Night Flyer

Chapter 29

   Namara stared down at her hands, her right hand was stained red with blood. Steve's blood. She'd lashed out at him, lost control. Burying her face in her hands Namara let out a muffled sob, praying that she didn't wake Jay.

 Jay was sound asleep, curled up on the moss like a cat. But Namara couldn't sleep, couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. All around her branches were creaking in the wind, branches were whipping and snapping. She couldn't separate the sounds that the forest was supposed to have from the sounds of an intruder. 

 A branch cracked somewhere behind her, and she snapped around, her eyes peering into the darkness. It was probably just an animal. 

  Namara's nostrils flared as she inhaled deeply, trying to get the scent of whatever was behind them. It wasn't an animal, it was human!

  "Jay!" Namara hissed, grabbing her brothers wrist. "Move!"

 Jay's wide blue eyes shot open, and he scrambled up. Namara dragged Jay through the trees.

 "Sister! What's happening?"

 "There's someone after us! Just run!" Namara shouted. 

 She could hear twigs snapping behind them, there were more than 5 people after them! Namara knew she could outrun them all, but there was no way Jay could.

 Namara darted behind a tree, pulling Jay with her. "Jay, listen to me very carefully. You need to run, run until you find a road. Then follow the road until you get to a town. I'll follow your scent."

 "But why? We can go together."

"I need to lead them away. Now Run!" Namara shoved Jay away from her, and watched as he stumbled off through the trees. She didn't want him to be on his own, but he was safer without her, and safer if she led their pursuers on a chase. 

  Deliberately Namara stomped down on a branch, there was loud CRACK! It echoed through the forest, ringing around the trees. Immediately Namara took off at jog, she could hear people behind her. 

 She jerked her head sharply to the right in time to avoid a bullet. It thudded into the tree next to her head, shredding the bark. 

  Namara couldn't sprint, couldn't run full out, otherwise they might give up on her and go after Jay. Her lungs had begun to burn, but she ran through it, had to run through it.

 Then she heard a scream, a high pitched shriek.

 Jay.