Page 120 of Enthrall Shadows
“Security for Community Development.”
“I’ve not heard of them.”
“Your friend Reese has.”
I shrugged. “We’re just here for a couple of days. My partner has a SATCOM. Everything we do is being tracked and traced.”
He scowled. “What’s your business with Reese?”
“You know her?”
“Knowofher.”
I shuddered. He had confirmed that Reese was alive and well and living in this terrifying place.
“I haven’t heard anything about what she does out here,” I said. “I’m just here for the weekend.”
“How are you finding it so far?” His sinister grin revealed missing teeth.
“It’s a once in a lifetime experience. But I miss my shower. I’m Charlotte, by the way.”
He grimaced and then said, “Tony.”
I stared at the boat, guessing it had to be for us.
He studied me. “Hoping to use that to get to your friend’s camp?”
“I’m not sure.” I took another step forward. “We don’t want to take someone else’s boat by mistake. This trip wasn’t well organized, to be honest.”
I hoped this made us sound close to incompetent and less of a threat.
“You can see I’m unarmed,” I added.
His expression relaxed a little.
“Did you fly a drone over us earlier?”
“That’s them,” he said flatly. “Spying on us.”
I shook my head in feigned disbelief. “An invasion of privacy.”
That seemed to appease him. “They make our lives hell.”
“I’m sorry.”
Tony rested the butt of his gun next to his feet.
“That for bears?” I asked.
“Protestors.” He narrowed his gaze, looking past me. “He with you?”
Turning sharply, I saw Henry emerge from the trees. “Everything’s okay,” I called out to him.
I watched him for any sign he might act rashly. I didn’t want him to spook the man, and I didn’t want Tony to make Henry go rogue.
My pulse quickened as I watched Henry’s response. He didn’t even raise his hands as he casually walked over to stand beside me. Perspiration spotted his brow, and I could see he looked pale.
“This is Tony,” I told Henry. “He’s protecting his employer’s land.”
