***
Early the next morning, the four women spent most of the day prepping, planning, and creating all kinds of devices to hold these cans of sweet fruit. Shuffling back and forth between the great tree and the old building, by the time night drew in, their traps were set and ready. All they could do now, was hope and pray that the beetles would respond and take the bait.
Exhausted from the massive amount of work the women had done during the day, it didn't take long for them to fall fast asleep. By the time they awoke, much to their disappointment, their fruit juice traps were devoid of beetles. After an hour of discussing what else could be done, the ladies were still at a loss for a plan.
Raegan suggested that maybe it would take longer than one night for the beetles to be drawn to their fruity traps, but the others shrugged their shoulders, unsure of what else to say or do.
The women went on to discuss the horrible superbug flu that was sweeping its way across the country.
Jansa felt the negative energy and tried to change the flow. "Life always gives us these challenges. We can only do the best we can, but what's most important is that we never give up."
Later in the evening as the woman settled down by the fire, the wind began to pick up and the trees started dancing about again. The gusts seemed to be getting stronger and stronger as the evening went on, so strong that a whirlwind of beetles and leaves were being blown all about their camp. The women had to take cover by throwing clothing over their heads or by burying themselves in tents to avoid the beetles flying into their faces.
None of them had ever experienced such powerful wind. It lasted almost through the entire night, only slowing down about an hour before sunrise.
First up, early as usual, was Chaya. She found that the beetles had indulged themselves by the thousands and were drowned in the liquid of their homemade fruit cocktails.
"It's a miracle!" she yelled, running about and waking the others.
Raegan crawled out of her small tent and stumbled over to one of the containers. She too cried out, "I can't believe it…it worked!"
Jansa and Zaey ran about the camp in excitement. Zaey called to the trees, "We did it! Woo hooo, we did it!"
Jansa touched the high spirits tree and said, "I can't believe we pulled it off. I can only hope it helps, my dear friend."
Chaya announced, "It's a miracle!"
The women took their containers full of dead critters back to the lodge and burned the carcasses, hoping that the things wouldn't ever bother these amazing trees again. "We did our best," Chaya announced.
"We have to go back and say goodbye, though," added Jansa. The women were all for it and hiked their way back up to the high spirits tree one last time.
It was there they said goodbye and took pictures by the beautiful gift from Mother Nature.
Zaey had a moment of love she had to share. "I want you all to know, as your sister, always remember I loved you all yesterday, I love you all very much today, and I will love you even more tomorrow." This trip had made her feel very emotional to say the least.
The others also felt the love. As they placed their hands together in a circle of friendship, Raegan did the talking. "Sisters for life, ladies. It's time to get back to the perilous fight. Freedom on three…one…two…three…"
All the Mystical Slayers called out in unison, "FREEDOM!"
***
As their time in the woods came to an end, the ladies began their hike out. It was about halfway back to their flyer when, out of the woods, a wild pig jumped out at the women.
Zaey screamed as she jumped back, banging into Chaya.
Raegan yelled at the tusked beast, "Rahhhhhh! Get out of here!"
Grunting as if in anger, it came right at her.
Grinding its jaws together and throwing its head in Raegan's direction, the pig's sharp teeth looked ready to dig into her flesh at the earliest opportunity.
Raegan dodged to the right as it charged at her, and all the other women circled the thing, screaming and yelling at it to back off.
It span around in a crazy circle before running at each of the sisters one by one, squealing and grunting with each attack. It didn't look to be fully grown, yet it still probably weighed a good two hundred pounds.
The pig charged forward and bit Chaya in the ankle. "Ahhhhhh!" she cried out, instinctively bending down to inspect the wound .
Raegan hollered, "Kill the damn thing before it chomps on anyone else!"
Chaya pulled an axe out and ran at it, smacking down towards the wild pig's head, but the thing was too fast; she missed. Next, the pig charged at Raegan and jumped up at her waist, its drooling mouth snapping at her skin.
She punched it away and leaped up on a tree branch so it couldn't get at her.
Jansa screamed, "Oh my God! Will somebody just get rid of it!"
Zaey leaped through the air at it and landed a kick right in the side of its head. The pig landed on its side and squirmed as if it were stunned, but within a few seconds, it was back on its feet and ready to go again. With its beady eyes speaking of nothing but rage, the pig hurled itself right at Zaey.
The women yelled and screamed and ran at the pig in an attempt to frighten it away, but it continued its pursuit of Zaey. Just as the beast launched itself forward to lock onto its target, Chaya lambasted it right in the center of its skull with her axe.
As the wild pig dropped to the ground, Chaya screamed loudly, "Yeah!" She then looked at her fellow sisters and said, "Anybody up for a little roasted pig?"
The others replied in unison, "Yuck!" and "Hell no!"
Leaving the pig behind as a meal for a lucky scavenger, the women finally made their way out of the redwood park. The flight home was full of chatter, laughter, memories, and time spent patching Chaya's ankle. It sure had been one heck of a getaway!
