Claws

by Ricky Sides

  “If you’d rather not talk about it, I understand.”

  “You’ll have to promise me that you won’t mention what I’m about to relate to you to anyone else. Not even Vinnie’s family will be given the full story. It’s just too gruesome to relate to them.”

  “Of course. I’d never say anything to jeopardize your team, or cause mental anguish to his family,” Patricia assured him.

  Jerry solemnly nodded his head, and said, “We were staking out the woods near Alcorn. Vinnie was our electronics expert. We’d set up surveillance media in the form of motion detectors and cameras. Something activated three of our motion detection sensors in rapid succession. Three of us left Vinnie in the van and entered the woods to try to locate the animals that had triggered the electronic alarms. We entered the woods and made our way to the zones of interest, which were located a few hundred feet inside the forest, west of the parking lot for the production facility.”

  Jerry frowned again, and then he said, “This next is conjecture on our part. An educated guess based on the evidence we saw later and Vinnie’s known habits.” He paused and gazed at Patricia to make certain that she understood. When she nodded her understanding of his stipulations, he continued, “Vinnie must have opened the back door of the van, so that he could smoke. He had been known to do that in the past when I wasn’t inside the vehicle. We found a cigarette butt stomped out behind the van. There was a strong wind last night, and we think it blew the door wide open and Vinnie got out of the van in order to close the door. When he got back inside the van and closed the door, he realized another motion detector had been triggered and he pulled up an associated camera image. We know that because it was on his computer monitor. The photograph depicted Vinnie outside in the process of closing the back door. It also revealed three cats jumping inside the van while Vinnie had his back turned.”

  Patricia noticed that Jerry’s hand was shaking as he reached for his beer. He took a sip and gazed into her eyes, measuring her response to what he had revealed thus far. He noticed the paleness of her face and nodded in understanding.

  “Vinnie was wearing a voice activated radio. We all were. We use them on missions like this, so that we can keep our hands free. When the cats attacked him, we could hear his screams.” Jerry paused and lowered his gaze to the floor. “He was calling for us to help him. I can still hear him screaming in terror and pain. We ran as fast as we could, but by the time we reached the van, it was too late. Vinnie was dead. He… He died hard. I’ve seen casualties before, but nothing like that. They went after his eyes, nose, face and throat in the confines of the van. He never had a chance, and it was my fault.”

  “Oh?” asked Patricia, speaking for the first time. “How so?”

  Nodding to indicate that he was responsible for his man’s death, Jerry responded, “I gave Vinnie strict orders not to smoke in the van. If he hadn’t opened the door to smoke, the cats couldn’t have gotten inside.”

  Patricia frowned. She was puzzled by what Jerry had told her, so she said, “You don’t strike me as the anti-smoking sort who protests the moment people light up a cigarette around you. Why were you so strict on smoking inside the van?”

  “The smoke contaminates your clothing and other gear. It’s a liability. Even humans can detect the odor on you, but animals are even more sensitive to the smell,” Jerry explained.

  “So by ordering a no smoking policy in the van, you were in point of fact trying to ensure that your team wasn’t detected by the dangerous cats?”

  “It’s not that simple,” Jerry said.

  Patricia shook her head in disagreement. She responded, “I think it is. It seems to me that you’re being a bit unreasonable. What happened to Vinnie was tragic, but no one could have foreseen the cats getting inside the van.”

  “I don’t know, Patricia. You may be right. One part of me agrees with you, but another part keeps seeing his body, and that’s the other reason I think it’s time to step down from the military.”

  “Do what you want in that regard. I’d like to have you in this area permanently,” Patricia stated with a warm smile. “But I don’t think you were responsible for Vinnie’s death, and I certainly don’t think you should torture yourself over it.”

  They spoke for a few minutes longer as Patricia replaced the old bandage on Jerry’s wrist. He showed her the guest bedroom and the bathroom, and then excused himself so that he could contact his team.

