Chapter 33 Instruments and Surprises.

Ryan Tredor, Reynolds Walsh and Frank Steller had returned for the day. Actually, they had been told to scout some areas and expand their territory. But now night had fallen, so the trio decided to rest.

"Iri is pushing us too hard."

"Shut up you lazy twat!"

"Should we camp here?"

The 3 of them had walked for the better half of a day, planting flags for every 100 meters. Ryan Tredor held the flags, Frank Steller held a map they had marked and Reynolds Walsh was doing the planting.

"You are not even doing anything except walking how can you call me lazy?"

"But the flags are in your CavityBracelet how are you tired?"

Frank Stellar laughed, "you are only carrying the map, what would you know Frank Stellar!"

The man being shouted at by 2 of his teammates laughed it off as they continued in the distance.

When night jad fallen, A PortableSpithad appeared out of Frank Stellar's CavityBracelet along with seasonings and spices. Ryan Tredor's CavityBracelet had a a mat, chairs and pillows while Reynold Walsh's CavityBracelet had frozen food.

"Here seems kike a good spot."

"Agreed."

"They had found an area hidden by two a sand dunes. It was indeed a good spot as they had seen an area where 2 dunes rose form. So, it was kind of like, a micro-mini valley.

They washed, garnished and roasted tye food which was once nothing uncooked food.

That is until something fell from the top of theft dune till gravity carried it 10 meters in front of them.

"Hey, who is lying over there?"

"Let's go check it out."

"What if it's a trap?"

3 figures had careless while eating over a fire. So, they readied and armed themselves as they studied the quiet and unmoving form.

Thus, they approached with caution until the body was within grasp.

"Hey, are you ok-"

POW!

Jake's false unconscious had pushed himself up in a way that allowed him to headbutt one of them while John finished them off with fists or weapons.

TUT-TUT-TUT-TUT-TUT-

Ryan Tredor evicted due to elimination.

-TUT-TUT-TUT-TUT-TUT-

Reynolds Walsh evicted due to elimination.

-TUT-TUT-TUT-TUT-TUT

Frank Stellar evicted due to eviction.

Jake and John had made slow but good progress so far. The duo had sufficiently robbed until they had both their CavityBracelets and the 4 extras they had nabbed to be full.

"3 new CavityBracelets and even a PortableSpit!"

"Let's move on."

"Again?" Jake's face dropped.

"Look, i have a feeling about this."

"What?"

"I'm trying to draw someone out."

"Why not just confront them?"

"We have been taking things from small groups of scouts. And for everyone we have taken, not 1 of their PagerIntercoms have received a single order after we had snatched them."

Jake was still lost.

"The announcements have made it about their evictions but still no reaction?"

"So...?"

"Well, we either gave a team that is hiding something good that we could make ours, or..."

"Or what?"

"They simply don't care."

"It could be that." Jake liked the spot here. "This explains why we have been moving in circles since yesterday evening." The boy frowned in realisation.

"Let's move, trust me."

Jake kicked sand in John's face but missed.

...

*Pant*, *pant, *pant*.

3 new targets had also thought to rest. One was taking a piss, another one lay on a the sand was enjoying a drink of some sort while the final one squinted into the distance and pointed.

"What is that?"

The pissing man was emptying his bladders so he did mot look but the drinking man was kicked in the flank and curled on himself before he shot to his feet and punched his friend in the arm.

"Hey, what was that for?"

"Look."

The last of them had zipped his pants and was looking at what his other 2 friends were taking time to notice.

"*Pant*, help! Help! *pant*. Hel-"

Jake had actually fallen and eaten some sand, but with his raised hands when it stood up his terrified face was lent some sincerity.

"What do we have here?"

3 ProjectileGuns were up in his face but he showed them 4 CavityBracelets which he threw to their feet.

"I have been robbed, please help me. I promise to give you arms and RestorativeBalms." The 1st man who had spoken wanted i love forward but he man in the middle held him back. So, Jake spoke again. "There is even heaps of good food."

The 3rd person spoke, "what happened?"

"I was with my friend and he snuck up on us. We were... holding hands and then he just shot her in the forehead!"

"I think he is lying." The 1st one cocked his gun but the middle one pointed its nuzzle down.

"So, you had a lover and he evicted her?"

"Yes!"

"Hmph, what is in it for us."

I will give you 2 CavityBracelets full of things!"

"You seem too generous." The 1st one was still skeptical.

"I had just asked her out!" He gritted his teeth and smashed both upraised has into the sands. "I did not even get a full reply!"

"So, how did you make it here?"

"I tossed a ShockwaveBomb every time he got within my eyesight. But I have been out since this afternoon. Please, help me!"

The 1st boy was going to raise him up but the middle one held him back again by the shoulder.

"Walk at the front, Grey wall to his right, Haroon to his left. Let's see this his hunter."

"Jagovan, who made you boss?"

"Hey, let's just get the loot and decide who is boss by who shoots down this bastards first. Alright?"

Haroon nodded and Grey spoke.

