Page 155 of Ensnared

Withunsteady movements,Itake my rifle and press it to my damp eye, desperately searching through the scope.Sureenough, within minutesImake out a scuffle just beyond the tree line.Shotsare fired, metal gleams and surprised, furious shouts follow, though they’re too far for me to make out words.

Myfinger hovers over the trigger, butIcan’t see clearly.It’stoo dark and there’s too much smoke.There’sno way of knowing ifI’dbe shootingBeauor one of the fuckers who were trying to steal my family from me.Despairconstricts my lungs.

Ilift my head and see the momentJaykmakes the decision to bolt, taking advantage of the reprieve, as he should.Hepushes off the shed and runs over to the truck.Someoneshoots at him from the far side of the woods, close to whereEdenshould be, andIswing my rifle round.Visibilityis easier on this side, andIpick the too-bold hunter off with a single headshot.

Lookingback,IseeJaykobslide in next toJasperandLuckylike he’s just stolen second base.Thespark of relief is momentary.Aman backs out of the woods where the commotion is, firing into the trees—atBeau—andIshoot him in the back with ruthless efficiency.

Comeon,Beau, get out of there.

JasperandJaykseem to be arguing asJasperpullsLucky’slimp body over his shoulders.

Allof you, move your asses,Iurge silently.

JaykgrabsJasper’srifle and nods at him, andIbrace.They’regoing to do it.They’regoing to—

Somethingbursts from the trees and takes off at a furious run.Thefigure is coated in blood and limping, butI’drecognize him anywhere.Myheart stutters, andIfire behind him wildly, hoping to deter anyone from sticking their head out, trying to give him every spare second he can get.Jaykspots him too and turns around to join my flurry of shots, coveringBeau—and coveringJasper, too, as he starts staggering toward the house withLuckyhanging heavy over his shoulders.

Bulletsfly pastBeau, and he begins to weave.DecidingJaykhas this for the moment,Igrab the bazooka and settle it over my shoulder, lining up my sights.

Menhave started to pull out of the trees from several directions, clearly deciding they have our men on the run.Beauclears the truck and keeps going, andJaykruns backwards with him, firing in every direction.Igrimace for a moment, deciding where to aim, when the barn groans.

Mygrimace turns into a dark, predatory grin.

Perfect.

Iline up my shot and wait a few seconds, knowing timing is going to count here.Idon’t want to take out our guys by accident.Butwhen the hunters start pressing close to the barn,Ifire.

Itonly takes moments.Thefragile barn bursts open like a microwaved peach, spraying burning projectiles across the entire clearing, decimating the tree line in all directions and blasting out half the windows ofBristlebrook.Ithrow myself down as a plank of wood hurtles through my window and shatters the glass across the music room.

Ipush myself back up and grab my rifle, breathing hard.Sweatdrips down my temples.Theentire clearing is annihilated, a true apocalyptic wasteland, complete with fire and bodies and limbs.Ispot someone pulling themselves to their feet and blast them down.Nothingelse so much as twitches.

Iscan the scene but can’t see my guys anywhere.That’sa good thing, given the exterminationI’mlooking at, butIhesitate, pulse pounding.Ishould stay put, keep covering from up here in case anyone is stupid enough to decide that this isn’t enough—in case there’s anyone left to make that decision—but that was a big blast, andIhave no idea ifBeauand the others were clear or not.Andthen there’sLucky...

Igrab a few grenades and my rifle and run downstairs, seeing the sitting room overturned and covered in sparkles of glass.Luckyis sprawled behind two overturned couches,Jaspercrouching over him.

“Where’sBeau,Jasper?AndJaykob?”

Jasperdoesn’t even glance up, butIcan see the raw terror in every move he makes.Herips openLucky’sshirt, and blood makes it stick slickly in several places.Igo still at what’s revealed.

Lucky’swhole chest is slippery and red, andJasper’shands hover over it, shaking.

“Wakeup,Lucien,” he commands, and the snap to his voice is pure panic. “Now.”

Hebegins tearing at his own clothes, then presses the scraps against the pulsing holes, looking lost.Lookingat the location of the wounds, and the blue-tinged cast toLucky’slips,I’mguessing he has a collapsed lung and that wound is sucking in air dangerously.

WithoutBeau, without an emergency crike,Idoubt he’ll make it.Damnit, whereishe?

Cursing,Ilook around and spot the med kitBeauleft out here while he was flirting withEden.AndIcan’t believe it, but his crush might actually save the day here.

Iyank it out and pull out the sterile dressing we were taught to use for this situation.There’sone here with a valve, but that’s beyond my expertise.It’sbeen years sinceIdid my first responder training.Iclean the wound quickly withBeau’swipes, dry it, and then place the dressing over the chest wound, securing it on three sides.

I’mleaning down, trying to decide if his breathing sounds steadier, whenIhear a low growl.

“Youare dead fucking weight.Ishould leave you on the damn grass.Shouldleave all your stupid asses.Gonnaget me killed like an asshole.Dicks.Noneof you are worth this shit.”

Jaykstumbles in through the now-open space where the glass sliding door used to be, one ofBeau’sarms over his shoulder.Myheart actually flutters in dizzying relief asIrush over to help.

They’reall here,Ireassure myself, and it’s like feeling floods back into my numb body.Allhere.

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