The two of us break from the cover of the trees and into the maze of caravans. The fighting is getting louder, the cries of agony and fear like fingernails on a chalkboard as the noise slithers down my spine. I lift my rifle and slow the pace, taking time to clear every corner before moving. Ollie instinctively follows suit, her bow ready to fire at a moment’s notice.
I peek around the side of a caravan and am about to move around it when there’s a gasp followed by a strangled shout. I whirl around just in time to see Ollie use the arrow she’d been about to fire to stab a hulking man in the thigh behind her. His arms, which were wrapped around her, immediately fall away as he collapses to the ground with another bellow of pain as she wrenches the arrow from his thigh.
I don’t hesitate. As soon as she’s out of the way, I take aim and fire a bullet straight into the man’s skull. With him dead, I turn to Ollie, intending to ask if she’s okay, but she’s already pulling back the string on her bow. She lets the arrow fly, and a second later, there’s a gargled gasp from over my left shoulder.
I whip around just in time to see another man wielding a kitchen knife drop to the ground, an arrow embedded in his chest. He was only a few metres away from me and there’s no way I would have reacted in time.
“You seemed to have made a habit out of saving my life,” I mutter with a shake of my head.
She smirks at me. “What can I say? You’re just really good at being a damsel in distress.”
I snort and shake my head. “Maybe one day I’ll repay the favour.” Although I hope that day will never come since it’ll mean Ollie’ll be in danger and my heart can only take so much stress.
We move on, ignoring the bleeding bodies at our feet and head deeper into the maze of caravans. Rickety patios, awnings and gazebos obscure my line of sight, making it harder for me to see any enemies coming our way. The fighting has quietened down, the screaming less frequent, giving the enclosed spaces between the caravans an almost eerie atmosphere. Which is silly, since less noise means we’re winning the fight.
But something in my gut is telling me that this isn’t over. That Luke’s master plan is still in motion. Which means Alex, Theo and the rest of Haven could still be in danger.
I pick up the pace, dread fuelling my hurried steps. Ollie’s breaths are heavy as she chases after me, her footfalls almost too loud in the quiet stillness of the settlement.
Until they stop.
“Rhys…” There’s something in her tone that has the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.
I whirl around and snap my gun up as cold, hard fear slams into me.
Ollie stands stock still, her eyes wide and her face drained of blood as she clutches her bow with white knuckles. Behind her, a stocky man has one arm wrapped around her waist, pinning her back against his chest while pressing a knife against her throat. Even though his face is obscured by shadows, I can still see the malicious gleam in his eyes.
“Let her go,” I snarl as I aim my rifle at his head.
The man chuckles. “You shoot and this bitch is dead. Now drop your weapon like a good boy.”
My hand flexes on the grip of my rifle, but I remain still. There’s no guarantee that if I drop my weapon that he won’t kill her.
“How about you drop yours?” I run through several scenarios on how to get both of us out of this alive. If I can distract him for a second, it’ll give me time to shoot him before he can hurt Ollie.
The man shakes his head and presses the knife harder against her throat. She hisses as a thin line of blood trickles down her neck and it takes everything in me not to lose it at the sight.
“Iwillkill her if you don’t drop your weapon,” the man says, and I believe him.
Fuck.
Ollie’s eyes shine with unshed tears as she shakes her head slightly, wincing as the blade bites into her skin and causing more blood to well up. “Don’t do it,” she whispers as her body trembles in the man’s grip. “Don’t listen to him.”
“Shut up, bitch!” The guy moves his hand from her middle to wrap around her hair, pulling it roughly. She cries out and curses as he wrenches her head back, exposing her throat further to the knife.
My stomach roils with nausea. I know she wants me to just shoot the guy, but I can’t gamble with her life like that. Theo and Alex will never forgive me if I let her get hurt—or worse—on my watch. Hell, I’d never forgivemyself.
I drop my gun.
“No!” Ollie shouts, her voice filled with pain, fear and frustration.
As she speaks, several things happen at once.
A second guy appears from behind the two of them, aiming an old revolver straight at me. Someone comes up behind me at the same time and wraps a thick arm around my throat. I growl and fight back, only to still when the tip of a blade presses into my stomach. The arm around my neck tightens, cutting off both air to my lungs and blood flow to my brain.
Ollie fights back against the man restraining her, whipping her knife out while he’s distracted with me dropping my gun to stab him in the thigh. The guy bellows and curses as his leg gives way beneath him,almost taking Ollie down with him. She thankfully evades him and the knife and stays standing, ready to flee.
Only to hesitate when she sees me.
