from the ground and secured it to her back. Then she grabbed Jen’s good arm. “Never mind. Escaping works. Let’s go.”
She made Jen go first on the wobbly bridge. Worried the injury to her arm was going to make the crossing difficult, she wanted to keep an eye on her. But, graceful as ever, Jen moved across the bridge with little difficulty.
Laney said a quick prayer of thanks for Jen’s natural balance as she raced behind her. Reaching the boardwalk of the community hut, her eyes darted to a hut across from them. Icy fear raced through her. She nudged Jen’s shoulder. “Over there.”
One hut over, Elena and Eddie stood. Tears streamed down Elena's face. Eddie stood next to her, trying to look strong. But devastation surrounded him, and his eyes telegraphed his terror. The bridge that connected them to the community hut had been cut down. There was no way for Laney and Jen to reach them.
Julian appeared at the hut on the other side of the children. Laney released her breath. The bridge leading to the children was still attached from his side.
“Stay there. I’m coming,” he yelled to the children. He took a step onto the bridge, but bullets blasted through it.
“Grandfather!” Elena cried as Julian leapt back.
In disbelief, Laney watched the ropes attaching the bridge untangle and then swing free. Her eyes flew to Julian. Even from this far, she could feel his fear for his grandchildren.
Laney’s eyes darted around, looking for any way to reach them. Two ropes swung between their boardwalk and the children’s, both attached to the lookout tower above. One was only a few feet from the children, too far for Laney reach. But the other was much closer to their side. “Jen? How stable does that rope look?”
Jen looked at the rope swinging ten feet away. “You can’t be serious.”
“Do you see any other way to get to them?” Laney glanced into the hut behind them. There was nothing to grab the rope with.
She dropped the backpack to the boardwalk and handed Jen her gun. Taking Jen’s knife from her belt, she secured it in her own. “Just try to keep anyone from shooting me, all right?’
Jen took the gun. “Damn it. Don’t get yourself killed.”
“Hey, I’ve seen Tarzan. How hard can it be?” Her tone was intentionally light, but it was an effort. Her heart hammering, she backed up to the edge of the platform. She dug her feet in like a sprinter, her eyes locked on the rope.
Don’t miss. Don’t miss. Don’t miss. She sprinted for the edge of the platform and leaped.
She hit the rope. She was surprised by how light it was, how narrow. Her hands scrambled to hold onto it.
“Laney!” Jen screamed as she began to fall.
CHAPTER 24
Laney scrambled to get a grip on the rope. Her heart in her throat, she finally wrapped her hands around it, the coarse fibers cutting into her hands.
“I got it,” she called, her voice shaking.
Jen glared down at her. “You’re officially nuts.”
Can’t argue there. She took a second to calm down her breathing.
She had the rope, but she was too low on it. Unwrapping her hands, she began to climb. Wrapping her right foot as high as she could, she stood, pulling her hands up. Step by step, hand over hand, she climbed, ignoring the violence around her.
She saw Jen take a shooter’s stance aiming for a target below her. She didn’t stop to look. She couldn’t do anything about the shooters below. That was Jen’s job.
Finally, a little below the boardwalk, she began to swing. As she got closer, Jen extended her good arm. On the third swing, Laney grabbed her hand and Jen hauled her in.
Laney’s legs felt like Jello when they touched the solid surface. She almost collapsed to the ground. Her words came out in bursts. “See? Piece of cake.”
“If we survive this, I’m dragging you to a
She made Jen go first on the wobbly bridge. Worried the injury to her arm was going to make the crossing difficult, she wanted to keep an eye on her. But, graceful as ever, Jen moved across the bridge with little difficulty.
Laney said a quick prayer of thanks for Jen’s natural balance as she raced behind her. Reaching the boardwalk of the community hut, her eyes darted to a hut across from them. Icy fear raced through her. She nudged Jen’s shoulder. “Over there.”
One hut over, Elena and Eddie stood. Tears streamed down Elena's face. Eddie stood next to her, trying to look strong. But devastation surrounded him, and his eyes telegraphed his terror. The bridge that connected them to the community hut had been cut down. There was no way for Laney and Jen to reach them.
Julian appeared at the hut on the other side of the children. Laney released her breath. The bridge leading to the children was still attached from his side.
“Stay there. I’m coming,” he yelled to the children. He took a step onto the bridge, but bullets blasted through it.
“Grandfather!” Elena cried as Julian leapt back.
In disbelief, Laney watched the ropes attaching the bridge untangle and then swing free. Her eyes flew to Julian. Even from this far, she could feel his fear for his grandchildren.
Laney’s eyes darted around, looking for any way to reach them. Two ropes swung between their boardwalk and the children’s, both attached to the lookout tower above. One was only a few feet from the children, too far for Laney reach. But the other was much closer to their side. “Jen? How stable does that rope look?”
Jen looked at the rope swinging ten feet away. “You can’t be serious.”
“Do you see any other way to get to them?” Laney glanced into the hut behind them. There was nothing to grab the rope with.
She dropped the backpack to the boardwalk and handed Jen her gun. Taking Jen’s knife from her belt, she secured it in her own. “Just try to keep anyone from shooting me, all right?’
Jen took the gun. “Damn it. Don’t get yourself killed.”
“Hey, I’ve seen Tarzan. How hard can it be?” Her tone was intentionally light, but it was an effort. Her heart hammering, she backed up to the edge of the platform. She dug her feet in like a sprinter, her eyes locked on the rope.
Don’t miss. Don’t miss. Don’t miss. She sprinted for the edge of the platform and leaped.
She hit the rope. She was surprised by how light it was, how narrow. Her hands scrambled to hold onto it.
“Laney!” Jen screamed as she began to fall.
CHAPTER 24
Laney scrambled to get a grip on the rope. Her heart in her throat, she finally wrapped her hands around it, the coarse fibers cutting into her hands.
“I got it,” she called, her voice shaking.
Jen glared down at her. “You’re officially nuts.”
Can’t argue there. She took a second to calm down her breathing.
She had the rope, but she was too low on it. Unwrapping her hands, she began to climb. Wrapping her right foot as high as she could, she stood, pulling her hands up. Step by step, hand over hand, she climbed, ignoring the violence around her.
She saw Jen take a shooter’s stance aiming for a target below her. She didn’t stop to look. She couldn’t do anything about the shooters below. That was Jen’s job.
Finally, a little below the boardwalk, she began to swing. As she got closer, Jen extended her good arm. On the third swing, Laney grabbed her hand and Jen hauled her in.
Laney’s legs felt like Jello when they touched the solid surface. She almost collapsed to the ground. Her words came out in bursts. “See? Piece of cake.”
“If we survive this, I’m dragging you to a
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