Long Way Home

8. Nicole

Chapter 8.

Nicole.

The pause between Jade's question and Ollie's answer was almost unbearable.

When she had slapped him, the fire had roared into life, flames licked the overhang of rock that blocked the light from above. Ollie looked over at me, practically begging for me to answer for him. Theo was completely out of action now, his quiet groans becoming more widespread.

"Just answer already Ollie!" I demanded. "We need to get Theo out of here." I could see sweat shining on his forehead and bare chest as he tried to decide, his face was pale and clammy as if he was frightened of the outcome of his answer.

"Fine." He muttered after a while. At his word the vines let us go instantly. Theo's limp body flopped lifelessly to the floor without any effort to stand up. I ran over to him and dropped to my knees beside him, sitting him up against the wall. "Theo? Can you hear me?" Forcing a bottle of water to his lips I tipped it up, watching the cool liquid run into his mouth.

Coughing into life, he opened his eyes ever so slightly. A nasty wound had been opened up on his head from where he'd fallen which affected him greatly. Fortunately, he was alive. For now.

With my back turned on Ollie and the newcomer I had no idea what they were doing. Every so often I heard Jade speaking in lowered tones but Ollie would only grunt stubbornly in response, obviously not keen on having to travel with her.

However much I thought about it, Jade was right. Ollie had been generous to save Theo but we still had no idea where we were going and how we were going to get there.

Eventually I heard Ollie's voice ring out through the cave. "That truck up there, have you got keys for it?" He asked as if he had an idea.

"No."

"Can you drive?"

"No."

"How the hell did you get it there then?" He raised his voice suddenly in frustration.

"It was left there. I've only been here for two days." Jade replied viciously.

"Get us out of this god damn cave." He threatened her, the brightness of the fire increased even more as he did so.

"Are you scared Hot Stuff?" She teased him. That was not a clever idea, he would probably snap her neck if she got him angry enough.

Hearing him stand up I looked over my shoulder. Ollie's ankle was tightly wrapped in strips of cloth to support it. He was now wearing a shirt from his bag and hobbling towards us, cursing to himself. However the pale look on his face made me think he really wasn't scared of Jade travelling with us but that he was scared of being underground.

Without speaking, he picked Theo up and carried him piggyback-style. "Get us out of here." He glared back at Jade, his eyes flaring with desperation which could easily be seen as anger.

Rolling her eyes she began to stride down a passageway that I hadn't noticed before, leading the way into the darkness. Ollie hobbled beside me with Theo hung over his back, grumbling to himself about caves.

"What's your idea?" I asked him cautiously, dabbing a cloth on Theo's forehead as he was carried.

"You'll see when we get out of here." He muttered, hitching Theo up a little higher onto his back, wincing from the pain in his ankle. "But for now let's just get out into the open."

I didn't push him any further. Jade had skipped ahead confidently, waiting beside the exit to the cave, tapping her foot on the floor impatiently. "You took your time." She said, folding her arms.