Chapter 50 Chapter 48 Detention

With the hissing of the siren, the red and blue lights rotated. Before the soul came to this place, such lights and sounds had only one meaning, the law, the vigilante and the punisher of the outlaws. Now, too, the flashing lights and angry voices have only one meaning.A very similar meaning, still a vigilante, still a punisher. hunter. Now such sights or sounds are not as common as before, only in traffic accidents or other emergencies do you need the help of the police, and the task of the police is not to enforce the law.Most public servants do not have a car with a siren, unless it is an ambulance or fire engine.

The sleek little car behind us isn't for any accidents, it's a pursuit vehicle.I've never seen a car like this, but I know exactly what it means. Jared was stunned, his foot still on the accelerator.I could see that he was thinking of a solution, a way of overtaking them or evading them with this battered van—hiding our broad white figures in the low, sparse desert scrub—that wouldn't take them away. lead to the people behind.At the same time, no one can be sacrificed, and now we are very close to the others, they stop, oblivious to it. After two seconds, he gave up his disorganized thoughts and let out a breath.

"I'm sorry, Man," he whispered, "I screwed up." "Jered?" He reached out to shake my hand, let off the accelerator, and the car started to slow down. "Is the pill here?" he choked out. "Yes." I whispered. "Can Mel hear me?" Yes.She whimpered back. "Yes." My voice almost turned into a cry. "I love you, Mel, I'm sorry." "She loves you more than anything." There was a brief, distressing silence. "Xiao Man, I care about you too. You are a good person, Xiao Man. You deserve more than what I give you, and you should be better than this."

Between his fingers was something very small, too small to kill. "Wait." I gasped. He can't die. "Man, we can't take any chances. We can't outrun them, not with this car. If we try to escape, hundreds of them will come after us, think of Jamie." The delivery truck slowed down and ran aground on the shoulder of the road. "Let me try it," I begged.I quickly reached for the pill in my pocket, held it between my thumb and forefinger and lifted it up, "Let me try to lie to get over it. If something goes wrong, I will swallow it right away."

"You can't fool a hunter!" "Let me try, hurry up!" I pulled down my seat belt, squatted beside him, and helped him unbuckle his seat belt, "Change seats with me, hurry up, before they get closer to see clearly." "Xiao Man" "Just try once, hurry up!" He is good at split-second decisions, and he climbed out of the driver's seat smoothly and quickly, and climbed over my crouching body.When he took my seat, I straightened up and sat in his. "Seat belt," I commanded tersely, "close your eyes and turn your head away."

He does as I say.It was too dark for me to see his movements clearly, but his new, soft pink scar was clearly visible from this angle. I buckle up and lean my head back. Lying with my body is the key.It is simply a matter of propriety to act.Imitate, like the actors on TV shows, only better, like humans. "Help me, Mel," I whispered. I can't help you become a better soul, Man, but you can.Help him, I know you can. A better soul, I just need to be myself. It's late at night, I'm worn out, and I don't need to play that role. I lowered my eyelids and let my body slump in the seat.

Remorse, I can show remorse, I feel remorse now. I grinned down the corners of my mouth and made a shy grimace. The hunter's car wasn't parked behind us, and I could sense that was what Mel was thinking.The car was parked across the shoulder of the road, against the flow of traffic in the driveway, and the blinding light of another car shone through the window.I blinked against the light, and deliberately raised my hand slowly to block the light on my face.Dodging the strong light of the reflector, when I looked down, I vaguely felt that there were stars in my eyes, and those star points were jumping back and forth on the road.

The car door slammed shut, and someone came across the pavement with the sound of muffled footsteps.Because there was no sound of dust or rocks, the hunter must have come from the passenger side.At least two people, but only one, came up to question me, which was a good sign, portending reassurance and confidence. My shining eyes are a magic weapon, a compass that will never fail, like the North Star, unquestionable. Using my body to lie is not the point, using my body to tell the truth is enough.I have something in common with that kid in the park, a creature like me is unprecedented. The hunter's body blocked the light, and I could see again.