  He walked to the kitchen to make his call because he got his best cell phone reception in that room of the house. Jerry learned that his men had safely arrived with their hazardous cargo, which was being unloaded by a team of men who knew the hazard the animals represented. The sergeant assured him that they would soon be leaving to go to their hotel, so Jerry bid them a good night, stating that he would be turning in soon.

  In the living room, he sat on the sofa, waiting for Patricia to finish up in the bathroom. He wanted to check on her finger before turning in for the night.

  As he waited, he turned on a radio and listened to a local station. WDRM, 102.1 F.M. was situated just on the outskirts of the eastern side of the city of Athens. Since the crisis had begun, Jerry had taken to listening to the station frequently because they were often first to air news stories concerning the area.

  A country love song was playing when Patricia entered the room in a light gold, silken robe and house shoes. Smiling, she said, “You like country music? That’s good. I love it.”

  Jerry really didn’t care much for country music, but he decided on the spot that if it made her smile so prettily, he’d damned well learn to like it. “I enjoy the banter between Dan and Dingo,” he explained, “But they work the day shift.”

  Jerry moved over on the sofa making room for her to sit beside him near the gas heater that warmed that portion of the house. She sat down and kicked off her shoes. Pulling her legs up onto the sofa, she tucked them under her body as she twisted around so that she sat facing him. Jerry observed that she had performed that maneuver with a fluid grace.

  Patricia held her right index finger up for him to inspect. The cat had clawed the outside of the finger, just behind the second knuckle. He studied the wound, noting that it was a shallow cut that wouldn’t require stitches. They had cleaned the wound at her house and the bath she had just taken had further cleaned it. He treated it with a topical antibiotic ointment and then placed a small bandage on the wound.

  “I don’t know how much cover you’re accustomed to using, but there is a blanket and another comforter in the bedroom closet on the shelf,” Jerry explained.

  “I’ll be fine with what’s on the bed. The room is a bit colder than my room at home, but you’ve got heavier cover on the bed already,” she explained. “What time do you plan to go back to Athens in the morning?” she asked.

  “I thought we’d leave here at 7:30 in the morning. By 8:00 A.M. the guys should be ready to begin our mission,” he explained.

  “Then, I think I’ll sit up until my hair dries,” she responded.

  “I’d best get a quick shower myself,” Jerry said. Getting up, he paused and said, “If you’re hungry, there’s food in the fridge.”

  “I’m not hungry, but a cup of hot chocolate would be wonderful,” she stated, wishing she had thought to bring her mix so she could make a cup.

  Grinning, Jerry said, “Top right cabinet, but not the small one over the sink. It’s the big one over the countertop.”

  “Great, I’ll fix us both a cup,” she replied.

  “I’d like that, thank you. I’ll only be a few minutes,” Jerry said and walked out of the room.

  Patricia found the hot chocolate mix. She rinsed out the coffee pot, removed the old filter from the machine, and then filled the reservoir with water. She would heat the water with the coffee pot, and then add it to the mix in the cups.

  She was just placing the hot chocolate on the coffee table when Jerry emerged from the bathroom in a pair of jogging pants and an old sweatshirt
that had the sleeves cut off. “Aren’t you cold?” she asked as she gazed at his bare arms.

  “I’m comfortable,” he replied. “The past few days I think I’ve built up a tolerance for cold. Of course, I’ve been out in the weather a lot.”

  They sat down on the sofa and enjoyed their hot cocoa. When they had finished the hot drinks, Patricia snuggled against Jerry’s side and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He reached up to touch her hair and smiled as his fingers ran through the silken strands. “It’s almost dry,” he observed.

  “Yours is dry already,” she replied and ran her fingers through his short cropped, dark brown hair.

  Leaning his head lightly against hers, Jerry said, “Thank you for talking to me about Vinnie. It’s not something I could discuss with the boys, and I don’t really have anyone else that I can talk to about something like that.”

  “Jerry,” she said in a soft voice. Reaching up to his face, she gently turned it toward hers. “It really wasn’t your fault, and I hope you come to realize that soon, because when you’re hunting those cats you don’t need to be distracted by such thoughts.”

