Page 71 of Sawyer

I grab my night vision glasses and slip them on. I used to just pop them on, but it gave me too many headaches. Now I wait, and the adjustment is easy. They allow me to see as a delta does.

“Eyes, ears, and nose on alert,” I whisper to him as we step into the forest.

“No warnings on what we’ll find?” he asks.

“No.” Usually, I don’t get a briefing unless it’s in person, which means we could walk into anything. “Just keep your head clear.”

“I haven’t even gotten to shower Sawyer off my dick yet,” he goads me.

“Hush.” I won’t let him get under my skin.

As one, we move through the silent forest, stepping over logs and broken twigs. The leaves barely crunch under our feet. Out here, it’s peaceful—eerie, yes, but also peaceful. I wouldn’t mind spending time out here vacationing, preferably in warmer weather near a body of water where Sawyer can swim. Naked, of course.

We trek up the mountain for about two miles. It’s slow and daunting, but there’s something out here. Otherwise, the monarch wouldn’t have sent me. So far, I haven’t scented anything other than the lingering, rancid smell of the corpses carted away by deltas.

A twig cracks in the distance.

We pause and sink low to the ground, waiting. Rumor scans right. I scan left. In the distance, I just make out a set of eyes. Frowning, I tap Rumor six times on the shoulder, letting him know I see an animal.

Rumor reaches back and does the same.

What the hell?

I look to the right, him to the left. Eyes burn as they watch us.

That is unusual.

Though there are many creatures and beasts that call this mountain range home, they aren’t intelligent enough to work together.

Or perhaps that is an assumption I never should have made.

A low warning growl rumbles ahead, and I peer over Rumor’s shoulder and find another set of green eyes peering back at us.

Three sets of eyes.

I guarantee there’s another behind us.

Fear slithers up my spine. Because I assumed we’d be out here searching for a dead body, I didn’t take the precaution of removing my scent, and neither did Rumor.

We smell of sex and arousal.

I only hope that the wind doesn’t kick up and blow our scents to the beasts stalking us.

A whistle blows through the forest, and all the beasts turn their heads and issue one bark. These aren’t just native beasts, these are trained predators.

My heart thumps erratically in my chest, and I breathe slowly through my nose to get it under control. The whistle blows twice more.

The creature in front of us looks back at us and gives us a low, menacing warning bark before he takes off through the woods.

I don’t feel an ounce of relief though, because at least three more sets of eyes peer back at us before they all take off toward the whistle.

Flashes of fur rush past me in various light and dark hues, but I can’t distinguish the color with the goggles.

Rumor and I stay still for another ten minutes before we even dare to breathe or move. When we do, it’s as silent as the beasts that left us. We creep back through the forest toward our vehicle.

Neither of us utters a single word as the doors shut.

I grab my burner phone and dial the one number I have stored in there—the same one that called me only hours ago.

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