Ninian kept her eyes on her friend for as long as she could, desperate for a sign of her.
But the cliff they were on went straight down, the triple canopy below them hiding whatever lay beyond.
“Roanna!” Erin screamed, agony in her voice.
Her own pain grating on her, Ninian stood carefully and grabbed her pack.
“We’ll keep going! Be careful!” she warned.
They made it to the other side of the mountain, but it took time. Partly because it took time to get there, the other part because they were so distracted they couldn’t pay attention.
When they reached the relatively flat ground of the mountain, Erin collapsed to the ground, her legs folding beneath her.
“Roanna,” she whispered.
A glance to the blonde girl told Ninian she would have to talk to her later, but her first focus would be the Brennans.
“We have to go after her,” Jack said firmly.
Ninian shook her head.
“No,” she said firmly.
“We have to! She’s out there, probably hurt, maybe – “
Ninian interrupted Jack before he finished.
“If she is able then she’ll make it there,” she said firmly.
“If she’s hurt she’ll die out there!” Jack shouted.
Ninian stood firm, her expression impenetrable.
“We’re not going,” Ninian said.
Jack turned to Erin, desperate for someone to back him up.
“Erin.” He pleaded.
Through her tears Erin stood.
“It’s Roanna we’re talking about.” She said flatly to Ninian.
“I know. Just like I know she’ll meet us at the crash site.” Ninian said.
“And what if the map is wrong and the crash site isn’t there?” Jack challenged her.
“Then we’ll find them,” Ninian said.
Jack collapsed as well, his legs giving out on him.
Ninian turned to Erin, whose face was an unreadable mask.
“What if she doesn’t show?” Erin asked, everything about her numb.
Ninian’s heart cracked a little more at the thought, but she betrayed nothing in her face – a poker face that had never failed her before.
“Then we’ll find her,” she said firmly.
Erin nodded then stared off into the distance.
“She’ll make it, Erin. She doesn’t die easy,” Ninian said.
Erin smiled, a bitter, pained smile that was more of a facial expression than an emotional gesture.
“After all, it’s not the first time she’s ‘died’ is it?” Erin murmured.
They continued their progress, with Ninian in the lead, Erin taking up the tail, the Brennans in between the two.
The general area of the map where the plane could’ve crashed wasn’t large; a few miles or so. But in a jungle where you can only, barely, see ten feet in front of yourself, it would be difficult.
The fear snuck up on Ninian when she least expected it, making her awareness sharpened rather than dulled by the pain of it.
When they reached the general area, Ninian stopped and turned to them.
“We’re in the general area, so I want you to keep as quiet as possible while we walk – if you hear anything at all, you tell me and we’ll pursue it. Eyes and ears open, kids,” she murmured.
