Guide was up ahead slashing through the jungle of Africa. Behind him was a group of people, mostly of the Caucasian ethnicity. But among the group was Syntyke and Miqueas. They were at the back of the group together.
“Glad you invited me to come with you. I’ve always wanted to come to Africa.” Syntyke said looking at the beautiful lush trees that towered over her head. Miqueas wiped the sweat off his brow. “Yeah. I’m glad too.” He said to her.
“You know, you didn’t have to foot the bill for me to come right?” she told him. “Well, I heard that you didn’t have a job and I thought that I might be able to help. I also thought that it might be a good incentive to get you to come, being that it’s a free trip and all.” He said with a smile.
“That was a point on why I decided to come…but, that isn’t the reason why.” She said looking at him with a teasing smile on her face. He got an even bigger smile on his face. The group slowed to a stop as the guide turned to them all.
“We stop here for the night!” he said with a heavy African accent. He points to where they were going to camp at and left them to setup as he scouted ahead to ensure it would be a safe spot.
Syntyke took her pack off her back and placed it on the ground. She started taking out parts for her portable tent.
“I could set that up for you.” He told her. Now Syntyke was the type of person who knew how to do such things. She also knew though, that men had this need to fix things if they knew how to.
She hated the chivalry of men. She knew that it had not died yet and it was better to give in to it every now and then. She had been on camping trips with Ron and Joseph where they had to prove their ‘manhood’ by setting up all the tents. So she allowed them to do so for her.
Here she was again, faced with that question do you want me to. She hated that question and truly wanted to say no. Every bone in her body rattled as her mouth opened and the yea sound come out and her organs nearly stopped when she finished with the sss sound.
Miqueas smiled and began immediately. She grabbed her water from the pack and sat on a tree root as he put it together.
“So, you’re here on business right?” she asked prying. “Kind of. As soon as our tour is done, I have to head into the city and look for a man to ask him some questions.” “For your job as a collector right?” she asked prying a little deeper. “Yeah.” He said perfectly calm.
The lie didn’t even faze him. He was so used to doing it that telling it was secondhand to him. Syntyke knew that he was lying however. She just needed to get a reaction from him so she would be certain that he was CIA and most definitely not associated with the IOSTA.
“So, you are you here to check on a man named Miguel Arson?” she asked softly. Miqueas twitched. He blinked a few times and forced a smile on his face as he looked at Syntyke.
“Yes I am. I’m procuring a painting that a client would like. I usually mediate deals.” He said. “You do?” she asked.
Miqueas face had all the signs of discomfort. That she knew the name was disturbing to him. He looks at her knowing to himself that she couldn’t read him.
“So, how do you know that name?” “It fell out of your bag. It was on a piece of paper with an address.” She said handing him the piece of paper that she had slipped from his bag.
Miqueas was relieved to himself. She didn’t know Miguel personally, which meant she wasn’t sent to kill him. He calmed some but was still disturbed. The less she knew the better he told himself.
“Can I come?” she asked innocently, knowing that she was going to get a no. “Nah. I prefer to keep these deals, private if I can. I’m sure you can understand that.” “I can.”
They continue to talk until the guide comes back. That is when they start a meal and soon after get ready to sleep.
Syntyke laid in her tent sleeping peacefully, until she heard a sound. Her eyes shoot open and she comes out of her tent. She hears voices in the distance. Of course, no one else in the camp was trained well enough to know that the people were far off. Still, they were in just the range of her training.
She grabbed her bag and opened it up. She took out two short blades she had brought with her. She taps on the middle allowing the blade to extend to its full length. She leaps into the trees disappearing like a ninja in the night.
She tree hops to the commotion. She looks down and sees a team of scientist standing over a beautiful lion they had caught about 50 miles out of the jungle. It was dead from what she could tell.
“Of course the IOSTA would want a lion first.” One of the men said. “They couldn’t capture Arlington so we have to start over.” The other said. “A lion though? Why not a gorilla or an elephant. People always go straight for the lion.” Another said. “Paul is crazy, that’s all I can say. I really don’t want to end up dead because I couldn’t follow orders” the first said.
Syntyke grips her blades and comes out of the trees in a blur. The men grab their guns. She slashes them out of their hands in one swift motion. The blades are pointed at two of the necks.
“What do you mean by “start over” or lose the ability to live.” She warned. The two men swallow looking at the other. He steps up to speak and relates to her what was meant. When they had finished she stabbed them all.
They would not die but the toxin in their blood made them forget the past four hours. She knew that she needed to get back to Joseph. It wasn’t necessary at the moment, but it was important to get back to him. She had news.590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzUrE6oHiIt
