Supernova

by Mia Rodriguez

Chapter 26: Caught

  Already on his feet, I can see Royce’s consternation at not being able to overpower this guy, but he can’t risk the weapon going off and shooting me. If he had been alone, he probably would’ve risked it. I quickly climb out of the blanket. “What are you doing here?” hisses the menacing soldier. His dark blue eyes squint with irate emotion.

  “We’re hunting,” Royce answers calmly. “We’re allowed to hunt for food according to new regulations.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why are you camping?” he snaps. “Camping isn’t allowed!”

  “Look, all we’re doing is following the food—that’s all.”

  “Show me your permit,” he demands, his weapon still fixed firmly on us.

  Royce pretends to be searching for it but then thumps his head with the palm of his hand as if having a recollection. “The water must’ve taken it,” he tells me.

  “What are you talking about?” the soldier hisses.

  “We were trying to make it across a river on a fallen tree, but I fell in the water. Almost drowned! The current must’ve taken the permit.”

  “I don’t care what happened to you. No permit, then no hunting! I’m taking you in!”

  “I’ve got the permit!” yells a voice above us.

  I turn my face up to find Pilar quickly scrambling down the giant tree near us.

  “What are you doing up there?” snaps the soldier.

  “I saw an eagle earlier, and I went up to get the eggs from its nest.”

  The soldier rolls his eyes. “Can’t you people do anything normal?”

  “You’ve never been hungry, have you?” blurts Pilar.

  “I eat like a civilized person and don’t stuff my mouth with junk.”

  “It’s good that the government feeds you,” Pilar snickers.

  “Are you going to show me your permit or not?”

  “I’ll be happy to,” she states.

  Jumping down from the last branch, she lands firmly on the ground with a large eagle’s egg in her left hand. Her right hand reaches into a pocket in her pants and pulls out a white piece of paper.

  The soldier eyes her with suspicion. “Why did he say he had it?” he asks, referring to Royce.

  “He forgot that I actually had it,” she informs, handing it to him.

  The soldier quickly examines it while pointing his weapon at me.

  “As you can see, it’s good for a few months,” Pilar comments.

  “Still, you shouldn’t be camping,” he retorts.

  “Check the bottom of the permit.”

  Quickly glancing at it, he frowns.

  ”Doesn’t it say, ‘camping permitted’?” she questions, rubbing it in.

  He flings the paper at her. “Just pick up your junk and leave! Hunt somewhere else where I don’t have to see you.”

  “We’d hate to get in the way of any training exercises,” interjects Royce. “Where do we go where we won’t bother anyone?”

  “There are no training exercises,” he growls. “My colonel and I are on a special assignment. Just stay out of our way!”

  Royce, Pilar, and I swiftly pick up our camp with the scowling soldier looking on. As we head out, Pilar turns to him and waves mischievously.

  “Tootles!” she chortles.

  “Get out of here!”

  When we put enough distance between the soldier and us, Royce turns to Pilar and chuckles darkly.

  “Pilar, you infuriated the guy,” he comments.

  “He was a jerk.”

  “Still, it probably wasn’t a good idea to aggravate him,” I express with traces of laughter in my voice.

  “Tell the truth, didn’t you enjoy seeing the vein pop out of his neck?”

  Royce grins with a smirk on his face. “Yep.”

  “Pilar, why did you go up that tree for an eagle’s egg?” I question with acute curiosity.

  “I thought that Royce would like something fresh instead of that stuff we’ve had to eat.”

  My eyebrows shoot up. “For Royce?”

  “Yes,” she says smoothly, her adoring eyes set on him.

  “Thank you,” Royce voices out awkwardly.

  “I’m sure Royce can climb up on a tree all by himself and get his own breakfast,” I blurt sharply.

  “I thought it was a nice gesture,” Pilar coos.

  “I suppose you’re going to cook it for him too,” I demand to know.

  Pilar shakes her head. “I can’t cook,” she states nonchalantly.

  “I can cook my own egg,” interjects Royce, his face extremely uncomfortable and embarrassed.

  “That’s good,” I grumble.

  “A guy who leads, has heart, and cooks too—WOW!”

  “Pilar,” I can’t help the edginess in my voice, “what were you doing on some tree trying to impress Royce with breakfast instead of on guard duty?” Her face completely collapses, and I’m sorry I asked the question.

  “What happened back there was all my fault. If I had been doing what I was supposed to, that soldier wouldn’t have crept up on us. You don’t know how sorry I am.”

  ‘Everybody makes mistakes,” states Royce.

  “I know better than to let my concentration wander even for a second, but I messed up.”

  Royce gently smiles at her. “At least you came to our rescue.”

  “I tried to ascertain the situation first,” she rushes, gulping, “and then I realized it was better to show him my family’s permit. Good thing it occurred to me to bring it.”

  “A very good thing,” Royce agrees, eyeing her fondly.