It was a man, probably middle-aged—his features contradicted each other, making it difficult to guess his age.His hair was all white, but his face was smooth and unlined.Wearing a T-shirt and loose sports shorts, the short gun hidden in the bottom pocket of the pants is clearly visible.He had one hand on the butt of his rifle and the other held a flashlight, which he didn't turn on. "What's the problem, miss?" he asked me a few feet away. "You're going too fast and you're in danger." His eyes flicked here and there, quickly scanning my expression—I hoped for a drowsy look—and then, following the delivery truck, into the dark space behind us, then forward, illuminated by our headlights. The highway, and finally back to my face, his eyes repeated the same route.

His worried look made my palms sweat, but I tried not to sound panicked. "I'm sorry." I apologized loudly, and I glanced at Jared, as if checking to see if our conversation had woken him, "I thought well, I probably fell asleep, I didn't expect to be so tired. " I managed to force a rueful smile, knowing I sounded too blunt, like those overly cautious actors on TV. The hunter's eyes looked around again, this time resting on Jared.My heart beat painfully in my chest, squeezing the pill even tighter. "I've been driving for so long without sleep, I don't have a sense of responsibility," I said immediately, trying to force a small smile again, "I thought we could drive to Phoenix and then take a rest, I'm so sorry."

"Miss, what's your name?" His tone was not harsh, but not gentle either.Nevertheless, he understood my intention and lowered his voice. "Leaves of Grass of the Sky." I used the name of the last registered inn.Would he want to check my records?I should probably give him somewhere to verify. "Flowers growing upside down?" he guessed, moving his eyes back and forth. "Yes, it's me." "My wife too, do you live on an island?" "No," I replied quickly, "I live on the mainland, in the middle of the great river." He nodded, perhaps a little disappointed. "Can I go back to Tucson?" I asked, "I think I'm pretty wide awake now. Or maybe I should take a nap here first" "No!" he cut me off with a louder voice. Startled, I jumped up, and the little pill that pointed to me slid down.It hit the metal floor with a faint clang.I felt like the blood was draining from my face, like it was unplugged. "I didn't mean to scare you," he apologized immediately, his eyes still looking around for a moment, "but you shouldn't stay here." "Why?" I whispered, my fingers clutching the air anxiously. "There was a disappearance case recently." "I don't quite understand, missing?" "It might have been an accident but it's possible" he hesitated, unwilling to say the word, "there might be humans in this place." "Human?" I screamed, very loudly.He heard the fear in my voice and interpreted it in the only way he could understand. "There's no proof yet, Blades of Grass, no one has seen or otherwise. Don't worry, but you should keep going to Phoenix without unnecessary stops." "Sure, or maybe Tucson? That's closer." "There is no danger there, you can continue with your travel plans." "If you're sure, Hunter" "I'm sure, just don't stray into the desert, flower," he said with a smile.The smile warmed his face and made it look kinder.He's like every other soul I've dealt with.Not worrying about me, but worrying about me.He did not look for the lies in my words.And, even if he did, he probably wouldn't be able to tell that it was just another soul. "I didn't mean to." I smiled back at him, "I'll be more careful, I know I can't fall asleep now." Through Jared's window, I glanced at the desert outside the window vigilantly, That way the hunter thinks that fear keeps me on my toes.I tense up when I see a pair of bright lights reflected in the side-view mirror. At this point, Jared's spine was also tensing, but he was trying to maintain a posture that seemed too rigid. My eyes quickly returned to the hunter's face. "I can help," he said, still smiling, but looking down, fumbling for something out of his pocket. He didn't see the change in my expression. I tried to control the muscles in my cheeks and try to relax them, but I couldn't concentrate on relaxing myself. In the rearview mirror, the headlights are getting closer. "You can't use this very often," continued the hunter, rummaging in the other pocket, "of course, there's no harm in this, otherwise the healers wouldn't have let us give this out, but if you use it frequently, it will change your sleep cycle, here you are, Lucid Lotion." The lights slowed as they approached. Just drive away like this, I pray in my heart, don't stop, don't stop, don't stop. Let Kyle drive.Melanie added that her words were like a prayer. Don't stop, just drive away.Don't stop, just drive away. "Miss?" I blinked and tried to concentrate: "Hmm, sober dew?" "Just suck this in, blades of grass." He held a small can of white