Free Dom Wars: Round 6 by Aden Lowe, Lucian Bane Page B

information on the pallet.”
    Preacher gave me a cold look. “I suspect if those supplies ever did exist, our favorite sadist has either taken them or sabotaged them.”
    “Yeah, you’re probably right. Better to think about that nice cool spring water.”
    Tara agreed with a moan. “And then there’s the ocean next.” She let her head fall back and closed her eyes, holding her legs to her chest. “I cannot wait to see that ocean again. And that boat. Do you think we’ll make it first?”
    Preacher snorted lightly. “That would be a huge ass shock.”
    Becca slapped a mosquito off his neck then gave Tara a courageous stare. “We have a perfectly good chance of making it first.”
    “Oh good!” Tara sighed the words like the woman had prophesied an event.
    It didn’t matter to me, really, just so we made it out alive. And for the past few hours, the dread in my gut told me those odds were far too low for my liking. What the fuck was Jase Duff doing and planning? A disgusting apprehension mixed with the dire need to act was what had me practically running to the next fucking flag. I needed to get to that answer one way or another and deal with it, the dread was too much. The threat had my guts in knots, the instinct to crush it before it had the chance to hurt Tara.
    And Preacher’s limp pronounced the pain he was in.
    Becca suddenly shot up and began unloading the bags.
    “What are you doing baby?” Preacher’s words were guarded yet soft.
    “We were supposed to check for a device to make emergency contact. You need a doctor.”
    Tara immediately leapt into action with her. “There has to be something here.”
    “I’m fine,” Preacher grumbled.
    “You are not fine,” Becca snapped in fury, rummaging at warp speed. “Do not fight about such a foolish thing, male. If you get an infection…” She shook the bag viciously. “Surely there is some sort of emergency device!”
    Becca’s desperation brought me to join them in the search. “Okay, let’s look at our watches closer.”
    They all removed their watches except Preacher. He simply reclined like he was sunbathing at the Bahamas, eyes closed. But my guess, he was anything but at peace.
    I looked at the back of the watch and caught sight of the embossed plastic microscopic words.
    “Mine says something!” Tara hurried to me, watch out.
    I squinted at the microscopic words, then glanced around for the brightest ray of filtered sunlight.
    “The emergency beacon is activated when you remove the battery from the phone,” Preacher said. We all jerked to find him still with his eyes closed. “I asked before we left.”
    “Let’s do yours,” I told Tara.
    She clawed a fingernail on the back of the watch, seeking for a crevice. “Shit I think this is it, my nail is too weak. Find me something to pry it open.”
    I pulled my knife out and she handed the watch over. “Right there.” She reached her with a finger and pointed at the location just as the blade slipped.
    “Sweetheart! Really, go stand over there before I cut your fucking hand off by some insane accident!”
    She did as I said, looking torn between being pissed and sorry. Not as sorry as I was for yelling at her, but fuck, who puts their finger on location where a giant knife is?
    Tara. That’s who. My sweet fucking Tara.
    I finally managed to pop the back off and then removed the flat button type battery and put it in my pocket. I looked at the watch for any indication that an alarm had been sounded. When it just sat there like a watch without a battery, I looked at Preacher.
    He shrugged. “That’s what he said.”
    “Great. So, we’ll just have to hope the beacon emergency actually worked.”
    Preacher worked his way to standing, grunting and letting Becca help. The fact that he did, said he was in a lot of pain. But then again, he was definitely secure in his masculinity and didn’t need to prove a fucking thing to her or anybody else. Reminded me of how much I’d grown to