Page 25 of Guarded from Havoc

“I think we might be somewhere off the northeast coast,” Tatum continues, still pitching her voice so low I can barely hear it. “I keep seeing a lot of Balsam Fir trees. They’re native to the northeast. And with the salt… I think we could be on an island. Maybe off the coast of Maine. Or Canada.”

I glance at her, my mouth curving slightly in admiration. “I think you might be right. There are tons of islands all along the coast. A lot of them are uninhabited. So it’s possible…”

“If we are,” she replies, “we might not be far from the mainland. And if we can get to the coast, we might even be able to swim for it.”

That sounds like a stretch based on the little we know so far, but I’m not about to dampen Tatum’s burst of optimism. “We might. We just need to get to the shore. If we’re on an island, that’s how my team will approach, anyway.”

Tatum gives me a quick nod. For the first time since we started our trek through the woods, hope lights in her eyes. “We just need to move towards the water,” she agrees. “Slow and steady, but if the salt scent keeps getting stronger, we know we’re on the right track.”

Fuck.

The urge to hug her again is almost impossible to resist.

But I do. Because my feelings aren’t important right now. All that matters is getting to safety. To the water, as it may be. And protecting Tatum until my team finally gets here.

We keep walking, the pace maddeningly slow now that there’s new hope on the horizon. If we are on an island, that means there could be more islands nearby. Islands that don’t have deadly traps and spying cameras and dead bodies on them. And while I don’t know how skilled of a swimmer Tatum is, I’m confident in my own ability. Thanks to hours-long workouts nearly every day and a natural affinity in the water that almost led me to enlist in the Navy instead of the Army, I know I can get Tatum wherever we need.

We just need to get to the shore in one piece.

And miracle of miracles, fate finally seems to be going our way.

Not five minutes after leaving the dead man behind, I spot a bit of blue in the distance. Not blue sky, but lower. Close to the horizon. Peeking through the thick evergreens.

Tatum notices it almost as soon as I do and clutches my hand hard enough to bruise. “Erik,” she hisses. “I think that’s water.”

“I think it might be,” I agree. “But.” The enthusiasm in her eyes dims, and I hate myself a little for it. “We need to be careful. If we are on an island, it stands to reason they might take extra precautions to make sure we can’t get off it.”

Tatum stares at me, her disappointment obvious. But then she draws in a breath and lifts her chin. “Then we’ll be more careful. Go slower. That’s all.”

My heart expands to twice its size, somehow squeezing and expanding at the same time. And I throw logic and caution to the side, just for a second, as I pull her in for a quick hug. “We’ll be careful,” I reply, trying to infuse as much confidence in my voice as I can. “And we’re going to get out of here.”

When we break apart, she tips her head back to meet my gaze. Calm certainty chases away the fear in her eyes. “I know we will. And then we’re going to have some sandwiches. And talk about meditation and hiking. Like we would have last night.”

Oh.

There’s no way I can let her down. I can’t.

I’ll do anything to keep Tatum safe.

CHAPTER 5

TATUM

It’s hard notto make a run for it.

Seeing that spot of blue ahead, knowing what it could stand for…

Hope. Freedom. Safety.

I’m not naïve enough to think it’ll be easy. Like Erik said, there’s sure to be obstacles in our way. More traps. Possibly even people guarding the shore to be certain no one escapes. And that’s not even considering how cold and treacherous the water might be, if we even make it to there.

When I haven’t been busy trying not to freak out, I’ve been mulling over where we could be. Someplace on the water. Possibly an island, which would make sense given this messed up situation. And someplace north. With the morning chill in the air and the predominance of evergreens, my best guess, like I told Erik, is we’re somewhere along the northeast coast. One of the little islands off the coast of Maine or Nova Scotia.

No, I’m not an expert in geography. But I went on a trip to Acadia Park with my marine biology class back in college, and it reminds me of what I see here.

If we’re off the coast of Maine, that means the water will be cold. Breath-stealing cold. Even in August, the water temperature will be in the fifties, which is not something you want to stay in for long.

We could, though. Or at least an hour or so before hypothermia starts setting in. And while I’m obviously not in as good of shape as Erik, who looks like he could bench press three of me without breaking a sweat, I’m in pretty decent condition. I go on three-mile hikes nearly every day. When it’s warm, I take my canoe out on Tupper Lake or hit Bog River Falls for some swimming.

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