Page 6 of Burn Bag

“Tactical gear is for pussies.”

I glared at both of them. “I don’t want to hear another fucking word out of your mouth for the next mile.”

I spun back around and started hiking. They should be fucking thanking me. I chose to come at a time when the heat of summer had mostly passed. At least they weren’t sweating their balls off right now.

Thumper caught up with me, eyes narrowing as he stared off in the distance. “I can’t believe you made me come back here.”

“Yeah, I was holding a gun to your head,” I snorted.

He stopped and snarled, “You literally held a gun to my head.”

That was right. I had. I shrugged and kept moving. “But don’t you feel great about it?”

“About coming back to the place where assassins nearly took me out? No. You know, that does not make me feel great.”

“Well, that sounds like a personal problem, but never fear, I have something special planned for this trip that you’re gonna love.”

“Yeah? What’s that?”

“Remember those yurts you stayed in the last time you were here?”

He stopped walking, which made me stop walking. “You didn’t.”

“I did. I thought it would be awesome.”

“Awesome? We shot up the place the last time we were there. Do you honestly think he’s going to let us stay there again?”

“Relax,” I chuckled, slapping him on the back. “It’s booked under my name. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Yeah, until he sees us and throws us all out. Then what’s your plan?”

“I don’t have a plan because I don’t need one. It’s gonna be good. I promise.”

I wasn’t worried about a thing. Ever since I got out here, everything just shifted in the right direction. The worst of my worries melted away and I started to remember why I got into the business to begin with. Yeah, there was a shit ton to worry about when we went home, but until then, I was forgetting about all of it.

“The last thing we need to worry about is where we’re staying. I’m telling you, this trip is going to be amazing.”

Somehow, none of the rest of them looked too thrilled. Still, I hiked on and enjoyed the desert—the crisp, cool morning air and the bright sun. It was fucking perfect.

“Oh shit!” Dash shouted beside me.

I spun, just in time to see him teetering on the edge, his arms whirling viciously as he tried not to fall. I leapt forward, snatching his arm before he went over the edge, and tugged him back. But I lost myfooting and tripped on the uneven rock. My body catapulted backward, taking Dash with me.

Letting out a shout, I landed hard, then started rolling down the rock we’d just climbed, my pack hurling me further and further from where I’d just been. I landed with a thud, eyes widening just before Dash landed on top of me, knocking all the air from my lungs.

I was like a bug splattered against a windshield. My body was battered and bruised, and my face had just taken the brunt of his pack. I shoved him off me, sucking in a harsh breath as I thanked my lucky stars that I’d landed here instead of at the bottom of the canyon Dash had just about tumbled into.

“Thanks, man,” he sighed, breathing heavily. “That could have been bad.”

“No shit,” I muttered, sitting up, my back tweaking at the movement. “Fuck, that was not fun.”

“You guys alright?” Thumper shouted from further up.

I gave him a thumbs up even though my ass felt like it’d split in two when I landed. I shoved to my feet, only to gasp in pain when I tried to put weight on my ankle. “Fuck,” I hissed, testing it out again.

It was no use. I sprained it at the very least, essentially ending my day before it even began. “Thanks a lot, asshole. I hurt my ankle.”

“Me?” he asked, gaping at me like a fish. “I nearly fell off the fucking cliff! I’m lucky to be alive!”

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