Isolation

Chapter 39

James, Vera, and Aiden crouched behind some bushes. Juno panted silently. The Poachers were wandering about in their treetop village.

"I didn't think I would be coming back here," James said.

"I didn't think you were coming back at all," Vera said.

She gave Aiden a look.

"I know. I screwed up," he said. "Can we focus, here?"

"Aiden is right. Those Poachers won't hesitate to kill us if we're spotted."

"What if we kidnapped their leader or something?" Vera suggested.

James pursed his lips.

"Um... about that..."

"She's dead, isn't she?"

"Didn't leave us a choice."

"Someone here has to know," Aiden said. "What if we grabbed a kid?"

"Jesus, Aiden!" Vera exclaimed silently. "That's terrible!"

"No, just hear me out. Kids are easy to scare. They'll fess up if we threaten to kill their family."

"Still terrible."

"Aiden might be right," James said. "I don't like it, either, but children can be manipulated."

"Or they'll just say what we want to hear to get away. It's too risky."

"Is it worse than taking a full-grown adult?" Aiden asked. "Because that's the alternative, and I don't want to be skewered."

She sighed. "Fine. I don't like it, but let's do it."

"Over there," James pointed. "He looks alone."

It was one of the younger ones, maybe five, walking along a bridge. He had a small, wooden spear. Could be just as deadly if he knew how to use it.

"Okay. Let's take him," Vera confirmed.

James had Juno stay put while they went in pursuit. There was almost no one around, and the child wasn't paying any attention. James went up the rope ladder first, followed by Aiden and Vera. They reached the top and stayed quiet. He was walking away from them to a connected hut. James put a finger to his lips and stepped out onto the bridge.

It wasn't the noise that alerted him. It was the vibration. The boy looked down at the bridge and glanced back. He saw James and bolted.

"Damn it!"

They chased him across the bridge. The boy was fast but not fast enough. They were seconds behind him. The boy tried running in a circle around the hut on the tree, but Vera and Aiden blocked his way. James was on the other side.

"We're not going to hurt you," James said. "We just want to--"

The boy vaulted over the side. James looked over the edge. He could see the boy jumping down branches, using his spear to keep him steady.

"How is he doing that?" Vera said. "He's, like, six!"

The boy landed on the ground. James grunted.

"Come on. We've gotta stop him before he tells someone."

James jumped over. Vera followed him. Aiden looked at how far the ground was.

"So we're doing this. Awesome."

He followed them. James was trained to maneuver in tight spaces like the branches of trees. He was on the ground in seconds. Vera and Aiden took longer. James made a beeline for the boy. He started shouting. James tackled him and wrapped his hands around the boy's mouth. The spear smacked him in the head.