I haven't killed anyone in a long time. I wanted that left behind me. More than anything. And if it were just me, maybe I would simply let that violence take me. End it right here, once and for all.
But Naomi needs my help, which means if it’s them or me, it’s going to be me.
"Bet you're glad she had it when that grizzly ran up on you," Reynolds says.
"I sure was."
"Yeah, terrible things can happen in the woods if you're not careful." Davis looks up at me from the shore. He says it with a warm laugh and cold eyes.
I nod. Affable. Loose but coiled. "Yeah. Like a couple of guys pretending to be US Marshals." I could have just struck. I’m squandering a tactical advantage. But if I’m going to take a life again, I’m going to be sure. Absolutely sure.
Davis squints, his finger moving to the trigger of the Glock. I know the safety’s off. "What?"
My face goes hard. I'm no longer the affable lost, grateful civilian. "If you were marshals, you would have given me back my rifle. You wouldn't be handling that Glock. You'd be bagging it for evidence. Instead of planning on shooting me with it and framing her for that, too."
Stillness. Reynolds points my rifle at the ground. Davis has the Glock lowered. But he's close enough.
They strike in the same instant, Reynolds snapping the gun at me at the same time Davis whirls on me with the Glock. I'm ready as I grab Davis's arm and use his momentum to bring his gun arm past me out of harm's way and closer to my body. Reynolds takes a shot and shoots Davis in the back. Davis is wearing body armor, and I'm thankful he is. The caliber of the round that took down the bear would have blown a hole through the both of us. Instead, it cuts through his back and lodges in the front of his armor. I hear Reynolds cock the gun again. I drive Davis's body toward him, using his body as a shield. Another shot that Davis's corpse absorbs. Reynolds cocks my rifle again, but I'm on him at that point and collapse on him with Davis and my weight. Reynolds, trapped under our combined 400-plus pounds, can't move. I pull my knife and stab him three times in the ribs, neck, and eye. Blood gurgles up from his mouth, and he stops moving.
Rising, I collect my rifle and tuck the Glock in the back of my pants.
Then I head in the direction where they took Naomi. I expect the return of death to weigh me down. But I’m not.
I’m relieved.
Nothing's going to keep me from saving Naomi.
Seven
Imove silently through the woods, doubling back and then tracking the route where they took Naomi. I’m soaked in blood, the rain no longer heavy enough to wash it away.
My stomach drops. What if she's already dead? If they were willing to kill me, they would be just as willing to kill her.
The thought chills me, deeper than I thought possible. Especially for someone I’ve known for only a day.
No, they wouldn't have bothered to take her somewhere else if they wanted her dead. They need something from her. She's still alive.
Through the trees, I spot a clearing with a dirt road. Two black SUVs sit parked with tinted windows. Two men mill around—one standing guard by the vehicles, another leaning against the hood, holding up his phone like he’s trying to get cell service and failing. No sign of Naomi, but she must be inside one of them.
I can't risk a shot from here. The windows are too dark to see through, and I can’t risk hitting her. The men are spread out enough that taking down one would alert the other.
I need a distraction.
I gather pine needles, dry leaves, and small twigs into a pile about fifty yards to the south of the vehicles. I place the Glock on top and light the tinder beneath it.
As the fire builds, I circle back around the clearing, positioning myself with clear sightlines to both vehicles. The flames grow higher, and smoke begins to billow up through the trees.
One of the guys takes notice, and then the ordnance in the weapon begins to burst. It doesn't sound like a gunshot, more like fireworks going off. The men pull their weapons, and one rushes toward the fire, the other trailing, sticking close to one of the vehicles.
The one I'm now sure Naomi is in.
I make my way behind the trailing guard, silently, and slit his throat. Adding a strike underneath his ribs.
I let his body fall to the ground and remove my rifle from my shoulder. I aim at the tree line.
The guard comes running back toward the SUVs, clearly disturbed by what he found, but his face is shocked when he sees my rifle aimed at him.
I fire, center mass, and he crumples to the ground.
