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“Get up!”

When the guard’s boot connected with his ribs, Ash swung the shovel in a high arc, smashing the blade into the side of the man’s head.

He rolled, not waiting for the body to crumble. Bullets sprayed the earth where he’d been seconds before. Rather than flee from the danger, he advanced toward it.

Any sort of cover was too far away. He had one opportunity to take out the second guard. He wouldn’t waste this small element of surprise. He plowed into the guard’s legs, hooking them with his good shoulder.

They went down, and Ash barely avoided braining himself on the descent. He grappled for the knife sheathed at the guard’s thigh. He pulled it free, then something slammed into his wounded shoulder.

His left arm went numb and he dropped the weapon, but his right had tightened around its load. Rearing up, he threw a handful of red dirt from a mounded burrow into the guy’s face, peppering his eyes and filling his snarling mouth.

Blinded, the guard knuckled his eyes.

Ash retrieved the knife from the ground and plunged it into his executioner’s throat. He stayed suspended over the thrashing body, using his bodyweight to keep the knife in place until silence filled the night again.

Breaths coming hard, Ash collapsed on his back and blinked up at the stars. He soaked in the night sky for a full minute, amazed to still be alive.

His left hand started tingling, and he took that as a sign to get his ass moving again.

Reclaiming his phone, he cursed at the lack of reception. Pocketing his device, he divested the dead guard of his weapons and spare ammunition. Did the same for the unconscious guard, tossing anything he couldn’t carry into the forest. Using zip ties he found in one of their pockets, he secured the guard’s hands and feet. He’d send law enforcement to retrieve him and his partner’s body later.

After getting his bearings, he started the long trek up the mountain. He hoped he could find his way back to Sybil’s house.

His internal navigation was normally spot on, but he’d never tested it under the haze of pain and near-unconsciousness. Once he located the loop trail, he was confident he could find the spur leading to Sybil’s house.

As long as he didn’t black out first.

A shadow shifted behind a large,smooth-bark tulip tree as the fed trudged by.

The shadow waited to make sure the agent didn’t return before pushing away from the protection of the tree. The shadow crept into the clearing and loomed over the two heavily armed idiots who’d managed to lose a bound and wounded man.

One dead.

One beginning to stir.

The shadow lifted the suppressed rifle from low ready position.

Pulled the trigger. Once. Twice.

The shadow turned and followed in the agent’s wake.