Too late they realized their mistake. The two men cleared the fence, panicking as they saw the flat grassy terrain before them. But they kept running. There was nothing to do but keep running.
The one in the back turned, looking for their last comrade. She was just coming over the fence now. Too slow, too slow! he screamed in his head. His attention snapped back to his running as he stumbled over some uneven ground. He heard one shot, then another, and felt angry, grieved. He felt ashamed as he stopped worrying about her, putting on more speed. His friend in front of him did the same.
It was easy to run across the empty field, but the lack of obstacles made them clear shots. It was pointless to dodge. They knew it was pointless to run.
Then there were another few shots and the one in the front twisted and fell to the ground. Instants later, the other felt a bullet rip into his lower leg, crippling him. He fell.
Their pursuer stalked closer, taking his time. He was the cat, and they were the mice, and now it was time to play.
The one in the back, the younger one, spasmed in pain. He struggled to crawl as he saw the other struggle to sit up. But then the hunter was there a blur of legs past his eyes, a tower over his friend, and then a quick gunshot and he had to turn away.
He pulled himself achingly over the rough grass, only changing the direction of his upper body before his strength gave out under the pain. The hunter stood behind him, over the dead body, and watched the pathetic struggle.
He panted, sweating, crying. He rasped, "Now you're going to shoot me in the back, huh?" It was a fitting act for the traitor.
He screamed as a bullet exploded into his kidney. His body arched into the ground, trying to get away. But that was impossible.
The hunter took a step, dug his foot under him and flipped him brutally onto his back. Then he knelt down, straddling him. "Only because I love your scream of pain," he grinned.
Con glared up at Ryan, as the hunter delicately placed the barrel of his gun between the dark eyes.
Then there was darkness, and Ryan eventually realized that he was awake. His breathing was strange, shallow and slow, uncharacteristically audible. He realized with a jolt that he was excited.
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