Captured by You

by Amber Hart

  I know the sound all too well. It’s the noise a dagger makes when cutting through the air like paper. I duck just in time, and it hits the tree behind me. I fire in the general direction from where it came. There is a cry, then a gurgling noise, and finally silence. To my right, I hear a whiz. I know the sound to be arrows.

  “Father has his best men with him,” Jospin whispers. “One is an expert with daggers. One with arrows. He is methodical that way.”

  Another arrow whizzes past me. All of us fire at once. We march forward and keep firing, because it’s the only way to get closer to our target.

  “Stop!” booms a voice.

  My hair stands on end. Because I know that voice. We all pause and turn to the trees. Mr. Tondjii steps out with Clovis and Mattius’s father. Simon is holding a bow. Strapped to his back are arrows.

  “Hello, Jospin,” Mr. Tondjii says, eyeing his son.

  Jospin’s face is hard. His tone is cool. “Hello, Father.”

  I tighten my finger on the trigger. I could shoot him. I could shoot Mr. Tondjii right now.

  “Don’t even think about it,” he says to me.

  Standing in his black suit and purple tie, gun in hand, Mr. Tondjii looks as impeccable as ever. I wonder if he actually thinks he will make it out of here alive.

  “If you shoot me, Simon will let his arrows find each of your hearts,” Mr. Tondjii says. “Do you really want that?”

  Though we are wearing vests under our clothes, I know his arrows could easily find an unprotected spot on any of us.

  “I have more men in the trees,” Mr. Tondjii says. “So you, little Raven, are out of luck.”

  I listen to the trees. They give nothing away. We’ve killed so many of his men already. I doubt he has more.

  “Liar,” I say, calling his bluff.

  “Would you risk it?” he asks.

  “Yes, actually, I would.” Without pause, I fire my gun into the trees in a circular motion. Clovis, Mattius, and Jospin guard me. Not a sound from the trees in return. I smile. “You have no one here.” Aside from Simon, of course.

  He doesn’t deny it. His gaze returns to his son. “Tell me something, because I still don’t understand. Why did you turn on us? Because of her?” His voice is disdainful.

  Jospin grimaces. “That is none of your business.”

  Mr. Tondjii watches the way Jospin steps slightly in front of me, as if to protect me.

  “Will you surrender?” Jospin asks. Though he asks to be sure, he must already know the answer.

  “Never.”

  I look at Clovis and Mattius. They are both watching their father.

  “You are a disgrace,” Simon says. “Both of you.”

  He takes a step toward them, and Mattius flinches.

  Simon laughs. “Absolutely pitiful,” he says.

  “If you will not surrender,” I say, “then we are done here.”

  “Oh, are we?” Mr. Tondjii taunts. He turns to his son. “Fine, then. Go ahead, Jospin. Shoot me.”

  Jospin swallows hard.

  “Do it,” his father says. “You want me dead, then kill me yourself, you coward.” His cool grin vanishes. It turns into something alien, etched with hatred.

  “What are you waiting for?” he asks. “Do it!”

  Jospin doesn’t pull the trigger.

  “That’s what I thought.” His father laughs.

  He takes a step forward.

  “You don’t have it in you to kill me.” His hand tightens on the gun. “You’re too pathetic. I will have to kill you instead.”

  He doesn’t get to talk about Jospin like that. Not my Jospin. Not the man who loves me so much that he saved my life. Not the man who stayed loyal to me, despite what it cost him.

  “He is not pathetic,” I say. Mr. Tondjii looks startled at the sound of my voice. “And you will not take him from me.”

  And I

  pull

  the

  trigger.

  A bullet explodes into Mr. Tondjii’s chest. He cries out and looks directly at Jospin. And then he falls to the ground. Simon releases his fury with a roar, and his arrow hits Clovis, his closest target, in the leg. He pulls back and lets another fly. This time it cuts a perfect path to Clovis’s head. And I know, I just know, that Clovis is gone. My amazing Clovis, who was the only link I had left to Dad, who taught me how to hide and how to fight, how to protect myself and how to survive in the forest. Every word, each moment cherished, and one arrow is going to end it all.

