Page 35 of Gripp

Slowly, Gripp came fully awake, but he didn’t move. He trained his senses on the sounds outside and kept his arms loosely around April, not wanting to wake her unless he had to.

As the noises got closer, Gripp realized it was the unmistakable sound of footsteps. Someone was definitely coming into the cave. Gripp shook April gently, and she awoke with a start. She looked up at him with wide, frightened eyes. Gripp put a finger to his lips, then tapped his ear.

April cocked her head to the side, listening. When she heard the noise, she gave him a firm nod. They stood slowly, disentangling from each other as quietly as possible. Working quickly, they organized their packs and prepared to go.

As Gripp headed toward the cave entrance, he motioned for April to get behind him. They had only gone a couple of steps when they ran straight into someone. Gripp grabbed them and hurled the person against the cave wall.

“Who are you?” he growled. The man shook his head.

“I’m not who you think! I’m from the village … the town the children were taken from!”

Gripp stood back, just a little, but didn’t let go. “Why are you here? How did you find us?”

“I heard that someone helped the children. The bad men from the mine, they are going crazy, tearing up the jungle. It’s a mess out there.”

Gripp shoved the man against the wall again.

“But how did you find us?” he whispered menacingly.

“This cave, it’s often used by locals who are hunting and foraging. I was only guessing, but I’m glad I found you.”

“Why?” Gripp asked, letting him go.

“Because they are coming! They are sweeping the jungle for you and destroying everything in their path. The woman, she has information they want.”

The guy looked at April, his eyes full of fear. “But releasing the children really pissed them off. They can’t find them, either.”

“The kids are at the monastery,” Gripp snapped. “They should be safe there.”

The man nodded. “They should be. I will be going back that way to help the other villagers get the kids to their homes. But I’m here because it’s gone beyond that now. They want you dead, and they won’t stop.”

“What do we do?” April asked, her eyes shining with fear.

“There’s a way out,” the guy said. “At the back of the cave. It’s risky, but it’s your only chance.”

“What about you?” April asked. The man shrugged.

“The men from the mine aren’t looking for me. I’m a nobody. I can slip back through the forest and get by them. The two of you? No. You have to go through the back of the cave. You’ll never get out the front alive.”

April and Gripp looked at each other. He couldn’t stand to see the naked fear on her face. She’d gone terribly pale with drawn cheeks and tight lips. Gripp heard the approach of more men too. The guy wasn’t lying.

“What do you say?” April asked softly. “I’ll go where you go, Gripp. I trust you.”

Gripp felt as if she had reached into his chest, taken hold of his heart, and twisted it until it almost broke. She would go into danger … any danger … if he said it was the right thing to do.

She trusts me absolutely, just like I trust her.

The moment hit him hard, but there was no time now to process it. The fact that two such brutally broken souls could find faith in each other was an almost impossible idea, but here it was, a moment of pure truth that existed between the two of them.

Gripp stepped back, giving the man some space. “This escape route … how dangerous is it?”

“Extremely,” the guy answered. “But you have no alternative.”

“Are you sure you’ll be safe?” Gripp asked.

He shrugged. “I’ll be heading out the front way to catch up with the villagers. This time, we will defend our children to the death.”

“And if the bad guys come after us full force right now, it gives you the time you need to get the kids back to their homes.”

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