spray in his hand and sprayed a mist into the air in front of my face.I obediently leaned forward and took a puff as I glanced in the rearview mirror. "It smells of grapes," said the hunter. "It smells good, don't you think?" "Very fragrant." Immediately, I felt refreshed and more focused. The huge truck slowed down and stopped on the road behind us. No!Melanie and I called out at the same time.I searched the dark floor for a moment, hoping to catch the little pill, but I couldn't even see my own feet. Hunter glanced absently at the truck, then waved it on. I looked back at the truck too, with a forced smile on my face.I couldn't see who was driving, my eyes were a bit blurred by the headlights. The truck didn't move. The hunter beckoned again, this time more clearly. "Go ahead," he said to himself. Drive away!Drive away!Drive away! Next to me, Jared clenched his fists. Slowly, the truck started shuddering, and in first gear slowly passed between the hunter and our car.The reflector lights on the hunter's car showed the silhouettes of two people, two black figures, both facing straight ahead, and the person sitting in the driver's seat had a hooked nose. Mel and I both let out a sigh of relief. "how do you feel?" "Very clear." I told the hunter. "This one expires in about four hours." "Thank you." Hunter giggled. "Thank you, Blades of Grass. When we saw you speeding on the road, we thought we might catch a human. I was sweating, not from the heat!" I shudder. "Don't worry, you'll be fine. We can escort you to Phoenix if you want." "I'm fine, you don't have to bother." "Nice to meet you. I look forward to telling my wife when I get home from get off work that I will be thrilled to come across another green plant bloom." "Well, send my greetings to her, 'The sun is shining and the sun is long'." I translated the most commonly used greetings on the planet of flowers into the language of the earth and told him. "I will, and have a good trip." "Have a nice evening." He walked back, and the reflective light hit my eyes again, and I blinked hard. "Turn it off, Hank," Hunter said, covering his eyes, and turned to his car.It was dark again, and I forced a forced smile at the no-show hunter named Hank. I started the engine with trembling hands. The Hunter was faster, and the police car with the incongruously colored lights on top roared into motion.It made a quick U-bend and all I could see were the car's taillights, which quickly disappeared into the darkness. I turned the car back onto the road, my heart pumping hard to pump blood into my veins, and I could feel my pulse throbbing through my fingertips. "They're gone," I whispered, teeth chattering suddenly. I heard Jared swallow his breath. "That's pretty scary," he said. "I thought Kyle was going to stop." "me too." Neither of us could speak louder. "The hunter believed it." He still clenched his teeth anxiously. "yes." "I won't believe it. Your acting skills haven't improved much." I shrugged, my body was very stiff, and my whole body moved together: "They can't help but believe me, I am, this is impossible, something that shouldn't exist." "Incredible stuff," he agreed. "Fantastic stuff." His praise melted the frost in my heart and blood. "Hunters aren't that different from everyone else," I murmured. "Nothing particularly scary." He shook his head slowly: "There's really nothing you can't do, is there?" I do not know how to answer. "You're going to change everything by being with us," he continued talking to himself. I could feel his words breaking Melanie's heart, but this time she wasn't angry, she was relieved. You can help them.You can protect them better than I can.she sighed. The slow-moving taillights of cars did not startle me when they appeared on the road ahead.The lighting is familiar and reassuring.I picked up speed to pass them, and I was just a little bit faster, a few miles short of the speed limit. Jared pulled the flashlight out of the storage box, and I knew what he was going to do: reassure them. Jared shone the light on his eyes as we passed the cab of the truck.I walked around him and looked out the other side of the car window.Kyle nodded to Jared and took a deep breath.Ian leaned eagerly beside him, his eyes on mine.I waved and he made a face. We are getting closer and closer to a hidden population. "Should I drive all the way to Phoenix?" Jared thought for a moment, "No, they might see us again when they turn back, let's stop. I don't think they're following us, they're only concerned about the road." "No, they won't follow." I was sure of that. "Then, let's go home." "Go home." I agreed wholeheartedly. We turned off the lights, and Kyle, who was following behind, turned off the lights too. We were able to drive both cars directly into the cave and quickly unload them so they could be hidden before daylight, the small piece of rock jutting out of the entrance wasn't enough to hide them. I rolled my