Without A Choice

Chapter 2

About a block away from her home, talia noticed a strange looking car. Still nothing seemed suspicious. Nothing really happened where she was, not in the posher area of Sydney. A window rolled down and she heard a polite throat clear. She looked to her side and saw a handsome young man give her an award winning smile.

'Excuse me miss, I'm lost. Can you please help me'.

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Talia hiked for a week longer, slipping and sliding her way through the treacherous snowy mountains. While she trudged along she thought of her family and friends. She missed them dearly. As she stumbled along her eyes watered causing her multiple trips. Soon enough she couldn't take it any longer, the isolation and constant feel of being hunted.

She was growing week after finishing her food supplies and started growing delusional. She'd see whole towns and all it would be was a frozen lake. On a couple of occasions she would think she saw a person but really would run into a tree.

She started giving up hope. She knew they'd find her and capture her. She couldn't imagine the torture that would be inflicted on her for murdering the second in charge. Surely they would have found the body. What had he said, when was that meeting. Three, no two days ago. They would have noticed his non arrival and according to her calculations they'd have gotten here yesterday. She had a weeks head start under her belt. But that's nothing on German shepards an helicopters. Both of which they would surely have. She slipped a final time and found her sore leg wouldn't work. The last thing she remembered was the snow flakes flittering through the tree tops delicately before she passed out.

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Two hours had passed before she blinked her way into consciousness. She slowly awoke leaning against a tree. Although hadn't she collapsed to the ground? No she must be remembering wrong. If so then why could she smell smoke. She couldn't see anything but judging from the direction of the wind and strong smell of smoke there was a fire not too far behind her.

After three attempts of trying to stand she managed to lean her body weight against the tree and off her leg. Slowly she turned so that she was hugging the tree. She tried to reach up and snap down the stick to support her but it was just out of range. The tree was to wide for her to peer around so she again reached up for a branch to lean on.

During this strenuous exercise she hear the small 'click' of a riffle being cocked.

"Put your hands up and turn slowly" came a deep voice.

Doing as she was told talia turned distributing her weight onto her good leg. As she turned the man before her came slowly into view. And so did the riffle only centimeters from her face.