Charlie leaned over White's body. "White?"
Suddenly, White's hand flew up and grabbed Charlie's neck, choking him. Then his eyes opened and he let go of Charlie, who fell to the side, coughing.
"Shit, that hurt," White said, grabbing his chest.
"You're okay?" Charlie asked, astonished.
White tore away part of his shirt, revealing another underneath. "Protective vest. Don't worry. It'll take more than one shot to bring me down for good." He slowly stood up. "Sorry about your neck. I thought you were one of them."
Charlie massaged his neck. "That's okay." A little neck pain was a small price to pay. For a moment there, he thought White was dead. He didn't know what he'd do if he was left alone.
"Are they still out there?" Charlie asked.
The light was dimmer than before, but there was still enough to see. White said that he didn't see anything, but pointed out that it didn't really matter. The aliens were good at blending in, especially in a place filled with trees.
"We have to get going," White said.
"I thought you said they could still be out there."
"We can't stay here. If we do, we're as good as dead. I'd like to take my chances elsewhere. Now, come on."