  Jerry kissed her then, and as they kissed, he felt a passion for Patricia that he hadn’t felt so acutely for a woman in a long time. He wanted her, but he had promised to be a gentleman, so when they broke their embrace he said, “It’s almost midnight and I’ve got to get up early to fill out reports on what’s happened today. I guess I’d better get to bed, but you’re welcome to watch television or listen to the radio if you like.”

  “I guess I’ll go to bed too,” she said getting to her feet. She slid into his arms and looked up into his eyes. “Thank you again for rescuing me tonight. You and your men risked your lives to help me, and I want you to know that I appreciate that,” she said and kissed him again.

  “I’ll leave the bathroom light on tonight, so you can see to get in there during the night if you need to,” he said. She wasn’t surprised that he didn’t respond to her thanks. He had done that before and she thought she understood why. It was as if he felt compelled to change the subject, because he was afraid of what he might say if he didn’t.

  When he got in his bed, Jerry thought about Patricia for a long time. In his mind, he could still see her looking beautiful in her robe. He thought the color suited the woman’s hair and complexion. He could still smell her subtle perfume and the pleasing scent of her body fresh from the shower.

  In her room, Patricia was thinking of Jerry’s strong arms around her. She also thought of the wounded look in his eyes as he had related what had happened to Vinnie. He was a good man. He had even kept his promise to remain a gentleman, despite the obvious passion she had seen reflected in his eyes as he had gazed at her. For a moment, she was tempted to go to him, but that moment was fleeting. Tomorrow he would lead his men to the spot she had recommended. She felt certain that once there, his team would encounter multiple cats. Jerry needed his rest, and he needed his strength for what lay ahead.

  Just before she fell asleep, Patricia told herself there would be plenty of time for her to pursue her relationship with Jerry.

  ***

  Cautiously, Jerry and his two men moved down a small game trail in some heavy woods. The trees were a mixture of old growth and saplings. The men were armed with their silencer-equipped pistols, but they were also carrying shotguns. As they moved through the trees, Jerry spotted a large calico cat sitting on its haunches and staring at them. As their leader advanced toward the cat, his two men separated. One went to Jerry’s left, while the other went to the right.

  When Jerry closed to within fifteen feet of the cat, the animal spun and ran into some nearby brush. Jerry took three steps in pursuit, but then three large cats dropped down onto the man from the trees and Jerry went down in a tangle of slashing claws.

  Jerry’s men rushed to assist their commander. The two men clubbed the ravenous animals away from their leader and shot them once they were clear of his body. When they had dispatched the last of the three cats, they turned their attention to Jerry’s injuries. They couldn’t even recognize the man. His face had been shredded. There wasn’t a square inch of untouched flesh remaining. One of his eyes was gone. The other dangled from its socket.

  Patricia awoke screaming in horror.

  Jerry was awakened by the sound of screaming. He jumped out of bed and rushed through the house, arriving at her door just as the screaming stopped. Concerned that the woman was in mortal danger, he opened the bedroom door and rushed into the room.

  Light from the bathroom spilled into the room, revealing Patricia, who was sitting up on the bed with her face in her hands, crying. Jerry warily approached her, but as he did so, his eyes scanned the room. He was looking for anything that may have entered the room and frightened the woman, but he saw nothing out of the ordinary. Stopping at the foot of the bed, he spoke to her. “Are you alright?”

  She jerked her hands away from her face and stared with her eyes open wide in surprise. “It must have been a dream!” she exclaimed, and then she shocked Jerry when she lunged toward him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

  Perplexed by what was happening, Jerry wrapped his arms around the woman’s waist and held her tightly. She was shaking so badly he was concerned that something was physically wrong with her.

  “Would you like to tell me about it?” he asked. When she didn’t answer, he released her waist and reached for her shoulders, planning to gently push her away so that he could see her face, but the moment his hands touched her bare shoulders he realized how cold she was. “You’re freezing. Lie down and cover up before you turn into a popsicle.”

