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tinkled again. “Will there be anything else, Jared?” His voice immediately dropped to a polite tone.
    It was enough of a cue for Jared to exit the store. “That will be all, thanks Duncan.” He smiled at the customers beside him, before walking out the door.
     
    *****
     
    “Ma,” he called out , announcing his arrival.
    “ Out here,” she yelled back.
    He followed he r voice to the backyard and found her in the garden picking tomatoes.
    She shook her head. “ It’s been a bad crop this year. They’re all almost been infected by worms.” She held up a hornworm infested tomato. “Disgusting!” she let out, before throwing it into the trash for incineration.
    “I’ve le ft a bag of flour and meat on the kitchen table,” he informed.
    She grunted. “I hate you going there. The longer it lasts the better.”
    Like always, she had refrained from calling it ‘the woods’. She was afraid for her son and Jared didn’t blame her. He’d had a close call today. He didn’t know how long his good fortune would last.  Two months ago, those three poachers had spotted him and they had died before they could kill him. But today, there was another. The young hunter had fled. And seeing he didn’t get anything other than the usual reception in Central, he had inkling he was safe. But these were early days yet and it would be foolish to draw quick conclusions.
    “Has Tara returned?” he asked, trying to divert the subject to something more placid.
    “No.” His mother bent low down into the ground.  “The lack of water is shriveling the fruit. Hopefully, they’ll rain the forest soon. At least, we’ll get some water from the brooks that run out of it. It’s hard as it is paying for tap water.”
    “Mother, why isn’t Tara back home, yet?” A muscle tensed in his jaw line.
    She didn’t answer but continued digging into the dirt by the roots of one giant tomato plant.
    “Ma!”
    “I don’t know,” she yelled back. “She’s working, Jared. She knows; I know, the longer she works, the more she is paid. The dirtier the job, the better the pay.  But it seems you are the only one who does not understand that enough!”
    “She’s been gone all morning. I don’t trust the Governor ,” he muttered as he walked back into the house. “I don’t trust any government hog.”
    “Where are you going?!” his mother panicked, rushing into the house, chasing after him.
    “I’m going to Callum’s Hill.”
    “No, you won’t!” she ordered. “We need that money. You don’t know-”
    “You want money?!” he snapped. “Here!” He slapped the seven hundred dollar bills onto the table. “That should suffice this month. I told you I’d protect the family, Ma. But I can’t do it if you or Tara keep defying me like this. You’ve got to trust me.”
    His mother stared down at the money on the table, her eyes blinking from the tears stinging them. “Jared please, don’t go. I get scared when you go near that place.”
    “You’re scared for me? What about Tara? She’s a woman. And females are not exactly safe whenever there are government or corporate officials lingering about.”
    “It’s different with you, Jared,” she muttered with frustration. “It’s hard to explain. If they found out…” she stammered, wringing her hands together.
    “I’ll be back, Mother,” Jared said flatly as he stepped out of their house. “With Tara.”

CHAPTER 3
     
    He cut down his pace as he neared the gates leading to the governor’s house. He didn’t want to seem like a rebel on the loose. No matter how much he hated the governor and all his political chums, he had long learnt to keep his emotions to himself.
    He approached the guards’ booth, giving them a slight friendly nod. “Hi.”
    “Can we help you?” one of the guards asked him.
    “My sister, Tara Ryder works at the governor’s house. I’ve come to collect her.”
    The guard scanned Jared with his eyes.  “What’s your name?”
    “Jared