Covert

Episode Three

I ran until my legs were too heavy to carry me. I must have gone 30 miles from where I started. I knew they were going to be tracking me. I had to find shelter and warmth quickly. I had the topographical map seared into my brain from the op order gone wrong. I know there is a river just ahead of me, but it's too wide for me to cross, mountains to the east, which is rough terrain, and a town to the west. The logical route would be to go to the town. I could easily lose them in the mountains. The rain would mask my scent if they brought in dogs to track me. My decision is made. I am going to go east and lose them in the mountains. I have to give up on finding Eric for now. Getting through these next few weeks is the priority.

I start hiking to the mountains even though my legs are dead tired and my lungs are fighting for oxygen. The trees are getting more and more dense and the air is filled with the aroma of wet coniferous trees. My boots are sloshing in mud and moss. I keep an eye out for anything edible as I am trudging through the thick forest. Every now and then I reach for my 9 mil. strapped to my thigh to comfort me. I found a squirrel and used my second kunai to dispatch it and collect my knife, then carry the carcass with me. It's going to be my meal tonight.

Finally, I got to the foothills of the mountain and I was tired. I sat down on a jutting-out rock to rest for a few minutes before I got back to it. That was when I felt the hair on my neck stand up in anticipation. I felt like I was being watched. I had to keep moving just to make sure. I got up and started taking the most difficult path I could. I touched my 9 mil. again and felt for my kunai. I was making plans for when I came into contact with my stalker. The path I took was a treacherous one and I regretted it. I was practically in the open now that I was so high up in the foothills. I didn't like it.

10 miles since I felt the stalker and I am at the top of the smallest foothill heading into a valley. I saw smoke coming from about 35 miles away. I decided to take the chance and head that way. As I make my way down, I hear the loudest and most dangerous growl I have ever heard. I turn around and a pair of ice-blue eyes were staring back at me. The creature was too big to be normal. It was a pure black wolf the size of a bear. Its sharp white teeth are bared for me to see framed by a snarl. Drool was coming out of its mouth like it was ready for its next meal. I stared at it, as it was still growling at me, trying to intimidate me. Its eyes were full of intelligence as if it understood the situation and not just animal instinct.

I reached for my weapon on my thigh and it growled at me louder. Was it warning me? Did it know what I was going to do? I felt for my kunai and again it growled at me. How did it know I had my knife? It was hidden in my sleeve. The only other thing I could think of was throwing the squirrel at it. Maybe it would be enough to distract it while I ran for the smoke. Though I can't outrun a wolf that big.

" Its okay wolfie, I will give you this scrumptious squirrel if you just let me go," I said as I held up the bloodied squirrel.

The wolf stared at me, looking dumbfounded. I threw the squirrel at it and it caught it mid-air. It reacted so fast I couldn't react. I took a step backward, not taking my eyes off the giant wolf. The wolf stopped growling and I took another step backwards. It started whining. I took a bigger step backward and its eyes became big and it lunged for me. I felt weightless. The wolf was above me looking down at me from where I was standing not 5 seconds before. By not taking my eyes off its ice-blue eyes, I did not realize I was standing on a cliff. Now I am paying for not paying attention to my surroundings, which was operatives lesson numero uno.

The wolf began to howl as I felt my body splatter against the rocks below it. The pain never hit me. All I felt was cold as I lost consciousness.