Page 97 of Lash

She gives me a small but determined smile and a nod. “That would be good. Thank you."

Sol claps his hands. "Alright. Scarlett, Nico, Tati, you'll need a head start. Get going while the rest of us gear up."

Solomon gives Tatiana a small box of ammunition and a couple of spare magazines; Scarlett and I check our loadouts, and then the three of us move into the forest and head for the estate.

We find a spot to hide while the patrols pass us by, and then continue. Tatiana, after the second patrol passes out of earshot, frowns at me. "What about them? Won't they hear my shots and come looking for me?"

Scarlett and I exchange looks, and then I nod. "Yes, you are right. Scarlett and I will eliminate them."

I scout the tree line around the path, looking for a good angle on the gate and bridge where she will be well hidden. After several minutes of hunting, I find a thick tree with a four-way fork where each trunk is fat and sturdy. I climb up and test it out, checking the sightline and positioning. Satisfied, I bring Tatiana to it. I crouch on the ground in the position she'll need to assume in the tree, showing her how to support the barrel on her forearm braced over her knees.

"As Sol said, there's little wind and the distance is only a couple hundred yards, so you will not need to worry about windage or drop calculations. Just put the crosshairs on your target and squeeze the trigger. You have range training, so I know you can do this."

She nods, her expression a fierce frown. "I always liked rifles more than handguns or assault rifles. I can do this, Nico. I will make you proud."

I cradle her face in my hands. "I already am, my love. You are brave and resilient. And if for any reason someone in the estate spots you and starts shooting at you, get down and find a new spot. Even on the ground, lying down. In fact, it may be a good idea to change locations every few shots, anyway. Keep your earpiece in. If someone says overwatch, that's you. Aim for center mass, not the head. Reloadbeforeyou run out.”

She lets out a sharp breath with a firm nod. "I understand."

I kiss her. "It is okay to be afraid. But you will be fine." I pull back. “You have a pistol and spare mags?"

She nods. “Yes."

"Good. Keep your head on a swivel. We will take out the patrols before we go down the ravine, but do not assume you will be alone out here. Make sure you see who you are shooting at before you shoot, if anyone approaches you—it could be one of us." I let out a breath. "Okay. You can do this. I love you."

She swallows hard, eyes watering. She closes her eyes tight, breathes deeply a few times, and then opens them, the tears unshed and glistening on her eyelashes. "I can do this,” she repeats. “I love you, Nico." She pushes me backward. "Go. No more advice. Just go before I lose my nerve."

Scarlett watches her scramble up the tree and unsling the rifle from her shoulder, assuming the position I showed her, settling in.

Tatiana sees us watching and shoos us away with a flap of her hand. "You two have a role to play. Go. I will be fine."

With one last look over my shoulder, I force myself to walk away from her yet again, knowing I have no choice but to trust that she can take care of herself.

Scarlett bumps me with her shoulder. "You snagged a good one, my friend."

"She continues to amaze me," I say.

"I suppose it helps that she grew up with the father she did. Someone else may not do as well as she has," Scarlett says. "She's smart, brave, and learns fast."

I just nod. "Let's get this over with. I am tired of this jungle."

Scarlett snorts. "Buddy, you have no fucking idea. I already hiked halfway across the goddamn Amazon looking for Sol, rescuing him, and then escaping with his ass. And now here I fucking am, a-fucking-gain, in the goddamn jungle. I swear to god, if I never see this place again, as beautiful as it is, it'll be too soon."

"We are nearly there," I assure her. "Let's find these patrols and take them out."

We find the outer ring patrol easily—they're at the road, smoking cigarettes under the shelter of a tree, looking pissed off and miserable. Scarlett and I drop them with a single round to the forehead each and then pull their bodies into the brush.

The inner patrol requires more searching, however, and we stumble upon them, quite literally, by accident. They see us first and one actually manages to get his AK-47 up to bear, but I'm faster, and he drops. Scarlett takes out her man a split second later, and since we're already well off-path, we leave them where they lay. I take a radio and earpiece from one.

I key our comms. “Overwatch in place, outer patrols eliminated. Beginning our descent."

"Copy," Solomon says. "When you begin your ascent, we'll get their attention."

It is extremely slow going, sneaking down the ravine’s face. It's steep, and the undergrowth is wickedly dense. Branches catch on our clothes and weapons, scratching our faces and hands. After what feels like an eternity, we reach the bottom, panting, sweaty, and covered in scratches. We take a moment to catch our breath and then approach the ascent.

We stand side by side, peering up.

Scarlett wipes her forehead. "Fuck that, man. Down was hard enough. We have to go upthat?”