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As soon as they left, Liam began building a fire. He made a ring from the many rocks that were strewn around. Besides the few sticks that Alex had picked up, Liam gathered a couple more and then used the fire paste to light them. Thankfully, the flames burst to life, but they wouldn’t last long. He hoped this little bit of heat would help Zach heal. If Tawny’s brother had been shot three or four days ago, he should have been up and running by now. Something was going on. Not being a doctor, though, Liam wouldn’t mention his worries to Tawny.
When Zach groaned, Liam moved over to him. “Hey, Zach. Tawny’s here. She’s calling your dad for help.”
Liam wasn’t sure what to expect, but when Zach’s body went limp, he cursed. Heat was filling the small cave, but more wood was needed. There were plenty of trees outside, but they would be wet. However, it would be better than nothing.“Alex, grab as much wood or sticks as you can when you return. And have Tawny bring me her first aid kit. It might be of use after all. In the meantime, I’m going to scour the area ahead.”
“Will do. Tawny managed to text her dad. Help is on the way.”
“Great.”
Liam headed farther into the cave. When he spotted some wood, he shifted into his human form since wolves weren’t great at carrying things. He spent ten minutes traveling deeper into the cave, picking up what he could before returning to Zach’s side.
Damn. The fire had almost died down. Liam broke the sticks into smaller pieces and placed them on what was left of the embers. “How are you doing, buddy?”
Zach’s fingers twitched, which Liam took as a good sign.
A few minutes later, Alex and Tawny returned. He looked up at them. “What did your dad say?”
“He’s gathering the troops. He’ll have a gurney to carry Zach out on since it doesn’t look like he has the ability to shift right now,” Tawny said as she handed him the kit.
“He groaned once and moved his fingers. I think he is slowly coming out of it.”
Tawny rushed to her brother’s side. She must not have noticed before that Liam had draped his jacket on top of Zach's back. He would have stopped her from seeing the horror, but she’d find out soon enough.
When she lifted the jacket, she gasped. “Oh my god. Who would do this?”
Liam had an idea. “I think whatever is carved in your brother’s back will give us a clue.”
Before he could tell her to stop, she poured some of her water over the injury. When the blood cleared, Tawny stilled, her gaze fixed on the image. “It’s our brand.”
It was a circle with two capital G’s on the inside with a line across the circle. “The Double G.”
“Yes.” She looked up, tears staining her cheeks. “Why do this?”
“I can think of a few sick people—or rather groups of people who might do it—but how about we let your dad follow the leads?” The last thing anyone needed was for Tawny to end up like her brother. Snooping around could get her killed. “Let me see if any of your first aid stuff can help.”
He opened the box and found some antibacterial salve. Using the pair of gloves from the kit, he careful spread it over as much of the wound as he could.
Alex had brought some larger branches for the fire, but they were wet, which would cause too much smoke. However, Zach needed the heat.
“Maybe we should carry Zach to the entrance,” Alex said. “That way when the first responders come, they can care for him sooner.”
Plus, there would be plenty of firewood closer to the entrance. “Good idea.”
Both he and Alex slipped on their packs. “Tawny, help me put Liam’s jacket on your brother.”
Once they did, Liam took a hold of Zach under his arms, and Alex grabbed his legs. “How about you lead, Tawny?” Liam wanted to keep an eye on her to make sure she didn’t trip over any of the rocks. The ground was very uneven.
While it would have been easier for one of them to carry Zach over his shoulder, it might cause one of the bullets to move, and that could prove fatal.
It took more than fifteen minutes to pick their way around the obstacles. Thankfully, Zach didn’t rouse the whole time. When they reached the main entrance, they set him down.
“I’ll find more fire wood,” Alex said.
They made a good team. “Thanks.”
“I should mark the trail,” Tawny said. “I have some pink plastic tape that I often put on trees to show where I’ve been. I’ll make sure my dad knows where to turn.”
“Excellent idea, but wait until Alex returns with some wood. Then the two of you can go together.”
