A/N: I'm sorry for the ridiculously long wait. The story's going to end soon, possible...let's give it two-three chapters? And possibly an epilogue? Yeah, that sounds nice. Oh, and I apologize because this chapter is insanely short. But my brain refused to co-operate for another 400 words to put it over 1000, so I'm sorry.
Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter of Cossack. Or the Amazon forest for that matter. Anthony Horowitz does. With the exception of the Amazon forest.
Chapter 6 - Choices, Choices, Choices
Cossack woke up the next morning very confused. What should he do? He sighed.
Hunter woke up the next morning very anxious. What should he do? He sighed.
Cossack reached Hunter's bag and walked out of the tent, feeling defeated.
"Your bag," Cossack said upon reaching Hunter's tent. Cossack tossed over the bag and nodded at Hunter. "Don't worry, I didn't look at it," Cossack said, staring directly into Hunter's observant, brown eyes.
"I know, I trust you not to," Hunter replied, studying Cossack's eyes. Hunter knew the Russian very well, in fact, possibly better than anyone else, and not even the slight twitch went unnoticed from Hunter's intense gaze. And there was a twitch, when Hunter said "trust", Cossack's eyes unfocused in the slightest. Hunter sighed inwardly.
So he knew. A newbie assassin uncovered the well-kept secret that brought pride and triumph to MI6. Hunter had to admit, as much as he had believed in Cossack, he didn't expect the teenager to figure out the truth.
Cossack felt, instinctively, like Hunter was onto him, but that could just be the paranoid thinking ways of an assassin. He hoped so, but doubted it.
Feeling a subject change was in order, Cossack blurted the first thing he could think of.
"Let's eat," he suggested.
Hunter nodded. That seemed like a good idea.
He was relieved Cossack didn't attempt to murder him right there, right now. Hunter had trained Cossack well enough so that if Cossack wanted to, he probably could. Of course, if motivation was on the Russian's side, he could do, well, anything, really. A shudder involuntarily passed through Hunter's body, but he disguised it as he bent down.
He tossed a can of food to Cossack and began packing.
Cossack thought the problem over. This was the third day, so two more days with Hunter and it would be all right.
What would he do after though?
Tell the Scorpia authorities and betray his best friend? Yes, he had a best friend despite the dangers, and yes, Cossack was willing to admit it.
Or would he keep the double agent's secret and risk death if it was uncovered? Normally Cossack would have chosen to rat out the traitor, but this was Hunter he was trying to decide the fate of. Handing him over into Scorpia's unforgiving hands seemed like more of a betrayal. Cossack cursed his conscience.
Picking up his barely-existent luggage, Cossack's experienced hands packed in seconds.
The day was progressing slower than usual, and both men were silent. They were each lost in their own thoughts: Hunter, with his worried thought of what he'd done, and Cossack, trying to fight down the stubborn remains of his conscience. It wasn't working. Finally, after a day of trudging through the Amazon and checking the compass and map occasionally, they found a spot to set up their tents and sleep.
Hunter was immensely relieved when they entered the small clearing. Finally, he could lose himself in sleep. He tossed over a can of food to Cossack and immediately began scarfing down his portion.
Cossack caught the can easily, as usual, a skill taught by Hunter, he bitterly remembered, and, like his mentor, scarfed down his portion quickly.
Both men finished at the same time. They nodded acknowledgement at each other, then entered their own tents. Hunter could lose himself in sleep, and Cossack could meditate and try to clear his mind and think clearly.
Perhaps the joint assignment wasn't as great of an idea as they both made it out to be.
REVIEW please! Feel free to lecture me on my short chapters and long spaces between updates. Or my lack of progress in general. But please please please REVIEW and tell me how you feel about it!
