It wasn't long before Will started to feel the heat. Perhaps it was the effect of Mikayla's blood pumping through his system, or he just wasn't used to the humidity of the location. Although he loved the feeling of the sun shining through the trees of the jungle they were hiking through after leaving the beach behind, he had never been in such a climate.
When Will imagined paradise, he didn't expect to be a prisoner again, and only there for the purpose of leverage in case Hunter came to the rescue. Which she would. And then what? Would Dr. Wolfe kill him? Would Hunter do what she did last time and choose to risk his life rather than give Dr. Wolfe what he wants? All the questions buzzing around in his mind kept him sidetracked from reality.
They stopped at a small clearing with a rock pile for a drink. The Agent fed him only a few mouthfuls of water and did the same for Joshua, whose face was paler than usual from the blood he'd already lost. Then Simon switched his blood bag for a fresh one. Sweat dripped down Will's face but he couldn't wipe his eyes because his hands were still bound behind him.
"How much further?" asked Dr. Wolfe. He was looking far worse than Joshua and the Agents, who had ditched their blazers and ties at the plane. The scientist named Simon looked as though he belonged in this climate; dark skinned, possibly of Mexican or Latina heritage. He took it all in his stride, as most scientists under Dr. Wolfe's instruction would.
"This is the halfway mark," said Joshua. But his eyes, again, were somewhere else. He was looking at the ground in front of him. Dr. Wolfe was too distracted by the heat to notice that Joshua was carefully inspecting the tracks before them. Had somebody already been there? "We should be at the caves soon."
"So these caves were the ones you found the stones in?"
"Yes," said Joshua. "We should keep moving."
Even though Dr. Wolfe didn't look largely pleased by that, he followed anyway.
After what felt like hours, Joshua finally took them down a narrow path lined on the left side by a giant rock face, trees planted close together, their roots almost tripping him up as he walked. He ducked under a low-hanging branch and they came face to face with the mouth of a cave in the shape of an upside-down 'V'. Inside, there was a faint glow of fire.
Will's heart started to pound. Something in his mind was whispering to him, urging him into the mouth of the cave. Was it the living stone, or was it just dehydration?
For a moment, all nine of them stood outside the mouth of the cave. Dr. Wolfe was trying to make up his mind as to how to go about getting the samples. Something was holding him back.
Bravo cleared his throat and Dr. Wolfe turned to him.
"Sir, is there something we can do to ... move this process along?" he asked.
"Oh yes," said Dr. Wolfe. "By all means, go on inside."
"Are you sure this isn't a trap?" asked the Agent holding Joshua.
"Charlie," Bravo scolded him.
"Well, I'm just putting it out there." Charlie's hair had started to come out of the small bun he kept it in at the nape of his neck. He was quite fit, but short and obviously a loud mouth. "It doesn't even look safe, how can you prove it?"
"I can prove it."
The voice came from behind Will. A wave of red hair danced through the line of trees and, a second later, Hunter appeared on a rock to their right, beautiful like a goddess, her face full of anger and a burning desire for revenge as she leapt gracefully from the rock onto the path directly between their group and the entrance to the cave.
The Agents drew their guns, but Dr. Wolfe whipped up a hand for them to hold their fire.
Hunter met eyes with Will and instantly, relief blew through him. She had survived the fight with Jack and somehow made it to the caves before they did. Despite having visible bruises and blood stains on her body, she was still standing tall, ready – like him – to end this fight for good. Her golden eyes smiled at him, and he smiled back.
Joshua staggered toward Hunter, but Agent Charlie wrenched him back. "You're alive!"
"Hunter," said Dr. Wolfe with a smile. "What a pleasant ... well I was going to say surprise, but I was counting on you showing up."
He drew his own gun at that stage, took two steps forward and rested the tip against the back of Joshua's head. "Let's not make this a long and drawling process. I know what I came for and you're in my way. So I will put a bullet in Joshua's head, and then I will put a bullet in your head Hunter and ... well, there's a cell with your name written on it in my new institution, William."
At the thought, Will felt like vomiting.
"Unless I get what I want, of course."
"Dr. Wolfe," said Joshua. "You and I both know that the only person who can go in that cave and come out with the right stone is me."
"Who said anything about you coming out," Dr. Wolfe said with a smile.
For a second, Will swore he felt the ground beneath him rumble. And then behind Hunter, a bright light blared inside the cave and disappeared.
Will glanced at the doctor and his men, noticing, too, their shock. Hunter stood proud and strong, her veins glowing like snakes of fire.
It's the volcano, Will thought with a smile. She's bringing it to life.