Page 29 of Green Ravens

“Maybe we should stay right here, where there’s food and water and you can nap while I watch out for shit.”

“Negative,” Oakley shot back. “We gotta be close to finding a village by now. The longer we stay in the Amazon, the less chance we have of surviving.”

Chief Aiken Oakley

Oakley tried to keep his mind off his exhaustion by pointing out animals and bugs and describing their characteristics to Sawyer.

Sawyer seemed most fascinated by the poisonous frogs and the wild-colored birds. Oakley hoped his lessons on wildlife were enough to distract Sawyer from his obvious pain.

It was still early, but the sunlight had begun to fade and the skies were ashen gray. The temperature had dropped at least ten degrees, but it wasn’t close to dusk.

Oakley wished he had more of the numbing plants, but there hadn’t been any by the stream or while they’d been walking.

They’d been humping almost three hours, and he was about to call a break when Sawyer hollered loud enough to wake the nocturnal animals.

Oakley ducked and yanked his firearm out of his thigh holster. Sawyer hadn’t yelled out since Oakley told him not to, so he had to be warning him of something dangerous in their path.

He didn’t see anything, and when he glanced at Sawyer, he was frozen in his place, skin as pale as a cloud.

“Please.”

Sawyer’s voice was so weak and shaky that Oakley barely heard it over the chirping bird.

“G-get it, Oak—”

Sawyer had the biggest tarantula Oakley had ever seen crawling across his chest.

The farther up it traveled, the harder Sawyer trembled.

“It’s okay, Sawyer. I’ve got you.” Oakley rushed over and pinched the spider between its second and third pair of furry legs.

The arachnid flailed in his hold before Oakley set him on a large Monstera leaf.

He instinctually pulled Sawyer into his arms and touched his lips to his ear.

“You’re okay. It’s gone.”

“You think I’m a fuckin’ pussy, don’t you?”

“Stop it. That was a tarantula, Sawyer, and a massive one too.”

Sawyer was still shaking.

“Ninety-two percent of people in the world have a fear of spiders, chief. Tarantulas have a ferocious bite. Of course you’re gonna want it off you.”

Oakley had exaggerated that stat, but he didn’t want Sawyer to feel ashamed or embarrassed.

He smoothed his palm over Sawyer’s hair and cupped the back of his neck.

“Are you okay?”

Sawyer nodded, not looking him in his eyes.

“Hey,” he whispered, kissing the oversensitive side of Sawyer’s face, “you’re safe with me.”

Oakley prayed he was making a promise he could keep.

“Let’s get going. We only have a few hours before it starts to rain. Let’s find some shelter.”

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