Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 125037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
“You go after Leila,” Luther said. “They’re headed up the mountain with her. That’s your backyard. You’ll get to her faster, and she needs medical attention. I’ll go after Bridget.”
“Chances are good they’ll get both to a vehicle or plane before we can stop them.” He was extremely worried about Warrior Woman. She hadn’t looked good when the attackers had carried her off. A part of him hoped her captors had already transported her to a facility where there was good medical. He didn’t share with Luther. “You have a phone? I can send you the app to track both women. It’s encoded, so I’ll have to send you the key. Just remember, if you get captured, your phone has to be destroyed.”
“That won’t happen,” Luther assured. “I may be old, Diego, but I can still run rings around these young soldiers. They look at me and see an old man, so they discount all my experience. That is their biggest mistake.” His eyes, shrewd and almost cunning, stared directly into Diego’s eyes. “Never forget that, son. Experience always counts.”
Diego nodded, understanding that Luther was passing on good advice to him. He knew Luther didn’t bother to educate very many others, and Diego felt privileged to have the old man impart his wisdom. Luther mostly didn’t bother to speak to people, keeping strictly to himself. The old man had always been considered eccentric, but he had evaded detection for years thanks to his secretive lone-wolf ways.
“They’re going to know you’ll be following them, Diego,” Luther continued. “They have no idea who you are, but they’re afraid of you. You took out their commander, and that’s stirred up a hornet’s nest. They lost too many men and didn’t expect that either. Their orders are most likely to stick around and find us no matter what. And they’ll be looking to identify you.”
Diego gave him a faint smile. “I’m a ghost in the woods, especially my woods. They won’t see me, Luther. Be careful and don’t take chances. If they bring Bridget to Whitney, we’ll have a way into Whitney’s compound. If not, we’ll be able to find her no matter where she is.”
Luther nodded and straightened his body slowly. He had learned years earlier that haste wasn’t a good thing. A smart operator planned his actions and took care of the wounds in his body before making any fast moves. Death came to anyone who moved without thinking it through. Luther had the patience of a hunter. Diego had the patience of a predator.
Diego wanted to point out that subtle difference to Luther, just to get his opinion. Luther was one of the few people he admired and would listen to. Luther didn’t believe Diego was evil at heart, but Diego knew there was darkness living inside him. It had grown heavier over time. Depression was the curse of his family. He knew his mother suffered from depression and two of his sisters had. He hadn’t considered that he did, but now, after making the decision to end his life, he was fairly certain he carried it as well.
Diego wished Luther good hunting and made his way out of the cave. He avoided the soldiers still searching for Luther and him. It was easy enough to do when he knew the terrain like the back of his hand.
Hunting in the woods, however, always made him feel alive. Part of nature. He was a natural predator, and the moment he slipped into the trees and began tracking his prey, his world changed. Every sense became more acute. The wind spoke to him, bringing information on his surroundings. Lizards, voles and ants scurrying through the bracken on the forest floor were like extensions of his own senses, their movements absorbing information and funneling it back to him.
The Appalachian Mountains were different from any other mountain range. They were old, with an eerie, spooky atmosphere amplified by the fog and the high canopies blocking out light to many areas. The terrain was steep, the forests overgrown, making it very difficult to navigate and easy to get lost. The extreme weather of snow and rain created a tropical rainforest in many areas.
The forest was once again home to moose, bear and elk; even wolves were returning, helping the ecosystem. Many species now thrived when not long ago they’d been hunted nearly to extinction. Sightings were rare, but Diego had roamed those mountains for years and he was familiar with the wildlife.
He ran with the ease of the deer, his enhancements making it easy for him to lengthen his stride and cover the rough, steep terrain with inhuman speed. This was his backyard. He’d been born and raised here. He’d hunted the mountains from the time he was three. The forest was dark and intense, but he was used to it.