My stomach was doing flips, I was filled with so much anxiety. I followed close behind Grant with Will behind me. Beth had pointed us in the direction she saw Cal being taken off to, and I hoped we were on the right track. Every minute counted and I would've been running, if I thought it was best.
We had to stay quiet and out of sight, all while keeping our eyes and ears open. The glare of the sun hit our faces. I was prepared to walk for hours, figuring Cal had been taken to the other side of the island where we hadn't been yet. To my surprise, Grant stopped much sooner than I expected and I walked right into his back.
I jumped back, embarrassed. "Sorry."
Grant chuckled quietly and then nodded in another direction.
"Up there," he said to us. "Look."
Ahead to our right the path elevated slightly and had a patch of trees. The rest of the path was barren, leading us to believe the group that had Cal was most likely somewhere in the trees, rather than sitting in plain sight.
Will suggested we go all the way to the back so we wouldn't end up "walking in through their front door". Grant and I agreed, so we kept walking. As we hiked higher, Grant led us up and around. From what I could see, we would eventually get to a hill that looked pretty steep. I tried not to look down the higher we went. All I thought about was the guy who attacked us and fell off the cliff to his death. It sent chills down my spine.
As we got higher, we were also getting closer, which gave us a better view. In between the trees we could make out tarps that we guessed to be tents. There were at least three of them. I hated to think of Cal being kept against her will somewhere up there. It made me sick. The more I thought about it, the more motivated I was to keep going. Every time Grant glanced over his shoulder to check on me, he would quickly turn back around having seen the look of determination on my face. All I wanted to do was get Cal and then go back and get Beth.
"It looks like we'll have to climb those rocks," Grant said.
I looked past him and saw a steep hill covered in rocks. I nodded and followed Grant as he started to climb. My hands were sweaty, but I took slow and precise steps.Will grunted behind me. The three of us kept our gaze straight ahead, not wanting to look down. It was a good thing Grant was leading us because he got to the top quickly, clearly the most athletic of us all. He helped pull me up and seconds later, Will was up as well.
What we found at the top made all three of us stop and stare. The land was flatter than I expected, but that wasn't what surprised me. Tents were set up next to one another with a fire pit in the center. Rocks were piled up along the sides as though to build a wall that was still unfinished. Beyond the wall I saw a steep hill that led to a wooded area and cliffs.
Grant instinctively stood in front of me, blocking me with his arm, and even though it was incredibly sweet, I gently swatted his arm down. He was stronger than me and a better fighter, but I wasn't helpless. I was feeling more secure about being able to fend for myself.
Will took a slow turn until he got a good look around. "I don't think anyone's here."
"Are you sure?" I whispered. "This looks like it houses a pretty big group. Where could they all be?"
Grant nodded, not taking his eyes off the camp.
"Even if each tent sleeps one or two, that's at least twelve people."
We hesitated before taking a few steps closer. Will narrowed his eyes at one of the tents and walked over to it. Grant called out to him, but Will held up his hand and kept going. I watched him inch his way to the front of the tent, pause a few seconds, and then kick in its canvas flaps. When he was positive no one was inside of it, he knelt down and peeked inside. Instantly he popped his head back out, his eyes wide. He motioned for us and we looked at each other before running over.
"You're not going to believe this," Will said as he stepped aside.
Grant swept the canvas flap to the side with his arm and leaned inside. I heard him gasp and shoved him aside, squeezing my head in. The tent wasn't for sleeping at all. Instead, laptops were set up on the floor. There were piles of cables in a corner, two sets of walkie-talkies with their batteries removed, and some rope. Grant and I leaned back out of the tent and shared Will's wide eyed expression.
I followed Will's eyes as he glared at the other tents. The three of us must have shared the same thought because we all bolted toward the neighboring tent. Will kicked at it again and peeked inside.
"Nothing," he said. "This one's empty."
"I'll check those," Grant said pointing to the tents at the end. "You two take these here and meet in the middle."
We all broke in different directions, eager to see if there was anything else to find. Will stayed where we were, so I ran to the end of ours. I'd work my way in toward the middle. The first tent I looked in, I only found a flashlight. While walking to the next tent, I tested the flashlight, turning it on and off.
At the next tent, I didn't expect much. I pushed the flaps and peeked my head inside and almost fell backward. The tent didn't have a floor like the other tents did. Instead, a giant hole had been dug into the ground. Had I been going faster, I would've fallen in. I steadied myself and called out softly to Grant and Will. Neither of them heard me. I sighed and called louder.
"Grant!" I yelled and then stood there waiting.
He quickly came out of a tent and ran toward me. I had been looking at him when I heard someone call my name in a soft, hoarse voice. Grant was in already in front of me when I heard my name again. We stared at each other and called out for Will, who came running over. The three of us stood in front of the tent looking bewildered.
"Ry-leigh!"
This time we all heard it. I shoved the tent's flaps open and looked inside again.
"Grant, look!" I called out.
Just as Grant poked his head in so I could show him the hole that had been dug into the dirt, I took a step closer to it. My entire body was inside the tent and I carefully went to inspect it.
"Whoa!" Grant yelled and then reached out to tap Will. "You need to see this."
Grant and Will both came inside and stood behind me.
"Why is there a giant hole inside this tent?" Will started to ask.
As I peered inside, I couldn't believe my eyes. It was Cal. She was sitting at the very bottom, looking weak and exhausted.
"Cal!" I screamed.
Grant and Will darted over when they heard me, staring down at Cal. She had tears streaming down her face.
"I lost my voice." she whispered. "Please! Get me out of here!"
I turned on the flashlight and scanned the hole's walls. Will ran out and was back quickly, holding the rope from the other tent.
"Here!" Will yelled as he tossed one end of the rope down to Cal. "Can you climb up?"
She nodded and struggled to stand up. I was worried she'd fall as I watched her grip the rope. The guys helped guide her up and I waited eagerly at the top. As soon as she got close enough, they pulled her up and I grabbed her. We both hugged each other, her sobs vibrating into me.
"We should get out of here," Grant said as he opened the tent to let us out.
I clung onto Cal as we stumbled out.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" I asked her.
"I'm okay." she said, her voice hoarse and raspy. "We need to go. They'll be back soon!"
I looked up at Grant and saw the concern on his face. He and Will exchanged looks and tried to decide on the best route out of there.
"Cal," Grant said softly. "Do you know how to get out of here?"
He put a hand gently on her arm as she stayed leaned into me. She shook her head.
"I say we go over that wall and up." Will pointed toward a hilly mountain that led to a forest of trees. "We can go through there without being detected. There are too many trees for them to see us clearly."
"Let's go," Grant stated.
Cal was weak, but with my help she was able to keep a good pace. Will led us to the makeshift wall and we hopped over it. As we were about to start up the hill and into the woods, we all froze at the sound of voices coming from behind us.
Grant's eyes grew wide. "Go!"