Fire & Flesh

by Kerri Carr

  “What? The beast?” Buzz asked. Had they lucked out already?

  “The waterfall.”

  Shit… “Check the wind direction.”

  “It’s in my face, don’t panic,” Jim whispered.

  “At least the forecast was right. See anything?”

  “Only water… and spray. Wait. Shit!”

  Over to his right, a bird exploded into the air, screeching alarm. Great. Well done, Jim. Buzz could hear the waterfall now. He had to be close.

  “Wait, I see something. In the water.”

  “What’s it look like?” Buzz asked, keeping his voice low.

  “It’s pale, swimming… it just dived… wait one… lost sight…”

  “Keep watching.”

  “It’s there. It’s back!” Jim’s voice was high, excited.

  Buzz rolled his eyes. “What’cha got, Jim?”

  “It’s… a girl.”

  Buzz frowned at his radio. A what? “Jim, we’re a hundred miles from civilization. Quit shitting me.”

  “It’s a fucking girl, Buzz. And she’s naked.”

  “I gotta see this.” Buzz hurried forward, compromising between stealth and noise. The trees parted ahead of him, opening out as the trail ended in a sudden drop to the pool below. He dropped onto all fours, pulling out his scope. The expanse of the pool lay below him, shallow at the edges, but darkening in the center.

  Must be deep. A pale sliver wriggled far below, diving into the darkness, to resurface ten yards away, throwing back her blond hair and pushing the water from her eyes.

  “Well, fuck me…” He reached for the radio. “Jim, you were right. I can see her.”

  There was no answer.

  “Jim? Can you hear me?”

  Nothing.

  “Quit screwing around, buddy. Where are you?”

  “In the land of Nod,” a soft voice said behind him. Startled, Jim barely turned in time to see the branch descend onto his skull.

  *****

  “We didn’t need two of them,” a woman whispered. Jim screwed up his eyes, fighting against the headache that threatened to blast his head apart. What the hell was happening?

  “What if one of them’s a dud?” another woman asked. “We could let the wrong one go, and be no further forward.”

  “You can’t assume they’re all going to be the same, Evie. One bad experience doesn’t—”

  “He was dirty,” the one called Evie snapped. “Diseased.”

  “And we spotted it before it was too late.”

  “We almost missed it,” Evie reminded her. “I almost got infected.”

  “Well, you didn’t. As long as we choose carefully—”

  “We’re not choosing them, Dawn. They keep coming to us!”

  “I know, but—”

  “We go to a lot of trouble to keep out of sight. Why do they keep coming back?”

  “You killing that bear might have something to do with it. The humans notice stuff like that.”

  “We’re a hundred miles from anywhere. Who cares about one old bear?”

  “The bear had a collar, which means they know where it is.”

  “Not possible,” Evie muttered. Her voice faded away. She was clearly stressed, Jim thought. But their discussion about choosing who to keep and who to let go concerned him deeply. And their claim to have killed a six-hundred-pound bear? Bullshit!

  “They found us,” Dawn reminded her. “They were probably hoping to find out what happened to the bear… isn’t that right, James Angus Cooper?”

  Jim reacted immediately. As the women had talked, he’d been able to build up a picture of the cave they were in, which way the waterfall was, and how many steps it would take to reach freedom—all with his eyes closed. His ability to map his surroundings had served him well in situations of total darkness, and now it would get him away from these crazy women. He’d already tested for restraints, and was amazed to find they hadn’t tied him in any way. More fool them. Even zip-tied, no-one could stop an ex-Marine when he decided it was time to leave.

  He leapt to his feet, roaring as loud as a grizzly—and promptly knocked himself unconscious on the low cave roof. The women cringed as Jim crumpled into a stunned heap.

  “Ouch,” Dawn breathed.

  “That’s gonna hurt,” Evie added.

  “So…” Dawn swung the dart gun to point at Buzz. “Do you need a health and safety lecture on low ceilings, or are you going to be sensible?”

  “How did you know I was awake?” Buzz asked, lifting his head to peer at them. With the cave mouth at their backs, he could discern little more than their silhouettes.

