Chapter 26 — Emily

My stomach growls, but the thought of food has bile rising up my throat. Bob didn’t make it back. Sierra killed herself. And all the other dead passengers are piled carelessly in the sand, a heap of limbs covered by nothing more than scrap metal torn from the plane.

“I have been speaking with Tom for the past hour or so,” Jason says, his much too calm voice cutting through my thoughts. “He’s filled me in on what he and his team found when they hiked across the island. Obviously, they found food. But they also found some buildings. God is truly blessing us with the stuff we so desperately need to survive.”

The group erupts in shouted questions and disbelieving looks.

“All right, all right. Settle down.” Jason waves his hands in an effort to calm everyone. “The buildings were abandoned but well-stocked with supplies. After some investigating, Tom was able to find out why. Apparently, this island was the site for research. A group of scientists were sent here to explore and study the wildlife.”

I start to laugh and quickly cover it with a cough. Aiden shoots me a knowing look, and I smile. Tom said he wasn’t going to tell Jason the truth—and he hadn’t. But his lie is shrouded in enough truth to be believable.

“While Tom wasn’t able to determine if any of the scientists were still on the island, he did find a delivery schedule. Every month, a transport arrives to drop off food and supplies. And the good Lord is on our side, folks, because the next delivery is scheduled for Friday,” Jason continues.

The chorus of whoops and cheers has me covering my ears.

“Didn’t I tell you all? Hope and faith. We needed to keep our hope high and our faith intact. We did, and now it’s paid off. We will be going home!” he proclaims loudly.

“Tell them the rest!” Tom shouts, which instantly silences the group.

My stomach rolls, and I try to mentally prepare myself for what the backlash will be once the group hears the truth about our rescue.

Jason shakes his head with what looks like disappointment, but then plasters his signature smile on his face. “There is an airstrip and one dock on this island. If the delivery schedule Tom found is accurate, then we know the supplies will be air dropped, but we don’t know what time. Now, before you all get upset, hear me out,” he says before the crowd can cause another disruption. “Tom has suggested, and I agree, that we send a group to stake out the airstrip. Another smaller group will go to the dock, just in case.”

I nudge Aiden and whisper, “Why is a group going to the dock?”

Aiden shrugs.

Did Tom find something else in those papers that he’s not telling us?

“Tom will lead a group to the airstrip. And I’ll head the group to the dock.”

Unease swirls in my gut. What is going on? I look to Aiden, who’s just as confused as I am. I try to focus on what else Jason’s saying, but I can’t.

When Jason finally stops talking, I approach Tom. “Hey.” I’m careful to keep my voice calm and low so no one will overhear me. “I thought you said the transport wouldn’t be at the dock.”

“It won’t,” Tom says, glancing over his shoulder. “Which is exactly why I want Jason leading the group there. I have a plan to get the plane to land, but I can’t have any distractions, so I’m only taking a select few people with me.”

“Okay. So, where do you want me and Aiden?”

“I want you in Jason’s group.”

I shake my head and open my mouth to protest, but Aiden speaks up before I can. “Yeah, of course.” He smiles. “We’ll be happy to go with Jason. Just get that plane on the ground so we can go home.”

I jerk my head to stare at him, eyes wide. He avoids my gaze, though, and I know he knows I’m not happy. I cross my arms and keep my mouth shut. Nothing I say will matter now anyway. But Aiden is going to get a piece of my mind as soon as Tom leaves.

Tom nods. “Thanks. I’m taking Marjorie with me. And we’re taking off in ten minutes.”

“What?” I blink, positive I misheard him. “Just the two of you?”

“Yes,” he says slowly, as if he’s afraid his answer might upset me. “I found some hand-drawn maps of the island that shows the location of the airstrip. There’s a small communication tower, and I want to get to that before the plane gets to us.”

“Why?” I ask, unable to stay quiet a moment longer. “Why are you sending us to the dock with Jason when you know the transport won’t be there? You’re not planning to leave us here, are you?” Utter panic laces my words. I can’t stay on this island another day. My breaths come hard and sharp.

“Em—”

I hold up my hand to silence Aiden. He snaps his mouth shut and, once again, looks away from me. I hold Tom’s gaze, refusing to let him get away without an answer. It’s a fair question, and he knows it.

With a heavy sigh, Tom rubs his hands over his face. “Of course I’m not going to leave you here.” He actually sounds offended. “I’m not going to leave anyone here.”

I want to believe him; I really do, but doubt nags at me.

“The airstrip is miles from the remaining building. The dock is less than a mile. If things go badly, I want you two to be close enough to get to safety. If there is even the slightest hint of danger, you two are to get back to the building and into that bunker.” He looks at each of us in turn, his expression hard and stern.

My arms fall to my sides, and I swallow hard. “Why are you giving us special treatment?” But I don’t really need him to answer that. I know. He’s trying to make amends for not being able to save his daughter. A sob builds in my throat.

“You two are still kids. You don’t need to be out here in the middle of all this.” He waves his arms around.

“Thank you, Tom,” Aiden says.

“Uh, yeah, thanks,” I say, forcing myself to snap out of my daze. Under any other circumstances, being called a kid would’ve set me off, but I’m grateful to Tom for his concern. Although, if things go bad, I won’t feel right running for safety while everyone else is exposed to the danger.

