Relinquish(29)

“So what if it is? You going to play nurse?” I open my eyes to glare up at him but instantly regret it when I see softness has washed away the hard lines of his face. “Sorry.”

He nods and kneels down before me, his gaze searching. “Where does it hurt?”

I debate whether or not to show him. A part of me wants to tell him to shove off, that I can easily tough it out, but another wants to believe that Eamon’s concern runs deeper than just the impact this might have on the mission. I reach down and slowly lift my shirt, pausing with it just above my bellybutton. Eamon hisses as he stares at the angry redness that now sweeps across my entire waist and around the back. “You should’ve told me.”

“I’m fine.”

His gaze hardens and the ice begins to reform in his glance. “Clearly you are not.”

Carleon and Arlo emerge from the tree line. Their conversation instantly stalls as they spy Eamon and me. I drop my shirt. “What’s going on?”

“Did you know about this, Carleon?”

“Know about what?” He steps forward into the moonlight and I can see his concern pinching the corners of his lips. He looks to me and I shake my head. Eamon sighs heavily and reaches down to yank my shirt up, exposing my abdomen to both of them. A hiss passes Carleon’s teeth while Arlo whistles a long, mournful sound. “Looks nasty, boss. What are we going to do with her?”

I bristle. “I’m not an animal that you can just put down.”

“Wasn’t implying that you were.” As he turns to walk away, I can tell that none of us really believe that.

Eamon releases my shirt and rises. “Can you manage her pack, Carleon?”

His furious glare cuts off my protest as my friend nods. “‘Course I can. It’s not so heavy.”

“All the same, I think we need to take it in shifts. An hour each should do it.” Eamon lifts his face to the sky. “We only have a few more hours of night left. We need to pick up the pace.”

He leaves without a backward glance. As I watch him go, I feel torn by confusion. A huge part of me would love to take the roll of bandages Carleon hands me and stuff it up Eamon’s nose, and the other can’t stop thinking of the tenderness he’d let slip though for the briefest of moments. I know Eamon still loves me, but sometimes I wonder if it is enough.



I wake to screams, high in pitch and filled with terror. At first I think it’s a dream, but shouts begin to rise from around camp and I know I’m awake. Drawing back the flaps of my tent, the biting chill hits me. Eamon, Nixon, and Bodhi are already on the move, lasers charged and in position as they disappear into the woods.

The scream doesn’t come again. Carleon comes to stand at my side, his shoulder against mine as I lean into him. “Who was it?”

“Arlo, I think. I didn’t see him leave.” My lips press into a thin line. Arlo may have been a pain, but he was a good soldier. He didn’t deserve this. “What do you think got him? Wolves? Mountain lion?”

We’ve seen fresh tracks, heard the howls in the distance. From time to time, we see scat piles as we walk with our guns trained on the forest floor, but so far none have come close to camp. They prefer to hunt at night when we are most active.

I glance to the sky and see the sun has already begun to slip beyond the horizon. Night will fall soon. My stomach growls. Carleon glances over at me, but I shake my head. I won’t be able to eat until they find Arlo.

We wait together, perched upon a small log just outside the fire ring to keep warm. The winds have begun to pick up again, bringing a chill that sinks deep into my bones. The clouds overhead are thick and hanging low. It won’t surprise me if we hike through snow tonight.

Nearly an hour after dark falls, I see movement in the woods. I rise, finger over the trigger of my gun as Eamon emerges. His face is expressionless, but his eyes tell me all that I need to know. “How’d it happen?” I ask.

Eamon stands before the fire, warming his hands. “Slipped on a ridge. Looks like he decided to do some hunting and lost his footing.”

Carleon blows out a breath and I look over at him. “What?”

“At least it wasn’t a wolf. I hate those things.”

Eamon’s jaw clenches as he stares at the flames dancing before him within the circle of rocks. “They’ll still come. They’re drawn to the scent of death.”

Carleon looks to me and I nod. “He’s right. Once they catch the scent, they’ll head this way.”

“So we just need to pack up and move on before they get here, right?”

I pat him on the arm. “Trouble is we don’t know which direction they’re coming from. We might walk right into them.”