***
Everyone at the vineyard was glad to see the women return so they could get things back to normal.
In the days that followed, word started spreading that the superbug was said to be dying out. The news was music to their ears.
Raegan said to Jansa, "I have a question for you, Miss Jansa. I can't help but think about when we spoke to the tree and how she revealed that those beetles were eating her forest. Do you think that, by us miraculously helping them, the windstorm perhaps pushed the flu right out of the air? I mean, maybe it was a gift in return for us helping the trees."
Jansa nodded her head at those words, seemingly thinking the same thing. "I was trying to wrap my mind around it, too. I think you may be correct."
Raegan countered, "But is that even possible?"
Jansa raised her hands to the heavens above. "Anything is possible when it comes to nature and God. The planet has been here a whole heck of a lot longer than we have, and it always seems to heal itself no matter what we humans do to it. A little intervention by us perhaps triggered the response. I don't know for sure, but I like to think of it as a definite yes. Mother Nature answered our call in response to us helping her."
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Jansa lowered herself into the bathroom's large tub and eased her curvy body into the warm water, her naked skin illuminated by the soft glow of candles she'd placed around the room.
The warm water felt so good, and to be clean after a long trip was refreshing to say the least. Feeling massaging hands slipping over her weary shoulders, she let the tingles of relaxation seep through her body. Sighing, she looked up and tilted her head back, only to have her curly hair pushed aside by Darren.
In no time at all, Darren's naked body was sliding into the water beside his lover.
Jansa placed her hand over the muscles on his chiseled chest. She liked the feeling of his body against hers. As their lips finally met, both felt like the moment was long overdue.
"Let me wash you," Darren said. "Let me run the sponge all over your wet body."
Jansa smiled. "Go ahead. I was kind hoping you
'd say that."
He then slowly eased the sponge about her shoulders and down her back, gently slipping to her front and caressing her breasts. He stopped to kiss her neck over and over again, and then their lips met in a sweet passionate kiss.
He slowly soaped her body before lifting her out of the tub and carrying her to bed.
"I missed you," he said, lying down beside her. "I don't think I've ever missed anybody as much as I missed you," he added.
Jansa purred in pleasure. "It feels so good to be back in your arms," she replied. "I could get used to this…I really could."
Darren's fingers then danced over her ribcage and up under her arms, ticking her. "Don't!" she squealed. "Stop!"
Darren laughed. "Ticklish, are we?" he teased.
***
Later in the week, Raegan gathered all the women together to talk on what would come next. She wanted to get to this Jerry Bends woman in Washington and had a good idea of how to go about it.
She knew such a dangerous trip would have to be extremely well planned out. A bunch of tough women such as these sisters couldn't just show up in the region; they would certainly be noticed, which is how the "family idea" had come to her in the first place.
Jerry Bends had inspired Raegan, giving her hope and reminding her that if she didn't believe in the cause herself, no one else would.
The entire sisterhood had been on a break, so it was high time they got back out there. Late nights and days spent hanging out were well and truly over.
She addressed the women at the chapel.
"Ladies, you can't hang out with the owls all night if you expect to soar with the eagles in the morning." All the women paid close attention. "That was just to get you all to focus!" Raegan said, smiling.
She then went on to explain everything she had in mind, and the others added their thoughts as well.
As was planned earlier, Raegan, Jansa, Darren, Sun, and Victory would go together as a mock family unit.
As the plans started to take shape, Raegan couldn't help her past experiences from seeping to the forefront of her mind. Perhaps she could finally have a shot at the ultimate revenge on Mayor Wesley Warns. She had never told anyone about the "dreaded evening," yet she remembered it all too well.
While in Washington, some of the other sisters would make their way to New York. Not only were they secretly planning their part in the golden ticket winner being awarded vice presidency, they were using the opening of the death match games as their cover story.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
The games were about to begin. New York was the place, and spectators from around the country dropped everything in order to get to the show. This would be a Corporation venue right in the center of the city. It was a very big deal.
Of course, it was all for publicity. The new creation of the Y-Corporation, the dark-haired cyborg woman who went by the name of Aliah, would woo the crowd with her micro-chipped martial art skills and combative AI.
Those that were defiant to the Y-Corporation were used as opponents to showcase the woman's fighting prowess.
"YOU WILL OBEY OR DIE" was the traditional Corporation slogan, but as of late, when the new order came in, Y-Corporation became its preferred name.
Aliah, the company's new marvel, was the first of their updated specimens when it came to death match competitions. Aside from her, the robotic metro police that patrolled the playing arena today, were also new.
Corporation drones watched over the crowds from above, and a new creation, the tiny dragonfly insect searchers, zoomed about the arena to provide extra sets of eyes on the event at hand. The Y-Corporation's top human assistant, Aaron Steele, was also in attendance to represent the Corporation.
Large television screens placed at various locations around the stadium made several broadcasts regarding the promotion of the Corporation. When it was announced that the highly nutritional Bloom Bars were on sale in the arena and that the last golden ticket was yet to be found, a mad rush of people crowded into the hallways to make their purchase.
