Arachne's Sin

Chapter 6: She's not a Pacifist, is She?

CORPORAL Klinga rubbed his sleeve on his forehead for the tenth time in as many minutes. Pine needles softened their steps, but the ground still thudded beneath his squad's footsteps. "O'Reilly, are you sure we're in the right spot?"

"We're within a klick. I'm pretty sure."

"How many are you getting now?"

"Were up to two, and I think that'll be all."

"Five to two. Good odds for us."

"Hey," said another person, "what if they're trained?"

"Unlikely," said the Corporal. "Only a couple were trained, and they went South. We think. Okay. Everyone, stop."

A laughing young couple appeared on the trail ahead of them. The group moved to the side to let them pass.

The young man said, "Do you know where Secret Cove is?"

Klinga shrugged. "I'm not from around here, so I don't know."

"Ah well. Thanks anyway."

"Have a good day."

"You too."

The group trudged up the hill where the couple had come from. The incline seemed endless.

"Check out that Stellar Jay," said O'Reilly. Everyone stopped and looked at his hand. It pointed up into the trees, then down, then up again. "Dang. It looks like it flew away."

Klinga's heart started pounding.

They all stood and listened.

"What do you think, Haulihan?" said Klinga.

She replied, "Hungry."

Everyone's stress was palpable.

"When should we eat?"

"Dinner at three and breakfast at eight," she said.

The group inched away from one another. Klinga checked his earpiece. There was a beep followed by static. He signaled to the others to do the same.

"Where did you want to go?" said O'Reilly.

"For dinner, I was thinking the Chatterbox. For breakfast, Pegg's."

"What do you all think?"

Everyone nodded.

The Corporal counted down with his fingers, then said, "Good."

He and Haulihan jumped off the trail to the right. O'Reilly and the remaining two rushed left up the hill.

Klinga flew several feet through the trees. He landed with his stun gun in hand. He heard his partner land on a branch above. He caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He glanced right but only saw a boulder. Three taps sounded from his earpiece. Haulihan had seen nothing from her perch.

A distant scream and yelling made him turn around. A flash of light and sudden pain in his head made him drop his gun and fall to the ground. Something was on him. He felt it pulled off. He managed to sit up to see Haulihan struggling with a person shaped rock. Dizzyness faded, and he got up to see his partner strike her opponent in the chest. It flew back and smacked into the tree.

Corporal Klinga raised his stun gun toward it. Searing pain came out of nowhere. He couldn't breath. He looked at Houlihan and saw her on the ground with an arrow through the neck. His hand was too weak to hold his gun, but he was still standing. The world was quiet. He could hear the sound of distant waves. He heard a twig crack behind him, but he couldn't turn around.

A woman's voice. "I'm sorry."