  “NO!” I yell, and fire just as Jospin does.

  Simon falls to the ground. I turn to Clovis, already hating what I know I’ll see. But I’m stunned.

  Because Clovis is standing.

  And Mattius is not.

  “No, no, no,” Clovis says, dropping to the ground beside his brother. “No, Mattius.”

  Mattius wheezes, each breath a little less full than the last. His father’s arrow is lodged above his collarbone, up to the center.

  “I had to,” Mattius manages. “You, brother, be good. Be free.”

  “NO!” Clovis cries. “You don’t get to do this! Stay with us!”

  He rips at Mattius’s shirt, trying to get the vest off, trying to get to his wound.

  “We’ll stitch you up,” Clovis says desperately. “You’ll be fine. Stay awake.”

  Mattius smiles. Just once. And then his eyes close.

  “NO!” Clovis yells again.

  And for the very first time, I see him cry.

  I want to go to him, but Jospin gets there first. He drops down beside Clovis, wincing at the sight of Mattius.

  “Clovis,” he says, voice thick with emotion. “I am so sorry.”

  He puts his arm around Clovis, and I can finally see the friendship they once had.

  “I’m so sorry,” Jospin says again, his voice catching as he looks down at Mattius.

  I sink down on Clovis’s other side, wrapping him in a hug, not wanting to let him go. I feel his sobs against my neck.

  “Raven,” Clovis rasps.

  I pull back to peer at his reddened eyes, his tearstained cheeks.

  “Thank you.”

  He turns to Jospin next, and something passes in their stare. Jospin whispers so low that I almost don’t hear him. It’s only one word, but it means everything.

  “Brother.”

  “Always,” Clovis replies.

  I decide to give them a moment. I stand, assessing the carnage. I walk carefully to Mr. Tondjii, who is lying motionless on the forest floor. I scan the trees to make sure we are still alone.

  “Thank you, Raven,” Jospin whispers, his voice right behind me.

  And I know he must mean for pulling the trigger when he could not. I turn to face him.

  “You would have done the same for me,” I reply softly.

  I glance at Clovis. He stares at me through watery eyes. I walk to him again.

  “I’m sorry about Mattius,” I whisper.

  Clovis nods. “It was his choice.” His voice breaks. “He chose, Raven. I would have died for him too, and I would have never—not ever—wanted any of you to be sorry for it.”

  Clovis stands and takes a step back, looking at his brother once more before turning away.

  And I realize, in this moment, that the war is over.

  Chapter 48

  Jospin

  I stare at the spot where Father’s warehouse used to be. The ground is blackened with soot from the fire. The surrounding trees are scarred, but I know they will be fine. Through chaos and destruction, the jungle continues.

  It has been three days since I watched Father die.

  I think of his face the moment it happened, the way he turned to me with a look of disbelief. He honestly thought he would triumph. He would have killed me—killed us all. Of that I am certain.

  I regret nothing.

  As I look at Raven, her hair shining in the sun, I am at peace.

  Now I will kill only what I need to survive. I will live small. I will
build a new bungalow, since Father burned mine. I will find a spot to call home once again.

  The question is: Where will Raven go?

  Because if she chooses to go, if she absolutely insists on not staying, I’ll follow her.

  We walk steadily to Father and Mother’s old compound. Raven’s fingers touch my palm, and I open my fist to invite her in. Her hand clasps mine. My brave Raven. The girl who was nearly killed by a silverback, yet who has grown to love the species anyway. Now trained in the ways of this forest, she knows the sounds of the animals and wind and trees. She understands how to survive here. But I don’t know if she will choose to. Michigan awaits her.

  As we approach the house, we take in every detail. The doors are gone. A gaping hole in the side makes it look as though the jungle took a bite out of the place, with razor-sharp teeth. Ivy climbs the walls, not minding the destruction. There’s a shallow indentation in the ground, as though a bomb exploded here too. Somehow it’s still beautiful.

  Raven squeezes my hand.

  “Are you okay?” she asks.

