Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 114793 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 574(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114793 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 574(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
I shifted the drone left, lowering it just enough to get a good view. A car sat tucked under the trees—a black SUV, its dark paint blending into the shadows. Dirt was still kicked up around the tires as if it had pulled in sometime during the night and hadn’t moved since.
“Zoom in,” Webb ordered, his voice low.
The drone cam tightened on the image, and Eddie let out a sharp breath behind me.
“No plates,” he sighed.
“And that’s not a local vehicle,” Webb added. “There's no mud or dents. It’s new.”
I hovered there for a moment longer, scanning the area. There was no movement around the barn and no sign of anyone.
“Think they’re inside?” I asked.
“Or nearby,” Webb hedged. “Watching and waiting.”
I pulled the drone back slowly, rising higher in case someone was down there listening. We drifted farther west, sweeping the edge of town, but the SUV was the only hit.
Eddie stood and stretched, keeping his eyes on the trees. “Well, now we know they’re definitely here. Still think we should just let ‘em make the first move?”
Webb looked at him. “Depends on what they want.”
“And how far they’re willing to go to get it,” I said quietly.
The drone battery started flashing low, so I pulled it back toward us, descending carefully through the canopy until it landed with a soft crunch of grass and dirt. Webb knelt and powered it down while I handed over the controller.
“What’s the plan?” I asked, brushing dirt from my knees.
He looked at me, then at Eddie. “We don’t confront yet. Not until we know how many and what they’re after.”
Eddie nodded slowly. “All right, I’ll keep a closer eye on the area. We can get some cameras up near that barn, too.”
Webb’s jaw tightened. “Let’s move fast.”
I picked up the drone, the weight of it suddenly heavier in my hands. They were here, watching and waiting. But now, so were we. Knowledge was power and all that jazz.
“We’ll go ahead,” Webb suggested, crouched low beside the thick curtain of bushes we’d found near the split in the trees. “You stay here and keep yourself hidden. We’ll be within earshot the whole time.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You’re asking me to sit in a pile of leaves and twigs while you two idiots go play bait?”
Eddie grinned, already checking the magazine in his sidearm. “Not bait, recon.”
“Sounds an awful lot like bait,” I replied smartly.
Webb rested a hand lightly on my shoulder. “We’ve got to see how many are there and get a read on them. You’re the last line, Gabby. If something goes wrong, you’re our eyes.”
I hated that it made sense. “I still don’t like it,” I grumbled, hunkering down deeper into the underbrush.
“It doesn’t matter if you like it. It’s what we’re doing,” Webb clipped, flashing me a brief, tense smile before rising to his feet. “Now, stay low.”
“I am low,” I hissed. “I’m basically a human swamp mushroom at this point.”
Eddie snorted as they crept off, their weapons hidden beneath loose shirts and moving like men who’d done this kind of thing more than they should’ve.
When they were out of sight, I let out a slow breath and settled back. I pulled a bottle of water from my backpack, twisted the cap slowly to avoid the usual crack of betrayal, and took a sip. The bayou was buzzing around me—birds chirping in warning tones, the low drone of insects, and frogs croaking like they knew secrets.
I kept an eye out for movement and swamp beasties alike, knowing my luck would absolutely have me bitten by a snake mid-surveillance.
Boredom crept in, so I fished out a little plastic bag of Goldfish crackers and started munching quietly. The salty, fake-cheese tang was a tiny comfort in a very uncomfortable situation. I popped another in my mouth and paused, debating whether the cheddar or parmesan ones were my favorite. I really liked the extra toasty kind, too, but the classic cheddar had that perfect—
Crunch.
Mid-thought, my molars locked down on a particularly crispy fish, and a loud crack of branches echoed nearby. I froze, cheeks puffed out like a squirrel, a solid mouthful of dry cracker now tasting stale on my tongue.
Two men stepped into view, their boots heavy on the forest floor, and stopped a few feet in front of where I was crouched. My entire body went still, lungs straining against the sudden pressure of panic.
One of them had a beard that looked like he’d forgotten razors existed. The other wore a cap, pulled low, and carried himself like someone who didn’t need to talk to be in charge.
“I picked up a cell ping around here,” the bearded one said, scanning the trees. “Wasn’t long ago. The old man in town said he saw movement. Said it didn’t look like locals—people moving around this area, acting suspicious.”