Page 49 of Secret Mission

My body sags forward on my hands, relief nearly taking me to the ground.

“Thank god,” I reply weakly.

Justice squeezes my shoulder and stands, continuing to search the area with his headlamp. “This is good. He could have gotten out.”

Of course, Axle is the death of hope.

“He’s probably dead. Could have broken loose.”

Vanishing like smoke in the wind, the relief of a moment ago is gone.

I’m shaking all over when I shift to my heels, my angry glare finding Axle through the beams of red light. “Can we please not say the word dead right now. I… I just can’t accept that.”

Justice helps me to my feet. “She’s right. Let’s look for signs of Truck walking out of the river.”

Axle’s arctic stare through the darkness fixes on me. As expected, his tone is brutal. “Move out.”

Tempers are hot. Emotions are high, and I’m completely exhausted.

“Maybe Justice can carry me.”

“Suit your fucking self.”

He takes the pack Justice was carrying and walks away.

“God, I’m sorry.” I hug myself as I turn to find Justice staring after him. “I’m making him mad, and I don’t know why or what to do.”

He offers a head shake. “It’s between them. Let’s go find that big asshole before his brother does.”

“Do you…” A shaky sound hiccups out of me as I motion toward the water. “Really think he could live through that?”

“We’re trained in water survival. I’m not giving up.” He scoops me up into his arms, much more gently. “You shouldn’t either.”

We pass the boat and continue down the river’s bank. Axle’s red light sweeping side-to-side restlessly scanning the ground ahead of us.

“So, what have you two been doing?”

I know Justice has to feel me flinch at his question. The memories are raw, a deep wound.

What happened between Truck and me since we jumped off that cliff feels incredibly personal.

“Well, uh… We were in a boat, going down river toward the ocean.”

“A boat? You said that earlier, but I wasn't sure how that came about.” There’s genuine curiosity in his tone.

“I’m not sure how he got it. I was sleeping.”

“Clever bastard. When you two went off that cliff, I just had to shake my head.”

“It was smart… I think. But I wanted to ring his neck at the time, especially when the crocodile bit me.”

Justice’s step falters. He makes a noise but keeps walking. “What the hell? Say that again.”

“A crocodile grabbed me. Truck shot it.”

His chuckle is warm and vibrates through me.

I shrug. “It’s true, I know it sounds stranger than fiction.”

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