Page 77 of Raven

“Bomb?” Faron asked behind me.

“No. Flare.” I carefully disabled the trigger. “They’re tracking. Close.”

Jude appeared behind us—because of course she did—ignoring my whispered “Stay put.”

“Didn’t you hear me?” I hissed.

“I heard you. But I also heard boots about thirty yards out. Multiple pairs. Heading this way.”

Faron and I exchanged a look.

“How the hell do you know that?” I asked.

She just smiled. “You’re not the only one with ears, soldier.”

We moved fast—broke camp in under three minutes. The nuns were quiet and obedient, except the one with the handmade spear. Sister Jude helped one of them strap on a backpack like she’d done it a thousand times.

She looked at me across the flickering shadows. “They’re gonna catch us if we keep this pace.”

“Any bright ideas, Sister?”

She smirked. “Ever jumped off a cliff into a river before?”

Faron groaned. “Why do I feel like that’s not a metaphor?”

Ten minutes later, “Ihatethis plan,” I growled.

“You hate all plans that aren’t yours,” Sister Jude said, already tying a vine around a branch to use as a swing rope.

She didn’t wait.

She just jumped.

A flash of dark hair, the shout of “WOOOOO!” as she disappeared over the edge, and then—splash.

I stared at the spot where she’d vanished.

“She’s not a nun,” I muttered. “She can’t be.”

Faron patted my shoulder. “Of course she is?”

I jumped in after her. Then the other nuns jumped behind me, and then Faron jumped last.

The second my body hit the water, the world exploded into chaos.

I plunged deep into the river, boots kicking, the current tearing at me like it had a personal grudge. When I surfaced, gasping, all I saw was jungle on both sides and foam crashing against rocks.

And her.

Sister Jude was already swimming hard, one hand pulling Sister Margaret along with her. She turned just long enough to bark, “Help the others!”

No hesitation. Just mission-first instincts. Just like us.

We got all four nuns into the water, Faron keeping pace behind me, the current dragging us fast and far. I reached Sister Jude just in time to see her foot slip on a submerged rock.

“Got you,” I grunted, grabbing her arm.

“I had me,” she shot back, breathing heavily.

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