  I wonder how this place looks through her eyes.

  “Yes,” I say honestly. “You?”

  She sighs. “I am now.”

  We are both weighed down by the aftermath of tragedy. Both of our fathers are gone. But there’s a shift in my chest as well; I have nothing but Raven to call my own, and it’s freeing.

  We pause just feet from the ruins.

  “Raven,” I say.

  She turns to me, hand still in mine. The sun shines brightly on her face, making her squint. A knife hilt pokes out of her boot, just barely visible. I run a finger down the shoulder seam of her shirt. The time has come for me to ask.

  “Will you stay?”

  Raven looks once more at the devastation. “Is the jungle where you want to be?”

  “Yes,” I reply. “I’ve thought about Michigan, and I know it is your home, but I cannot picture myself there. I would go, of course. For you, Raven, I’ll go anywhere. But I need to know if there’s a chance you’ll stay. Because this place is my heart.”

  Raven turns to me. “You’d go to the States for me?”

  “You already know the answer.”

  “You sure?” she asks. “You cannot carry weapons like this.” She points to my cargo shorts. “And there aren’t rain forests to live in.”

  Already my skin crawls. I don’t like the idea.

  “But I would never do that to you,” she says, stepping closer. “You know that, right? If I left, I would never expect you to come with me. You belong here.”

  “So do you,” I say.

  Raven smiles. “You’re right.”

  I pause, hoping I heard correctly. “You’ll stay?”

  She kisses me. “I wasn’t planning on leaving.”

  I kiss her back. I kiss her with everything I have, because nothing else matters. Raven is here and she’s not leaving, and we have this chance to make the jungle better than it once was.

  “Raven,” I rasp. My heart beats steadily against hers. “I love you.”

  “I love you too,” she says. Her eyes leave mine. “He’s here.”

  And at first I don’t understand, but then Raven lets go of me and she runs. She runs as if she’s chasing a beautiful memory. I turn to what has captured her attention.

  Leahcim stands on all fours, watching Raven. I follow her, careful to not move as fast as she did. Though I doubt Leahcim will attack me, I am still cautious. He is not here for me.

  She stops in front of him and drops to the ground.

  “Leahcim,” she says. “You came back.”

  He opens his mouth and makes a noise that sounds like ahhhh, ahhhh, ahhhh. Raven mimics him. He tastes her hair and pats her head.

  “I have something to tell you,” Raven says to Leahcim.

  He quiets down, as if he understands.

  “I’m staying,” she says. She motions to me. “Jospin and I are staying here in the jungle.”

  I sit beside her.

  “Jospin used to be a poacher,” she explains; she’s telling him a story. Sometimes she signs words too. “But he isn’t anymore. He will never be again.”

  Leahcim listens quietly as Raven tells the story of how we met, how my father was not a good man. And how I didn’t used to be either. When she’s finished a few minutes later, she takes my hand and places it in Leahcim’s. I’m so caught off guard that I don’t move. I only stare at my hand, dwarfed in his. I don’t pull away. Leahcim touches my face with his other hand, and I hold my breath. When my stare meets his, I see something there.

  He has a look.

  I could almost swear it’s hope.

  Chapter 49

  Raven

  My flight home was riddled with nerves, as I wondered just what Mama and my friends would say about my decision to stay—to live—in the jungle. As I step out of the terminal, I spot Mama. She hasn’t seen me yet.

  She looks the same as always, an older version of me, dressed in jeans and a loose-fitting shirt. She taps her foot, eyes scouring the many chairs where people lounge, some spread out across several seats, some with a hand on the strap of their suitcase, waiting for their flights to board.

  And then her eyes catch mine, and her face breaks into a broad smile. I run to her and throw my arms around her shoulders, breathing in the scent of her flowery perfume.

  “Mama,” I say, excitement pouring through me. The thrill of finally seeing her again balloons in my chest, a bittersweet ache made of all the moments I’ve wished I could see her. “I’ve missed you.”

  She pulls back and gently takes hold of my scarred arm, turning it over.

  “Raven,” she says, eyes misting. “My brave girl, I’ve missed you too.”

