“Am I allowed to take a seat on that rock?” I requested, nodding towards the elevated one I’d used to take a seat with Elliot earlier. “Or do I sit like a child in day trip with my arms like this?”

Edgar snorted and waved me towards the rock. I regarded over to see Elliot being marched off by Keith, his face tense, both from fear, worry, ache…or all of them. Our eyes met, and I may solely stare again at him, unable to supply something. The 2 of us have been helpless, and I needed I may have provided him extra.

However, with me being left right here with solely two of them, perhaps…simply perhaps, I may need an opportunity to do one thing. Liberating myself from the zip ties can be tough, particularly with them behind my again. Plus, Julio and Edgar have been nonetheless armed, and since nobody had complained when Keith put my arms behind my again, they in all probability agreed I used to be extra harmful, placing them on alert.

Hell, Edgar had in all probability chosen Keith to take Elliot again as a result of the man was a bit fucking scary at occasions, and Elliot was a lot scared because it was. Properly, and it regarded like Keith was a bit of too happy to start out screwing with me, so Edgar in all probability didn’t belief him to remain in line when he wasn’t underneath a watchful eye. I solely hoped Keith didn’t determine to take his ‘playtime’ urges out on Elliot.

“Don’t get killed,” I muttered as Elliot disappeared from sight, being taken round one other of the big rock formations in the identical route the opposite two from earlier had gone.

“That’s some good recommendation,” Edgar mentioned thoughtfully, dropping onto the rock throughout from me. “I’m hoping you are taking a few of your recommendation.”

“I’m not seeking to get killed,” I instructed him. “Even when I’ve a robust feeling, you’re going to do it anyway.”

“If I have been going to try this, then I’d have already,” he mentioned with a shrug.

“Otherwise you’re simply ready to get us away from right here. Kill us, and eliminate the proof so folks simply suppose we took off and died someplace as a substitute of being killed.”

“So I’m mendacity to you?”

“Might be. I imply, I guess it’s quite a bit simpler to maintain folks behaving once they suppose they nonetheless have an opportunity of residing. They’re in all probability much more more likely to get ballsy once they suppose they’re going to die both method.”

Edgar eyed me thoughtfully after which smiled…I didn’t like that smile. “You might have lived a tough life, haven’t you?”

“Tough sufficient,” I mentioned.

“However not so tough that you just’re like us, huh?”

“I don’t know what you’re like, however you’re clearly prepared to kill. Or at the very least make it seem to be you’re. And contemplating it’s not too arduous to determine what sort of folks would want to maneuver stuff round right here quietly, that tells me you’re fairly prepared to kill us.”

“Good,” he mentioned, leaning again, pulling out a radio, and setting it beside him. “Hold that in thoughts. As a result of in case you determine to do one thing silly, it’s your pal that’s going to pay the worth.”

I gritted my enamel. “That’s why you despatched him with Keith. He’s your fucking assault canine.”

Edgar’s eyes widened in what regarded like shock. “Assault canine? No, no, that’s Julio right here.”

Julio gave me a smirk and shot off a string of phrases I didn’t perceive, although clearly he understood English simply effective.

“What did he say?” I requested.

“Keith is an honest shooter, however he’s not somebody you need in a battle,” Edgar defined, giving me a smile I appreciated even lower than the final one. “However if you wish to get one thing out of somebody, or if, say, you want somebody to pay dearly for his or her pal’s mistake, you don’t ship a canine. You ship a demon.”

Oh.

Oh, Elliot.

ELLIOT & RENO

I wasn’t positive what the protocol was if you have been being dragged by the desert by what have been in all probability members of a cartel. However attempting to ask them to not be so tough as you stumbled by the darkish in all probability wasn’t allowed. Nonetheless, he’d been dragging me for nearly twenty minutes, and it didn’t appear to be we have been getting any nearer for me to have a second to catch my breath.

“Can we decelerate for a minute?” I requested as one other couple of pressured steps nearly despatched me reeling to the bottom.

“Aww, poor factor,” Keith mentioned beside me, chuckling as he continued to drag me alongside. “A disgrace we couldn’t have taken one of many horses for you. Then you could possibly prance your butt again to the camp.”

“Coyote didn’t deserve that,” I shot again at him. “He was simply attempting to guard a part of his herd.”

“Properly, that’s what occurs if you attempt to be a hero,” Keith chuckled, and I hated him for it. Every part in regards to the scenario appeared to be a giant joke to him. “In all probability why Eddy desires your little boy toy to remain behind with him. He looks like he’s the sort to play the hero.”

Okay, I didn’t like how he’d referred to Reno, however I didn’t wish to concentrate on that for the second. “Why? Didn’t need him hurting you?”

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