Read The Rat Collector: A Dystopian Thriller (Age of End Book 1) for Free Online Page A

Vince came or not. If something bad did happen, he would never forgive himself. Also, he was almost certain that this man was just a figment of Saul’s imagination. It was best for him to keep an eye on Saul, to make sure he did not get into any real trouble. “Okay, I’ll come. Just give me a minute.” He changed out of his pajamas and into warmer clothes. Saul helped him through the window, and they walked back towards the woods.
    As they walked, Vince pulled out two hunting knives. “I brought these.” He unsheathed one of them and examined the blade. It was dull, but it would have to do. He clipped one to the side of his belt and handed the other to Saul. “If anything happens, we’ll be ready.”
    Saul held the blade up in the moonlight, admiring its metal glow. He had never held a hunting knife before. “Where did you get these?”
    “They belong to my father. He uses them to hunt. These ones are old.”
    They approached the woods and Saul pointed. “That’s where I saw him. Right there.”
    “Right here?”
    Saul nodded.
    “I don’t see anything. No sign that anyone was here.”
    “Do you see tracks or anything like that? Something we could follow?”
    Vince briefly looked around. It was dark, but his eyes had adjusted. “I don’t see anything. What did you say he looked like?”
    “I didn’t get a good look, but he was tall and skinny. He wore a tight black suit.”
    “What kind of suit?”
    “I don’t know. I’ve never seen anyone wear clothes like that before. He looked strange.”
    “So what do you want to do? We have no leads, no trail to follow.”
    Saul threw his arms in the air, both disappointed and frustrated. “Do you think I’m lying, Vince? I know what I saw. There was a man in a suit standing here, watching us.”
    “I don’t think you’re lying. I just find it a little hard to believe. Maybe you were imagining things.”
    “I was not imagining things.” Saul pointed deeper into the woods. “I saw him go that way. Let’s keep walking. Maybe we’ll find something out there.”
    Vince did not argue. He was not in the mood to argue. This was something Saul needed to get out of his system, and then they could go home. As they trudged deeper into the woods, Vince peered up at the tall trees. The branches and leaves were growing thicker as they walked. The moonlight faded with each step they took. And then he noticed a small rectangular box perched high up in the branches. It looked like metal and had a round stubby piece on the front. He pointed up. “What is that?”
    Saul followed his finger up the tree and saw the strange box. “I don’t know.”
    Vince scratched his head. “It’s not part of the tree. It’s made of metal or something. Someone must have put it up there.”
    “How would anyone get up there? That tree’s impossible to climb.”
    Saul was right. The tree was ten times taller than the one they were climbing earlier, and the stepping branches were scarce. There was no way anyone could get up there.
    “I don’t know but…Wait! Did it just move?”
    Saul looked at Vince. “Move? It’s a hundred feet up in the air. How would it move?”
    “I saw it move.”
    “You’re just tired. You’re seeing things.”
    Vince strained his eyes, waiting for it to move again, but it did not. “You’re right. I am tired. And do you know why? Because you woke me up in the middle of the night to go searching for an imaginary man in a suit. I let you have your fun, but let’s face it, we’re not going to find anyone out here. Can we just go home?”
    “Soon, I promise. Just give me a few more minutes.”
    As they continued further into the woods, Saul frantically turned his head, looking for any signs that the man in the suit existed. Vince followed closely behind, observing Saul, rather than their surroundings. After several minutes with more of the same, they both stopped to rest, sitting on a nearby log. They stared into the darkness as an ominous silence