Shelby and Daisy laid themselves on the ground as flat as they could, without making a sound.
Dawn yelled in frustration. "I know you're here," she said. "It'll be dawn in a couple hours and then you'll be in trouble." She sat on a nearby stump to wait them out. She wasn't sure who 'them' was, but she knew Sophie had sent them out in pairs. Most likely Daisy was the one here with Shelby. Even better, Dawn thought to herself.
The girls looked at each other. They knew she was right. Once the sun came up, they would be sitting ducks. The should just put on a sign that said 'Shoot me'.
"What are we gonna do?" Shelby asked Daisy, getting near hysterics. "We're gonna die!"
"No, we're not," Daisy said. "She may have a gun but we're much smarter than she is."
"So what's your plan?" Shelby asked quietly. Dawn was sitting up and looking around.
"We wait," Daisy said simply. "She's counting on us going nuts and being sloppy. So we can't."
"Are you nuts? We can't just stay here. We have two hours, tops," Shelby said.
"By then someone will have reached the lodge. It's just a matter of time before she realizes that. She'll leave soon."
"And if she doesn't?" Shelby asked, wanting a good response.
"She'll get sloppy," Daisy said. "She'll fall asleep or let her guard down. Then we're home free."
"I don't think we'll have to wait long," Shelby whispered, nodding to Dawn. She was stretched over a log. She looked drowsy.
Daisy grinned at Shelby. "Let's just hope she's a heavy sleeper."
Shelby looked mortified. "Just kidding," Daisy said. "Although it would be to our advantage." They turned their attention back to Dawn.
"My feet hurt," Juliette complained. "Can't we rest?"
"You know where she is?" Kat asked. "We assume she's following Daisy and Shelby, but are we sure? She could have been following us the whole time."
Juliette sprang off the log she had been sitting on. "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"
Sophie had been walking for over an hour. She pulled some food out of her bag and chewed it cautiously. She hadn't heard anything more since Shelby's scream. It was a good sign, though, that she hadn't heard a gun shot. It'll be dawn in an hour, she thought to herself. I hope someone got help because I don't want to be out her in broad daylight.
Dawn was finally asleep. Even so, the girls waited an additional five minutes before making their move.
"OK, let's get out of here before she wakes up and can see us," Daisy said, nodding to the sun that was already starting to come up in the distance.
They walked carefully but quickly. Who knew when Dawn would be roused from her sleep by the chirping birds?
They were about five hundred yards and some thick trees away from her when they heard her yell.
"I'll get you! You won't get away with this!" she shouted. "I'll kill you, Shelby. You won't get away with making me look like an idiot again!"
Shelby shuddered and grabbed Daisy's hand. "Do you know her?" Daisy asked.
"No, but it sounds like she knows me," Shelby said. "But I can't imagine how."
"Let's go," Daisy said. "With our luck, she'll come this way." The girls went through the woods quickly.
"Look!" Kat said. The lodge loomed in the distance. It was still a long ways from where they were, but at least they could see it. A branch cracked behind them.
