A/N… I'm a little later than usual with this one. It's been a stressfully busy last few weeks. We left off at Aunt Kate's. Kim Min-Jun is still a threat. I'll let you guys get to it.
See me down at the bottom to answer a question or two…
~o~H&E~o~
Chapter 26
BELLA
"Hello, boys." I smiled up at Goliath and Samson, who were currently being saddled by Tom and Obie. Mary, Ruth, and Noah, the newest addition, were next to them. "You've gotten big and handsome, Noah."
He was tall and dark like his father, Goliath, but his temperament was more like Mary – calm, easygoing. He nuzzled my cheek a little, giving a snort or two when I patted his neck. All five horses were being put to work today. And with Goliath out of his stall, the bunker was getting aired out, stocked up, and kittens were moved in – Mom included, who I found out was named Delilah. Aunt Kate's biblical names never ended, which I found humorous because she wasn't exactly religious.
Edward and Carlisle would be on Goliath and Samson. Goliath only let a few people ride him, and Edward was one of them. Austin and Junior would be on Mary and Ruth, which left Noah, who was being ridden by Jasper. Emmett, Mickey, Ned, and Harry would be either on foot or the ATV. Emmett wasn't a fan of horseback riding. He'd claimed that something that big had a mind of its own and that mind could decide to buck his ass off the side of a mountain. Jasper had been unable to stop laughing.
Goliath gave a grumble, his heavy hooves shifting a little.
"You gonna give me shit today, buddy?" Edward asked him, and I turned to watch the two of them. "Why do I bother asking? You always give me shit."
Goliath whinnied softly, shaking his head.
My giggle caught their attention, and Goliath pressed his long face against my torso.
"No, asshole, you can't have her today. It's me. Your request is denied," Edward said through a chuckle.
I grinned up at the big black horse that seemed to scare everyone but me. "Later, big guy."
"I swear he rolls his eyes at me," Edward muttered sarcastically.
Smiling up at him, I shrugged. "He's just as cranky as you are."
Edward fought a smile, running a hand downGoliath's nose. "Maybe."
"Right… Maybe," I teased him, running my fingers through Goliath's mane and then patting his neck. "I need you to be careful out there. No taking chances. No bullshit."
Edward huffed a laugh but sobered quickly. "Yes, ma'am. This is simply a scouting trip. We're adjusting cameras, checking fences, and looking for the best spots to set up sentries."
"I know, but bears and wolves aren't in on our plans," I told him.
He laughed. "No, but let's hope that if there are any out there, they're on our side."
"Wouldn't that be a justified ending for Kim? Mauled by a bear," I said, snorting softly at the level of weirdness that this whole thing had been.
"It's not enough," Edward stated firmly, checking Goliath's reins and saddle. "Anyway, we'll have Lock and Load with us, and Aunt Kate's two huskies will stay here."
Nodding, I hoped those two dogs weren't too young. Aunt Kate had lost Tia last year to cancer, so Ezekiel – Zeke – had been the last litter she'd had. She'd gotten Ada from a breeder in Anchorage. Leaving the younger ones here seemed to be the smartest idea.
"Sweetness," Edward said, coming to stand in front of me. He pressed a long, heavy kiss to my forehead. "This is just a few hours. Just before dark, everyone will be at their posts. I need you ladies on the cameras, motion sensors, and drones."
I kissed his lips, whispering, "Okay," just as everyone who was heading out made their way into the barn. Reaching into the front pouch of my hoodie, I pulled out the earpieces I'd brought for the men. "Here, guys. Alice is waiting for your radio check."
"Ma'am," they all said, each one picking up an earpiece and tucking it into their ear.
I put in my own, listening when they called in. Once everyone was on their horse or ATV, I smiled up at Edward, rubbing Goliath's strong neck again and then my husband's thigh.
"Take care of him, Goliath," I whispered to the big black horse, kissing his soft nose.
