He rushed forward and slapped Mr. Whit on the back. “You’ll see your ship.”
“At last,” Mr. Whit replied, turning off the engine. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Sure is.” Gene dropped an anchor overboard. “Now, let’s go find my stone and your ship. The stone first, of course.”
“Of course.” Mr. Whit wiped his cheeks and shook off his backpack. He pulled out the leather journal, flipping through the pages. “I may need Chandler’s help finding the Chronis House.”
“Right.” Gene strode to me and leaned in close enough for me to smell the salt water and sweat on him. “You’ve thrown us quite the curveball, Chandler. If you say the vault keys are in the Chronis House, they better be there.” His eyes drifted ahead to Winnie. “Understand?”
I nodded. I understood that we’d only have one chance to escape.
“Good.” Gene ripped the tape from my mouth.
My skin stung, but I fought the urge to cry out. I didn’t want to give Gene the satisfaction.
“I’ll keep them at gunpoint,” Gene said to his brother. “You can untie them from the bench.”
“Fine,” Mr. Whit said, and he went to work untying me.
I shuddered at the touches of his fingers, so cold and fast. Like little fish bites. I wanted to shrink away, but there was no room. Thankfully, he cut through the tape binding my hands and re-bound them in front of me. My shoulders sighed at the release of tension.
“What was that for?” Gene asked.
“We’re hiking across an island, Gene,” Mr. Whit said. “But we’ll keep the rope around their necks, all right?”
“Fine. Just make it quick.”
Mr. Whit began to switch Jordan’s bindings, and Gene stepped even closer with his gun. He aimed it at Winnie.
Jordan didn’t cause the slightest fight, but he did rip the duct tape from his mouth.
“You’re insane,” Jordan said. “Totally insane.”
“Jordan, if you can’t talk in a reasonable tone, then the duct tape goes back on,” Mr. Whit said. “Understand?”
“No, I don’t understand,” Jordan said. “You killed Chandler’s parents? And then you kidnapped us? You are seriously—”
“Enough,” Mr. Whit said. He grabbed the duct tape and pressed it back onto Jordan’s mouth. “If you try to remove it, Chandler or Winifred will answer to my hermano. Do you understand?”
Jordan’s eyes flashed, but he nodded.
Mr. Whit went to work on Winnie next. “Winifred, I expect you to keep your mouth covered as well.”
Winnie made no argument, and once we were all freed from the bench, Gene took the free-end of the rope connecting us. Together, we climbed into the water and onto the sand.
“Which way?” Gene asked me.
“Straight ahead,” I said.
“I believe that’s correct,” Mr. Whit said, glancing at the journal’s pages.
“We’ll grab a key at this Chronis House and then head to the vault,” Gene said.
“Yes,” Mr. Whit said, still looking at the journal.
Gene eyed me. “And you’re sure the key is there?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Then let’s go.” Gene extended his hand for Winnie to take the lead. She flinched, but she obeyed, and Jordan and I followed her. The rope had a way of enforcing that.
I had to get Gene away from us. With him gone, we’d have a prayer of escaping. I didn’t believe that Mr. Whit would actually shoot us. I’d bet money that Gene had sat behind the wheel the night they killed my parents. But I couldn’t think about that night now. My mind was hazy enough.
Up ahead, our path split into three separate, identical trails: sandy soil for the ground, palm fronds for walls, and a dark sky for a ceiling. One led north, one south, and the one in the middle, west. At least, I was pretty sure it was west. I didn’t have my phone.
“Take the middle path, Winifred,” Mr. Whit said, walking up beside me. He looked even taller on Aletheia Island, more assured. “We need to keep heading west, correct?”
“Correct,” I said.
Winnie followed Mr. Whit’s orders, and so did Jordan and I. Naturally.
As we walked, my pulse pounded faster and faster. We were almost there, and we would find nothing but a deserted house. Why had I brought them here? It had seemed like a good idea, keeping the brothers away from the Aletheians, but at what cost? Gene would totally freak out.
