Page 35 of Entangled

I wonder briefly if their camp is in the same position as the one Jasper watched for days on that looped video. That was by C10. But they had to create that footage of their camp at some point so they could loop it. Would they be stupid enough to set back up in the same location?

“Where is this camp?” Jasper asks, finally walking over.

I flick him an irritated look as he takes over.

When the men don’t answer fast enough, Jayk shoves Arthur. “Where?”

Bentley jumps up and shoves Jayk back, away from the other two.

“Back down.” I refix my gun on the back of Bentley’s head.

Jayk and Bentley glare at each other, then Bentley glances back at me. The good humor is gone from his face, and there’s an edge to it that makes me sure he has used that sword of his for more than playacting.

He glances down at Arthur and Stephen. “Let them go.”

“Not happening.”

Arthur swallows, glancing up at the large men looming over him as he rights himself. Then he looks back at me. His thick hands clench together in front of him. “We’ll tell you where she is,” he says quickly, his chin wobbling with his nerves. Then he swallows and adds, “Ifyou promise to bring us the medicine from the camp.”

Bentley stares down at Arthur for a long, grim second, then nods, looking at me.

But my bloodlust is spiking again. They want to keep information on Edenhostage?

“Want to try that again?” Apparently on the same page, Jayk moves to grab at Arthur, but Bentley blocks him again.

“Please,” the kid, Stephen, mutters. “We wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”

He’s still glowering at us with that particular brand of teenage rebellion and fear... but there’s something in his expression that makes me pause.

He looksdesperate.

Breathing in slow through my nose, I rein myself in. I don’t really want to beat the shit out of innocent civilians, even if they are ballsy pains in the ass.

“Fine,” I start.

“Oh, fuck this.” Jayk grabs Bentley, curling his fists in his shirt. “Where is the goddamned camp?”

“We’ll get your medicine,” I grind out, and as Jayk glares at me, Bentley starts picking his fingers off his shirt, one by one.

Arthur’s Adam’s apple works. “Your... your word on it?”

“He said we’ll get it,” Jasper replies, and cutting savagery lurks beneath his polite tone. Silk over a guillotine. “I suggest you let that be enough, else my friend here loses the last tenuous thread on his temper.”

Jayk’s smile is full of teeth.

“Wonderful,” Bentley says, grinning back at Jayk like he doesn’t see how close he is to losing it. “Their camp is about three hours east from here. We’ll come to a large cliff that looks like an apple, then we’ll follow it north and go over the river. They’re right there.”

Jasper’s brow arches.“We?”

“I’m all for rescuing damsels,” Bentley explains. “These two can go back to Red Zone, but I’m coming for the road trip.”

Without asking, he walks over and picks up the massive sword, then sheathes it at his waist. And standing there, dirt-smudged and draped in his weapon, he does look like some medieval warrior. Despite how ridiculous he is, there’s a determined set to his jaw that belies his good humor.

He meets my eyes. “We don’t want you getting lost on your way back to me, do we?”

My teeth press together at the insinuation. I gave my word—and that still means something to me.

“How many?” I ask instead of arguing. Bentley, at least, seems to know how to handle himself. With a camp full of men, we might need the assist.

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