Man Hunt

Chapter Four - The Red Team

‘’Fancy,’’ I say, glancing around the domed metal room.

As Aaron and I examine the room, Robbie heads outside to keep an eye out – patrolling the perimeter around the domed LIS.

The room is completely metallic; the floors and the dome, the steps and the centrepiece of the room – two slender stands just above waist height with a screen and keypad on it. The screen contains six blank boxes, presumably for the letters that we will punch in on the keypad once we have obtained them. Both of the stands are replicas of each other, apart from a small coloured ring around the base of the stand – one red, the other blue.

‘’Seems straight forward enough,’’ exclaims Aaron, examining the screen and keyboard fixed at the top of the stand for the blue team.

I nod my head. He’s right. In the age of technology that we are living in today, young people like us understand most machines like this. It won’t be difficult to use, however finding the other team and somehow getting their letters will be.

 ‘’What now?’’ I ask, ‘’do we head back?’’

‘’We could stay here for a while, it’s nice to get some peace, some alone time,’’ he suggests and I smile at him.

Does he want to spend time with me? Does he like me? Surely not, he’s too perfect, and I’m just Alice...

‘’Yeah, I’m not overly eager to get back to Eve.’’

He chuckles, a short yet beautiful sound.

‘’Tell me a bit about yourself Alice, do you have any hobbies?’’ he asks after a few moments of just us staring at each other – as though in a trance.

‘’I dunno really, I like swimming a lot and I did lifeguard courses so I’m trained at that. I played some lacrosse with my school too, but I gave that up for exam year,’’ I explain, his face looks intrigued.

‘’You’re a lifeguard?’’ he asks, ‘’that’s so cool. So if I was drowning you’d be able to save me?’’

I can’t help but laugh at his question; I’ve heard it hundreds of times in my life.

‘’What?’’ he questions in confusion.

‘’You’d be surprised how many people ask me that, it’s quite funny. No, I’m a fully trained lifeguard that doesn’t know how to save people,’’ I explain, saying the last bit in a joking voice and he chuckles again – how I love that sound!

‘’I guess it was a stupid question,’’ he smirks, ‘’what I meant was would you save me.’’

‘’Of course I would!’’ I laugh, ‘’you’re my friend, I wouldn’t just let you die!’’

‘’How do you do it? Is it hard?’’ he asks.

‘’Here look, I’ll show you. Bend over and look at the ground with your hands stretched out facing me, to pretend you’re floating on the surface of the water,’’ I instruct and he does it.

I approach him and stretch my arm out, grabbing his right wrist in my right hand. I then twist it around and pull him towards me, so my chest is pressed against his back and we are both facing the same way. I then use my left hand to reach over his shoulder – which is quite difficult considering his height – and place it across his chest.

‘’It’s just like this, and then you tow them to shore,’’ I explain, as I’m talking he places his hand on my arm and I instantly feel goose bumps running across my skin. ‘’It’s easier than you’d think.’’