Holiday In Cambodia

Lara's heart was racing as she followed Jason through the trees, her eyes locked on his back, her fear of losing him clouding her mind and overriding her good sense to watch where she was stepping on the jungle floor. Her stomach lurched when she tripped, a cloud of dust rising upwards as she landed on her knees and a jolt of pain surged through her. Jason spun around when he felt her hand slip from his own.

"Shit... " he muttered, reaching out to her and pulling her up. He placed his palm against her cheek, feeling her shake beneath his skin, "Are you okay?"

Lara nodded, biting down on her lip for a moment, as she allowed the rush of pain to subside.

"Yeah, I'm... come on, we have to get to... "

Her sentence trailed off when Jason's head jerked upwards suddenly, his eyes wide.

"Did you... what was that?"
"What was... what?" Lara whispered, her voice shaking.

Jason held up a finger to silence her, and she obeyed, reaching out and gripping onto his belt, as if she was afraid that unless she held onto him, he would be gone. She leaned close to him, listening to his unsteady breathing as he turned his head in the direction of the beach.

The sun was low in the sky now, and the canopy of trees left the jungle in a shadowy darkness, bringing with it an eerie silence that was easily broken by the strangled yells coming from the beach.

Jason spun back to face Lara, looking for some confirmation that she could hear it too, that he wasn't going crazy. The fear in her eyes told him that he didn't need to ask. Grabbing her hand, tightly, the pair ducked under the low branches, pushing on as quickly and as stealthily as they could manage.

The sound of heavy rustling coming in the other direction made them stop in their tracks. Lara pressed herself against Jason's back, trying to control her breathing as her fear pushed her heart so far up into her throat that it choked her. She pulled on Jason's arm, tried to form words, but he silenced her before she had the chance, pushing her off the beaten track and into the dark undergrowth, where he pulled her down to the ground.

"Jase... " she whispered, "What's... what's going on?"
"I don't know," he whispered back, his eyes wide and shining in the twilight, "But I don't... something isn't right here."

Lara swallowed.

"What do you mean?"

Jason turned to her, his breath shaky.

"I mean... if a boat had come... they'd be yelling for us. Right?"

Lara considered this for a moment, then nodded. It would be easy enough for the group to alert their attention from the beach. It wasn't that far, and sound travelled easily in the evening when the air was so still and silent.

"But they aren't yelling," she whispered back, "Not... not apart from that noise we heard earlier... "

Jason nodded, then looked back through the leaves, as the sound of rustling began to fade.

"They aren't yelling," he agreed, "But someone is definitely here."

Lara flattened her palms against the ground as she leaned closer to Jason.

"... You think they're in danger?"

Jason scraped his teeth against his lower lip.

"I don't know," he said, uncertainly, "... But stay low. I don't want to take any chances."
"But... what if they are in danger?" Lara asked, her voice cracking.

Jason rubbed a hand over his face, his own heart pounding harder than he wanted to admit.

"Then we have to get them out."

The dull ache in Billie Joe's head clouded his mind, making it impossible to figure out where he was, or how he had got there. His eyelids felt heavy, and he blinked a few times in the harsh light coming from the fire a few feet in front of him. His eyes flicked to the side, struggling to accommodate to the relative darkness, panic beginning in his chest at the realization that he couldn't move. He tried to lean forward, a small groan escaping his lips as the course rope rubbed against the raw skin of his wrists, causing his breath to catch in his throat.

His heart pounded as loose memories of his capture flashed against the back of his mind, fear striking him with the image of Mike lying on the sand. He let out a strangled gasp, his head snapping up, before he frantically looked around him to be met with the sight of Maggie by his side. He spun around to see Tre on his other side, his head bowed low. There was no sign of anyone else. Gripped by panic, he turned back to Maggie, a dry whisper choking up from his throat.

"... Are you... okay?"

Maggie raised her eyes to Billie's, her face etched with tear tracks. She nodded, barely, her lip shaking. Billie Joe swallowed, turning back to Tre.

