She tried to remember what Mr. Hatler had said about finding your way back to camp and foraging for food. The information was in her brain somewhere, if only she could access it. In the meantime, she kept walking and walking and walking. Her tired legs and sore body begged for rest, but she couldn't stop without finding water. She'd saved a drop of water in her bottle, but it would do little good. It served merely as a psychological tool to make her feel like she still had some left.
Just as hopelessness started to win over perseverance, Lucy pushed through another set of trees and into a clearing. Energy surged through her at the sight of a river, and she ran to the water, praying it was fresh.
At the first sip, she smiled and sank her hot, sweaty face into the welcome cold. She drank her fill and refilled her water bottle, hoping that she could find her way back here from her rendezvous point with Luke. Given the greenery around the river, maybe she could also score some food. Once food, water and shelter had been taken care of, they could focus on getting off this island and back to their assignment.
She closed her eyes and rested against a rock, her hand dipping into the water as she daydreamed about food. It took all her strength not to eat her brother's stew, but after drinking himself into a stupor, he was going to need food and water more than she.
Stupid idiot. You don't get drunk and dehydrate yourself while stranded with no food and water. I should kick his ass.
It was easier to be mad at Luke. Lucy couldn't afford the alternative: being scared out of her mind. He'd never acted like this before. He'd always been there for her, no matter what. She couldn't lose her brother in this. Besides Sam, he was all she had.
She shook herself and sat up. Time to look for food. Resting wouldn't help if all she did was worry. In the lake, a pair of eyes rose just above the surface and stared straight at her.
Oh, wow! An alligator. Or is it a crocodile? What's the difference?
This time her memory served up something useful. An alligator had a wide, U-shaped jaw, while crocodiles usually had a longer, more pointed jaw. A crocodile's fourth tooth on its lower jaw stuck out over their upper lip, while an alligator's stayed in its mouth. Crocodiles had a special gland in their tongues that could get rid of excess salt, so they tended to live in saltwater habitats. Alligators had these glands too, but they didn't work as well, so they preferred fresh water. Both were carnivores who tore their prey apart.
The creature lifted its head—U-shaped jaw, no tooth, and definitely in fresh water. Alligator.
Lucy tensed to run, but one last bit of information stopped her: people ate alligator, she was pretty sure.
She drew her knife and took a fighter's stance, then considered her opponent and shook her head. A knife wouldn't work. She'd be alligator food before she could even get close enough to do damage. Her martial arts skills were useless here, too. But what if she couldn't find any other food? Maybe a spear would give her the distance she needed, but it would have to be heavy and sharp to even dent the thick skin.
She found a few sticks, but none that would really work. The wood was too soft, or too thin. She looked at her walking stick. Maybe if she tied her knife to it? Nah, it would still be too dangerous, and she would lose her only weapon.
My gun! Duh! Can't believe I forgot about that. She pulled it out of her holster and aimed at the creature in the water. The right shot could take him down immediately. Then she'd have to get him out of the water, because....
Does he have friends? Her hand wavered. Didn't matter; she had to risk it. For meat. For life.
She held her arm steady, body straight. The alligator held her gaze, unafraid, unaware that she was about to end his life.
End his life. Again.
How many deaths would be on her head when this was over? Would the alligator feel pain? Would it die fast or slow? Could she eat a creature that she'd made suffer?
Her arm lowered, her body refusing to do what her mind tried to convince it was right. The alligator blinked, then sank back into its watery home as if it had all been a test, and he her teacher. Had she passed or failed? She didn't know.
Her stomach growled, proving that on some level she had failed. Hunger chewed through her, gnawing at her insides.
The sun lowered. It would be dark soon, and she had to get back to camp, but what would they do without food?
She walked downriver toward what she now knew was the ocean, and spied a group of trees that looked familiar. She searched, thinking they might be banana trees, but all she found were fat green leaves that would surely look appealing to some creature, just not her—not without a high-speed blender and some strawberries.
She kept walking, frustrated and starving, and finally stepped onto the sandy beach. She wasn't too far from camp, but far enough to require a short rest. She leaned against a tree, giving in to the despair and loneliness that had been fighting her all day.