Destined to Fail: Part 05.

The Hunted

He stood on the packed corner, mixed in with the crowd, his breath held. The small squad of policemen walked straight past the group of people waiting to cross the road, and disappeared into the night. He exhaled, and moved along with the bustle of people as the electronic voice proclaimed "Cross now, cross now…"

So close. If they'd seen him…

He hurried across the road, weaving his way through the people. He had to find out who the man chasing them was. If they could remove him, they would be able to make a safer break for an off-world shuttle. They could stow away, anything. They had to get off this planet.

He made his way back home and she admitted him cautiously.

"Where have you been?" she demanded. "I was so scared. I've been hearing sirens. I thought they might have found you. I'd have had no way of knowing…"

He hushed her with a hug, and looked over her head to the tiny bed. The girl had shifted her position a bit, but still hadn't regained consciousness.

"I don't want you going out anymore," she said, hugging him close. "We'll have to wait here until she…" she sighed.

He shook his head. "I have to find this policeman, the one who's looking for us. If we can kill him, we can make a safe break off-world."

"Won't that draw even more attention to us?"

"It's the only choice we have. I don't want to just sit here and watch her die, and we can't go to any doctors. If they know what we look like, then we'll be on all sorts of files."

He turned to go for the door.

"I'll go for a walk and see if I can find anything that might lead us to him."

She nodded.

"Be careful."

And he disappeared through the door, out into the cool rain.