We couldn’t be around when that happened.
I cleared my throat, trying to get Jordan’s attention, or Winnie’s. Our escape would be way easier if they actually knew about it. But neither of them looked back.
Before long, the path led us to the familiar limestone manor.
Winnie slowed the group to a halt.
“The Chronis House?” Mr. Whit whispered beside me.
“Yes,” I said. “They’ll ring the alarm at even the slightest threat of trouble. The entire house will wake up.”
“We’ll be quiet,” Gene said.
“We have to be silent, not quiet,” I said, letting my gaze drift to Jordan and Winnie.
Mr. Whit frowned. “We don’t all have to go in. Gene, you could stay here with the estudiantes, and I could—”
“I’m going in,” Gene said.
“It’s a suicide mission if we all go,” Mr. Whit said. “We’ll wake them.”
“Then stay behind with the kids. I’m going in.”
“But we could tie—”
“Let me do this, Alex,” Gene said. “I’ll sneak in and out before you even miss me.”
“But we promised not to separate. That was the plan.”
“Neither was landing on this side of the island. Plans change. Keep up, Alex.” Gene fixed his eyes on the limestone house. “I’ll circle around and see if there’s a back entrance.”
Mr. Whit sighed and took the rope from Gene. “Be careful.”
“I will.” He clapped his brother’s back and then hurried to the old house.
A tingling sensation spread up my back and down my arms. We had one chance.
Up ahead, Gene disappeared behind the manor.
I inched my hands up to the rope.
“Wipeout!” I called, diving to the ground.
Jordan dropped too, pulling Winnie down with him.
I yanked the rope forward, and Mr. Whit gasped. I kicked my feet back with all my might, colliding with his legs. He tumbled to the ground.
The rope went slack behind me, and I knew he’d dropped it.
“Run!” I hissed, pushing myself to my feet.
Jordan broke into a sprint. Winnie and I followed him straight into the jungle, each of us right on his shoulders.
Mr. Whit shouted after us.
My ears pounded. My legs strained beneath me.
Then I heard Gene’s shouts.
We ran harder, staying close, ducking under branches and charging through brush.
More shouts. They were getting closer.
And then Winnie fell, dragging Jordan and me down with her.
Had she been shot? No. That couldn’t have happened. That wasn’t allowed to happen.
With a quick turn, Jordan yanked the two of us toward a giant palmetto clump. Winnie and I followed him, crawling into the darkness under the palmettos.
She had crawled. That must have meant she was okay. I searched her chest, her arms, her legs. Her eyes were wild.
“Are you shot?” I asked.
She shook her head as Jordan reached for the rope around my neck. He worked quickly, even with his hands bound. His eyes flitted to mine, and I saw the depth of his worry.
“It’s going to be okay,” I whispered, glancing from him to Winnie. I tugged at the knot near her neck. My fingers trembled. We had to hurry.
The stomping grew louder. It sounded closer.
Jordan yanked the rope from around my neck and pushed me forward, away from him and Winnie.
He shooed me away with his hand.
�
��No way,” I said.
He ripped the tape from his mouth.
“Go get help,” Jordan said. He shoved me again.
I hesitated. Tears were streaming down Winnie’s cheeks.
“Chandler,” Jordan said. His voice was hushed, but clear and strong. “Go.”
I turned. He was right. I knew he was right.
I scurried forward, keeping to the ground, dodging brush and trees.
“Found them!” Mr. Whit yelled somewhere behind me.
“Where’s the little liar?” Gene asked.
Blood rushed to my cheeks.
“Speak,” Gene said. “Where’s the Bloom girl?”
“She’s gone, dude,” Jordan said. “We tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t listen. She just left us.”
I froze. Leaves and sticks pressed against my skin. Mud squished under my knees.
“She’ll pay,” Gene said.
“Which way did she go?” Mr. Whit asked.
“She took off that way,” Jordan said.
Gene cursed and muttered something to Mr. Whit.
“But what if she’s gone to alert the natives?” Mr. Whit said.
