A World Apart The Jake Thomas Trilogy - By Steven A. Tolle Page 0,24

no bigger than his fist, broken with what felt like an edge, partly buried in the dirt. He quickly looked around, afraid his surprise showed on his face, giving him away, but the others were not paying attention to him.

Slowly, keeping his movements very small to avoid detection, he uncovered the rock. To his delight, the broken side of the rock had a jagged edge. He tucked it into his lower back, and then sat there thinking, trying to determine his next move. He knew he had to get away, but it had to be the right time.

Night settled over the woods. Jake heard the cry of an owl as it flew silently overhead. Matus sent out a couple of the men to stand watch. The men moved out into the woods, starting a slow circuit around the campsite. The rest, including Surt, his face swollen and a bloody bandage over his ear, took out their sleeping blankets and laid down. Jake could feel Surt glaring at him, but tried to ignore him. Matus had wrapped himself in his cloak next to his tree, lying on his side, facing the fire.

Soon, the fire began to burn low, its flickering light giving way to the night. The men's snores and the crackling of the embers of the dying fire were the only sounds in the campsite. Jake could hear the guards as they made their circuit, passing behind him on a regular basis. Jake looked closely at the men lying out in front of him, trying to determine if they were all really sleeping. He was not completely sure, but decided to take the chance.

He quietly moved the rock against the tree, the broken edge pointing out towards him. He slowly began to rub his bonds against the rock. He put pressure on the rope, pushing it back against the rock, trying to speed the cutting. For several minutes, it did not appear that this was going to work. Jake was beginning to despair when he felt a slight decrease in tightness of his bonds. Encouraged, he continued to cut away at the rope. After what seemed like an eternity, he felt the last strand fall away and his hands were free.

He sat there, not moving, feeling the pain and tingling as the blood flowed back into his hands. He slowly flexed his hands, wiggling his fingers, as the feeling came back. As he sat there, he thought about his next move. Since he had freed his hands, he knew that this would be his only opportunity to escape. If he was found free of his bonds, he was sure he would be tied up from his feet to his head. He had to move quickly. He decided to wait for the guards to pass behind him on their next round and then make his escape.

Jake really wanted his phone, the tie to his old life, but, with Matus having possession of it, he knew that was impossible. The wait for the guards seemed to be a lifetime. As he waited, fears and doubts gnawed at him. He was terrified of what would happen if he got caught, but knew he had to get away. A few more fear-soaked minutes ticked by before he heard the guards pass behind him. He gave them another minute or so to move on.

Jake took a deep breath, praying this would work, and did the hardest thing he had ever done: he slowly stood up. Eyes sweeping over the camp, seeking any signs of movement, sure that he would be found out, he stood there frozen. The men did not move. Cautiously, Jake took a step away from the tree, moving slowly to avoid making noise. Again, no one stirred.

Fighting the overwhelming urge to start running, Jake deliberately and quietly walked away from the camp. Sweat rolled down his face, stinging his cuts. He passed through the area he believed the guards to be patrolling and continued on, trying to keep his breathing quiet as he strained to hear any sign of pursuit. After traveling another hundred yards or so, he saw a small path in the pale moonlight, leading off into the forest. Seeing this, relief and panic overtook him and he sprinted away.

CHAPTER SIX

About an hour after Jake's escape, Matus was still dreaming about the rewards that their Master would bestow on him when they brought him the boy. He dreamed that he would be allowed to take that lickspittle Surt's head after