Lost World Read Online Free PDF Page A

being too loud. I’m not used to so much noise anymore.
    “They should be quieter,” I say.
    Hadley nods, and we jog down the steps. Anne and Sophia stand knee-deep in the water. Shirts still on, but their jackets and pants are gone. The women are doing their best to keep the kids quiet, but it doesn’t seem to be working. Jessica stands on dry land with a panicked expression on her face while Parvarti calmly surveys the area. But I don’t see Moira anywhere.
    I look around as I follow Hadley to where Winston is setting up camp. Liz is with the other kids, but I don’t see her mom at first. Then I spot Moira in the hot spring. Naked. The water only goes halfway up her chest, and her breasts are mostly exposed, but she doesn’t seem to care. She sits there like she’s in some kind of trance.
    She’s going to end up getting herself killed.
     

     
    The sun is so low it’s disappeared behind the surrounding trees. From our vantage point we can only see a sliver of orange on the horizon. The sky is dark blue, almost black, and already the stars are out. Twinkling in the sky above us. It’s nice and quiet, and the group is relaxed, but I can’t sit still. My stomach feels like it’s full of rocks. Axl and Angus haven’t come back yet, and it’s freaking me out.
    The kids are dry and dressed in clean clothes, and they’re sitting around the fire looking sleepy. Moira is dressed—thanks to Jessica’s prompting—and the adults have all taken their turn in the private hot spring. A quiet contentment has fallen over the camp that’s nice but feels shaky. Like we’re teetering on the edge of a cliff and if we’re not careful, we’ll fall over.
    “Maybe someone should go out to look for them,” I say, tapping my toe against the stone floor so hard it makes a slapping sound that echoes through the night.
    “They’ll be back.” Winston doesn’t even look my way as he throws another log on the fire. Sparks fly into the air, dancing above the flames before disappearing. He’s been saying the same thing for almost an hour.
    Hadley pats the seat next to her on the stone bench, and I reluctantly sit. Drops of water fall from her wet hair and land on her legs, but she doesn’t seem to notice. “You should get clean. I think everyone has except you.”
    “And Axl,” I say, the words coming out sharper than I intended them to. Hadley doesn’t even bat an eye.
    Angus hasn’t taken a bath either, but I don’t care. Hell, he probably doesn’t either.
    Hadley nods slowly as she stares at the flames. “Maybe we should go out and look for them.”
    Winston shakes his head, and I have the urge to smack him.
    “Why not?” I snap.
    “Because we can’t risk it. We could go out there looking for them and get lost or hurt or killed, and that would leave the group vulnerable.”
    I inhale slowly and clench my hands into fists. He’s right. Of course he is. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.
    Jake coughs, and Anne pulls him closer. She grabs another blanket and wraps it around them both. Joshua sits on the other side of the sick boy, staring at the map. He scoots closer to Jake like he’s trying to keep the kid warm.
    “We can’t wait much longer,” he says. “I need to head to that town.”
    There’s a small town not too far from here, and he’s anxious to head out so he can see if they have antibiotics. I know we need them, but there’s no way in hell Joshua is heading out into the unknown. As the only doctor, he’s way too important to the group.
    “You know you can’t go,” I say.
    He takes a deep breath and shakes his head. “Someone has to.”
    “I’ll go. We can take the Nissan.” Parvarti stands, grabbing her bow off the ground. She looks around, and her eyes stop on Jon and Hadley. “You two want to come? I need the backup.”
    “Yeah.” Jon stretches when he stands, and his back pops. “Save me some meat.”
    “What are we looking for?” Hadley asks Joshua.
    The doctor pats Jake on the