Jade uses her head

Jade considers the map for a long moment, then puts it aside. Every girl on this island has one of these, she thinks. If it really did a lot of good, this would be easy. I need to think outside the box on this.

The men are stronger than me, and faster, she considered. They've been given information about the island that I don't have. But I know one thing about them that they may not realize I know: that every one of them is the kind of man who signs up for something like this. Every one of them is a man who sees women as prey, as something they can grab and use how they want. They think with their dicks. I need to think with my head, and I can get through this.

They'll expect every woman to run for the trees, just like I did, and then keep running. They'll expect us all to go straight for the opposite side of the island, zig-zagging a little, but more or less going in that direction. I need to take a different tactic... I need to get behind the pack, so I know there's no one behind me.

Jade looks around, sees what she needs; a small, muddy pond, not much bigger than a full-size bed. She makes for the pond and splashes into the water, churning up the soil so that the pond becomes even muddier. She finds a hollow reed to breathe through, pulls leaves and muck from the side of the pond over her. At the last minute, she remembers to hide her backpack under more leaves; she's not sure it's waterproof. Then, she submerges herself in the mud, and the silence closes over her.

They think we're weak, and frightened, and vain, she considers. They wouldn't expect one of us to hide so close to the starting point. They don't think I would be willing to cover myself with mud and slime to hide. I can stay still for five hours, but they may have been lying about that, and besides I don't need that long - I need only two hours at the most. How can I tell how much time has passed? I can keep track of my own breathing! Every breath is about five seconds... close enough. Fourteen hundred and forty breaths is two hours. One... two... three...