Page 36 of Her Wicked Hero

Crack!

Zed ducked again. The tree trunk was hit. Shit, that was close. He made sure to keep it between him and the clearing as he took off at a run, then he zoomed to the left, behind another tree. He looked behind and could see someone coming toward him. He needed to take a shot, he didn’t need them coming into the jungle, he needed to go at them. He needed to keep them away from the women.

Zed positioned himself behind another tree and took aim. He watched as he hit the man in the neck. Perfect. He plowed forward, but unfortunately, from his point of view on the ground, he couldn’t see where anybody else was in the clearing. He needed to get closer.

Zed moved to the point where he could peer into the clearing. He saw Raymond, once again near the house, his arm around Alice’s neck, was using her as a shield.

A woman’s scream, then a man’s scream came from one of the cabins. What the hell?

“Give me Lesley!” Raymond yelled.

Zed’s head swiveled back to see that Raymond was now in the common area, his back up against a pole, still using Alice as a shield as he fired high-velocity rounds into the guest cabin closest to him. That’s why there were screams coming from inside.

“I know you’re out there, give me Lesley.”

“You’re in no position to negotiate,” Zed yelled back.

“I’m willing to kill everybody in this fucking place. Rogers, kill the civilians,” Raymond shouted. Zed saw the tip of the rifle that had been peeking out from behind the cabin disappear. He watched helplessly as bullet holes pelted the opposite cabins and more shrieks were heard from inside that one. The door flew open, and a woman ran out.

“Go back inside,” Zed yelled, then watched in horror as a plume of blood burst on her back and she flew down the stairs. She didn’t move.

“Give me Lesley, or they all die,” Raymond’s voice rang out across the clearing.

“I’m here,” Marcia’s voice could be heard faintly behind him.

Raymond laughed.

It wasn’t over. Someone still needed to show themselves to get Marcia, and when they did, Zed would kill them, it was that simple.

“I want you too,” Raymond yelled. “Bring her to me.”

“I don’t think so,” Zed replied.

Another volley of shots went into the cabin, and another woman’s cries were heard.

“It’s like shooting fish in a barrel. This is fun, isn’t it Rogers?”

“Damn right it’s fun,” a man called back to Raymond, his Southern accent thick and out of place here in the Borneo jungle.

Zed closed his eyes. He prayed for the Navy copter, but there was still no sign of it. Maybe by the time he got Marcia?

“You have five minutes, then Rogers and Larks start shooting up all three cabins. Alice told me she has a full house this weekend. What is that Alice?”

Zed watched as Raymond shook the woman. He couldn’t hear what she said.

“Eleven. Two of them are children. I bet some of them are injured right now. What do you want to bet?”

Where was that damn helicopter?

“You have five minutes.”

“She’s injured, I have to carry her.”

“Five minutes,” Raymond said carelessly. “Come on, you’re a SEAL, aren’t you? I could do it. The clock starts now.”

Where was the fifth man? Zed pulled out his satellite phone and ran. “Where’s the fucking helicopter?” he panted.

“Talk to me,” Dex said patiently.