Page 65 of Wilderness Daddy

Chapter Fourteen

Akari

I doze on and off for a few minutes, relishing the delicious ache in my muscles from Landon’s attention, before I rise. The fire is still going strong so I check for my bear spray, throw on my coat and slip my feet in my boots, not bothering to tie them. I wander around the area, staying close enough to keep camp in my sight as I check for signal on my GPS.

I’m holding it up above my head, wandering deeper into the thick trees, watching for a signal and getting frustrated by the lack of one, when I finally get a flicker. I move more deliberately to find an area where it’s stronger. Satisfied, I stop and send an OK message. Shoving it in my pocket, I turn to head back to check on the fire.

Blinking, I glance around. No camp. I know I’m close though. I’m about to choose a direction when the brush ten feet ahead of me starts to move. I stop, fumbling for my spray, and drop it to the mossy ground. I lower to a squat reaching for it as my eyes scan the trees around me.

I strain to hear even the slightest rustle. I snag the can, holding it at the ready. I’m close enough to camp that I could yell and Landon would come, but is he back? Do I want to alert whatever’s in the bush of my presence when I’m this close?

A glimpse of brown fur deeper into the brush catches my eye. A bear? Not dark brown-black like the last one, but lighter brown. Please don’t be a grizzly, I pray.

Whatever it is, it’s well camouflaged in the dense thicket. I don’t move at first until voices sound out from behind me. Standing, I look for the source, but see nothing but trees and more trees. When a shot rings out, I drop low, my heart in my throat. The bush where the animal is sways and there are the pops of twigs breaking. It’s lowered itself too. I see the brown fur nearer to the ground now. I look closer and that’s when I see it. A face. Or a partial face anyway.

A face so human, I can read the worry etched around its eyes as it looks out of the bush at me. Light eyes, surrounded by sun-lined skin and... fur? No, an overgrown beard maybe? The eyes pierce mine. But then it—no, he—turns his attention to the direction of another shot cracking through the silence and I’m left wondering if I’ve seen a man or Sasquatch again, or if I’ve gone completely insane.

“Get it!” a voice hollers and I jolt at yet another shot and the guttural sound the man-creature makes. Has it been hit? It looks at me again as it rolls deeper into the brush making a shooing motion with its arm and then it moves away so I can no longer see it. I can only hear it crashing through the thicket.

My chest burns and I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding. I turn, pressing my back against a tree, my chest heaving up and down. I’m not sure how long I’m there before a camouflage-wearing man steps out in front of me and looks down.

His mouth, surrounded by a red scruffy beard, turns from a scowl to a half smile and it makes my gut sink. I’m staring at his crooked, unbrushed teeth when he speaks.

“Another one,” he rasps, putting his rifle over his shoulder and smoothing his unkempt hair. “You must be with that other girl.” His mouth widens into a lewd grin showing more of his rotten teeth. He reaches down to grab me by the scruff of my coat, looking over his shoulder.

“We got us another plaything, boys. This one’s exotic!” His laugh makes me swallow hard and squeeze my eyes tight, but I open them wide as he yanks me up to my feet. That’s when the other men show themselves.

They’re all wearing camouflage and carrying guns, knives, and one has a bow over his shoulder, but what I notice most makes my breath hitch.

A pretty blonde is tied at the wrists with a rope, being pulled along like a dog. Tear streaks are the only parts of her face not covered in dirt. She looks exhausted, barely upright as they yank her along.

“Help!” I scream, loud and fearful, my voice sounding completely foreign to me as it’s swallowed by the mountain wilderness. “Help!”

The men laugh, but the woman winces and lowers her face and that’s when I see the fist coming at me.

I throw up my hands, but the hit never comes. Curling into a ball to protect myself, I hear an oomph followed by another and yelling.

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