The Survivor (Eve Duncan #30)

PROLOGUE

PALANDAN FOREST

FIVE YEARS AGO

Close.

Run!

Dear God, they were so close.

Maya could hear Aden Nadim’s men yelling, howling like wolves on the hunt, as they broke through the brush behind her. She could see the harsh glare of the flashlights bouncing off the lush green jungle growth. It would only be minutes before that light speared into the ditch where she was hiding. Then they would be all over her, on the attack, clawing to be first to please Nadim.

Time to go aerial.

She rolled out of the ditch into the creek and got to her feet, heading for the trees. She thought she’d seen a stand of spruce in this area. She could hear her boots splashing in the water, but those hyenas behind her would be yelling too loud for them to hear her until she reached the mature trees deeper in the forest.

She hoped.

Then she was there. There was a large spruce to the right of the creek.

Climb!

Fast.

Hurry. Get above the glare of the flashlights and into the dense leaves of the tree.

Nadim’s crew were at the ditch now. She could hear Nadim’s furious voice urging them on. Telling them to get the bitch or he’d have their dicks.

Then they were past the ditch and right below her.

And she heard Nadim screaming into the darkness: “I know you’re out there, you vicious bitch. Do you think you’re going to get away? We’ll rape you and then cut your heart out. Do you hear me?”

She held her breath. Go on, you bastards. She knew she wasn’t safe. She didn’t think they could see her this high in the foliage, but she couldn’t be sure. Or the tree bark could be wet from her body. Or there was always a chance that she’d left streaks of blood on the tree from Nadim’s wound. The son of a bitch had bled like a stuck pig.

They were going deeper into the forest!

She let her breath out. She gave them a minute more and then she started moving through the branches from tree to tree until she could no longer hear them. She was almost back to her camp now. She just might get out of this alive.

This time.

But with Nadim there was always going to be a next time…

CHAPTER 1

PALANDAN ISLAND

SOUTHEAST ASIA

PRESENT DAY

Maybe it wasn’t true, Maya thought. It could be just a rumor. The Neztart village didn’t really have any experience with that bastard Nadim. They’d always been terrified of the stories about him.

Well, so had Maya, because most of the stories weren’t rumors, and she had more experience with Nadim than she ever wanted to repeat. Her heart was beating hard at just the thought of him. But she mustn’t let Charles Bevan see that fear. She’d never really trusted him. He was too slick and self-serving. She could never tell if he would take advantage of any weakness.

“You’re sure it’s him?” She kept her tone cool and absolutely calm. “Where did you hear Nadim was anywhere near the island? You can’t trust any of the northern villages. He’s supposed to still be in India.”

“But we both knew he’d be back as soon as he had enough bribes floating out there to buy his way back into the local landowners’ good graces.” His voice was slightly mocking as he leaned back in her office chair. “You made Nadim very angry when you stuck that dagger into his hand. I’d only just arrived here on the island when I heard the story of how you just strode over to him and stabbed him. I couldn’t believe it. If you wanted to get rid of him, you should have gone for the jugular.”