"Tre," he hissed.

His breathing quickened when he received no response, and he struggled against his restraints, nudging his shoulder against the drummer's.

"Tre!"

Tre's eyes slid open just enough for Billie Joe to notice, but he didn't raise his head.

"Tre... are you okay?"

A quiet sound escaped from Tre's throat, followed by a cough.
"Where... what happened?"
"I don't know," Billie whispered, shakily, his eyes darting around him, searching for familiarity in the darkness, praying that their captors would not return, but knowing it was inevitable. "They came to the beach, they... "
"Who?"
"I... I don't know. Cambodians. They... don't you remember?"
"I feel bad, Bill."
"... Tre... "
"I need to lie down... my stomach... water... "
"I know, man. We're going to get out of here. You're gonna be okay. Just hold on."

"Where are the others?" Maggie whispered, her voice high with fright. He turned back to her.
"I don't know... I... Mike... "
Maggie nodded, her breathing shaking with her tears.
"My wrists hurt," she choked out.
"I know," whispered Billie Joe, soothingly, "Mag, can you see the others from where you are?"

Maggie held her breath, trapping her sobs inside her chest. She squinted through the darkness, letting her eyes adjust from the brightness of the fire until they made out the outline of figures on the other side.

"Over there," she whispered back, "Over the... on other side of the fire."
"Can you see Mike?"
"I... yes."
"Does he look okay?"
"His eyes are closed."
"Fuck... " Billie Joe struggled again. He tried to sit up, but his bare feet slipped on the dusty ground and he slipped further down against the tree he was bound too. Panic and frustration gripped him, and he let out a groan.
"Shhh... " Maggie whispered, desperately, frantically checking over her shoulder. She didn't think she had ever felt so frightened and on edge.

Billie Joe gave up his struggle, letting a moment's silence settle over them, before it was broken by the sound of someone whispering Maggie's name. They both looked up, staring through the darkness until Amber's face came into focus, Jack and Rick on either side of her. Billie Joe's stomach did a flip when he saw she had blood on her face, but her voice came out sounding as calm as it always did.

"I'm okay," she whispered, "Are you?"
"I... guess so," Maggie replied.
"What about Mike?" Billie Joe asked, desperately, "Is Mike... is he okay?"
Amber looked from Billie Joe to Mike and back again.
"He's okay. In and out of consciousness but... I think he's okay. Don't worry."
"Fucking... this isn't good," Billie Joe muttered.

He watched as Jack leaned toward Mike and gave him a gentle nudge in the side, eliciting a quiet groan as he attempted to raise his head.
"Mike... wake up," Jack whispered. He couldn't tell if Mike heard him.
"He's probably just concussed," Rick remarked, his voice devoid of the lively air they were used to. "He'll be right."
Jack looked at him.
"Did you see how hard that guy fucking hit him? Did you hear the noise it made? I mean what the fuck is their problem?"
Rick nodded, solemnly.
"Tell me about it," he replied. "No need. Bastard's got a few kangaroos loose in the fucking top paddock, if you ask me."
"Psycho... " Jack agreed, nervously, "We just... we have to be careful. We have to do what they say. Cause... aiming guns in our faces... well, I don't think it's an empty threat."

Mike listened to their murmurings through the aching in his head. He didn't have the will to make an effort to make sense of them, and right then he didn't care whether things made sense or not. The intense fear he had been feeling before he blacked out was gone without a trace. He was almost certain that he couldn't feel any worse, so he had pretty much accepted defeat.

He took in a heaving breath as he felt something run down his nose, and he briefly wondered if it was sweat or blood before he realised he was crying. The sounds around him became quieter as his mind turned to his memories of Estelle. He wondered if she would ever be anything more tangible than a memory to him again.

