Page 23 of Immersed
Away from camp. Away from Zoe. Make him follow me.
Behind him, he could hear the stranger recovering, his low chuckle echoing through the trees, followed by the sound of pursuit. Not running, but walking with deliberate, unhurried steps. Like a predator who knew his prey was already cornered.
Moonlight filtered through the canopy in scattered patches, barely illuminating the ground ahead as Levi scrambled up a steep incline, loose rocks sliding beneath his feet. His thighs burned with the effort. The forest thinned as the terrain grew rockier. His foot caught on an exposed root, sending him sprawling onto his hands and knees. Pain shot through his palms as they scraped against the rough ground.
Get up. Keep moving.
He pushed himself upright, ignoring the warm trickle of blood from his skinned knees. The ground sloped upward more sharply, his shoes slipped on loose scree as he climbed higher, lungs burning with each desperate breath.
The glint of metal caught his eye—something man-made amid the natural landscape. Rusty machinery loomed ahead, the skeletal remains of an old mining operation. A wooden structure marked the entrance to what must be a shaft, its timbers weathered and cracked with age.
Levi stumbled toward it, one hand fumbling in his pocket for the satellite phone. The screen illuminated with a weak blue glow as he thumbed the power button. His unsteady fingers could barely navigate the unfamiliar interface.
The phone searched for a signal, bars flickering weakly before disappearing entirely. The metal scaffolding of the old mine operation rose around him like a cage, its steel framework apparently creatinginterference patterns that scattered the satellite signals. He raised the phone higher, turning in a desperate circle, but the surrounding metal structures blocked any clear view of the sky.
“No signal?”
Levi whirled around. The stranger stood ten feet away, his eyes still red and swollen but now fixed intently on Levi.
“I’ve been watching you for quite some time, you know,” the stranger said, taking a single step forward. “During dinner preparations. The meteor shower. That sweet moment when Elliot put his jacket around your shoulders.” His voice carried a hint of something that might have been jealousy. “You looked so comfortable with him.
Levi backed toward the mine shaft entrance, each step measured. The rusted metal frame of the abandoned operation provided a barrier between himself and the advancing stranger. “What do you want from me?”
“I like you.” His voice held an intimacy that made Levi’s skin crawl. “You’re... different from the others.”
“How?” Levi’s voice cracked.
“You learn. You adapt. You surprise me.” The stranger’s tone grew warmer, almost affectionate. “Most of them just scream and run in circles. But you—you came prepared tonight.”
Levi’s fingers shook as he reached into his waistband and withdrew Jasper’s revolver. The metal felt foreign in his hands, heavier than he’d expected. His index finger hovered near the trigger, not quite touching it.
“Stay back,” he commanded, voice cracking on the second word.
The stranger paused, his expression shifting to one of delighted surprise. “You brought a gun,” he observed, sounding genuinely impressed. “Good boy. Very clever.”
“I said stay back!”
The stranger took another step forward, his movements fluid and unhurried. “You won’t shoot me.”
“I will.” Levi’s finger moved to the trigger, pressing against it. Nothing happened. His stomach dropped as realization dawned—the safety was still on.
Of course. Even in my power fantasy, I can’t work a safety.
The stranger’s lips curved into a knowing smile. “Having trouble?”
Panic surged through Levi’s chest as his thumb fumbled for the safety. His eyes darted between the mechanism and the approaching figure, losing precious seconds of focus.
Cold fingers clamped around Levi’s wrist, twisting sharply. Pain shot up his arm as the gun clattered to the rocky ground and the stranger casually kicked it out of reach.
“No—” Levi gasped, struggling against the iron grip. The stranger slammed him back against a rusted ore cart. Metal edges bit into Levi’s spine as he was pinned against the ancient mining equipment.
“Much better,” the stranger murmured, his face inches from Levi’s. “I prefer this, don’t you?”
Levi turned his face away, breath coming in shallow pants. The stranger’s free hand gripped his jaw, forcing him to make eye contact. Those mismatched eyes seemed to see straight through him.
“What’s your name?” the stranger asked, studying Levi’s features with intense fascination. His thumb traced Levi’s cheekbone with disturbing tenderness. “I want to know you properly.
“L-Levi.”
