Chaos Theorem

Chapter 13: Cryptic

And then there were maps on our phones. Fantastic. That would certainly save us from the men with the guns.
  Instantly, I tried turning the map to see if it turned with me, and found it did not. That was a major inconvenience; now we'd have to navigate using our memories, and there are few things more exhausting than having to remember directions. There was also an X, indicating the player, but that didn't move when I moved either. This was a terrible map. Who on earth had designed it?
  Will snapped his fingers and turned to us, "I'm fairly sure this is a memory game. We need to remember where we need to go next, or we'll be doomed."
  "Sounds like someone's positive today." Nate rolled his eyes at Will.
  Will slumped, and I looked at Nate. He shouldn't have said that; Will wasn't in the best place right now, and he didn't need that right now. It was in that moment as we all stared at each other that the men then came in to take our burgers, and then ran off into the forest.
  "What... what just happened?" I spluttered, frozen, staring into the thicket they'd just disappeared into.
  Nate shook his head beating his teeth and yelling, "I'm going after them!"
  "I'll come too! Two is better than one." Tricky nodded.
  Me and Will started to follow them, but Nate stopped us and commanded, "Both of you, stay here! Find the button. Leave this to us, we'll be fine."
  "But we can help!" I grinned, lifting a hopeful fist into the air.
  "No, I think you've done enough."
  He looked at us with such coldness. And then he and Tricky ran off after the group, Tricky looking back awkwardly at us. Me and Will were silent. What... what just happened?

***

  The shortest man was lucky to have deep enough pockets to stuff the burgers into. The slowly thickening mist and the many trees hid his path from his persuers, and as he escaped further he found the steps were slowly dying out.
  That was when he found a tree thick enough to hide behind, and he slotted himself in there whilst the others all ran by. Was it selfish to abandon his friends? Yeah, a little. But he was also hungry. And he wanted some easy points too, of course.
  And upon seeing the gravestone opposite him, he saw exactly how. It was so simple. So easy. All he had to do was dig.
  And that was what he did, dragging his nails through the soil, a sneer laced on his face as he realised that they'd be free to eat the burgers all night, or at least he would be. Lucky penny that girl was, indeed.
  Or at least that was what he thought.
  Because as he pulled back the soil one more time, he didn't find a button under there but a bomb.
  Oh no.
  The man leapt up, "AH-"

***

  There was an explosion in the distance.
  "What was that?" Tricky gasped, looking around, her eyes wide and her fur on end.
  "An explosion." Nate mumbled.
  Tricky sighed, "Well, yeah! I know that. I meant... do you think that was Kat and Will?"
  "Don't be ridiculous. They're smarter than that."
  Tricky stared down at the floor, her melancholia seeping into the soil, reaching Nate in a matter of seconds. Why did he always do this? He should be taking his anger out on himself. Not on other people.
  But he was distracted before he could apologize; the middle-sized man had emerged from the trees. This time, he wasn't going to get away.
  As soon as he turned tail, Nate was on him, Tricky following suit, catching up easily. The pair chased and chased him, but it was clear their speeds were all equal.
  "How... huff, are we going to get him?" Tricky panted, tripping over the grass, the mist slowly getting thicker.
  Well, he didn't get taught what he did at school for no reason.
  And so he jumped up to the next tree, kicked off it and proceeded to wrap his legs around the guy's neck, knocking him to the ground. Nate punched the lights out of him with one hit, and then stretched his hand, getting up and turning to Tricky.
  "What... what?" Tricky gasped, shaking her head in confusion.
  "I'll explain later. Just know, for now... that I'm sorry." Nate answered, "And collect the burgers. We'll need those, and I need to stay agile."
  "I- ok. Ok, sure." Tricky spluttered, grinning.