Silently trudging through the darkness Sam rechecked the area. She couldn't shake the feeling of being watched and tracked. It ran over her skin like a wire brush over metal. Stopping, she shuddered before checking her compass. They were on course and would be at the evacuation point soon.

"Where are we going?" Mr Bassett asked, looking at his compass, "my compass doesn't work."

"Let me see that," Stan said, taking the compass and looking at it, "it doesn't work because it's not really a compass."

"What are you talking about?" Mr Bassett asked, frowning, "we've got lots of survival tools from the compound."

Stan looked at Sam as her head whipped up, her gaze clashing with his. Both frowned before Sam moved toward them.

"Where's the rest of the tools?" she asked.

"Here," Mrs Bassett said, opening her bag, "we thought it may help when we return to the cabin."

Sam took out a few items frowning at certain features that shouldn't be on the devices. Opening one of the devices Sam sighed, showing Stan.

"Listening device," he said, opening the compass, "a tracker."

"I'm guessing all of these have some privacy violation," Sam said. Opening one after the other and displaying all kinds of listening devices, spy cameras and trackers, "water?"

Stan pulled a bottle from his backpack handing it to her, "What are you going to do?"

Sam took the bottle, disposed of the gadgets and the findings on the ground and slowly poured water over them before covering them in dust.

"Is there anything else you took from the compound?" Sam asked.

Slowly they pulled out mobile phones, handing them to Sam. Taking them, Sam snapped them in half dropping them on the pile and pouring water over them.

"Anything else?" Stan asked.

They waited as the couple looked at each other and slowly began taking items off. The pile of watches, earrings, necklaces and rings followed. Sam and Stan waited. More followed until Mr Basset sighed and removed his shoes, adding them to the pile. Stan handed Sam another bottle of water which she poured over the added items.

"If there is nothing else," Stan said, scooping sand over the added items, "can we trudge on now?"

The couple nodded, and they began walking. Sam powered down her device, took the battery from it and pushed it into her backpack.

"Was that necessary?" Mrs Bassett asked, jogging to keep up with Sam's long stride.

"If we don't want to be tracked," Sam said, glancing around, "we need to eliminate everything that can do so or pair with other devices. We need to go dark."

"I don't remember you being this way, Sam," Mrs Bassett said, "Cherry and you were ... carefree spirits who were going to take on the world of commerce."

"Wow," Sam shook her head, "that was a lifetime ago."

"What happened, Sam?" Mrs Bassett asked.

"My parents were murdered," Sam said, "but you know that. I had to find a purpose for myself, something that meant I'd get to protect those I love and myself."

"You made yourself into ..." she waved her hand toward Sam's body, "this."

"With help," Sam said, "it got me closer to you and sorting out what happened to Cherry."

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"What happened to Cherry?" Mrs Bassett hissed.

"You'll have to see for yourself," Sam said, signalling to Stan they were back on track and closer to their exit point, "right now ... we need to focus on getting you out of here ... alive."

Mrs Bassett stared at Sam for two heartbeats before nodding and turning away. Sam realised this sweet woman knew more ... or suspected more than she was saying. Stan drew level with her, dipping his head to whisper near her ear.

"Nice deflection," Stan whispered, "what were you not telling her."

"Her daughter is not the sweet, naive girl that I grew up with," Sam sighed, "or she could be but may have been altered."

"Altered?" Stan asked, frowning, realisation dawning, "you don't think..."

Sam's glare haltered the words that would have rolled from his tongue, "Not a word."

Stan nodded, "Where to from here?"

"In here," she whispered, pulling brush aside, exposing a small hole in the side of the mountain they had been heading toward, "Mr and Mrs Bassett, please follow inside."

Sam waited until everyone had filed inside before stepping into the hole and pulling the brush across the entrance. She waited. Instinct had been bugging her about being tracked. Even without devices, skilled trackers could find them. They were still in danger. On the count of five hundred, murmuring voices drifted to Sam.

She listened, "I'm telling you, they are long gone."

"You cannot be serious. That pile of devices were still wet."

"They may be, but we haven't seen any footprints for a while," Sam saw a shadow turning in circles, "they could have gone anywhere."

"Even up the rock face," the other voice said, "you're saying they could be anywhere."

"Yep, but we cannot say that to Mr Tenderhook."

"Which one?"

"Either of them," a sigh was heard, "let's look around and see if we can make out where they could have disappeared to."

Sam backed away from the entrance, quickly moving into the small cave and requesting silence.

"Follow me," she whispered, "we have minutes before they find that cover."

Quickly moving toward the various tunnels branching from the cave, Sam moved through them, forcing the pace to be quick and punishing. She could hear the Bassetts panting behind her, but she kept moving. Suddenly they broke into a clearing with a forest on one side and a road on the other. Heading toward the dirt road, Sam dug into the pocket on her leg, pulling car keys into the palm of her hand. Easing to the edge of the wide dirt road, Sam kept to the shadows motioning for the others to do the same. Looking one way and the other, she led them to the left, locating their vehicle on the side of the road and opening all the doors. Sam waited, looking around.

"Check the tires," she whispered, pulling her weapon from its holster and scanning the area.

"They're all good," Stan said, "we should be able to go."

"Get in," Sam said, "we don't have much time."

Moving back toward the driver's side, Sam kept checking the area before opening the door and slipping inside, "Did you scan the boot?"

"Yes, no heat signatures of any kind," Stan said, " and I opened it to ensure there were no bugs. We need to move ... there is movement."

Sam turned the ignition and gunned the engine, accelerating into the darkness. Flicking on the headlights once they had gotten some way from their departure point.

"That was intense," Mr Bassett said, "do you make a habit of this kind of thing."

"You mean saving lives," Stan said, "no one will ever know."

"We're nearly out of danger but not yet," Sam said, "no talk of saving lives until this is over."

"Absolutely," Stan said, grinning at the couple in the back, "no celebrating until the fat lady sings."

"Who is the fat lady?" Mrs Bassett asked, grinning.

"Anyone you want it to be," Sam said, "right now, we need to be vigilant and get out of this mess."

"Everyone be vigilant," Stan said, nodding, encountering confused expressions from the couple, "anything that looks out of the ordinary ... you need to tell us."

"Like that metal spider above your heads?" Mr Bassett asked.

Looking up, Stan and Sam swore.

"Take care of it," Sam muttered as they sped around a sudden corner, "permanently."

"Gladly," Stan said, pulling out a knife handle and flicking the blade open. Quickly he stabbed the gadget through the centre while lowering the window and flicked the smoking metal out the window into the darkness.

"How did they find the car?" Sam asked.

"I don't know," Stan said, "he must have more on his payroll than we know."

Sam slammed on the brakes skidding sideways on the sand road taking the opposite direction at the T of the dirt road.

"Change of direction?" Stan asked.

"We're improvising," Sam said.

"Huh, I thought I was the only one who did that," Stan grinned, "on to new territory ... let's do this."