A few seconds later, she heard another sound like before, followed by a deep grunt and then, silence.
“Mateo?” Shorty said the other man’s name loudly.
Well, there’s one mystery solved.
Tall Guy—Mateo—didn’t answer.
“Mateo!” Shorty yelled his partner’s name even louder, but there was still no response. He grabbed Olivia’s upper arm and pushed her forward. “Move!”
****
Jake watched and waited, knowing Olivia would only be able to stall for so long. He needed make his move soon, but Asshole One was still facing him.
“Everything okay?” The guy hollered toward the area where Asshole Two had taken Olivia.
“We’re fine,” Asshole Two called back.
“Then, hurry the hell up. I need to take a shit.”
Yes! It was what Jake had been waiting for.
“Just go. I have the woman. Make sure her man knows I will kill her if he tries anything,” Asshole Two said confidently.
“Fine,” Asshole One answered back. To Jake, he said, “If you want your woman to live, you’ll still be there when I return.”
“Oh, I'll be here,” Jake promised.
He watched as the other man turned around and started walking into the trees. The stupid bastard had no idea he’d just given Jake the perfect opportunity to get free.
Not wasting time, Jake rose to the balls of his feet. Staying in a crouched position, he pushed his hands down over his butt. His shoulders burned from the strain, but when he felt his hands slide below his ass, Jake sat back down and pulled his legs through his bound arms.
Moving quickly, his fingers began to work on the knots in the rope. The first two came loose with ease, but naturally, the last one was tight as fuck.
Abandoning the rope for a second, Jake reached down to his right boot. He untied its lace, pulling it free in record time.
He took half a second to check his surroundings. Seeing no sign of either Asshole yet, Jake pushed the plastic end of the lace through the center of the remaining knot. He then put one end in his mouth, and held onto the other with his hands.
Working it like a saw, Jake began shaking his head back and forth while pulling the other end of the lace with his hands. He was never more thankful for his SERE training than in that very moment.
The smell of burning rope filled his nostrils, and Jake knew the friction was working. The question was, would it cut through the thick strands before either man came back?
Come on! Come on! Every cell in Jake’s body burned with desperation and fear as he continued working to free his hands. The ropes felt looser, but it wasn’t enough. Not fucking enough!
He worked the lace faster, pulling so hard his fingers started to bleed, and his teeth felt like they were being ripped from his gums. Just as he heard footfalls in the leaves to his right, the lace popped free, having finally made its way through the rope. His head jerked back from the force of the release, and he spit the end of the lace from his mouth.
With lightning speed, he freed his hands, then hid the pieces of rope and the shoelace between his back and the tree. Jake repositioned his arms so they appeared to still be tied behind his back, just as Asshole One came back out from the thick batch of trees.
Crossing his left foot over his right to conceal the other boot’s missing lace, Jake calmly said, “Hey, man. Can I get a drink? My fucking throat feels like I’ve swallowed a bowl of cotton.”
Looking annoyed, Asshole Two went to his bag and pulled out his canteen. Adrenaline pumped through Jake’s veins as he waited. He’d only get one shot at this, and the timing had to be perfect.
The other man squatted down in front of him, unscrewed the lid, and put the canteen to Jake’s mouth. Jake tilted his head as if to drink, but in a swift and efficient move, he pulled his hands out from behind his back.
The guy’s eyes grew as big as saucers. Before he could reach for his gun, Jake grabbed both of the man’s wrists. He moved them in opposite directions, twisting Asshole One’s arms as he rose to his feet. The canteen dropped to the ground.
Keeping his hold tight, Jake lifted his right leg and spun it up and over the guy’s right shoulder. He now had Asshole One’s right arm trapped across his own chest, and his left arm wrenched up between his back and Jake’s chest.
Jake shifted his leg up so it was pressing against the man’s throat. He squeezed his hamstring muscles as tightly as he possibly could. Asshole One tried to fight, and at one point, came damn close to getting loose. In the end, Jake was able to keep his hold.
The man’s face turned a deep red, and spit flew from his mouth as he tried—and failed—to breathe. His eyes bulged, their blood vessels popping from the strain. When Jake felt the man’s body go limp, he released his hold and let the guy fall on his face.
Grabbing a large knife from a leather sheath at Asshole One’s waist, Jake filled his fist with the unconscious man’s hair. Pulling his head back to expose his throat, Jake made one, long slice across the skin there.
Blood gushed from the large wound. The man was dead within seconds. From start to finish, the entire interaction took less than a minute.
With one threat eliminated, Jake dropped the knife and grabbed the guy’s pistol. He checked the mag and the chamber, relieved to find them both full. As he stood, he heard Asshole Two’s voice holler out.
“Mateo?” When Asshole One—whose name was apparently Mateo—didn’t answer him, the other man yelled louder. “Mateo!”
Ready for what was about to happen, Jake got into a shooting stance. With his arms stretched out in front of him, he drew in a slow, calming breath. Praying Olivia didn’t get