The pain he was in only worsened as he remembered the way she had looked after him when he returned home from tour the year before. He and Billie had gotten sick in Germany, the tour cut short, and the disappointment that came with waking up in his own bed and feeling like shit warmed up was only alleviated by the sight of his daughter, and the way she crawled into bed next to him, her small arms around his neck, guiltily admitting that she was kind of glad he had to come home early. He wished she could be there to take care of him now.

Rick shifted uncomfortably.
"So Jack... ." he began, wearily, "This 'wait for a boat' plan of yours... it sucked."
"Yeah," Jack replied, his voice scratchy from the dryness in his throat, "That plan did go a bit tits up. Sorry about that."
"Got any others?"
"Not anymore."
"What are we going to do about water?" Amber asked, sounding frightened, "I mean... I'm desperate and Tre... he doesn't look so good."
"I know, babe," Jack replied, nervously, "But we're just gonna have to-"

Jack stopped suddenly, mid-sentence, as their heads jerked towards the sound of rustling leaves in the distance. His throat tightened, as he turned to Amber, instinctively shuffling as close to her as he could get and wishing there was something he could do to take some of the fear out of her eyes.
"Shhh," he whispered, needlessly. Amber was far too struck with fear to talk.

They stared wide-eyed at the dark opening in the trees, their nerves heightening as the rustling got louder, accompanied by a low rumble of voices that they couldn't understand. Jack wondered, fleetingly how they managed to find their way through the jungle in the pitch dark, before deciding bitterly that they were probably a lot better at surviving out here than he was.

There was a collection of quiet gasps as the four men reappeared, joined by another figure that it was impossible to make out in the darkness. The extra body seemed to be struggling, and it wasn't until the group came into the light of the fire that they realised it wasn't just anyone that they had brought with them this time.

They heard Mia's breath escape her as she hit the dusty floor, her tied hands making it impossible to break her fall. She groaned a little as her teeth sunk into her tongue, and she spat out blood into the dirt. Looking up, her eyes met those of the smallest of the men, as he pointed at her with the barrel of his gun, before yelling fierce instructions that didn't need translating. Mia heaved herself onto her knees, before he grabbed her, pulling her back against the tree next to Maggie, and unhooking the rope that was over his shoulder. He exchanged a few terse words with one of his companions as he tied her to the tree, before he turned back to the rest of the group, issuing them one last indecipherable threat before the men stalked back into the jungle.

Nobody said a word. Nobody even moved, as they listened to the chatter quieten and the footsteps get further away. Only when the sound had faded completely did anyone raise their heads towards the new arrival, and Mia was met with a round of threatening stares. Keeping her eyes fixed on the ground in front of her, she wondered, briefly, if she'd be safer with the Cambodians.

Maggie was the first to address her.
"Where have you been?" she asked, her voice shaking with fear.
Mia looked at her.
"Why would you care?" she snapped.
Maggie scowled, in annoyance, dropping her eyes back to her lap, where a large roach was treading carefully across her dirty jeans. She jumped at the sight of it, and Billie Joe stuck out his foot and flicked it in Mia's direction. Luckily for her, he missed. Mia turned back to Maggie.

"Hey," she whispered, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry for everything."
Billie Joe overheard her, and cut Maggie off before she'd had the chance to reply.
"You're sorry? Well, that changes everything, right? Fuck you."

Maggie closed her eyes. The last thing she wanted was an argument to break out now, and she was relieved when Mia didn't rise to it.
"Do you understand anything they say?" she asked, turning back to Mia.
"They are the rice farmers," Mia replied, miserably, "We ate their crops, so they're angry. Very angry. You know what the penalty for stealing is in this part of the world?"
"You'd know," muttered Billie Joe.
"But it was that or starve!" Maggie protested, "We have to... we have to make them realize that! We didn't come here to steal their crops! They can't... "
"If they're gonna kill us, I wish they'd get the fuck on with it," remarked Tre, breaking his silence with a voice so full of defeat that it frightened Maggie.
"They aren't going to kill us Tre," Billie Joe frowned, watching as Tre closed his eyes again, leaning his head back against the tree he was tied to, his face shining with sweat from his fever. "Stay with us, man."
"I can't," Tre replied, weakly, "I've had enough."
"Yes, you fucking can, Tre," Billie Joe told him, sternly, "You are not checking out on us now. We need you."
"For what?" Tre murmured, "... my sex appeal?"
"Yes, Tre, for your sex appeal," Billie Joe replied, struggling once again with the ties around his wrists. He was beginning to feel claustrophobic.
Tre managed a small smile, as he wiped the sweat from his forehead against his upper arm.
"I knew it."

