Page 53 of Secret Mission

Oh, mamma bear is gonna tear some Thomas up.

This isn’t escalating, it’s ignited, and something’s going to explode any second.

Thomas is in a fucking pickle now. He might lose some eyeballs, if not his whole brain.

Shifting between his feet, he finally shows a crack in his resolve. “Back. Up. Both of you.”

A branch snaps to my left making me mentally shake my head.

What now?

“You heard the man, you both need to back up!”

It’s another voice. A newcomer to the party.

A shadowy form materializes from the dense foliage. This one in tactical gear with night vision goggles.

He’s not with our team.

Well, fuck a duck and a duck and a duck.

Seconds later, a third man shows up at this little party. Allison, still wobbly, but clearly running on anger, stomps toward Thomas and for the love of god, she shoves the man.

Both her hands land on his chest.

He grunts and sways from the impact of her small body slamming into him.

“What did you do to Truck?”

It all happens fast.

Thomas’s split-second imbalance is the opening—and Axle being the SEAL he is, takes the pistol in a flash.

A wrist slap and a grab, and he’s got the gun pointed at Thomas over the top of Allison’s head.

“Not such a big man now, huh?” Axle shifts, repositions his fingers on the stock of the pistol he’s pointing at Thomas's brow. “Where’s our guy?”

“Hand her over, and we’ll give him back.”

Allison, also unhinged, hauls back and punches Thomas in the face, snapping back his head, shocking and pleasing the hell out of me.

She’s panting, furious, and ten feet tall. “Turn him loose now.”

Only now, my day is officially off the rails.

There are a lot of guns. More unknowns, and a weapon pointed at me. One pointed at Axle. One pointed at Thomas. And Truck may be a hostage.

Thomas works his jaw, glaring at Allison. “You come with us, he goes free. But I don’t care how many yahoos you have trying to stop us. We are taking you to your father.”

“That’s not happening,” I counter.

The man holding the gun on me shouts, “Listen the fuck up, everyone!”

He tips his NVG’s toward me. “These men mean nothing to us. Unless you want blood on your hands, you’ll come in peace. Otherwise, we start shooting. And this one’s first.”

Me.

He’s talking about dusting me and leaving me for the jungle wildlife.