They hung around till it got dark.


    No bad news from anywhere else. Alistair and Hetastian chewed it over and decided to pull their crew outta the canyon, ditching the whole Landon vs. Alexander drama. When they made the call, turns out their people had already bailed-and not just bailed, but took off with the Obsidian Circle.


    As soon as Obsidian Circle gave ''em the nod, those mercs bolted, scared they''d miss the boat if they dragged their feet.


    Alistair was so pissed he smashed his phone and yelled, "Those bastards!"


    "Forget it. Let''s bounce. It''s too sketchy to hang around." Hetastian hopped into the car by the curb and took off first.


    Alistair thought about giving Landon a heads-up, but then remembered how Landon had stirred the pot with Alexander, costing them big time, and figured it wasn''t worth the hassle. They didn''t need Landon''s backup like they did a couple years ago anyway.


    Meanwhile, Landon was clueless. He saw the choppers pulling out of the jungle and knew something was up, so he grabbed the walkie-talkie to get the lowdown.


    When he heard the scoop, his face turned stormy. He ditched the search for Alexander and had Alistair guide him outta the jungle with a drone.


    He''d gone in too deep, and even without any detours, it was already past midnight when he got out.


    Hunting for Alexander was pointless now. He still had a trump card-Abigail.


    Since she was still in his grip, he had to make sure she was safe first.


    Abigail might not mean squat to Alexander, but Quinn would definitely give a damn about her, which would indirectly make Alexander care too.


    After a day and two nights in the jungle, Quinn felt like she was in some weird dream, just drifting through time.


    When she opened her eyes, she found herself in Alexander''s arms. They were both still on the ground, and she couldn''t move a muscle, except for her eyes.


    She still felt like crap, but the physical pain was worse than the emotional stuff.


    Some fuzzy memories shed through her mind, and she shut her eyes weakly. She didn''t wanna think about what had happened, ''cause the shame would make her wanna die.


    The light outside was still dim. She stared at the vines at the cave entrance and soon zoned out again, or maybe passed out.


    Who knows if it was from exhaustion or hunger.


    When she woke up again, it was already bright outside, and Alexander was nowhere in sight. She was lying on the ground alone, wrapped tight in Alexander''s clothes. Already weak, the clothes felt like a ton of bricks, making it impossible to


    move.


    After lying there for what felt like forever, Alexander''s figure suddenly popped into view. Her half-closed eyes snapped open, staring at him as he came in from outside.


    Alexander walked in carrying a bloody rabbit in one hand and a bunch of some kinda fruit in the other, with a gun slung over his shoulder.


    He came over to her and met her gaze, pausing for a moment.


    Then he asked, kinda unsure, "Feelin'' any better?"


    Quinn pressed her lips together as those awful images flooded back. She lowered her eyes, not knowing how to deal with him.


    He sat down next to her, still in the same ck and white striped shirt, put down his stuff, and helped her up from the ground. "Still need my help?" he asked.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


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