The Doomsday Strand

Chapter Five

"You didn't tell anyone else you were coming, did you?"

"Of course not." Jack answered.

"Shit!" The bearded man sounded very serious now. "They're on to me."

"Who is?"

"The government, that's who! Why do you think I was so secretive about our meetings? They've been watching me for a while now. They're going to kill me if they catch me..."

"You're being paranoid."

"Trust me, when you spend a lifetime going after UFOs, you start to notice certain people in large crowds looking at you funny. It's THEM. THEY have eyes everywhere. If you know too much or say too much, THEY send one of their hit men after you."

"That's crazy."

"Abraham Lincoln, John F Kennedy. Those names ring a bell? All of them knew too much."

Jack rolled his eyes.

"Come on..."

"Jack, you've been abducted by aliens for fuck's sake. Is it so hard to believe that there's a secret government agency who's job it is to kill any and all witnesses of alien activity?. I'm sorry, but I have to go. Good luck with your girlfriend."

The bearded man broke off into a run heading deeper into the forest.

"Hey wait, come back!" Jack called after him.

Hunter, who was still hiding in the bushes, wasted no time. He chased after the bearded man, forcing his legs to work even under the lack of substance. He was feeling light, but he was determined to see the job through. He charged forward like an an angry bull, crashing through anything in his way. He swept foliage away violently, making a lot of noise in the process.

The bearded man, who had been jogging more than running, looked over his shoulder to see who was making all the noise. He spotted Hunter, noticing the revolver in his hand, and screamed in panic. He started sprinting, flailing his arms around wildly and tying to cause as much noise as possible.

"Somebody help me! Please God, I don't want to wanna die!"

Hunter picked up the pace. His grip on the revolver tightened. He wasn't going to fire unless he was sure he would be able to hit his target, and for that, he had to get closer. He ran even faster, ignoring the sensation of dizziness that was creeping over him. He wasn't going to allow anything to stop him.

"Come on, you can do this!" Hunter told himself between desperate breathes. He lowered his head, swung his arms in the rhythm of his legs, and sprinted the final few feet between him and the man. He crashed into the bearded man, knocking him over. The bearded man grunted as he struck the ground, but his adrenaline was so high he didn't let the pain sink in. He got on his hands and knees, but before he could stand, Hunter was on him again.

Hunter struck the back of the man's head with the butt of his gun. The man fell flat as a pancake on the ground, his arms and legs stretched out and powerless to stop what would happen next.

Hunter grabbed the man by the hair, lifted his head from the ground, and stuck the barrel of his gun into the back of the man's throat. The man flopped like a fish trying to free himself, but there was no way he could escape. The gun went off with a loud bang. Luckily for Hunter, the chances of anyone at the party having heard it were practically zero because of the loud music.

Hunter wiped the blood off his face and fished around the dead man's pockets. He removed the man's wallet and took the cash inside. This would make it seem like it was all a robbery, and not some stone cold assassination. Hunter knew how important it was to cover his tracks. There wouldn't be any in point in his tasks if he didn't.