Chasing His Kickass Luna Back

Chapter 0169

Abby

My heart’s practically pounding out of my chest as we park the car, hidden behind a veil of trees. The

forest feels even more thick and suffocating now than it did on the day that we came here to go

mushroom hunting, now that I know what actually lies behind the mist.

Karl takes a moment to study the map I had snatched from him last night, his fingers tracing the

uneven, ink-smeared lines.

“Ready?” he asks, his eyes meeting mine.

“As I’ll ever be,” I reply, grabbing my bag from the backseat. Karl locks the car, and we head off,

stepping into the dense foliage, guided only by the soft morning light filtering through the trees.

For a few minutes, we walk in complete silence. The stillness is comforting in its own eerie way, but I’m

too focused on our mission to let my mind wander too far.

“Okay,” Karl whispers at one point, stopping in his tracks. “We have to be extra careful from here on

out. We’re nearing their territory. If you want to stop, now’s your chance.”

I’m suddenly aware of every single sound around us, every whispering leaf, every chirping bird, as

though nature itself is warning us to turn back. But I can’t; not now. Not ever. I shake my head, leveling

my gaze with Karl’s.

“I want to do this. Let’s continue.”

Karl, after shooting me one last worried look, moves with a stealth I didn’t know he possessed. I follow

closely behind, treading lightly, taking care not to snap a twig or rustle leaves too loudly.

“Cameras, at 2 o’clock,” he hisses, gesturing with his chin. I glance in that direction and see the telltale

signs: small black domes, almost camouflaged against the greenery. My heart skips a beat.

“We can skirt around them,” he whispers, taking the lead as we adjust our path. “Keep low.”

I lower my body, feeling the damp earth seep into my jeans. We creep forward, the weight of our every

move amplified by the silence. I hold my breath as we cross the camera’s line of sight. Once past, I

exhale softly, my breath quivering in relief.

We haven’t taken more than ten steps when Karl abruptly halts. I nearly crash into him. He turns, finger

pressed against his lips, and points. My eyes follow the line of his arm and I see them—guards, two of

them, wearing dark uniforms, patrolling the area. And they have guns.

“Dammit,” I mutter under my breath.

“We can’t turn back now,” Karl whispers, his eyes scanning the woods, calculating. “There’s a cluster of

bushes to the right. We can use them as cover.”

“Are you sure?” My voice is filled with doubt. The path Karl is suggesting skirts dangerously close to the

guards.

“Do you have a better idea?” His eyes meet mine, a hint of desperation in them.

I shake my head, defeated. “No. Let’s go.”

Like a pair of wolves, we stalk through the underbrush, our eyes never leaving the guards. We’re so

close I can hear their footsteps, the soft murmur of their voices as they talk and laugh, blissfully

unaware of our presence. With every step, my pulse quickens, my body tensing for a burst of

movement, a desperate dash for freedom, if it comes to that.NôvelDrama.Org (C) content.

We reach the bushes Karl pointed out, huddled low, concealed by the thick foliage. I peek through the

leaves, watching the guards as they make their way further down their path, finally turning a corner. A

shaky sigh escapes my lips.

“That was close,” I whisper.

“Too close,” Karl adds. He glances at me, his eyes softened with a mixture of relief and worry. “You

okay?”

“Never better,” I reply, the adrenaline still buzzing beneath my skin. But I can see the toll it’s taking on

Karl. His hands tremble as he checks the map again, reorienting us for the next part of our dangerous

journey.

We continue, each step taking us deeper into a maze of dangers. More cameras. More guards. My

mind becomes wholly fixated on survival, mapping out escape routes, back-up plans, and points of no

return.

At last, we reach the edge of a clearing. Through the trees, I see it: a beautiful waterfall cascading

down into a ravine, its waters glistening in the morning sun. Build into the wall on the opposite end of

the ravine is a building, and its perimeter is practically crawling with armed guards.

It’s disguised well with the greenery, but it’s there. And if we want to get inside, where these truffles

may be hidden, we’ll need to get down into that ravine.