The Hunter

Claire did not give the two boys any time to look around or to gain their sea legs. Kane lifted Ben up out of the motor boat and directly carried Ben into a meagerly furnished room. He felt uneasy with the swaying of the boat as soon as his feet touched the ground and he looked up at Kane in misery.

“You will need to stay here, at least until we are further away. It is not unheard of for some of the more zealous island prisoners to swim out and get onto a Guard's ship. One of us will come and get you.” He told Ben.

Kane's voice and expression softened a lot after leaving Claire's side, though he was still intimidating. Ben gave a nod and watched the man turn away and leave. He did not miss the click of a lock sounding almost as soon as the door had shut. Finally he let his eyes wander and he walked around the small room several times to familiarize himself with it. There was no telling how long he would be here.

The room was basically what someone would expect to find on a ship like Goliath; it was cramped and lit by light that seemed almost fake. There was a bunk bed that took up one wall, a dresser that took up another, a toilet that was no better than a bucket connected to the floor, and simple basin sink in one corner. That was it. The floor was the only exception; there was a thin layer of fluffy gray carpet, which was the last thing Ben had expected to find on a boat.

He was starting to feel dizzy and off balance, so Ben wandered over to the bottom bunk of the ship and slumped down. After a bit of hesitation and wondering what had happened to Toby, Ben curled up on the bed and closed his eyes. He did not have much luck with actually falling asleep, but he did manage to clear out his mind slightly so he could doze.

A few hours passed, or at least, Ben assumed so, and he heard his door open with a click. Twisting his body around, Ben glanced up to find Kane had returned, this time bringing Mio with him.

“Sorry Ben, I know you must be bored out of your mind.” Kane smiled apologetically.

“And now you are getting friendly with this one too,” Mio grumbled under his breath.

Both Ben and Kane heard him, but neither paid him any mind.

“Where is Toby?” Ben asked uneasily.

“Claire wanted to start his training immediately, so he will be staying with her from now on.”
Kane explained as he presented Ben with a plate covered in tin foil.

It was warm to the touch, but not hot, so Ben took it into his grasp and pulled the foil off.

Underneath was a few chunks on meat, rice, and carrots. Seeing the carrots, Ben scowled, but still planned to eat them. Kane passed him a plastic fork and knife each before he took a step back.

“Mio here is in charge of everyone's health. If you are feeling ill or somehow hurt yourself, let us know immediately. All rooms are monitored at all times, so just call out for one of us.” Kane added.

“It must be hard on you,” Ben stated awkwardly when their conversation settled into silence.

“The only one that has any trouble is me!” Mio whined. “Claire only shows love to Kane and now Toby! I've been with them for two years now, don't you think I should at least be counted as a friend?!”

Ben blinked at the sudden cry of the Guard. He glanced up at Kane who only shrugged and backed away. Mio was not done with his rant, however, and went into a long winded and one sided conversation about how unfairly he was treated.

Ben pretended to listen as he picked at his food. He was still dizzy and did not have much of an appetite, but he knew he should eat. Mio was still whining by the time he had finished and did not give Ben a break until Kane returned quite awhile later and forcibly dragged Mio out. Even then, Mio howled and protested.

“See?! See what I mean?!”

Ben could not help but to laugh as the door shut and locked again.

This happened several times over what Ben assumed was the course of the next few days. He slept in the room whenever he grew tired or too bored and was 'entertained' by Mio. Ben would have thought that Mio would eventually run out of things to complain about or that Mio would grow tired of being the only one talking...but the man never did. At times Mio seemed to realize he must be being obnoxious, as his ears and cheeks would flush red and he would abruptly change the topic. Ben was grateful for him, however, as he did not get too bored and he also got to hear a little bit about Toby.

“Claire is already teaching him how to drive Goliath! I still haven't learned that!!”

“Kane and Claire took Toby to the lower deck and beat the snot out of him. They call it 'reaction training' but I think it is just hazing...”

“Toby's got too much energy, if it was me, I would stop picking fights with Claire all the time...No wonder he has to go through all this reaction training so early on!”

Ben would be a liar if he said he was not jealous of Toby, but he understood that their circumstances were completely different. Deep down, almost instinctively, Ben had a feeling that it was not just Claire and her men watching him meander about his room in boredom.

Finally a day came when Kane and Mio escorted Ben out of his room. They took him down metal hallways and up two flights of stairs to an observation deck. Toby and Clair stood in front of a huge computer screen that showed everything around them.

Hearing their approach, Toby spun around, his previously grim expression lightening up as soon as he caught sight of Ben. Ben felt a relieved smile on his own lips and he moved forward to greet Toby. Toby shifted as if he was about to step forward as well, but then he froze and hesitantly glanced at Claire.

“I'll allow it this time, pup.” Claire stated without looking away from the screen.
Toby did not look to her again and darted over to Ben, examining him.

“You're eating well,” Toby stated.

“You've been training hard,” Ben added.

At first glance, there was not much different about Toby, but up close Ben could see it. Previously Toby had been thin, lean, and fairly lacking of muscle. Now, however, he was still thin, but in the black, skintight suit he was dressed in, it was clear he was quickly gaining muscle. It had only been a few days and Ben could already see the difference. He was starting to feel distraught, lost.

Kane passed the two and went to stand at Claire's side. Ben peeked over Toby to look at the screen with interest. He knew he had no memory of screens or computers, but he knew what it was at a glance. Seeing his interest, Toby brought Ben over and explained.

“We are nearing the city. It will appear any moment now.”

Ben watched with interest, keen on seeing his new home-his old home- as soon as possible. At first, all he saw were waves reflecting early morning sunlight and haze in the distance. Soon, however, he began to make out dark, tall shapes in the haze. More and more rectangular buildings and spiraling towers began to dimly take shape. And then...the first boat appeared. And then another and another, all filled with people waving wildly at the Goliath as she passed.

The boats on the screen were nothing like the Goliath, looking more like the motorboat they had used to get onto the Goliath from the beach. Some had several stories, others were even smaller than the one the Guards had used. Often times Ben noticed they had been tied together to make large rafts. He watched them all pass with interest, but his eyes always returned to the huge city and coast line that they swiftly approached. He suddenly wanted to be back in his room listening to Mio complain.