Hunter: A Plan

A few hours later………

I slit my eyes across the table at Dr. Allan. My hate for the man and his blatant disregard for my friends twisted my insides. I wanted nothing more than to leap across the table and strangle the life out of him with my bare hands. But I could not due to the armed guards on either side of us as well as the room where we sat. The man was obviously taking no chances. A wise move.

Gently he pushed a glass of water across the table, "Drink?"

Carelessly I swatted the water glass off the table and to the floor in a tinkling of glass, "I want NOTHING from you."

He gave that same annoying smile as if he admired my brashness or was fascinated by it. "Alright then…let's just talk then."

I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms.

"You seem to have a special relationship with that Predator. Does he have a name?" Dr. Allan asked, ignoring my words and pointing to a series of video screens that showed the activities of each Predator as they paced their cells.

My eyes flicked over to where he was pointing. Apparently he meant Garv. I nodded. "His name Garv. Garv my friend."

"I see. And what's Garv like? Or are they all the same?" Dr. Allan inquired.

I shifted, "They not same."

"Well, what are they like? You've claimed to be raised by them after all."

"You no care about them. You just want things from them." I accused brokenly.

He shrugged, "I just want to know."

I sighed and leaned forward saying in a low tone, "You die soon. They kill you."

He turned his head, "If you say so. Well, since we seem to be getting nowhere, tomorrow we will watch how you interact with them and then we'll talk some more."

With that he got up and left. I knew there were guards posted outside my door and also realized without a plan or a weapon any escape attempt would be foolish. Plans began formulating in my mind but with each attempt I'd hit a brick wall. I grabbed the pillow on the cot and clawed at it putting my face into it and screaming with rage. I couldn't stand this! I couldn't fight this!

Then at length, I heard the door slide open and I backed up, readying myself. A figure in camouflage entered with a folded cloth in his hand.

I glared, "What Dr. Allan want now?"

"Little Fighter. It's me," the soldier whispered.

My hands flew to my mouth in shock, "JAKE!"

"Shh! Keep it down! I told them I was taking you some bedding so I could talk to you," he hissed.

So excited I embraced him and all at once pulled away, "How you get here?"

"My platoon is in charge of the security around this facility." He stated.

I stepped back, "You…you one of THEM!"

"No! I…"

"YOU TOLD THEM! HOW COULD YOU! I save Jake's life!" I almost screamed in horror.

"NO! I didn't tell them anything!" he insisted.

I leaped forward pushing him away, "NO LIE to me! You TRICK ME!"

He seized my wrists firmly, getting in my face. "Little Fighter…look at me! LOOK! I…DID…NOT betray you. I've been working as a military security guard for this facility for months. I didn't know about Dr. Allan's agenda…I just help secure this place."

Flame of mistrust burned in the backs of my eyes, "How they know where my friends were?"

"Little Fighter…we found the bodies of some rebels not more than two days ago. Dr. Allan came as soon as we reported it and he got excited…and I didn't know why. I mean…there were corpses with their spines and skulls ripped out and he got excited! But he ordered me and my men to scour the area and he was going to send out the entire facility's compliment in a day or so to search. I asked him what we were to look for and he said we'd know when we saw it," he explained without skipping a beat. There was no lie in his tone or his eyes.

He continued, "So Dr. Allan knew about your friends. He was just betting that the temptation of a bunch of armed men wandering around the jungle would be too much for them to resist. Apparently…the bastard has been using this place and all its funding toward finding and capturing one of these aliens. It's…his obsession."

"You…you not lying." I confirmed.

He shook his head definitively. "You saved my life Little Fighter and now I want to return the favor. I'm going to get you out of here."

Hope filled my eyes and then I narrowed them, "No! Not leave clan."

Jake nodded, "Them too. I'll get you all out of here."

"How? Many Oomans here and friends…trapped. How we do all that?"

He took my hands fervently, "I have a plan. Tomorrow, Dr. Allan is going to observe how you and your friends interact. That means you'll be in the cell with one of them."

"How you know?" I asked.

A smile curved his lips, "Being part of security has its perks. I hear everything."

"What we do Jake?"

He sat me down on the cot, "Ok. Once you're in the cell with one of the guys you start interacting…you know talking or whatever. Then…you have to create a distraction."

"A… distraction? Like what?" I questioned.

"I don't know; something that will get everyone's attention and hold it."

"And then…?"

He made a motion with his hands, "While your distraction is going on I'll be in the control center of that room. There are usually only two guys and some guards in there. But they'll let me in since I'm one of them. I'll knock them out and use the controls to free your clan."

I smiled. That sounded workable! "Can Jake do it?"

He nodded, "For you I'll do it…or die trying."

"When friends free…they kill all Oomans and get weapons. Where friends' weapons?" My tone was dead serious.

Jake sighed and took on a very concerned expression. "I think I know where the weapons are and I can show you the way out. But there will be tons of opposition. There's…there's a good chance none of you will make it out alive."

I put a hand beneath his chin, "We no fear death."

"Don't you?"

"No. Learn long ago death is part life… I not fear it now." I admitted

Jake smiled in admiration, "I think that's what I love about you. Your unbreakable spirit."

I could feel my face flush with red heat. "Love? How you love me?"

"I'd have to be a damn fool not to feel love for you." He whispered in a low voice.

Oh…the confusions began battling in my mind again. But there was no time to think of such things.

I nodded, "I help you Jake…you help us."

He kissed me lightly and then got up and left with a quick backward glance. I lay back on my cot…confused and uncertain again.