Free Recruits (Keeper of the Water Book 2) by Kevin George Page A

when she looks at Cassie. I can tell the burden of keeping such a secret is bothering her, too. But Celeste turns her attention to me and shakes her head just enough to remind me not to say anything. Cassie must notice this because her shocked blankness changes to a sneer when she looks at me, at least for a moment. It’s almost a relief to see that look again.
    “I don’t know why he’s coming after us,” Celeste lies. “He’s obviously a lunatic.”
    “That’s the only reason?” Cassie asks.
    This time, she’s the one who exchanges a glance that seems to speak volumes. Cassie looks in my direction but I realize it’s not me that she’s looking at. Jack returns her gaze, once again raising a questioning eyebrow through his grimace. I feel like there’s something else Cassie wants to say but is holding back.
    “It can’t be anything but mental instability,” Celeste says though I’m certain everyone realizes that’s a lie. “We’ll just have to tie him up and take him with us, try and figure out what to do with him later. It’s important that we keep his mouth shut.”
    I continue tending to Jack’s wound as Celeste unties Cassie’s hands and uses that rope to start tying up the soldier. His hands are no sooner bound when he begins to cough and stir on the ground. Jack and I step forward to help even though the huge man is slow to regain consciousness. His eyes start to flutter open as Celeste is on her hands and knees, rifling through his pockets.
    “What are you looking for?” Cassie asks.
    “Wa… weapons,” Celeste says. “I don’t want any more surprises from him.”
    “Weapons,” Cassie repeats, slowly nodding her head.
    But I clearly know different. Despite how tough he tries to act, Jack’s wound looks pretty nasty and a splash of special water would do him wonders. Not that Celeste would ever allow a man to use it, even if that man happened to save her daughter’s life. Unfortunately, that’s not a debate we need to have since she finds nothing. The soldier’s eyes finally focus and he wriggles on the ground in anger, grunting as he tries to break free of the rope.
    “Stop fighting it or I swear I’ll put an arrow through your heart,” Celeste warns.
    The soldier stops moving and struggles to sit up; none of us helps him. He glares at Cassie and then looks to Jack, staring at him with murderous intensity. Even though the soldier is tied up, Jack still looks at him nervously. Surely Jack would have an easier time subduing him again if the need arose…
    “Why did you…” the soldier starts to growl before pausing. An expression of dumbfounded realization hits him before he turns even angrier. “You set me up. He set me up.”
    The rest of us turn to Jack, who does not take his eyes off the soldier.
    “I wasn’t just going to pull over and exchange insurance information with you,” Jack yells back, though his response seems to confuse the soldier. “You kidnapped a helpless girl.”
    “We all know she’s not so helpless,” the soldier yells back.
    The big man’s eyes go wide with dread. He opens his mouth to scream but there’s suddenly a thud and nothing more than a grunt comes out. I’m shocked to see an arrow sticking out of his chest.
    “Nobody talks about me like that,” Cassie says, the attitude returned to her voice.
    We all turn toward her and see that she’s holding my bow, staring down at the soldier with utter contempt. I… I don’t know what to say or what to think or how to react. I look down at the soldier, whose eyes roll into the back of his head as he collapses back. He’s dead before his head hits the grass. Celeste, Jack and I are in utter shock. Celeste opens her mouth to say something but no words come out – even she’s shocked into silence.
    Cassie is the only one who hasn’t lost her ability to speak.
    “He deserved it.”

CHAPTER EIGHT
    “She doesn’t deserve it,” the same voice says. “She turned down the chance to join our