“Is that what she was whispering to you? Is that what Reed told her to tell you? That if he gets out, you’re having a party for three?” He stops and looks at me, and I’m not sure what to say. I don’t want to blab that Reed and Ashely hooked up, but I don’t know what else to say. I probably shouldn’t have said anything. “I think he felt bad for cheating.”
Not that it’s like that between us.
And I’m not jealous that he got with her either. They were taking a chance in case it all went bad. Any of us would’ve done the same.
“Are you annoyed with him?”
“No. And even if I was, I’d want him back so I could kill him.”
Hargrave smiles. “Fair enough. Just wanted to be sure you aren’t going to fuck up.”
“I can’t let Ashley down.” I grin. “Besides, it doesn’t seem right if it’s only Reed and me…not when we’ve all been checking her out.” I had dropped that hint and she hadn’t slapped my face. In fact, she’d promised it. “We could all get together for some fu—"
“I don’t want to watch your hairy ass while you fuck.”
“My ass isn’t hairy. That’s Reed.”
He snorts.
“Maybe you need a better look?”
He shakes his head, and we shut up as we approach the camp from the side. We drop and creep as close as we dare, hiding among the shrubs, and watching through the scopes of our rifles. The light isn’t in my face from this angle, and it’s clear that there are about five hostiles near the vehicle.
My attention swings to Reed. He doesn’t look any better from the side. The rain lashes his body, and while the rain is washing his wounds, I note the one below his ribs that Ashley mentioned and another in his leg.
“I count five,” I whisper.
“If we start shooting, we’ll find the others.”
“If we start shooting, they’ll shoot him.” It’s the ones we can’t see that are dangerous. “We need to go in there nice and quiet.”
Hargrave mimes cutting his throat.
I nod. “Unless you have a better idea.”
I want him to have a better idea.
“You really think Ashley wants us all, because we can’t leave Priest out.”
“I dunno. But I think we need to figure something out.” I like the idea of figuring it out a bit too much.
“Only if we get Reed out. If this goes tits up, no one gets her tits.” Hargrave glances at me.
We had kind of agreed after she knocked back Priest that we wouldn’t hit on her. We didn’t want to seem like a pack of rabid dicks. “Deal.”
“Want to let Reed know we’re here without letting the others know?”
I scowl at him. “We don’t have a secret code.”
“Make a drop bear noise or something.”
“You’re an idiot. Drop bears aren’t real.”
“But Ashley…”
“Wound you up.” I want to laugh, but we’re about to kick some ass, which means our asses are on the line. But it gives me an idea. “Kookaburra.”
“What the fuck is that?”
