Page 45 of Ex-SEAL Bad Boy

It won’t take them long to find me.

Still, I obey and do my best to conceal myself as I hear another car pull up behind ours.

I look around, but I don’t see Ethan.

He wouldn’t abandon me—would he?

I hear the men exit the car. There are two of them, by the sound of it, trying to decide which side of the road we’re on.

“Come on,” one of them says. “They can’t have gotten far.”

They make their way into the woods, talking in low voices, apparently trying to be quiet, but with them making such a racket stepping on leaves and twigs, they might as well be shouting.

From my vantage point, I can see the men. They appear to be older, probably in their forties, armed with handguns.

“Come on out!” one of them shouts. “We just want to talk.”

If they just want to talk, why carry guns?

“What’s the deal, Blackwood? You talk with the girl, then you split town. You’ve got a lot of people very nervous,” the other man says.

They pause, and one of them points in my direction. I’m sure they will discover my hiding place.

Suddenly, there’s a distinct crack and the rustle of leaves, off in a different direction, drawing the men’s attention.

“What’s that?” the taller one says, snapping his head around.

“I don’t know, maybe a deer or some other animal.”

“What if it’s him?”

The shorter partner thought about it for a minute.

“I don’t think so. Remember, the kid was like a Navy SEAL or something. He’s too smart for that.”

“Are you willing to take that chance? Look, let’s check it out. If it’s not him, we can come back.”

They head off in that direction, weapons raised, looking and listening for the slightest sound before disappearing into the thicket.

It seems like an interminably long time, then I hear a shot in the distance. There is a pause, then two more in rapid succession.

Oh my God, what’s happened?

I’m frozen for a few seconds, then hear Ethan’s voice calling my name.

“Sophia?”

“Yes. Ethan, where are you?”

“Follow the sound of my voice.”

I walk several yards, then spot a flash of color through the trees.

As I emerge into a small clearing, I see Ethan leaning against a tall tree with two bodies lying on the ground.

I cover my mouth in shock, taking a moment to recover, then look over at him. “Oh, Ethan, thank God you’re alright. I was so worried.”

“Alright? Well, mostly.”

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