Disclaimer: I own nothing!!!

The steady sound of hoofs beating on the damp ground reminded Travs why he was running. It was a deadly reminder of what his life had become and why. The heat of the Southern China rain forest was almost unbearable, but it didn't matter. There were no reins or saddle on the chocolate colored horse she was ridding so he held on to it's mane trying to think of what to do. Time was valuable to him, and it was running out. He could hear the distant beating of hooves behind him. The men who were after him were closing in.

" Ya! Ya!" he could hear the men shouting; encouraging their horses to go faster.

All of a sudden something whizzed by his head. He didn't have to look back to see what had almost hit him, he knew all to well what it's purpose was for. The forest was getting denser with every yard and was slowing him down. He had to decide whether to keep running, or try and hide. Either one would be risky. He passed a dense bush and slid off the horse, immediately covering himself with brush. He could hear the group of horses passing him, their hooves trampling the ground. They were closer than I thought. he realized. After what seemed like hours of staying perfectly still, he slowly lifted his head to look around. There wasn't a soul I sight. He new the men would figure out that he had stayed behind, so he made a run for it. He followed the fresh trail the horses had carved into the damp soil. Every step became more and more agonizing.

"What's happening...." he mumbled to herself.

He grabbed his arm in pain and felt something wet on his hand. When he looked at it it was stained with blood. He tilted his head back in annoyance with his bad luck. After a few second of plodding along, he began to run again. The vegetation was beginning to fan out and he could hear the distant noise of humming cars. All of a sudden the faint sound of steady hooves started up again. He ran faster despite his arm wound, desperate to get back to the poor, run down village of China. Travis stopped in front of the crowded narrow street. Men on oxes and rusty old cars filled the dirt road. The sound of hooves was getting louder with every second that passed. He had to figure out something, now. He saw a dirty taxi cab on the other side of the dirt road, impatiently waiting to pull into the street. He ran through the street and pass a middle aged woman. A sack of money was loosely tide to her belt and was easy to snatch. After all, you can't get far in a taxi with no money. Having taken the pouch, all he needed to do was get the cabdrivers attention before he drove off.

" Sir," he said, holding the sack of money up so he could see "is this enough to get me to the airport?"

"Aye! Yes yes," he said, nodding his head in pleasure, "get in, get in."

just as Travis was getting in the cab, he saw the men ridding into the village.

"Move out!" their leader said in a gruff, sharp voice.

"Can you go faster?" Travis asked the cabdriver.

"I can only go so fast mister," he said with a harsh Chinese accent, "can you not see the people in front of me?"

"I'll pay you extra..." he bribed.

That was all the cabdriver needed to hear to turn around and take a shortcut through the village, speeding off towards the Chinese International Airport. Travis kept his head down, hopping the men wouldn't see her through the window.

" Hey master," one of the men said as he rode up to the leader of the group, "how much you wanna bet that he's in that cab?" he prodded.

The master looked at him with a devious smile.

" Let's say you and another man tail the cab. If it turns out he's In there, send the other man back to tell me."

"Got it Boss." the man said hurriedly.

The leader, better known as "Boss" by his partners in crime, and Billy W., by Travis and the rest of society, watched as the two me tailed the taxi, until they disappeared in the distance.

" Move out you worthless dogs!" he shouted in anger. He couldn't believe he had let him get away. Again.