The water

I don't need water, not yet, Jade thinks as she moves in the indicated direction. But I will eventually, and it's better to get it now than when I'm **** for it. The supplies I need aren't going to just conveniently be there when I need them; I have to take what I can get. Like that, for instance.

Jade drops her old, dead stick and picks up a larger and thicker one, about five feet long. Better, she thinks. I've never had to defend myself like this, but I have to start thinking like prey. Even that guy back there would have tackled me and **** me if he'd had the chance. I never found out his name. Probably better that way.

Her stomach growls again. Jade resigns herself to the necessity, pulls out one of her food rations, and eats it, spitting out the mud from her fingers. I must be getting close to the water by now, she thinks, and begins to move more cautiously and quietly. The ground is soft and damp, and the leaves make less noise under her feet. I should be able to hear running water by now... a stagnant pond won't do me any good. Was he lying? Why would he do that? He had nothing to gain from it at that point. The trees are thinning... there's a clearing ahead.

Jade slows her pace, crouches down to stay covered by the bushes, approaches the edge of the clearing. The ground is marshy, mosquitoes and flies buzzing about. At first she thinks that it's a lost cause; she certainly can't drink any of this sludge! Then, she sees it; over on a swelling mound that pokes up above the marsh, a stack of several five-gallon water jugs.

I could get stuck out there so easily, she thinks. One wrong step and I'm mired in the muck, just waiting for someone to come and have his way with me. But there's got to be a way... they wouldn't have put it there without a way of getting it. Would they?

"Ow! Goddammit, that hurts!"

"Shut up, we need to be quiet!"

Jade freezes. The voices were come from a stand of tall grass close to the water jugs. She hears several slapping sounds, and realizes that the mosquitoes are feasting on at least two men lying in wait. Another advantage of this mud, she realizes. They can't bite me! But those men... they can do a lot worse than that.

She feels a curious sensation as she thinks of what they might do to her if they catch her... not exactly fear, more of a strange thrill, almost like excitement. That's crazy, she thinks. I don't want them to catch me! It's just the stress of the situation getting to me. I have to focus on the water... how do I get it?

She looks around the clearing, and sees something she hadn't noticed before - the camera towers. Of course, it's all being broadcast... I'd already stopped thinking about that. Wait, that might be the clue I need! That water wasn't just put there for my convenience, it's there because they wanted to **** a confrontation, something good for the audience. They'll have the cameras pointed where they know the action will go down. That means that there's a way in there that's easy to see, but there's something that will trip me up right where all the cameras have a good view. Those guys know about it too... they'll be waiting right where they can come out and get me. Let's see... there! That's got to be the path. And whatever the hazard is, it's right in front of that mound. So, now that I know about it... how do I beat it?