  Tears prick my lashes, and I wonder how many more times I will have to see Mama like this—in an airport. I grab my suitcase handle and wheel it toward the exit, Mama beside me.

  “Thanks for picking me up,” I say.

  “Of course, Raven,” Mama says. Her look tells me that there is nothing, not one single thing in the world, she’d rather be doing. That in this moment, her heart is finally letting out the anxious breath it’s been holding all this time I’ve been gone. But there is also sorrow buried deep down in her gaze, and I imagine it’s because Dad isn’t here—perhaps because I almost didn’t make it here either. “I’m so happy you’re finally home.”

  Not for long, I think. I already feel guilty about the sorrow in Mama’s eyes. Now, somewhere along the twenty-minute drive home, I have to gather the courage to tell Mama that this place isn’t my home anymore.

  She pulls keys from her pocket as we step into the multilevel parking garage. In the distance there’s a beep beep, triggered by her key chain. The ground level, where Mama’s car is parked, is open to the outside, and sunlight pours over the concrete and me, warming my skin. Mama pops the trunk and hoists my bag inside her sedan before getting in the driver’s side. It’s been a while since I’ve ridden in a vehicle on smooth, paved roads. The click of my seatbelt, the radio coming on—this was all completely normal for me not long ago, yet now it feels strange.

  “So, tell me about Africa,” she requests, readjusting the rearview mirror and flashing me another smile.

  I spend the entire ride talking about the jungle—the weather, the habitat, the animals, and the apes, especially Leahcim. Mama doesn’t seem at all surprised to learn that I’ve befriended him. When I get to the part about poachers, Mama’s look is severe. I tell her everything. It’s especially hard to talk about Mattius, knowing that he is gone now. We weren’t friends, but perhaps one day we might’ve been. And knowing how much Clovis and Jospin miss him is hard to bear.

  “I don’t know if I should be mad at you or incredibly proud,” she says when I finally finish.

  “Maybe a little of both,” I reply.

  I don’t stop there. I tell her about how the jungle will be so much safer now, about Chloe’s decision to continue running the habitat. A fina
l raid on the remaining pack was conducted just before I left, effectively shutting them down. So we’ve put a stop to the poaching, at least for the time being. But the gorillas still need us. There are still wilds out there, men who might try to rebuild what we destroyed.

  And then I tell her about Jospin—the man who owns my heart.

  As we drive through the city—horns honking and people milling about in coffee shops, streets crowded with passersby—I can’t help thinking about how different Michigan feels. How there are more lights in the shops along this road than in all of the rain forest. We stop at a crosswalk to let people by.

  “Mama,” I say. “I’m going back to the jungle.”

  I don’t know any other way to tell her.

  Mama just nods like she was expecting this. “Okay, so you will visit Jospin on summer breaks. When will he come here? Is he going to move here eventually? Oh, and I forgot to mention that I spoke with the college about you enrolling again in the—”

  “Mama, you don’t understand. I meant that I’m going back to the jungle for good.”

  Her expression falls and she becomes utterly quiet.

  The truth is, I missed Mama like crazy. But I’ve barely been back for an hour, and I already miss the jungle too. I miss the fresh air and absence of cars. I miss sunshine filtered by leaves, and animal sounds and Leahcim’s arms around me. I miss Clovis’s laugh and Jospin’s love.

  “Why would you go back?” she asks. “And for how long? You can’t mean forever.” Mama glances at me, at my serious expression. “Oh, God. You do mean forever.”

  I place a hand over her manicured one, the one not on the wheel, and squeeze. “The gorillas need me, Mama. I have to stay for them.”

  “Is this really about them? Or is it about Jospin?” she asks, a quiver in her tone.

  “It is partially about him,” I admit. “But it’s so much more than that. It’s about running the sanctuary and being close to the cause Dad started.” As I look at Mama, a thought crosses my mind. “What if you come with me? We could stay there together for a while.”

  I truly wish Mama would come with me, but I can see from the look in her eyes that she won’t. She never felt drawn to the habitat, even when Dad was alive.