The Dead Zone (Book One)

Chapter 10

A full out manhunt had been executed in their honor, as they hid high up in a nearby tree watching the men scour the woods. Their latest battle had drawn quite the attention, which they had originally feared. This told them whoever these people were, they had strength in numbers. Lots of them. Now, all they could do was wait and pray that they weren't discovered.

Bryson got the sense that these people wouldn't be too pleased with them for taking out their comrades. He and Paige had climbed so high in a towering pine tree that the branches swayed with even the slightest movement, threatening to snap. Even the wind pushed them around and he vaguely recalled the feeling of being sea-sick on his grandfather's boat as a child. This was more or less the same, take away the waves and add a fifty foot drop to his death if the branch gave out. No big deal, right? Yet as they sat here, back to back, with Paige secured tightly to the trunk with a small amount of paracord he'd found in his rescued pack, he couldn't find it in himself to fear for his life. He only feared for his brothers.

It had always bothered him when he'd been a soldier, when people would tell him he was brave for what he was doing. Was he really brave? He remembered the first time he'd been shot at, by the enemy deep in the mountains of Iraq. He'd been scared, although he never admitted it out loud, but the reaction of self defense and all of his training had come easily to him. Perhaps bravery had more to do with reaction than with emotion- At least that's what he told himself now as his emotions threatened to take hold of him, to swamp him and rob him of any sense he had left.

But where he did lose sense, he had Paige, level headed and rational. His anchor. It was dire that he stop feeling and react, fast. It seemed that for now, the manhunt had moved elsewhere. Several times, flashlights had been pointed right at them, but the branches were so thick that they had been cloaked from their exposing beams. Pulling out his map and compass, he measured the direction from which most of the men were coming. North.

He squinted his eyes at the map, unwilling to shine a light and give away their hiding spot. There, a mile and a half away, was a tiny dot marked Cedarville. He'd never heard of the town before, but it was the only one nearby. It had to be where they were coming from. He wished he knew more about the city/town. How big was it? Were there many places to hide and gather Intel? How many people were they up against? Obviously quite a few, judging by the amount of men out looking for them.

More importantly; what weapons did they have, and what did they want with his brother?

"We're heading to Cedarville." He handed Paige the map over his shoulder, and although he couldn't see her, he could hear the map crinkle as she examined it.

"I'm nervous."

"Me too."

"We're going to get him back, you know. Because I know you. You won't stop until we have him."

He didn't respond to her words; they both knew they were true, especially the last part. He still couldn't shake off the fact that they were out of their league and things might end very badly for them. Paige's dark doe eyes flashed across his mind, the way she stared at him caused him to feel weak. Never had a woman had the kind of effect on him that she did.

Was he willing to put his life on the line to safe Zach? Absolutely. Was he willing to say the same about Paige's life? No, no he wasn't. He needed to know she was safe. It was almost like a physical drive, to keep her out of harms reach. He knew what he had to do.