Page 38 of Green Ravens

“These guys aren’t fuckin’ scientists. They’re doing some kind of illegal experiments on animals and humans.”

Oakley’s voice was harsh and panicked, but Sawyer couldn’t get his limbs to move. He was pulled upright, and Oakley grabbed his cheeks, turning his head from side to side.

“What are you on? What did they give you?”

“Oakley, calm down. It’s just pain medicine.” Sawyer tried to focus. “What the fuck is wrong with you? What’d you see?”

“They got some big-ass lab in the woods back there.”

“What were you doing back in the forest? I told you to mind your own business.” He frowned. “We’re here for one reason, Oakley. A phone,period.”

“Sawyer, they have a dead man stretched out on a table with his chest open like they’re doing an autopsy.”

“The fuck—”

“And they’re doing shit with animal parts. Jaguars, eagles, caimans, spiders, and other shit.”

Oakley’s eyes were flashing wild and bright.

“I don’t know what we’ve walked up on, but it’s not a goddamn ‘save the rainforest nonprofit.’ It’s an organizationcalled Ravens. And I saw a shit-ton of government documents from the DOD, labeled top secret.”

“Jesus.” Sawyer shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind.

“We gotta let someone know and fast.”

Sawyer struggled to get on his feet. “Come on, let’s—”

“I’m really sorry to hear you say that, Chief Oakley.”

He and Oakley spun to see Hank Madison standing there with his two bodyguard-like men flanking him.

The calm look on his face scared the hell out of him. Sawyer had encountered enough enemies to know when he was staring at danger.

“Your comrade is right. You should’ve minded your own business.”

“We don’t want any part of what you guys are doing out here.” Oakley stood in front of him. “When your field people come back with—”

“It’s too late for that.”

The bodyguards both whipped out pistols from behind their backs.

Sawyer yelled out at the loud pops and the jolts of Oakley’s body as he was shot several times in the center of his chest.

“No, no, no!”

Sawyer dropped to his knees and caught Oakley before his head slammed into the ground.

There were no holes or blood. He stared terrified at the ten-inch darts protruding from Oakley’s chest.

He held him tight in his arms as if he had enough power to protect him.

“What did you put in him?” he growled.

“The same thing we’re about to put in you.”

Oh fuck.

The last thing Sawyer remembered was a sharp sting in the side of his neck before his world faded to black.

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