INSIDE MONSTER. THE FUGITIVE.

CHAPTER 25: THE PATH TOWARD NOWHERE

„What starts badly, ends badly," thought SolHi. „As it has happened tonight, a bad night that doesn't end."

Such thoughts crossed SolHi's mind when she and Ha Rin advanced on that narrow path between the mountain's wall, which was to their left, and that bottomless chasm that was to their right. A chasm that would have definitely been their escape from their stalkers too if those had decided to catch up with them no matter what. If this had happened, SolHi intended to use the surprise element. Which one? To turn the light on in front of them and do it suddenly. Thus, the moment they would have protected their eyes with their arm not to go blind, they would have taken advantage of that and pushed them into the chasm.

„Something I hope won't ever happen," she whispered at one point. Then, the moment she stepped on a sharp stone, whose edges she felt deep in her soles although she wore shoes with thick soles, SolHi gasped. However, this didn't help her with the stone or wet soil, which was also a dangerous trap. It was a dangerous trap after the long rain that had been falling all day, which stopped only at dusk, not long before SolHi decided to give that phone call.

„A phone call that has been our sentence, it seems to me," SolHi heard Ha Rin's whisper into her right ear. Then, she felt Ha Rin grabbing her arm to support her and not allow her to be the first victim who fell into that bottomless chasm.

„I don't think so," said SolHi, swallowing hard. „I mean... I don't think that all this happened because of the call," she added, straightening her back.

„I think the same," murmured Ha Rin, releasing her arm when she ensured that SolHi was already safe. „It was planned that way: for both of us to be sent to the other world today. Yet..."

„...If I hadn't given that phone call, we would have had more time to prepare and wouldn't have left our hideout in a hurry."

„It is not only that, SolHi. I think they rushed things because of the call. Just think about that: they found out already that you are fine and somewhere around, and this means..."

„...that very soon this place would be surrounded by police officers and dogs, looking for a single prey: us."

„That's right. And, for this not to happen, I mean for the police not to catch us before them, Scar sent his dogs here. Three dogs that are probably in our former hideout. I also think they realized already that we escaped and would try to catch up with us."

„Something that seems to me SF, Ha Rin. Why? Jackal probably knows this place. You told me about this. Thus, it won't be difficult for him to understand where we are heading."

„That's why I say to rush. And... is there still a long way toward the new hideout you say you saw a few days ago?"

„About three hundred meters, I think. As far as I remember, all the way there was about 650 meters. We crossed half already. To cross the rest faster, we need light."

„I know. Yet, if we turn the light on, it'll be even more dangerous for us. I say to keep up the rhythm. Going faster, it'll also be a possibility."

„Only if you want to lose your head in the chasm over there," said SolHi, forcing a smile. After that, she turned her back to Ha Rin and moved away.

Ha Rin didn't follow her right away. She looked back first, worriedly listening to the voices heard from their former hideout. It wasn't clearly heard what the three men were talking about. Even so, she was sure that they were probably wondering where they headed. „A mistake, in fact. By asking such questions loudly, they only hint to us what they are planning. Something strange though."

What exactly?" SolHi asked her.

By asking this, SolHi made Ha Rin wince because she didn't expect that SolHi would return next to her or that she wouldn't go. Even so, Ha Rin didn't scold her colleague but said, „It's strange that we can hear their voices when it should have been damn quiet there right now."