Free Deadly Passion, an Epiphany by Gabriella Bradley Page A

agony, Mark on fire, people screaming, trampling others in their quest to get away from the flames, not seeing Georgia anywhere…
     
    Making plans …
     
    Georgia sat with Jonas and Cassie on the riverbank. “What are we going to do? Do you have any idea where we are, Jonas?” she asked.
    “No. After we’ve cooked the fish we’ve caught and everyone is fed, I’m going to gather some men and we’ll scout the area. It’s the tropics. It was warm and humid last night and if I look at the jungle and its foreign flora, I’d almost suggest we’re somewhere in the Amazon.”
    Cassie laughed. “Jonas, how is that even remotely possible? It’s not like New York and the Amazon are neighbors.”
    “I don’t know how, but it’s the only solution I can come up with. Have you ever seen flowers like the ones near those rocks on the other side of the river? Look at the foliage, the ferns, the trees, none of them are anything I’ve ever seen, not even on pictures of the Amazon.”
    “Maybe people from the future rescued us just in time,” Georgia suggested.
    “Time travel? I don’t believe that’s possible either,” Jonas said.
    “Son, who knows. At the rate technology is evolving, they could have been working on a time travel machine without any of us knowing. How do we know what’s possible in the future?” Georgia said.
    “I supposed you’re right. But if that’s so, why put us in such a godforsaken place?”
    “When you go to explore, maybe you’ll find civilization,” Cassie said.
    “Yes. Maybe they miscalculated our coordinates,” Georgia mused.
    “Stop it already with the time travel theory. I think our fish is done. That Mik is a lifesaver. Catching all those fish with sticks is no mean trick.”
    “Yes, and enough to feed everyone. Except of course the few complainers claiming they don’t like fish,” Cassie said.
    “Oh, and don’t forget the two women who said they were allergic to fish. They’ll have nothing but the fruit to eat,” Georgia added.
    “There’s not much of that left,” Jonas told them while pushing the fish onto a leaf using a stick. A flat rock had served as a frying pan.
    “Tastes pretty good,” Cassie said. “Similar to halibut.”
    “Fills up the holes, I guess,” Jonas said. He’d finished his portion already.
    Georgia handed him what was left of hers. “Have the rest of mine, son. I’m not a big eater and you’ll need it for when you go trekking through that jungle.”
    “Thanks, Georgia. Are you sure?” When she nodded, he quickly devoured the fish. “I’d give anything for a machete. It would make it much easier.”
    “Didn’t bring mine to the club. It didn’t fit in my purse,” Cassie joked.
    Jonas and Georgia laughed. “At least we can still find humor and laugh even though we’re in a horrible situation,” Georgia said.
    “Okay, I’m going to call out for volunteers.” Jonas stood and walked to stand in the center of the groups. “Everyone! Listen! I’m looking for volunteers for a scouting party. I need young, able, fit men.”
    Too many responded so Jonas had to pick. “A party of six is enough, I think.”
    “We could do two groups,” one man suggested. “If we take different directions, maybe one of us will luck out.”
    “Good plan.” Jonas picked six more men and asked a man who looked to be in his early forties to be in charge of the second group. He introduced himself as Russell.
    The ones that were left reluctantly went back to their spot on the beach.
    “If any of you have pocketknives, anything you can use to make marks on the tree trunks to find our way back, or to cut stubborn foliage, it would help.” Several of the men already sitting on the beach hurried back with pocketknives. One even had a dagger and another had a jackknife. Jonas grinned and eyed the young man. Caramel skin, dreadlocks, though from what was left of his clothing, looked like he’d been well dressed. “What’s your name?”
    “Tom