.

It was probably better this way. He didn't need to learn something about this place that made him want to stay. He forced himself to walk back toward camp. Should he tell Avery what he'd realized about the quicksand in the inner jungle?

He laughed at the thought. She probably already knew it, anyway. She hadn't fooled him earlier when she'd said she wasn't sure where they were. She knew as much about maps of Iraq as Mr. Miles did.

Maybe she already knew what was inside the jungle. And maybe she did realize how well she'd been doing since they got stranded. If she didn't have such a big heart to help people, she'd be a great archeologist. It was in her blood.

He reached camp and slid to a seat beside June. “Hey, you OK?”

She gasped. “Oh. You scared me.”

“Sorry.”

She shook her head. “I don't know if I'm OK. I've been feeling weird, but then other times I feel OK. Maybe my eyes change with my mood.”

Luca sighed. “There are a lot of maybes floating around today.”

She frowned but didn't question him.

“Hey, do you know how long we've been here?”

Her eyebrows shot up and she turned toward the fire, thinking. Finally, she shrugged. “I don't know. I guess I lost count.”

“Yeah, me too.”

They sat quietly for a few minutes when she turned back to him. “Do you think our families even know we're missing? Is anyone even looking for us?”

“I'm sure the mission called when we didn't arrive.” But did he really believe that?

“I'm worried about my grandparents. I live with them, and they're pretty old,” she said. Then she added softly, “My parents died when I was a little girl.”

“My dad died a few months ago,” he said. “I'm sorry.”

She shrugged, and he tensed, sure she was going to ask what had happened. But she didn't. “I don't remember them. It's no big deal, but I worry about my grandparents. I've been sick for a long time, and they were always there for me. If I never come home, though, I'm not sure they could handle it.” Her gaze moved to Erin who sat at the edge of her shelter. “Now I'm thinking I should have just stayed home.”

Luca studied her for a minute. She looked healthy enough to him. “Are you better now?”

She shrugged. “I had cancer, but it's over now. I was tired of being coddled. My grandparents didn't want me to come, but I insisted.”

“Wow. I'm glad you came. Right now I'm thinking we all wish we had stayed home.”

She studied him, her eyes full of questions. “You wish you hadn't come?”

Her question bugged him. Annoyed him down to the bottom of his gut. Did he wish he'd stayed home? He told himself he'd come because Mom made him. But truthfully, it probably had more to do with Avery, and now their friendship was on the mend. Something he wasn't going to talk about with June. “I don't know.”

She smiled and nudged him. “Don't worry. You'll figure it out.”

He forced a smile. “Yeah, I know.” But he didn't know, not for sure. He'd been taking care of Mom so steadily since Dad died that his only goal had been putting food on the table and making sure the boys obeyed her. But Avery was always in the back of his mind. He wanted a life with her. That hadn't changed, no matter how much Mr. Miles hated him.

Of course, Mr. Miles wasn't totally off his rocker when it came to his opinion about Luca.

But his rage had been a one-time thing. Was he still angry? Definitely. Was he taking that anger out on people, places, and things anymore? No.

Suddenly it hit him how close he sat to June. Their arms almost brushed, and their shoes touched sole to sole. What was he doing here with her? He practically bolted out of his seat.

She frowned up at him, concerned. “Is everything OK?”

“Yeah. I'm thirsty. Want a drink?”

“No, I'm OK. Good talk.”

He forced another smile. “Yeah. Good talk.”

Spending time with June might not be the best thing he could be doing, but spending time with Avery right now wasn't too appealing, either. He needed to figure things out.

Instead, he made his way to the guys. They gathered around the van, and their loud voices carried in the dry air. Everyone smiled and laughed—they were excited. Thought they'd be getting out of here soon. Hopefully they were right.

“What are we going to do when we leave?” Benny asked.

Bradley scoffed. “What are you talking about, dork? We're going home.”

Benny looked down and drew back.

Luca frowned. Yeah, Benny was really annoying, but he'd been a big help on this trip. “Kind of harsh, don't you think?” Luca asked. “And it's not that cut and dry. Benny's got a point. The mission is expecting us, and our tickets home aren't good for at least a few more days.”

“Dude, I don't care what the tickets say. When we leave this jungle, I'm going home. My parents will shell out the money.”

But Bradley didn't know what Avery had told them; they weren't near the village, and who knew where the closest airport was located.

“Whatever,” Luca said. “I just hope we get out of here.”

Someone else started in and Luca turned away.

Benny had melted away to sit alone, which wasn't so abnormal for the kid.

Luca wanted to say it was just that they were all so tired of being together. They were hungry and dirty, and bored out of their minds.

But none of it was true. They were mean to Benny, plain and simple—including him. Things had been worse since the other group joined them. All the guys treated him badly. Maybe that needed to stop.

Luca took a seat next to Benny.

Neither of them spoke, but the silence was comfortable. If something was going to change, it might as well start now.

29

Avery

Daddy had to come back soon.

If he didn't, Avery was going back in. It shouldn't be hard to figure out which path he took, since Luca knew all about tracking.

She paced in front of the tree line. Who cared if everyone thought she was crazy at this point? If it was their dad in there, they'd do the same thing.

