Page 105 of Sawyer

Dizziness washes through me, and all I can do is watch. Sinking to my knees, I focus on Rumor, Sin, and Bryn, the forest and dead bodies forgotten.

Even the sole purpose for us entering these mountains falls away.

One wrong move, and they are dead, gone forever.

That bothers me more than I will ever admit to out loud. They didn’t devote themselves to me. We are only in these woods for a shared purpose and working together because I’m a stubborn brat. Plus, they refused to allow me to rush off and get my ass caught by whoever is taking gammas.

As though things couldn’t get any worse, static fills the air, and the forgotten guard’s walkie spits static.

What do I do?

“Baby girl,” Rumor says softly, drawing my attention, “I need you to go find that.”

I don’t want to get up. I don’t want to leave them. If that rope breaks, though, I won’t be able to pull him up, or hell, both of them, because if Bryn falls, then he’s taking Sin over the edge with him. Rumor’s trying to give me an out, a moment to look away just in case.

I don’t want to look away.

“Sawyer, go.” Rumor’s voice takes on a steely edge just as static fills the air again.

Turning away, I take off toward the static, trying to mentally prepare myself to see more dead bodies. The forest is thick on this side, not a path in sight, and I nearly trip over logs and rocks. Night casts everything in shades of gray.

The foliage seems to have decided that winter isn’t a problem, and lush green ivy hides much of the ground. My boots sink below their oversized leaves, and panic swells, not knowing where I’m stepping or what I’m disturbing.

We spend much of our lives in the cities or the surrounding areas. Growing up as a harbor girl, the biggest danger I faced was the jellyfish that neared the shores in the warmer months, but out here, I don’t know what can kill me with a bite or nibble.

A branch slaps my face as I stumble into a small clearing. The sting of its sharp edges ignites a fire under my skin that I try to ignore as I see two men lying on the ground—one prone and one supine.

Neither have the walkie-talkie.

It also hasn’t gone off again.

I look around the area, knowing Bryn hit all three men. So where is the third?

Trees with thick trunks reduce visibility beyond twenty feet, and the ivy creeps along the forest floor, hiding anything else. Only the moon lights up the area from above, making everything look deceivingly magical.

Did he fall into the ivy?

Crouching down just in case, I stay low and walk over to the first fallen man. His eyes gaze at the trees above, which are just beginning to bloom for the spring. The buds, still small and green, will forever be the last thing he saw.

Swallowing my worry, I gently close his eyes and search his pockets. Even in death, I can tell he was a beta. He’s average in every way, from height to bone structure.

Finding a small picture in his pocket, I pull it out. I know I shouldn’t because when I look at that damn picture, I’m going to humanize him. I’m going to feel empathy that I shouldn’t because, without a doubt, he would have killed me if he had a chance.

Even villains have people who love them.

As I look at the picture, my stomach drops. A small cherub face looks up at me with beautiful blue eyes and an upturned nose. A little fist holds on to a light pink blanket that she rubs against her cheek. She’s beautiful and innocent of everything this man did.

A child. This beta had a child somehow, someway, despite all odds, and that kicks me in the gut even more.

Until I sense the subtle shift of air and then feel cold metal press against the side of my head. The picture falls from my grip, fluttering to the body.

“Don’t move,” a strained voice says.

I look as far as I can to the side. All I see is the slight outline of a person, and all I hear is a man’s voice. I inhale slowly, but I can’t scent him, so he was more than likely a beta unless he, too, took scent suppressors.

Heart pounding, I drop my hands to my thighs, my mind blanking.

I’ve been in dangerous situations before, ones which involved protests where deltas threw smoke bombs and bullets zipped through the air.

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