And then two hours had gone by.
Three.
Four.
“We should stop off and refuel our bodies.” Daniel pulled a bandana from his back pocket and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He dropped his backpack and pulled out a bottle of water. Clara took the offering.
Sweat dripped from almost everywhere; her nose, her chin. Her shirt was soaked with perspiration.
The chop-chop rhythm was noticeably absent. The heavy air was filled with the sounds of insects. She prayed for a breeze but they were too far inland and in too thick of trees.
And then she heard a noise, like an animal sound. Before she could ask Daniel if he heard it too, he was moving in the direction at a fast clip.
Clara took off behind him but he moved so fast she couldn’t keep up.
He stopped.
Cursed.
The moment of hope billowing in her chest sank to her toes.
He dropped down to his knees and bent forward.
The news came as she sprinted toward him. “She’s alive. But she’s weak.”
Daniel instructed Clara to radio the others as he scooped Ashlyn into his arms. Her blond hair was the color of mud. Filth covered her bony frame. Red, angry bites covered her arms and neck.
But she was alive.
Clara got one look at Ashlyn and couldn’t stem the flow of tears as she radioed for help.
“It’s okay, baby. We found you,” Clara said as Daniel secured the teen’s body in his arms.
“She’s too weak to answer. We have to go now.” Daniel bolted out of the area with Clara on his heels.
A sea of gratitude flooded her but it was a little too early for much relief.
Daniel made it to a small clearing in record time. “Check our coordinates using the app on my phone.”
“Got ’em,” she said.
“Good. Send them to Rafe.” She remembered being introduced to him briefly on the ride over. Clara sent their location.
A text came back almost immediately.
Help is on the way.
Ashlyn’s eyes fluttered. It looked as though she was trying to open them.
“Save your energy, sweet girl,” Clara soothed. She swallowed the sob trying to burst free. “You’re going to be okay. We found you.”
And then a chopper was hovering overhead. Men bounded down and an emergency team went straight to work, giving her life-giving hydration through an IV and oxygen through a mask. Her bites could be assessed once they got her to the hospital.
Ashlyn didn’t cry, most likely because she was severely dehydrated. She still couldn’t open her eyes but she squeezed Clara’s finger.
Clara held Ashlyn’s hand, reassuring her. She was about to get everything she needed for survival; fluids, nutrition and medical assistance.
“It’s okay. You’re safe. We’re going home,” Clara quietly repeated over and over.
“Rafe,” Daniel called out. A few seconds later, Rafe stood was almost eye-to-eye with Daniel. His friend had a similar build. His hair would be called dirty blond and his eyes the color of steel.
“Follow them.” He motioned toward the chopper. “Take Clara.”
Rafe nodded.
Clara took a few seconds to comprehend what Daniel said. Had he just turned her over to his friend for transport? Would she ever see Daniel again? Or was goodbye too much to ask? She owed him for finding Ashlyn. And Clara’s heart wished that Daniel would want to stick around.
One look at him said she expected too much.
His jaw was set and his eyes distant.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” he promised her.
And she wondered if this was the one promise he would break.
Chapter 17
Daniel examined the body of the boy who would never grow to be a man. There was no doubt in his mind this was Javel, and Daniel’s heart was heavy at the task ahead.
Daniel had made a promise. He would keep it.
Besides, he wouldn’t feel right celebrating Ashlyn’s return while Javel’s family waited for news. The family deserved the peace that came with answers.
By bringing their boy home to them in a box their lives would be ruined in countless ways. Daniel knew what it was like to lose a child. Life changed. No parent should ever have to face the horror of something so unnatural. But not knowing what happened to a child was a whole new depth of hell that he didn’t wish on anyone.
The weight on Daniel’s shoulders was heavy as he walked up the trail to the small hut—a trail that he had walked days ago—carrying the box with Javel’s remains.
Word had preceded this journey because Javel’s mother and uncle were already standing outside along the path, waiting. A man stood beside them and Daniel assumed he was Javel’s father, Rhashan.
Every father deserved to know what happened to his child. Every mother deserved to know what happened to her baby. But that did not make this task any easier.
Daniel had amassed a small crew to aid in this duty. His friend, Rafe, was there. Another good man, Lincoln, was beside Daniel. The three had served together and then taken jobs at ManTech. It only seemed right to have them with him. He’d shut out his friends for too long.
Javel’s mother’s knees gave as she watched the procession of men, bringing her son’s body to her, bringing him home. Her husband and brother held her up physically.
They knew what this meant.
They had their child.
Their boy was home.
Daniel caught a ride to Miami and then to Miami General Hospital after spending a few days with Javel’s family and another with his buddies.
Miami, a town full of color, vibrancy and life where horns honked and scooters zipped around on busy streets.
Stella came walking outside as Daniel located the entrance to the art deco style building. Music thumped from a few blocks over.
Daniel locked onto Stella’s gaze and held.
“Everything okay in there?” he asked.
She shook her head.
“We had a fight. My sister and I,” she reported. “I should’ve known this day would come sooner or later.”
“What are you talking about?” Hers wasn’t