“Then we’d better move faster,” Gene hissed. “We’re wasting time. And even if she returns with help, we still have hostages. So which way to the real house?”
“I have to get out the notebook.”
I waited, my heart thudding, as there was unzipping and rustling sounds.
“This way, I think,” Mr. Whit said at last.
“You think?” Gene asked.
“We’re in the middle of a jungle, Gene. It’s a little hard to find my bearings.”
“We should have hired a professional translator. You’re hardly fluent—”
“I know enough.”
“We need that key.”
“I know that,” Mr. Whit snapped. “This way.”
Footsteps padded away from me, growing fainter by the second.
With a deep breath, I forced myself to crawl forward. And keep crawling.
Eventually my pulse began to slow, and I pulled myself to my feet. Everything in me wanted to follow after Winnie and Jordan, whichever way that was. Jordan had been right, though. I had to get help.
But I couldn’t ask Ari. No way could I face him after what I had said.
Delphina wasn’t my biggest fan, but Nikandros had seemed nice enough—maybe he would help me. Or maybe he’d be just as furious as his brother would be.
Well, I had to do something. And Nikandros was clearly the better option.
I guessed which way was west and broke into a sprint. I listened carefully for any hint of footsteps or conversation, but all I heard were crickets and the occasional owl’s hoot. In the quiet, my thoughts turned to Gran. It had to be close to ten or eleven o’clock. She probably wasn’t home from her gala yet, but she’d come home eventually. If she found me missing again…
I focused on running. My chest was heaving, and my legs were stinging. I felt like I’d been running forever, but I hadn’t passed the olive orchard or anything. Maybe I was going the wrong way. Or maybe I just wasn’t on the right path.
Finally, I spotted the Galanis House over a bunch of mangrove trees, a flash of white in all that moonlit green.
My body sagged with relief. I kept to the brush and found the lattice leading up to the room where I had been kept the night before. I assumed it was still unoccupied, which would make it the perfect entry point.
I mounted the lattice, fighting through tangled vines, and climbed to the sill. The windows were open, as usual. Did it ever rain here?
I raised my head to peek inside and found the room empty. With a strong heave, I pulled myself up and over the sill. My feet smacked the tile floor, breaking the silence. I winced.
Within seconds, the bedroom door flung open. A man with a spear rushed forward. His fierce gray eyes stole my breath.
Chapter 16
A
RI halted. His eyes widened, then flickered with fear. In a whirl, he shut the bedroom door and turned to me.
“What are you doing here?” he whispered.
His harsh tone rocked me backward, until I was pressed against the cool stucco wall. I couldn’t speak.
“Chandler,” Ari said, gentler. “Say something.”
“What are you doing here?” I whispered.
He stared at me without blinking. “You want to know what I am doing here? In my house?” He gave me a strained smile. “Nick and I were in Delphi’s suite.”
“Ah.” I sneaked a glance at the windows and wondered how fast I could climb back down the lattice.
“Chandler, why are you here?” Ari strode toward me. His clothes looked almost silver in the moonlight.
I took a deep breath. “I brought people here. The guys who killed my parents kidnapped me and my friends—Jordan and Winnie. My teacher is one of them.”
I wanted to stop talking, but I had to get it out. “They threatened my friends, and so I had to bring them here. I’m crazy sorry, Ari. I know you probably hate me, but I really want to make it right. That’s why I’m here. I escaped—”
“Where are they?” Ari’s voice was a low rumble. He sounded ready to kill. Me?
He stepped closer, his eyes softening. “I’ll take care of them, Chandler. Just tell me where to find them.”
I blinked. He was going to help me. Instantly, I thought of everything I had said to him. I’d even called him a murderer. But he wasn’t. I didn’t blame him for my parents’ deaths anymore. Not after looking Gene and Mr. Whit in the eyes.
“Did they hurt you?” Ari asked, assessing me.
“No,” I said. Other than killing my parents, they hadn’t.
“Do you know where they are?” he asked.
