I woke up in the bed. I could feel the weight of the termal blanket on top of me, maintaining my body in the ideal 20°C temperature. But I didn't remember of me laying down.
I opened my eyes and looked around. All my muscles froze when I saw a person staring back at me. His eye was like a blazing fire, burning with anger. But he didn't move. He just stayed there, sat on a chair, staring me as I sat up.
- Finally awake, aren't we? - he asked in a insipid tone.
- Thank you? - I said doubtfully. I was sure that I collapsed on the floor, but here I was warm and clean, sleeping in an almost comfy bed. He nooded, probably accepting my thanks.
- Are you feeling all right? - This time he seemed slight concerned, so I answered honestly.
- Just mentally shocked, I guess. My back is killing me and I have cramps on my legs. I think I should have done some stretches after running last night. - I didn't mention to him why I was shocked or running, he seemed to know, but I would not say that out loud until I was sure.
He turned a light on, and then I saw what he was wearing. A military uniform. Full gray, silver buttons, red boots, a lot of death marks on his left shoulder pad, marking a lot of enemies killed. Then I noticed the military haircut and the gloved hands.
Shit, he was a Hunter. The only officers on the military that were allowed to use those red gloves were the ones that killed more than 25 high priority targets: the hardest to search, find, reach and destroy. Like princes of new discovered species... Or deserters that were on the run for more than 30 interplanetary hours.
Like me.
I breathed deeply. I would not allow me to die easily. I slowly checked that I was without my laser rings and with only one layer of clothes. The outer one, where I placed my knives, were tossed over my backpack, behind the military guy.
The guy who stood up. And walked in my direction. He didn't show any expression. He didn't seem to have any intention of killing me, somehow, he didn't seemed like a threat. Then he slapped my face. Then slapped the other side. And then the first side again.
- What in the world were you thinking?
- I... - surely I didn't know what he wanted to hear.
- Desertion isn't that uncommon, but to alert more than 30 scientists and 10 journalists before doing it... What were you thinking? You put your head for the hunt in no time. You became a high priority target the second you sent those messages!
- I... - He was talking about the texts I sent on the group chat that I had with my friends, or better saying, my working colleagues. The texts that I sent before deserting.
He started to pace around. He combed his hair back with his hands, but it kept falling in his face.
- They deleted the messages as soon as they were detected, but more than half of the people read those texts. And they talked. In less than 5 hours, all city knew. In 10 hours the planet knew. And here we are, 35 hours latter and you are still not captured.
I stopped him with my hand up.
- Not captured? What do you mean? I thought you were here to take me.
- What have officer Serilli told you? - he asked back.
- Officer Serilli?
- The woman that kicked your ass black and blue on the bathroom.
- Oh. You mean Nibba. She basically told me nothing. I won't pretend that I know shit. 'Cause I'm done with games. If you are not here to arrest or kill me, what are you here for, sir...?
He stared me for a couple of seconds. He was probably shocked that I just spoke to a superior officer with a total of 0 respect.
Then he stared in the air, seeing something on his field of view. The neurochip working its wonders. He pulled a tablet and made a slide motion and a image appeared on the screen. He showed it to me.
The moment I saw the image the info that I collected from the data chip unlocked the next file. A trail to the next safe house.
- If it wasn't for Nibba asking me this favor, I would never help someone as unprepared as you seem to be. Your desertion is a big case, don't screw this up. You need to leave in 10 minutes, maximum. Better eat while you can.
- Why? I just woke up.
- You slept through the surface day. Full 9 hours. - he picked some supplies from a cabinet and piled them up on the table. - If wasn't me being on patrol this morning, you would be caught. - he started eating and pointed it out to me to eat as well. - That's why I was so angry. When you start to approach or are inside a city, the trail will change from green to yellow or red.
- And that means...? - I asked again as I started to eat.
- Closer to red means you are in a place that probably has more patrols. Not everyone that are on this planet is part of.... - he paused. -... your scaping plan. Most of the military will turn you in without a second thought. I'll distract them on your way out, but... What I mean is: try at least to hide when walking around, ok? Any slightly awake guard would see you running on the streets the way you were doing this morning. And there will be no one in the next few safe houses.
- I see. - I put my clothes back on and stretched again. My legs were burning, and my feet felt like smashed pancakes.
I put my mask too and tied my hair firmly.
When I was on the door, ready to leave I turned to the Hunter and said.
- I almost forgot... Thank you for helping me. And say that to Nibba too, even though she will just brush it off again. - I knew that they were using me for something, but it didn't mean they were not saving my life for another day or two.
He nodded.
- You don't look so bad, for a violent Hunter. - I completed before turning to the door.
- Heik Jarlli. My name is Heik Jarlli. - He answered, as trying to avoid me from calling him by his post.
- Nice to meet you. I'm Larpi Yatteni. - I said before leaving, following the yellow lines to the next safe house.
- I know. - I heard him saying.
Of course he knows. Apparently I was on the interplanetary news. And there were military patrols on the ancient cities here. On a planet that was supposed to be recently discovered when I came. Was all that organization made after my transfer here? Nibba said she was here longer than that. How was she connected to the people of the surface?
And Heik, he didn't seemed like a Hunter at all. Spitting all that information... Unless he wanted me to know that.
Sadly, I had no time to think about it all now.