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“This has to be the spot.” Zack blew out a breath and tucked the map into his pocket.
The burlap bags appeared identical to the one found in the brush last week.
Zack moved around the area, snapping pictures, and Naya headed toward the truck.
A gunshot pierced the air.
Naya dove for the ground. A choked scream left her lips. Another pop sounded, and a bullet whizzed past her, kicking up the dirt. Her ears rang, and her eyes didn’t want to cooperate or focus on her surroundings.
Where was Zack?
“Don’t shoot! It’s Zack and Naya.” Zack’s voice echoed through the woods.
Another round of bullets sprayed the air and pinged off the truck.
Now was not the time to freeze. Naya pulled in a shaky breath and army-crawled closer to the covering of the hut, where Zack’s voice had come from. Footsteps sounded in front of her, and Naya froze.
Zack barreled around the corner and dropped to the ground next to her. “Are you okay?” His eyes widened, and he gripped her arm. “Naya?”
She fought through the panic. “I’m okay.”
He glanced over his shoulder once more before turning his attention back to her. “Stay here.”
Naya gulped. “That is definitely not the police.”
“I’m going to see who it is.” Zack pulled a handgun from an ankle holster.
She stared at him, her mouth open. “You brought a gun?”
Zack let go of her arm. “Didn’t know what we’d encounter. Thought it was better to be safe than sorry.”
“You can’t confront them!”
Zack stood up. “Call 9-1-1. I’ll be back.” He kept his body flush against the hut, then disappeared around the corner.
No more gunshots rang out for the moment, but Naya didn’t know whether that was a good or bad thing. She held down her phone’s side buttons to activate emergency services.
“9-1-1, where’s your emergency?”
“Pine Crest Pinnacle.” Naya tried to whisper, but her voice sounded too loud in her own ears. “Someone’s shooting down by the river.” She slowly inched back against the shack and kept her gaze roaming.
“Is anyone hurt, ma’am?” the man asked.
“Not yet.” Naya curled her toes.Keep us safe, God. Put an end to this evil before someone else gets hurt.
“Officers and medics are en route.”
A gunshot ricocheted through the stillness, and a few birds burst out of the trees and flew away. Naya squeezed her eyes shut and curled into a ball. She opened one eye but didn’t see any bullets nearby.
“Ma’am, are you still there?” The dispatcher’s voice echoed once more.
“I need to go make sure my friend is okay.” Naya disconnected the call and pocketed the device.
A motorcycle engine roared to life, and Naya’s chest tightened. Had they hurt Zack? She couldn’t just sit here if he needed her help. He’d been the one to come to her aid more times than she could count.
Out of love.
Love.