Curtain Call (The Jewel Project #7)

38. End of the Road

Jimmy wasn't sure exactly what woke him, but he went from sleep to full alert in a matter of seconds. The tent was silent, but a strange intermittent light bathed it in shades of blood.

The watch. His watch had zapped him. It was obvious in the way light shone from everyone's wrists. They began to shift as Jimmy lifted his wrist and stared at the dial.

Kay.

His mind was still groggy from sleep, but his body seemed to pick up on the consequences much faster because every muscle tensed painfully. Darkness stirred inside him, swirling around his mind.

"No," Jessie whispered.

The moment she did, it finally registered and he let out a curse. Kay was with their kids as well.

His first impulse was to grab his phone and call home, but they didn't have any with them. Not when they were trying to go off radar completely. The blood thundered in his ears.

"Jimmy?" Jessie's voice sounded desperate and broke through his thoughts. "Jimmy, the kids."

"It has to be something else," Tom said, his voice shaky. "They couldn't have--" He didn't dare finish because he knew as well as any of them that they definitely could have. And if Kay was in danger, there was a high chance that Christine's name would come up next, then Sarah's.

"She's here," Angie said snapping Jimmy out of his spiral of crazy consequences.

"What?" His mind finally clearing at the prospect of the kids being fine, he focused on his watch again.

Angie was right. The GPS wasn't displaying coordinates, but allowed them to see where she was on the tiny map. A few miles away from them due north-east.

"What the...?" Jerry said, glancing from on to the other.

Sam turned on a flashlight then pulled out his map and started drawing on it.

"Why is she here?" Angie asked, her voice panicky.

The question was valid, but it brought a bitter smile to Jimmy's face. Served them right for thinking they could leave her behind. But she'd somehow gotten in trouble and now they had to get her out.

"Where do you think she left the kids?" Jessie asked, though there was a twitch in her lips that indicated she wanted to burst into hysterical laughter.

"Most likely with Max," Sam mumbled.

The moment he lifted the pen off the paper, the watches stopped glowing. It hadn't been followed by a green light, so it was obvious that Kay was still in danger, but couldn't keep the signal on.

"Well, this complicates things," Sam said, studying the map.

"We need to go get her now," Jessie said crawling out of her sleeping bag and rolling it up.

Jimmy followed her lead, and they all started gathering up except for Sam who had leaned his chin in his hands and kept glaring at the map.

"How far away is she?" Jerry asked, stuffing his rucksack.

"I'm not sure. Not very far. The thing is... It's off course."

Angie froze. "Off course? Do you mean...? Sam Grant, don't you tell me you're still thinking about that stupid jewel now!"

Sam wasn't fazed by the screaming. "It is problematic. Kay is most likely at Snitch Gravel's base. If we go there now, the chances that we'd be able to return and search for the jewel in peace are practically zero."

"Are you suggesting we leave her there?" Angie shrieked.

"Not so loud, babe," Tom whispered. "But seriously, Sam, what's wrong with you? We took an oath to Kyle. We can't leave her in danger to search for the jewel even if I personally pity the guards."