Page 59 of Guarded By Them

Kodee glanced over his shoulder at me, but I wasn’t quick enough to alter my features into resembling anything that didn’t look like someone in pain. He stopped walking and frowned.

“Maybe we should take a break,” he suggested. “I could do with refueling.”

I was grateful to him for not mentioning the real reason for stopping. We’d been walking for a couple of hours now, so taking a moment to rest made sense.

“Yeah, my thigh is hurting like a bitch,” Dillon said, and then shot me a look that said ‘sorry, buddy’ as though he knew he shouldn’t complain since he had a leg to start with.

“It’s okay, you were shot. You’re allowed to say when it hurts.” I unstrapped my bag and let it drop to the ground. “How about you, Rue? How are you doing?”

She gave me a tight smile and nodded. “I’m doing okay.”

I knew she was more worried about me than she was herself, and I loved her for that. Despite everything I’d put her through, she didn’t resent me.

We positioned our mats on the ground to give us somewhere dry and comfortable to sit, then dropped down onto them, creating a small circle. We each had our own packets of ready to eat camping meals we’d brought along, and I opened one. I used a plastic fork to scoop out some of the contents and put it in my mouth.

“Mmm. Cold meatballs and pasta. Nice.” I jerked my chin at Dillon. “What you got?”

He grimaced at the contents of his own packet. “Steak and vegetables, I think, though there’s a possibility it’s just dog food.”

“Eww,” Rue exclaimed, elbowing him in the side. “Don’t say that! I won’t be able to eat mine if I keep thinking of dog food.”

He peered into the packet she was holding. “Why? What have you got?”

She grinned back at him. “Chocolate pudding.”

“What? Why do I have dog food and you have chocolate pudding?”

Rue burst into laughter. “Stop it, you do not have dog food!”

I caught Kodee’s eye, and we shared a smile. It was these little moments that made it all seem worth it. The sex and the passion, and all those intense times made me feel like I was alive, but it was these exchanges where my soul finally felt at peace.

Despite the horrible food, we all finished up what we were eating and stashed our trash back into our bags. There was no need for us to leave litter around, not only because that would make us crappy human beings, but also because we didn’t want to leave any signs that we’d been here.

Kodee got to his feet then offered me a hand, pulling me up as well. I tried not to wince as my stump took my weight. I used the large stick I’d found to lean on, easing up some of the pressure. The enormity of what we were attempting threatened to overwhelm me, but I reminded myself that even though this was incredibly difficult, maybe even impossible, if we pulled it off, it would all be worth it.

“Let me take your bag,” Kodee offered.

But I shook my head. “Nah, I’ve got it.”

“Remember what we discussed about asking for help before you need it. It won’t help any of us if you’re incapacitated. You know there’s no way we’re leaving you behind.”

“What about if you just take the camping mat and sleeping bag off the top,” I suggested, wanting to reach a compromise. I didn’t want him carrying everything for me. He needed to stay strong, too. Though we’d never said so out loud, Kodee was our leader. He was holding us all together, and if he fell, the rest of us probably would as well.

He looked like he was thinking about arguing with me for a moment but then relented. “Sure. I can do that.”

We bent to the bag, unclipping the mat and sleeping bag off the top of mine, and strapped it onto the top of Kodee’s. It definitely made his rucksack bulkier, but when I hoisted mine onto my shoulders and clipped the straps around my chest, it did feel lighter.

“Thanks,” I told him.

“Of course.”

We didn’t have much daylight left. I shouldn’t be someone who was afraid of the dark, but I didn’t like the idea of traipsing through these forests in the pitch black. We were in luck that the clouds had stayed away, and we’d at least have the light of the moon to guide us.

We kept going, picking our way through the undergrowth. The bush grew thicker, the ground rockier beneath foot. Kodee acted like a bulldozer in front of us, pushing back foliage and breaking branches, clearing the way for the rest of us.

“I can’t believe some people do this for the pleasure of it,” Dillon muttered.

I had to agree.

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