Each person hoped they would be the one to find the remaining golden tickets. Everyone wanted to try to make their mark on the world and become the vice president of Y-Wood.
The second promotional announcement of the Bloom Bars was made by Mr. Steele himself. He stood with a large speakerphone in his hand and called out to the huge crowds, "Ladies and gentlemen, the final golden ticket is yet to be found. It's here today!" The manic queues grew even longer as even more people rushed to the stalls for their once-in-a-lifetime chance to find the last golden ticket.
This was set to be a very big day for the Y-Corporation, and for everyone else attending for that matter. In order to make the day even more exciting, the short and nerdy Mr. Steele went on, "Today, good people of New York, we're proud to offer the first ever youth matches as part of our beloved death sport. Place your bets now. A large sum of cyber money will be heading straight into the hands of our youth winner. It's going to be a thrilling competition."
While some looked about in shock at the news that kids would be fighting to the death, others seemed undoubtedly excited to witness the young ones go at it. The various youth handlers and coaches, however, had known about this new event for quite some time already.
This was to be quite a day for young Victory. The pretty blond would finally get her debut fight, and boy were the spectators in for a surprise. With her looks, one would assume she was as soft as a kitten, but that couldn't be further from the truth. After months of training with many of the Mystical Slayers, Victory had put in more time with Mahira than most of the other girls put together.
The money would be nice for the sisterhood, but the real reason for their attendance was all about the golden ticket; today was the day that the winners would be announced, and the title as the new vice president was due to be made official later in the evening.
The old Yankee stadium was already full as the death matches got under way.
There were fights with criminals and fights with seasoned warriors, but nothing compared to the hype of the Corporation's new champion.
She was beautiful, and for those that knew, not fully human. The word was out about this new and exciting challenger, and the anticipation to see her in action was growing fast.
After a few earlier bouts, her time had come.
As she made her entrance into the arena, everyone fell silent. No one was too busy chatting or off buying Bloom Bars or anything else; they all wanted to see the amazingly fit woman who had dazzled the crowds at her prior smaller events. Rumor had it, she was special.
Armed with a single sword, she strode out across the stadium and looked about her watching audience with the brightest of green eyes. Aliah's name became the audience's main chant as she made her way forward. "Aliah! Aliah! Aliah!"
Each member of the crowd stood on tiptoes, chairs, and on each other as they tried desperately to get the best view of this new Corporation phenomenon.
Wearing a narrow metal breastplate and black leather pants, her sexiness was on show for all to see. Y-Wood, of course, had planned it that way. It was a well-thought-out product with world-class enhancements that only a mega rich employer could afford; she was the prototype cyborg of the new age and people went nuts over her.
Never ones to disappoint, the boys at the top had played it well in pairing her with the weakest of opponents.
A man accused of theft was first. He was older yet solid enough to carry an axe. As always, missile or firearms of any kind were not allowed in these events. People wanted action, not quick and easy long-distance kills.
His heavily scarred face was framed with a mass of hair that looked like it hadn't been washed or cut in years. Pushing his long brown bangs away from his face, he lifted his axe up and ran at Aliah.
Fully empowered with the highest of AI and microchip implants for top-spec martial arts and battle tactics, she stepped aside from his first three axe swings
. The crowd roared in delight as she swayed and danced like a cobra with a smile on her face. The thief yelled his war cry and swung again at the woman in rage. She ducked under his wild attempt and sliced her blade into his upper thigh.
Her jovial expression suddenly changed as a serious demeanor took over her entire being.
She drove her sword into the dirt surface at her feet before beckoning to her adversary.
With no weapon, she awaited his next volley. She raised her hands high in the air, offering the man a free cut, and the crowd cheered louder than ever.
He growled and charged in for the kill. But as he swung upward, she slipped back at an angle and cartwheeled away from the sharp axe. He ran at her again and tried to chop her head off, wielding his axe like a madman. Aliah ducked his swing and somersaulted across the ground, springing back to her feet behind him.
As the filthy man spun around to launch his next attack, she kicked her sword into the air with a toe under its cross guard and caught it as it sailed back down to her waiting hand. The audience hollered their approval.
Aliah then threw her deadly weapon full force into the man's chest. He instantly stopped in his tracks and slouched to the ground. The shouting, cheering, and banging from the crowd rose to a deafening pitch.
Aliah was not a sideshow attraction. And, as planned, she never fought more than one match per day. She left the crowds begging for more as she headed out of the arena. They chanted her name over and over again when she came back out for an encore.
Surprisingly, but much to the delight of the crowd, the woman would fight again—right then and there. They'd never seen a beauty with such skill, not since the one called Mahira from years ago. The crowd loved what was going down.
This time, her match-up was with two men. What they had done to deserve this fate was anyone's guess, but both men were solid, rugged looking guys. One had a spear, the other had two swords, and both wore helmets and heavy plates of armor about their bodies.
HOPE BRINGERS (Strong superhero women) (Mystical Slayers Book 2) Page 20
