Page 50 of Knox's Mission

Right now, though, all Knox could think about was getting Amy secured. Could he get her attention? They wouldn’t shoot her and risk damaging the camera. The gadget was the only thing of value in their eyes. They would want it in one piece. Out here,without internet, all the files were contained on the device. If she stored data in the cloud, she would have to wait until she got back to civilization for the upload to take place.

Oh shit.

Amy had just made a run for it.

13

Amy bolted in a zigzag pattern back toward the thick trees. She couldn’t exactly remember where she’d picked up the idea. Had to have been from one of Garrett’s stories. Either way, it stuck. Now, she was grateful as bullets zinged past her.

When she’d been huddled with Lorna, she couldn’t risk the move. Now that Lorna was with Donnie, Amy had seen her chance.

It struck her the men were bad shots, or maybe it was the type of weapon they used. She knew enough about guns to realize some were more accurate than others. Distance mattered. Wind mattered. The type of weapon mattered. Those calculations were made in a matter of a minutes with a trained sniper. Thesemen were far from it. They were more likely to spray bullets.

They’d been closer to her in the jungle but had missed there too. She’d chalked it up to the vines and trees blocking their view. Plus, they were running. Could it mean something else?

Her mind snapped to warning shots. That would be the best of a bad situation.

One hand on her camera, she realized why the men wouldn’t shoot holes right through her chest. They must want her camera. But why?

She could ask later. Right now, she broke through the wall of the jungle and needed to find Knox. Which way had he gone?

Amy glanced back.

A gun was to Lorna’s head. No! She had to go back or they would shoot her friend.

Reluctantly, Amy moved toward the jungle wall again.

“Don’t do it,” came Knox’s voice—a voice that was the equivalent of angel’s singing to her right now. “I know you want to run to her but they won’t shoot her.”

“How do you know?” she asked as he came into view. He’d been five feet from her and she hadn’t heard him make a sound.

“Trust me,” he said. “As long as you have that…” He pointed to her camera. “They won’t risk shooting anyone. If they do, there’s no reason for you to stick around.”

“Got it,” she said. It made sense even though her body still trembled from fear for Lorna.

Knox dealt in life and death during his career. He was volunteering to do it now. His experience must be the reason he was calm, whereas adrenaline thumped so loudly in her ears she feared it would give away their location.

“We have to move,” he said, taking her hand and linking their fingers. She realized he wasn’t using the machete, which meant they could encounter any manner of wildlife that could kill them just as easily as the men.

The link with Knox kept her pulse a notch below panic.

“Please,” Lorna yelled. “Help!”

“She doesn’t know any better,” Knox reassured. “They’re telling her what to do. Believe me when I say the minute they get your camera, they’re going to spray bullets.”

“Okay,” she said, putting all her faith in Knox. “What’s the plan?”

“Get you to safety,” Knox said. “And then I’ll go back for the others. I’ll try to figure out a way to isolate Lorna first and then I’ll go back for Donnie.”

“Won’t they kill him?” Amy asked.

“Not if I can help it.”

The thought of being tucked away while Knox did all the heavy lifting didn’t sit well with Amy. “Can I have your machete?”

He unstrapped it from his thigh and handed it over.

“Wish I had a gun,” she said. “But this will have to do.”

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