  Shivering, Patricia retreated to the bedcovers, struggling to rearrange the disarrayed bedding into its proper position. Jerry lent a hand, and soon he had her covered from her chin to her toes.

  “Now, would you like to talk about it, or do you just want to go back to sleep?” he asked.

  “Yes, I need to warn you,” she replied.

  “Warn me about what?” he asked.

  “In the dream I saw you and your team hunting the cats,” she said, and then she related her dream.

  When Patricia finished, Jerry nodded and said, “That would be a bad scenario, but I’m sure it was just a dream. Don’t worry. If it will make you feel any better, I assure you that if I see a calico cat, I’ll watch the trees.”

  “You’re shivering,” Patricia stated.

  “It’s cold. My damned teeth will be chattering soon at this rate,” Jerry said, managing a smile despite the violent shivering as he sat on the bed beside Patricia in nothing but his boxers. “The wind has picked up, and this old house is drafty,” he added. “If you’re alright now, I’d best get back to bed.”

  “Don’t go. You can sleep with me,” Patricia stated. “I really don’t want to be alone right now.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Jerry said, shaking his head in the negative.

  “You don’t want to sleep with me?” she asked in surprise.

  “Oh, I want to sleep with you alright. I want that more than anything I’ve wanted in a long time, but not like this. Not when you’re vulnerable. I want my first time with you to be special.”

  Patricia pushed her arm outside the cover and laid her hand on his bare forearm. “Thank you for that sentiment, but I just meant for us to share body heat tonight.”

  “Well, now I feel like a damned fool,” Jerry said.

  “Don’t. I should have clarified what I meant. Now, get in the bed before you freeze. God, you’re almost naked and it must be forty degrees in here.”

  Jerry got to his feet and walked around the foot of the bed, but before he got in, he stopped and asked, “Are you sure about this?”

  “Can I trust you?” she asked with a smile.

  “I think I have that much self control,” Jerry responded.

  Patricia held up the cover, inviting him to join her and Jerry climbed into bed.

  “Jeez, you’re cold!�
�� Patricia exclaimed as she snuggled her body closely to him. He almost gasped when she slid her thigh across his in an effort to warm him up. Her arm rested lightly on his stomach and she laid her face on his chest. “I’ll get you warm. Just don’t touch me with your feet. If the rest of your body is this cold, they must be blocks of ice.”

  “I won’t,” Jerry assured her. He could feel the silken fabric of her nightgown brushing against his skin. It seemed to him as if his skin were suddenly hypersensitive. He was acutely aware of every place their bodies touched. He luxuriated in the sensation, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her closer.

  Patricia raised her head up off his chest, “It will be,” she said with a smile, and then she kissed him good night. It was a quick kiss and then she laid her head back on his chest.

  Jerry inhaled the fragrant scent of her hair and asked, “What will be?”

  “Our first time will be special,” she mumbled sleepily.

  Chuckling, Jerry responded, “I don’t doubt that for a moment.”

  Long after Patricia fell asleep, Jerry lay awake enjoying the feel of her body beside him. It took all the willpower he could muster, but he managed to control himself.

  Chapter 11

  At a walking track that circled the Recreation Center at Athens High School, and one of the city parks, Mildred Grummer was on her last lap for the morning. The woman was trying to set a record. She had walked at least two miles daily for forty-nine weeks and six days. Her target goal was to walk two miles every day for a year.

  Mildred worked the swing shift as a nurse at the Athens Limestone Hospital, so she was often forced to walk at odd times of the day and night. Today the forty-eight year old nurse was walking at 6:00 A.M.

  As usual, Mildred carried a cell phone with her as she walked. The nurse carried the phone for emergencies, and she always called her husband Ralph when she had completed a walk.

  As Mildred approached the section of woodlands that bordered the easternmost section of the walking track, she thought she heard movement in the woods to her right. She thought nothing of it. She had often seen small game as she had walked the trail. There were rabbits, squirrels, and even a few ducks that had the run of the area in the city park section of the track. There had even been reports of an occasional deer sighting.