My feet pounded the ground as I rushed into the familiar wilderness and away from the leech's fortress, running with as much speed as I could muster. I could pace myself once I put more distance between myself and her toadies. She was down for the count, but these humans would not be as pleased with the attack on their bloodsucking master as others had been, even the others with their half-hearted defences. The bright sun would do nothing to help me against them.

The area surrounding the leech's domain was mostly stretched out in large fields with shrubs and copses of trees breaking up the open spaces, so I tried to keep myself hidden behind the larger barriers to make following me more difficult.

Travis had chosen the time for his diversion well. Even if I had not stabbed her, the leech would have had difficulty following us for a few hours. Her humans would pursue, but I had a fighting chance against them, and they would, if everything worked out, have to split their attention in several directions, although I had no doubt I would be their focus after my altercation with her.

My breath came out in sharp pants and I forced myself to regulate my breathing to help me make as much distance as possible. My bag of pilfered supplies bounced along on my back and I tried to keep my mind on the task at hand and not on the image burned into my mind of the leech looking helpless and defeated as she crumpled to the ground.

I did not let myself focus on the sick and unpleasant feeling that had settled in my gut, so unlike the triumphant satisfaction that had filled me the previous times I had taken leeches out. It was like everything else to do with her, I was conflicted.

Really, I could not even be sure that staking was enough to stop her. She had spoken as if it was not, although I could hardly be certain about anything that came out of the leech's mouth. It was possible that she might just survive and come after me, which meant that I needed to gain as much distance as possible. Perhaps I would be wiser not to go straight to any of the cranky old man's hideouts, but instead just get as far as I could get and lie low and scrape by for a while. I had enough food to last me easily for a week if I stretched it, and with foraging and hunting it could go a lot longer than that.

Since she knew my target, she would be aware of my ultimate destination, which meant if she really wanted to get me back, she could try to waylay me there. Waiting was probably my best bet.

If she survived.

* * * * *

Once I'd probably gone far enough to lose any direct pursuit, I slowed my pace so that I would be able to keep running for longer and to do what I could to minimize my trail. I did not stop, but I did grab a couple of bitter edible plants I spotted and chewed them on the go. My plans were simple when they finally solidified as I pushed forward. I would continue on as far as I could get today, while obscuring my trail as much as possible and then find a place to rest and repeat.

In spite of everything, the feeling of being free again was wonderful. Going where I decided with no chains or collars or spies following me with their eyes was a feeling I would never get enough of. Isolation was a familiar friend and I welcomed the reunion.

I would have to deal with the damn brand eventually, but that was a problem for when I was sure that I was free and clear.

The sun trailed higher in the sky, ensuring that I was safe from bloodsuckers for hours, even if the humans pursued. I grabbed a good sturdy stick that I could later sharpen into a decent weapon. I again wished that I had risked stealing a knife, but if I had, would I have been out here now?

It did not matter; I would trade everything I carried and even the clothing on my back for this. I had lost the supplies I had when I had been first taken to the slave cages, but I could recoup. Like always, letting go of what was lost and moving forward was the key to success. I would cautiously return to the last place I stayed and see if anything was still there.

On I continued, intermittently walking and running, wading through streams of water and trying to obscure my trail any way that I possibly could think of. I put great distance between me and the lair and I could almost feel my invisible shackles falling off as I went.

My first hint that things were not going nearly as smoothly as I hoped was the sound of an engine in the distance. It did not necessarily mean danger to me, but as it got closer, my sinking feeling grew.

It was fully realized when a pair of four wheelers burst into view across a field.

I darted into the trees, hoping to lose them.

"Stop! You son of a bitch! You're just making this harder on yourself!" Marcel's irritating voice rose over the sound of the engines.

I swore and rushed forward, the sound of engines still loud in my ears. How the hell had they found me? One was behind me, but the other...

Shit, one of them was circling me. I went the only way I could and turned ninety degrees to try to evade them both. I crashed through the trees and the low undergrowth, and burst into another clearing. I charged across it, but the engine was getting louder in my ears behind me.

I risked a glance back and saw Javier was driving the other one, and he was closing in on me. Rather than running me over, he circled around me and I swore again.

Marcel had come up behind me, blocking me from the other side. I walked backwards towards another clearing of trees, and Marcel jumped off his four wheeler and began walking towards me with slow careful movements, as if I were an animal he was trying not to startle.

Javier spoke and I glanced towards him. "Don't move, Jamie." He also had dismounted, and he was holding a gun leveled at me.

Fury filled me but I tried to keep my voice calm. "Just let me go, man. I don't want trouble."

Marcel laughed at that. "Maybe you should have thought of that before you killed Vienne."

Killed? Had that actually stake actually finished her off? The way she had spoken...

"I will shoot you, if you don't come quietly," Javier promised.

I glanced between the two, holding my pathetic stick as if it were a decent weapon. I could not fight them both, but I could try running again. Javier was far enough away that I had a good chance he would miss his shot, but every moment he got closer my chances decreased.

I ran for the trees behind me, the heavy weight of Marcel slammed into my back as he tackled me and brought me to the ground. My face hit a low lying stump and blood welled up in my nose. I tried to knock him off with my legs, but he held fast. I swore again, twisted around and swung at him. I connected with something, but it did not have the force behind it I would have wished.

Marcel returned with his own strike and got me clear in the side of the head. Stunned, Javier came up, gun still pointed at me.

Damn it.

"Going to cooperate?" Javier asked.

"Hell no."

Without a moment's hesitation, he brought the gun down hard into the side of my head and everything went black.

* * * * *

My first sensation when I came to was the sound of an engine, then being dragged and set on the ground, and voices all around. I opened my eyes and blinked to clear my vision.

"Marcel? What are you doing here? What's he doing here?"

"He murdered Vienne."

"What? That's not possible..."

I focused on Lucas. I was clearly losing my mind, because he was dead, was he not?

"Lucas, what's happening?" It was that woman I had seen Lucas so frequently with. She looked confused. "What happened to him? He looks terrible."

"Marcel says that Jamie murdered Vienne."

Somewhere through my obvious hallucination, it sounded like Lucas was near tears, of all the insane illusions.

"No."

I tried to push myself to my feet.

Marcel shoved his foot down onto my back. "Still feeling so self-satisfied, Little Human? Good thing you killed the 'leech', isn't it?"

"What are we going to do now?" someone asked.

"Vienne is dead?" It was another unfamiliar voice, and it sounded truly distressed.

I was surrounded by leech lovers as always. They were debating about what they would do with me and where to put me.

My head was still spinning and as Marcel released me and I was pulled to my feet and dragged away. I did not fight as I was taken down a set of stairs and into a room with storage shelves lined with various items, mostly food. I was shoved down onto the floor.

"Congratulations, asshole. You've single-handedly handicapped the human rebellion. I'm sure the other leeches will be thrilled with your work."

The door was slammed shut behind Marcel, leaving me alone in the spinning darkness.