"so … are you going to say it now? Who was the bastard that hired you to kill Taylor and me?" the Viper demanded, her eyes narrowing.
"It… it was the Red Sovereign's son, Talon's son Ryan. He was the one," the man stammered.
"Oh, I didn't think that guy had the balls to do it… never expected it," the Viper said, a cruel smirk curling her lips.
"Thank you for telling the truth. Men, take him," the Viper commanded as her soldiers stepped in and dragged the man away.
She stood for a moment, letting a dark, calculating smile spread across her face. "I should respond in respect to you, Ryan," she whispered, almost to herself.
Meanwhile, in a derelict building on the outskirts of the sector, RV emerged as the rain ceased, his clothes plastered to his skin, chest heaving from exhaustion. He had been running for hours, hunted relentlessly by a Nightmare that had nearly torn him apart twice during the night. Every shadow felt alive; every tree branch and puddle was a potential trap. The rations Sunny had given him were gone, lost in the chaos, and his stomach growled like a wild beast demanding food. His throat felt parched, as though sand had coated it.
RV paused behind a broken wall, trying to calm himself. "Gasp… gasp…"
Then he heard it a low, wet rustling, faint at first, then growing louder. He froze, heart hammering, every nerve screaming that it was back. He could almost see its shadow slinking between the twisted roots and debris.
From the darkness, the Nightmare leapt, teeth bared, claws slicing through the puddles, water spraying like liquid silver. RV scrambled backward, tripping over a root and landing hard in the mud. Cold water soaked him, but there was no time to lament. The beast was faster than anything he had ever seen, its movements smooth and silent, like it had been stalking him for hours, anticipating his every move.
He darted toward a nearby stream, branches whipping his face, roots trying to snag him, pain shooting through his arms and legs. The Nightmare lunged again, its teeth nearly raking his back. He rolled, barely dodging, and grabbed a jagged branch lying across the path.
"Come on, RV… keep moving!" he muttered through gritted teeth, forcing his legs to obey.
The Nightmare leapt, jaws snapping shut mere inches from his face. RV shoved the branch into its mouth, feeling the teeth bite down on wood. He shoved with all his might, rolling to the side, and spotted a dagger half-buried in mud one Sunny had likely dropped during a prior skirmish.
He scrambled, heart hammering, and drove the dagger into the Nightmare's chest. It screeched, a chilling sound that made RV's teeth chatter, and collapsed, writhing violently before stilling. RV gasped, chest heaving, unsure if relief or fear should come first.
The rustling continued. He jumped behind a tree, eyes wide, muscles tensed, every sense alert. The forest was far from empty. Shadows moved, and the slightest sound made him flinch.
Then she appeared a girl moving with quiet precision, scanning the area as if she were hunting. Short, dark blue hair framed her face, and her attire bore the unmistakable Viper insignia. A dagger glinted at her side, and her gaze swept the forest with predator-like focus.
RV froze, praying she hadn't seen him. One false move could be fatal. He crouched behind the tree, holding his breath, heart hammering.
"You have a nice hobby, spying on people like a child, don't you?" she said suddenly, stepping closer, pressing the dagger against his neck.
"Please… I don't mean any harm! I'm sorry!" RV begged, voice trembling. He had just survived the deadliest creature in the Deadlands, only to find himself at the mercy of another unknown threat.
He glanced toward the stream, toward the path that had almost been his salvation, but there was no time. The girl's stance was firm, her eyes sharp, and she moved with the silent confidence of someone trained to kill.
RV swallowed hard, trying to steady his shaking hands. "I… I just… I'm trying to survive…" he said, voice low.
The girl didn't respond immediately, scanning the surrounding forest for danger. RV realized he couldn't escape unless she allowed it. The tension between them was thick, heavy enough to make the air itself seem sharp.
Back at the Viper's sector, Sunny and the Viper's earlier confrontation simmered in the background as shadows lengthened across the Deadlands. Even as RV struggled for his life in the wilderness, unseen eyes were watching, and the web of danger around the Deadlands grew ever tighter.
End of Chapter