Page 76 of Wandering Wild

“We made it,” I breathe. “We actuallymadeit.”

He picks me up and spins me around, laughing incredulously with me, our jubilation like a drug.

But then I sober as I remember?—

“Hawke and Bentley! We need to tell Scarlett!”

Zander releases my waist only to grab my hand, leading me in a crouched jog toward the helicopter, where the pilot is sliding open the rear door. I raise my free arm to protect my face from all the dirt and leaves the wind is kicking up, the space around us turning snowy from dandelions losing their fluffy white seeds. I’m sure I must look like a yeti by the time I reach the landing skids and hoist myself into the cabin—mostly because that’s what Zander looks like—but I’m too elated to do anything other than dust myself off quickly as I lean toward the front passenger seat, preparing to tell Scarlett everything that happened to us.

Only, she’s not there.

No one is.

I frown at Zander as the pilot slides our door shut and returns to the cockpit.

“Excuse me,” I shout over the engine, tapping the man’s shoulder to get his attention.

He turns and says something I can’t hear, so I cup my ear pointedly, prompting him to grab two pairs of familiar aviation headsets and pass them back to us.

Zander and I don them, and Zander instantly asks, “Where’s Scarlett?”

“Back at base, waiting for you,” the pilot answers around a mouth full of chewing gum. He fiddles with his controls, and a moment later we’re lifting off the ground. “I’ll have you to her in no time.”

“No, wait.” I unzip my pocket and pull out the map. “There was an accident. Hawke broke his ankle—he and Bentley need to be rescued.”

“I’m not authorized for a rescue,” the pilot says, popping a bubble. “I was hired with clear instructions to collect whoever was waiting in the clearing and bring you straight back. No detours.”

“But—” I halt my protest when Zander squeezes my hand.

“A few more minutes won’t make much of a difference,” he says in a calming voice. “And assuming Hawke and Bentley haven’t moved far from where we left them, it’s going to be tricky for a helicopter to reach them without proper planning. The forest is so dense that they’ll need to be winched out—and that’ll require a team of professionals who know what they’re doing.”

I blow out a breath, conceding his point. “It just feels wrong that we’re safe and they’re still out there.”

“I know,” Zander agrees, his brow furrowed with concern. “But we only need to be patient for a little longer, and then once we speak with Scarlett, she’ll send help straight away. They’ll be back with us soon, I’m sure of it.”

His confidence is a balm to me, and when he wraps his arm around my shoulders, I don’t hesitate to lean into him, finding comfort in his warm, steadying presence. A wave of exhaustion hits me as I rest my weight against him, all of the adrenaline that kept me alive over the last few hours—and days—fading now that it’s no longer needed, making it hard to keep my eyes open as I stare out the window at the passing scenery.

“You know what I just realized?” Zander murmurs into his microphone, sounding as tired as I feel.

“What?” I ask.

He’s looking out the same window as me when he answers, “We didn’t see a single koala. Or a kangaroo. I thought they’d be everywhere.” A small pout touches his lips. “Your country has false advertising.”

At the disappointed look on his face, a weary chuckle leaves me. “Be thankful we didn’t see one when we were with Hawke, or he probably would have made us eat it.”

Zander shudders against me, and I echo the motion. But then we both fall silent as we watch the trees and mountains and canyons and rivers sail by beneath us with hushed reverence. I can’t believe we were just down there, nor can I believe how many dangers we faced in the last four days. There were so many times we could have been killed, and yet, we survived. I wouldn’t wish what we went through on my worst enemy, but I can’t ignore the sense of pride and accomplishment I feel now that it’s over.

Or,almostover. We still need to get Hawke and Bentley to safety before I’ll be able to truly relax and consider our adventure complete.

“We’re making our final approach,” the pilot’s voice breaks into my thoughts as the mountains grow smaller and the forest thins out, with patches of civilization starting to become visible. I soon spot a road winding between the trees and wonder if it’s the one we drove along to reach the airfield on Tuesday morning.

“There’s a strong headwind,” the pilot goes on, “so buckle up and brace for a bumpy landing.”

I groan as I draw away from Zander to secure myself. “If we made it through four days of hell only to perish in a fiery helicopter crash, I’ll bereallyannoyed.”

“You and me both,” Zander murmurs, tightening the belt around his waist.

But aside from a few jerking dips of the aircraft when we reach the familiar grassy clearing, our landing is otherwise uneventful, enough that I can’t help asking, “Is that it?”

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