Gambit by C.L. Denault

Author:C.L. Denault
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: xmen, powers, dystopian, prodigy, hunger games
Publisher: REUTS Publications

HEAT

We left at dawn with a fiery message behind us. I held tight to Kane’s waist and didn’t look back at the pillar of smoke billowing into the sky. Staring ahead made it easier to brush aside thoughts of burning bodies piled up like garbage in the middle of the scrub.

Reece set a faster pace with fewer breaks, making it difficult to carry on casual conversation. The edge of the woods was closer than I’d thought, and the sun hadn’t risen far when we reached the stream he’d mentioned. We stopped to allow the horses a drink while we replenished our water supply. Hart surprised me by dunking his open canteen directly into the stream.

“Wait, you can’t drink that straight,” I cried, alarmed. “We have to boil it first. The water’s not safe.”

“It is with these filters.” Hart held out the blue-ringed lid and showed me the mechanism inside. “Just fill the canteen, cap it, shake it around a little, and the water’s fine.”

“Oh.” More technology. “But what about the horses?”

“They have genetically-enhanced immune systems. Don’t worry, they can handle it.” He turned to Reece. “So, where are we headed, Commander?”

Reece had raised his canteen and was emptying water onto his face. Drops clung to his dark stubble and dampened his hair. “The Core has directed us to take a well-established route through the woods,” he said, wiping his face with his hand.

“Then I imagine that’s not the route you’re going to take.”

“You’re right.” Reece knelt beside the stream and refilled his canteen. “Until I know for certain where the rebels are getting their information, I feel more comfortable going our own way.”

“You think there’s a leak somewhere?”

Reece shrugged. “It’s possible. Or they’re hacking security. Either way, I’ll track them down when we return. Until then, keep your eyes sharp.”

“Will do.”

I much preferred the woods to the open scrub. The light was less harsh, the scenery more interesting. Seldom did I get the opportunity to view so many trees at once. They were under the protection of the Core, and I’d heard that the patrols would arrest anyone cutting them down without permission. Greer had told our class that trees were valuable, providing oxygen to a world where much of the forested habitat had been decimated by war.

Hart passed the time by pointing out different species of wildlife he spied with his keen eyesight. We saw deer, foxes, and various birds, all staring in curiosity at our little caravan as we wound our way through the trees.

“Should we be worried about predators?” I asked Kane.

“Not with Ritters around. Their scent will ward off anything vicious enough to attack.”

I peered over his shoulder at one of them. From the back, it could easily be mistaken for a human child. “And yet, they don’t frighten the horses.”

“These horses are trained,” Kane said. “Get a Ritter near a regular mount and it’ll bolt in a heartbeat.”

The Ritter twisted in its saddle and stared at us, as if it knew we were discussing its primal characteristics.

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