Surviving Chaos

7

“They’re both dead,” said Smitty, moving McCarty’s corpse with the toe of his boot.

Kara stood at the abandoned campsite, examining it with her flashlight. If only they’d had more power available to them than their simplistic kinetic generator, she would have been able to use the high-powered beam setting, allowing her to find the two who’d escaped.

She didn’t keep her flashlight on for long. The longer she kept it on, the greater the chance was that she’d be shot. Max’s brother could very well still be close by, with a rifle trained on the campsite.

“Looks like they should have fought better,” said Smitty, giving a cold laugh that seemed to echo through the darkness.

"Stop gloating,” said Kara, her voice unemotional. “If we’re not careful we’ll end up like them.”

“They’re gone,” said Smitty. “There’s no way we’re going to find them. They’ve got their flashlight off.”

“You’re an idiot. We’ll find them. We need that woman. Come on, you go first.”

Kara shone her flashlight directly onto Smitty’s face. She had ordered him not to do the same to her. Being completely lit up made for a perfect target in the pitch black night. Shining the light on him wasn’t just a threat, it was a real danger.

A look of terror briefly crossed Smitty’s face before he got it together and nodded. “OK,” he said. “We’re moving out. We’ll find them, Kara.”

Kara said nothing. But she moved the flashlight away from Smitty. He breathed a sigh of relief.

The advantage Kara and Smitty had was that they didn’t have much with them. They could move quickly and lightly. The people they were pursuing were likely weighed down with huge packs.

“You first,” said Kara.

They moved through the darkness. There wasn’t any sound except for their footsteps.

As they walked, an idea occurred to Kara. “Smitty,” she said. “Turn your light on. And scan the forest as we walk.”

“They’ll see me,” said Smitty.

“Maybe,” said Kara. “But that’s a risk I’m willing to take. There’s no way we’re going to find them unless you put that light on.”

Smitty understood very well what she was asking him to do. There was a good chance he’d get shot.

It was a risk for Kara too. She didn’t want to lose Smitty if she didn’t have to. After all, he was useful for her.

And what was more, it’d be hard to take on two of them herself if she lost Smitty. But if he didn’t turn that light on, it seemed like they’d never find them.

“Do it,” said Kara.

Smitty obeyed.

Kara followed the light. The ambient light from the beam made it easier for her to walk.

“Look,” said Smitty, bending down and directing the beam onto the earth. “Tracks.”

“Good work.”

“Heavy treads,” said Smitty. “They’re carrying a lot. Or one of them is, at least.”

They picked up their pace, to the point that they were practically running.

There was no way Max’s brother and the woman would escape them. They couldn’t move fast enough with those packs. And they couldn’t move fast in the pitch-black night.

Up ahead, there was a noise. It sounded like a body had fallen down. Maybe someone had tripped.

Smitty had turned the light to the spot where the noise came from in an instant. Kara looked, expecting to see someone.

But it was nothing but a big dead log, still rolling slightly.

“Is that their idea of a trap or something?” said Smitty, letting out a laugh.

A shot rang out, sending Kara’s ears ringing.

She looked to Smitty, expecting him to have received a bullet. But they’d missed.

“Almost got me,” said Smitty, switching off the light.

“Turn that back on,” said Kara. “We’ll never find them without it.”

“They’re hiding somewhere, behind some trees. Didn’t you see? I wasn’t able to find them with the light. But we’ve got them now. They’re close enough to shoot us, so we’re close enough to get them.”

“Turn it back on.”

“I’m a dead man if I do.”

He had a point, but Kara didn’t care. She was too filled with anticipation of reaching her goal, of finding another woman to bring back to the compound. Her breathing had gone ragged and intense, and she could feel the desire pulsing through her, the desire to not just keep her power, but to make it live past herself. She needed a legacy in this world, and this was her way to do it.

Before Kara had a chance to speak, she heard something rushing towards them. Some kind of animal, snarling and growling deeply.

Smitty screamed.

“It’s got me!”

He swung around in the darkness, trying to get the animal off him. He couldn’t use his gun in the dark, apparently. He switched on his flashlight.

It was a dog. A huge German Shepherd that had sunk its teeth into Smitty’s thigh. The dog was viciously pulling its head back and forth, tearing open the wound.

“Shoot it,” cried Smitty, struggling to get his own gun into position. “Shoot it, Kara!”

But Kara knew she needed to save herself. Now that the light was on, Smitty only had moments to live. He’d been right about not turning the light on, and she recognized that now.

She dashed away from Smitty, finding shelter behind a large tree trunk. She pressed her back into the roughly textured bark and turned her head to Smitty.

Another shot rang out.

Smitty fell down. The flashlight rolled away from him.

Kara had her handgun out and ready. She knew the dog would be coming for her.

She waited, staring into the darkness, listening for the dog.

But it didn’t come. Someone called out a nonsensical name. “Kiki,” or something like that. It was a female voice. She heard the dog running off somewhere.

Kara had heard the woman’s voice. The woman was close. And Kara needed her.

She wasn’t going to give up. Not when the woman was so close. This was her chance, even if it was crazy, even if it was too big of a risk.

“Kara!” cried Smitty. His voice was full of agony.

Shit, he wasn’t dead. It hadn’t been a clean shot.

“Kara! Help me.”

Kara said nothing. If she moved towards him to help him, she might get shot herself. And even if she could avoid that, there wasn’t any point in trying to save Smitty when the woman was there, ready to be taken.

Kara could take care of the woman. All she needed to do was neutralize Max’s brother.

Thinking of Max, Kara shuddered suddenly with anger. That whole family was… there was something wrong with them. Something too intense about them. They’d ruined everything.

But not this time.

“Kara!”

Kara got up and started walking silently away from Smitty, to where she imagined the dog had run off to. She had to walk bent over, with her hands touching the ground and the trees when she came to them.

She wouldn’t let the darkness stop her.

“At least shoot me, Kara, if you’re going to leave me!” Smitty’s voice was as full of pain as any voice she’d ever heard.

If she shot him, she’d lose a bullet. And she’d risk giving away her position.

Kara didn’t respond. She was determined. She’d get that woman, if it was the last thing she did. She knew she might not have been thinking or acting rationally. She was putting herself in too much danger. Another woman might come along sometime later. But the anger and desire distracted her every move. She let herself be swept along by the coursing anger.