Too Young (The Jewel Project #1)

Chapter 14.1 - Survival of the fittest

Chapter Fourteen

Survival of the fittest

Sam tossed and turned, but there was no way he was going back to sleep. He was fed up with it, with the blood, the gunshot, Carlos's body on the reddish rock. If he never slept again, it would be too soon. Why couldn't he stop dreaming about it?

He groaned and sunk his face into the sleeping bag. He hated waiting for Snitch Gravel, laying low until something happened. It felt wrong. Enough had happened. Tom and Jimmy being his brothers – they still hadn't discussed their parents' fault in all of this and he wasn't sure he wanted to get into that conversation – Carlos's death, Clive and the possible traitor. He'd made the wrong call.

They weren't lost anymore. The river helped Sam pinpoint their position. They'd been moving east from the Temple the whole time. They shouldn't have lingered, waiting for Snitch Gravel to attack. He should've drawn him there much faster and take the ruby back.

The more he thought about it, the more Sam was convinced failing was not an option. The ruby was important. It could help make the world a better place. Who knew what Snitch Gravel might do with it? He could turn it into a weapon for all Sam knew.

They were out of options. He was out of options. Snitch Gravel was in his life and there was no use pretending things could ever be back to normal. He couldn't, wouldn't run. He'd stand tall and stare evil in the face, defeat it. No turning back.

The unease inside him dimmed and Sam lifted his head. He'd stand his ground. The rest of the group was free to choose their own path, but his was set in stone. He looked to Tom, but his twin wasn't there. Sam frowned. Had he slept after all?

It didn't matter. He had work to do. Sam scrambled to his feet quietly, making sure not to wake Billy and strode toward the western side of camp, hoping the wait was over, that his plan had worked.

He wasn't disappointed. A hoisted up net full of men came into view. They were pressed close together in a tangled mess of limbs. He could immediately tell that Snitch Gravel himself wasn't with them. Von Crooken led the party. His black suit was visible through the mess.

Jimmy and Kyle stood under the net, talking amongst themselves in low voices. Jerry bent double under the net, picking up the weapons the men had dropped when being hoisted up. JT and Steve were trying to pull more weapons out of the net. Tom and Kay were talking too, a little way behind Kyle and Jimmy.

Clive trembled behind Jimmy, his eyes fixed on the net, on the men who were jeering and cursing at him for being a traitor.

"This complicates things. If Snitch Gravel isn't here, I don't know how useful these things are," Jimmy said, throwing a fleeting glance towards the net.

"Yeah, no kidding," Sam mumbled, stopping next to them.

"Perfect timing, Sam." Kyle passed Sam a rifle and Sam was grateful Kyle never called him kid when he was supposed to be the leader. "Our plan pretty much worked."

"It just has one major flaw." Sam sighed.

"There he is!" Von Crooken said pointing at him and tugging at someone inside the net.

Sam watched him, a bit uneasy. "Is there any chance that they might still have weapons in there?"

"Of course." Jerry came over and unloaded the weapons in Jimmy's arms even if Kyle had made a move to take them. "But they're in no position to shoot. They can't aim."

"This is getting annoying," Jimmy mumbled, passing the weapons to Kyle.

Sam felt a savage need to hit Jerry, but contained himself and returned to watching the hectic movement inside the net. Von Crooken was still tugging at someone and finally managed to pull a man above the pile. Sam's eyes widened. He was s savage looking man, with deep gashes on his painted face. His chest was bare, and dangling from his neck seemed to be a necklace of animal skulls...only that they weren't really skulls. There seemed to be something left on them. Sam looked away from him, feeling a bit nauseous. Where had Snitch Gravel found that guy?