I remember having a long sleep. I even dreamed of the beasts chasing me again, and when I woke up with a gasp, Tara was huddled close to me, still naked, but snoring softly. My throat felt dry, so I pushed her gently aside and went back to grab one of the bottles. The curtains were sealed shut, but I peeked a little outside. The sun was dying orange, and it was casting gloomy shadows across the window sill.

After I emptied nearly half a bottle I had the urge to go sleep again, but I also wanted to probe around the ship. But this time I made sure not to wander along. Last time I walked away from Tara after having sex I ended up on an island.

I walked to my own room in my underwear and then slipped into the dress the Unet mods had provided. Somehow it fitted exactly my size, and I didn’t want to know how the bunch of moderators knew about my exact measurements.

The corridors at the end of the room led to a set of stairs that led upstairs to the deck of the ship. The open balcony gave a beautiful view at the sunset, but when my eyes wandered around I caught a familiar figure leaning on the balcony while smoking a cigar.

And fuck my life, our eyes met.

“Alex,” Maria gave a thin smile. “Want to join me?”

“No,” I said immediately. But then I thought about the no-kill ban. If I wanted to know something this was the best time. “Alright…just for a few minutes.”

She was dressed in a sleeveless red frock, something that showed a lot of cleavage as usual.

Who needs cleavage when I have seen the woman’s actual tits? I grinned mentally but made sure to keep a straight face near her.

“You smoke?” she asked.

“No.”

“Too bad, I’ve got some good stuff with me.”

We were silent for a moment, and I enjoyed the sea breeze mixed in with the odd smell of smoke. And then she spoke again. “The last rescue boat came back an hour later after all of you went to your rooms.”

“Did Hal come in it?”

“No, his signal suddenly disappeared. But want to know the funny story? The mods went to his last known location and didn’t find any body, not even a trace of blood. Marco and Hana on the other hand were found brutally killed. We still don’t know who did it.”

I stared at her. “Really?”

She didn’t look at me. Her eyes were staring at the distant horizon. “Yes, Alex. Really.”

“It’s really funny isn’t it? For Marco to set the beast on us and then die right there? The only person who would be crazy enough to go searching for them would be Hal, but if Hal kills them he breaks the rules.”

“Something in his plan went wrong…”

“And your plan went right. Your niece is dead. And you are alive. You can now go back to your house and enjoy all the luxuries of your dead sister.”

“Yes, I can. And I absolutely love it. And I’ll find that bitch Amy too Alex. She might be hiding in one of these rooms and I can’t kill her, but as soon as she steps into the open and the no-kill zone restrictions are lifted, I’ll be the predator.”

I didn’t care. I did what I could for the girl. If she had common sense then she would run the fuck away and gather whatever resources she can. Or probably hide until she has enough power to challenge Maria.

“I have one question.”

“Ask away, Alex.”

“Just who the fuck are you?”

I turned to her, and she looked at me. Keeping my gaze fixed, I continued. “You had the chance to kill your niece any time you wanted since you were an Elite player, you didn’t have to let me and Tara do the dirty work. And somehow you smuggled a fucking land mine into the island while we were frisked out of all our weapons. You aren’t even an Elite are you…” I paused. “You said your husband was involved in the creation of Unet. Maria…are you the creator of Unet?”

There was a dead silence, and her gaze pierced into me like a bullet. But at the same time I heard footsteps behind me, and I saw a man dressed in white approaching us.

“I guess it’s time to go,” Maria threw the cigar down and stomped it. “But to answer your question, no, I am not the creator of Unet. But I have a guess as to whom it might be. You even know that person Alex,” she stepped closer to me, until her cigar-smelling face was inches away from me. I felt her breasts pressing onto my chest, and her hands roamed my legs. “Once we are out of this boat, visit me sometime. We can have a nice chat about it.”

And then she turned and started walking. The guy in the white dress bowed to her and the two walked down the stairs like two business colleagues, muttering about something.

I watched her go, and at the same time, my phone buzzed. I grabbed it from my pocket to see Tara calling.

“You were gone once again,” she snapped. “I thought we were into some crazy shit again.”

“Nope. I was just enjoying the sea breeze. I’ll come to you.”

“Come down quickly then, your sister is in the room.”

My dick twitched with the thought of both girls waiting for me in the same bed. But my pause was greeted with an angry grunt. “Don’t get any ideas Alex, she’s just here to tell her plans.”

“Wait…what plans?”

The phone ruffled and I heard my sister’s voice. “Alex, want to go on a vacation?”

“What the fuck?”

“Come down, we have lots to plan...”

The phone clicked, and I dropped it back in my pocket. I enjoyed the sea breeze for a few seconds, then started walking down. Whatever the future holds, I’ll be ready for it, and I won’t be alone.