Jason stopped, leaning back against a tree and twisting his fingers in his hair. He let out a weary sigh, as he turned to Lara.
"We should sleep."
"Are you shitting me?!"
Jason sighed.
"Lara... "
"No! Our friends are out there somewhere... and we don't know where... or who with... or what's happening to them. This is not a time to sleep!"
Jason put a hand to his forehead.
"Lara... I know, okay? But, we're exhausted, and it's pitch black out here. They aren't at the beach, which means they're somewhere in the jungle, and there's no way we are going to be able to find our way anywhere, we're just going to end up getting ourselves caught too."

Lara bit her lip, and tried to control the burning in the back of her throat that she knew threatened tears.
"I'm just... I'm so scared, Jase... what if they're hurt, or they're... "
"Hey," Jason replied, soothingly, pulling her towards him, "I know, but... the best thing we can do is go after them with a clear head so we can help them. Look at the state of us, we can't carry on like this. They need us to be strong, they need us now."

Lara nodded, leaning back against the trunk of the tree behind her and surrendering to her emotions.
"I just- can't believe that this has happened and- What if they do something to them, I mean, what'll we-"

Jason wrapped his arms around Lara's trembling body, as her tears finally choked out through the darkness. She let out a sob into the warm skin of his neck, and he pulled her closer.

"Lara... " he murmured, doing his best to keep the tremor out of his own voice, "They're going to be fine. No one is going to hurt them."
"But... Tre... he... we need to look after him, and-"
"They're together. They'll look after each other. We just have to look after each other too, until we find them. And right now, that means lying low and getting enough rest that we don't get into danger ourselves."

Lara nodded, tightening her grip around Jason's neck.
"If you weren't here... "
"Shh... " he soothed, "We're both here. And we're gonna get them back. Together. Cause, if anything happens to those guys... well, I wouldn't fucking want to get off the damn island."

The fire was dying. The mocking flames that had made Mike eye's squint had now descended into nothing but shimmering embers, which cast an eerie golden glow over the faces of his friends. He wondered if anyone would come back with more firewood. He hoped not. He would rather be cold.

Nobody had said anything in a very long time, but he wasn't surprised. He expected that, like himself, each of them was much too absorbed in their own private horrors to make any kind of conversation, and he suspected that voicing anything other than impending doom would seem chillingly inappropriate.

The constant assault of pain coming from the wound at the back of his head seemed to have faded into numbness now. He wasn't sure if that was good news or bad news in medical terms, but, for Mike, it was a relief.

His tired eyes stared through the spiral of grey smoke rising from the embers, to where Tre was sitting opposite, his eyes closed, his head leant back against the trunk of the tree. He couldn't tell whether his fever had rendered him unconscious, or whether he had fallen into a peaceful sleep, but the anguish on everyone else's faces told him that the latter was unlikely.

"You okay, mate?"

Mike looked up, slowly. He waited until Jack's face had come into focus before he answered him.
"Are you?"

Jack looked down, scratching the ground with the heel of his foot.
"Been better," he admitted.

