NINETEEN
The pilot opened her door and Gaia climbed out, her boots crunching on the rocky, red dirt as she stepped off the helipad matting. She stood on the road between the beach and camp, staring at the deep ditch in the sand where someone had dragged the rolled-up matting from the water to its current position. It looked frighteningly like the crocodile tracks she'd been shown in her safety briefings when she'd first joined the company. She glanced around, worried.
Jay was taking his sweet time getting out, and he'd probably only laugh at her fears, so she turned to the pilot. Pointing at the tracks, she asked, "Are there any crocodiles out here?"
The pilot's smile was gentle, without a hint of laughter. "On the mainland, yes, and some of the nearer islands, but I've never heard sto
