Chapter 12

Thomas

Thomas followed the paths that had made sense to arrive toward the town. It would take another day or two, depending on the geography of the area. The cliffs, mountains, and rough terrain slowed his path, meaning it would also slow them down. He found signs of life, human and animal, giving him the idea, he was on the right path. Finding a deep dried-up ravine to sleep in for a few hours during the heat of the day only to continue through the chilling evening, saving energy from being wasted and keeping from freezing. The brutal desert air and high altitudes drained Thomas, changing his plan to evenings and mornings for hikes and runs to catch up to the pair. He wouldn’t make the town before them, but he would be there shortly after them if he could keep the pace.

Resting only when needed, he found shortcuts through small climbs and runs through the evening air. He found tracks in some sand, human, from a man and woman heading the same direction he was. The plan the hacker had discovered appeared worth the money spent to unearth it. They would have time to control an area, prepare for him, and every hour, the minute they had would make his job harder. He started to search for a swifter way to reach them, cutting down their time to prepare for him.

He waited for dawn to break to start climbing up the mountainside to cut off time. He would make it by the next evening at the latest. They would be underprepared. Even if they started now, it would not be enough, which would mean he would have the upper hand.

Once he reached the top of the cliffside, he could just make out the edge of the town. They were probably already there. He sent a message to his hacker to see if there were detailed maps of this small fake town. If there were basements or underground tunnels, he would use them to approach where they couldn’t see him coming. Thomas had seen enough to know the general plan the military boy would be attempting, using traps and lookout points for sniping. It would generally work. It was solid, but he was one who had worked around those plans for years. Hunting made him think far outside the box the military trained him in.