Following them out of the barn, I smiled up at Junior, who was giving his cousin a hell of a teasing.
"C'mon, cousin, spill it. You gonna hit that or what?" he asked with a slight southern drawl.
Austin scowled at his way more outgoing cousin. "Will you shut the fuck up?" When he caught my eye, he grimaced. "Sorry, Miss Bella."
I waved it away with a laugh, but I wasn't sure who they were talking about until I glanced up at the front porch to see Mack sitting on the steps. I raised my eyebrows but kept my thoughts to myself. Makenna had had such a hard break-up with Wes that I wasn't sure she was even looking, but apparently I was mistaken.
Before I could talk to her, I needed to check in with Eleazar. I stepped into the military tent, giving a smile to Ji-Yun's guards and Dr. Sharp, who waved me over.
"Let me check those stitches, Bella," she offered, patting the stool. "I won't keep you long."
Nodding, I took a seat. She carefully removed my bandage as Eleazar walked over.
"I was asked to find out where Ji-Yun would be placed," I told him, glancing down at my wound that was hardly a blip on the radar when it came to pain at this point.
"The other bunker." His reply came quickly as he pointed to his two other guards. "They'll be with her, along with the doc here. Dean and I will be working under Carlisle in that area of the woods." He grinned at the thought and then explained, "I do believe Carlisle will be keeping a personal eye on Dean. I do not envy the guy should he fuck up."
I huffed a laugh, sneaking a glance at Dean, who was monitoring Ji-Yun's conversation with her son and parents. "We'll be putting Marcus and Miranda with Esme, Sarah, and the kids in the barn's bunker. Obie and Tom will be in the hayloft to shoot anyone who comes anywhere near it."
Eleazar nodded. "And your girls?"
"With me in the computer room unless it becomes unsafe to stay. Alec is with us because that leg of his will slow him down out on the property. He'll be the one to make the call to abandon the computer room."
"I don't see it getting that far, but it's good to plan," he agreed.
Dr. Sharp finished rebandaging my arm, giving me a smile. "Looks good. The stitches should come out in a few days."
"Thank you," I told her, handing Eleazar two earpieces. "Please check in with Alice to make sure it's working. The other one is for Dean."
"Roger that, Bella," Eleazar replied, tucking his comm link in and checking in with Alice.
I left the tent, heading toward the front porch where Mack was still sitting. I stopped in front of her, asking, "Wanna talk about it? Or him?"
She smiled a little, shaking her head. "It's not on the list of important shit, Bells. We're kinda busy, don'tcha think?"
"I'd rather address it now so it doesn't affect the upcoming events," I answered sarcastically.
She laughed, shrugged a shoulder. "If I knew what the hell I was thinking or feeling, I'd tell you. But I promise it won't affect anything."
"Fair enough. Then let's go make sure the guys are all on track," I conceded as we walked back into the house. I adjusted my earpiece, taking my position standing behind Alice. "IGOR, property cameras up on monitor one, GPS tracking on all Gravity personnel on monitor two, and satellite overview of the entire property on monitor three."
Yes, Miss Bella.
The three large flatscreen monitors hanging on the wall above Alice's computer station lit up one after the other. I could understand why they were out scouting. Several of the property cameras were either dirty, needed to be repositioned, or needed to be replaced altogether. Animals or weather most likely had shifted or damaged them.
The cameras that were functioning properly caught movement as our scout team began their search, repairs, and adjustments. Emmett and Mickey were on one of the ATVs taking the main road into the property toward the entrance gate, and they were about to check the fences, cameras, and gates before locking it all down. Ned and Harry were taking their ATV around the backside of the property inside the fence.
However, the men on horseback were leaving the fenced property out the back gate. There were old trails – both hiking and riding – that led in from the Denali National Park. I was familiar with some of those trails. We'd used them for hiking and camping with the kids, and we'd used them a couple of years ago to help me train on Jasper's sniper rifle. Edward and I had used them to find a moment of privacy, a thought that made me smile a bit.
