Our Anniversary, You Chose Her – I Chose Divorce

When Chloe Reed woke up again, it was already broad daylight. She clumsily wiped at the insects crawling on her face and looked around.

Daniel Hayes was sitting not far away, his expression showing no signs of fatigue as his sharp eyes scanned the surroundings.

”Daniel.”

Chloe Reed called out to him in a low voice.

Daniel Hayes turned to look at her. ”You’re awake? Why didn’t you sleep a little longer?”

Chloe Reed asked, confused, ”How long was I asleep?”

”Only half an hour,” Daniel Hayes said. ”See? The sun isn’t even up yet.”

He pointed at the brightening sky.

Chloe Reed rubbed her sore neck and said, ”I couldn’t sleep soundly, but half an hour is enough. Do you want to rest for a bit?”

”No, let’s rest together when this is all over.” Daniel Hayes shook his head and added, ”I’ve scouted around. We can cross the river over that way, but we can’t keep going deeper in. We’re still on the edge, so it’s relatively safe. The deeper we go, the more unknown dangers we’ll face. You need to think carefully about our next move.”

Chloe Reed handed him another bottle of water, then took a long drink from her own. Wiping her mouth, she said, ”Then let’s set up an ambush here. They’ve been chasing us this whole time. Now, it’s our turn to take the fight to them.”

Daniel Hayes grinned. ”Not bad. You’ve got guts. But you need to be prepared. This is going to be very dangerous.”

Chloe Reed smiled. ”I’m already prepared.”

Daniel Hayes nodded. ”I knew you’d think that way. While you were resting, I made two simple camouflage covers. Drape this over yourself, lie down where the vegetation is thick, keep your breathing shallow, and don’t stare at any one person for too long. Do that, and you won’t be easily spotted,” he said, walking to one side to pick up a cape woven from branches and weeds.

Chloe Reed took it and said in astonishment, ”This is incredible.”

Daniel Hayes said, ”I used to get jobs like this all the time. You spend enough time living in the wild, you pick up a few skills. This is the easy stuff. Once we get out of here safely, I’ll teach you.”

”I’d like that.”

Chloe Reed nodded in agreement.

Right away, she began searching for a thicket to hide in, looking for a spot with low, dense vegetation.

Ultimately, she lay prone in a spot dozens of meters from the riverbank, directly facing the direction they had come from. From there, she would have a clear view of any movement.

Daniel Hayes piled more leaves on her head, then vigorously smeared her face with them. Her fair skin was instantly stained grass-green and smudged with dirt. Hidden like this, as long as she remained still, she would be almost impossible to spot.

Daniel Hayes camouflaged himself as well, taking up a position from another direction. His role was to protect Chloe Reed and ensure she wasn’t harmed.

Almost as soon as they had finished their preparations, several figures appeared in the jungle’s growing light.

Each of them held a gun, and they advanced step by step, their bodies tense and their faces grim.

Chloe Reed held her breath at the sight. She remembered what Daniel Hayes had told her and forced herself not to stare in any one direction, letting her gaze drift back and forth.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Daniel Hayes made his move. Three shots rang out, and the three men in the lead collapsed instantly!

His aim was perfect, but the shots alerted the others. The men in the back began spraying bullets in their direction!