Chapter 37
But it was too late, though. Zoe’s lips had already found Shawn’s. She kissed him.
Their eyes locked for a moment. Then Zoe pulled away, her hand flying to her mouth in a feigned display of embarrassment.
She looked flustered, annoyed even, and somehow, incredibly endearing. If her own team had seen this, they’d have rolled their eyes and muttered, “Only Zoe could pull off something like this.”
Shawn turned his face away, a mix of surprise and something else flickering across his features. He’d caught her in the act, but the faint blush on his ears gave away more than he’d like to admit.
“Mr. Ludwig, I’m so sorry,” Zoe suddenly said. “I just couldn’t help myself. It’s your face–it’s irresistible.”
Shawn’s expression hardened, ready to lay into her.
But before he could, Zoe cut in again. “Mr. Ludwig, I’m serious. I really like you. How about we give dating a shot?“,
The words hung in the air, and for a moment, Shawn was taken aback. His mind flashed back to the fearless Firefox he’d faced on the battlefield. She’d sent him messages dripping with arrogance. “No man alive is good enough for me. You’re just a warrior. Maybe in your next life.”
The Zoe in front of him was a far cry from that bold, unyielding woman. Yet Shawn couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a connection, a thread he couldn’t quite grasp. Actually, he’d always suspected that they were one and the same.
“Looks like you’re recovered,” Shawn said finally, his voice steady. “Let me help you up.”
Shawn located some sturdy vines and helped Zoe, who was nursing her injuries, climb up the cliff. They still had to locate the others, and while they were at it, they might as well complete Zoe’s unfinished survival mission.
“Mr. Ludwig, do you think my classmates are going to be okay?” Zoe’s voice trembled with concern.
Shawn’s face was a mask of indifference. Their communication device had gone over the cliff the day before, and he was as much in the dark as everyone else. “We’ll worry about that after we find the others,” he said.
They hadn’t gone far when Zoe abruptly halted. Her eyes sharpened, and she said, “There’s an ambush up ahead.”
Shawn had spotted the faint signs on the ground as well. But the clues were so subtle that only someone with his experience would have noticed them.. ‘So how has she seen it?‘ he wondered.
The moment Zoe blurted out the warning, she knew she might have made a mistake. But it was too late to take it back now.
Shawn’s piercing gaze was already on her. “Oh? And how do you know there’s an ambush up ahead?”
Zoe replied evenly, “Mr. Ludwig, I just notice things. When we passed by earlier, something about the grass caught my eye.
“Look at the other bushes. (The grass there is thick and standing tall, but over here, it’s all Nattened, like someone’s been walking through it.
“A clue that obvious? It’s probably a decoy. The real danger is likely where it looks safe.”
“Who taught you all this?” Shawn asked.
I’m in the honors class, Zoe replied with a shrug. “I pick up a few tricks here and there from the teachers.”
Tell me the truth”
“Fine, she relented. “I went by smell. The wind was carrying something–a hint of sweat, definitely male. Girls are more sensitive to that kind of stuff, so I figured there might be trouble ahead.”
Shawn sniffed the air, but he couldn’t catch anything. He had his doubts about her story.
But Zoe knelt down, her expression serious. “Hey, Mr. Ludwig, if I manage to outsmart those guys lying in wait, do I get extra credit?
Shawn frowned, but he didn’t answer.
Your silence means yes, Zoe said with a grin, her eyes sparkling “Awesome”
“What are you trying to do? Need a hand? Shawn asked, noticing her injuries.
“No way,” she said. “If you help me, it’s cheating What if they don’t count it?”
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11:59 AM
Chapter 37
Shawn raised an eyebrow. ‘She’s sharp–and stubborn as hell!
Dragging her injured leg, Zoe quickly set about laying traps nearby. She had a bundle of thin steel wire with her–so thin it vanished into the grass. Zoe fashioned the wire into tripwires that would snap tight and bring anyone down the moment they stepped on them.
With the traps in place, Zoe began to shout, “Hey! You lot! I’ve spotted you! Come and get me if you dare! Don’t be cowards!”
Shawn’s men were as tough as they came, but the word “coward” was like a red flag to a bull. “Get that girl and take her out,” one of them barked, and they all charged.
Seeing Zoe alone, they’d underestimated her. They barreled straight into her web of tripwires, their legs tangling and sending them crashing to the ground one by one.
The wire wasn’t long, but Zoe had rigged it cleverly. One misstep, and you were down. All eight of them were caught in her traps.
Zoe wasted no time, rushing over to yank the number tags from their shoulders–those tags were worth points.
As she reached for the tags, she let her posture slacken just enough to seem careless, as if she’d forgotten all about the dangers lurking behind her. If someone tried to sneak up on her, she’d play it off like she hadn’t seen it coming.
Shawn watched from the shadows, his gaze steady. He didn’t say a word, didn’t give her a heads–up.
As Zoe’s fingers closed around a tag, she caught a flicker of movement in her peripheral vision. A warrior was moving in, ready to strike. She let a small smile play at the corners of her lips. “This is exactly what I want. Bring it on!’
The warrior lunged, tackling Zoe to the ground with a grunt.
The other warriors, their feet tangled in wire, still had enough mobility in their arms and torsos to fight back. As Zoe hit the ground, they wriggled free, shaking off their restraints and closing in on her.
“No! Help!” Zoe cried out, her hand flying to her chest. She was already injured, and the sight of the warriors bearing down on her was enough to make anyone panic.
The warriors showed no mercy and closed in, ready to finish her off. If they got their hands on her now, she’d be crushed under their weight, her wound worsening with every blow.
Right then, Shawn’s deep, authoritative voice cut through the chaos. “Stop right there.”
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