39
EMERALD LAKE
The bullet missed, but it ricocheted around the cave from wall to wall. Chelsea crouched down with her arms wrapped around her head, hoping to avoid its path. With the shooter distracted by Chelsea, Mason charged towards him, and they wrestled over the g*n. The bullet found a landing site somewhere in the cave, and Chelsea stood. All the echoed chaos and noise from the ricocheting projectile had aroused a nest of cave dwellers, and she could hear a number of agitated rattlers. She stood perfectly still while the drama played out before her.
She heard the stranger yell out, “f**k. I’ve been bit.” With the man distracted by the rattlesnake bite, Mason was able to knock the g*n out of his hand, and it flew a couple of feet away from them. They both turned to dive towards it
