Dr. Rudolph Steil hadn’t run in over twenty years. When he was a young man, he’d enjoyed running quite often to keep himself in pretty good physical shape. At the moment, though, the only shape he cared about being in was the kind that kept him alive.

He slipped on the underbrush, nearly losing his footing along with his hopes. Instead, he lost his glasses, as they slipped away from his nose and into the darkness of the now very blurry forest floor. He kept running. If he were to stop, there would be no need for glasses anyway. He’d be killed before even registering a final glance.

Besides, the comfort of one scientist wasn’t most important right now. He could live with losing his glasses as long as he didn’t lose the black briefcase he carried. Clutching it under his right arm as he weaved around trees and cut through thorn covered bushes, he was determined with all of his heart not to drop it. He couldn’t let it go, not until its contents were delivered to safety. Just stay alive until then.

“Steil!” a booming voice echoed not far behind him. “Stop! Don’t do this!”

Ironically, the voice didn’t sound angry or pleading, but almost taunting. There was a hint of a sneer behind the call, as if the one yelling it secretly hoped that Dr. Steil wouldn’t stop – that he would keep running, foolishly thinking that he might actually get away. After all, for the hunter, the fun was in the hunt.

The figure who was chasing Dr. Steil through the forest was joined by another man, striding just a step or two behind him. They both were younger than the scientist and, judging by their pace, in significantly better shape. They seemed to glide through the foliage and over downed trees with an ease and fluidity that suggested they’d done this many times before. They didn’t need to say much to one other, but kept their eyes on their target.

Ahead, Dr. Steil gasped violently, his lungs mining for more oxygen to keep him going. He dared not look back for fear that he would stumble again, go down and be down for good. Sweat-soaked grey strands of hair fell down into his eyes. Pair that with the fact that the sun had almost completely set, and it wouldn’t be long before this little jaunt would be cloaked in total darkness. However, he considered that might not be such a bad thing. True, he’d be running blind, but his pursuers would be blind also, leveling the playing field.

After about another twenty yards, Dr. Steil’s energy reserves were spent. He halted, heaving with his back against a tree trunk wide enough to shield him. He dreaded this, but he had no choice. His legs were shaking violently, nearly cramping, and his heart felt like it was on the verge of bursting. He held the briefcase up near his face and gave it a quick inspection.

“Hold on,” he breathed quietly into the cool evening air. “Just hold on.”

After gulping down two deep breaths, he held the third, listening for the footsteps of the two men following. He didn’t hear footsteps. Instead, he heard a swift thunk in the tree trunk right next to his right ear.

Instinctively, Dr. Steil ducked his head as chunks of bark hit him in the side of the face. Then, two more quick thunks right above him where his head had been. Bullets. They were shooting at him.

He heard no explosions of gunfire, only felt the tree seemingly nudge him forward, urging him to get going.

Dr. Steil pinned the briefcase against his body and took off once again – to his left this time instead of straight ahead, hoping to throw off his pursuers. Adrenaline took over completely now, as he ignored his exhaustion and increased his pace.

“Steil!” one of the men yelled in the distance.

The sun had set, and Dr. Steil could barely see five feet in front of him. Trying to run quietly was no longer an option. He grunted as he rolled and thumped and scratched violently against the passing trees. He knew his time was almost up, but he had to get the briefcase to safety.

Without warning, he broke into a clearing. It was a large, almost perfectly circular meadow nearly 50 yards in diameter. Coolly illuminated by the moonlight and thousands of fireflies glowing like tiny far away beacons, Dr. Steil could see clear across to the trees lining the other side. It would almost be a peaceful spot to stop and watch the stars if he weren’t preoccupied.

As he galloped into the waist-high grass, he caught what he thought was another bullet whistle past his ear. He let out a yelp and immediately dropped to his stomach. After a second or two, he started to crawl.

Dr. Steil was not a big man. Growing up, he’d wished he’d been a little taller, a little bulkier. But at the moment, he’d never been more thankful to not have a wish granted. The grass was tall enough to shield him fairly well. As he crawled, he managed to wriggle out of the brown blazer he wore and shed his neck-tie, which had started to feel more like a chain.

The two gunmen following came to a stop at the edge of the clearing, both leaning over with their hands on their knees, breathing heavily.

“Did you lose him?” one of them asked the other.

The one asking was the same one who’d shouted at Dr. Steil, the one who’d fired the first two shots. He was a few inches taller than his partner, and seemed to possess a lot less patience at the moment.

“I just had him a second ago,” wheezed the shorter gunman. “I might have hit him...I don’t know.”

“Well, why did you fire if you didn’t have a clear shot?” growled the impatient one.

“I had him! He just…disappeared.”

The shorter gunman started to take a step into the clearing when his partner grabbed his arm, yanking him backward.

“Are you crazy? Don’t go in there,” he almost whispered, still somewhat winded. “You know where we are?”

The shorter gunman blinked in confusion, and studied the clearing for a moment, scanning it back and forth. Then, his eyes slowly widening in recognition, he backed away cautiously.

“Yeah, copy. We’ll stay right here.”

Dr. Steil was still crawling – slowly, but moving nonetheless. He was so exhausted, he was barely clinging to consciousness. His throat burned as he sucked dust-filled air through clenched teeth, trying to stay silent. His muscles seized with each drag of his arms and legs. Still lugging the briefcase with one hand, he began to pray.