The map Daddy had drawn crinkled in her pocket and she pulled it out to study it. The fruit orchard stood out, as well as the shaded area, but she squinted when she noticed something else. A small “x” was scribbled in the midst of a few trees. At least, it looked like an x. She studied the area, which had a line running through it—the creek. On the other side of the line he had drawn a path.

Avery gasped.

She and Luca had gone in near the grove, but on the opposite end was the creek and swim hole where they went for water. That was near the place Katelyn and Gabby's path had met with theirs. They hadn't found the girls at the creek that day, but what if that was because the girls had crossed the water?

Avery froze, searching her brain for some tidbit that seemed just out of reach. Last night, when Daddy had come out of the van, he'd sat with Katelyn and Gabby. It had seemed odd since he didn't know them, but Daddy was used to being around strangers so she'd blown it off. What if he wasn't sitting next to them to be kind? What if he was drilling them for information?

Katelyn and Gabby had experienced something stranger than everyone else up to this point—well, except maybe June's eyes changing color and Avery seeing a disappearing temple. But Katelyn and Gabby had lost an entire day of their lives. They did, however, have recollections of what went on that day. They'd seen a vision that pointed them back to camp, a vision that was most likely their mysterious pal, Rae.

Rae lived in the heart of the jungle?

He must, and not only that, but he wanted to keep people out of it. It was the only explanation for the sand.

Now that she had a clue about what had prompted Daddy to head back in, she wracked her brain for more information.

Katelyn and Gabby had said something about the fruit tree. Had they been in the fruit orchard? No, that was the opposite side of the jungle. But a fruit tree wasn't all that significant. Weren't there fruit trees all over? Still, if what she'd read in her Bible last night were any indication, a fruit tree might be very significant—if it were the right fruit tree.

She gave up on waiting for Daddy and moved to sit with June's church mates. They smiled at her when she sat, but kept up their conversation. They were planning the rest of their summer like none of this had ever happened, like none of this was happening right now. How could they be so nonchalant about it all?

Her irritation seeped out and she interrupted them. “Did you guys talk to my dad?”

They turned to her, surprise written all over their faces.

Finally, Gabby nodded. “Yeah, he asked us about where we'd gotten lost.”

“What did you tell him?”

Gabby frowned. She didn't seem to like Avery's demanding questions, but Avery didn't care.

Would she have acted this way a month ago? No way. But after a week—or something like that—in the jungle, fending for herself and making hard choices, she didn't much care if these girls liked her questions or not.

“We told him exactly what we told everyone else. We wandered around for a few hours, and then something Katelyn saw pointed us back to camp.”

“I found the path you used,” Avery said. She'd almost forgotten about the day she got lost. “There was an alcove, and the path out led straight to camp.”

“No,” Gabby said. “We crossed the creek and took the path back that you guys use for water.”

So she'd been right about the way Daddy would get in. But what had him wanting
in
to begin with? If he suspected the same things she did, they needed to know. “Thanks,” she said. “I'm just worried about him. I hope he gets back soon.”

Gabby's scrunched up face relaxed. She seemed to get that. “It's OK. I'm sure he'll be back before dark.”

Avery smiled and nodded, but she wasn't so sure. Once, last summer, he'd gone on a dig in south Israel. He'd said it would take a week, but after a month, she finally broke down and called some of his coworkers.

They'd said he'd gone exploring in the area and hadn't returned.

Avery had freaked, but they assured her that for Mr. Miles, it was perfectly normal. Sure enough, he'd shown back up at the dig two days later. He never explained where he'd been or what he'd found.

She shivered. He wouldn't do that this time, would he? An entire mission group was depending on him. They were stranded, and they needed to get out ASAP.

Benny and Luca sat on a log a few feet away.

Neither of them spoke, but Avery didn't need empty words right now anyway. She slid into the spot next to Luca. He glanced at her and smiled. She smiled back as she picked up a handful of sand and began running it through her fingers. Things would be OK. And if he wasn't back soon, the three of them would resume their search.

June plopped onto to the log beside Avery and smiled. Her eyes were green again.

Avery smiled back and amended her resolve.

They would go back in, the four of them. Whatever was wrong with June's eyes, she had still been willing to help. That counted for something.

The sun finally dipped below the tree line, and the desert was bathed in shadow.

Everyone moved closer to sit around the fire, and Luca grabbed a few chunks of wood to give more light and heat. Sweaters were pulled out, food was passed around, and chatter rose.

Avery wasn't interested in any of it. Where was Daddy? Her feet itched to bolt, to get away from the singing and find him. Forcing herself to stay put, she endured the music. The first song ended, and they started right in on another.

By the third song about Christ and the angels, Avery had relaxed a bit. It wasn't so bad, really, and their voices did blend well. She scanned the tree line for any movement, but the night was still. Her gaze fell on Erin, who for the first time in days had joined the group instead of sleeping supper away in the shelter. Something had loosened up with her. Maybe it was because she'd seen Chad, or maybe the voices that tormented her had eased up. But why?

Avery froze when she realized she was humming along to their song. She put a stop to that, but she didn't leave.