Predator

27

"Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm S."

This letter had been on the blacklist of anti-poaching organizations in Kenya for years. As the number one enemy, His information was a blank slate waiting to be filled, with only a list of heinous crimes marked by a line of tragic numbers.

Amelia's face turned pale, and the accumulated frustration echoed in her chest.

S's eyes glinted with amusement. "What's wrong? Do you know me?"

"No," the girl swallowed hard.

"She chooses the spear," Liam said, already fastening his seatbelt in the passenger seat. He called to Amelia to get in the car. "I've made the decision for her."

It turned out the spear might not have been the best choice. What Amelia got was an early 20th-century African blade spear, the head of which was like a short sword—wide, sturdy, and powerful for stabbing.

"When facing an elephant, you can't just stab with a spear," S said with a cruel grin on his pale, handsome face. "You have to throw it with force. If you get the knack, the spear can penetrate ten centimeters into the elephant's brain."

The girl sat silently, picking at the seat cushion. Occasionally, when she looked up, her gaze met Liam's in the rearview mirror.

"Even in hunting, you don't always encounter elephants, right?" Amelia said hopefully.

"Usually not," the off-road vehicle gradually drove into the heart of Tsavo, surrounded by red-bricked soil and vast savannas, with acacia trees as the only green patches under the sun's golden hue.

Amelia sighed in relief, but the next second, S laughed. "But with Liam here, he can always find a herd of elephants."

"Really?"

The man in the mirror turned his head slightly.

"Yes."

The brief reply felt like it was whispered directly into Amelia's ear, becoming clearer with each passing moment.

Before she could react, the mercenary driving seemed to see something and hit the brakes. The vehicle screeched to a halt just ten centimeters away from a tall, straight-stemmed grass with small warty hairs near its base.

Ten strong mercenaries jumped out of the following vehicles, looking at S, who looked at Liam.

"What now?"

"Wait."

The off-road vehicles kicked up dust on the vast wilderness. The experienced mercenaries parked at the edge of the forest and bushes, their large bodies crouching low in the underbrush.

They were seasoned hunters, their breathing so light it was almost undetectable—except for Amelia. The bush she hid in trembled slightly, occasionally revealing her rapid breathing.

Liam crouched beside her, pressing a hand against her back. "Are you scared?"

Amelia's fingers, gripping the spear, were white with tension. She didn't look at Liam, her eyes wide and staring straight ahead, her voice trembling. "It's coming..."

The red-brown back of the elephant undulated like a small hill. To ward off mosquitoes, it had smeared mud all over its body. Its large ears flapped leisurely. It was only a few steps away from stepping into the human trap.

One step.

The girl couldn't hold back any longer. She suddenly jumped out of the planned hiding spot and shouted—

Her mind surged like a tide: Run! Run!