The Reckless Oath We Made - Bryn Greenwood Page 0,106

hit somebody in anger for the second time in a week, because he had his jaw clenched when he turned to Rhys.

“Thou must do as thou wilt, Sir Rhys, but I called upon thee to help me, for I believed thou wert true and brave. Call me not thy brother, if thou wouldst be my nursemaid.”

Gentry was probably the nicest guy I’d ever met, but I was relieved to find out that wasn’t all he was.

“Edrard, you’re not really going, are you?” Rhys said.

“Yeah, I’m going. Gentry is my brother and, for once, I’d like to go do something without you or Rosalinda making me feel like a bumbling idiot.”

Rhys sat down on the edge of the bed, watching Edrard and Gentry pack. Once we were finished, I did what I knew had to be done.

“Give me your phones,” I said. “We can’t take anything that can be used to prove we were there.”

“Oh, shit, for real?” Dirk said.

“I didn’t even think of that.” Edrard took out his phone and looked at it.

Gentry didn’t hesitate. He laid his phone on top of his iPad on the dresser. Whatever notes we needed were on the map. I turned my phone off and added it to the stack. Dirk shrugged and did the same. Edrard fretted and sent one last text message before he gave his up.

“We’ll stop at Walmart and buy a couple burner phones, so we can—”

“And you’re just going to leave me here?” Rhys said.

“The room is paid for tonight,” I said.

“We’ll come back and get you,” Edrard said. He looked embarrassed, but then he was Rhys’ ride.

* * *

—

WE DROVE STRAIGHT south out of town, Gentry and I in his truck, Dirk riding with Edrard. We made two stops, at a Walmart across the Arkansas state line to pick up a pair of burner phones and, once we got to Murfreesboro, to get some dinner. In the parking lot of a Sonic, we double-checked our plan. The map was at least fifteen years old, and it had been unfolded and refolded until the seams were worn white. But between it and the satellite images we’d looked at, we knew where we were going.

I was so grateful to Gentry, because I had no idea how to plan something that looked like military strategy. He had marked the place where we would leave the county road and take an old fire road running through some heavy woods. It was high ground above the cabin, which had been a little gray square on the satellite maps. He’d also drawn the route we would take on foot to the road that led to the cabin.

“’Tis nigh half a mile, my lady. Mayhap ’twould be best if thou waitest here,” he said, and put his finger on the map where we were going to leave the trucks.

“Wait there? Are you for real? I’m not fucking waiting there.” It was the first time I’d ever been mad at him.

“I would not for the world put thee in danger.”

“Oh, but you in danger is fine? And which one of you is going to do the talking? Because I know you’re not, Gentry.” I felt bad saying it that way, but he didn’t look offended.

“Nay.”

“Yeah, I think she better go,” Dirk said.

“’Tis nigh half a mile,” Gentry said again. “Wilt thou be able to walk it, my lady?”

“Yes,” I said, but I already knew I wouldn’t be doing it sober. My stomach felt so tight I thought I might vomit up the hamburger I’d eaten. When I took out my THC drops and offered them around, Edrard and Dirk took some. Gentry was too busy plotting to be nervous.

“We shall reach it ere the sun sets and I shall search out the place that we might come upon them unawares. ’Tis to our advantage, for the sun shall set behind us. Master Dirk, thou shalt come with us, but remain here, where the trees given cover to the road. If we needen help, we shall call for thee. Sir Edrard, as ever with thy mighty bow, thou shalt remain here, upon high ground.”

I know I gave Edrard a doubting look, and he blushed.

“I’m no good at hunting,” he said, “because I don’t like killing little animals. I’m actually a really good shot, though. At a hundred yards, I can hit a three-foot target zone with my compound bow. I’ll be good for sniper cover.”

“Yea, and so shall we use thee as proof we comen not alone,”