Nick’s eyes narrowed. His gaze took in their surroundings, he reached out and snapped a nearby twig. The inside was bright green and yellow. ‘It smells of wood, but I can’t imagine this forest was much affected. Nothing is gonna burn this.’
Euan nodded. The urge to tell them to wait while he scouted ahead was a twisting mass in his mouth. He looked to Nick and then to Kira. Scarves hid their features, but Kira’s gender was undeniable. Nick’s strengths were abundant, but he would always need Euan. They would always need each other.
But they were a target together, noisy and obvious.
He swallowed down his objections and spoke the words that would see them finally be true equals in this. ‘We’ll fan out,’ he said. ‘Kira, you go right, Nick, left. I’ll head down the middle. Stay close, we’ll need to cover each other if shit goes down.’
Both Nick and Kira shared a look and he almost took the words back, told them that it was a foolish idea, that they were better together, even if they presented an easy target. At least Euan knew where they were, even if it was dying at his feet.
But then Kira moved, and so did Nick. Their retreats were quiet, and Euan fought every instinct to grip them and pull them close.
He celebrated his developmental growth with a deep breath.
Fuck, it grated. As both Nick and Kira disappeared from sight, he almost called out to them, almost ran out and grabbed their damn necks and pulled them close, vowing to never let them go again.
But he didn’t.
This was their test. He needed to trust them, trust himself. His heart hammered, his mouth was dry. But he was moving forward, he was doing this. He could make it work.
He walked, but his limited vision hindered his progress. He realised how they had coaxed him, directed him without his knowledge. They had led him through the trees, pursued him so his path was free of logs, boulders, hidden traps. Suddenly on his own, he tripped and stumbled.
That look they had shared had not been for them, it had been because of him. They knew that without them, he was lost.
Christ, he was like a fucking toddler in this forest without them.
He clipped his boot on a stone and almost fell head first into the mulch. He righted himself at the last moment and bit back the curse that threatened to escape. His head swung left then right. Anger, bright and hot was in his chest. Fury at all that was lost at the hands of one man. The scarring on his face itched, burned, as if to remind him of his limitations, his ineptness, his damn uselessness.
He assessed the terrain in front of him. One step, two. Both unencumbered. A third was just as lucky. After each step, he congratulated himself. He moved forward slowly, methodically. But he moved forward. In that, there was celebration.
Nick and Kira were lost to him now. He couldn’t hear their light shuffles or see a hint of dark fabric. His jaw ached from the clench and it was then that he finally allowed himself to become annoyed at their lack of care.
How was he going to find them again, how were they going to find each other?
More careful steps, faster now as he gained confidence. His rifle was at his side so he could see where each foot fell, but his muscles were tight, ready to place the stock against his shoulder at a moment’s notice if required.
Time stretched, he continued to move forward. The scent of wood smoke grew stronger. The trees thinned …
A woman screamed.
Kira.
Fear, terror, dread congealed inside his belly. A horror so acute he almost threw up. The fright was in her voice. Her shriek laced with distress. She was scared, she was hurt. She was unprotected and he didn’t know where she was.
Fuck!
He ran. If he fell, he got back up. He ignored the pain, he ignored everything other than the effort needed to move in the direction the sound came from. He crashed through oak trees, leapt over boulders. The branches scratched his face, his gun in his hands useless unless he found her. His breath was ragged, both from exertion and from panic.
‘Euan!’
Nick. A body dressed in black fatigues barrelled towards him. His scarf was lost, his face was white, his eyes wide with fear. ‘I can’t find her!’
‘That way!’
They ran together. Side by side. Hearts hammered and breath sawed. They were as one on this, as they would be on everything.
Until Euan tripped. He hit the ground hard, his gun skittered out in front of him. His wrists took the impact and he swore as his big body hit the dirt.
Nick was at his shoulder, his features twisted as he fought with the need to assist and the requirement to save Kira.
Another scream. Vivid, angry. Close.
‘Go!’ Euan bellowed as he reached out and pushed Nick in the direction of their heart and soul with all his might.
Nick stumbled backwards, wavered.
Against his instinct, Euan softened his voice. ‘Go, find her. I’ll be right behind. Get her safe.’
‘Euan.’ Nick’s voice broke, the anguish on his face tortuous to behold. He knew the loss they would share if anything happened, or if they couldn’t find her again.
‘Go,’ Euan ordered, even as his heart broke. ‘She needs you.’
‘I’ll find her,’ Nick choked as he rushed to Euan in the dirt. He bent, kissed Euan fiercely. He tasted like fear. ‘Then I’ll find you.’
Euan suffered through the sting of Nick’s blistering kiss, and his heart exploded inside his chest. When Nick pulled back, Euan said, ‘Run.’
Jade green eyes were angry, afraid. Nick nodded, turned, and disappeared out of sight.
Chapter 13
Kira
The hand that covered her mouth smelt of dirt and rotten things, as if he’d been digging into the earth to bury bodies long decayed. She’d been focused, she’d been diligent, she
