Xia's POV:

"I'm tired, Dadda." Nico whined as he dragged his legs with each step.

"I know Nico, I know." Rico sighed. "I promise we'll go home soon. All we have to do is find a range out here to be able to call Uncle Toni."

Nico walked between Rico and I, the three of us walking behind each other. We had to have been walking in this huge forest for not less than two hours now and I'm not going to lie, it was really tiring. I just wanted to fall on the ground and sleep.

Although we could see other and our surroundings clearly now, I could tell that it was getting darker by the minute.

Rico suggested that we find a place to keep us safe for the night because this place, being a forest, had to have wild animals roaming around here.

"Momma?" Nico turned around. "Can you carry me?"

"Of course, Nico." I picked him up and like every other time that I did so, he wrapped his legs around my hips and locked his arms around my neck. Giving me a small peck on my cheek, he rested his head in the crook of my neck.

I took a few long strides to catch up with Rico and asked him, "Do you know what this place is?"

"I think it's an island of some sort." He faltered. "I don't know the name sure but what I do know, is that I'm going to kill the person who attacked the jet."

"There is a child present here." I reminded him before he could continue.

"Oh...right." Rico mumbled.

We didn't speak to each other for another few minutes until he stopped walking out of nowhere. He lifted his right arm sideways in a way of telling me to stop walking, which I did. Not a second later, he brought a finger to his lips so I didn't even try to ask him what was wrong.

Even though he was right next me, I couldn't help but feel scared. I mean, can you blame me?

I'm in the middle of a damn rain forest that probably has animals who think I'm their dinner, there are people out there who possibly want to kill us and to top it all of, I have a throbbing headache and a sleepy little boy in my arms.

Rico pointed to the ground which was at a distance, making me shift my gaze away from him and to the ground. At first, it seemed like everything was normal; just mushy soil and leaves below us. But once I focused more on it, I realized that it was a boot-print.

My eyes traveled from that one spot to a little more further and it was only then that I realized what he had meant. There was a trail of boot-prints that lead all the way to the path in front of us. And since the soil is mushy, there was no way that it was an old print. It was recent.

Someone else is here...it's not just us.

"Okay, listen to me carefully." Rico whispered, inching closer to me. "There's someone here and is probably waiting to attack us ahead. What I want you to do, is to walk over the pond there and run as far away as you can...without getting caught. I will go in the other direction and follow the trail."

"Do you have a death wish that I don't know about?" I asked him, ignoring what he had said previously.

He smiled a little, "No, I don't but if I don't do this, they will keep searching for us and since we don't know this place, we're bound to be caught. If I do go there, however, I will distract them. It might not stop them from coming for you both but it will give you more time."

"But, Rico..." I let out, not being comfortable to split apart. I was more scared for him than Nico and I. He would literally be walking into their trap.

"Xia. Listen to me, we can't stick together. It's not safe." He pleaded. "Once you find a range, call Toni. You don't have to explain what happened, just tell him to track your phone. Okay?"

I sighed, knowing that he was right. "Promise me that you won't do anything stupid."

"No promises, babe." He connected his lips with mine, giving me a long kiss to which I reciprocated. He deepened the kiss for not more than a second and then pulled away.

"Don't do that." I told him.

"Do what?" He asked.

"You kissed me like it was the last time we would see each other." I stated.

"Okay, okay. I know. We'll see each other again. I promise." He said and looked at his son's sleeping form. He kissed Nico's cheek as well as his forehead before giving me a peck on my lips.

"Go, Xia. I'll see you on the other side." Was the last thing he told me before I walked to my right to walk across the river. I turned around again to get a look of him but he wasn't standing there like he was just a few minutes ago.

With Nico in my arms and a small backpack on my back, I took in a deep breath and let it out trying to calm myself down.

Carefully, I placed one foot on one of the medium-sized rocks placed that were submerged in the water. The force of the water flowing made the stones shake in place but it was the only way to cross without leaving my footprints.

I almost reached the other side of the pond and had only one more stone left but that was when I tripped a little. My ankle slid off of the top of the rock and fell in the cold water below me. I felt a sting of pain in my left foot but ignored it and glanced at Nico to check if he had woken up.

Okay, that's great, he's still asleep.

Luckily, I was able to stabilize myself by using my other leg and slowly, lifted the now wet leg of mine out of the water. Taking one last step, I stood on the mushy soil once again. After I took a few more steps, I realized that my ankle had to have been sprained by the pain that I was experiencing.

Oh, God! How I wish that I was on my right now, cuddled up next to Rico and Nic rather than being in this forest. But I couldn't lose hope. Not now. Not ever.

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