Out for Blood by Ryan Steck

Author:Ryan Steck [Steck, Ryan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FICTION / Thrillers / Military, FICTION / Thrillers / Suspense
ISBN: 9781496486004
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Published: 2024-06-04T00:00:00+00:00

THIRTY-SIX

MONTANA

Redd’s clothes were returned to him clean, but the fabric felt stiff and scratchy against his skin and smelled of woodsmoke, no doubt a result of having been dried on a line in front of an open fire. The knife slashes had been expertly mended, but the bloodstains, like his memory of the life-and-death struggle that had caused them, were not so easily erased. Still, as he pulled on the garments, moving gingerly to avoid tearing his stitches and reopening the wounds, Redd felt as if he’d been given a new lease on life.

He wasn’t out of the woods just yet, not by a long shot. He was, after all, still on the mountain with an unknown number of killers after him. He hadn’t made contact with Emily and was worried about her and Junior. And though his injuries were, for the moment, taken care of, there was always the possibility that, given the less than sterile environment where he was treated, he could contract a serious infection. But that was a problem for another day. For now, Redd was back in the fight. That he owed his rescue to an antigovernment fugitive—an extremist—was more than a little troubling, but what really mattered now was how to make the best use of this unexpected gift.

His status with Strong and his followers was unclear. They had saved him, at no small risk to themselves, and had chosen to bring him into their midst. But did they view him as a guest or a prisoner?

Or something else entirely?

Strong had intimated that his group’s first inclination had been to simply let him die. What had tipped the balance and caused them to instead act to save him? And how would they react when Redd expressed his desire to leave their camp and return to his life?

He was certain of one thing: he would see Emily and little Matty again. No matter what curveballs the universe threw at him, no matter how many more battles there were to fight, he would be reunited with his family.

No matter what.

Redd’s Carhartt jacket had been among the articles of clothing returned to him, and as he pulled it on, he noted the small holes—now stitched closed—in the front left and back panels. The damage had been caused when one of the shooters had fired at his hasty decoy, giving him the chance to turn the tables on the attacking force. The heavy coat had always been a dependable shield against the elements, but now it had saved his life in a very different way, and he was glad to have it back.

Finally armored against the elements, Redd threw back the tent flap and stepped out to meet the unknown. The first thing he saw was the young woman who had been with him when he’d awakened, evidently waiting for him to come out. “Papa asked me to bring you to dinner,” she said, answering an unasked question.

Papa again, thought Redd, wondering at the age discrepancy. Now that he was conscious and standing upright, he was even more certain that she was an adolescent.

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