There, the guerillas finally decide to stop for a water break. Biting back a groan, Gabe settled onto a boulder the size of a coffee table and wiped sweat from his eyes with one arm. His bum foot and leg burned like stepping into a fire pit every time he put weight on it. Never thought he’d see the day he wanted that damn cane—but, Christ, he needed it. And admitting that, even to himself, chaffed. He wasn’t stupid enough to turn down the water his guards offered him, even though he wanted to reject it on principle. He glugged down half the bottle and kept his eyes fastened on the trailhead, hoping to catch a glimpse of fawn-colored hair or the glint of a turquoise earring. Where was she? He had tried to keep Audrey in his sights, knowing the guerillas favored a divide and conquer strategy when it came to taking captives, but she quickly fell behind. The twist of trees and vines swallowed her and her guards and he hadn’t seen them since.