  Grimacing at the intimacy they seem to be sharing, I follow them in stony silence as we continue our journey. Royce suggests we stop for nourishment when we’re miles away from the soldier. He cracks the giant eagle’s egg open and cooks it in a small pan we had brought with us. Adding shredded dried bear meat to the scrambled egg, he completes the meal.

  “It’s really good,” gushes Pilar with a mouthful.

  “How do you like my cooking, Nova?” he asks, eyeing me with curiosity.

  “Good.”

  “You’re going to make a really awesome husband some day,” comments Pilar.

  A red flush spreads across his face. “Thank you.”

  “You’re quite a guy, Royce. I really mean that.”

  “Let’s get going,” he blurts.

  “Yes, let’s,” I agree dryly.

  After picking up after ourselves, we head out. The hike is calm and unexciting but still, we don’t trust it. With what just happened to us, we listen very carefully for sounds. The soldier’s colonel is skulking somewhere out here, and we need to avoid another clash with the military if possible.

  “Wow, look at that!” exclaims Pilar.

  I turn to the direction she’s eyeing and realize why her excitement is so sharp. Apples! An apple tree is just ahead of us. We rush to it in mouth-watering anticipation to find that the fruit on the ground is rotten.

  “I’ll climb the tree and get us some fresh ones,” Pilar volunteers.

  “Don’t bother,” I state, taking my slingshot out of my pocket and shooting down several red apples.

  “You’re really nifty with that thing,” Pilar announces, smiling.

  We stuff as many apples as we can in our backpacks and continue our journey. Munching on the deliciously sweet fruit, our stomachs don’t feel as empty, and their honeyed fragrance sharpens our exhausted senses.

  “Wow!—this is sweet! Taste this one,” Pilar tells Royce as she hands him her apple.

  After biting into it, an expression of surprise covers his face. “Very sweet.”

  I roll my eyes and try not to gag on my own fruit. To my relief, we continue our hike in silence. I avert my eyes away from Pilar and Royce who are walking right next to each other. Very close. I try to keep from frowning involuntarily.

  “We need to stop here,” states Pilar when we arriv
e at a river—this one significantly calmer than the other one.

  “Why?” asks Royce.

  “I need some sort of a bath.”

  “I could use one too,” I interject.

  We jump into the water—our dirty clothes reaping the benefits too. The cool, refreshing water works its way into my tired muscles. I try to pretend I’m on a picnic instead of on a dangerous mission. As Pilar flagrantly stays close to Royce, I stubbornly keep away from them. They seem to be having much more fun without me. Pilar playfully splashes Royce, and he reciprocates with no hesitation.

  I grit my teeth until we climb out of the river and sit in the sun to dry. I position myself away from them.

  After a few quiet minutes of soaking up the rays, Pilar abruptly stands up. “I need to go,” she blurts. Royce and I stare at her, flabbergasted.

  “Go where?” questions Royce.

  “This is a good place to leave you and Nova while I look around.”

  “Why do you want to look around?” Royce asks.

  “Just a feeling.”

  “A feeling?”

  “Yes, like the one I had at the crazy river when I suggested that all three of us stay together.”

  “Shouldn’t all three of us stay together now?”

  “Trust me—I need to go alone, so I can do my tracking with no distractions.”

  Royce exhales a long breath. “Okay, Pilar. Go do what you have to do.”

  She beams a heavy smile at him. “Thank you for trusting me—you’re the best—really the best.”

  I fidget with irritation on the thick, fallen tree branch I’m sitting on. As Pilar leaves, Royce ambles over to my spot and plops down next to me. I turn away before his deep eyes can reach me.

  “So far so good,” he comments.

  “Yep.”

  “Would you like another apple?”

  “No thank you,” I answer, my eyes still avoiding his.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  “Would you like some water?”

  “I still have some in my canteen.”

  We had been filling our canteens at every drinkable water spot we could find. Of course we used the water purifying tablets.

  “How about a towel?”

  “No thanks.”

  He lets out a frustrated breath. “Don’t you want anything coming from me?”

  “I’m fine, Royce. I don’t need anything.”

  “Why are you giving me the silent treatment?”

  “I’m not.”

  “You are,” he insists.

  “I’ve been answering all of your questions.”

  “You’re barely answering them.”

  “I’ve got stuff on my mind.”

  He looks at me suspiciously. “Like what?”

  “Stuff.”

  “What stuff?”

  “My stuff,” I state.

  He eyes me carefully. “Your attitude wouldn’t happen to be about Pilar, would it?”

  “No.”

  “No?”

  “No.”

  “Are you sure you’re not jealous?”

  “Jealous?” I utter indignantly. “Of course not. Why should I be jealous?”

  “You tell me.”

  “I know she’s a great tracker and a great person, but I try not to be jealous of anybody.”

  His eyes sweep over me. “I wasn’t referring to her qualities. Maybe you’re jealous for another reason.”

  “What other reason could there be?”

  He exhales deeply and continues to stare at me.

  “What are you doing here?!” snaps a voice, and I look up to a barrel of a rifle staring at me.

  Not again, I say to myself.