Page 38 of Wild Idol (Tyson Wild Thriller #82)

T he goon with the AK drew closer.

We dare not move. Not now.

The goon’s head was on a swivel, scanning the field and the tree line. I figured they had encountered an intruder. That was, perhaps, what the gunshot was all about. There was probably someone lying dead in the field.

I whispered to Star. “How often do your people have to defend this territory?”

She didn’t answer. Star kept quiet for the time being, and that was fine with me.

The goon with the AK kept stalking closer. He’d see us if he got too close, but any movement now would draw his attention.

Another goon rounded the corner at the opposite end of the field. He shouted, his voice echoing over the poppies. “I don’t see any more! ”

“I think one got away,” the other replied.

“Solomon is going to be pissed.”

They both kept advancing and would converge on our location soon.

We crouched low, hugging the dirt.

A fire ant crawled across my hand and decided this was the opportune moment to take a bite. I gritted my teeth and flicked the little bastard off, but it was too late. The burning had already begun. This was no regular fire ant. It felt like somebody had stabbed my hand with a hot poker.

I balled my fingers into a fist, trying to take the pain. It wasn’t the first time I had gotten bitten in the jungle by an insect. I’m sure it wouldn’t be the last.

We hid in the dense foliage. The two goons came to a stop within 10 feet of our location. They had a brief conversation.

My pulse pounded in my ears, all of my senses heightened. Adrenaline coursed through my veins. The sound of the jungle became deafening. After a moment, the two goons spun around and walked in opposite directions, back the way they came.

We all breathed a sigh of relief, and I shared a glance with Jack.

When it felt safe, we stood with caution, then stepped back down the narrow trail that we had just created. Unfortunately, Star’s foot snapped a twig.

It might as well have been a canon .

It echoed through the jungle, and the two goons spun in our direction.

Gunfire erupted.

I hit the dirt and took Star with me. We hugged the earth while bullets flew overhead, streaking through the jungle, piercing leaves, smacking into trees. Bark splintered and showered down.

The goons advanced, the AKs hammering their shoulders, brass casings ejecting from ports. The deafening cacophony of sound filled the air.

“Don’t shoot!” Star shouted. “It’s me.”

Soon the goons were on top of us, the hot, smoking barrels of their AKs bearing down.

“What the fuck are you doing here?“ the first goon with long, dark hair and a red bandanna asked.

“We were in the village dispensing medication, Boone,” Star snapped. “Stop pointing that gun at me.”

“What the fuck are they doing here?” Boone said, nodding to JD and me.

“Helping me. What’s your fucking problem!?” Star climbed to her feet and shoved the barrel of the rifle away from her, pointing it into the jungle. She had some spunk. No doubt about it.

JD and I followed suit with caution.

The two goons glared at us.

“What are you doing here?” Boone asked .

“We heard gunshots,“ Star said.

“Varmint,” Kellen said.

Star gave him a look of disbelief.

“Sorry to disturb you, gentlemen,“ JD said. “We’ll just be on our way back to camp.“

We started into the jungle, but Boone had other ideas. He shouldered his rifle again and took aim at Jack. “Not so fast.”

JD froze in his tracks, knowing now was not the time to tempt fate.

“Boone, stop being an asshole,” Star demanded.

“You know as well as I do, no one is allowed near these fields. Especially not outsiders.”

“They’re not going to tell anybody.” Star looked at me for confirmation.

I smiled and shrugged innocently. “There’s nobody to tell.”

“Not here. But when you get off this island…”

“When we get off this island, we’re going back to our lives. You’re well out of our jurisdiction.”

Red Bandanna kept his rifle aimed at JD. His comrade, Kellen, pulled a walkie-talkie that was affixed to his belt loop and keyed up. “Big Bad Wolf to Sun King, do you copy?”

He released the button and waited for a response.

Nothing but static crackled through the line .

He tried again.

“This is Sun King, go ahead,” Solomon replied.

“We’ve got a problem here?”

“What kind of problem?”