Page 107 of Ensnared

“Beau—”

BeaucutsDomoff. “AndIdon’t know why you still keep defending her.Shedid the exact same thing to you.Assoon as she made up her mind on who she wanted, she left you in the dust.”

“Itwasn’t like that,”Domsays quietly. “She’sentitled to decide who she wants to be with.Shenever hid that she wantedThomasas well.”

“I’msurprised the two of you didn’t just share her,”Beaumutters, and the bitterness in his tone makes me wince.

Aftera moment,Domsays, “Thatwas never going to happen.”

There’san awkward silence as they continue walking for a stretch, andIhave to push to keep up.

Beaufinally sighs. “Idon’t think she would have done this, for what it’s worth.Ifthere was one thing she cared about, it was keeping our people safe.Shemade the civs feel safe.Shemanaged that better than any of us—it’s why half of them left with her.Iagree that she wouldn’t have sold us out.”

Soldthem out?I’mmissing a key piece of information here,I’msure of it.Ishould have knownIwasn’t getting the whole truth.

“Thankyou,”Domsays.

Theyfall into silence, andIfollow them, wriggling apart every detail from their conversation.

“Shouldwe checkC18as well?”Beauasks, and they both pause.

Istop, suspended mid-step, more startled thanIshould be when he breaks the silence.

“It’sout of the way,”Domreplies, but he seems to be considering.

“Butif they’re taking the canyon pass, that’ll be the way they go.It’slonger toBristlebrook, but sure as shit easier than this route.There’sa good chance they’ll avoid these cliffs, right?”

Ifrown.Whois “they”?

“It’sworth a look.I’mnot having them sneak around us.Ifthey do take the cliffs, they’ll be here for hours, and they’re not going to take them at night unless they’re taking a run at theDarwinaward.Wecan come back.”Dom’svoice turns grim. “Theyshould pray we don’t find them while they’re hanging from their fingertips.”

Mystomach drops.Tripto repair some cameras, my ass.Whatthe hell is going on?

Theystart to move again and, with a start,Irealize they’ve changed directions and are heading right for me.Swallowinga squeak,Iswing deeper into the brush, ducking under a low, heavy branch.Injust moments, they pass me, close enough thatIcould reach out my fingers and brush their legs.

I’mdebating whetherIshould ease out of my hiding place and start following again whenDompauses.

“Whatis it?”Beauasks.

Mybreath strangles.DidIleave some trace?ShouldIjust start running now?

“Rockin my shoe.”

Ashe stops to shake it out,Ilet out all the air in my lungs.Myhand is shaking where it’s pressed against the bark.

I’mokay.I’msafe.Ispent years out here perfecting staying undetected in the forest.I’mgood at this.

Thepep talk helps.Whenthey start moving again, so doI.Itry to stay close, wanting to hear them if they start talking again, wanting to hear about this “they” they seem to be tracking.Butnow,Ireally don’t want to be caught.It’sone thing to follow after them when they’re making a harmless trip to fix some equipment—it’s another entirely to follow them into a firefight after being “sold out.”SoIhang back, just a little, far enough that they’re out of view but still in hearing distance.

Aswe continue, my momentary panic starts returning to anger.

Theylied to me.Again.Howmany times amIgoing to fall for this?Dom’swords from last night ring in my ears. “We’lltell you everything,” he said.Hepromised.

Actuallyno, that wasn’t quite it. “Goingforward, we’ll tell you everything.”Hisexact words.

God.Damned.Sneaky.Lying.Sonof a—

Iburst into the next clearing, not realizing until too late that the slight rustles and crunches ahead of me have gone silent.Ionly have time to see the flash of a gray, metal muzzle, and thenI’mbeing yanked sideways, and my ears are ringing so, so loudly.

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