Jamie sighed inwardly and buried her head in her knees again, her arms wrapped around them.
All the guys except one left the room. For a few seconds, silence settled over the space, but then Jamie heard footsteps. Someone was approaching, though she already knew who it was.
“Looks like we’ve got a little opportunity here,” the pushy guy said, and from the shift in the air, Jamie could tell he’d sat down beside her. “Some alone time.”
With those words, the mercenary grabbed her arm and yanked her toward him. Jamie sprang to her feet and jumped back. She was confident she could handle this annoying creep.
“You’ll get tired of running from me,” he smirked. “There’s nowhere to hide in here.”
Jamie kept her eyes locked on her opponent, tracking every move. She waited for him to make his attack, then deftly blocked his strike and countered with a sharp kick straight to his solar plexus. The guy doubled over and stumbled back. Jamie spun around, delivering another kick to his torso, then bolted for the exit.
***
“What do you think of the new guy, Knight?” a dark-haired, well-built man asked his companion. “I reckon he’s got potential.”
“Yeah, I agree. He kinda reminds me of you, Leech, don’t you think?” replied the one called Knight.
“Maybe a little,” Leech said thoughtfully, fingering a pendant hanging around his neck and fidgeting with it. “He’s still gotta pass the entrance test, though.”
Their conversation was interrupted by the crackle of a radio. Knight picked up the device and pressed the button.
“Skyner One, go ahead,” he said.
“Oh, Skyner, good, it’s you,” the voice on the radio replied. “We’ve got a civilian on the run. Looks like she’s heading north. The guys left her with… Reno. I think you’re the closest to her right now.”
“Got it. I’ll take care of it myself then.”
“No problem.”
Knight set the radio down on the table and let out a loud exhale.
“How many times do we have to teach these idiots…” he muttered.
“Well, no one’s ever gotten away from Reno before,” Leech added.
“Yeah, but we all know what he probably tried to do, don’t we?”
Leech nodded. Knight pulled out a pocket navigator and studied the map. It already had markers for the girl’s last known location and where the cameras had spotted her.
“You probably won’t catch her in time,” Leech commented, peering at the screen. “And chasing her outside our territory? That’s a whole other headache.”
“I’ll make it. I’ve got an idea,” Knight assured him.
***
Jamie had no trouble slipping out of the building and making it outside. From what she knew, the village had long been abandoned, with enemy mercenaries now occupying the structures.
She moved carefully, crouching behind fences and hiding behind buildings. Along the way, she spotted a few guys in camouflage who were clearly looking for her. Jamie’s biggest advantage was that the enemy didn’t know exactly who they were dealing with, so they were acting far too relaxed and not searching as thoroughly as they could have.
The fugitive stopped near a small shed and cautiously peeked out from behind it. Ahead, about thirty feet away, two men stood. Somewhere behind her, voices echoed. Jamie dropped into a squat, keeping low so she wouldn’t be seen. She picked up a small pebble from the ground and tossed it toward the two men she’d spotted. They immediately reacted to the noise and started running straight toward her. Jamie quickly circled around the other side of the shed, using it as cover.
A few minutes later, Jamie was nearing the edge of the village. A towering fence loomed ahead—a recent addition by the mercenaries themselves. She got closer and inspected it. In theory, this obstacle could be overcome too. Jamie stepped back about twenty paces, crouched, then sprinted toward the fence. With ease, she leaped up, grabbed the top, and pulled herself over.
“Not bad. Now come down,” a voice called out.
Jamie looked down and saw a guy on the other side of the fence. She glanced back—going back wasn’t an option. With a sigh, she started carefully climbing down, pretending to be terrified. To her great surprise, the enemy stepped closer and offered her a hand, helping her down.
“Let’s go,” Knight nodded toward a vehicle parked nearby.
Once inside the car, Jamie began discreetly studying the guy. Her eyes caught a glimpse of a tattoo on his neck, partially hidden under his shirt. There was no mistaking it—this pattern was unmistakable.
Things were getting worse. Jamie had fallen into the hands of someone from the elite Skyner unit. She wasn’t at all confident she could take this guy on, and it was better not to try. Revealing herself was absolutely out of the question. Beating up that annoying mercenary earlier had been the most logical move—Jamie would never in a million years let him see her equally infamous Ridloff tattoo. Plus, she was certain he’d never admit to getting taken down by a civilian. He’d probably make up some less humiliating story for his buddies. With this new guy, her only option was to keep playing the weak civilian.
Jamie felt a twinge of anxiety. What if he turned out to be just like the others? She knew that if that were the case, she’d have to try fighting him too. Under no circumstances could she reveal her identity—otherwise, things would only get worse. Skyner, as an elite branch of a larger unit, and Ridloff had long been rivals in this area. Jamie didn’t even want to think about what would happen if she were exposed.