When Mike didn't reply, he let out a sigh.
"Mike, you have no idea how fucking sorry I am... about all of this."
Mike raised his eyes back to Jack.
"Why should you be sorry?"
"Cause... this whole thing is kind of my fault. Right?"
Mike shook his head.
"Jack... man... we are way past that blame issue now. Okay, you got us baked... but you're also pretty much the only reason we've survived out here. And how were you to know that the plantation was owned by crazed, gun-slinging-"
"Yeah, I know," Jack sighed, "Just... let me apologise anyway, alright? I don't want any bad feeling."
Mike managed a smile.
"There's been more than enough bad feeling around this week, man... and none of it is between you and I."
Jack smiled, lowering his eyes to the ground again.
"Cool," he said, quietly.

The soft sigh that escaped Billie Joe made Maggie look up. It was the first break in the silence in what felt like hours, and it was strangely relieving despite the quiet desperation that it seemed to carry.

She brought her knees up to her chest as she cast her eyes over the man beside her. He seemed to have given up his struggle against the ties on his wrists, and his body was relaxed in surrender, his head bowed.

Maggie could see in the dim light that his eyes were half closed, half obscured by the slightly tangled locks of hair that hung over his forehead. She bit her lip, resting her head on her knees as she realized that it was the first time she had really looked at him in far too long. Her eyes lowered to his body, where his skin, which was considerably darker than she remembered, was etched with scratches from his struggle with their captors.

The tattoos on his forearms looked smudgy from the dirt they had picked up in the jungle, and she watched, transfixed by the way his muscles tensed beneath his tanned skin each time he shifted in discomfort and frustration, before surrendering again.

It suddenly struck her as funny that, when she had never seen him looking less groomed, she had never seen him look more beautiful.

She drew in a shaky breath before she addressed him.
"Are you okay, Billie Joe?"

Billie Joe opened his eyes, startled by the break in the silence, and looked up at her from under his eyelashes.
"Holding up," he whispered. "You?"
Maggie swallowed.
"I'm scared," she admitted.

Billie Joe nodded, letting her words hang in the air for a moment, before he replied.
"We all are. But... at least we're together. I'm right here next to you, I'm not gonna let them do anything."

Maggie couldn't help a smile from creeping onto her lips.
"What exactly are you planning on doing with your hands tied together?"
Billie sighed.
"I don't know. But... things could be worse."
"How?"
Billie Joe looked up again, offering Maggie a sidelong smile.
"At least you're talking to me now."

Maggie smiled at him, leaning her head back against the trunk of the tree behind her, before letting out a quiet sigh. She closed her eyes, feeling suddenly sleepy, wishing they still had the warmth of the fire...

"Caught anything yet?"

Billie Joe looked up from his spear, shaking his wet hair from his eyes in frustration. He squinted at Maggie through the low evening sunlight, and she felt a familiar flutter at the way his eyes glinted and the droplets of sea water sparkled across his shoulders.

"No," he replied, with a sigh, leaning against his spear, "You?"

Maggie smiled, lowering her spear as he waded through the water towards her.
"I'm not really trying... I didn't think you would either. We're the vegetarians, we aren't meant to be killing fishes."

Billie Joe smiled back, raising his eyes to meet Maggie's.
"Well... " he muttered, softly, "Just cause we aren't meant to do something... that hasn't stopped us so far."

Maggie bit her lip, dropping her eyes down to the glittery water as she felt a familiar wave of guilt wash over her. She didn't know how to reply, and she didn't know if she should, until she felt his hand move underneath the water, his fingers coming to rest at the curve of her waist as he raised his other hand to her cheek. It was then that she knew that she wouldn't be able to say anything even if she wanted to. She was having enough trouble remembering how to breathe.

"You don't have to feel bad," he whispered, "About the way you feel. No one should ever feel guilty about the way they feel."

Maggie felt her breathing become shaky as his thumb traced her jawline. She tried to concentrate on the sound of the water lapping against them, and the seabirds that circled above their heads, but nothing could distract her from the electricity that seemed to be surrounding them, pulling them closer and holding them there until there was nothing they could do but give in to its strength.

