For seven days, Kael and Mira were on the move, their lives reduced to a cycle of vigilance and exhaustion. The barren wasteland stretched endlessly before them, offering little reprieve from their pursuers. The group that had attacked them at the refinery wasn't giving up easily—they were relentless, tracking them day and night.
Kael's crawler roared across the cracked earth, with Mira's bike trailing close behind. The night sky was a canvas of stars, but neither of them had the luxury of admiring it. The sound of engines in the distance told them the hunters were not far behind.
"We need to split," Mira called over the comm.
"No," Kael replied sharply. "If they catch you alone, you're dead. They'll focus on me—I have the tech. Stay close."
Reluctantly, Mira followed his lead, pushing her bike to keep pace with the crawler. In the rearview mirror, Kael caught glimpses of distant headlights growing brighter. He cursed under his breath and veered off the main trail, heading into a rocky pass.
The narrow path forced their pursuers to slow down, buying them precious time. Kael activated a makeshift EMP trap he'd rigged to drop behind them, the device sparking and releasing a pulse. In the distance, one of the pursuing vehicles sputtered and died, but the others adjusted their approach.
"That'll only slow them," Kael muttered to himself.
By the second day, supplies were already running low. Food wasn't the issue—Kael's stash of protein bars and nutrient packs could last weeks. It was water and fuel that worried them.
Mira parked her bike beside the crawler as they stopped in the shade of a rusted-out transport hauler, abandoned years ago. "We need to refuel," she said, wiping sweat from her brow. "And fast."
Kael nodded, his mind already calculating the nearest potential salvage site. "There's an old settlement marked on one of my maps about 20 miles south. Might have what we need."
They shared a quiet meal before setting off again, ever watchful of the horizon. Kael didn't say it aloud, but he knew their pursuers were closing in.
Their first major confrontation came as the sun began to set. Mira was scouting ahead when she saw movement in the dunes—two figures crouched with rifles. She skidded her bike to a halt and fired a warning shot into the air.
Kael, hearing the shot, slammed on the brakes and dove for cover behind the crawler. A barrage of bullets followed, kicking up dust and rattling the metal shell of his vehicle.
"They're trying to slow us down!" Mira shouted, returning fire from behind a boulder.
Kael grabbed a homemade grenade from the crawler—a mix of scavenged explosives and corrosive chemicals—and lobbed it toward the attackers. The explosion sent one man flying, while the other retreated, leaving behind his rifle and gear.
By the time the skirmish ended, Kael and Mira were drained, but the message was clear: their hunters were done waiting—they were going on the offensive.
The next day brought another encounter, this time at an abandoned water station. Kael had hoped to find clean water, but instead, they found a small squad of their pursuers lying in wait.
"You're cornered!" one of them shouted, his weapon trained on Kael.
Mira, hiding in the shadows, took aim and dropped him with a single shot. Chaos erupted as the others opened fire, forcing Kael to duck behind a rusted tank.
Using the chaos to his advantage, Kael triggered a distraction—a series of flares he'd rigged to go off around the station. The sudden bursts of light and sound disoriented their attackers, giving Mira enough time to pick them off one by one.
When the dust settled, they found a cache of water and fuel among the attackers' supplies—a small victory in an otherwise bleak situation.
The fifth day was grueling. The sun was merciless, and the heat inside the crawler was stifling despite Kael's attempts to vent it. Mira, riding behind, had it worse—the sun beating down on her exposed skin, her bike overheating every few miles.
"We can't keep this up," she said during a brief stop.
Kael handed her a bottle of water, his face grim. "We don't have a choice. If we stop, they'll catch us. Keep pushing."
That night, as they camped under the stars, Kael worked on repairing the crawler's cooling system while Mira stood watch. Both of them knew the next confrontation was inevitable.
Their luck changed on the sixth day. While scouting for a safe route, Mira spotted a series of craters in the distance. "Looks like an old battle site," she said over the comm.
Kael's interest piqued. "Perfect. Lots of cover, maybe even some leftover mines."
They made their way to the site and began setting traps, using what little they had left. Kael rigged explosives to trigger on impact, while Mira prepared sniper positions.
When their pursuers arrived later that evening, they walked right into the trap. The first vehicle hit a mine, the explosion lighting up the night sky. Kael and Mira used the chaos to their advantage, picking off the remaining attackers.
By the time the skirmish ended, only one of the pursuers was left standing.
The final day of the chase was spent questioning the lone survivor. Kael and Mira tied him to a post, his face bruised and bloody from the fight.
"Why are you so relentless?" Kael asked, his voice cold. "Who's pulling the strings?"
The man spat blood but said nothing. Mira, less patient, pressed the barrel of her rifle against his temple. "Talk, or you won't see tomorrow."
The man finally broke. "The Hounds sent us, alright? We were supposed to weaken you—flush you out. The real squad is already on its way."
Kael's stomach dropped, but he didn't let it show. He exchanged a glance with Mira, who looked equally troubled.
"Kill him," Kael said flatly, turning back toward the crawler.
Mira hesitated but eventually pulled the trigger. The shot echoed across the wasteland as the duo packed up and prepared to move again.
As they drove off, Kael's mind raced. The past week had been grueling, but it was only the beginning. The Hounds were coming, and he and Mira would need more than just survival instincts to face them. They would need a plan—and fast.