Jaimie clung tighter to Axel's neck, his little voice shaky with fear.
"Daddy Axel… are they coming to kill us?" he whispered. "Are we gonna die? Maybe we should run."
Axel crouched slightly, making sure they weren't in clear view as he lowered his tone.
"Hey," he said softly, brushing Jaimie's hair back. "Look at me. Nothing's going to happen to you. I won't let it."
"But—" Jaimie sniffled, his voice trembling. "What about you?"
Axel pointed subtly toward a thick shrub nearby. "When I say now, I want you to run and hide there. Stay down, stay quiet. I'll deal with the bad guy. Then I'll come for you. Got it?"
Jaimie hesitated. "Are you really that strong?" he asked earnestly. "You don't look strong…"
Axel raised a brow, torn between exasperation and amusement. "Wow. Thanks for the vote of confidence."
The boy looked up with worried eyes. "I can run fast, okay? Maybe you should drop me and we both run."
