Free Anonymity by Amber Lea Easton Page B

access her backpack beneath the poncho and took a moment to scan the rest of the guests on the boat. Huddled in yellow ponchos and hunched against the driving rain, they weren't exactly a merry bunch of travelers anymore. Reggie and Bobby maneuvered the boat over water that had become angry in a very short period of time.
    Luke patted her shoulder. "Don't worry. It's all going to be fine."
    "I'm not worried," she lied and squeezed his hand as she rearranged herself on the bench.
    When the boat pitched precariously to the side, everyone made a "whoa" sound before it righted itself. Nervous laughter followed.
    She gulped back fear even as the boat swung back onto its side, this time capsizing.
    Snakes. Crocodiles. Those were the first words in her brain as she fought against the water sucking at her legs. Someone kicked her in the back during the chaos. Opening her eyes beneath the water, she could only see a murky darkness.
    Luke pulled her out from beneath the boat. She spit water and blinked against the rain. The cooler floated by along with the boat back toward Lamanai. A few of the group clung to the top of the boat, their hands reaching in the water for others still in the water.
    "I've got you, hold on." Luke wrapped his arm around her shoulders from behind and pulled them toward the shore.
    She kicked, wanting to touch bottom but terrified of what might lurk there. The rain poncho ballooned around her and felt more like a hindrance than a help.
    The force of the water pushed them downriver, wind and rain slapped them hard.
    " Grab the branch!" He yelled against her ear.
    She nodded, unable to speak, her gaze focused on the low branch over the water. In sync, they reached for it. He released her and struggled to get a grip on the tree. She used all of her strength to hold on and pull herself up, her fear of drowning only a little more severe than her fear of snakes or whatever else waited on shore.
    Luke fell to his knees next to her once they were on land and gasped for air. "Do you see anyone else?"
    Spitting water, she pulled long green slimy pieces of muck from her face and hair. Feeling like insects were crawling on her skin, she shook out the poncho and patted her shirt and pants. The ground itself squished when she struggled to stand and gain balance. She looked back toward the river, still pulling stringy green things from her hair.
    Reggie stood on the oppo site side, giving them a thumbs-up sign.
    Really? A thumbs- up? She lifted her arms to the side and shrugged.
    "Walk that way." He yelled and motioned upriver. "Follow the river to where we parked the bus and you'll be fine. I need to find the others. If you see anyone else, tell them to keep walking up river. It's all fine."
    "He has a different definition of the word fine than we do," Luke muttered from behind her.
    Several feet ahead of them, Bill balanced precariously on a boulder and held Savannah with both of his hands. Her backpack and poncho had wrapped around debris in the water. She had one leg up on the shore, both hands in Bill's, but the other leg was submerged.
    "I'm stuck!" Rushing water whooshed against Savannah's face.
    Luke ran to help, leaning into the river to untangle her from where she'd gotten snagged by underwater tree roots.
    Rain drops felt like bullets pelting their faces. With each step toward the trio, Alyssa's shoes made a sucking sound when they pulled free of the grasping mud.
    Savannah lay on the ground for a minute, eyes closed and face muddy. "Spa day. Next time I choose the one activity outside of diving we do."
    Alyssa pushed her hands over her eyes and struggled to catch her breath. None of this seemed real. Maybe she should be grateful that they hadn't capsized at sea, but right now all she could think of was how long it had taken them to arrive here by boat. At least an hour, she thought. How many miles did that equal?
    Luke sat on a boulder next to Bill, both men staring at the river with shock on their faces.
    Hand