Nemesis - Book 3 of the Hunted series.

Chapter 7 - Something strange in the water

I was woken again early that morning and grumbled as I dressed, exhausted, but we all looked equally buggered. It was five, apparently we'd slept in a little, and it wasn't till six before we were dressed, packed, fed and able to stumble down to the hotel's front to collect the car again.

Savannah got in the front seat and I climbed into the back with Nick, yawning, curling up again and watching the city fade. It was a pretty incredible city, I couldn't deny that, I wouldn't have minded spending more time here. It was rough, gritty, but so energetic, even this time of the morning. The roads were starting to get traffic again, people walking around, maybe beating the heat that was already threatening to come back with the humidity. There was a huge park in the middle of the city too, nothing like central park in New York, but one winding around a small mountain, filled with palm trees, tropical plants, looking like you could get lost in the mountain if you went off the grassy areas.

Those same mountains edged around the city too. Not only that but there was a huge lagoon in the middle.

This place was incredible. I leaned against Nick, yawning, watching it pass by. He cuddled into me. Both of us were so curious about this place now that we'd forgotten about napping in the car. Into a tunnel, under some of those mountains, and somewhere in there I fell asleep.

We suddenly pulled off the road, honking waking me, and I saw Clayton leap out of the four wheel drive. I blinked around me, sleepy, confused, seeing him chase after someone. Savannah was quickly after him, following.

"We're to stay here." Nick told me. He still wasn't asleep. "Clayton smelt someone."

I watched where Clayton had gone and saw what he was chasing. Or rather, who he was chasing.

Daniella.

She saw him and took off, but just for a moment, before she appeared to 'trip' and was helped up by some tourists next to her. By the time she stood up Clayton had gotten there and was leading her back to the four wheel drive, ignoring the honking or the 'no park' sign... I assumed that was what it meant...

Nick slid over to the middle, Daniella was pushed inside the back seat, her bag thrown into the back carelessly.

"Reece is looking for you."

She scowled at me and crossed her arms. The child safety lock clicked on before she thought to get back out but I wondered if she would. She wanted to hunt them, we were going in that direction, and she seemed to settle down as she glanced at the GPS.

"We don't have time to put you back on a plane." Clayton snapped, pulling us back onto the road, his eyes fixed onto Daniella. "Do what I tell you."

She didn't answer, kept her arms crossed. Bundle of sunshine, this one, Reece was right. There was something very wrong with her right now.

Nick snuggled into my side as we started again through the city. City gave to highways and factories, reminding me of any other city I'd seen, highway cutting through the real Rio. I yawned and shut my eyes, falling asleep again.

We pulled up an hour out of the city so Savannah and Clayton could swap places. I yawned and checked my phone, texting Reece to let him know Daniella was with us, checking on the alpha's general location. Paige had added another phone to my tracker program thing, which meant she could check it too, great news if I lost this phone. That had to be Ray and he was still in the city somewhere. She'd sent me a message confirming that he received x amount of messages from these numbers and was tracking them all, as well as his movements.

In other words, mobile phones were scary devices, and I suddenly decided I didn't really want one anymore. My kids were getting two each the second they could walk.