Page 16 of Found By the Mountain Man

“He was a Scout Sniper, a trained HOG.”

“HOG?” I grip the handle above the door, feeling faint.

“Hunter of Gunmen. I’ve never met anyone as good a shot as Rhys. He never missed once.”

The words thunder in my brain. He was a sniper. He killed people for a living. Murder sanctioned by the government. No wonder he shakes. No wonder he has nightmares.

My heart goes out to Rhys. All this time he’s been looking after me, but I should have been looking after him. Now he’s going to shoot someone and get himself put in prison all because of me.

“Go faster.”

We tear down the mountain, bumping over potholes until we get to the lane where I made my escape. Rhys’s pickup is parked in the lane, and we screech to a halt next to it as the first light tinges the sky.

I’m out the door before Symon has the engine off.

“Hey,” he hisses. “You can’t go in there alone.”

But I’m already halfway through the fence. It’s pushed open wider than when I left it, which means Rhys has already gone through.

I dash through the woods, not caring about the noise I make. I hear Symon crashing behind me. It’s only when we come to the clearing that I stop.

Residents are emerging from the sleeping quarters. They’re wearing the red cloaks we all had to wear when outside. Memories flood my brain, and my feet are like lead. Being back in this place makes my pulse race and my stomach roil.

I try to move my feet, but I don’t think I can go on. I’m hyperventilating when Symon grabs my arm and turns me to face him.

“You’re okay, Indigo. They can’t hurt you now.”

His reassurance gives me the strength I need.

Symon spots Rhys first, lying flat atop the pigsty. You wouldn’t know there was a man there if you weren’t looking for him.

“There he is.”

We skirt around the clearing until we can make a dash without being seen. If they catch us in here, there’s no telling what they’ll do. The Seekers of Light have their own weapons stash and enough brainwashed acolytes who will do anything the leader asks. It’s a dangerous situation.

We get to the back of the building, and Symon gives me a leg up to the roof.

“I’ll be lookout,” he whispers.

I climb over the ledge, keeping low, and scramble to where Rhys is. The leader is almost at the podium and Rhys is dead still, his finger poised on the trigger. There’s no shaking now, only a complete and deadly focus.

The leader reaches the podium, and Rhys’s finger moves.

“Stop,” I hiss as I grab him by the ankle.

Rhys spins around, his face focused and hard, unrecognizable.

“What are you doing here, Indigo?”

“I’m stopping you from doing something stupid.” I crawl on my belly up to him, keeping my voice low so it doesn’t carry across the clearing. “We need to go.”

His face softens and he brushes my cheek, but the hardness doesn’t leave his eyes.

“I need to get justice for you, Rainbow. Go. Take my keys and drive as far away from this as you can. It will all be over soon.”

He hands me his car keys from his pocket, but I don’t take them. He really means to go through with this, and I’m not sure I can stop him.

He turns back to his gun, and I pull on his shoulder. “No. Rhys, don’t do this.”

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