  “Your breathing picked up about seven minutes ago, right after numb-nuts over there. You’ve been listening to us ever since.”

  Buzz made a face of approval. “You ladies are good. How are your tracking skills?”

  The women exchanged glances. “We get by,” Evie supplied cryptically.

  “What did you use to bring down the bear?”

  “Adrenaline,” both women chorused, then laughed.

  “Funny,” Buzz grumbled.

  “He caught me unawares,” Evie confessed. “He tried to jump me when I was sunbathing.”

  “Sunbathing? Up in the mountains? Hah!”

  Dawn smiled. “Evie likes to stretch out on a rock and soak up the sun, don’t you, girl?” She ruffled the other woman’s short, sandy hair affectionately.

  “So are you two chicks an item?”

  “An item?” Evie chortled. “With her?” She bent over and feigned a series of puking noises.

  Dawn laughed. “She smells funny. I wouldn’t want to get too close.”

  “Smells funny? Says you who smells of wet dog.”

  “You see? We love each other really.”

  “Speak for yourself. I’m only here ‘cause I got no place else to go.” Evie folded her arms tightly across her chest. Considering how high in the mountains they were, the women were dressed lightly, as if it was a summer’s day. The smaller, slighter Evie wore Daisy Dukes and a white bikini top, while the curvy, dark-haired Dawn had longer shorts, but only a vest top covering her body. Neither woman wore shoes. Buzz shivered. How could they not be cold?

  “So what are we going to do with the boy genius?” Evie asked.

  “We should turn him loose. Do the usual, let him go back to his family.” She turned to consider Buzz. “This one we keep for now.”

  “People will be looking for us,” Buzz protested. “They’ll come looking, and they’ll find us. They’ll find you.”

  “No-one will be looking for at least a week,” Dawn said. “You’re out in the wilds, and without this…” she held up a small black device. “…no-one will ever find you.”

  “Hey!” His heart sank. How had they found his GPS?

  “You belong to us, now. Muhahaha…” Evie waggled her fingers at him. He sighed, out of ideas for the moment. But the dark-haired one couldn’t keep the dart gun on him forever. Sooner or later, she’d lose concentration, or fall asleep, and then he’d be gone, with or without Jim. He wasn’t restrained, so there was no way the women could catch, or stop him. He weighed more than the two of them put together, and most of his weight was muscle.

  “Okay, big guy,” Dawn said to the insensible Jim. She laid the gun aside and waved Evie over to where he lay. Buzz stared as both women turned their backs on him. He hadn’t expected them to fuck up so quickly. Cautiously, he rose to his feet, avoiding the low ceiling. Neither woman noticed. They were busy rolling Jim onto his back. Could he take them both down and help his friend? No, he decided. He’d be better off escaping, then he’d be able to bring back help, and cops to cuff up the women. If he was going to escape, now was the perfect time.

  *****

  Dawn bent over the unconscious Jim and pressed her ear to his chest. Buzz moved slowly, watching for loose stones on the cave floor. Ten steps would take him to the cave entrance. Once he started running, he would be unstoppable. The women ignored him as
he moved. Evie was whispering something into Jim’s ear. Buzz didn’t care what she was up to, as long as they were focused on something other than him.

  Five steps, four, three… Daylight fell upon him, warming his skin. He hadn’t realized how cold it had been in the cave. Two steps, one… He stepped outside, then slipped away and out of sight. Immediately, he started to clamber up the steep rocks surrounding the rock pool. He’d been carrying equipment when he’d laid down to spy on the bathing girl. Maybe he could find it. There was a hunting knife in the bag, which would be very useful, if not essential. Camouflage gear, too. He wondered if his buddies would consider him a pussy, running from two women. But Dawn had the gun, he reasoned. She’d have taken him down for sure.

  After a minute of hard climbing, he reached the top of the slope and cast around for his bag. There! But when he reached it, he was irritated to find it empty. Those women had ripped him off! No knife, no food and only the sun to guide him home.

