“Cabin B, two released.”
Silence.
“I’m guessing you’re next?” Malcolm asks.
He nods. “Cabin C, six released. There’s always twelve.”
Malcolm picks up the radio and relays this message.
No one responds. No answer. No acknowledgement.
“Now what?” Wade asks.
“Now the driver drives away with the prey,” my guy says.
“First, we’re going to play strip search. You can save us time and you a painful death by cooperating,” Malcolm says. “What do you have on your person?”
My guy shakes his head, but I’m already sticking my hands inside his pockets and dropping everything they contain on the ground. One of the men who came out with us takes my spot and continues my work as I take a step away.
The other guy opens the door to the barrack that had slammed shut when Malcolm grabbed him and lets everyone else out. Azlan has Brek’s elbow as he comes outside. Brek’s eyes are dilated, his skin ashen.
I step away and turn the phone on. It takes a minute to boot up. It takes a minute longer for the cell to connect to the satellite. As soon as it does, I dial.
“Voss,” Dad says, and not going to lie, I sigh a breath of relief.
“We’ve got one cabin secured. Three men in our possession. We’ll be heading out in a minute. You can send everyone in. Make sure Doc gets to the lodge ASAP, please.”
“How is he?”
My eyes train on Brek. “Feverish. Ashen. Not steady on his feet.”
“Okay, Doc is already en route. Rhodes is hunting. I’ve sent the signal to your brothers and uncles. Everyone is en route now. You’ll quickly be joined by more backup. Be careful.”
I nod. “We will be. I’m keeping the phone on now, but it only has forty percent battery.”
“Noted. Take your time, but hurry.”
I snort. “Thanks.”
“I have confidence in you, Voss,” he says, and for some reason, my chest tightens. “You can do this.”
The line cuts out, and I pull the phone away. Its flashingcall has ended.
I turn back and find that the men we secured are loaded into the bed of the truck. Everyone from the barracks has begun moving through the trees in the direction of the other two barracks.
Wade looks at me. “You ready, man?”
“Yep.” I search out Brek. Malcolm already has him loaded into the cab of the truck. “Be careful.”
He grins. “This is our favorite kind of job,” he says and claps my shoulder. “We’ll meet you at the lodge.”
I have a feeling that the hunters they catch are going to meet the fate they’d planned for their victims today. I’m not sorry about it.
I climb into the cab of the truck and pull Brek close. “Almost over, Brek. Hang on a little longer.”
He’s lucid enough to nod in response. I’m going to take that as a good sign.
The ride isn’t quick, which makes complete sense. If it were easy to find or close enough to get to, it’d be far too simple to stumble upon as one of the prey running for their lives. We’re bouncing around in the truck for a long time. I check on the guys in the back frequently, as does Malcolm.
