Blood is Thinner Than Water

10/15/2019 5:00 AM

Jake woke up the next morning, bright and early, the first hints of a sunrise evident in the navy blue starless sky. He was used to waking up early so getting up wasn't a huge deal for him, minus the fact that his stomach was growling and he was starting to feel the effects of dehydration.

His cellphone rings just as he manages to dust off all of the old leaves and mud that he embodied himself in underneath the tree branch. His bright yellow coat now having brown stains on it and discolored, which would actually help rather than hinder his purposes of being there in the first place.

Realizing he only has 20 percent remaining on his battery, he notes to keep the call as short as possible and only try to use it during emergencies. Not a huge problem considering where he's standing.

"Good morning, sunshine," Ryan greets him with a grunt to his tone.

Of course, now the reception decides to cooperate here.

"Don't even start with me," Jake replies.

"Hey, we wouldn't be out here in the middle of nowhere if it wasn't for you."

"Alright, alright. Can't argue with you on that one," Jake retorts. "Where are you guys now?"

"Well, we decided to call and let you know that we made it back to the car alright last night, and we are now just starting to get on the move."

"Great. I will keep you updated if I find anything."

"Same here, J."

Jake quickly hangs up the phone before Ryan could say anything more. He starts his trek, leaving his shelter behind. If worse comes to worse and he is stuck out in those woods for another night, he could always find more means to make another shelter. Though he wished that he took more advantage of that brook.

A couple of hours after starting, the sun slowly crawls back up into the sky, allowing him to fully make out everything around him - which is nothing much outside of trees, bushes, leaves, and, well, anything you would find in a forest. This includes the occasional squirrel and chipmunk. Luckily nothing bigger than a falcon. Normally he wouldn't even think of hunting down and killing animals, but desperate times may call for desperate measures.

He starts slowing down once noon hits and the sun is high above the sky, making him drench with so much sweat that he had to take his raincoat and sweater off, tying both around his waist and making sure his trusted gun was safely tucked inside his sweater pocket.

All of a sudden, out of nowhere, he spots a figure of an old pick-up truck in the near distance. God knows how long it had been sitting there nor how it even got in there in the first place.

He musters up enough energy to jog towards the truck. As expected it was abandoned. What used to a bright blue truck was now gray and rusted from years of abandonment. The inside didn't look much better with its tattered and stained seats, grimy windows and windshield, and hair in the bed from whatever animals made a home inside it.

That being said, the truck may not be in the most pristine condition but he would take this over being out in the vacant woods all day. He climbed into the least disgusting looking seat, and scrounged for any possible food or water scraps in the glove box, under the seats, anywhere he could think of to look.

Nothing. Nothing anywhere.

He was about ready to give up when he punches the roof of the truck and dust and grime come crashing down on his head. As it fills up in his lungs, he starts hacking and coughing away. His lungs were on fire and he had nothing to quench them nor his itchy and scratchy throat. He climbed back out of the truck and kneeled on the forest floor, trying to breathe in the clearer forest air.

After a few desperate minutes, he was able to better manage the coughs, enough for him to conclude that the forest was looking more desirable than the inside of that truck. He leans his back against the truck as the trees start swaying around him from his dizziness and body trembling.

His cell phone rings again, and he was tempted not to answer it thinking that it was an illusion from his sleep-deprived, hungry, dehydrated, and now dust and grime infested mind. Not to mention that his mood had now soured tenfold.

That was before he realized that after the trees subsided and the leaves stopped looking like they were swirling around him after he gained his composure, that his cell phone ringing was not an illusion after all.

He quickly fumbles through his pants pocket before he could lose the call and possibly waste more battery life, just in time before the end of his techno ring tone could end to see it was Ryan calling.

"Ryan..." Jake coughs.

"Jake...we..."

The phone started cutting in and out, much to Jake's horror and dismay.

"Ryan?" Jake says after clearing his throat.

"We...f..."

"What?" Jake was starting to get annoyed and aggravated as whatever Ryan was trying to tell him sounded urgent. And it didn't help that it sounded like Ryan was whispering.

"....Marleen...."

"What about Marleen?" Jake asks. He hears nothing on the other end. "I can't he..."

His phone ends the call.

"Motherfu..." Jake starts cursing before he receives a text message notification.

Ryan: I think we found our target. Should we act?

Jake couldn't believe what he was reading. Suddenly his heart lifted and his hunger and dizziness subsides.

Only if she tries to flee. Don't get too close to where you can see her or where she could see you. Stay hidden and wait for me. Where are you guys at anyway?

She's hiding in an old trailer.

How am I supposed to find you guys?

J, this is the only trailer in the whole goddamn woods. It shouldn't be too far from where you are. We traveled only 9 miles.

That answer didn't really help Jake, but it would have to do for now.

Okay. Stay put. I will try and find it. If I am not there in half an hour...you have my permission to take care of her.

Those last words almost hurt him, but in his mind he is doing what he needs to do to get the job done.