  “Okay, so be it.” He set off, heading south at a run. Fucking crazy women! They’d have a hard time catching him now.

  *****

  “He’s getting away,” Evie said.

  “He won’t get far. We need to fix this one first, then we can have some fun chasing Mister Ron Lattier.”

  “Can’t we keep this one as well? For a few days at least.”

  “You saw him., He’s wild. They’re very difficult to placate, Evie. Remember Al Johnstone?”

  “Was he the one who tried to punch me?”

  “The same.” Dawn smiled grimly.

  “Who knew a guy could bleed so much?”

  “Mister Lattier is still wild, but he’s going to be easier to reach.” She tapped her temple with a finger.

  “So let’s get this over with. Tell Jim a few horror stories about this place and send him on his way.”

  “Not this time. These guys followed the bear to this place. I don’t want any more visitors, so Jim here is going on a life-long expedition through the Rockies, determined to find his monster. He won’t rest until he tracks it down.”

  Evie grinned. “Hunting forever? That would make such a great movie.”

  “Maybe one day, they’ll make it. Now…” She leaned close to Jim’s ear and whispered soft commands into his mind, insisting he almost caught his beast, but it eluded him. He was to return to his camp, resupply and head west, then south, tracking the object of his desire, even if it took him all the way down the Andes.

  “You will never rest,” she said. “Until you reach The Cape of Good Hope.”

  “What will he do then?” Evie asked.

  “Jim, you will realise the futility of your quest, and become a farmer. You will find peace by growing things in the soil.”

  “I love the way you do that.”

  “It’s my gift,” Dawn shrugged. “Same with yours.”

  “When I was a kid, I thought everyone had a secret gift. I was so disappointed when I realized I was the only one.”

  “Until you met me.”

  “And Frances.”

  “Yeah. I wonder what she’s doing now.”

  “Probably having kittens,” Evie said. The pair laughed.

  “Time to wake Jim up.”

  “And go catch Buzz Lattier.”

  “Ready?”

  ”Ready.”

  Dawn pressed her lips to Jim’s, then slunk away into the deep shadows at the back of the cave, crouching beside Evie as Jim stirred. He glanced around the apparently empty cave, spotted his dart gun, and staggered toward it, crouched over in the low cave. Dawn patted the top of her head and grinned at Evie, who did her best to stifle a laugh.

  “Who’s there?” Jim barked. Dawn rolled her eyes and shifted. A heartbeat later, Evie shifted too, hurling herself forward and filling the cave with terrifying noise.

  Jim fled for his life, flailing and stumbling over rocks in an attempt to get clear of the snarling creatures. He scrambled up the steep slope faster than Buzz had, and raced through the forest, yelling up at his god to plead for protection. A single purpose filled his mind. He needed to restock and head for the Rocky Mountains, where he was certain he’d find the creature that killed the bear. And if he had to do it alone, he damn well would, even if it took him to the ends of the earth.

  *****

  Evie overtook Buzz less than ten minutes later. He skidded to a halt as the big cat blocked his path, hissing her warning to turn back. When he dived to the side, she was faster, blocking his route, and driving him back the way he’d come. Deep down, he knew there was no possibility of outrunning a leopard, but his instincts drove him headlong, crashing through brush, bouncing off tree trunks and stumbling over roots in an attempt to escape—or at least to stay alive for as long as possible.

  He sensed the big cat right behind him, toying with his life before ending the chase with the slash of a claw. He didn’t dare risk a glance back. Every second was precious, every step vital. His breath wheezed in is throat as he pounded his legs desperately, praying for a miracle.

  And when the steep slope above the pool beckoned, he threw himself headlong, slithering past rocks and trees, howling as thorns flayed his skin. The ice cold water shocked him hard, jabbing spears of ice deep into his muscles. He hung beneath the surface, motionless, as thousands of silver bubbles wriggled back to the surface. Somehow he’d survived. Somehow, the leopard had failed to catch him, which was impossible. What was also impossible was the cat’s presence in the mountains. A leopard had no business in this part of the world—unless it had escaped from somewhere.