It was on these trails that the guys were going to add more cameras because Kim could use the park to move in on us. The cameras – hidden in bushes, trees, and rock crevasses – would be wireless and connected to IGOR.
"Alice, darlin'," Jasper piped up.
"Go ahead, Jasper," she replied.
"You're good to connect to cameras six, seven, and eight."
"Okie dokie. IGOR, access new cameras."
Yes, Miss Alice.
Jasper's silly-sweet grin popped up on one of the new cameras, making us all chuckle. He gave a thumbs-up, getting back up on Noah to continue on the trail, where he'd be looking for decent spots to set up his sniper south of the house, which aimed toward the main road.
"Sweetness," Edward called.
"Go ahead, Edward."
"Cameras four, five, and ten are set."
"Copy that. IGOR, access new wireless cameras."
New shots of the woods and trails on the west side of Aunt Kate's house bloomed into life on Alice's monitor. Edward's face was a mix of grumpy frustration at dealing with technology and handsome concentration at the job at hand.
"Lookin' good, baby," I told him, getting that sweet, slightly cocky half grin of his.
Carlisle was next to set his cameras up, followed by Junior. Last was Austin, calling his location in, which was the opposite side from Jasper's.
"Miss Bella, cameras thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen are in position," he called over the radio.
"Okay, thank you," I said as Alice instructed IGOR to connect to the last of the extra cameras.
Austin's face lit up one screen, and I caught Mack looking his way.
Rose shook her head, meeting my eyes. "That's one good-looking man," she muttered just low enough the radio didn't catch it. "Who knew Harry had a part in that."
Grinning her way, I called everyone over the radio. "Okay, guys, we're going to turn all surveillance over to IGOR. Any movement or sound will trigger him, as well as any light after the sun sets. I need to know where each post will be and who will be there."
They were out scouting locations for another two hours. The front gate was locked, and Harry and Ned had already settled in at their post there. Jasper and Edward were still out on the Denali trails on Noah and Goliath, accompanied by Lock and Load. Everyone else – Carlisle, Austin, Junior, Mickey, and Emmett – had come back in to report where their locations would be, load up on weapons and ammo, and grab a bite to eat. Tom and Obie were getting the barn set up for the kids and Esme to be moved into the bunker.
Out the window, Carlisle was talking with Eleazar and Dean, which meant they were getting ready to move Ji-Yun to the underground bunker in the woods.
"Why's Dad and Uncle Jasper so far up the mountain trail?" Sammy asked, sitting down beside me with his plate of chili dogs and chips. His dark eyes were studying the monitor that showed the Gravity team's GPS trackers.
I didn't have to answer; Bethy did it for me.
"Because, silly, he's getting up high enough he can see if someone's coming." She popped a chip into her mouth, pointing to the map. "Look. From here he can see almost every direction. The trail that comes in from the visitor center is here," she said, pointing to the other side of the mountain ridge. "Then there's the main road here, so he's gonna want to see this trail. Poppy said that this jerk came into Alaska through Juneau, so Dad will want to see this trail too."
She pointed out the triangle that Edward and Jasper had indeed said they wanted to scope out while out on the horses.
"Yeah, but he needs a drone or somethin'." Sammy looked to me with determination and an accusatory expression. "They can't see everything."
I shook my head. It was official… Edward and I had created two little monsters. I was very proud as I kissed the top of his head.
"Here, my minions," Alice soothed, handing Sammy the control to one of her many toys. "This one is different than the one I made you. This one flies like an airplane. Got it?" Once he nodded, Alice did what she always did with the kids – she told them the brutal truth. "Now, you can help until Alecsays you have to go. No arguments. Okay?"
"Okay, Aunt Alice."
I smiled over at Alice, wondering not for the first time why she didn't want kids. She was amazing with all of them. She'd say she makes a better aunt, so I never argued. She'd made her choice long ago, and it worked for her.
