The Novice Prey & the Daring Prey Read Online Free PDF Page B

campsite and hide everything she was leaving behind under some leaf litter and pine needles she gathered up. She stepped back to have a look at her handiwork. If anyone took a good, close look they’d notice that something seemed to be under the stuff, but short of burying it she didn’t think she could do a better job. She checked to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything she intended to bring along on this excursion and set off, heading south. She didn’t have any particular reason for picking that direction. It was just that, since she didn’t know much about the area, one way seemed as good as any other. Anyway, the main road had to be off to the south somewhere, and she wanted to find out how far away it was if she could.
    She didn’t find it, but as the morning wore on she noticed she was in an area where the trees grew thicker and she kept wandering off from her southward direction. She still didn’t see or hear anyone else, so after pausing to rest, munch on a trail bar, and do some thinking, she headed back the way she’d come. If she kept a little to the right, she should come to one or the other of her two caches, and she wanted to see if anyone else had found them.
    When she came to a wide, grassy area she stopped. She didn’t remember seeing anything like it yesterday. Had she managed to get herself lost? She had a brief moment of panic before she told herself that the little stream had to be somewhere to the north of her, so if she just kept going that way she’d have to come across it sooner or later and then she’d know that she wasn’t lost any more. It sounded easy enough.
    She was about to start across the grassy spot when she realized that she would be completely out in the open if she did, so instead she began to pick her way along the edge of it, keeping just inside the trees. This was actually kind of fun, she thought, and then wondered why she would think that. This was a brutal competition, one that she simply had to win. Well, maybe it could be fun at the same time. She picked her way around the clearing and was almost ready to head northwards again when she heard a noise behind her. She crouched down and whirled to see what had caused it.
    The last thing she’d expected to see was Lynette dashing towards her across the clearing, but there she was, legs flashing, long hair flying. It didn’t seem like Lynette had seen her because she kept taking quick glances back over her shoulder, as if she was being chased by something…or someone. Oh, shit! Why couldn’t she have run in some other direction? Alexa hunkered down behind a tree. It was too small for her to hide behind, but it did offer some concealment. She tried to look past Lynette to see if she could spot whatever she was running from. There weren’t supposed to be any bears or wolves in these woods, but you could never be sure.
    She was so intent on looking that she didn’t realize that Lynette was still coming straight for her, apparently totally unaware that Alexa was there. Then Lynette crashed through the sparse shrubbery that ringed the clearing. Alexa tried to pull back, but it was too late. Lynette tripped over her and both of them went down. Lynette bounced back to her feet instantly. From the look on her face she was ready to fight. Alexa struggled to get up herself. One of Lynette’s knees had hit her in the head, and she was feeling dizzy and even a little nauseous.
    “What the hell did you get in my way for?” Lynette hissed in a rasping whisper. She crouched down next to Alexa and looked out across the clearing. “Someone’s after me, you stupid bitch.”
    “Sorry,” Alexa mumbled, though she didn’t really feel sorry since their collision was Lynette’s fault for not looking where she was going. It felt just a little too difficult for her to express herself that clearly at the moment. And it was probably more important for her to get up and get the hell away from here anyway, but doing that seemed to be