With only five minutes left, we crouched low behind a dense thicket of scruffy young pine trees, peering through branches at the abandoned mining camp ahead. The place looked like something from an old Western movie, with weathered wooden buildings arranged in a rough semi-circle around a dirt clearing, their roofs sagging and walls leaning at precarious angles. An old mine entrance gaped from the mountainside like a dark, hungry mouth, its support timbers looking as weathered as the buildings.
Four men walked around the clearing, holding guns. One was guarding the perimeter, one stood beside what looked like a makeshift office, complete with a desk they got from who knows where. Two were flanking my mate who was tied to a post in the center of the clearing.
Even from this distance, I could see dark stains on his shirt, and the back of his head was dark, matted with blood. My belly lurched, and I forced myself to breathe. He appeared tobe awake. Head wounds could bleed a lot. He might not be too seriously injured.
I had to focus on rescuing him, not falling apart.
The midday sun beat down on the camp, making me sweat. Dirt swirled across the clearing, caught by a breeze that carried the scent of pine. My mouth went dry. We were close, yet the distance between us and Hail might as well be miles.
I memorized every detail of the scene, searching for an advantage. The guard nearest Hail shifted his weight from one foot to another, revealing a holstered pistol at his hip. The one by the office building held a rifle loosely in his hands, the barrel pointed at the ground but ready to swing up if needed. The third man pacing the perimeter kept staring intently into the forest. We needed to move or he’d see us.
I bit my lip hard enough to taste blood, using the pain to focus.
“Will’s not out there,” Beth whispered, squinting at the scene.
“He could be in one of the buildings or behind.” Jessi’s voice was barely audible. “Waiting for Allie since the trail they marked is on the opposite side of the clearing.”
Aunt Inla shifted. “We need to get closer.”
“How?” I asked. “They’re watching.”
We’d been hiding here, debating our next move in hushed tones. Our kitchen knives, Holly’s rolling pin, and Aunt Inla’s cast iron skillet, would be pathetic against men with firearms. The weight of the knife in my hand was a constant reminder of what I might have to do. I’d never stabbed anyone before. Would I hesitate if the moment came?
Fear and desperation warred inside me. Every second we delayed was another Hail remained in danger. I watched him move in the chair, testing his bonds, and my heart ached with the need to run to him.
“We should create a diversion,” Gracie said, nervously twisting a strand of her hair. “Draw them away from Hail.”
“And then what?” Rosey asked, her voice tight with tension. “They’ll shoot whoever’s making the noise.”
I glanced down at Tressa, but the space where she’d been crouching was empty. I found only flattened grass.
“Where’s Tressa?” I hissed, scanning our surroundings. The undergrowth all looked the same, dense, green, impenetrable. No sign of white fur anywhere.
She’d disappeared, melting into the forest without a sound. My heart jumped into my throat. If the guards spotted her…
“Should we go after her?” Holly’s knuckles whitened around her rolling pin.
“No time.” Aunt Inla nodded toward the camp. “Look.”
One of the guards was approaching Hail, carrying a knife. My blood froze solid.
The guard leaned down, speaking into Hail’s ear. I couldn’t hear the words, but Hail’s back stiffened, his head jerking up. The guard laughed, pressing the blade against Hail’s cheek hard enough to dimple the skin.
My vision narrowed to a tunnel, everything beyond that knife against Hail’s face fading to a blur.
“We move now.” I shifted my weight forward.
Jessi grabbed my arm, her fingers digging in hard. “Wait. You can’t just rush in there.”
“I can’t sit here and watch them hurt him either.” I pulled against her grip. The need to reach Hail was a physical ache, the pressure of it threatening to explode.
A commotion from the right side of the camp made us freeze. Strange barking shrieks echoed through the trees, startling a flock of crows into flight. The harsh calls grew louder, closer, followed by shouts of alarm from the guards.
“What is that?” Beth asked, her eyes wide.
We strained to see through the trees. The guard walking the outer part of the camp turned toward the sound, raising his rifle. The one near Hail stepped back, his attention diverted.
A flash of white fur appeared through the trees on the opposite side of the camp. Tressa? She wasn’t alone. She burst out into the clearing, driving a flock of the strangest creatures I’d ever seen.
