Fire in the Woods by Jennifer M. Eaton Read Free Book Online

jeans as I pushed branches away from my face. I stopped once to untangle David’s shirt from a sticker bush before the woods opened up to the dirt path beside the road. It wasn’t where I’d come in, but it was close enough to get home.
    David tensed as we stepped away from the trees. Small circles appeared on the ground, darkening the sand from tan to brown as scattered droplets fell from the sky.
    David retreated toward the woods. “I can’t…I can’t.”
    “You don’t have much of a choice now, do you?” I led him forward.
    His muscles relaxed, but his eyes told me it was in defeat rather than agreement. David hunched his shoulders, ducked his head, and stumbled as I nudged him forward. I slowed my pace, hoping it would help him keep up.
    This is crazy, Jess. Just bring him to the… I stopped, alarmed by the movement at the gates to the base housing. Two men in uniform tossed their packs beside the door to the guard house. One fumbled with keys.
    In the entire four years we’d lived on that base, I’d never seen guards stationed at the entrance. A wave of adrenalin swept through my body. Sweat formed at my temples.
    David gripped my arm. Turquoise eyes, wide with fear, met mine.
    A twinge in my gut forced my whole body to tremble. I was right all along. It was him. He was the guy they were looking for. We were in deep shi…well, we were in a lot of trouble. Or was it just me? Was I in trouble? Was David dangerous?
    I forced a smile. Every part of me screamed to run, to flee to the guards and tell them, but when I looked into David’s eyes, the mistrust melted away, disappeared.
    Wait. Why did it disappear? I was scared to death a minute ago, wasn’t I?
    His eyes softened me. I was safe with him. I always had been.
    “I’m not going to turn you in. I promise.”
    His shoulders relaxed. “Can we please go back to the woods?”
    “There’s no way to warm you up out there. Now come on, and act natural.”
    I kept watch on the guard house as we walked toward the gate. One of the guys talked on a cell phone while the other unpacked his bag. Just keep walking. A large raindrop pelted my shirt, then another.
    David brushed away a rain droplet dribbling down his cheek and looked toward the sky. He gaped, his eyes questioning. Why did rain freak him out? Everybody’s seen rain, right?
    His nose and lips distorted before he ducked his head down again. Not really as inconspicuous as I’d hoped for, but at least he was keeping up.
    Relief washed over me as we passed through the gate. I couldn’t believe it. We’d actually…
    “Excuse me.”
    Oh. Crap.
    Every muscle in my body tensed. I could feel David’s bicep contract as I turned toward the MP. “Yes?”
    “Can I see some ID please?”
    “Oh, umm, yeah.”
    I reached into my pocket and grabbed my wallet. He made note of my driver’s license on a clipboard.
    The MP motioned to David. “And yours?”
    “He doesn’t have his license yet,” I stammered. “He’s only sixteen.”
    My tense muscles got even tenser. There was no way David would pass for sixteen. He looked eighteen, nineteen. My brow furrowed. Just how old was he?
    A crack of thunder boomed overhead. David nearly jumped into my arms. The wind whipped up. I glanced to the MP. Please let us go, dude .
    David turned from my shoulder and stared at the MP. The officer moaned and blinked his eyes. He looked up at the sky and handed my license back.
    “Okay. You’re cleared. Thank you.” He walked back to the booth, massaging his forehead.
    No way.
    I shoved my license back in my pocket. “I don’t believe it.”
    David didn’t comment beyond a tremor as I maneuvered him across the street.
    We’d been incredibly lucky. The guy hadn’t even made a note of David. Maybe MP training wasn’t as hard-core as I’d heard.
    We moved past a bush near the edge of the sidewalk, and a sparrow hopped out. The bird fluttered its spotty brown wings as it snatched a squiggling worm on the