eyes, trying to figure out my way in and out of the cave.That's the big mystery I've never solved, Jeb is crafty. Sly—like the directions he gave Mel, the lines he drew on the back of her photobook, the lines never led anyone to the cave where he was hiding.Instead, they let the follower circle around his secret cave, giving him enough time to decide whether to invite someone in or not. "What do you think happened?" Jared asked, interrupting my thoughts. "what do you mean?" "A recent disappearance mentioned by the hunter." I stared blankly ahead: "Is that referring to me?" "I don't think what happened to you is recent, Man. Also, they didn't monitor the highway before we left. This is a new change. They're looking for us, here." He narrowed his eyes, but mine widened. "What are they doing?" Jared burst out, punching the dashboard hard, and I jumped up. "Do you think Jeb and the others did something?" He didn't answer, just scanned the starlit desert angrily. I don't get it, why would hunters search for traces of humans just because someone is missing in the desert?Accidents are inevitable.Why did they come to that conclusion? Why is Jared so angry?Our family in the cave wouldn't do anything spectacular, they wouldn't be stupid enough to do something like that.They don't come out unless there is an emergency. Or they think the situation is urgent, when necessary. Did the doctor and Jeb do something while I was away? Did Jeb just agree to stop killing people and souls while I was with them? "Are you okay?" Jared asked. My throat was choked and I couldn't answer.I shook my head, tears rolling down my cheeks, down my chin and onto my legs. "Maybe I'd be better off driving." I shook my head again, I could see clearly. He didn't contradict me. I wept silently along the way, and we reached the hill that concealed our sprawling cave.It's really just a slope—a nondescript jut of volcanic rock, like any other, dotted here and there with slender wood-tar bushes.and pearwood with flat, prickly leaves.Thousands of grasses on the rocks were lost in a mess of loose purple stones.In some places, there will be smoke coming out, curling black smoke. I got out of the van, leaned against the door, and rubbed my eyes.Jared came and stood next to me, he hesitated, and put his hand on my shoulder. "Sorry, I didn't know they were planning to do this. I don't know anything" But he only thought so because they were somehow caught doing it. The rumbling truck pulled up beside us, the sound of two doors slamming shut. "What happened?" Kyle asked first. Ian was right behind him.He looked at my face, saw the tears rolling down my cheeks, and Jared's hand on my shoulder, and then he rushed over and hugged me, pulling me into his arms.I don't know why this made me cry harder, I hugged him tightly, tears soaked into his clothes. "It's okay, you did a good job, it's over." "Not the hunter, Ian," Jared said, his voice unnatural, his hand still on my shoulder, though he had to lean forward to maintain that position. "Ok?" "For some reason, they were monitoring the road conditions, as if the doctor did something while we were away." I felt creepy, as if I could taste silvery blood in my throat for a moment. "Uh, those" Ian was so angry that he couldn't finish the sentence. "Nice job," said Ian in disgust, "a bunch of idiots. We've been away for weeks and they've got hunters out on patrol, and they might as well tell us—" "Shut up, Kyle!" Jared said grimly. "This is not the most important thing right now. We have to unload things quickly. Who knows how many people are looking for us? Let's take some things in first, and then find some more." Someone to help." I broke free from Ian's arms so I could help, and the tears didn't stop.Ian stood next to me, and I lifted a heavy case of soup from a can, and Ian took what was in my hand and exchanged it for a large but light box of pasta. We went down the steep path, Jared leading the way.It was dark, but it didn't affect me much. Although I was still not familiar with this road, it was not difficult to walk.Straight down, then straight up. Halfway through the journey, a familiar voice came from afar.The sound echoed in the tunnel, intermittently. "They're back, they're back!" Jamie yelled. I tried to wipe my tears away with my arms, but I couldn't reach anywhere else. The bright blue light gradually approached, and the person with the flashlight ran, and the light shook accordingly.Then Jamie jumped into view. His face startled me. I managed to compose myself to greet him, expecting him to be in high spirits, I didn't want to upset him, but he was depressed.His face was pale, his expression was tense, his eyes were red, and there were streaks of tears on his dirty cheeks. "Jamie?" Jared and I called him, dropping the box on the floor. Jamie ran straight up to me and put his arms around my waist. "Oh Man! Oh Jared!" he cried. "Wes is dead! He's dead! The hunter killed him!"