"Now, check in with your dad and let him know he's got eyes in the sky."
Bethy grinned like she'd been given an early Christmas present as she and Sammy tucked earpieces into their ears. "Dad, come in."
"Yes, little sweetness," he called back, and I could hear the smile in his tone already.
"Aunt Alice wanted us to let you know that you've got eyes in the sky."
"Copy that. Give me a minute. We're almost to the top of the trail."
I pulled up a chair next to my son, stealing a potato chip and watching the same drone camera that Alice had used at the mountain cabin. It was also the same one that Emmett had controlled from here while we were fighting Kim's men in Trinity.
"Ten-four," she answered him, clicking where Alice was pointing. "We're sending you and Uncle Jasper the drone's camera feed now, Dad. It'll be on your phone when you stop."
Edward chuckled, but it was Jasper who answered this time. "Okay, we're on point. Show us what you've got."
"I'm starting at the main road," Sammy told them.
Aunt Kate's property shrank on the screen as Sammy lifted off and took the drone up high enough to give everyone a wide view of all the roads, trails, and entrances. Jasper and Edward guided him where they needed the view as Sammy worked his way north toward where they were on the mountain pass. He followed every instruction as best he could while working with something he'd never touched before that moment.
Sammy flew the drone beyond his dad and Jasper, banking over the mountain toward the visitor center of Denali National Park. He took his time following the trails toward the parking area. There were more cars there than I expected for being the middle of the week, though it was summertime, so it was prime hiking/camping season.
"If I were a tourist, that's where I'd come in," Alice stated to no one in particular. "It's easy to find on the map, it has access without security, and they can pose as hikers."
"It seems obvious, though. Doesn't it, Alice?" Edward queried over the radio.
"Maybe. But he has no idea what's in that wilderness. He only knows where to go. He also is going to know that even if we didn't know he was coming, we could severely kick his ass."
My kids giggled, which caused Edward to gasp mockingly. "Swear jar, Alice."
"Shut up. They hear worse on TV."
Bethy nodded and shrugged at the same time, looking identical to her father.
"Edward, we're not going to be able to see anything under the tree cover. And most of the trails have some blind spots as well," I noted as Sammy circled the drone again.
"Yeah, sweetness, I know." He sighed over the radio. "I'd ask for thermals, but the wildlife out here would destroy any sort of reliability."
"Maybe we'll luck out and they'll all get eaten by a bear." Bethy's tone was wry and sarcastic.
"See? I said the same thing!" I said through a laugh, kissing my daughter's temple.
"Did you really?" she gasped.
Edward was laughing his ass off when he answered her. "Yes, little sweetness, though she had wolves in the mix too."
"Oooh! Wolves!" Sammy said hopefully.
"How did my family get this way?" Edward asked dramatically.
"When we get back, I'm gonna shove your face into a mirror," Jasper told him.
"You can try." Edward paused for a moment as Jasper laughed at him. "I think we have all we need up here. We'll head back to get ready. I have a feeling he'll come in tonight."
"Roger that, Edward. We'll see you in a few," I told him, turning to my kids. "You two did awesome, but Aunt Alice is right. You can help up until Alec says it's time for you to hide. Am I clear?"
"Yeah, Mom," they both answered me.
I got up, kissing both of them, and headed into the kitchen to grab myself something to eat. I had an eerie feeling that we were looking at a very long night.
~o~H&E~o~
EDWARD
"How did my family get this way?" Jasper repeated mockingly as he scanned our surroundings with the military-grade binoculars. "Are you fucking kidding me right now?"
Laughing, I patted Goliath's strong neck while walking him a bit by the reins. I'd hopped down to watch my son work that drone just as well as Emmett had, not to mention anything Alice could've done. I was very proud of my kids; they proved over and over just how smart and amazing they were.