“Oh please, God,” he pleaded, quietly. “I don’t care what happens to me. Just don’t let them get the case. Don’t let them…”

His prayer was cut short. A bone-chilling, blood-curdling scream suddenly erupted from the trees on the other side of the clearing. Dr. Steil froze. The two gunmen behind him froze as well. They glanced at one another, then quickly reloaded their weapons and took aim at the trees ahead. The scream didn’t sound like that of someone in pain or frightened. It didn’t even sound human. Instead, it sounded shrill, angry, and monstrous.

“My god,” the shorter gunman breathed, still aiming his weapon straight ahead. “Is that it?”

“What else would it be?” his partner shot back. “We gotta get that case and get outta here.”

“Why don’t we leave now?” asked the shorter gunman. “If Steil is still alive, he won’t survive the night. Even if he does, he won’t get far out here. We’ll come back and get the case at first light.”

“No! We’re not leaving here without it. The scientist is out there and he’s tired of running. We’ll give him the rest he’s looking for.”

Still, the two assassins didn’t take one step into the clearing. They stayed fixed to the edge, weapons raised.

In the grass, Dr. Steil managed to roll over onto his back, wincing in pain. He lay there, looking up at the sea of stars, and let a wave of relief momentarily wash over him.

“There you are, my friend,” he whispered.

Another scream rang out from the trees – louder this time. It sounded closer. Dr. Steil shifted onto his side and peered around, cautiously weighing his options.

“Dr. Steil,” the impatient gunman called out in a composed but commanding tone. “We know you’re out there. I’m sure by now you’re well aware we don’t have time for games. You’re also aware that we’re not alone out here. Let’s just make this easy for everybody. Give us the case, and we’ll take you home. Don’t give it to us, and a bad night is gonna get worse in a hurry. You know what’s at stake here. I suggest you don’t do anything unwise.”

As the gunman spoke, he adjusted his grip on the firearm. His palms were sweating, but his focus was unwavering. He’d barely moved an inch. His partner, however, was starting to unravel a bit. His hands trembled ever so slightly as he tried to blink away the stinging beads of sweat streaming into his eyes.

There was movement in the woods on the other side of the clearing. All three men heard it. Something massive was cutting through the trees as they watched the canopy bucking and shifting under what appeared to be an immense weight. They were out of time.

“I don’t like this. I don’t like this. Let’s get outta here,” the nervous gunman said, shakily.

His plea went ignored. Instead, he addressed the invisible scientist in the field.

“What’ll it be, Doctor?”

With barely any strength left, Dr. Steil struggled to his knees. He was still panting, but he managed to get enough air into his lungs to answer his pursuers.

“Gentlemen,” he began. “I wish I could say that it’s been a pleasure working with you. However, I realize that all my pleasures have come from working with another. And he’s counting on me now.”

Though they still couldn’t see him, the two gunmen located Dr. Steil’s voice in the clearing. It came from near the middle of the meadow, slightly to their left. They swung their weapons in that direction.

“I know what it is you want,” Dr. Steil continued. “But I’m sorry. I can’t let you have it. It may be too late for us. But perhaps the ones who come after will learn from our many sins. Perhaps their eyes will be opened too.”

With that, Dr. Steil set his gaze in the direction where the monstrous screams had come from. He’d done his part. The rest was out of his control. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.

“Goodbye,” he breathed into the night air.

Springing to his feet, Dr. Steil took off running for the trees ahead. He held the briefcase in both hands over his head, letting the moonlight dance off of its silver edges.

The two gunmen immediately opened fire. Their silenced weapons seemed louder than ever as they pulled the trigger two, three, four times. It wasn’t until after the fourth shot that they noticed Dr. Steil just kept running.

He hadn’t even flinched. Were they missing him? These were highly skilled marksmen. There was no way they could have missed a target in the open. They fired again and again. Dr. Steil didn’t break stride, his untucked white shirt flapping behind him like a cape. From a distance, he almost resembled an apparition, gliding tranquilly through the meadow.

The gunmen stopped firing, bewildered. Looking quizzically at their guns and then at each other, words escaped them.

They considered bolting into the clearing after Dr. Steil, but hesitated when they finally noticed why he hadn’t fallen. In the moonlight, they could see their own bullets they had fired, behind Dr. Steil, safely suspended in mid-air. There were at least 10 of them, absolutely still like darts stuck in a dartboard.

The impatient gunman aimed and fired once more. This time, they both watched as that bullet joined the others, locked in its place in the seemingly invisible shield behind the retreating scientist. It appeared as though not one of them had even come remotely close to touching him.

Cursing, the gunman slowly lowered his firearm.

Dr. Steil was almost to the other side. For an instant, he wondered how he’d been able to make it this far. Had his pursuers given up? Were they extending some final mercy towards him? Nevertheless, no matter how much he was tempted, he didn’t glance over his shoulder to confirm his theory. He just kept his focus trained ahead.

When he was within seven strides of the outer edge, he clutched the briefcase by the handle, swung it behind him and heaved it with all his might toward the trees. The briefcase he’d protected so dearly left his hand and flew end over end into the dark outstretched arms of the canopy until it was out of sight.

“NO!” shouted one of the gunmen.

Dr. Steil didn’t hear the thud of the case hitting the ground, like one would expect. He didn’t have to wonder why. Finally coming to a stop at the edge of the clearing, he exhaled, closed his eyes again and whispered one last prayer.

As he did so, the bullets that had been suspended behind him were suddenly freed from their invisible bonds and exploded forward even faster than before.