Manhunt

Chapter 1

The Appalachian Mountains north of Maine consisted of a 100-mile wilderness of rocky terrain, endless pines, lakes, bogs, and ridges. It was considered to be the most remote and rugged of the Trail, and rarely visited by anyone who wasn't an outdoor lover or seeking self-discovery.

Of course, Julia Evans found herself deep in the wilderness for neither of those reasons.

"Shit." She huffed out, her arms pumping to propel her forward. Ducking under a tree branch, she raced further into the woods, making erratic sharp turns to avoid creating a pattern for her pursuers. Her feet stomped on the ground with every step she took, indicating how tired she was after running straight for over a mile. Despite it being the end of summer, a chill settled in the dusk, raking shooting pains through her chest. A loud crunch sounded behind her, and she sped up, refusing to look back for risk of slowing down.

She had a gun, heavy in her pocket, with five bullets left. In her bag were two magazines full of bullets in case she actually used up the ones in her gun.

Unfortunately, she couldn't use them—they shouldn't even be in her possession. But hey, easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.

Loose strands of hair fell from her ponytail, and she continued to pick up her pace, her lungs screaming for rest. Adrenaline pumped through her body, coaxing a laugh to bubble up from the pit of her stomach. It was the only thing that kept her moving—that, and the fact that she had assassins chasing her. The wooded landscape threatened to take her down, and Julia only needed a tree root or bulging stone to twist her ankle and leave her at the mercy of her unpleasant company.

Julia and her team caught wind of something brewing around there weeks ago; word that a criminal group was developing a weapon to use against a client of theirs. Although the enemies stayed hidden in their hideout—deep tunnels nestled underground below hundreds of Maine pines—Julia explored the surrounding terrain to prepare for the night they'd ambush them. She knew her mentor, Red, was cooking something up during the nights Julia wasn't with her; but when she'd ask, Red would give her an ominous smile. She supposed she'd find out soon enough.

She studied the path ahead and saw the entrance leading to a clearing. At about 50 yards, there should be a lake to the right—

Suddenly, a faint cracking sounded, and Julia barely had time to throw herself to the side before the tree to her left exploded, splintering the wood into a cloud of leaves and dust. She jumped and rolled to her right as shards of pine flew through the air, a faint ringing in her ear.

What the hell was that? Too stunned to check, she shook herself off before getting up, remembering that her life was on the line.

Julia felt the cold touch of her enemy on her arm, prompting her to pivot on her heel and punch him square in the face. Her knuckles burned as it met bone, seemingly unprepared for the sudden abuse. The punch didn't do much damage, but it held the assassin off long enough for her to book it.

She knew that older and more professional spies were a lot harder to lose, and if she didn't run fast enough, she wouldn't live to see another day. But if there was one thing she was confident in, it was her ability to sprint like hell.

Julia reached up to feel her black mask, realizing that half of it was missing since the start of her escape. As long as the areas around her eyes and mouth were covered, she should be safe from any facial recognition technology that the enemy may have. The last thing she needed was a killer at her doorstep.

In the distance was the sound of a helicopter, signaling that her rescue team was here. With each step she took, the sound grew louder.

She made another sharp turn and saw the mechanical bird waiting near the lake in all its glory. She tried tuning in on the comms unit, hoping they could hear her.