“It was supposed to be Eden,” Morgan said without looking down. “But it turned out to be hell instead.”
Chapter 35
“Come on,” Renjel called over his shoulder. “We’re almost there.”
“Would you shut up already?” Toland snapped between breaths. “We’re going as fast as we can.”
For once, Mills agreed with Toland. While Renjel seemed to have no problem scaling the slippery hillside, she found it far more challenging. Her body begged for rest. And she hurt all over, from her cut-up feet to the tangled mess of hair lumped atop her head. Worst of all, she was positively ravenous. Her stomach ached for food, specifically Sake and Sushi’s Furious Dragon Rolls. Oh, how she loved those rolls. Her mouth watered just thinking about the tender white rice, the not-too-crunchy shrimp tempura, the oh-so-succulent avocado, the spicy sauce, the fresh jalapeno, and the rich, smoky eel. Given the chance, she would’ve gladly traded her convertible for a couple of rolls. Or even just one roll. Or maybe even just a bite.
“I’m so hungry.” Elliott’s voice was whisper-like. “If we don’t find food soon, I’m going to eat worms.”
The word gross came to mind. But it died in Mills’ throat. Truth be told, she was of a similar opinion. Forget the Furious Dragon Rolls. She’d eat worms, bugs, mud, bark, whatever… anything to fill her belly. “I don’t suppose you know how to hunt,” she said.
Elliott shook her head.
“I do,” Brian Toland said. “I’ve hunted all over the world and I’ve got the trophies to prove it.”
Elliott’s face reflected disgust. “Hunting should be outlawed.”
“You eat meat?” he asked.
“As if. I’m a strict vegetarian.”
“So, you’re a plant killer.”
“If you think that’s the same thing as murdering an animal, then you’re dumber than I thought.”
“Plants might not have central nervous systems,” he retorted. “But they’re still living entities.”
Mills arched an eyebrow. “Are you really trying to tell us you care about the plight of plants?”
“Wow,” he said in a mocking tone. “I didn’t think your vocabulary was broad enough for a word like plight.”
Mills’ fingers curled into fists. Being stuck in this place, this time was hard enough. But being saddled with a self-important windbag to boot? That was sheer torture.
While Toland and Elliott continued to bicker over food ethics, Mills focused on walking. Soon, the pines and spruces began to thin. Then they gave way altogether.
The air smelled of fresh dew. The wind, a little stronger now, felt hot against her bare skin. Glancing up, Mills saw a thick array of dark clouds. A few raindrops fell here and there, hinting that the storm had another chapter left to write.
The hill steepened. Her leg muscles groaned as they adjusted to the new reality. She continued onward, barely keeping her footing in the wet grass.
Renjel offered her a half-hearted smile as she and the others joined him at the highest part of the hill. “Nice work.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Toland, breathing heavily, bent over at the waist. “So, how’s the view?”
Telling,” replied Renjel in a defeated tone.
Mills turned in a slow circle and saw what he meant. Close up, she noticed coniferous forests of pines, spruces and larches. Farther back, she observed a section of temperate broad-leaf woods full of beeches, elms, maples, and oaks. And she saw temperate grasslands as well as something that looked like tundra in the distance. But there was one thing she didn’t see.
Civilization.
Nature, as pure and pristine as she’d ever seen, surrounded her on all sides. It took her breath away.
But it took her last shred of hope, too.
“Damn,” Toland said, summing up their thoughts quite nicely. “I mean… well, damn.”
“No, no, no,” Elliott’s voice lifted to a scream. “No!”
“Keep it down,” Renjel cautioned. “We need to—”
“We need to what?” Her eyes flashed. “We’ve got no supplies, no food, no way out. Might as well bring on the animals. Let’s put an end to this once and for all.”
“If you want to kill yourself, go right ahead,” Toland said. “But do it somewhere else.”
She glared at him. “I hate you.”
“Oh, no.” His hands flew to his cheeks in mock horror. “Whatever will I do?”
“Listen,” Renjel said, desperation evident in his voice. “Does anyone have any experience in the outdoors? Hunting, fishing, camping? Anything like that?”
“He knows how to hunt,” Mills said with a nod at Toland.
Renjel gave him a hopeful look. “Is that right?”
“Yes,” Toland replied. “With a gun. But as you can see, I’m lacking in that department.”
“That’s not the only department you’re lacking in,” Elliott muttered under her breath.
“Stop it,” Renjel said. “Both of you. We need to work together if we’re going to make it through this.”
Toland crossed his arms and Elliott looked away. Meanwhile, Mills turned in another circle. She grieved for her former life. For the cocktails, the parties, the boys. And most of all, for the fame. Like all self-respecting celebrities, she claimed to hate fame. But if she was completely honest with herself, she secretly loved it. She loved it when people did a double take as they recognized her in passing. She loved the endless stream of smooth-tongued men who accosted her at every turn. And she loved teenage girls running up to her on the street, saying they adored her and oh, could she please pose for a selfie?
Her mind worked in overdrive as she processed her new reality. How was she going to live without fame? Without the lovers, the clothes, and the lavish getaways?
“What’s the point?” Elliott said. “Work together, don’t work together… either way, we die.”
“Not if I have anything to say about it.” Renjel’s visage twisted in thought. “We’ll use the cave as shelter. We can stack wood in front of it to keep out the animals. And we can make beds out of dirt and leaves.”
“That could work.” Toland nodded slowly. “And we’ve got the stream for water.”
“Exactly,” Renjel said. “For food, we'll eat berries and leaves. Animals too, if we can figure out how to catch them.”
Mills’ gaze focused in on Renjel. She studied his face, his five o’clock shadow. It was a handsome face, she realized, chock-full of self-assurance. Back home, she wouldn’t have given him the time of day. Not because he was ugly, but because he was beneath her station. And dating beneath one’s station was the kiss of death in her world. But out here, out in the middle of nowhere, things were different. Those old rules no longer applied. And even if they had, who cared?
A small part of her was starting to realize the emptiness inherent in her old life. For the first time, she found herself craving something else, something deeper and more meaningful. Christ, Bailey, she thought. Get your head out of the clouds.
“We still need fire,” Toland said.
“For what?” Elliott asked.
“To keep predators at bay, you dolt.”
“But he—” She nodded at Renjel. “—said we’d stack wood to keep them out of the cave.”
“You really think some measly tree branches are going to keep that saber from chowing down on us?” He gave her a scathing look. “Anyway how do you expect to keep warm without fire? Or cook a meal? Or disinfect water? Or—?”
“You made your point.” Renjel looked around. “Anyone have a lighter or matches?”