to get a signal.
As Leonard’s footsteps faded, a hundred fear-drenched thoughts tumbled through her head. Maybe there was a sinister reason why Leonard had a gun and was trying to phone someone. He had signed up only hours before she did. Maybe Max was covering his bases and sending Leonard to kill her as soon as he got the opportunity.
“It’s kind of confusing, isn’t it?”
Clarissa whirled around. Jan stood a few feet away from her.
“What?”
The older woman pointed toward the book Clarissa gripped in her hand. “Finding your next meal in the forest.”
Clarissa flipped the book, looking at the back and front covers. Her hands were shaking. She still hadn’t recovered from seeing Leonard with a gun. “Yeah, right, some of the poisonous ones look just like the ones you can eat.”
“I’ll give you a hand if you like. Ken has gone and wandered off again. We can work on it together.” Jan’s eyes held sincerity and warmth.
“Together?” The word felt foreign on her tongue. “I’d like that.”
Jan opened her book. “I’m looking for this one.” She pointed to a picture. “It says it still flowers as late as September. If you find a plant that looks like it might be edible, we can go through our books and see if we can find a match.”
“That sounds like a plan,” Clarissa said.
Jan gave her a friendly pat on the back. “Good.”
They worked through the late afternoon, getting some assistance from Ken and showing Ezra what they’d found from time to time. Then the group hiked for several more hours before stopping to make camp. Once the camp was set up, Ezra showed Leonard how to build a fire, while Bruce practiced shooting his bow.
Clarissa watched Bruce with his bow. He hit the tree about 50 percent of the time.
“So are these brown packets our dinners?” Ken held up his. “I’ve never had an MRE before.” He read the label. “Looks like I get chicken parmesan.”
“Just add water.” Leonard ripped his open. “We used to eat these all the time in the service.”
Clarissa kept her eye on Leonard. She couldn’t be certain he was working for Max, but she couldn’t trust him, either. She just had to make sure she was never alone with him.
Jan stared down into her open bag. “This doesn’t look like spaghetti and meatballs.”
“Just think, tomorrow you’ll be eating fresh fish or small game if you play your cards right,” Ezra said.
The soft tenor of his voice drew Clarissa back to the circle of people. Bruce had come to sit in front of the fire, as well. She was going to have a hard time asking Ezra the questions she needed answers to with everyone else around.
“You mean if we catch it ourselves, we’ll be eating something besides dehydrated food?” Ken said.
“That’s why I bring the MREs. It motivates you to catch something fresher.” Ezra’s voice had a playful lilt to it.
The men and Jan groaned in unison.
“At least we got these roots and berries to help wash down the packaged food tonight.” Jan picked up one of the roots and bit into it.
“How about you, Clarissa?” Ezra turned to face her. “I don’t hear much protest from you.”
With everyone looking at her, Clarissa felt suddenly self-conscious. “I’m just glad to be here.” She focused on her food, dipping her spoon into the alleged beef enchiladas.
As she listened to the friendly banter, turmoil tied her stomach in tight knots. Could she hope that Max’s men had given up and gone back down the mountain? She couldn’t finish this journey with the others and go back to Discovery, where Max would be waiting. She wasn’t so sure she could make it on her own to the town Ezra had mentioned, but she had to try. If only she could get some specific instruction and directions.
After dinner, Ezra helped everyone pitch a small, single-man tent, except for Jan and Ken, who had a bigger tent to share. Clarissa said her good-nights and crawled into her sleeping bag. The cool night air came through the unzipped mesh windows.
Outside her tent, Ezra and Leonard talked in low tones until their voices faded, and she heard the unzipping of tent doors. The night quieted, but her mind raced with all that had happened and all that she had yet to do. Twice Clarissa grabbed her pack and unzipped the tent, thinking she would just escape in the night and take her chances. Both times she talked herself out of it. There was still so much more she needed to learn before she could face the wilderness on her own. She snuggled back down into the sleeping bag.
She listened for a long time, wondering if Leonard would get up in the night and drag her out of her tent.
She breathed in the fresh air as a light breeze rustled the nylon walls. Her eyelids grew heavy and she drifted off....
She awoke in total darkness to the sound of angry voices in the distance.
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