Unicorn Riders - Pinch (English)

Chapter 10: The search

After Jesper had vanished in one of the tents not to come out again, it became quiet inside the camp. Vera was sorry for that. She wouldn't have minded some company. Only Sykes came over to her, not saying anything, but with an evil growl. Vera was afraid she would do what she hat threatened her with before, or worse, stick a knife into her. But none of that happened - Sykes merely checked if the ropes around Vera's hands and feet were still tied tightly. Satisfied she nodded and went back to the campfire without saying one word.

Since time was passing very slowly for Vera and she became very tired, no matter the circumstances, she could at least try to find some sleep. She rolled around, headed for the blanket Jesper had brought her, and accomplished somehow - she didn't even know how afterwards - to cover herself with it. It was getting cold out here, and although the blanket reeked unpleasently of Whitmore, it did help. With her head rested on the backpack Vera closed her eyes.

She couldn't sleep. It was no wonder, though. Beside the rope being wound so tighlty around her wrists that it literally dug into her flesh, and her shoulders starting to hurt due to this unnatural pose, it was the tension that kept her awake. It was like Tammy once told her: It was not excitement like in an amusement park. It was the uncertainty of what would become of her and whether she would make it out of here alive. According to Whitmore's and Sykes' behavior she probably wouldn't. But since Johnson was in charge... She wasn't certain at all.

The next hours, or at least that was what it felt like to her, she had nothing better to do than to go through her options in her mind. Just to come to the conclusion that there were none. Still, while she was lying there, with her eyes closed and her breath going demonstratively calm just to make it believable to the criminals that she was indeed asleep, she noticed that one of them tramped over to her, but returned to the fire after a few seconds. Those heavy steps gave away what Vera could have guessed from the stench alone, that it had been Whitmore. The fire was quietly crackling in some distance, and in a normal situation she would have understood nothing that the scoundrels were talking about. But Vera had a good sense of hearing - while she pretended to be asleep on the outside she focused with all her might on listening in.

"Well?" That was Johnsons calm, modulated voice. It was barely hearable over the crackling of the fire. In clear contrast to that she would have heard Whitmore's bellowing answer even from another mile away: "Like a log."

"I think your nephew has the hots for this monkey." Sykes also was very easy to understand, but rather due to her penetrating and unbearable voice than to her volume. Now Vera was absolutely sure that she hated children.

"That's not gonna be a problem, is it?" Johnson asked with a lurking undertone sending a shiver down Vera's spine.

Whitmore snorted. "He knows what's in for him when he does something stupid" he replied. "Then I'll rip his head off."

"Now what are you going to do with her?" Sykes wanted to know. Judging by her tone she had exact notions about what should happen to Vera.

"That's not your business, Sykes" Johnson responded with pungency in his voice. "And for fuck's sake, stop putting this crap into you before you lose it, or I will have to gun you down!"

"Whitmore's boozing is no better" Sykes grumbled, but way more sheepishly than before. Vera was impressed. Johnson used few words, but he had his two henchpeople fully under control.

That last comment though didn't suit Whitmore at all. "Yes, it is, cause I'm not going completely stupid from it."

Sykes let out a shrieking, derisive laughter. "Oh really?"

"Enough!" Johnsons yell went like the blade of a knife between them. Vera flinched involuntarily. Then she held her breath to hear whether they had noticed it. But the three of them were to busy with themselves. "Sykes, keep your hands of the Clocdrazyn, and Whitmore, I'm not fond of your drinking either. We're not out for a picnic here."