“You two should grab some food and try to relax before you head out,” Tom says. “And be sure to pack whatever belongings you have. We won’t be coming back to this beach.”

I stare silently after Tom as he walks toward Marjorie. My chest constricts painfully at the thought of heading to the dock without him. I might not always agree with him, or like how he orders people around, but I’ve grown to admire him in a very short period of time. He reminds me too much of my dad.

“I’m sorry I upset you,” Aiden says. He stares at the ground. “I don’t like the idea of going with Jason any more than you do, but I trust Tom’s judgment.”

“Yeah.” I sigh. “I trust him, too.”

“So, you’re not mad at me?” He glances up at me hopefully.

I smile. “No, I’m not mad. But I am hungry.”

He laughs and takes my hand. “C’mon, I’ll buy you lunch.” He winks, and we walk over to Phil and the stockpile of food.

“Hey.” Phil smiles and waves when he sees us. “I can’t thank you enough for bringing back this food.”

I shrug. “It’s no big deal, really.”

Phil hands each of us a can of soup and a package of crackers to share. “Others are warming the soup over the fire.” He nods to the still raging fire down the beach.

“Thanks.” I take the food, and my stomach growls. I don’t want to eat soup again, but it’s not like I have many options. What I wouldn’t give for a large, extra cheese pizza right now. My mouth waters.

After pouring our soup into a metal pan we salvaged from the wreckage and heating the food, Aiden and I settle on the beach, away from the crowd. We eat without talking. The broth is barely lukewarm, which makes the already bland soup taste even worse. I force down as much as I can then set the rest aside.

“Do you really think it’s this easy?” I ask.

“What?”

“Rescue. I mean, we’ve been here for days now. No one has found us. Who knows if they’re even looking anymore. Then we just happen upon buildings and a woman who’s a scientist and a supply transport that will conveniently be here soon. I don’t know. It just seems all too easy.” I hug my knees to my chest and stare out at the ocean.

“Ever heard that saying, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth?”

“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

He lazily shrugs one shoulder and spoons more soup into his mouth. “Jason’s right. The big guy up there—” He lifts his eyes up to the sky—“really is watching out for us.”

“Yeah.”

“Hey.” He sets his food down and nudges my shoulder with his. “You okay?”

“I don’t have a good feeling about this plan.” There. I said it aloud.

“Neither do I, but we have no other options. I’m willing to take the risk if it means there’s a chance we can go home.”

“That’s the thing, though. If Tom has an idea how to get the plane to land, why don’t all of us just go with him? That way we’re all there and ready to leave.”

“I don’t know, Emily.” He sighs, and it’s only then I notice how tired he looks. His eyes are dull, and his shoulders slump.

“With the natives running around, it doesn’t seem safe to make the plane wait while Tom rounds all of us up, y’know?” The more I think about this, the more upset I get. Despite trusting Tom, this plan is just dumb.

Aiden shrugs. “Maybe we should ask him before he takes off.”

I glance over my shoulder, but I don’t see him anywhere. Even if we do ask him, I doubt he’ll give us an answer. I just need to trust him. And God—He didn’t let me down earlier, so I pray He doesn’t now, either.

“No, we’ll just do as he says.” I give him a grateful smile. “Just promise we’ll stick together through this.”

He drapes his arm around my shoulders and pulls me down so I’m lying on my back. The sand is soft and cool beneath my body. Aiden brings himself to lean over me. He brushes the hair from my forehead and smiles.

“I wouldn’t dream of leaving you,” he whispers. “Not here and not when we get home.”

My heart races, and I nervously lick my lips. I’m positive once we get off this island, my parents will welcome me home. How can Aiden and I have any sort of relationship when he’s in Alaska and I’m in New York? Maybe going to stay with grandma and grandpa won’t be so terrible after all, because I’m not sure I want to go back to the city. Or my friends. Or Matt. None of them will ever be able to understand what I’ve been through—not like Aiden does. And he makes me feel safe, something I’ve never felt with Matt.

I lift my head enough to align my lips with his until our mouths collide, sending a burst of fireworks through my bones. I can’t stop my heart from pounding in my chest, and my blood flows rapidly to my cheeks, making my face red with heat. I wrap my arms around his strong, broad shoulders and pull him closer. His body is so warm and strong, and I never want to leave his embrace. The kiss deepens for a much too brief moment before he breaks away.

I rub my fingers over my tingling mouth. “Why did you stop?”

He smiles briefly before leaning back down to kiss me. My entire body is on fire, and Aiden’s kisses are only stoking the flames.

“Ahem.”

Aiden jerks away, and I tilt my head toward the sound. Jason stands over us, eyes narrowed, arms crossed. Kneeling in front of me, Aiden pulls me up to a sitting position.

“Can we help you?” I snap.

“You two about done?” The corner of Jason’s mouth twitches as if he wants to smirk, but his expression remains accusatory.

I awkwardly try to brush the sand from my hair.

“Uh, yeah, um, we were just…” Aiden’s cheeks are bright red.

He’s embarrassed. That’s so adorable.

“We’re reconvening to go over final plans, and then the groups are heading out. Can you two disentangle yourself long enough to join us?” Jason asks. For a man of God, he’s quite snarky. My sarcastic side is rather impressed.