“I’ll tell you!” The man I’m about to shoot puts his hands in the air. “They’re at that table.” He points. “The guy with the red beard and the bald guy next to him.”
The redheaded one narrows his eyes almost imperceptibly. I back up, keeping my gun leveled.
“Dion, Grady, you have fifteen seconds to move your asses outside, or I’ll shoot,” I say.
They both get up from the table and start walking.
“Hands in the air!” I yell, keeping my weapon on them.
Niran has a gun pointed at them, too. He keeps a safe distance from both men as we walk back to the Sub entrance.
Pax shakes his head when he sees us coming.
“What the fuck did you guys do?” he demands.
Neither one of them responds. Pax advances on them, shoving the bald one. “Answer me! What did you do?”
The man stumbles back, nearly falling. He scowls and bites out, “We were hungry.”
“Everyone’s fucking hungry!” Pax rages. “You fucked all of us! You selfish fucks.”
He turns away, hands on his hips, and I think he’s going to retreat when he instead turns back and throws a punch, hitting the bald man square in the face. His nose breaks with a crunching sound.
Then he goes to the other man, who tucks his chin to his chest and cowers.
“Take it like a man,” Pax grumbles, hitting him in the stomach instead.
This could all be for show. I’m not taking any chances.
“Get on your knees,” I order. “All three of you.”
The redheaded guy is already on his knees, still trying to suck in air after the blow to his gut. The others drop down, Pax glaring murderously at the two thieves.
“Where’s Theron?” I ask.
Pax is the only one looking at me. The other two are staring at the ground.
“I’d tell you if I knew,” Pax says.
“Red Beard, where’s Theron?” I demand.
“How the fuck should I know?”
I shoot at the ground a few feet from him, the bullet kicking up dust and ash. He flinches.
“I don’t fucking know! We took the food from the kitchen because we were hungry last night. We cooked the eggs and ate them and hid the beef jerky in our room. That’s all I know.”
I lock my eyes onto Nova’s. She gives no indication of what she’s thinking.
“You broke a camp rule and the punishment is death,” I say. “It can be quick if you tell us where Theron is.”
“I don’t know,” the bald man says. “Look, I’m sorry. We took the food, but that’s it.”
I glance at Nova. “Do you believe them?”
Her slight nod confirms what my gut is telling me. It’s not the outcome I wanted.
Marcus wouldn’t hesitate. Neither would my dad. Even though this decision isn’t really a decision, I know it will cost me something. I brought these men here, though. I told them the rules—and the consequences for breaking them.
