BEGINNING - 9

"Take it," said John, handing him the rations.

Jane took the ration from his hand and tried to open the plastic wrap.

"Cut it."

"Yes."

"You go over there and wait a minute, I'll set some traps for them."

John walked to side and pick up some long logs from a fallen tree, he chopped the log using a long sword from his back.

Jane saw him wielding a sword like that, couldn't believe what she was seeing. "Hey John, isn't that a sword? Why are you using it like an axe?" Jane sneered at him. "I've never ever seen someone using it like that, even in television."

"… …."

John didn't answer her question and looked at her. This shit head princess wants to die so badly. Said John in his heart.

John put some nails that he brought and tied the wood in a row facing forward, he tied the rope to a tree branch that was not too high while pulling it sideways in a C shape.

Jane commented again on the trap he made. "Why don't you use holy and indestructible duct tape?"

"You're so talkative, use those tiny hands of yours to climb a tree."

John made a trap with the spring principle because it was more effective than having to dig or use his own grenades, cause it was not only time consuming but also resource consuming.

He didn't need to disguise the trap with leaves, the height of the bushes had already camouflaged it.

"Let's move."

While walking through the forest, John plucked edible leaves he found and put them in his backpack to be eaten later.

Jane also did the same, but she didn't just pick the leaves, she pulled the roots and carried them like she was shopping for vegetables at the market.

Jane thought, it would be more useful if she pulled the roots together because there would be more fresh vegetables to eat later.

They both walked again in the middle of the thick trees, and a few minutes later they found a small river flowing with clear water.

John took his drinking container and filled it with water as he drank it. "Want some?" John asked her.

Jane did not answer but immediately took the container and drank it.

Elsewhere, Michael and the others arrive at the swamp that John crossed earlier.

"Is it safe to cross it?"

"His trails end here, that's mean he get in and cross it."

They move in into the swamp at the same time.

Just like John, they find a moving object touching their feet.

"Something touch my foot," said one of the hunters.

"Damn! I feel it too."

"Stop," Michael ordered, clenching his fists in the air. "Stick together."

They had their backs to each other with guns gripped tightly ready to fire.

"Move."

They walked in a circular formation.

Some were facing backwards and sideways for fear that it was a wild beast, they maintained the formation until came to the shore and still didn't know what object hit their feet earlier.

"This jungle got more dangerous."

Michael took off his shoes and pants to get rid of the leeches attached to his body, the other hunters did the same.

After removing them, they found the plastic marks and bandages that John had left behind.

The bandage is still wet and not dry.

"They are not far away."

But just a few meters away, one of the hunters stepped on the trap that John been set.

Sriiit… Dup . The sound of a trap stuck to his calf.

"Ah… my foot! My foott!" he screamed in pain as he lay on the ground and held his feet.

"Don't pull it, or you'll bleed to death."

John's trap not only stuck to the flesh, it pierced through to the bone, which was why Michael advised not to pull it out.

"Call MMV," Michael told his crew.

His crew contacted the main base for medical assistance.

Not long after, a helicopter flew low towards them and lowered several medics to provide first aid using a rope hanging down.

"Stand back," said the medics asking them to step back because they needed space.

Another medic opened the bag he was carrying and took some tools out of it.

"Hold it," ordered the medic to his partner to hold the trap set by John. "Cut it," he continued looking at Michael.

Michael obeyed his orders and cut the ropes that connected the wood and nails to each other.

The medical officer had injected painkillers so that the victim was a little calm and didn't move much.

"We can't do it here, he might be infected, we need a clean place to do so."

A helicopter still flying above them.

The medical officer moved the victim's body onto a stretcher and then tied the stretcher to the rope that ran down from helicopter, and medical officer climbed the rope to get back inside.

They stood while watching their comrades transported by helicopter slowly fly away towards main base, they became hesitant to continue the hunt because there had been many casualties.

"From now on, watch your step!" Michael looked at them. "We can't afford to make more mistakes."

"Understood."

Now there are only four people left, two team leaders and two team members.

They continued the hunt until they didn't notice the sun was setting and they turned on their flashlights and put on night vision so they could see more clearly, because the trees that rose high into the sky blocked the moonlight from entering.

Four of them stopped walking because they heard a sound from a bushes few meters ahead and the bushes swaying.

They walked backwards from the bush, Michael told the others to crouch and lean on one knee while hiding behind a tree, they watched the bush carefully.

The flash of eyeball in light from flashlight told them that was a wild animal, and the sounds of animals such as insects and birds intertwined made the atmosphere even more tense.

"RAWWR," he roared.

A tiger leapt at them ready to pounce, but their fingers pulled the trigger faster than the animal.

Bang, bang, bang, bang…. Gunshots.

They spewed a lot of bullets at the tiger, until it fell helplessly on the ground with many holes in its body.

To make sure that the animal is really dead, Michael shoots it again in the head.

John could hear the sound of the barrage of bullets from a distance, he was resting as soon as possible and ordered Jane to finish her food and move forward again so she couldn't be chased.

"Awoooooooooooooo…."

A wolf howl echoed through the forest.