I tucked my phone back into my side pocket of the cargo pants I was wearing, waiting for Jasper to give the all-clear. He sighed in frustration, pulling the binoculars away from his face.
"Bella's got a point. We can't see through all this tree cover. That motherfucker could be right over there, and we'd never know it." He pointed in the direction of the tight cluster of trees just to the northeast of us.
Noah and Goliath both shifted on their feet while the dogs sniffed around. We'd brought Lock and Load with us as extra eyes and ears, not to mention noses. They could alert us to predators, both human and animal. We'd left Aunt Kate's huskies back at the farm. Ada and Zeke were still a little young, so they wouldn't have listened as well as Lock and Load, which could get them killed. I'd rather have them guarding the barn with Obie and Tom anyway.
Jasper handed over the binoculars, and I scanned the trails. I knew most of them. For someone not used to the area, they'd most likely use the Triple Lakes Trail to access this area. It was about a ten-mile hike. There was also the Eielson Visitor Center, too. It was accessible off one of the main park roads, and the hike started fairly high in the mountains.
Jasper mounted Noah, taking the binoculars from me and stowing them in his bag slung across his shoulder. I reached for Goliath's saddle, giving one more slow gaze around me. Just as I was about to put a foot in the stirrups, a blip of light or reflection caught my attention. It was several yards away, but it seemed to have come from one of the trees.
"Gimme the binoculars again," I muttered low to Jasper, and he reached back into his bag.
"What'd you see?"
"Hang on."
I stayed near Goliath, using him as cover as I scanned again in the direction I'd seen the small flash. It was in a tree that I caught the movement and the color that didn't blend in with the forest around us. White. It wasn't much, and I would've never seen it without the binoculars, but it was there. A small triangle-ish bit of white T-shirt, and it was attached to someone just below the low-hanging branch of a fir.
"Christ! Sniper! Jasper, get—"
There was no sound, simply the nanosecond between flash and Jasper hitting the ground in a grunt. Noah jumped a little, but Goliath stayed put as I ran around the two to get to Jasper, who was bleeding like a bitch.
"Talk to me, J. What's hit?" I asked him, rolling him onto his side as I reached in my bag for something, anything to stem the blood.
"Leg, leg!" he ground out through gritted teeth. "I think it went through, but… Son of a bitch!"
Both dogs reacted with growls, flashes of dangerous teeth, and hackles raised, but they were getting the horses riled up.
"Lock and Load, on me. Down!" I ordered them both as I ripped pieces of a spare shirt into strips.
Load's blue eyes were sharp as he did as I'd ordered, but he didn't stop watching, guarding, growling. I needed all the living beings up here to stay the fuck alive. Without the horses, getting back to the farm would be a bitch, especially now that Jasper was hit, and the dogs would tell me if someone came too fucking close.
Tapping my earpiece, I called to the farm. "Homebase, come in," I stated low as I checked Jasper's thigh. It was a through and through, but it would bleed like a motherfucker if I didn't get a makeshift tourniquet on it. "Fuck, J, this was a close one."
"Go ahead, Edward," I heard Bella answer.
"Sweetness, I got company out here," I replied, pausing before I said the next thing because this would send every-fucking-body into a damned frenzy. "And I… Jasper's down."
Flinching at the overload of voices over the radio, I focused on Jasper. "If I get this wrapped up, do you think you could ride?"
"Maybe." He shook his head. "Probably not. I don't fucking know, Ed!"
"Jasper, you'd better talk to me right now!" Alice yelled over the radio, and she sounded panicked and angry, which wasn't like her.
"Answer her," I said, nudging him to focus.
I knew this feeling. I knew pain from wounds, but I also knew the sound of the other half of my heart about to go bat-shit crazy with worry because she couldn't set eyes on me. Alice needed to hear him.
"I'm hit, darlin', but I'm okay. Just…find these bastards for me," he said through heavy breaths.
