Page 118 of Ensnared

Itake a deep breath, willing myself to calm down.Ina brief moment of clarity,Iwonder if this is how he felt when he fired on me yesterday.Thethought of what could have happened...

“Beau—”

“Whathappened to breakfast?”Domasks from behind me, andIjump about a foot in the air.

Heeyes me. “Remindme not to put you on watch duty.”

Ilift my chin. “Wehad to get rid of breakfast.”

Domfrowns, butBeaustalks back. “Leaveit,Dom.Let’sget moving.”

Thelarge man looks between us, then shrugs cautiously. “Fine.Let’sgo.”

* * *

I’mon a time out,andIhate it with every fiber of my being.Assoon as we started the approach to their camp,DomandBeaunestled me under a large boulder well out of the way and told me to stay put until they came back for me.AtleastDomhad left me with sweet words of comfort: “Ifwe’re not back in an hour, we’re not coming back.Ifthat happens, head toBristlebrook.”

Icould punch him.

Anxietychurns my stomach.It’sonly been ten minutes or so, but the minutes drip by like treacle.Foronce the scents of damp earth and fresh air do nothing to pacify me.I’vebeen straining to hear something, anything, as though listening harder will actually bring the sounds closer.

Iget to my feet, needing to move.Theydidn’t seem too worried, andIvividly remember how easily they handled the hunters last time.Theyknow what they’re doing.AndifIwant them to give me and my skills the benefit of the doubt, the leastIcan do is offer them the same.

But,God, it’sdifferent.

Whatif something goes wrong?Thisisn’tlikelast time.Lasttime the hunters were running blindly, confident they were chasing down one unarmed woman.Thistime, they’re prepared.They’reexpecting trouble.They’llhave someone on watch.Itwill be so much harder for them to be caught unawares.

Iworry my lip between my teeth asIthink about that.Whywouldthey take out the cameras?Sowe lose visuals, sure, butwhy?Sothey can get more men through the woods unseen?Didn’tDomsay that the rest of the men were elsewhere?Withoutthe cameras here, how can we be sure there aren’t more?

Andif the huntersweretaking out the cameras just to hide their own tracks, then why wouldn’t they have just avoided them, since they clearly knew their location?Theyhadto know that the dead cameras would be noticed.

It... doesn’t make sense.

There’sno reason to tip us off like that.

Whichmeans...

Panicricochets through me just as the first crack of gunfire shatters the silence.

Itmeans this is a trap.

Withoutstopping to think,Ibolt toward the sound.It’sfollowed by a series of rapid blasts.I’mnot sure whatIcan do, if there’s anythingIcando, butIcan’t sit by and listen and do nothing when they’re walking into a nightmare.

Brancheswhip at my cheeks and arms, andIforce down memories of my last flight through these woods.I’mnot the hunted this time.Igrip my knife.

Neveragain.

Whywhywhydidn’tIthink this through last night?Orthis morning?I’mthe worst kind of idiot, fretting aboutBeaubeing mad at me and worrying about punishments whenIshould have been considering what lay ahead.Thevery real, actual danger they would be facing.Stupid.Domis right—I’mnot ready to face this kind of threat.

Islow as the sounds start getting louder.Thegunshots are deafening, andIcan hear shouting now.IthinkIcatchBeau’svoice amid the racket, butIcan’t be sure.Pressinga hand to my chest,Itake a deep breath.

Think,Eden.Ican’t go rushing in there.Ineed to see what’s happening.Lookingaround,Itry to find inspiration.Myeyes dance over the brush and green twice before settling on the tall, heavily branched trees.Itmakes me think ofLucky, whistling from the treetops as he fired down on the hunters.

Tuckingmy knife into my belt,Ihurry around untilI’mas close asIcan get to the clearing without revealing myself.Carefully, quietly,Iclimb a large, overhanging tree.Ittakes more effort thanI’dlike—my upper body strength isn’t what it should be—butImanage it.Myears ring and my pulse thrums a staccato beat in line with the gunfire.I’mdesperate to hearBeauorDom, butIcan’t tell voices apart in all the yelling.

Keepinglow on a thick branch,Iedge forward until my head just peeks from the leaves andIcan see down in the clearing.WhenIdo. ..

Ipress a hand to my mouth.

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