Unstoppable by S. R. Johannes

Author:S. R. Johannes [Johannes, S.R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: The Nature of Grace - Book 3
Publisher: Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Inc.
Published: 2014-05-22T00:00:00+00:00

Survival Skill #14

If you are bitten by a venomous snake, stay calm. If not, your heart will beat faster, which increases the flow of blood to the bite and the amount of toxin into the tissues.

Sadie and I leave Dylan behind.

Something we both already regret.

Even though we don’t say it, deep down we are both worried Dylan may not make it.

That he sacrificed himself for us.

We push through the mud and plants. My legs cramp from the resistance and feel heavy from my pants being weighed down. I keep Dylan’s stick out in front of me, waiting to defend us if an alligator should pop up, wanting a mid-day meal.

As we glide through the water, it becomes shallower, though it’s still too risky to creep up on the path. Every now and then, we hear an occasional gun shot or yell in the distance.

She whimpers behind me but I don’t dare look back. “You okay?” I ask over my shoulder.

“No.” Sadie sniffs. “We never should have let him go alone.”

I agree but don’t say that. “He’ll be fine. If he can beat out all those alligators, these men won’t pose a problem.”

“I hope you’re right, Grace. Because I’m starting to wonder if we’re ever going to get out of here. Alive”

I stop and turn around. Sadie’s eyes are swollen and red. I touch her shoulder. “Sadie, you have to stay positive. If we let this get our spirits down, the chances of us not making it get bigger. We need to keep moving.”

She nods and wipes her face with her shoulder. “Okay.”

Sadie and I slide across the swamp, wading through clumps of floating lily pads and vegetation. Even though the water is only up to our knees now, gators and snakes are still a huge threat. They can hide in only a foot of water. And a small gator can do more damage than anyone ever expects. Even though I’m terrorized by not knowing what is beneath me, I push on.

Today, the sun blazes overhead so the water is a bit welcoming. If it wasn’t for what lurked beneath.

Sadie and I go back to being silent. It’s safer that way.

Which leaves me at the mercy of my racing mind.

All I can think about is how worried Birdee must be. Plus I’m sure she’s called my mom by now. Can’t imagine what Mom’s going through. Again. Wonder if Mo knows we’re missing. And if he does, will he come down to help find us? If not, I hope someone’s out searching.

I hear a motor.

I glance back and spot a boat moving slowly in our direction.

“Move!” I hiss back at Sadie. She sloshes through the water behind me until I spot a bank to climb. “There!”

When I reach the edge, I grab the mangrove roots and pull my waterlogged body out of the stinky water. I turn and help Sadie out.

A man shouts, “There they are!”

The boat motor speeds up and groans louder as it glides closer.

A shot rings out. Sadie and I duck into the cover of the mangroves.

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