"On it, on it, on it," she chanted, sounding way more relieved.
"Okay," I said, meeting his gaze before I shifted that leg. "Brace yourself. This will fucking hurt, got me?"
He was shaking, sweating, and breathing heavy as I placed folded pieces of that shirt on both the entrance and exit wound, tying the strips around it to keep them in place. More voices called over the radio, but I was trying to make sure the wounds were completely covered, at least for the moment. I heard Bella and Eleazar, I heard Emmett giving orders to the others, and finally the tone I'd grown up hearing met my ears.
"Son, if you don't fucking answer me…" my dad yelled over the radio.
"I'm here, I'm here."
"What's your status?" he asked.
"I'm at the top of the mountain trail. I've got a sniper approximately a click away to my north-northeast. Jasper is wounded; it's a through and through. I don't think he can ride—"
Two shots splintered the tree behind us, and I made a split-second decision.
"J, I'm sending the horses back down the trail; they're a fucking target up here. We'll have to dig in. Got me?" I waited until he nodded wearily at me before moving.
Staying low, I walked to Noah and took Jasper's sniper case off the saddle. I tied his reins to Goliath's saddle. The cranky old horse was a lot of things, but stupid wasn't one of them. That horse had been trained ages ago on how to go straight back to the farm. Noah, not so much. I grabbed my own stuff off Goliath, soothing him a little.
"Go home," I told him, popping him lightly on the rump to get him to go. He snorted but took off down the trail, showing his offspring the way.
"We're coming to you," Dad stated firmly.
"Don't you dare leave that fucking farm unprotected! That's probably what Kim is expecting."
"Edward, I'm not leaving the farm unprotected. The baby bears are going into their den, Goldilocks is checking the forest, and the rest of the goddamn bears know their fucking plan."
Jasper snorted wearily, rolling his eyes up to me. "Copy that," he answered softly. "Ed's gonna get me to a high spot. I can still fucking shoot."
"You sure?" I asked him, because getting him to a high spot would hurt like hell with that leg of his. When he nodded, I glanced around us to find him a place to set up.
I knew for a fact I couldn't get him in a tree, but I could get him up a bit more on the trail so he could set himself up in the rocky terrain. He'd have cover and a good overview of the trails around us.
"Okay, I'm gonna put you up there," I told him, jerking a chin toward the rocky overhang a little farther ahead.
He nodded, starting to reach for his equipment, but I stopped him. I loaded myself down with his bag and mine, not to mention his sniper rifle case. I shook my head at the fact that I hadn't been this weighed down with gear since the Air Force, and that was in basic training.
"Let's get you up," I said, wrapping his arm around my neck and holding on to his side. "Don't put weight on that leg. You'll know all about it, and so will everything with hearing within a fucking mile radius."
"No shit," he grunted.
It wasn't easy, and it damn well wasn't speedy, but I got him to the spot I thought he'd be the safest and with the best advantage. Once he pointed to the spot he wanted to sit, I lowered him to the ground. I set his gear next to him, taking the binoculars as he set up his sniper rifle. The area where the sniper had been before was now vacated, which meant those bastards were on the move.
"Guys, guys, guys," Alice called over the earpieces.
"Go ahead, Alice," I muttered while still scanning the trails around us for movement.
"Edward, I went ahead and went thermal on the drone," she started, and I wondered for a split second if it was my son still controlling it. "You were right. The animal life did throw it off for a second… Until I could pinpoint large masses on the move. I'm sorry to report no bears, but I do have a cluster of heat moving through the woods not far from you."
"Excellent, Alice. Talk me to their location."
"You said they were north-northwest from you, and they still are. The group is moving in a southerly direction your way. Off trail. They're between the Triple Lakes Trail and the one you guys were on. Look at your phone, Edward."
I did as she asked, pulling out my phone to see the feed she was sending me. Jasper tapped my leg, and I knelt down so he could see what she was showing us. He glanced from the phone to the wilderness and then back to the phone and finally pointed to the section of woods. He set his rifle that way but then reached for his bag, shoving it toward me.
