"Maybe she saw something," Mason said nervously, peering into the darkness.
"There's nothing out there," Brandon snapped. But his voice wavered slightly.
David was 30 ft away now, using the boys' distraction to close the distance. Alicia continued her performance, struggling more dramatically against the ropes. Brandon grabbed her hair, yanking her head back.
"Stop moving," he hissed.
That was David's cue. He emerged from the shadows like a wraith, silent and deadly. Mason, the largest of the group, stood closest to his position. David's hand clamped over the boy's mouth from behind, his other arm wrapping around Mason's throat in a precise chokehold. The teenager struggled for 3 seconds before losing consciousness.
As David lowered Mason's body quietly to the ground, Alicia kicked out suddenly, catching Brandon in the knee. He stumbled backward, cursing. The distraction was perfect. Trevor spotted David first.
"Holy sh—," he began, but David was already moving.
His elbow caught Trevor's solar plexus, driving the air from his lungs. As Trevor doubled over, David grabbed his arm and twisted, using the boy's own momentum to flip him onto his back. Trevor's head hit the ground hard enough to stun him.
Kyle turned to run, but David's leg swept his feet out from under him. The boy crashed face first into the dirt, crying out in pain. David's boot pressed firmly between his shoulder blades, pinning him down.
Brandon still held the knife, but his hand shook violently now. "Stay back!" he shouted, pressing the blade against Alicia's cheek. "I'll cut her."
David's voice was ice cold and deadly calm. "No, you won't."
Before Brandon could react, David's hand shot out, grabbing Brandon's wrist and twisting sharply. The knife fell from nerveless fingers as Brandon screamed. David drove his knee into the boy's stomach, then slammed him face first against the tree trunk beside Alicia.
"You like tying up teenage girls?" David growled, holding Brandon's arm at a painful angle behind his back. "How does it feel being helpless?"
Brandon could only whimper in response. David increased the pressure slightly, making the boy cry out again.
"Please," Brandon sobbed. "Please don't kill me."
"Kill you?" David's voice was eerily calm. "No, Brandon, I'm not like you. I don't hurt people for fun."
He spun Brandon around, slamming him back against the tree. The boy's eyes widened with recognition as David removed his night vision goggles. Mason was starting to stir, groaning. Trevor remained dazed on the ground. Kyle hadn't moved, still pinned face down and sobbing quietly.
David quickly untied Alicia with one hand, keeping Brandon secured with the other. As soon as her hands were free, Alicia ripped the duct tape from her mouth, gasping for air.
"Daddy," she whispered, tears finally breaking free.
"Check my left pocket," David instructed her. "There's zip ties."
Alicia's hands shook as she retrieved the plastic restraints. Following her father's calm directions, she bound Brandon's hands behind his back. David moved methodically through the group, securing each boy while Alicia held the flashlight from his tactical vest.
Mason started to struggle when David approached him, but one look at the colonel's face made him go still.
"My wrist," he whimpered as David bound his hands. "I think it's broken."
"Yes, it is," David confirmed without sympathy. "Remember that pain the next time you think about hurting someone weaker than you."
When all four boys were secured, David gathered them near the fire. They sat in a miserable line, heads bowed, some crying quietly, others just staring blankly at the ground. Brandon's face was already swelling where it had hit the tree.
"The police are on their way," David informed them, though he hadn't made any calls yet. "Your phones are evidence now. Don't bother trying to delete anything. I already have copies of everything you've posted, sent, or deleted in the last month."
Trevor's head snapped up. "How?"
"I'm very good at what I do," David said simply. "And what I do is protect people from threats. Right now, that means protecting my daughter from you."
He turned to Alicia, who stood trembling near the tree where she'd been bound. His voice softened. "Come here, sweetheart."
Alicia stumbled forward into her father's arms, finally letting go completely. She pressed her face against his chest, her whole body shaking with sobs.
"It's over," David said firmly, holding her close. "It's over."
David pulled out his phone, activating the camera. The fire light cast eerie shadows across the boys' faces as they sat in their miserable line, hands bound behind their backs.
"Let's start with you, Brandon," David said, his voice steady and cold. "Tell me about the first time you tied my daughter to a tree."