She heard his breathing become heavy as he moved closer, and suddenly the overwhelming urge to reach out and touch him became too strong for her to fight. She raised her eyes back to his as she reached up to slide her fingers into his hair, squeezing out some of the water as he leant into her touch.

She instinctively turned her face away as he leant closer, and his head rested against hers. She lowered her hand to his face, his stubble scratching her palm as she felt his nose press against her temple, and his hot breath in her ear.

"Billie... " she whispered, in a futile attempt at protest. She didn't know why. She knew he had come far too close now, for her to be able to push him away again. He must have known it too, because he didn't reply, and Maggie's breath caught in her throat when she felt his warm lips brush her ear, and then her cheek, and then she was twisting her fingers in his tangled wet hair, in an attempt to release the overwhelming tension that was building inside of her.

She reached out grip his waist underneath the water, letting a long breath escape him that only barely formed a word.
"... Fuck.."

The groan that escaped him when she pulled him into their third, and most passionate kiss made it obvious to Maggie that she had caught him by surprise, and that it wasn't a surprise that he wanted to fight. . Her left hand still cupped his face, and she felt his jaw drop as he pulled her closer, deepening their kiss. She drew hurried, labored breaths into her lungs between his ravenous kisses, feeling her knees buckle and curling her toes into the wet sand as his tongue traced hers. She thought she might have fallen backwards if he'd ever let her go.

"Billie... " she gasped against his lips, as they parted briefly.
"I can't help it."
"But we... "
"I can't help it."

Maggie's mental struggle with her conscience returned for a moment as she met his tortured green eyes, but she let go of it as he dipped his head and his mouth closed over the skin of her neck. She tightened her arms around his waist, feeling the water from his hair run down the side of her body. Sometimes in life, you have to give in...

"Maggie?"

She jumped as her eyes sprung open, and she found herself staring right into his. She could still feel her heart racing inside her chest, her breathing ragged.
"Mag... are you okay?"

Maggie opened her mouth to respond, and then closed it again, her eyes darting around the darkened clearing as a peculiar mixture of relief, frustration, and heart-wrenching disappointment flooded her veins.
"I'm fine," she stammered, feeling flustered, and avoiding his concerned gaze as she pushed her hair back from her hot face, "Why?"

Deciding not to push the line of questioning any further, Billie Joe nodded, before nodding to the tree behind him.
"I just wanted to tell you... I think I'm loosening my hands. I've been working on it while you were asleep and my wrists are fucking killing me. Can you take a look and see if I've gotten anywhere?"

Maggie raised a hand to her forehead, letting out a breath as her brain adjusted to this sudden gear change in its agenda. She glanced around her. Tre was still sleeping, and the group on the other side of the fire seemed to be equally as quiet. She could tell Mia was awake by the reflection of the barely-there firelight in her eyes, but she wasn't making any attempt at conversation and she decided that was probably for the best.

"Okay... where are the farmers?"
Billie shrugged.
"Dunno. Haven't been back in a while. Maybe they're bored of us. But either way, I need to get my fucking hands free. I need to keep Tre awake. I'm worried about him. He's been unconscious for way too long now, Maggie, I-"
"Okay, let me take a look."

Maggie leaned over to examine the ties on Billie Joe's hands as he twisted around, and she bit her lip as she took in the blood that had soaked into the rope, and the rawness of the skin over his wrists.

"You're nearly there," she told him, "You just need to twist your right hand a little more to the left, it's gotten tangled and... yeah... like that. The rope's really frayed. If you pull real hard now, you should be able to break free."

Billie Joe nodded, releasing a yelp of pain as he followed Maggie's instructions, the coarse rope finally giving way. He let out another groan as he brought his aching arms in front of him, and winced as he examined his hands.
"Fuck... " he groaned, "That really, really fucking hurts... "
"I know," Maggie replied, keeping her voice low, "But shhh. We don't want them hearing us, okay?"

Billie Joe nodded, holding his left hand out under her eyes.
"You think I've wrecked my tat?"

