Gunfire echoes through the night far enough away that I know it’s not meant for me.
I twitch my fingers, trying to get blood back into them so that when I’m free, at least I can shoot. Now I’m waiting, the pain is growing. I’m aware of every wound, and the way the rain is hitting me. I’m glad it’s not cold, but I’m not feeling that warm either. Probably because I’m hurting and tired and naked.
I try to keep my breathing even, even though my pulse has quickened.
I want to lift my gaze and look around, but I don’t want the men holding me to think that I am expecting rescue. That will only make it harder on my guys…and me.
This is when hostages are killed.
If the bad guys can’t have them, no one can.
I wriggle my toes, trying to get ready to fight. I slide my gaze to the left and right, hoping to see what’s going on. The men are shouting and arguing. I’m guessing the two that ran off haven’t returned yet.
One walks over to me and puts a pistol to my head. “They come for you?”
My heartbeat kicks up and the still forming bruises throb. There’s no dodging that if he pulls the trigger.
He pushes harder against my head, and I let it loll as though I’m not with it.
The bickering stops, and the silence is so much worse.
The man swivels, pointing his pistol at where his men should be. Like me, he won’t be able to see them because of the light shining on us. He calls out to them.
The kookaburra replies and kills the headlights.
So either it’s my guys, or some creepy ass local ghost or monster. At this point, even if it’s some nightmarish creature, if they set me free I’ll shake their hand and have a beer with them.
The guy next to me calls out again, then shoots in the direction of the vehicle. It’s going to take a minute or so for his eyes to grow used to the dark. If I hadn’t been watching him from the corner of my eye, I’d have missed the flash of the knife.
He drops to the ground in the mud.
“You could’ve helped,” Colt says. He cuts the rope and catches me so I don’t fall into the mud. Which I would’ve. I’m no use to them at all, and he knows it.
“You took your time.” I hug him tight. Not wanting to let go, even though I know we need to move.
Colt hauls me out of the center and to the shadows of a building. The one I drove into is a gaping, wet hole. “We found your girlfriend.”
I sigh with relief. Ashley is safe. If she was still out there, I’d be begging them to leave me and find her. “Did you kill the boss?”
“The boss?”
“The man in charge.” Or is he hiding, watching?
“We killed whoever we saw.” He peers at my face and tilts my head as he checks the obvious wounds. I have no doubt that he assessed everything else while I was on display. That’s what he does. He’s always thinking and planning. “Are you able to make it to the jungle?”
“Yeah.” I have to, so it’s not really a question.
“We’d take a car, but someone shot them all up.”
I grin. “It seemed like a good idea.”
“I’m sure it did.”
Hargrave joins us in the shadow. “You ready to get the fuck out of here, or do you need some more alone time?”
Colt nods. “I’ll patch him in the jungle. You cover our six.”
“On it.”