  He glanced up at the shimmering surface of the pool, knowing he ought to swim back towards the daylight, to where he would be able to breathe. But his muscles were unresponsive, and he had little inclination toward movement. After the insane chase through the forest, he was content to remain still, and sink slowly toward the bottom of the pool, however deep it turned out to be. He watched idly as the last of the bubbles wobbled past, heading where he ought to be heading. A small smile crept over his chilled face. He was content. He had no need to fight any more.

  He’d found peace.

  *****

  “Where is he?” Evie snapped.

  “Be still, he’ll be back up in a moment, you’ll see.”

  “He’s been gone forever.” Evie pressed her hands to her face. “I killed him.”

  Dawn chuckled. “He was running like the devil was on his back.”

  “I shouldn’t have acted so fierce.”

  “You needed to jolt his instincts, Evie. If you hadn’t, he might have tried to fight you, and that would have ended badly.”

  “It did end badly.” She indicated the quieting surface of their pool. Barely a ripple stirred. Even the bubbles had ceased rising.

  Dawn stroked her chin. “I guess we should see what’s keeping him.” She wasn’t overly concerned. The water was cool at the surface, and extremely cold further down. Such conditions kept drowning victims alive for much longer. She smiled as she remembered her former life, her human life, as a nurse.

  “He’s dead,” Evie wailed. “He’s dead, and it’s all my fault.”

  Dawn pushed down her shorts and peeled off her vest, both of which she’d only just put on following her shift. No sense in getting her clothes damp. Evie was still naked from her forest run.

  “If he’s in trouble, it’ll take both of us to pull him out.”

  “Come on, then.” As she waded into the chill water, she beckoned to Evie. The blond followed, biting her lip nervously. The moment the water reached her thighs, Dawn threw herself forward, and plunged in. Evie dived after her, fearful of what they would find in the depths.

  *****

  Buzz was easy to find. He hung motionless in the dim light, his arms extended to the sides. Dawn and Evie grabbed an arm each, and kicked their way back to the surface. When she was able to breathe, Evie fretted the entire way back to the nearby shore, despite Dawn’s assurances.

  “He’s not moving, Dawn. He’s not
even breathing!”

  “He’ll be fine, you’ll see.” She tried to sound casual, but her concern was real. What if they couldn’t revive him? They would have squandered a perfectly healthy male because she’d been over-confident. Of course they could persuade him to return, she’d told Evie. Of course we can get him to stay with us.

  The pair dragged him onto the narrow shingle at the edge of the pool, then rolled him onto his side. Dawn pressed down on his ribs. The instant the water trickled from his nose and mouth, he began to cough. His strong body shook heavily as he clawed his way back from the depths.

  “Oh god, oh god, oh god…” Evie moaned.

  “Evie, relax. He’s going to be fine.” Dawn rocked Buzz gently to clear the water from his lungs, ready to give him a helping squeeze if he needed it. The whole event took her back to her midwifery training. She felt as if she’d helped deliver a two hundred fifty pound baby.

  Finally, Buzz opened his eyes and lay on his side, coughing quietly and staring at the naked Evie.

  “What… why?” he managed.

  “You fell in the pool,” she explained, exchanging a glance with Dawn. “We pulled you out.” Dawn nodded.

  “No clothes?”

  Evie shrugged. “It’s tricky to dry stuff in this cold.”

  “You’ll freeze.”

  As Dawn dismissed his remark, she realized Buzz was shivering. “Come on, big guy. Let’s get you somewhere warm.” She winked at Evie.

  “Warm?” Buzz struggled onto all fours. “Where’s warm? You don’t…” he coughed, “…even have a fire going.”

  “We’ll go back to survival 102. Shared bodily warmth.”

  He managed a weak smile and coughed again. “Could be a lot worse I guess. Two beautiful ladies, warming me up.” He managed to push himself onto all fours. More water trickled from his mouth.

  “See,” Dawn said over his back. “Didn’t I say you were beautiful?”

  “Still don’t believe you,” Evie muttered.

  “You should,” Buzz assured her. Evie threw him a shy smile as his gaze ran over her body.