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I’ve never wanted to leave until now, and even then, I’m not sure that a new home is what I’m seeking. I just want something – anything – that brings me peace.
I just want something new, something fresh, something that’s entirely mine.
I keep walking toward the center of the jungle, lost in my thoughts. I’ve covered a lot of ground in the last 24 hours. It’s hard to believe I’ve only been gone a day. Maybe I’m getting faster or perhaps I just know the jungle better than when I first started hunting. I recognize exactly where I am even without my location devices, and if my calculations are correct, I should be in fereer country pretty soon.
My eyes swivel as I move, careful to watch for any clues I might be nearing a nest. When I round the next set of trees, I spot a little creek. Good. Th
is could be a good chance for a water break.
I drop my pack beside a tree and stretch, enjoying the way my body feels a little lighter. Even after years on the job, I’ve never quite gotten used to the pain and heaviness that comes from hauling gear around. A lot of hunters choose to travel with miniature hover cars or tiny ships they can navigate through the wider areas of the jungle, but I’ve always found that bringing vehicles tends to restrict movement.
Besides, animals are smart. They aren’t going to be hiding in plain sight. They’re not going to be lurking around little roads or places people bring big vehicles. Instead, they’ll be hiding in the darkness. They’ll make their nests in places where people never go. They’ll hide, and they’ll wait , and they’ll survive.
At least until a hunter as good as me comes along.
I’m approaching the water when all of my senses go on high alert. Suddenly, I get the feeling that I’m not alone. I instantly drop, flattening my body in the tall grass that leads to the creek, and I peer out. There shouldn’t be other hunters in this area. It’s not exactly a highly-populated place. It’s certainly not a place that’s on many maps.
Why would someone be out here?
Although I don’t hear any strange noises, I can’t shake the feeling there’s someone here, so I wait patiently, once again calling on those predatory instincts, until I figure out who is out here and whether or not they’re a threat.
I don’t have to wait long.
After only a few minutes, I spot the disturbance, but it’s not a large animal, like I suspect. It’s not a Sapphiran, either. Nope, the creature at the water is a tall, blonde-haired human, and she’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen.
Chapter 2
Dagger
I don’t know what planet I’m on.
I don’t recognize the terrain or the trees or the fucking flowers. I should, probably, because there are a ton of flowers. Seriously, what kind of jungle is sprinkled with beautiful pink-and-purple flowers? Is that even allowed? Jungles should be harsh and unforgiving and ugly. They shouldn’t be pretty. They shouldn’t make me want to curl up and take a nap.
They shouldn’t make me feel comfortable.
They shouldn’t make me feel safe.
It’s been about an hour since I crashed my pod on this planet, about an hour since I started running, trying to get as far away from it as possible. I don’t know what kind of tracking devices are on the ship, but I don’t want to let anyone get close to where I am. I don’t want to be dragged back to Mars.
No thank you.
The pod I took was only small enough for one passenger. It was perfect for what I needed: a quick, unplanned escape. In actuality, it was stupid to take it. The pod didn’t have any food or supplies or anything that would help me survive once I reached my destination, which is apparently a jungle.
I live in the jungle now.
This is my new home.
Maybe I’ll get lucky and stumble across a little house hidden in the trees. That’s what happens in the fairytales. My mother used to read me stories from a book she liked on Earth, and in those stories, the characters always find a place to live.
They always find hope.
They always find love.
In those stories, the characters always have wonderful adventures with happy endings. Somehow, I’m not so certain that my own ending will be happy. If Stremon finds me, it’s all over. If he hunts me down and catches me, there’s no one here to save me. Maybe running was the stupid choice. Maybe I should have just gone straight to the authorities. Maybe I should have been braver or smarter.
Maybe.
“You can’t live in the past,” I whisper, shaking my head. I’m not so great at convincing myself, but I’ll try. When I hopped in the pod, it was only as a hiding place while Stremon and his goons were looking for me. I never planned to take the ship. I never planned to leave Mars.
