Live Free or Die Complete Series Boxed Set: Age Of Madness - A Kurtherian Gambit Series Hayley Lawson (ebook reader play store .TXT) 📖

“He did.” Terrier smiled. “Nice move.”

Mama Lou walked over to Terrier with Samantha still in her arms. “We haven’t found Kari.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

The gang walked back down the road, away from Darkwell and Johnny. Ryder didn’t want help from someone like that. He reminded Ryder of a lot of the men back in the bunker, and you always needed to watch your back with his kind. Ryder could see why Leandro hadn’t recommended him at the beginning.

Dustin was an interesting addition to the gang. He was chatting away with Carter. Carter was filling him in on their journey to Darkwell, exaggerating some of the parts by making himself sound like a bigger hero than he was. Carter’s retelling included him killing every Mad with his slingshot. He left out the part where he fell head-first into the swamp, but Leandro happily added it.

“Vicky might help,” Dustin suggested after he’d been brought up to speed.

“More the merrier.” Ryder smiled. Going to Darkwell had apparently been worthwhile after all.

Willard sighed.

Everyone looked at Willard. “What’s that for?”

“We share the same hunting ground, but Vicky thinks it’s hers. Let’s just say we’re not the best of friends.”

Carter winked at Leandro. “Neither are Fluffy and me, but we make it work.” Vicky’s place was about thirty minutes’ walk along the Darkwell road toward Pinewood.

When they got to her house, there was no sign of her. This time everyone looked through the windows. Luckily Vicky’s home was all on one floor so they didn’t need to worry about her being asleep upstairs.

“She’s not here,” Leandro announced.

“I know where she’ll be,” Willard told them, setting off in the direction of the woods.

The gang followed him. Ryder could understand why this area was called Pinewood. There were woods all around them, with houses set off by themselves.

Willard stopped before he entered the woods, and they all readied their weapons.

“This is her hunting ground, and she’s doesn’t like uninvited guests. Actually, I’ve never known her to invite a guest. This whole section is laid out with Vicky’s traps, so if you go in there you may lose a leg. I’ll just wait right here for you.” Willard stretched out his arm to welcome them to the woods.

Carter made a face. “Well, that sounds inviting. I’m starting to think the swamp wasn’t that bad now.”

Ryder had to agree with him.

“I’ll wait here with Willard,” Massimo decided.

Ryder thought that would be a good idea, since it would give Massimo a chance to rest. He looked a little tired from the walk.

Koda led the group into the trees. It was handy that they had a tracker in the group, and Ryder knew Carter was good at traps. She’d found herself in one which he and the mountain kids had made. Ryder herself was good at laying traps as well. She had high hopes that the team wouldn’t get caught in one, and they would keep all their limbs.

Koda pointed upward and the group’s eyes followed his hand. There was a net hanging high in the tree, which meant that there was something on the ground for them to step on. Koda searched in a circle away from where the trap could be.

“Vicky! Vicky! Vicky!” Carter shouted, making the group jump. “What?” Carter shrugged. “She needs to know we’re here.”

He was right, but from the way Willard had talked about Vicky, she wouldn’t welcome them.

The group called out to Vicky as they walked.

“VIC—” Carter began to yell, then his body was jerked upside-down into the air by his ankles to hang from a tree. His long hair hung toward the ground, and the blood was rushing to his face turned it bright red within seconds.

“Get me down from here,” he yelled.

“Keep still,” said Koda as he inspected the ground. He flicked the leaves out of the way to reveal more traps. There were a few of them, and he edged carefully around them to make sure he didn’t trip any of them until he got to Carter, who was too high up for him to cut him down.

Ryder thought about how Terrier used to carry the kids on his shoulders for a piggyback ride. If Koda could do that with Ryder, she’d be high enough to cut Carter down. “I do love to see Carter hanging around,” Ryder said as she gave the man in question a spin.

“Hey, I’m not a puppet,” he said as he twirled uncontrollably.

“No, you’re a muppet.” Ryder grinned. “Koda, can you lift me up?”

“Of course. My bucket of potatoes weighs more than you,” Koda joked as he knelt for Ryder.

She climbed onto his back, trying not to pull his long black hair as she went. It shone in the sun like a black river. Ryder wondered what her hair would look like when it grew in. It had been brown when she was younger, before she’d had to cut it off. She wished it could be like Koda’s, a lustrous jet.

Koda stood up with Ryder on his shoulders, but the movement was wobbly and Ryder grabbed at Koda’s hair before letting go. Terrier made this look easy, but the kids were a quarter the size of Ryder.

Ryder’s estimate had been correct—she was at the right height to cut Carter’s rope. It was thick, but her knife was sharp, which made it easier.

The rope began to fray. “Timber!” Ryder shouted as Carter thudded on the ground.

A tall, strong-looking woman with a shovel on her shoulder and a wild look in her eyes stepped into view. “What motherfucker said you could come into my woods?”

Vicky had found them.

Afana left his living area and went to check out the situation in the monitor room. All the advisors were in the lab cleaning up the mess he’d left, and the remaining specimen was still thrashing against the restraints, which had been reinforced. The coppery blood smell was travelled nicely up Afana’s nose as