Episode 5 - Unknown Mercenaries Part 1

The morning light filtered through the thick canopy of the jungle, casting a warm glow on the damp earth beneath. Ethan had barely slept, his mind running a marathon of thoughts. His friends, exhausted from the night’s watch, had managed to drift off, but for Ethan, there was no such luxury. The jungle was alive with sounds—distant rustlings, and the occasional call of a bird—but the constant weight of their danger kept him alert, even in sleep’s grasp.

He couldn’t ignore the nagging feeling that something important lay ahead, buried in the island’s depths, waiting to be uncovered. They needed information—something that would give them a way out. It was time to move.

Ethan rose quietly, careful not to disturb his friends. He pulled his makeshift knife from his belt and slipped into the dense underbrush. Liza stirred beside him, but Ethan had already made up his mind. He couldn’t afford to stay still.

"I'm going to scout the area," he whispered, though he knew it wouldn't stop her from worrying.

Liza’s eyes fluttered open. Her frown deepened as she caught sight of him. "Alone? Are you serious?"

Ethan only smirked. "We need to know what’s out there. I won’t be gone long."

Liza shot him an exasperated look. "You’re reckless, Ethan."

He crouched beside her. "Stay put. I’ll be back before you even miss me."

"Don’t count on it," she muttered under her breath.

Ethan chuckled as he stood, his eyes flickering back to the group for a moment before he turned and disappeared into the jungle, his heart set on the task ahead.

The humid air was thick with the scent of wet earth as Ethan moved carefully through the underbrush. His every step was deliberate, calculated. The heat of the day was already creeping in, but the jungle’s shadows kept him cool enough to think. He was searching for something—anything—useful. A safe place for his group, clues about where the pirates were, maybe even signs of the mercenary group that had passed through earlier.

Then he heard it.

Faint voices.

Ethan froze mid-step, his body tensing like a coiled spring. He crouched low, his breath shallow as he scanned the jungle around him. Through the thick ferns and leaves, he saw them—figures moving with a purpose. This wasn’t the chaotic, loud approach of the pirates. No, these people were organized. They wore dark tactical gear, and their movements were precise. They weren’t pirates, but they weren’t friendly either.

Ethan’s heart rate picked up. He needed to find out who they were and what they were doing here, but first, he needed to hide. Without thinking, he ducked behind a large boulder, his eyes never leaving the approaching group.

The group was close now. Ethan could hear their voices clearly, low and methodical. They weren’t looking for him, but he didn’t trust that they wouldn’t spot him if he didn’t stay out of sight.

The base, the one he’d been digging around earlier, was critical. Ethan knew it was important to the pirates—the map and the escape route it held. Ships came here for supplies. The base was their lifeline. If he could figure out how it worked, how it connected to the pirates’ operations, it might be their ticket out of here.

As he dug through the hole earlier, he’d uncovered something—more than just the base’s coordinates. There was a key piece to the puzzle buried here, one that the pirates, and now these new figures, might want. Ethan had hidden the map carefully, marking the exact spot where he would return to retrieve it. But now, there was no time.

The sound of boots on dirt grew louder. The voices were closer.

Ethan quickly shoved the map back into his jacket and slid it under a pile of leaves, making sure it was concealed. Then he dropped to his stomach, crawling quickly to a nearby tree, just as the group entered the clearing.

Ethan held his breath, pressing himself against the rough bark. He watched as the group moved with purpose, stopping right where he had just been digging. They looked around, scanning the area. Ethan’s pulse raced, knowing they must have sensed something was off.

“Start digging,” a voice barked. The woman in charge—her face sharp and cold—pointed toward the ground.

Ethan’s fingers curled into fists. They were digging right where he’d filled the hole. He hadn’t had time to cover it properly, and now they were going to unearth everything he had worked to hide.

Without a moment's hesitation, Ethan stood, making a quick dash for a nearby rock outcrop that gave him a perfect vantage point. He crouched down low, his hand instinctively reaching for the map he had hidden earlier. His heart pounded in his chest, but his mind was focused. He had to keep track of what they were doing.

From his vantage point, Ethan could see them clearly now—two men and the woman. They worked with intense concentration, unaware of the hidden man watching them from the shadows. Ethan’s stomach churned as he realized they weren’t pirates—they were mercenaries, possibly connected to the same shadowy network he’d seen earlier.

“Found it!” one of the men yelled, his voice tinged with excitement.

The woman stepped forward, brushing her hand across the dirt. “This is it,” she muttered. “We need to report this. The base location is confirmed.”

Ethan’s mind raced. The map wasn’t just a survival guide—it was a key to something bigger, something the pirates and these mercenaries both needed.

But just as they started to move away, something in the woman’s expression faltered. Ethan caught a glimpse of her scanning the area one last time. A shift in her stance, a tense moment when she looked around, and then—

“Where’s the rest of the information?” she snapped.

The group froze. Ethan’s heart skipped a beat as they realized what had happened.

“Check again,” the woman commanded.

The two men immediately went to work, their hands scraping the dirt away in a frantic search for something they hadn’t found. The woman’s face twisted in fury as she glanced back at the others. “Now it’s confirmed. Someone’s been here before us. And the hole wasn’t covered up properly,” she growled. “That map... it’s incomplete. There was more here, and it’s gone.”

Ethan’s pulse surged. He had to act quickly. The map he’d taken, along with the shipping schedules he'd discovered, were critical to the pirates—and even more so to these mercenaries. Without the rest of the information, they would be in the dark, and their operation would be compromised.

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