The Perfect Escape (The Perfect Escape #1) - Suzanne Park Page 0,58
but as the wind blew toward me and the smell of Kate’s lemon eczema cream wafted my way, it reminded me that she was here with me. We were a team. And we were here to win.
Her brows scrunched together. “After you,” she said, gesturing ahead. With a quick glance back, the starting-line marker already out of sight, we trudged deeper into the forest.
* * *
I pressed my index finger to my lips. Kate nodded, staying silent. The heft of my pack sank my heels into the damp soil. I shifted my weight so I didn’t topple backward.
“Let’s go this way!”
“Up there! I think I see a sign!”
We’d been crouching on the ground a few minutes as streams of people passed by us, shouting back and forth, not giving a shit about drawing attention to themselves. Leading the pack were two drunk guys, punching each other’s shoulders, guffawing as they took turns swigging from a bottle of whiskey. The competition rules and regulations stated nut snacks were prohibited due to contestants with food allergies, but all other food and drinks were allowed. Whiskey was apparently okay. Good for them.
Our plan was to come out onto the path and continue the journey once the crowd died down. After the trip-wire incident, it was probably better to have these other contestants be the booby trap guinea pigs, not us.
“I think now,” Kate whispered, popping her head out from behind her tree.
But then, new voices approached. She quickly hid again.
A familiar voice passed by. “Let’s catch up with the others in our group. This map is so useless.” A girl. Our age. My breath grew unsteady as a slow realization hit me. I knew her. “Knowing Nate, he’s probably gone a whole different way that’s not even on here.”
She passed by, and Kate and I both peered out to get a better look. Instead of a climber pack, the girl had on her oversize school backpack covered with purple peace signs.
WTF was Annie doing here?
Chapter Nineteen
Kate
“What is she doing here?” There was a tinge of iciness in my voice I instantly regretted, but this wasn’t the right place and time to discuss tone interpretation.
Okay, it was more than a tinge of iciness.
Fine, it was a hate tsunami.
But that girl was here. Stalking Nate.
“I…I don’t know,” he stuttered. And he genuinely looked confused too. “I’m just as surprised as you are.”
I swallowed away the dryness in my throat, remembering why I was there in the first place. New York City. I needed this win. “No one else is coming. Let’s head in their direction.” I unzipped my jacket and let in the cool air. All of my layers of clothing were overheating me.
Maple leaves crunched under my boots. We walked side by side in silence, at first marching at different speeds, but then falling into the same stepping rhythm. Like Imperial Guards, but no backdrop of ominous music.
Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. I’m. So. Annoyed. I. Could. Scream.
Nate pulled out his map, already weathered from the damp climate and crumpled from catching the occasional gust of wind. “Somewhere up ahead there should be a fork.”
“You mean…here?” While he was looking at the map, mindlessly walking, we’d encountered a split in the dirt trail. There were at least twice as many muddy shoe prints on the main path versus the one on the right.
“Isn’t there some poem about this exact situation?” Nate joked. “What would Robert Frost do? WWRFD?”
Nothing like a nerdy poetry joke to lighten the mood. It worked, though. I snorted. “Let’s not trust a cryptic poet in a zombie survival situation.” I pointed to his hand. “What does the map say?”
Nate chewed his lip and studied the paper. “On the left, there are a few buildings, cabins maybe? Ranger stations? It doesn’t say. On the right it’s pure nature. A giant waterfall is the main obstacle before the finish line.”
We were already so behind. We needed to pick something soon to make headway before nightfall.