Page 36 of Keeping Amanda
“Hitchhike. How else?” Nash answered with a smile.
But that didn’t assuage Amanda’s worries. “Is that safe?”
“In normal circumstances, no. But we’re in Guyana, and I’m armed, and we have Rain…I think we’ll be okay.”
“Will someone pick us up if we have Rain? And we aren’t looking very…trustworthy.”
Nash chuckled. “You mean since we’ve just spent two weeks trekking through the jungle and look like escaped convicts?”
“Yeah, that.”
“Have faith, Mandy.”
That was the problem. She wasn’t the same naïve woman she’d been when she’d arrived here in South America. She’d come to teach children and found herself in a life-or-death situation. It had been, what…a month since she’d been kidnapped? She felt as if she were a completely different person now. Amanda wasn’t sure she could look at anyone without suspicion ever again.
They walked along the dirt road, and it was amazing how good it felt to not be in the jungle. Oh, there were still plenty of trees on either side, but walking on an actual road felt liberating.But…also a little strange. Like they were too exposed. Rain seemed to think so too, as he kept to the side of the road, walking amongst the trees instead of out in the open.
It occurred to Amanda then that the little dog might not even want to come with them back to the school. That thought made her extraordinarily sad. She didn’t want to leave him. Didn’t want to have to worry about him every day and wonder if he was all right.
He’d stuck by their sides like glue ever since they’d heard the men patrolling the border. But the truth was, she had no idea if the dog would want to leave the only home he’d probably ever known.
The rumble of an engine sounded so out of place, it was hard for Amanda to identify at first. She’d spent weeks getting to know the sounds of the jungle—rain, birds, random animals—that an engine seemed almost foreign now.
But Nash didn’t hesitate. He stuck his thumb out in the universal hitchhiking sign and, to her amazement, a battered gray pickup stopped. The man behind the wheel gaped at them.
“Thanks for stopping. We could use a ride,” Nash said.
“Are you Amanda Rush?” the man asked in accented English, staring at her with such surprise, it made her uncomfortable.
“Why are you asking?” Nash asked, tone much harder than it was a moment earlier, as he stepped in front of her to block the man’s view.
Amanda felt Rain lean against her side at the same time, as if he was prepared to protect her from anyone who dared lay a hand on her. It was comforting to be in an overprotective male sandwich between Nash and the dog, but she was also extremely curious as to how this man knew her name.
“I’ve been driving up and down this road every day, hoping to run into you!” the man exclaimed. “We got word from Desmond Williams over at the orphanage that you and an American pilotwere missing, and to keep an eye out for you. And here you are! YouareAmanda, right?”
“I am,” she said, before Nash could reply. “Thank you so much for looking for us.”
“Well, I’ll be damned,” the man said. “Never really expected to find you. The jungle usually chews people up and refuses to spit them out. Come, hop in the back of the truck, and I’ll have you back to the school before you can blink.”
“My dog can come too, right?” Amanda blurted.
The man’s gaze dropped to the dog at her side. He looked surprised again, but shrugged. “Makes no difference to me.”
This was the moment of truth. Did they get in or did they not? But this man wouldn’t know her name if he was one of the rebels. She didn’t remember anyone back at the camp asking her name. They might’ve heard the kids mention it, but they all called her Mandy. And there was nowaythey’d know her last name. This man had to be on the up and up.
She looked at Nash to see what he thought.
He looked wary but not overly suspicious, which was a huge relief.
Keeping himself between her and the driver, Nash urged her toward the back of the truck. He helped her climb inside, then hopped up himself.
Rain stood in the road looking confused…and worried. His brown eyes were glued to the both of them, and for a moment, she wasn’t sure they’d be able to get him to come after all.
“Come on, Rain,” Amanda coaxed, slapping her thigh. “It’s okay. You’re coming with us. Jump up. You can do it!”
With one last look around, Rain crouched, then leaped.
Amanda couldn’t help but laugh as she held out her arms to catch the dog literally throwing himself at her. She fell backward into the bed of the truck with an armful of smelly, dirty dog. Nash was there to make sure neither of them fell right back out of the truck.
