Wanderer

Chapter 4-2

Despite having already searched the whole cargo bay, Kaira held on to a slim hope that she might have missed somewhere to get water.

During the first exploration she’d been seeking somewhere safe to hide. The thought of food and water hadn’t crossed her mind. She’d expected to use the food bars to solve that problem. Now she was looking at the hold in a very different light.

Her hopes ended up being dashed. A careful search turned up no sources of water. She supposed it was possible there was something within one of the sealed crates or containers which would solve the problem, but she had no way to find that out.

She finished her search of the cargo hold near the small door which led into the rest of the ship. Her gaze went to the door. She stood there, frozen by indecision. Should she risk exploring now? Or should she wait? If so, what for?

In the end practicality won out. She needed to go back to her hiding place and get her backpack. Without it she had no way to carry more than two or three things back. If she was going to take the risk she wanted to be sure she could bring back everything she needed in a single trip.

She’d not even made it halfway back to her hiding place when a clanging noise sounded behind her. For a moment she froze, uncertain what she was hearing. Then she realised what it was. The door being opened! Tarkus was entering the cargo hold, and she was caught out in the open!

She sprinted for cover, uncertain whether she would make it even as she ran, but the only other option was to give up, let herself be caught for sure. She was far too scared to allow that to happen!

The cargo bay lights flared on, blinding her with their brightness. She smacked into the corner of a crate she’d been trying to dodge around, sending agony through her bruised left arm. She reeled around the crate, squinting against the brightness, and saw there was a small gap between the crate she’d hit and another next to it.

She didn’t dare risk running any further, so she squeezed into the gap. It wasn’t a good hiding place. In some ways it was a terrible one. From some parts of the cargo bay Tarkus would only need to glance her way to see her easily, but she would at least be well hidden if he headed her way from the doorway. Until he neared her, at least.

She tried to force her ragged breathing to calm down as she heard Tarkus’s footsteps coming her way. Should she move? Should she edge away to what she thought was the far side of the two crates from Tarkus?

No. If she was wrong about the route he was taking she’d be stepping out right in his sight. She had to hold her nerve and hope that he didn’t…

He was there! She could see him clearly! All he had to do was turn his head her way and she’d be discovered. She wanted to edge her way back, but if he caught the movement in the corner of his eye it might be enough to draw his attention to her. So she stayed put, not daring to breathe, as he moved forward.

Then her heart froze. He was carrying a long, metallic object. She was still struggling with the brightness of the lights but she was pretty damn certain it was a weapon. And by the size of it a nasty one.

He must know he had a stowaway, and he was planning to… what? Defend himself if needed? Or eliminate the stowaway no matter what? The second seemed far more likely. Why would Tarkus risk being attacked or overwhelmed when he could simply eliminate any threat?

She almost wanted him to turn and look in her direction, at least then the uncertainty would be over. But he kept walking, not looking her way, not slowing his steps.

She watched in amazement as his path brought him within a dozen steps of her… and then he carried on past. He soon disappeared from view, but he didn’t go much further. Maybe another twenty steps or so later his footsteps stilled.

He was still close enough that she could hear as he started to mutter to himself. She couldn’t make out the words until a sentence came through clearly. It chilled her heart.

“Let’s b****y well get this over with,” Tarkus said.

That was pretty unambiguous, as was the tone of voice. Tarkus had to do something he didn’t want to, but he was going to do it anyway. That could only refer to her. That could only mean he was going to eliminate his unwanted passenger. And with him wielding that weapon how could she possibly defend herself?