Free The Lingering (Book 2): Rangers by Ben Brown Page B

no signs of teeth marks. In fact, it looked like a clean cut that had been sealed by fire or heat.
    “Did you do this yourself?” La Roux whispered as he removed the tip of his knife from Callum’s ear. “Did you do this to save yourself?”
    Callum mumbled something from his semiconscious lips, but La Roux could not make out what his young friend said. To his rear, and far too close, he heard the sounds of men shouting to each other. His questions could wait, it was time to move.
    As gently as he could, the Cajun lifted Callum into his arms and turned to go. For the briefest of moments, he contemplated staying to fight the men who had caused his friend so much pain, but one look at Callum’s pale face told him that would not be a good idea. With that, La Roux ran off in the direction of the cave, and hopefully at least a small amount of safety.

Chapter 9
    Izzy stood hidden on an out crop of rocks approximately one hundred yards from the mouth of the cave, in which hid the rest of the women from camp Maxwell. She shook slightly as she strained her eyes and peered off into the dark and distant tree line. She shook not because of cold or hunger, but because fear seemed to fill every inch of her body.
    Fear was something she and the other women in the cave behind her had grown used to. So constant was the sensation that she had almost accepted it as normal, or at least as normal as life in the mountains would ever seem. Just as she accepted winter was cold and Lingerers ate living flesh, fear had become a constant. In other words, fear was something she could do little to relieve or abate. Yet the fear she felt now was something new … more palpable, more threatening.
    For the first time in a long time, she saw a little light at the end of the tunnel. She saw freedom for not only herself, but also the other women back in the cave. The fear she now felt was not the fear caused by constant beatings and rape, but rather the fear of losing what little glimmer of hope she and the others had. If the Rangers failed to return, then she and the others would surely be captured. The beatings they received as punishment would be severe, but what really frightened her was the thought of never being free of her family. Freedom hung on the two Rangers, and if they failed to return, then all was lost.
     
    It had been quite some time since La Roux had left them to go in search of his companion, and Izzy had an uneasy feeling growing in the pit of her stomach. She suddenly felt sure that her family had captured not only the big Cajun’s colleague, but also La Roux himself. If that was the case, then it was only a matter of time until her family tortured the truth out of them and learned the whereabouts of her and the other women.
    She looked back toward the cave and pondered if it would not be wiser for her and the others to just run. After all, when had any man treated them fairly? Were the Rangers any different from every other man in her life? Surely they would abandon her at the first signs of being in danger. With her mind made up, she started for the cave but stopped when she heard movement to her left. She crouched and peered toward the increasing sound of foot falls.
    Her heart was beating so loudly in her ears that she felt sure that whoever approached her could hear it too. She felt around in the dirt by her feet, and her hand stumbled upon a large stick. She picked it up and readied herself for a fight. If this was one of the men from the camp, then she would not give up without at least the semblance of a fight. With luck, she would be able to brain him before he realized what had happened.
    With these thoughts ricocheting around her mind, a massive dark figure suddenly appeared in front of her … and it seemed to be carrying something. Without thinking, she leaped to her feet, let out a scream, and then swung her stick straight at the figures head. The mass moved and her stick broke across the shapes massive shoulders. She