I hope they don't come across the boys. I didn't like the look of them. They were hiding something

This couldn’t be happening. It just couldn’t be.

Avi opened his eyes the tiniest bit, forcing himself to keep breathing slow and steady as he peeked down between the branches. Immediately, a wave of dizziness overcame him at the sight of the ground so far below, and he gripped the bough he was sitting on tightly.

You’re not going to fall. You’re not going to fall.

He had to see what was going on below. It was the search party — it had to be; who else would be calling their names like that? But the three men from the criminal gang were right there — what would happen? Would they hurt the searchers — his father?

Avi peered down, worry overcoming his fear of heights. His stomach lurched.

Ta. He was right there, a few feet away, together with a group of volunteers wearing neon jackets. Ivan, Stefan, and Matt had stopped too — just beneath the tree they were in.

Avi felt sick. The rescue party had to arrive now? Just when they didn’t dare call out to them, or shout, or try to catch their attention? When three criminals (or rather, two — Matt, after all, had saved their lives...) were between them and their saviors?

He couldn’t communicate with Elchanan — couldn’t even see him further up in the tree — but he knew he was thinking the same thing. The men were dangerous, and if the boys made their appearance, with their knowledge of what was happening inside the forest, who knew what they might do?

Right now, though, the threesome were acting polite as could be.

“Good morning,” Ivan called out to the group as the search party neared.

“Pleasant day for hiking, huh?” Stefan added jovially.