Maggie looked at him wryly, before dropping her eyes to his wrist, where the letters 'EBPM' were barely visible beneath the blood and the torn skin.
"Is that really the issue?" she asked him, before letting out a tired sigh, "Don't worry, it's not deep. It should heal just fine. But if it does wreck the tattoo, I'll touch it up for you when we get home."
Billie Joe smiled, looking back at his hands.
"We are getting home... right?" she questioned him nervously.
He raised his eyes back to Maggie's, nodding seriously, before turning to Tre.

"Tre," he whispered, shaking him slightly in an attempt to lift him from his sleep, "Tre... wake up, man."

Maggie watched, fear stirring in her stomach when Tre didn't respond, his head lolling to one side as Billie Joe took his face in his hands and hissed his name frantically in his face.

"Tre," Billie Joe groaned, pushing his hair away from his hot face, relief surging through him when Tre let out a low moan, just enough to let him know that he was still with them. "It's gonna be okay, Tre. I promise. Just stay with us."
He watched Tre's eyelids flutter a little, before he pressed a kiss to his forehead.

Maggie watched them, feeling tears sting her eyes. She knew that if anything happened to Tre, none of them would ever get over it. She had become closer to this group of people in one week than she had to some of her best friends over her entire lifetime. She couldn't even imagine the strength of feeling there must be between the members of the group that had cared for each other already.

A distant rustling in the jungle forced her to look up, her attention dragged from Tre at the same time as Billie Joe's.

"... Can you hear that?" Mia asked, nervously.
"Shh," Billie Joe commanded, sternly.

Maggie felt her heart begin to thud, as she concentrated on the sound, her fear rising as it became louder.
"Fuck... they're coming back," Jack hissed, from the other side of the campfire.
"Shit... " Billie Joe muttered, shuffling back against the tree and hiding his hands behind his back, his adrenaline rush so great that it was making him dizzy.
He exchanged a terrified glance with Maggie as the farmers neared them, his eyes widening when they finally pushed their way through the trees into the clearing.

Maggie drew in a gasp of fear when the men went straight to the other side of the fire, leaving the smallest one to guard them. He waved his gun at them in mild threat, but kept his eyes on his comrades, who seemed to be directing this round of fury at Amber and Jack.

"Listen!" Amber shouted, desperately, "We're lost! We don't... we didn't steal anything... we were going to die!"
"Amber shut the fuck up!" Jack yelled, as the largest of their captors moved in on Amber, pressing his gun to her temple and yelling something that was probably along the same lines as he had.
"Stop!" he screamed at them, "Don't fucking... leave her alone!"

Seeing her with the gun to her head sent feelings of fear pulsing through him, unlike any he had felt before, and the relief he felt when the gun was taken away and pointed in his own direction relieved him so much he almost cried.

He squeezed his eyes shut, listening to the angry tirade of Khmer that was being thrown in his direction, and the horrified cries of his friends, before the sound stopped, and he opened his eyes to see them stalking away.

He felt a shocked tear roll down his dirty cheek, relief starting in his stomach, and pausing when he saw the smallest man take a series of instructions from his superiors, before sitting down in front of a nearby tree, his gun resting on his knees, his eyes flicking from one of them to the next, as the other men disappeared into the jungle once again.

Jason held Lara tightly as he struggled to find his breath, fear consuming him as he stared at the scene in front of him. He pressed his face to Lara's hair as he felt her body shake with her tears.
"We have... we have to do something!" she choked out, keeping her voice to a whisper.
"I know," he whispered back.
"But they'll... Tre and... Jason, he has a gun!"
"I know, I know," Jason replied, his voice cracking dangerously.
"He's still there!"
"I know... we have to wait till he leaves. Did you see where the others went?"

Lara shook her head, before burying her face in Jason's neck, letting her sobs out into his skin.

Jason swallowed, holding her against him as he sunk back further into the undergrowth.
"Lara..." he whispered, "We're going to get them out."