Agent Out of Time

A day turned into a week. The skies remained clear and our progress south was completely unimpeded by man or nature alike. I sensed that it wasn't to last though.

It was terrible to cast such a gloomy dispersion on such a positive vibe, as what we had going on in the present. When I had awoken this morning something just hadn't set well about the new day and as a result I had kept on my guard, even more so than usual.

I let Trent lead, while I followed in the rear with my rifle clutched in my arms. Trent had noticed and as a result he was more on edge than typical as well. Only Deshavi seemed oblivious to the tension of the day and I tried to purposely keep it so. Perhaps nothing would happen and everything would be fine and I was just having an off sixth sense day.

Yeah, I doubted that though.

Chantry had always said that one of my finest skills of being an agent was that I seemed to sense, when things were about to go wrong, before anyone else did. Surviving through the situations, that I had up till now, seemed to bear out the efficacy of that six sense somewhat. Truthfully though, I had been lucky more than anything else. It was one thing to sense danger ahead, but it was an entirely different set of circumstances and skills needed in order to deflect whatever curveball way the danger came at you.

My attention was drawn to Deshavi. She walked in between Trent and I and she was currently looking upward and making faces at the angry chattering squirrels whose pine grove we were trespassing in. She had really opened up over the past week and smiles had been a much more common appearance on her face.

I glanced up despairingly at the chattering squirrels and Deshavi must've noticed, "What's the matter? Don't you like squirrels anymore? You used to keep them as tame as pets around the house when I was growing up."

I shook my head, "I only did that for you and those were Idaho squirrels, these are Siberian."

"So? What's the difference? They're still just squirrels." She said not understanding.

How different and much harsher Siberia was then much of the rest of the world. There was a whole different set of rules in play here.

"In the deep winter, when food is at its scarcest these same squirrels that you're making faces at have been known to pack together and bring down large prey. They turn completely carnivorous in order to survive. Humans have been on the menu quite a few times over the years."