Authors note:

We are lacking in votes here guys, let me know how you feel about the book and let's get these voted up, enjoy!
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Naomi's POV:

When we arrived back at camp, we informed Kole's sister of his passing and she went out in search of revenge and of his body. With everything going on, I hadn't thought about bringing back the bodies for once and it horrified me of my ignorance for those who knew the diciest. Amanda barely spoke and would only drink or eat minimal things if I forced it to her. Matt and Liz kept to themselves and Julian tended to Amanda and Sage while I put on a fake face of confidence and led us onward to the last checkpoint before freedom itself.

Tension was high and Max led us on while the guards surrounded us with jaguars in between them all. We ate as we walked and didn't bother using breaks unless it were to rest or use the bathroom. No one spoke through the dark walk, it was quiet enough to feel as though the crickets had all swarmed together to make louder noises. Any little noise could be heard and we kept alert for any strange sounds.

Jason and Max would bicker in the front, glancing back at me every once and a while. The first jaguar to lick me back when Sage tried teaching me to master them stayed by my side constantly and I pet its head as we walked side by side. I replayed the night over and over in my head to see if there was an possible way for me to save those who didn't make it and even when I couldn't, I still felt I was responsible. They all looked up to me to save them and I'm gradually letting them down one by one. These let downs wouldn't be so bad if it were just that they hate me but sadly they are much worse. My let downs cause them to die and for loved ones to suffer at one another's dispense.

I have caused so many families pain over these days, weeks, months.. I can't even say how long I've been here for sure anymore. I am possibly eighteen now or possibly still seventeen but I won't know for sure until I get home and see what the date is. I have gained and lost so much over this time period and I'm not sure I can handle much of either anymore. If I am to gain more, than I will have more to lose and if I lose more than gaining, more would just cause them more trouble.

My heart breaks for the families that when finding out that the missing children returned, their children didn't survive after all. They will find that their children have been lost or barried on an island meant for no one to ever go and no one to return. I will take blame for those lost and allow the families to hate me in order to mourn and move on from their loved ones while I suffer in recollection of the precise way their children died.

Mina's tiny face replays in my head over and over, I vowed to protect Kole seeing as he was the last youngest child left and he was brutally murdered under my watch. My vows are starting to sound more like empty promises and just phrases that leave my mouth to console those from their fear. I have gained quite the responsibility on the island and I can't say that I am doing a fine job at keeping everything together. I mean, how well can I keep everything together when I can't seem to keep myself from falling apart?

The people give me looks of hope but deep down I can feel the mistrust and fear they try to hide. They must fear that they will end up like the many who trusted me and died waiting for me to save them. I try to right my wrongs but it seems almost impossible to do as I go on. People sob every now and then as we walk, the air chilling into a nights windy breeze. I had began falling behind but with my jaguar beside me I didn't mind.

The guards watched me carefully and I gave weak smiles and assured them to leave me be and keep going. I kept a good ten feet distance from myself and the group, looking them over from the back. We have so many more yet so few than what we started with and I can't do anything but pray that these members survive with me to the end. Max appeared beside me and my jaguar lagged behind a bit as the silent walk continued. "I shouldn't have said what I said." He sighed and I nodded in silence.

"Your forgiven." I said before moving to catch up with the group but he grabbed my arm and kept me back with him. "What else do you want from me Max? I asked the questions in concern for you because I cared. I didn't even know I had a brother I until now and was curious. I try being Rose, the sweet baby from my memory but that just isn't me. I am Naomi and always will be, I grew up alone only to be put in worse after worse situation. Yes your life sucked too which is why I wanted to get to know you better but I obviously can't reach Rose standards so if you will please, Naomi needs to get her people home."

"I'll come back with you." He said and I froze.

"I'm sorry, what?" I asked in confusion, not positive that I heard him correctly. He sighed and took off his cloth so that I could see his eyes staring into my own clearly.

"I said that I will come home with you when this is all over. I want to be the big brother I promised to be and keep you safe, I would also like to see my parents again after all of these years." He admitted sheepishly and quickly covered himself again before anyone else saw.

"You do know you can't wear that cloth back home though right? People will have to accept you for the handsome man you are with or without your battle scars. If they can't accept you than it is their loss and they are blind to see the man I see before me." I said before he pulled me to him and we walked together in silence from then on out. Walking with him calmed me down from my previous fears but how long could his presence possibly make me feel safe?

My jaguar came back to my side and purred against my leg every now and then throughout our journey. We made our way back up to the front and led on with Jason from there. When the skies became black, we decided to rest for the night and to travel on when it was bright out. The jaguars hunted down small prey for us to eat in the morning and everyone sat close to each other, afraid of a relapse of our first kidnappings.

I sat against a tree with Jason snuggled close, and Max sitting beside me. Matt, Liz, Sage, Amanda, Julian, Ricky, and Randy were all huddled near us in an attempt of closure. "Do you think they'll come after us again? I mean Max, your people." Amanda was quiet when saying so and I had never seen her so broken. He stiffened beside me and looked up to the stars before speaking.

