Female Prey & the Elusive Prey Read Online Free PDF Page B

forward to meeting this one.”
    “Oh, man, same here.” He yawned. “Over and out.”
    He pocketed the radio and heaved another sigh. He was getting a little old for this stuff, but it did have its own unique payoffs. He just hoped he’d be able to enjoy them. Before he went to sleep, he set his watch. It had a useful little alarm buzzer feature. It made no noise, but felt like a big bug rattling against his wrist, and it never failed to wake him right up. Sunrise would be around 6:30. At 5:30, he’d have enough light to see by, and the chase would begin again. Yeah, this one was memorable.

Chapter Three
    Day 5
    Kimberley awoke with a start. For a moment she wasn’t sure where she was or why she was there, and then it all came back to her and she groaned weakly. It was daylight now. Time to start moving. She felt very tired as she gathered up her dried clothes, picking out some to wear and packing the others away. She’d overslept, something she did rarely when camping, and there was no time for breakfast. She’d have to munch on something as she hiked. She donned the backpack, heaved a sigh. At least it seemed to have warmed up since yesterday. She looked around once to get her bearings, and began walking downhill, towards that lake.
    He thought she was going to spot him for a moment as she looked around, and kept very still in the cover of some underbrush. She’d looked a bit worn as she broke camp, but very cute as she puttered around in nothing but her boots. He wondered why her clothes had been hanging from the trees. Obviously they’d been wet, but had she been washing them or had she taken a spill into the creek? Well, it didn’t really matter. He’d found her at last, and she was definitely headed back downhill. She was moving a bit slowly too. It was a relief to know she wasn’t some sort of supergirl after all. He let her get a bit of a lead on him before breaking out the radio. They’d all be together before sundown.
    She’d gotten a late start, but as much as she wanted to make up time, it just wasn’t possible. She’d pushed herself hard these past two days, and her body complained about it. Well, at least she was going downhill. The noise of water flowing down the ravine to her right was noticeably fainter than yesterday, but still enough to serve as a guide so long as the wind didn’t pick up. She walked along, trying to find a pace that didn’t tire her out. As she went, she kept looking at her watch. Her first rest halt couldn’t come too soon today.
    He followed carefully. From her tracks, he could tell she wasn’t moving anywhere nearly as fast as she had been. While that was a relief to his very tired legs, he had to be careful not to overtake her. She shouldn’t see him before the trap was set and she was in it. If she did, there was no telling which way she’d go, and he just didn’t want to chase her for another few days…or even a few more hours than was necessary. She seemed to be keeping near the ravine, which would make Kurt’s and Lloyd’s jobs easier. There was a nice cleared area near the trail down there, and she’d probably move right through it. Kurt and Lloyd could be waiting in ambush in the surrounding woods. If she turned to run, he’d be right there to stop her. He broke out the radio to pass on his information.
    She was tempted to stretch out the rest halt…very tempted. What was that old joke about temptation? What good was it if you didn’t give into it once in a while? She got to her feet with a small groan. Maybe the exercise would loosen up her muscles, and it would be easier next time. She sighed once, and began to pick her way downhill. To give herself a little encouragement, she pictured herself taking a nice long swim in the lake once she got there.
    The day seemed to drag on forever, and not just because he was tired. Elf-girl was moving pretty slowly too. He’d first thought that they’d reach the clearing sometime around three. Now it looked