"Go," he whispered, sweating in pain, and despite that pain, those hands of his were steady as fuck when he handed me knives, grenades, and ammo. "Go in silent. Take that trail until you're behind them, and then I want you to hunt those motherfuckers down."
"Wait!" Bella called over the radio. "Edward, don't move yet."
"Go ahead, Sweetness," I replied while strapping myself down with everything he'd just handed me, as well as my own gear.
"There's another group moving in from the visitor center trail, but you've got time. They're farther out."
I glanced at my phone, showing Jasper that group too. "Got it, Bella. Keep me posted on their progress."
"Copy that. I'm also sending you the locations of help heading your way," she said cryptically. "Homebase is covered; Carlisle told me to tell you 'pyramid formation.'"
"Thank you, sweetness." I glanced at Jasper, who was nodding as he pulled shrubbery around him to hide himself, and we both understood that there were three teams surrounding and guarding the farm.
I quickly thought out where everyone would be: Tom and Obie in the barn, Ned and Harry at the front gate, and lastly a team to watch the back of the property. I wasn't sure who Dad would've picked to guard the latter – most likely himself and Dean.
"Also, two teams of two are on the move."
"Ten-four," I told her, standing up and shouldering my bag as I glanced Jasper's way.
"I'm good. I've got you. Go!" he grunted out as he shifted to aim out over the woods and trails, moving gingerly to avoid that wound of his.
Kneeling down, I took a bit of dirt to my face to lessen the shine. I also pulled on a darker jacket to not only cover the lighter-colored shirt I was wearing but to protect myself from whatever I might encounter in those damn woods. Jasper and I hadn't been prepared to stay out here, but we had no fucking choice now, so we were going to work with what we had.
Before I walked away, Jasper said, "Watch yourself out there, Ed. I'll keep watch from here."
"Copy that," I said, leaving him to finish camouflaging himself. Turning to the dogs, I said, "Lock, stay. Load, on me."
Lock was excellent to guard Jasper. Load, on the other hand, was almost frightening when he hunted, and as I left on the trail with him at my side, I was banking on it. We ran silently as fast as we could to the point Jasper and I had agreed would be the best to sneak in behind these assholes.
The difference between trail and off-trail was massive. Trees blocked the sun, but it also changed the sound. It was quieter, more of an enclosed feeling. Sounds of wildlife around us paused as we moved through the trees, brush, and rocks.
Load and I jumped over a small creek, taking cover when voices met our ears. Peering around a large tree trunk, I caught sight of two men lagging behind their group. The rest were several yards ahead. The man closest to me would be no problem, but the other would raise an alarm if I didn't do this the right way. Both men were armed and unaware of my presence. I needed to keep silent, so I reached down for my knife inside my boot.
I held a hand up to Load to stay and worked my way from cover to cover of trees and rocks to stay out of sight. As I neared the closest man, I whistled low, bringing Load from his hiding place at the same time I wrapped a hand around the man's mouth. My knife was at his throat, ending him as Load's movement made the second man spin in around. Before any triggers could be pulled or anyone could call out, I threw my knife hard and fast, smiling when the dull thunk met my ears. The second mancollapsed to the forest floor.
Tapping my earpiece, I said softly, "Two down. I'm going after the rest of these assholes."
~o~H&E~o~
A/N… Okay, the shit has hit the fan, I suppose. ;) I'll get the next chapter out as soon as I can.
To answer a question that seems to be coming up… How long will this be? I don't know. If I had to guess, a few more chapters, but at this point that's all it is…a guess. There are a few more things that need to happen, so I don't want to put a number to the chapters just yet.
I'm slowly getting these chapters out, so there's still no set schedule. I thank each and every one of you for your patience and endless love for these characters. Until next time… Mooches, Deb