“I’ll aim lower.”
My thighs clench at the sound of his voice.
I crawl through a narrow ravine, smearing mud across my knees, but manage to get to the high ground.
Suddenly, a flicker of black darts between the trees.It’s him.
I squeeze the trigger and hit his thigh.
Direct hit.
“YES!”
A growl answers me. Low. Dangerous.
Oh shit.
He breaks cover, sprinting through the trees like a demon.
I scream and run, laughing so hard I trip over a log and tumble onto my back. Jumping up as fast as I can, I see him closing in and bolt into the trees.
I make it to an abandoned shed covered in graffiti and moss.
I duck inside, breathing hard, body shaking with adrenaline. My mask fogs up. My legs are screaming. I can feel a bruise beginning to form on my side. My ribs ache with every breath I take.
But I’m alive.
And then the door creaks open.
Trip stands in the doorway, tall, dark, masked, splattered in orange paint across his thigh and shoulder where I’d tagged him.
I raise my gun.
He shoots first.
I yelp as blue paint splatters across my thigh and hip. I trip backward over a rusted can and hit the dirt floor.
He stalks inside like a predator.
I scramble and fire one more time, but miss.
He knocks the gun from my hand and grabs my vest, yanking me to my feet and spinning me into the wall.
I’m panting, covered in paint, eyes wide behind the mask.
“So… I lost?” I breathe.
He leans in, mask brushing mine.
“You win?” I whisper.
He tilts his head, teasing me.
“I haven’t started, killstreak.”
His eyes darken as his hands begin to work.
He strips me slowly.