Zeb had whittled away a section of it until it held together by mere strands.
He had tied the free end, the one Sara had looped over a branch, to a rock in the center of the clearing and had buried it under leaves.
The threads snapped when the shooter fell over it.
The free end slipped across the leaves faster than a snake.
A rushing sound from above.
The hitter looked up.
Screamed as he saw the log heading right at him.
Zeb wasn’t standing around to watch.
He dived for his Glock.
Got a hand around it.
His move roused the second shooter.
His AK chattered.
Someone yelled.
Sara shrieked.
Leaves flew around Zeb. Mud splattered him.
He rolled desperately. Got his weapon up.
Snapped two rounds.
Knew they missed.
Settled on his belly, momentarily.
Sight, barrel, and shooter came together for a fraction.
Trigger pull.
The gunman jerked.
Howled.
His AK drooped.
Zeb rolled once more.
Away from the girl, who was darting away into the forest.
Joachim Tavez’s face was red. He was recovering. Shouting.
The shooter on the ground.
Slithering away as the log fell, missing him by mere inches.
The ground shaking and trembling momentarily.
Zeb rose to a crouch.
The fog swept over him.
Fired into shooter number two.
Dropped him.
Turned toward Joachim.
The cartel boss dived to the ground.
Clawing at his waist.
The first shooter was scrambling to his feet.
Zeb snapped a shot at Tavez.
And flew towards hitter number one.
An unexpected move that shocked the hitter, who froze.
Which was what Zeb wanted.
He body-slammed the killer.
Gritted his teeth when the AK crashed into his ribs.
Brought the Glock down on the man’s face, savagely.
Turned him around just as Tavez fired.
Felt the killer stagger.
Whacked the man again.
Shot at Tavez, using the shooter’s body as a shield.
Zeb missed.
The cartel boss didn’t.
However, his rounds slammed into his man.
Zeb dived away from the falling shooter, triggering as fast as he could.
One of his rounds slammed into Tavez’s shoulder, dropping him to the ground.
And then killer number two joined the fight.
He was propped up on his elbow.
His chest bloody.
His eyes raging.
His AK came up.
Zeb shot him, putting him down.
Turned rapidly around to the cartel boss.
The clearing was empty.
Joachim Tavez had escaped.