Dink raises his arm and points. We all look up and see RX-13 flying overhead.
Harper — who is standing next to me — grins.
I look toward the bank. I pray Madox is keeping up with us and that the other Pandoras are, too. Though I remember these people are my competition, I don’t want them to lose their companions.
When I don’t see any sign of Madox, I stare down into the river. It’s dark, too dark to see much of anything beneath the surface. Gazing into it, I can’t help wondering what animals live in the current. Piranhas? Do they live in jungle rivers? What about crocodiles?
“Titus, I need you to steer me in the right direction.” Guy uses the bamboo paddle to keep us floating in the center of the river. I wonder why he chose Titus to take the lead. Maybe to keep an eye on him, I think.
Though we are all behind Titus and Guy, I can see the way Titus pulls himself up taller. “So far, so good, General.”
We float for about fifteen minutes before the sun begins to set, and it starts to rain.
“Rain. How original,” Levi mutters.
Harper presses in close to me. I look at her in surprise, but she won’t meet my eyes. I press back against her and try to hide my smile.
The rain isn’t anything new, but the fact that we’re on the river while it pours down is. I watch as the river slides farther up the banks and notice that the water under the raft is rushing much faster than before.
“Guy,” Caroline says from behind me. There’s a question in the way she says his name, and I realize I’m not the only one who’s growing more afraid of the rising river.
“Titus, guide me toward the bank.” The muscles in Guy’s back tighten as he works to get our raft stable. “We’ll continue after the rain stops.”
Titus yells over his shoulder, but because the rain is coming down harder, I can’t make out what he’s saying. Guy switches the bamboo paddle from his right side to his left, and back again. Then he looks back and motions for us to crouch down.
We don’t wait to be told again. Soon, everyone besides Guy and Titus are on their knees, holding on to the bamboo as best they can. The river rages beneath us, and I can’t fathom how this happened — how the river changed from frightening to lethal.
The sound is almost deafening. It’s like a white noise, and it is everywhere. The rain pours over our scalps and shoulders, and the river sprays across our bodies. I see white tips form along the river surface and though I’ve never floated on a river — not once — I remember they’re called rapids. It’s a strange word, I think. Rapids. Rapids.
My thoughts are shattered when I hear a high-pitched scream. I spin around and my stomach plummets.
Caroline is gone.
I stand on unsteady feet and search the river. The scream grows louder and I realize it’s coming from Dink. Next to me, I see Harper get to her feet and rock unsteadily. She moves to the side of the raft and I realize suddenly what she’s going to do.
“Harper, don’t,” I yell.
Above us, RX-13 screeches. Harper’s concentration breaks and she glances up. I do, too.
The eagle glides through the sky, beats her wings once, then folds them against her body and dives down. The Pandora crashes into the river, vanishing beneath the surface.
“No,” Harper screams.
Though the water is murky and the sky is growing dark, I spot the eagle just beneath the surface. She’s flapping her wings as though it’s the most normal thing in the world — an eagle swimming. Seeing this, Harper pauses. But only for a moment. Then she readies herself to dive in.
The eagle breaks through the river and opens her great wings in front of Harper like a shield. Every time Harper tries to dive in, the eagle blocks her advance.
“Stand down, RX-13,” Harper cries.
But I know if the Pandora can help it, she won’t let that happen. Because her job is to protect Harper, and no one else.
I know what I have to do.
I close my eyes, pull in a breath — and jump.
The last thing I hear is Guy calling my name. Then there’s nothing but the river.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
My body is pushed forward so quickly, it’s like I threw myself in front of a moving car. My legs and arms splay out in a panic and I wonder if maybe this wasn’t the best idea I’ve ever had. But then I remember why I jumped. That Caroline is in the river, and that I have to help her.
I somehow gain control of my body and break the surface. Guy peers over the edge of the raft, a hand raised to his eyes. From the angle of his body, I can tell he wants to jump in, but he’s trying to determine where I am before he leaps. Maybe I should have done the same. Now I’m being dragged downstream, with no idea of where Caroline is.
Diving under the water, I search for her. My eyes fill with the murkiness, and I don’t see her anywhere. I come up for air and then dive back down. Underwater, I hear a sort of ringing in my ears and the dull thump-thump-thump of my heart. Though it’s chaotic above the surface, it’s strangely peaceful below it.
I swim in a circle — and see Caroline. She floats like a broken angel — long, dark hair forming a halo around her face. I yelp with surprise and bubbles burst from my mouth. Taking another breath from above the river, I dive down and swim toward her. How long has she been underwater? A minute? Two?
My fingers brush her skin. I’ve almost got a good hold on her when something large appears in the corner of my vision. My heart flies into my throat and I imagine this is it, that I’m going to spend the rest of my days in a crocodile’s gut. But when I look closer, I realize it’s Dink, swimming toward Caroline like he was born with fins. He wraps his arm across her chest and pulls her toward the surface with ease. I follow him, gasping for air. When his eyes find mine, I point toward the shore and he nods.
We swim hard toward the bank, Dink doing a far better job than me. The closer I get, the faster the river seems to go. I watch as Dink gets on dry land and drags Caroline behind him. My arms and legs grow heavy, and that’s when a new fear washes over me — one that says I’ll drown in this river. Behind me, I see the raft pulled up onto the bank. The other Contenders look like blurry dots in the rain. Closer to me, Dink is bending down over Caroline, breathing into her mouth. But even he is moving away much too quickly.
My head bobs above and below the surface, and each time I draw in a breath, I wonder if it’ll be my last. Everything is happening so fast. I have no idea how I went from hero to victim, and I’m not sure how I’ll ever get to shore when I can hardly use my legs.
I feel something break through the water behind me and then brush the top of my head. I glance up and almost cry with relief. RX-13! The bird latches her talons on to my shoulders. I bite down against the pain as her nails dig into my skin. The bird flaps her wings hard in the rain and moves toward shore. I do what I can to help the momentum, but I’m running out of energy.
Little by little, the eagle gets me closer to land until finally I feel the earth beneath me and am able to walk up the bank. I collapse onto the ground and breathe hard. When I turn to see the eagle drying her wings, I realize her eyes are bright green.
“Madox,” I croak, spitting up water.
Pain shoots through my ankle and I realize my foot must have caught on something in the river. I reach down and grasp it. The pain worsens beneath my touch. I have no idea how I’ll keep moving on a bad ankle, but there isn’t time to feel sorry for myself —