"My people aren't who we have to worry about anymore. We shouldn't have had to worry about them in the first place but they won't be coming back again. They understand that they have betrayed me in the process of loosing any deals they could have possibly made with the bad men. They will most likely be packing up their homes and going to our underground home until they think it is safe to go above ground again. A war has been made, and they know they play no part in it." He said before turning back to look at Amanda.

"They also are no longer my people. They lost the right of being my people when they came after the group they knew I was protecting. They lost the right as my family when they came after the sister I've been searching for all these years. They no longer have the right as my friends for sending young innocent girls to be slaves and pets to such bad men for a tiny speck of safety when they knew we could over take the men. They no longer earn the right to be strong when they are seen so weak in my eyes." He said and I could tell he was really upset with them, they probably hurt him badly on the inside but he won't express himself anymore than the words he just gave us now.

"To answer your question, they won't ever be seen by this group again, the only member from the tribe to ever speak with you again is myself. I own all of their beasts and the beasts came with me, leaving them defenseless. The bad men will realize that their men are missing come tomorrow and so we will need to move quickly and reach our final destination or all is lost. You are safe for the night, get some sleep because we leave at sunrise." He said before laying back and closing his eyes.

She looked terrified but Julian tried calming her down as the rest of us all curled together to keep warm. The night air was pretty chilling but the chance of it being the last chilling night for me made it feel warmer. Sleep wasn't easy to come by, Max said that we would be safe for the night but we still kept guards posted in shifts to make sure we were safe.

Max kept a little wooden statue with him at all times but he wouldn't let anyone see it, even when he slept, it was kept hidden. I woke up first and saw that our group had actually all morphed together into a small bumble of bodies. Those who were farthest away were now only ten feet or less from myself and bodies were pressed to one another. Ricky was on his guarding shift and I gave him a small smile.

"Take a nap, I'm all rested and we have about an hour until sunrise. It isn't much time but it should at least give you a bit more energy." I said and he shook his head no.

"I slept as much as you, I am last on shift and I am definitely not letting you awake all by yourself. People are after you and I am not letting them get you on my watch. Your welcome to join me on watch or to get an extra hour of sleep so that you can have more energy." He said and I gave a small laugh before joining him over by his post. The woods were beautiful, it's just tragic that they hold missing children. These woods have now become permanent homes for some of the many lives lost on the island.

"Stop blaming yourself for their deaths." He glared and I looked at him shocked. "Don't act like you weren't thinking about them. We made you our leader to help us we didn't expect you to be able to keep us all safe. You are one person Naomi! There's is no possible way for you to be able to take care of us all when you were one of us from the beginning. You couldn't have known any of this was going to happen and no one blames you for it. We are close to getting home and we only expect you to get home with us." He sighed and looked back to the group.

"You have been through so much more than most of us can even say. You have had your life put at risk and yet you put our lives before your own. You have been beaten, poisoned, cut, and worse and yet you continue to fight. I wouldn't still be alive if it weren't for you and ten minutes before you saved my life, I was trying to kill you. Besides my threat, you saved my life and welcomed us all into your group. You have saved so many of us on more than once occasion, and you need to understand that. You aren't some comical made up super hero with magical powers that knows how to save everyone in any situation. You don't have countless number of lives and you aren't bulletproof." He looked back at me with a smile.

"You are Naomi, just plain old Naomi that I didn't consider a fiend in school. You are the selfless girl who has gotten beat up on numerous occasions so that we could live to see another day. You have changed some enemies into allies and even friends at this point. You have gained the respect of many who hadn't even given you a chance until they realized how badly they needed you. Without you we would all be dead or still sitting on the beach at base slowly dying off or hopelessly waiting to be rescued. You are a survivor, your are a leader, you are Naomi!" He cheered and I gave a small laugh and turned to see a few others headed over to where we were standing.

"So tell us captain, will you ride with us... one last time." I laughed at his attempt to quote the hobbit and others who had seen the trailer to the movie laughed as well. I put my hand in and others all joined, eventually we had about everyone in and all hands were on top of one another's.

"Let us make a pact to sticking together even after we make it home. We are a family on this island and we will still be a family when we get off it. We will fight our hardest until the end and keep on fighting past that." They all cheered and we lifted our hands to the air together before everyone hugged, and then cooked and cleaned the meat caught the night before. We all ate together and began our journey to the end. We had to be alert and on guard at all times in case the bad men figured out that we escaped earlier than we thought.

We walked for hours as we did the day before and the air seemed a bit lighter after we made the pact. Those who recently died weren't forgotten but sadly, our mourning would have to wait until freedom. Max had explained to us that our spot would be a bit off from where Amanda, Sage, and I had thought. Since the guard base was nearby, we would have to gather at a more secure spot.

