Predator

25

Regarding the Damascus Steel Knife, the Damascus steel knife found its way back into Amelia's hands, resting in the warmth of her post-fearful state, drawing her into a dream that was far from pleasant.

Amelia thought she would stay alert, gripping the knife tightly, and wait until Liam fell asleep to drive the blade into his throat with a fatal blow, as he had instructed. Then she would escape with Mike and find freedom.

However, perhaps she was too exhausted. Eventually, she succumbed to the fatigue of the grueling day, falling into a deep sleep in Liam's arms.

The next morning, when the sunlight pierced through the thick, cloud-like blankets into the East African Rift Valley and golden rays filled the room, Amelia awoke. Her hand anxiously grasped for the knife, and she felt slightly reassured upon touching the handle.

"Awake?" Liam was leaning against the wardrobe, and she had no idea how long he had been watching her sleep.

He was holding a plate of ugali, the main dish of maize flour shaped like a small mountain, surrounded by heaps of crocodile meat, ostrich meat, and turkey meat—

a true carnivore's meal

"Eat," he said.

Amelia, still groggy from sleep, took a moment to realize he was talking to her. Propping herself up on the bed with her hands, her body stiffened slightly. "I don't..."

She wanted to say she wasn't hungry. Who could stomach so much meat first thing in the morning?

Liam was quicker than her, though. He walked over to the bed, seized the knife, and used its tip to pick up a piece of crocodile meat. "Open your mouth."

He intended to feed her.

"Eat up, and I'll take you out."

Her eyes widened instantly. "Out?"

"Yes." His expression darkened slightly. "To Tsavo."

He pushed the firm piece of meat closer to her lips, which glistened with oil from her slight surprise.

Meanwhile, his thoughts were elsewhere—recalling how the high-ranking individual with golden hair slicked back had finished inspecting the factory. He had tugged on Mike's short trunk, examined his tusks, and scrutinized him with piercing blue eyes before curling his lips into a playful smirk. "Going to Tsavo today? Taking that little pet you just acquired?"

Nearby, mercenaries who didn't get along with Liam watched with grins, eager for his reaction.

Unexpectedly, Liam had shown no regard for appearances. "She's timid," he said. "Tsavo isn't a place for her."

The mechanical prosthetic on the intact leg of the superior officer twitched, the joints emitting a faint clicking sound. "Can't take her?"

"If you want to keep her around, set an example for the others."

"This is the black market. Everyone's hands are stained with blood and lives. We can't afford your canary."

"Besides," he raised an eyebrow, a meaningful smile in his eyes, "you can't keep her, can you? What if she flies out of the cage one day, standing on the side of justice she prides herself on, exposing our crimes? What would you do then?"

"I won't let her escape," Liam had said coldly.

"Unfortunately, I'm someone who only trusts my kind."

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The sound of Amelia chewing and swallowing pulled him back from his thoughts. The texture of crocodile meat was somewhere between chicken and pork, not overly greasy. She bit off most of it from Liam's hand in a few bites. She really wanted to get out, not wasting any opportunity, forcing herself to swallow even if she wasn't hungry.

As long as she finished eating, she could leave.

She thought freedom was within reach, but only Liam knew—

One step forward was the abyss, the swamp where she would sink deeper.

Liam withdrew the knife, calmly picking up a piece of ugali and putting it into his mouth, chewing slowly.

"Don't you want to ask what I'm taking you to do?"

"What for?"

"Hunting."

As the maize flour dissolved in his mouth, leaving a bitter aftertaste after the sweetness, he said, "I'll personally teach you how to harvest ivory."