Zeb was following Sara Ashland when he smelled a whiff of smoke.
He tugged her hoodie and made her stop, holding a finger to his lips.
He sniffed. Yes, no doubt. Cigarette smoke.
He saw her breathe deeply too, recognition dawning in her eyes when she placed the odor.
‘It could be campers,’ she whispered.
Hikers had been on his mind. He had deliberately chosen his camp to be far from any travelers. However, the wilderness had many visitors. They were bound to encounter a few.
Namir will kill them.
He motioned her to the ground and tried to get a wind direction.
The smell came from their left.
He pulled out Khider’s phone. Removed its battery and SIM card, and crushed the device.
They started crawling slowly, him taking the lead.
Barely fifty yards had passed when bushes rustled ahead.
He held up a hand to stop her and pointed with his index finger to a thicket.
Turned his head around to watch her insert herself carefully in the bushes.
He resumed moving, faster, now that he didn’t have to worry about her.
Got to his feet when he was out of her vision.
Used trees to shield himself.
Two men came from behind a dense bunch of pines, their eyes on something one terrorist held.
No time to think.
He was moving even before his brain had processed what his eyes saw.
They were close, almost shoulder to shoulder, their HKs dangling from their shoulders.
Their eyes lifted when they sensed him.
Zeb flew at them, his HK swinging around in a wicked arc.
Its barrel crashed into the first killer’s neck. He dropped the tracker to the ground, a cry bursting out of his lips.
Zeb kneed him, and smashed his rifle’s barrel on the back of his neck.
The second killer was reacting.
Swiftly.
His mouth opening to warn the rest of Namir’s men. His body taking several steps back to give himself room.
His HK swinging around. Turning to aim at Zeb.
Zeb threw away his weapon and pounced at him.
His left forearm came up, beneath the hostile’s gun.
Deflected its barrel just as rounds burst from it and sprayed the branches above them.
His fingers jabbed at the shooter’s eyes. A scream that escaped Namir’s man died away in a choking gasp when Zeb’s elbow crushed his neck.
The beast roared to life suddenly, flew through Zeb’s fingers and rammed the killer against the nearest tree.
Zeb smashed the man’s head against the trunk.
Once. Twice. Until his body sagged.
Zeb let him go and stood back, breathing lightly.
Five down.