In the distance, the hunt in the forest was still raging.

It was too far away to hear any screams, but the roars of wild beasts echoed through the trees.

Tarquin glanced down at the numbers glowing on his wristband.

Over fifty illegal poachers had slipped into these woods-now, more than half of them were dead.

Only twenty-two left.

Not a flicker of surprise or sympathy crossed Tarquin's face.

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes, he thought. They brought this on themselves.

He tapped his wristband, switching to the navigation screen, and started trekking toward the lodge. There were still a few dozen poachers back at the house waiting to be dealt with.

The forest was wild and thick. No trails, just tangled roots and brambles everywhere.

Lucky for him, Tarquin was no stranger to the wilderness. With his digital map guiding him, he found the old cabins soon enough.

The elders' cabins were a circle of eight wooden lodges, each one snug against the next.

All two-story, all built from sturdy oak, all practically identical.

Six of the elders had a place of their own. Elysia and the kids shared another. The last was a communal storeroom, stacked with supplies and food-canned beans, jerky, crackers, peanut butter, and all sorts of homey essentials.

strung with twinkling fairy lights. The glow was soft, not

shimmered like tiny fireflies, wrapping the cabins in a gentle

the deep woods, the sight gave

and the kids inside

ready to

Suddenly-

He stopped dead,

it: he'd just stepped

move and he'd be blown to

close to the cabins. The elders were all legends in

planted it. Waiting for him to

him. His eyes darted toward

was quiet. Too quiet. He stood there, one foot pressing

scared-just a little

numb leg), he finally spotted two elders

a crisp white tracksuit; the other, a

air about them-men you didn't mess

him?" one asked,

it," the other

who they were. He called out, "Hey Quincy.

the mine. Walter was a notorious

were out of the woods at the moment, and he'd already met

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