Riley's Journey by P. L. Parker

Author:P. L. Parker [Parker, P. L.]
Format: epub
Published: 2010-02-13T06:58:57+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Five

His heart heavy, Nathan left the shelter, worry clouding his thoughts. If something happened to him, would Riley have the desire or capability to go on without him? On and on, those dark thoughts whirled though his brain, until finally, realizing he was losing his focus, he shook them off. Time to worry about that later. Right now, he needed every bit of concentration.

Unbelievably quiet, the normally raucous animals of the forest watched, holding their breaths in wary anticipation as he passed. The sounds of battle had ceased and only an occasional distant scream rent the air.

Nathan's instinctive vigilance increased with each step. Having forced himself to focus on the task at hand, his natural talents took over. Every facet of his being was charged and ready for immediate action, his eyes continuously scanned the landscape, alert to any suspicious movements. Years of Black Ops training culminated in the hour at hand. Mentally, and without ego, he accepted his fighting skills—he was as good, if not better, than any adversary he had encountered in his lifetime. Cautiously, he neared the site of the newcomers' camp, noting their careless disregard for the natural beauty of the site. Discarded bones, trash and human excrement littered the campsite. His nose quivered in disgust. They were pigs as well as vicious killers. Their utter arrogance was evidenced by their nonchalance in concealing their presence—stemming no doubt from meeting little resistance in the past. No guards 186

Riley's Journey

by P. L. Parker

walked the perimeter and it took little imagination to believe they did not plan to return here. What they came for was below, in the village of the others.

Moving swiftly and silently to the overhang, he methodically disguised himself with nearby vegetation and then crawled carefully to the edge. From a quick scan of the clearing below, he noted several bodies of the others haphazardly littering the open ground. Thankfully, they appeared to be only those of adult males. A small number of females were bound and tied together, crouching down in abject terror as one newcomer systematically whipped and kicked them. From his vantage point, and unbeknownst to the newcomers, Nathan spotted a small group of the others painstakingly making their way up a small gorge on the northern edge of the basin—mostly women and children and a few adult males. They were cautiously avoiding the skyline and would be out of sight shortly. No newcomers were on their trail yet and, with any luck, they would escape detection.

Time passed slowly while he kept the area under surveillance, planning and watching for an opportunity to free the bound females. No sound or movement betrayed his presence. Late in the afternoon, brushes rustled gently to his left and a young female of the others stepped uncertainly into the open. From the pack she carried, the female must have been berry picking when the attack began. Worried that the newcomers would see her, he silently moved to intercept. Unaware of his presence until that moment, and visibly shocked, she opened her mouth to scream.

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