the trees, but from which direction?
With the thermal scope pressed tightly to his eye, Logan scanned the distance looking for a heat signature. Slowly, he turned the focus on his scope until his surroundings cleared. Inch by inch he hunted. Out there, not far, less than a quarter mile maybe, he’d find Skylar’s brothers. He just needed . . . movement. He held his breath and focused his scope farther out. Scanning. Scanning. There.
“He built me a fucking fire to light the way. Stupid fuck.”
He adjusted his setting again until Josh came into focus. He was tied to a tree with a rope. His mouth was moving, and he looked pissed.
“Keep it together, kid. I’m coming.”
Logan moved his sight to the right and found Jake. He was slumped and bleeding. Fuck. Time to move. He started to lower his weapon when Chance Bear shot past his vision and pinned Josh to the tree with knife. No time. No fucking time.
Logan closed his eyes to center his mind. The last time he’d been in this position he’d watched his brothers die in front of him. Not this time. He wouldn’t let Skylar down. He’d promised as long as he had air left in his lungs, no harm would come to her or her brothers. He’d broken that promise with her, he’d be damned if he let it happen again.
He shook off his anger and rolled his neck, then sighted Chance Bear again. He was still taunting Josh. Still too close. Logan anchored himself against a tree and took a deep breath to calm himself. There was no time to calculate wind speed, gravity, terrain. He would need to make the shot of his life to save Skylar’s brothers.
“Move, motherfucker. Get clear.”
An instant before Logan squeezed the trigger, Chance Bear spun around and looked behind him, giving Logan a full body to target. He took it and watched smugly as Bear flew back and hit the ground as Logan’s shot tore through his leg. At the last second, Logan changed trajectory and took a maiming shot instead of a kill shot. Death would be too easy. He needed to pay for all the damage he’d done.
Logan kept his sights on Bear to make sure he stayed down, then watched with a grin as Max jumped into his line of sight and grabbed Bear by the throat, pinning him to the ground so he wouldn’t move.
With Bear out of commission, Logan dug through his pack for his phone and dialed Ty.
“You find them?”
“I found them. Bear is incapacitated.”
“Max find you?”
“How the fuck did . . . Tell me you didn’t leave Skylar alone to bring me my dog?” Logan growled, on the move toward Jake and Josh.
“Fuck no. I’ve been on the receiving end of one of your punches. I sent Jared in an ambulance to Jamie’s and he brought him over. Jared said the second he cleared the truck and smelled the blood he bolted like a greyhound. Keep your eyes out for Jared, he’s out there somewhere with an EMT kit.”
“What does Skylar know?”
“Nothing. I called Jamie and she’s kept her on the phone for the past hour.”
“Roger that. Gotta go.”
Logan double-timed it to Jake and Josh, but Jared got to them first. He was treating Bear while Max kept his teeth glued to his throat when he arrived. Jake already had a compression bandage tied around his shoulder and an IV dripping from a branch when Logan broke through the brush.
“Took you long enough.” Josh was cool and casual as he watched Jared treat Bear.
“Sorry, kid. I got held up kissing your sister.”
“That’s cool. It’s been an interesting night.”
Logan stopped and looked down at Chance Bear. He was awake but zoned out, ignoring everyone including the war dog drooling on his neck.
“You have the right to remain silent . . . Shit, I don’t know the rest.”
“Google it,” Jake grumbled opening his eyes. “I don’t want that fuck getting off on a technicality.” Logan didn’t need to google it; he’d copied it at Duke’s office, just in case this day came and stuck it in his wallet.
“Wicked shot by the way,” Jake continued. “How far do you think it was?”
“Far enough.”
“Saved us for sure,” Josh stated. “So you can forgive yourself now.”
Logan’s attention shot to the kid while he dug through his wallet. “What was that?”
“Forgive yourself. The Dalai Lama said we can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves. You’ve found a home.