The Bounty Hunter

Chapter Five

Lloyd sat around a fire not too far from the cage. He wanted to be the one to keep an eye on the cage, just in case the sister came back in the night. He didn't doubt she would try to use the cover of night to make a move, and he was ready for it. He listened quietly as some of his men told stories and joked around, their laughs echoing in the cool calm forest. So far, he was astonished the girl hadn't come for her sister, when many others would pounce on the opportunity of an easy rescue mission. But that's how Lloyd caught them; he made it seem easy. And yet, he had not heard or seen the girl. According to Charles though, she wasn't normal. Lloyd couldn't disagree there. He had listened to his men as they came in, hearing the stories or how she had thrown knives at him, and attempted hand to hand combat. Lloyd smiled at the thought as he picked up a twig and played in the fire. He wished he could have been there to see it. Dusk began to fall, and the fires Lloyd's men had made highlighted their campsite. Losing interest in the fire, Lloyd fell on his back and put his hands behind his head. He thought about how fast the girl had reacted to the net and cage his men had set up. It didn't seem to take her anytime on figuring it out. She's definitely a pro at this, he thought. He tilted his head to the side to get a better look at the sister sitting in the cage. Lloyd noticed for a captive, the little sister was relatively calm. Sure she was crying before, but now she had calmed down and was looking around with curiosity. All panic had vanished, and it was replaced by confidence. The sister seemed to be patiently waiting. They definitely have different personalities. The little sister has more emotions than the older one from what I can see. He watched with interest as the sister would stand up and then sit back down, her gaze now focused on the forest. She's waiting for her sister, Lloyd thought. Lloyd let his eyes wander to the dark, shadowed trees lining his camp. He was getting restless and excited. He couldn't help but wonder if the girl was out there right now, like a snake coiled and waiting to strike. Lloyd smiled at the thought of a challenge.

"Lloyd, the girl in the cage has a severe wound on her arm."  Lloyd rotated his head and saw one of his high ranking soldiers, Luke, standing not too far away. Luke was only a year younger than Lloyd and one could mistake them for twins. Their facial features were alike, and they were about equal in height. Smiling, Lloyd stood up and together they walked over to the cage. Lloyd's mind was still on the thought of the girl being out there when he walked up to the cage. A odor hit him, and it smelled of flesh and blood. Lloyd stopped, nearly running into the cage as his thoughts returned.  He looked at the girl, who was now eyeing him cautiously, and glanced down at her and his eyes widened. He was so consumed with the ideas of how he was going to capture the girl he neglected his usual concerns. What looked to be an old piece of cloth was wrapped around her arm and it was dripping with blood. The cloth had sunk into the wound, no longer protecting it, but instead starting to infect it. Lloyd was annoyed with himself for not noticing sooner.

"Take her out of the cage Luke and bring her over to me. I'll clean it up." Lloyd walked back to his own campfire and rummaged through the craft, pulling out a kit and some bandages. He looked over his shoulder to see Luke with the little girl walking over them, the girl clutching her arm. Lloyd could tell her arm was causing discomfort and guilt washed over him. Luke gently asked for her to sit and the little girl did without a complaint. She eyed Lloyd suspiciously, holding her arm against her body. Lloyd gently reached over to grab her arm and she leaned away from him. He smiled at her as her eyes searched him. Her eyes studied him, and Lloyd could see the uneasiness in them. Finally, she leaned back forward and Lloyd gently grabbed it, not wanting to startle her.

"You have my apologies, girly. I did not notice your arm," Lloyd said, carefully removing the old cloth that surrounded the wound. The girl winced as he removed he cloth, dropping it to the ground. He quickly put pressure on the wound, hoping to stop any more bleeding.

"Umm...It's okay," the girl said hesitantly. Lloyd cleaned out her wound, careful to do it gently so he didn't injure her any further. He applied some medicine and then started rewrapping her arm. The girl was silent, watching every move he made. Lloyd couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking. She had a puzzled expression on her face as she watched him work. "I thought Hunters weren't this nice."

Her sudden statement caused Lloyd to freeze and look up. Her expression was one of suspicion, with her eyebrows raised and her eyes slightly narrowed, and Lloyd had to stifle his laughter. Luke even chuckled and crossed his arms, amused at the girl's sudden hostile expression. Lloyd smiled at her, shook his head, and then continued to wrap her arm.

"And where did you hear we are supposed to be bad, may I ask?"

"My sister has said it numerous times. You are nothing but bastards, according to her." Lloyd smiled to himself.

"I would say it is unfair to judge someone like that. Do you believe everything your sister says?" The girl paused.

"In a way I do. She says no one is completely trustworthy, and I believe every word she says."

"Well, I suppose that's a true statement. I can't disagree with her on that."

"So I can't trust you." Lloyd glanced up at her for a moment before returning his attention back on her arm.

"I don't remember asking you to trust me."

"So then why are you doctoring my arm? Why not just let it be? I can't trust you so you can't trust me. Aren't you afraid when it heals I'll escape?"

"I'm not going to let it get infected, if that's what you're asking. And I do not believe you will escape," Lloyd said glancing up at the girl. Lloyd was getting irritated she kept asking so many questions. Shouldn't she be happy he at least took notice of it? The girl remained silent as she continued to watch him do his handiwork. Lloyd finished wrapping up her arm and stood up, tossing the bloody rags to the side to pick up later. Luke grabbed the girl's other arm and lifted her up. Lloyd started to head to a separate fire where his men were sitting and laughing at. He was tired of the girl already; she spoke of the assumptions her sister made and it irritates him. But something about her made him curious.

"What's your name?" Lloyd stopped and looked at the girl over his shoulder. She had a small smile on her face and she no longer looked frightened. Lloyd felt irritation roll over him as he looked at her. She was definitely an interesting character, and Lloyd couldn't help but to smile at her.

"Lloyd," he answered, laughing and shaking his head.

"I'm Hailey. You're nice for a Bounty Hunter."

Lloyd turned and continued walking, ignoring her last comment. He heard the sound of the cage door opening and closing. What a strange little girl. She seems different from normal fourteen year olds. What made her so confident now? He sat down by his men and listened to their stories. Soon he tuned out and started thinking about the girl still lurking in the forest. He couldn't help but feel a bit of excitement. What was the girl going to do in order to get her sister back? What was her plan? It had been a long time since Lloyd had actually enjoyed a hunt. Lloyd was eager to see how she turned out, if her sister was like this. All of the little sister's fear had vanished and it was replaced with confidence. I wonder if it's because she knows her sister is out there. Lloyd scratched his head as he pondered about the girl. I usually catch them on the first try. She sawed right through the chain with ease it seemed like. Lloyd rested his head on his hand. What gave the net away? I was the one who hid it, and it was hidden pretty well. I even camouflaged it. Lloyd shook his head. I'm going to have to come up with something cleverer for this one. Lloyd quietly got up and headed over to the hovercraft. As he walked by, the sound of heavy sleeping caught his ears. He glanced over at the cage and saw the little girl was already sound asleep, curled into a ball. Lloyd was curious as to why these girls were even on their own. It was obvious most girls stayed within the Safe Haven boundaries. Lloyd was wondering what could have caused them to make the rash decision to come out here. Lloyd cast the thought from his mind. He had a bigger mission on his hands at the moment. He needed to catch the girl who as still out there, lurking in the dark of the forest. Lloyd lied down next to the cage and put his hands behind his head, his eyes looking up at the stars. He rolled over after a moment and closed his eyes. He was going to need his sleep. Tomorrow was a day where he would need all his strength.