He moved to the nearest tree house and climbed the ladder. There was no lock on the door, so he looked inside, the place empty apart from several tarantulas. There was a mattress in the middle of the bamboo floor, mosquito netting around it.
Hell, yeah.
He climbed down again, cleared the next one and the next. The place was deserted, probably because it was monsoon season.
Who wanted to hike through Myanmar in mud and pouring rain?
Feeling like he had stumbled on a Hilton Hotel, he made his way back to Shanti, who sat huddled in the shelter of a large tree looking entirely out of place, exhausted and miserable. “What if I told you that you could sleep in a bed tonight and give yourself a sponge bath?”
“Really?”
“There’s a deserted camp ahead. What I thought was some kind of lookout tower is a tree house used by hikers. No one’s there now, probably because it’s the off-season. There’s shelter, and there’s a well. We’ll have to treat the water to be safe, but we can refill our empty bottles.”
Shanti’s face lit up like it was Christmas.
Shanti followedConnor into a little village of empty tree houses, found herself smiling. “I would have loved one of these as a kid.”
“I’ve been in all of them. This one is in the best shape with no leaks in the roof.” He turned back to her. “You stay down here while I clear it out.”
“Clear it out?”
“Some … wildlife has moved in.”
“I don’t think I want to know what you mean by that.”
He grinned. “You don’t.”
He climbed the ladder, pack on his back, opened the door, and disappeared inside. One of the windows opened, and something fell to the ground with aplop.
She didn’t look to see what it was.
Anotherplopand another and another.
A few minutes went by, followed by yet anotherplop.
He opened the door. “Come on up.”
She climbed the bamboo ladder, feeling creeped out but also desperate for rest. It was a tall ladder but very sturdy, rising maybe forty feet above the forest floor, taking her to a landing or balcony of sorts.
She walked through the door—and almost sighed. The room was dark, but dry and clean, four shuttered openings in the walls letting in what was left of the daylight. A low, wooden table sat along one wall, a kerosene lamp at its center, while a full-sized mattress sat on a low platform against the other wall, surrounded by a canopy of mosquito netting. Compared to sleeping on the forest floor…
Well, there was no comparison.
Connor was busy cutting a space blanket with a knife. “I’m going to cover the windows to block light and keep out mosquitoes. We’ll be able to use my flashlight and that lantern. There’s a little kerosene left.”
He pulled a roll of duct tape out of his pack and taped a generous square of silver fabric, the dark side facing outward, to each window. Then he took some matches and lighted the lamp.
A warm glow filled the space.
Shanti’s stomach growled.
Connor turned to face her. “Our priorities are water, treating any injuries or blisters, food, and sleep. We need to be out of here by daybreak. I’m going to draw water from the well and filter it so we can refill our bottles and wash up.”
“What should I do?”
“Check yourself for blisters, cuts, and scrapes. Try to get your feet dry. You don’t want an infection.”
Shanti took off her shoes and checked her feet. They were sore, but there were no blisters. She had a scratch on her right shin. Her handbag had rubbed a spot raw on her right shoulder, but the skin wasn’t broken or blistered.