Page 44 of Quinn

Everyone headed off through the bush, fanned out and watching for Sangumala lookouts. The mission was less than half a mile from our compound so we estimated the village would not be much further away. Personally, I wanted to destroy the mission as well since they were helping Sangumala but I had to consider the women and kids. Maybe we’d pick the men off one at a time.

We set off, Connor on one side of me, Jake on the other. I pulled the bitch behind me, not caring when she stumbled and fell to her knees. I pulled the rope tighter and wrenched her back onto her feet.

Guilt was eating at me. If I’d been with Arabella, she’d be safe. If I hadn’t been so self-absorbed and wanting to play the hero in taking the bastards out, Arabella would be safe. I wouldn’t have left her side like Jake hadn’t the previous day.

Anger surged through me like a poison. I’d told Gabim…I’d fucking warned him not to leave her alone for one second, yet he’d left her to go with a doctor she obviously had misgivings about. And why the fuck hadn’t I known about that? Why hadn’t she mentioned, when we’d had dinner and talked about her visit to the hospital in detail, how she felt unnerved by the bitch?

Whatever had happened, whatever was happening to Arabella was my fault. I’d put myself first. My thirst for revenge before her safety. If anything…Tears burned at the back of my eyes.

“Quinn…”

I held up a hand, not wanting to hear Jake say it wasn’t my fault. Typical of my brother, he said it anyway.

“This isn’t your fault.”

“Yes, it is, I should have done as Connor asked and been with Arabella.”

“Maybe, but I understand why you wanted to be with us when we attacked the village.”

“Connor warned me that one day I’d regret always putting myself first and he’s fucking right—that day has come and the chips are being called in.” A rogue tear rolled down my cheek. “I’m going crazy here, tell me she’ll be okay.”

“Well that’ll be a short trip since you’ve been more than halfway there for some time.”

“Not helping.”

Jake shook his head. “I’m sorry, little brother. Arabella has been with them for a couple of hours and I have no idea what Tchokai would have done to her in anger.”

“He’ll kill the bitch for daring to leave.”

Hearing the woman’s words, rage unlike anything I’d ever felt had me spinning around, my gun pulled and readied to fire. The bitch cringed as I aimed the gun at her head.

“QUINN!” I looked down to where Connor had set a hand on my arm. “We need her, she’s a bargaining chip. Once we have Arabella you can do what you like with her. No one will care. I suggest you use the shed to play before you send her to hell.”

I tucked the gun back in my pants and nodded. I would enjoy being creative with the bitch. A bullet to the head would be too fast—too easy. I would make her suffer; it would be Arabella’s revenge.

Connor glared at the woman. “Gag the bitch or they’ll hear us coming.”

Jake reached into his pocket and withdrew a scarf. I raised an eyebrow, expecting him to explain.

“I figured we might capture one or two and the scarves would serve as gags so we didn’t have to listen to their filth on the way to the shed.”

I took the scarf he offered, wrapped it around the doctors head, jammed some in her mouth and secured it tight. She shook her head attempting to alert me to the fact it was too tight. I didn’t give a fuck.

***

We approached the temporary camp cautiously, well aware Tchokai would have men posted to watch for intruders. We weren’t disappointed.

The area Tchokai had selected was heavily forested making vision a challenge and keeping silent totally out of the question. Branches and twigs crunched beneath our boots; small animals scurried away avoiding being crushed under foot.

Connor raised his hand when an opening in the trees showed a few worn tents ahead. At the same time, two men stepped out on each side of where we stood.

All four hit the ground, two with throats slit almost to the point of beheading them, two with knives protruding from their backs, plunged into their hearts. They died without even sighting their executioners.

Waigi and Mala re-joined our group wiping blood from the knives onto their pants. Logan and Daly pulled their knives from the dead men’s backs before wiping off the blood on their victims pants. Four down and fuck knew how many more to go.

I handed the rope holding the doctor to Waigi and he dropped back until we were ready to show our hand.

Connor led the way into the campsite with Jake, Logan, and Alex on one side, me, and Daly on the other. It didn’t take long for us to be seen.