I was helping Betsy with food preparation when the sun set. People were eating ravenously after spending the entire day clearing the woods surrounding the camp. Zeke kept stealing furtive glances in my direction, keeping a protective hand on his daughter at all times. I didn’t ask what they were doing. I’d find out soon enough. Betsy gave me double helpings, her little smile assuring me that my secret was still hers. I casually talked to my team, sensing they were as tense as I was. We’d be tracking hybrid people in the dark. But I had to trust we were all up to the task. If my hunch was correct, the pack was not far from our station. There would be enough dart guns for each of us to carry. The goal would be to capture just Jack, but if others became aware of our presence we’d have to dart them too. My hand shook slightly. I closed my eyes and breathed in the moist night air. I saw Jack’s flashing grin. I let myself hope.
With a quick hand gesture, I communicated to my team to go about preparing for bed. Nick and Marilyn were sharing a shelter at the edge of the camp. Elizabeth was in one of the houses. Earlier that day we had agreed on 10:00 to meet by the sleek gray car that resembled Cayman’s. We’d have to be fast, and quiet. Thankfully, the car made no noise. Finding a trail through the fifteen miles to the station would be the true challenge.
I wished Betsy a good night, and went to my bed. I’d take my bag, not knowing if I’d be coming back. Luke had been watching us closely all day, and his hostility grated my nerves. He wouldn’t be sleeping tonight, either. I lay down, my ears primed for all sound. A couple of people kept up a quiet conversation but soon settled down. I looked at my phone’s timepiece: 9:50. I held still for several minutes, then rose to my feet. The bed creaked slightly, and someone coughed. I held my breath. Silence greeted me, and taking one careful step after another, I walked to the door. Opening it quietly suddenly seemed impossible, but I cracked it one inch and still no one sat up in bed, yelling and pointing at the traitor sneaking away. Get hold of yourself! Another inch, and still no movement. Open it all the way, like ripping off a bandage, I told myself. I breathed in, widened the door abruptly, and waited. It was now open all the way, and I slowly closed it behind me as I walked down the steps. One creaked in protest, but my feet were already moving quickly. I looked around the silent camp. The fires had been extinguished except for one small one, glowing in the center, and I skirted around it. I was certain I’d encounter someone in the dark, but was relieved when I didn’t. I smiled when I saw three dark figures around the car. A branch snapped under my foot and they all turned.
“It’s OK, it’s just me,” I whispered.
“We need to get out of here, fast. Luke was sniffing around all day,” Nick whispered back, but I sensed his excitement. “Hey, Mina, how about you drive?”
I was taken aback at his suggestion, but the others seemed to catch on to the thrill of it.
“I don’t think now is the time …,” I said, but saw they were already climbing into their seats.
I sighed, relenting. I got into the driver’s seat, pressed the engine button, and a soft whir greeted us.
“OK. I’m going to take us through the area they were clearing out today. That’s at least a start,” I said from behind the wheel, feeling relief that this little vehicle was mostly familiar. Elizabeth seemed more alert, and I saw her face turned toward mine in the dim moonlight that filtered through the trees.
“What if we can’t find him?” Her voice was weary.
“We will,” I responded, and gripped her hand briefly as I floored the gas pedal gently. “You’re my best tracker. I have all the faith in your abilities.”
Her mouth twitched upward. From the back seat, Marilyn urged me to get going. We pulled forward, past the makeshift shelters. I stopped once we got to the clearing, and we looked around in awe. A whole patch of forest was almost entirely gone.
“Go!” Marilyn urged again, and I picked up some speed.
We had gone several miles when we came to a small river. It wasn’t very wide or deep, but the low headlights shone on the rushing water.
“We’re screwed!” Marilyn said, leaning forward in her seat.
Elizabeth was looking out the window, lost in thought again. I put the car in reverse, undeterred.
“I’m going to gun it. We can get through.” Once more, I held my breath. The car lurched forward and splashed into the river, and I felt the tires spin in the silt. “Come on, come on,” I repeated, and my passengers stayed silent, probably holding their breath, too, waiting to see if I could overcome this obstacle.
Another lurch, and we were up on the opposite bank. I quelled a grin at this success, because the tension was so high in the car and the success or failure of our mission lay ahead. But I felt I’d accomplished at least a little victory with my dexterous handling of the car. I turned around to look at Nick, and reminded him he had the best route for us to get to the station.
“Get us there, Nick, and I’ll write you a letter of recommendation for any job you want after this,” I promised him, and his grin was thanks enough.
I followed his cues, allowing myself to enjoy the act of driving. We didn’t encounter any other major obstacles the rest of the way, and we pulled into the observation station at midnight. Our light conversation died down then as we all remembered the scene of carnage in the forest we’d encountered mere days ago. I hustled everyone into the building, and we quickly located the tranquilizer guns along the wall.
“What dose?” Nick asked me, and I thought maybe something on the higher side, just to be sure. But they were still human, after all. We loaded the guns, and then I turned to Elizabeth. “OK. Remember where we were when we first heard that Eater? Take us there—and, everyone, pay close attention to any other nocturnal animals out there. They won’t be comfortable with … people … in their space.”
They nodded. We set out into the forest, our dim lights cutting a swath through the brush. I listened closely to the sounds of the night surrounding us. So far, everything seemed normal. We hadn’t gotten far when a loud rustling came from the foliage to our left. We all stopped, hushed in tension. Nick lifted his gun, aiming at the movement in the leaves, and a small forest elephant broke through the branches, ambling toward us. We stepped back, but it wasn’t in distress. Instead it looked us over, decided we weren’t a threat, and continued on its way. We let it pass, and I reached up to trail my hand over its rough hide. It wasn’t normally a nocturnal animal, unless humans were around. Then it became restless at night.
I nodded to my team. We moved forward, slowing our pace and staying silent. The forest had become increasingly quiet, and I knew we were close. A low gleam coated the leaves ahead of us, and I realized we were seeing firelight. I motioned for everyone to get down. We’d crawl from here. I held my phone in my teeth, the light now turned off. Everyone else followed suit. And then we saw it, a small clearing with a fire lighting the center. Through the brush, we looked at a group of five naked people, sleeping around the fire. No one made a sound, and I scanned the faces. And there, his arm thrown over the side of a strange woman, was Jack. She was nestled against him, her own face smudged with dirt and blood but still beautiful. I felt a knife of fear mixed with betrayal lance my heart. Jack’s hair now sported a white streak down the side, disheveled with leaves. But his face—oh, his face. In sleep, it was childlike. There was no time to wonder who the woman was or to nurse any hurt feelings I might have. That would have to wait. I pointed at him, and the others raised their guns. “We hit him first. Aim for anyone else you can. Remember, we’re just taking Jack out of here tonight,” I whispered.
“How do they change back into human form?” Marilyn whispered fervently.
Through the darkness I glared at her. “Shh! We’ll figure that out later,” was my terse reply. We’d debate the process of genetic mutation when things were safe again.
I looked over at Elizabeth, and her eyes were keen. She had come alive at the danger we now faced, and her aim was steady, with Jack in her sights. Nick and Marilyn held their guns up, each aiming at a separate Eater. My own gun was trained on the woman sleeping with Jack. I put my phone in my pocket, buying a little time. Everyone waited, muscles tensed. I breathed in, breathed out. It was now or never.
“Now,” I said, and our darts flew.