14
Shanti watched as Connor walked up the stairs with rifle raised, moving with a predator’s grace and confidence.
“Clear.” He walked back down. “It’s definitely a porch, part of what was an entrance. It’s not as nice as the tree house, but we’re not going to find anyplace better tonight. At least it’s dry and off the ground.”
She followed Connor up the crumbling stairs. There were stone carvings on the three columns and the wall, but in the dark, they were hard to see.
“Same routine as last night, but we can’t spare water for a bath.” Connor propped his rifle against one of the surviving columns, the stone pockmarked and weathered. “Check your feet. We’re going to have to sleep with our boots on, but try to get your feet dry first. Then we eat.”
Shanti sat with her back against what would have been the temple wall, took off her soaking socks and boots, and wiggled her toes. “No blisters—not on my feet anyway. I think the strap from my handbag has rubbed my shoulders raw.”
She had switched sides when her right shoulder had become too painful, so now both sides hurt.
Connor took off his boots and socks. “Let me see.”
He pulled her shirt aside. “No blisters yet. Let’s get something on those.”
He pulled out the first aid kit, took squares of moleskin, and fixed them over the raw spots. “I’ve got room for some of the stuff you’re carrying in my backpack. You can use the handbag for water and personal stuff.”
“Won’t your pack be heavier?”
“It won’t be the heaviest pack I’ve carried—that’s for damned sure.”
While the first aid kit was out, she checked the wound on his head and replaced the bandage. “It doesn’t look infected, but what do I know?”
“Thanks.” Connor put the first aid kit away and took out another MRE. “Let’s see what’s for dinner. Chili with beans and cornbread.”
He tore open one of the bags, poured in a little water, and propped it up against his rifle. Then he opened the outer packaging for the chili and stuck the inner packet into the bag with the water. He saw her watching. “It’s a chemical reaction. It enables us to cook without fire.”
Almost immediately, the spicy scent of chili filled the air, making Shanti’s stomach growl and her mouth water. A few minutes later, their dinner was done.
He took out the square of cornbread and handed half of the bread and chili to Shanti, along with another plastic spork. “Try to eat slowly.”
Shanti did her best, but she was so hungry. The cornbread was dry, but she didn’t care, the small meal taking the edge off her hunger, leaving her so tired she thought she might be able to sleep sitting right where she was.
While she finished, Connor took something out of his pack. It had a green camo pattern like everything else. He shook it out, revealing it to be a … weird sleeping bag?
“It’s a bivy sack. You unzip the top, which has a tight fabric mesh, and you sleep inside away from rain and insects. Do whatever you need to do, and then it’s bedtime.”
Reluctantly, she put on her wet socks and boots again. “If we get through this, I’m going to take the longest bubble bath in the history of the world.”
He grinned. “Can I watch?”
“You can get in the tub with me.” She walked down the stairs, looking for a little privacy, but the night was dark and full of strange noises.
Connor must have seen her hesitate. “You’re fine where you are. I’ll take a leak off the edge over here. I promise I won’t watch. Tell me when you’re done.”
“I trust you.” When she was finished, she was all but stumbling from exhaustion. She washed her hands with a towelette then scooted, wet boots first, into the bivy sack. “There’s room enough for two in here.”
She hated the thought of him sleeping exposed.
“We’re outside tonight, so I need to be free to move. I’ll wake you if I hear anything. Don’t worry. I’ve got a space blanket. This isn’t the first time I’ve spent a night out in the jungle. Bugs don’t like the way I taste anyway.”
She heard herself say something, the words barely registering with her mind. “Then bugs are stupid.”
Connor chuckled, zipped the bag around her head. “Sweet dreams, princess.”
Before she could respond, she was sound asleep.