فصل 43

Part Four

Chapter 43: The End of the Pipe

The escape pipe was smooth and sloped slightly, so even at a distance of more than a hundred yards, it was an easy crawl. It reminded Ostin of a slide at a water park.

The end of the pipe was deemed clear by Ian, so McKenna jumped down about five feet to the spongy forest ground below. The ground and foliage beneath the pipe were trampled and littered with cigarette butts, revealing the pipe’s steady traffic.

As McKenna looked around, Jack jumped down, then turned and helped Zeus, who was now more conscious, which meant in more pain.

Jack laid Zeus on the ground a few yards from the pipe, then helped Abigail, who immediately knelt down next to Zeus, running her hand over his forehead. She pulled back the shirt they had put on him, revealing second- and third-degree burns over half his body.

“We’ve got to get him help,” Abigail said. “If it gets infected he could die.” “We’ll get help,” Jack said.

Wade and Raúl helped Mrs. Vey out of the pipe, then Raúl came over and knelt beside Zeus. His forehead creased in concern. “Sábila,” he said, nodding. “Need sábila.” Jack looked at Abigail. “What’s sábila?” She shrugged.

“Sábila,” Raúl said again, lifting his hands in a flourish as if describing what he was saying.

“We’ll ask Ostin,” Abigail said.

Mrs. Vey was standing next to the pipe’s mouth when Taylor climbed out. After Taylor had caught her breath, she put her hand on Mrs. Vey’s shoulder. “Are you okay?” Mrs. Vey nodded, even though she was weak and emaciated. “Where’s Michael?” “He’ll be here in a second. He’s bringing up the rear.” Tanner carefully jumped down, followed by Ian. It was another five minutes before Ostin stuck his head out, panting from the long crawl. He looked around, then scooted on his butt until he was sitting on the rim of the pipe and jumped down.

As Ostin dusted off his knees, Mrs. Vey walked over to the pipe and looked inside. “Where’s Michael?” Taylor also looked inside the pipe. “Michael!” Her voice echoed in the darkness, but there was no response. “Ian, where is he?” “He was right behind us,” Ian said. He looked at the pipe. “He’s not there.” “What?” Taylor and Mrs. Vey said in unison.

Ostin looked up with a pained expression. “He didn’t come.” Taylor blanched. “What do you mean, he didn’t come?” Everyone’s eyes turned to Ostin, who was still catching his breath.

“The guards were too close. Michael stayed back to provide a diversion so we could escape.” Mrs. Vey stared at him in disbelief. “Michael’s still inside the compound?” “He said he had to stay,” Ostin said.

“And you let him?” Taylor shouted.

“What was I supposed to do? It was the logical thing to do.” “Logical!” Taylor screamed. She put her hands on the rim of the pipe to climb back in. “I’m going after him.” “It won’t do any good,” Ostin said. “He locked the pipe after me.” “No!” she shouted, her voice echoing down the pipe. She turned back angrily. “We came all the way here to rescue his mother and you left him behind?” Ostin swallowed. “I was just—”

“Being stupid?” Jack said fiercely.

“Leave him alone,” McKenna said. “It’s not his fault.” “Then whose is it?” Taylor said.

“It’s Michael’s,” McKenna said. “He made a choice.” “I knew I should have waited!” Taylor shouted. She swung around, thrusting her finger in Ostin’s face. “I never would have gone first if I had any idea he was thinking of leaving. We stick together.” “I’m sorry,” Ostin said.

“Sorry?” Taylor said. “I thought you were smart.” For a moment no one spoke.

Then Abigail said, “So what are we supposed to do now?” Ostin said meekly, “Michael said that Taylor has the GPS; she’s supposed to lead us to the pickup site.” “That’s not going to happen,” Taylor said. “I didn’t come all this way to leave Michael. Do you have any idea what Hatch will do to him if he catches him?” She turned to Ian. “Can you see him?” Ian looked back for a moment, then said, “He’s with the guards.” “They’ve captured him?”

“No. He’s standing with them, talking. They must think he’s one of them.” “He stayed back to cause a diversion so we could get away,” Ostin said. “He said after he led them away he’d sneak back down through the pipe. But he wanted us to hurry toward the pickup site before they figured out how we escaped.” “I’m not leaving without my son,” Mrs. Vey said.

“And if he gets out,” Taylor said, “just how exactly is he supposed to find us?” “He said he’d go to Cuzco.”

“How? It’s at least a week by foot, with no food or water—if something in the jungle doesn’t kill him first.” “He’s more powerful than anything in the jungle,” Ostin said.

“Even when he’s sleeping? Or is he supposed to go a week without sleep, too?” Ian suddenly groaned. “Oh no.”

“What?” Taylor asked.

“They just captured Michael.”

His words stunned everyone. Taylor gasped, and Mrs. Vey sat down on a fallen log and began to cry.

“I’m so sorry,” Ostin said, his eyes filling with tears. “I thought it was the right thing to do. I couldn’t have made him come if I wanted to.” “Did you even try?” Taylor asked.

“Yes,” he said.

Taylor looked at him in disgust. “I’ll bet. And he thought you were his best friend.” Ostin hung his head.

“Enough!” McKenna said, walking up to Taylor. “Leave him alone. It’s not his fault.” Mrs. Vey looked up, her cheeks wet with tears. “She’s right. It’s not Ostin’s fault. Michael would have done this anyway. He would do anything to save his friends.” “No,” Ostin said, shaking his head. “Taylor’s right. I should have tried harder. I let him down. It’s all my fault.” He put his head down and walked away from the group.

Taylor turned toward him. “Ostin, come back.” Ostin continued walking off into the jungle until he was out of sight.

“Thanks,” McKenna said angrily, then ran after Ostin.

A haze of despair fell over the group. After a few minutes Jack said, “We’re not leaving him.” No one answered. The impossibility of saving Michael was obvious to everyone. The silence was broken by Zeus’s groan. Raúl looked at Zeus, then pointed to Jack’s knife. “Cuchillo.” “You want my knife?” Jack asked.

Raúl nodded. “Por favor.”

“That means please,” Abigail said.

Jack pulled his knife from its sheath and handed it to him. Raúl took it, then ran off into the forest.

“Where do you think he’s going?” Abigail asked.

“I have no idea,” he said. “But does it matter?”