Page 50 of SEAL the Deal

Weapons held ready they gave chase, sliding through the leaf litter that covered the steep slope.

Ed spotted their target again, long brown hair and a feminine build revealing it was the park ranger. She turned, saw them and started running.

A weapon fired alongside his ear and a bullet blew a chunk out of a tree.

“What the fuck!” Ed screamed at Hank who held the smoking rifle. “It’s just the girl. If we bring her in alive Carter might let us have some fun with her.”

Harold pushed ahead, sprinting through the scrub like a dog on the scent of a rabbit. Ed wasn’t far behind his eyes peeled for any sign of the SEAL or the dog.

“She’s on her own,” hollered his partner.

They covered a hundred yards through thick undergrowth, closing the gap between them and the girl. She wore a backpack, but as far as Ed could see she was unarmed. He raised his AR-15 in the air and fired.

Terrified the girl slipped, fell to the ground and clambered back to her feet.

“Hold it right there sweetheart!” yelled Ed.

She was a dozen feet in front of them when she stopped and turned. “Please don’t hurt me.”

Ed eyeballed the empty holster on her belt as he came up alongside Harold, who had her covered with his shotgun. “Where’s your SEAL buddy?”

Hank and Carl caught up, skidding to a halt behind them.

“He went for help,” she managed through her tears.

The four men stood in a semi-circle not more than ten feet from their quarry. Like a pack of hyenas confronting a lioness they tentatively edged forward. Ed’s eyes darted from side to side as he searched for any sign of the SEAL or the dog.

The ranger swayed slightly, reached out and grasped a tree.

Hank lowered his weapon. “She looks like she’s gonna faint.”

She pulled at something and suddenly a rope snaked through the leaves alongside them. Ed frowned as his eyes followed it. Then a noise behind him caught his attention. He turned at the same time as the others.

“Fuck,” was all he managed as a three hundred pound log swung down toward them. It hit Carl and Hank with a sickening crunch as he dove sideways. The two men and log slammed into Harold, knocking him off his feet. It caught Ed a glancing blow sending him sprawling, his rifle flung from his hands.

He hit the ground with a thud, pain shooting up from a bruised thigh. He rolled over to see the park ranger standing over the crumpled heap of the other three men with a pump action shotgun in her shoulder.

“You fucking whore,” he said as he reached for his rifle.

A savage growl filled the air and he froze. He found himself staring directly into the bared fangs of a mean looking dog.

“I wouldn’t move if I were you,” said the ranger. “That’s a trained attack dog. One word from me and he’ll tear out your throat.” She tossed something into his lap.

He glanced at the roll of tape and then at the men lying under the suspended log. Hank and Carl were out cold. Harold stared silently into the barrel of her shotgun.

She flashed him a smile. “Now, how about you crawl over here real slowly and tape up your buddies.”

“How about you go to hell.”

The dog let out a loud bark and another savage growl.

“Pardon me?”

Ed swallowed, picked up the tape and slid slowly across to the others. The dog followed him its eyes locked on his throat.

Behind him in the leaves, his radio hissed. “Ed, what the hell’s going on down there?” demanded Carter.

ChapterFifteen

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