She was in too deep for any obstacle to sidetrack her objective. She needed the confirmation and did not hesitate to use her next available weapon. Ten nerve-wracking minutes under the boiling sun she managed to carve a small hole with a pocketknife, just enough for her pupil to peer through. Bette wiped the pouring sweat off her face and focus in. The face of the child was unmistakable. A jubilant toddler with her golden tan and matching curly locks animatedly try to sing along with her mother.

Bette hitched a breath to still the aching lump about to consume her heart. The child face brought painful reminder of what she grieved for; a child that would have been about the same age and look as such. Her eyes shifted and glued to the back view of the woman in search of the unforgettable. There were traces of familiarity in her voices and composure yet the distinct physical features made Bette doubtful.

The slender and soft body she once held contrasted the physique of this woman. Bette could make out the sculpted arm and back muscles under her white shirt. The woman was too defining in her built to resemble the tone and lean figure that her wife possessed. She was confounded though, by the uncanny resemblance of their voices. It was inconspicuous to the ears yet her eyes confirmed the truth or did it?

She waited eagerly for the woman to turn around without realizing it. She didn’t know why but her heart beat nervously in anticipation. The young child suddenly wiggled out of the woman’s hands and ran toward the house. The woman stood up and about to chase after her daughter but stopped. Bette’s eyes were keeping watch on the woman and gotten mesmerized by a glimpse of the woman’s smile.

“Are you two having fun out here?” A strange voice broke her revere and turned her face ashen in recognition. There she stood the one within Bette’s reach. All her thought turned deadly. She reached for the small pistol strapped around her ankle. The shot would surely alert their field agents of her location but she did not care. It was her golden opportunity and she will gladly use it. Two shots were all she needed, one to pierce the fence and the other for the woman. Bette raised her pistol and aimed the projectile, her eyes on the prize.

“Nana…” The child’s voice iced her intention. She saw the girl ran happily into her nana waiting arms. Her finger froze on the trigger; her ruthlessness finally met its limitation. Her worst fear came true. She agonized with the decision and chose to let go, this time. She would spare the woman’s life because of the child.

“Hi mom, what are you doing home so early?” The affectionate greeting for the woman crushed all notions. Her mother, that woman is her mother. That fact denounced whatever inkling she may have. Bette dropped back down on the ground in defeated as their family scenes unfold. It was an error in her judgment to cater to her imagination. She had to regroup and flee this dangerous ground quickly.

“Drop it.” Too late, her mistake was gathering its consequence. They were already onto her but she had been blind sighted by false emotion. How is she going to escape her way out of this situation? Bette intended to fight back as her hand held tightly to the pistol.

Pfft….Thud…

She saw a glint from the barrel of her rifle as it came down hard. She black out from the pain of the hard blow to her neck. Remarkably, her last conscious thought was the sweet sound of the child and her mother laughing. She smiled to herself and darkness quickly gained control.

TBC…