“I left them near the old Chronis House, but they’re headed this way to get one of the vault keys. They think they’re in your treasury because of Santiago’s journal.”
“They won’t find a key there,” he said.
“I know.” I paused. “Um, so, also… my teacher and his brother have guns.”
“Chandler?” Nikandros stood in the doorway with his spear.
Ari stepped in front of me.
“There are four other foreigners on the island, Nick,” Ari said. “They’re after our stone.”
Nikandros’ eyes went to mine, widening.
“She was brought to our island against her will, Nick,” Ari added.
“But how did any of them come here?” he asked.
“I gave Chandler xaris when I helped her escape.” Ari’s voice was calm, but I could see the tension coiling in his shoulders.
“Have you lost your mind?” Nikandros demanded. “You’ll be killed if the people discover that.”
“That’s why we must find the foreigners immediately. There are only four, five if you include Chandler. Only two have guns—the other two are captives.”
“And what if we fail? What if the people discover this? They will assume we still consider ourselves above the law. We could trigger another war.” His eyes filled something deeper than anger. “Our mother would have died for nothing, Ari.”
Ari’s back stiffened. “We’ll find the men tonight, Nick. No one will know.”
“I hope you’re right.” Nikandros peered over his shoulder into the suite’s main room. “I’ll bid Delphina goodnight for us, and then we can go.”
Ari squeezed his brother’s shoulder. “Thank you, my brother.”
Nikandros gave him a grim nod, then disappeared through the door.
Ari exhaled slowly.
“I’m really sorry, Ari,” I said, but the words sounded so small.
Ari faced me, his shoulders sagging. He looked weary and I knew it was my fault. I had put him in an impossible situation. Again. Worse, I had betrayed his trust.
“And I’m so sorry for what I said before—” I began.
“It will be all right,” Ari said. “We’ll find your friends.”
I nodded, thinking of
Jordan and Winnie. I had no idea if they were all right. If they were hurt. If Gene had snapped… They had to be terrified. But I was doing everything I could. I’d found help.
Quick footsteps approached.
I turned in time to see Delphina striding straight toward me with her spear. Her sandals slapped against the tile. Her dark hair swung wildly.
“Chandler,” she said. Her eyes narrowed, like she was mentally jabbing her spear into my body.
Nikandros stood in the doorway. “I had to tell her,” he said.
“Delphi, this is not your concern,” Ari said, eying her spear.
“Of course it is.” Delphina moved toward me, but Ari stopped her with his hand.
“Do not bar my way, Ari,” she said, smacking the staff of her spear against Ari’s forearm. He grunted but didn’t let go.
“Nick, why did you tell her?” Ari asked.
“She has every right to know,” he replied.
“You should have been the one to tell me,” Delphina said. Her cheeks were flushed. Her dark eyes glittered. “Not that you remembered me when you helped this filthy foreigner escape, only for her to bring back others.”
Ari was silent.
“Do you think I am blind to your feelings?” Delphina asked. “Why else would you risk everything to help her?”
My cheeks burned at her words, at what they meant. Was she serious?
“Delphi,” Ari said softly.
“Is she the reason you wish to leave our island?” Delphina asked.
“No. I’ve wanted that for years. Delphi, you know how long I’ve felt like a prisoner.”
“Prisoner,” Delphina murmured. She sighed and dropped her spear to her side. “We are betrothed, and you call yourself a prisoner. Does that make me your warden?”
“Betrothed?” I asked. “You guys are engaged?”
“I assumed you told her,” Delphina said to Ari.
“And I thought you had,” Ari replied. He rubbed his forehead and sighed. “We’ve been betrothed since childhood, Chandler. The union of our families will end the threat of war.”
“It’s our duty.” Delphina searched Ari’s face. “Isn’t it, Ari?”
“It’s more than that,” Ari said.
Delphina shook her head slowly. “No. I don’t think it is.” She narrowed her eyes. “Did you plan this, Ari? Do you want foreigners to take away our xaris?”
Chasing Xaris Page 13