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Redemption (The Captive #5) Page 26
Author: Erica Stevens

Jack fell into step beside David as they made their way toward the small town closest to their newest encampment in the woods. There wasn't much left for him to discover about the rebels but he was reluctant to leave the people he had met here. He was even more reluctant to hand them over to his father. He kept telling himself he'd go back next week, but next week had stretched into all of this year.

The rebels moved about constantly but he knew of at least ten major cave systems that they used on a regular basis, and stayed close to, in case there was ever a raid on their encampment. He'd thought that all the moving around would ruin the family unit, but it didn't. Even though they spent a lot of time apart due to hunting or recruiting, David and his children were exceptionally close. The core group of rebels was an extended family unit that looked to David for leadership but Jack suspected they all stayed because of the close knit bonds they had formed with each other.

"Will you go in with Daniel again this time?" David inquired.

Jack nodded as he kept his gaze on the forest, his senses were on high alert as he searched for any hint of danger amongst the woods. He'd grown closer to David over the past couple of years, or at least as close as he could to a man he was going to betray. Jack shied away from the thought; it wasn't something he liked to linger on.

More and more he was beginning to realize that he was the failure his father had always believed him to be. He just wasn't sure that was the bad thing he'd always thought it was. "I'll go in without Daniel if you'd prefer."

David shook his head. "No one goes in alone, ever."

It was David's number one rule, Jack knew that, but he'd prefer to keep them protected if he could. There was no reason for them to put themselves in jeopardy if they didn't have too, but of course he couldn't tell them that. It was Daniel's preference to be the first one to meet a new recruit. Perhaps it was inane curiosity that drove him, but Jack thought it was his way of proving to his father, and the others, that he would be capable of leading the rebellion one day.

They were almost to the town, and the hotel where they would be meeting the newest recruit, when he caught a whiff of something else in the air. In the blink of an eye he had the bow off his back and an arrow nocked into it just as the first of his father's men burst from the woods. The guard never stood a chance as the arrow whistled through the air and struck its target. Daniel and Max just barely managed to dive out of the way of the next charging guard. David pulled his arm back and threw his knife forward with a deftness brought about by years of honing his hunting and survival skills.

The knife hit its target but the metal wasn't enough to take the charging vampire down. Jack released another arrow but the man managed to evade it with a swift dodge to the side. The guard leapt forward and wrapped his arms around David's waist. They bounced as they crashed onto the forest floor. Daniel and Max were already back on their feet and running toward them as the guard snapped at David's throat. David managed to avoid the vampire's fangs by jerking his head to the side but the vampire's weight and strength were beginning to overwhelm him as he was pushed deeper into the leaves.

Jack could let it end this way, he knew that. He'd taken down one guard; he'd been thrown off balance by the second, it wouldn't seem odd if he wasn't able to intervene in time. Daniel would try and assume the leadership role, and he would one day be a good leader, but he wasn't ready yet. The rebellion might just fall apart if David wasn't there to keep it going.

That thought should have made his reaction time slower, it was what he'd come here to accomplish after all, instead it spurred him on. Yanking the stake at his side free of its holster, he launched himself onto the guard's back and drove the stake through sinew and bone to the deadened organ within the man's chest. The guard reared back, knocking him off as he clawed at the weapon protruding from his body. Jack pulled his foot back and slammed it into the stake, driving it the rest of the way through the guard's body.

The vampire's eyes were open as he fell upon the ground. Jack stretched his hand out to help David up. David was breathing heavily, he stared at Jack for a long while before clasping hold of his hand. "Thank you," he said though his gaze was a bit more inquisitive and pointed as it met Jack's.

Jack had to remind himself to pretend to take a deep breath as he wiped the sweat from his brow. He sometimes forgot to breathe around them, it was rare, and something that he didn't think they would notice, until now. David had seen something, or perhaps it was just the attack that had rattled him, but his eyes remained focused upon Jack as he took a step back.

"Anytime," he assured him a bit too loudly and with a slap on the back. "That was a close one."

"It was," David confirmed as he finally turned his attention to Max and Daniel. "Are you both ok?"

"Yes," Daniel answered.

"Are you ok?" David asked him.

Jack nodded. "Yes."

"That was awesome!" Max declared as he slapped Jack on his shoulder. "Fine shooting!"

"Yes, very fine shooting." Jack turned to find David staring at him again. Jack couldn't shake the feeling that he'd let something slip, but then David clasped hold of his forearm and squeezed it. "Let's go get this over with."

Jack released a fake breath of relief as he fell into step beside David again. He'd just saved the life of the one man he'd been sent to destroy, and he didn't regret it at all.

CHAPTER 9

The sun was just peeking over the horizon when Jack's eyes cracked open. The rays glinted off of the lake and forced his unadjusted eyes closed again. The dream lingered like a bad hangover as he rubbed at his eyes. He hadn't known it at the time but that day had been a turning point, the end of his staying hidden amongst the rebels. The funny thing was that even after he was discovered, even after David knew what he was, David had still never allowed him to walk into an establishment on his own, until Aria had been taken.

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