We made little breaks here and there and then broke into smaller groups when getting closer to our last point. My group consisted of my closest friends Matt, Liz, Max, Jason, Ricky, Randy, Julian, Sage, and Amanda. Our group would be the last to go. Once we were sure that the groups could get around quietly without help, we regrouped at our main point. Everyone huddled around Max and I, and waited patiently for our next words. I took point since they were my people after all and explained what the plan was.

About twenty yards ahead was the secret tunnel that would get us all home. It was at the end of the open area of land but at least twenty feet to the left of it was the main building. If the guards saw anything out of proportion, than they would hit the switch to close the door to the tunnel. My group was the best in ways of skill and would set off our set up traps to distract the men, leaving a group at a time enough time to sneak into the tunnel without being caught.

The problem was getting them to be able to run into the tunnel without making enough noise to alert the guards of our scheme. We split the other groups equally between age and strength so that no team is unequal besides my own. The closest group to the side of the tunnel would go first and then the rest of the groups would rotate over in order to keep our groups closer to the tunnel.

"Alright, all guards need to speak with Jason before we start regarding if anything were to go wrong before you got into the tunnel. I'm not saying that anything will but we can't be sure that this will go over smoothly. All other people stay for a bit. Once Jason and his group broke up, I looked at the remaining people. "I need you all to listen to what the guards in your group say to you, they are only trying to keep you safe." They nodded and I looked around for any bad guys nearby.

"Make sure to keep as quiet as possible when on the move and when you move, you move as a group. I don't want to see a single person moving out on their own, you put yourself at risk and you put us all at risk. I'll see you all on the flip side." I smiled and nodded as Jason's group came back. "Make sure you all stick together, may we meet again soon." I said and they all nodded, all exchanging hugs before running off to their assigned marking points.

I then turned to my group and smiled at Max. "Your the demolition expert for this plan so please do spill what distractions we will be setting up. Are we splitting into smaller teams and what all did you have in mind?" I asked and he laughed.

"If you gave me time to reply I would be done explaining the plan by now. Since we broke off into five groups, we are setting up four distractions. We are only setting up four because after the forth on goes off, we are going to just run right into the tunnel. Jason has told each guard what their distraction will be and when they should go. If one person falls you leave them, they will shoot you before you have a chance to run." Max said and stared at me so that I would get the point. I huffed and looked away angry before he continued.

"Our first distraction is the girls. You all will run a mile out and set off a big fire. Once we see your fire, we will set off our distraction of gun shots. Five minutes later, you girls will be here and scream for help. We will be heading here and taking out the rest of the guards. As soon as we meet up with you girls, run to the tunnel." He said and we nodded, both breaking up into our two groups and running for our distraction points.

"Alright girls, as soon as we get there, break small things of wood and find any big fallen branches first. I'll light the fire and then we run back to where we just came from. When we get back, climb the trees and don't start yelling until my signal." They nodded their heads and we ran until agreeing on a spot.

We looked around to make sure no one had seen us before setting to work. "Be quick, time is not our friend." I said and they nodded while running around to find wood. I started rubbing sticks together and doing what I could until I finally got a spark, I then set it on our already stacked pile of wood and leaves and let it slowly add up. Once the smoke hit the air and the flames were big, we made a run back to where we had come from.

We kept silent, we were excited and yet too scared to celebrate just yet. Sage tripped and I went back for her even though Max said not too. She gave me a knowing smirk and whispered sorry as we caught up to the others who hadn't waited up. We were quick to climb up the trees and we went even faster when hearing the men running nearby. We were all perched in the trees above them, trying to stay perfectly still as they ran under us with loaded guns. The girls looked over to me, and I put my finger to my lips as the last of the men went by.

We heard them yell fire minutes later and more men came running by. When we thought they were done, Liz tried to walk over to me across branches but the one she was on snapped. I locked my legs over and under the branches next to me with Sage holding my legs for support before diving to catch Liz's arms. I tried pulling her up and we were making a lot of noise before freezing. A couple of slower guards appeared in view with their buckets of water to put out the flame.

She looked at me pleadingly and she should know I wouldn't willingly drop her. They stopped under the tree to lite the other guys cigar and I panicked when my grip began to loosen. Her eyes widened in fear but neither of us dared make any noise. I had her shoulders but my hands were now slipping down to her elbows, lowering her unintentionally. Her eyes were watery and my legs began to burn in pain as I tried to pull her up.

The men began to walk on and I only had her hands at this point. I bent my body as far as it was willing to let me go and swung her a bit to a thicker branch below, not letting go until she was balanced. When she let go, my strength was depleted and Sage had to pull me up herself. Moments later, the boy's guns could be heard and we knew they had limited time to move and hide. We climbed a bit lower in the trees since the guards would be headed in the opposite direction than us.

We began to count to ourselves the five minutes of waiting and they waited for my signal. Once I was sure it was safe, I climbed down and signaled for some to do the