Abject in the Dust

Chapter 8 - Who to Believe?

"Do you think she will come?" Lykke asked hopefully, as the first light of dawn broke across the horizon.

"I don't know." Rize replied as he looked West from the small hollow the two occupied. "I don't know what to believe when it comes to Sam." Lykke nodded unconsciously as Rize spoke. "All I know for certain is that our quest would have ended in that camp, so even if this escape is nothing more than a ruse, it is at least a chance."

"But, should we wait? Or just go?"

"I think wait." Rize replied thoughtfully. "We are unarmed and have no provisions. We will not last long without support."

"But, every minute we wait is time we could be using to increase our distance from that encampment. We should go. I think we should go." Lykke said – anxiety clear in her voice.

"And what if Sam is true to her word?"

Lykke scoffed loudly. "If she is, then she will follow."

"Maybe you're right." Rize nodded thoughtfully, but he made no attempt to move.

"Do you think she is being truthful?"

"I don't know." Rize mused. "She knew so much about the Kuznetsov and we know that she came from the East."

"I didn't mean that." Lykke interrupted softly. "I meant do you think she is being honest with us now, in helping us escape?" Rize did not reply. "Rize?" Lykke pressed.

"No." Rize spoke softly.

"What! Why?" Lykke asked with increasing alarm.

"It doesn't feel right."

"But she explained that she is trapped and needs our help to get out of the flesh-eaters territory. We know from our own experience that they are not the sort of people to let somebody go without good reason."

"That is the problem." Rize said as he continued to study the horizon.

"What? I don't understand."

"I can't help but think that we are more of a hindrance than a help when it comes to evading capture."

"But she has to sleep and rest. That is where we can provide eyes and ears."

"True." Rize nodded thoughtfully. "And, there is one thing we can be sure of."

"What?"

"That she has not told others what she knows of our quest."

"How can you know that?"

"Because, if she had, we would most definitely already be dead." Rize looked at Lykke's belly. "Or, at least I would anyway." Lykke shuddered at the thought of what her future might have held. "If Sam had revealed what she knew, the flesh-eaters would have no need for us."

"You think that she might be being forced to act against her will?"

Rize laughed. "I don't think it is possible to force Sam to do anything against her will. If she is truly helping us escape, then she is doing it for her own reasons."

"But, you don't believe that she is truly helping us?"

"I don't know."

"But, if the purpose of our escape is to track and follow us to our destination, why would Sam be involved? The flesh-eaters could have provided some other means of giving us the opportunity to escape and then just followed us. I don't understand what role Sam would play. Unless ..."

"Unless what?" Rize asked.

"Unless, she is one of them." Lykke said with disgust.

"No, no. That isn't it. I think it far simpler."