"Agreed."

10 meters came and went with nothing of not happening. Eventually, the came to an area between 2 Dunes which was another 15 meters away.

"That was where i saw him last." Jake whispered and pointed in shaky hands.

Haroon, Grey and Jagovan stopped when Jagovan began making hand signs.

Haroon frowned.

"You are not leader of-"

"If we are not united we fall. We have already agreed about how we will select our leader"

Looking away with a scowl, Haroon and Jagovan each circled around till they came behind a dune and then walked up it, crouching when they reached the top while Grey walked behind Jake and accompanied him with a ProjectileGun facing he back of his head.

Then they all paused for 5 breaths before Haroon and Jagovan threw ShockwaveBombs tha clashed at themselves into the air.

BOOM!

Grey had kicked Jake unto the valley of the Dunes but after running there, no hunter was found.

Then just as Jagovan was throwing his head about, he fell after a gunshot was heard.

TUT!

Jake sprawled on the floor raised his head in terror and began running towards Grey as Haroon lay on the ground and moved his head with the point of his ProjectileGun's nuzzle.

"Help me, please don't let them ge-"

It was only when Haroon noticed something dropping from the skies that he knew he was done for.

BOOM!

Grey pointed his ProjectileGun in Haroon's direction but wind flew out of his lungs as his feet left the ground and he found himself looking at the stars.

The weapon that was once his ProjectileGun was now pointed in his face by Jake.

"Thanks."

His eyes realised what had happened.

TUT!

Jake and John were rounding up their spoils and smiled in grand glee.

"Let's hide the CavityBracelets."

"How?"

"I don't know, in our shoes or something."

"Why?"

"Can you please just do this?"

Jake still felt off about John but the biy was still his friend so he shrugged and stuffed the CavityBracelets into his hands before squinting at the discomfort.

"What is that?"

Jake had noticed it too. "I don't know."

"Let's move, it is getting close too fast than should be normal."

"Yeah sure." Jake just wanted to rest. So, he lay on his back and turned away from John whose had snapped back to the skies.

"We are done for."

"What are you ta-

***

Jacob and Andrew were making good progress as they ran. The bullets were becoming more muffled as they made quite some distance.

In fact, everything stopped at some point.

An hour had gone by and both boy's were drenched in sweat in on the ground, panting for breath.

"You think we lost them, maybe."

"Thanks for coming for me."

Jacob frowned, you really don't need to even mention i-"

The night suddenly grew darker to Andrew's eyes and the boy saw why his friend had cut his speech short.

***

Tumunomi Escaver had skulked the shadows while eliminating everybody he had to.

Chop to the back of the neck, hit to the windpipe before choking, shooting at point blank range and so on...

Moving between walls, climbing half ruined structures, crawling on his belly...

The boy had done all this until he found a tunnel with a winding staircase on the top of its interior that followed its bends and curves, to which he then jumped in after seeing he was not followed.

Sliding down, he landed on solid ground tiled with cement and a string of lights on both sides of the cylindrical walls.

Tumunomi Escaver only saw one oath, so he ran forward as silently as he could until he saw something he did not believe could be possible.

Anyways, he quickly ran back and traces his movements until he found his good friend cowering in the night.

"Patrick, after this you will be free, okay?"

The boy nodded as he finally raised his head.

"Okay, now I'm going to throw something at you and you must catch it okay."

He nodded again.

"But here is the weird part. After i thow it to you, you need to toss it vertically up and away, okay?"

He nodsed again.

"Good, Patrick. You are the best!"

Tumunomi Escaver patted the boy on the shoulders before laying still on the ground, 15 meters away.

10 minutes later, the ground rumbled in slow succession until...

POOOOOOOOOOOF

At least 50 meters of sand exploded out into he night sky, swallowing of sand, ruins of settlements and air that rushed in and Tumunomi Escaver smiled like he had just been adopted.

***

Jacob and Andrew saw tentacles that were as thick as trucks and at least 40 meters long. These things had a dime like body and head that was at least another 20 tall by 35 wide. The robotic structure that imitated an octopus had swam in the sand and camouflaged itself until it was too late for any resistance or escape.

***

Jake and John saw a mechanical 30 meter long structure which resembled a flying insect and was riddled with nuzzles which were at least 25 meters in diameter all over its boy. Its wings kept it aloft as John and Jake carefully did not move.

***

Tumunomi Escaver, on his end, saw a spider that was at least 45 meters. It's legs were only 15 meters when it landed, but while it had jumped in the air, he saw it as full 30.

Then, the boy timely threw an activated ShockwaveBomb at Patrick who had pissed his pants until he saw what was in his hands. Then the boy was going to toss it in the air, but Tumunomi Escaver saw the mechanical Spider throw itself to the side and begin rolling on its sides like tire.

So, he simply kicked off Patrick's chest 5 seconds before the bomb went off.

Thus, the unharmed Spider rolled over patrick a second after the ShockwaveBomb had gone off while Tumunomi Escaver had caught its rolling feet and was now moving aling with it.