Page 48 of Taunting Tarran
Once you eliminate your prey, follow the instructions given to you via your headset and return to base.
AND THE NEW TWIST? During red light, you may hunt someone else’s prey!
Is everything clear?’ Everyone nods. ‘Good luck. Let the games begin.’
Great!
As the clock strikes, the gates groan open, the sound reverberating through the tense air like a harbinger of what’s to come. The bidders scatter, a blur of bodies sprinting into the woods. I wait, letting their chaos unfold as I cross the threshold.
My gaze locks onto a guard, recognition flashing in his eyes.That’s all it takes – a split second – and I move. Without hesitation, my hand snaps out, wrestling the rifle from his grasp. His startled expression fuels the fire burning inside me, the same fire that has brought me to this moment. This is mine.
The weapon feels solid in my hands as I step forward. Lifting it, I peer through the scope, the crosshairs zeroing in on the towering watchtower ahead. The sniper perched at the top is unaware I’m looking, his back turned, his focus elsewhere. A mistake he won’t get the chance to regret.
Lowering the rifle slightly, I shift my attention to the guards. They stand with their backs to me, their laughter rolling through the clearing like they’ve already won. But I heard them earlier – the way they spoke about the girls. They’re predators in their own right, their camaraderie laced with cruelty. Aiding and abetting the killing of innocent girls. No, that just doesn’t sit right with me.
My pulse slows, a razor-sharp focus settling over me. I lift the gun to my shoulder, steadying it against the familiar weight.
‘Sorry, Sal,’ I whisper, knowing he wouldn’t approve. Five bullets, five heads. Five dead bodies.
I sink into the woods, the damp earth muffling my steps as I close the distance.Ms Darkheartmoves ahead, her heavy black boots sinking into the mud with each stride.
She raised her bow at my girl.
When the red light beams over the landscape,MsDarkheartholds her breath, her eyes scanning for the other hunters, uncertain of her next move. In the stillness, a cry pierces thesilence, and her eyes narrow as she pulls back her bow.
I distance myself from her, raising my rifle to find the source of the cry. There, in a small opening, is the girl from the cellar – Jessica.Ms Darkheartdraws her string taut, aiming for an impossible kill shot. The best she could manage would be to maim, leaving the girl to bleed out in agony. I can see the sniper too has his sights set. For her, the game is already over, so with a single, precise shot, I put the girl out of her misery with a bullet to the back of her head.
Ms Darkheart’sbow falls from her grasp, and the girl from the cellar is spared the agony of a slow, painful death.Darkheart’sblood-curdling scream of frustration echoes through the trees, and the corners of my mouth curl as I watch her torment.
CHAPTER 24
THE PUNISHER
Sal’s voice crackles to life in my ear, barely audible over the static that distorts his words.
‘Boss?’
‘Sal! So happy you could finally join me!’ I reply, sarcastically.
‘Linked – a – tower,’ his voice cuts out, fragmented.
‘Repeat that last part, Sal.’
‘A central tower is feeding GPS co-ordinates to each of you, guiding you to...your prizes. Hello? Are you getting this?’ More static follows.
‘Yes, Sal,’ I answer quickly.
The ground beneath me is a treacherous mess of mud and moss-covered rocks, slick from days of relentless rain. The cold bites through my boots as I press onwards, the incline steep and unforgiving. Each step churns the saturated earth beneath me, while wet branches slap at my face, leaving stinging welts.
