Page 14 of Gripp

EIGHT

GRIPP

Gripp woke before April. He'd slept on and off through the night. Even the sudden snap of a twig woke him. He and the female were well hidden, and he tried to relax. Soon after the moon was at its highest, he was able to get some decent rest.

He had been thinking about the kids stuck at the mine and figured April was thinking about them too.

He felt terrible leaving them there. His sole mission was to get the woman out, but now that the adrenaline had drained and he was thinking logically, he couldn't leave them.

He looked toward April, taking in her sleeping expression. He had to admit she wasn't anything like he thought she would be.

Gripp enjoyed her sense of humor and that she was willing to get her hands dirty. He assumed she would throw a fit if she broke a nail. He was really surprised that she demanded to be part of everything.

He had honestly expected her to whine and complain, leaving him to fend for himself, but she didn't. She fought right alongside him and even stapled a man's forehead. She clearly knew how to defend herself and wasn't afraid to do so.

It was completely unexpected.

She was stubborn as a bull and refused to listen to him. It drove him crazy because he wished she would just take his words at face value. He knew what he was talking about.

She was a government brat child but headstrong, stubborn, and refused to heed his instruction.

He rubbed his eyes and climbed to his feet. He peeked outside the window, noting the sun was barely over the horizon. The perfect time for them to get moving. They would be moving before the soldiers even woke.

A sudden crunch below pulled his gaze down. They weren't alone. He watched as three guards were yelling on the beach, cursing at each other.

He rushed over to the cot and gave her a gentle shake.

She groaned, "Not yet."

"April." He shook her again. "Time to get up."

She opened her eyes slightly, gazing at him. She frowned. "No, I'm too tired."

Gripp dropped his tone. "April, we don't have time for this."

Her eyes opened, taking in the change of his tone. She sat up, looking around the space. "What's wrong?" Her voice rose, making him quickly pull a finger up to his mouth, hushing her.

He motioned to the window and then down below. "We have company."

She sprung up, walking with him to the window. They gazed out, catching sight of the three guys walking along the sand, looking for footprints.

"Are they going to find us?" she asked, her eyes wide with fear.

He shook his head. "No." He made sure of that last night. He had thought about that shortly after April fell asleep.

Gripp didn't want them to be able to find them, so last night, he retraced their footsteps and wiped them out of the sand. He made sure that if they did follow them outside the mine, they wouldn't find them.

"Are you sure?" she chewed on her cheek. "You're telling me that there isn't a slim chance they will find us?"

"Yes, I’m sure," he said. He was sure of himself. The watch tower was hidden, and he didn't expect them to be looking long. There were many possible routes they could have taken, and he figured they weren't going to wait around long at any of them.

"Besides," he said, "we are up high. We can take them if they have to climb this tree."

They watched as the guards searched, their expressions both pissed and worried. Clearly, what April had was worth a lot to them. He was glad she was insistent on getting her stuff from the compound’s office.

The guards walked away, and April finally breathed next to him. "We can go now, right? We can get moving."

He scanned the ground, sensing there was more to come. The guards wouldn’t give up that easily.

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