Hunted

by Mr. David R. Dorrycott

Jacob Whelman eased around the cliff-face carefully, listening for another of his enemies. For enemies they were now. He carefully molded himself into a crevice, waiting for the first moon to rise slowly in the West. ‘Fun, adventure, treasure’ the advertisement had offered. ‘Face yourself against others like you from all the intelligent species. Winner take all.’ The entry fee had been four thousand rebars. A large price for a man of his position, perhaps a months pay. But there would be a thousand opponents to face, and a thousand times a thousand was a million. And that was twenty years income for him. At thirty-one years of age he would be able to buy a farm and retire. To get out of his daily grind twelve hour a day clerks job. And travel expenses were included!

A smart man would have realized that something funny was involved. Who would possible pay a contestants travel expenses to another solar system? Especially when the travel expenses were three times the entry fee? But Jacob wasn’t someone that would be considered streetwise. A dreamer yes. A man of fantasy, yes. But streetwise? Only in where the nearest Grinburger stand could be found. So he had signed up, taken his yearly vacation from the conglomerate he worked for, and soon found himself aboard a rather grungy little private freighter as its only passenger.

That had been nine days ago. Nine days and eleven, no thirteen kills ago. Not bang bang your dead kills. No nothing as simple as that. It had been knife in the belly for his first opponent, a prettily little fairy from Narvon who had looked into his eyes with horror as her heart slowed to a stop. They had all discovered the truth upon arrival, and though most had tried to back out the rather savage killing of a Yagnow had quieted everyone. As the heavy reptiles body cooked over a slow fire their host had walked out to face them.

“What did you lot expect” the heavyset human bellowed. “Big Brother Three Fifty-seven? Winner take all. At sundown you will be issued a single knife. Each day you survive you will wake, wherever you happen to be hiding, to discover a newer, better weapon. Accept it or not, your choice. Only one rule, two warnings. Rule is, when the moons are up no one may attack anyone else. That gives you six hours of sleep a night. Warnings. Every weapon has a problem, and only when there is only one of you left living will the prize be granted. One million rebars, a trip home and your memories of this entire adventure edited in your minds. Live or die, that’s your choice. So until I speak with the winner, bye bye.”

Nine days ago, thirteen lives on his soul. He’d discovered the knifes weakness when he’d pulled it from the fairies sweet body. It had melted inside her. So he’d taken hers, killed two more that day as he hunted escape. Every night he’d prayed to his victims for forgiveness. Just an hour ago he’d killed his biggest opponent. A jackalope who’d stood up against a cloud. Two arrows into the creatures body mass had ended that threat.

He liked the crossbows, had rejected any further weapons choices. They were short ranged, but accurate and reusable. Plus they were damned quiet. A glitter of moonlight filtered through the clouds, and as if to insure some contestant didn’t push the edge, a morning howl came from the fortified building several miles away. Peace. Jacob relaxed for the first time since wakening, since that last morning howl had shaken him from his nightmares. How many were still alive? Was that redheaded Queenland woman still alive? If so, he’d have to have some fun with her before she died. He no longer thought of the others as fellow contestants, but as targets to do with as he wished.

Settling down in his crevice he slept. Slept, recharged his energies and tried to forget the look in the priests face as he’d bled out under Jacobs gaze. “I killed no one” the priest had gasped as his last lifeblood escaped him. By then all Jacob had been able to reply was “Idiot.” That kill had granted him a meal the Priest had been carrying, and cloth to cover him from the burning sun.

Waking to that morning howl Jacob found two grenades sitting beside him, and packs of food and water. He had maybe fifteen minutes before his enemies started hunting. Some it took that long to wake up, others used it for personal needs. Jacob simply relieved himself and ate, moving further up the cliff-face hunting for a better position. So far as he could tell there wasn’t an enemy within miles.

Eventually turning a corner he found himself in a small glade, and in that glade was the day old body of the redhead. At least he thought it was, since her face was missing. “Damn, wanted her” he whispered. Well, win this had he could probably have her sister. All Queenland women were for sale after all, though their traditionally low intelligence didn’t make them very desirable as mates. Following the trail of her killer he was soon surprised to find a Gleeb sitting against a stone, his bloody stomach distended. How the girl had died was obvious, there was still blood around his lips and on his clothing.

“Finish” the Gleeb begged. “Girl. She use spear. I walk up spear. I show. I still kill her. But she do this me.” He pointed at his distended stomach, wincing from his movement.

“You’re her kill” Jacob answered. “Not my place to take her kill. You’ll serve her in the afterlife. Still” He kicked one of the grenade to within the Gleeb’s reach. “Suicide is painless.”

“Yes. Is” the Gleeb agreed. “May your death be so.”

Jacob just grunted, moving past, as far from the Gleeb as he could manage. A few minutes later a heavy -whomp- came from behind him. Scratch one Gleeb he thought as he moved on. Day ten, four more left of his vacation and it was a two day trip home. By tramp freighter. But when he won who’d need that job anyway. Moving forward he reached the point he wanted, an overlook of the valley, with a sign near it warning not to pass beyond. Good, now he could get an idea what was going on.

What he discovered was worse than useless. Oh, there were bodies in evidence. Their positions shown by the scavenger birds that flew around them. Idly he wondered how much of a meal the little fairy had provided. Dressed she couldn’t have been more than thirty pounds, counting her delicate wings. Still, sitting on the cliffs edge he studied the ground below him. There was one area no birds were flying around. Possibly a group who were working together for the moment. Otherwise he’d just wasted two days getting up here just to find two dead bodies. Oh well, at least it had kept him out of the massacre down below. There were three lifeform’s he was pretty certain he couldn’t take. There had been four, but the Gleeb had taken care of himself. Those things were darn hard to kill fast he’d been told years ago. Standing up he headed down again. Something inside him wanted to kill again, and up here there were no victims.

Three days later He was sitting near a cave, searching the body of a lynx who he’d caught napping. That left two lifeforms he was going to have trouble with. Now with seventeen kills he wondered just how many contestants were left. Twenty? Sixty? Say half each day, that would be a thousand to five hundred.. He ran the numbers through his head. Should be.. And he laughed. “Point two five. Have to be close to the last now.”

A sound behind him caused him to spin around. It had come from the cave nearby. His last enemy he wondered. Moving carefully he waited until the sun set, then eased into the cave. It was shorter than he’d thought. Twenty feet, a turn, then ten feet to the end. Just then the morning howl came. This was no place to wait out the night. Not with only one way in. Turning around his heart stopped. At the entrance was a Jarg. A nasty ugly creature who’s race barely had steam power.

“Sooz human. Tiz you. I. I watz call. Den ah killzzz yuo.” Blatantly the Jarg settled down across the caves mouth. It would be impossible to get past it, and semi-armored the thing probably wouldn’t be worried much by Jacob’s crossbow. He searched himself. He had no other weapons. With a sinking heart he sat to wait the call to arms. So close. So damn close.