Fallen Pt 17

Everything seemed to go black and hunter fought to stay conscious.
His head cleared and he heard the truck getting closer. He fought with his harness buckle and then dropped to the ground. The kart had landed on its side and Farren was suspended in his seat, unconscious. Hunter unbuckled Farren, who dropped to the ground with a thud.
Hunter dragged him from the kart, then hoisted him across his shoulder and ran into the woods as fast as he could. The truck screeched to a halt and men poured out and started chasing Hunter.
Adrenaline pumping through his veins he ran like never before. Farren jolted and jounced but didn't wake up.
"God make him wake up!" Hunter gasped. He could hear the sounds of pursuit fading into the woods.
Suddenly in front of him in the gloom Hunter saw a fallen tree. The roots had partly up ended creating a little cave. Hunter skidded to a stop and lowered Farren into the cave. Then he started dragging branches over the small opening. After a few minutes he could hear the pursuers getting closer. He crawled into the cave and dragged the last branch over the top.
Hunter lay in the bottom of the cave in the dark praying desperately.  He prayed for Farren, and that their pursuers would be blind to their presence. He was exhausted but there was no way he was going to get any sleep.
The searchers got closer and closer. Hunter prayed harder and harder.
Then they passed. For thirty seconds there was a man standing directly above Hunter and Farren looking right at them. Then he moved on.
Hunter lay there praying and thanking God for his protection.
There was another wave of men coming toward the cave. Hunter listened as they got closer and closer. One of the men jumped up onto the log. It shifted a tiny bit and dirt and sticks rained down on Hunter and Farren. The man stood there for a second and then jumped down and kept moving. Hunter brushed off the dirt from Farren and himself.
So far there had been at least two waves of men searching for them. The he heard the barking.
“I need to move!’ He thought in a panic. ‘The dogs will find us in a few minutes!’
Hunter knew he couldn’t move Farren far or long enough to escape the dogs.
“Farren!’ He hissed while shaking his brother.
No response.
Hunter could feel his brother breathing faintly but just couldn’t get him to wake up.
“Farren!” He hissed a little louder. Suddenly a clod of dirt fell from the earthy ceiling and glanced off Farren’s forehead. He coughed and rolled over.
Hunter almost choked for joy.
“Farren!” He whispered, “Are you OK?”
“My head hurts and so does my arm!” Replied Farren in a groggy7 voice laced with worry. Did we die? Why is it dark? Where’s dad?”
“Listen Farren,” Hunter interrupted the questions. “Can you run? We are being chased by bad guys and we need to run.”
Farren sat for a moment but then nodded. The dogs were getting closer and they didn’t sound too happy at having to get up at dusk and go chasing people around in the jungle.
The sun had set and Hunter and Farren had to feel their way out of the cave. They started off into the woods. They didn’t run like in the movies but trudged off at a steady pace. Ducking under and around vines and branches.
They could hear the dogs getting closer sometimes but most often they’re voices faded farther and farther. After a few hours Hunter splashed into a small creek, and turned to follow it. The water would help a little to impede the progress of the dogs. After almost another hour of trudging through the water Hunter was almost dead on his feet.
So much had happened in the last few days.
Realizing that he was almost ready to drop Hunter stopped to think. Farren bumped into him from behind and stopped too. He was too tired to talk. Hunter looked around him. It didn’t help it was almost impossible to see anything it was so dark. All there was to see was branches and vines anyway. Hunter thought about climbing into a tree. He felt around to find the largest vine. Farren follow me! He whispered. Using the last of his strength he scrambled painfully into the mass of vegetation above him. After he had climbed about ten or fifteen feet he stopped to catch his breath. Feeling around he ford a very large branch. He helped Farren onto the branch and then found another for himself. Every single part of his body hurt. He listened for a second but couldn’t hear any dogs. They must be far behind. Hunter didn’t think that the creek trick had completely thrown off the pursuit. That was the last thing he remembered thinking.