“Just a few sips, Jennings.”
“Who are you?” The soldier didn’t take the offering but waited, struggling to her feet as though preparing to fight.
“A friend. What happened to your team?”
“What makes you think I have a team?”
“I assume you are a part of TT&T and, if I’m not mistaken, your group is in trouble or you wouldn’t be out here all alone.”
A wry grin lifted her lips as Jennings asked, “What makes you think I’m alone?”
Jinn forced back a chuckle. The woman had balls.
“Let’s cut to the chase. Drink some water then I’ll tend to your wounds. I’m here to find TT&T and help them.”
“Why?” Jinn took a deep draft of water.
The narrowed eyes showed distrust as Jennings accepted the canteen and took a quick sip, then another. Once she handed it back, Jinn was ready for the attack as Jennings charged. In seconds the woman lay on her back, Jinn straddling her hips to pin her down.
“You’re only going to hurt yourself more. I told you, I’m a friend. Let’s leave it at that. Now, while I clean you up, you can eat something and tell me where your team is. I don’t have time for this crap.”
Jennings stared up at Jinn for a moment then nodded.
“Against my better judgment, I’ll accept your help. Don’t make me sorry, mister, or you’ll be dead faster than you can say boo.”
“Call me Max for now and lose the threats.” Jinn released her and sat back. With her voice lowered, she hoped to be thought of as a man.
“Now look whose being secretive.”
“I have good reason.” Without removing the netting that covered her face, Jinn pulled out a couple of military rations and handed one to Jennings. She ate the other herself, slipping the food beneath the mask then took a sip of water, keeping her attention on her charge the entire time. The protein supplement tasted like flavored cardboard, but she ate it.
“Mmm, yummy. Today we get ham and pineapple mystery meal,” Jinn said sarcastically. The packet smelled like it, but the taste left a lot to be desired. She searched around the forest while she ate, watching for danger.
Once done eating, Jinn grabbed the first aid kit and cleaned the wound on the woman’s forehead with an antiseptic wipe but leaving the camouflage paint on her face.
While she waited for Jennings to finish her meal, Jinn held the painkillers in her hand.
“I’m not taking any pills from you, buddy.”
“Straight forward anti-inflammatories. Standard issue in North America.”
“So you take them.”
A slight snort of humor escaped as Jinn took two and popped them in her mouth, followed by another sip of water. Satisfied, Jennings nodded then did the same.
“Now, tell me what happened.”
“Not much to tell. We were ambushed before we could hit the ground running and chased through the rainforest for two days. I’m not sure if they’re alive since I got shot in my hard head and blacked out. I don’t know how long I lay there but when I came to, there was no noise but the forest animals and insects.”
“It’s a surface wound. You’ll be fine. Any idea how long you’ve been awake?”
Jennings’ slow headshake caused her to wince in pain.
For a momentthe strong smell of antiseptic stung Jinn’s nose, taking away forest scents. She sensed that her sister was getting medical help. Relieved, Jinn refocused her thoughts on Jennings. Keeping her voice steady, Jinn said,”It appears the bullet only grazed your forehead. You were lucky.”
“I need to know where my team is and help them. The Cap—”
As though realizing she was about to tell as secret, Jennings clammed up.
“Go on. The Captain?”
“…doesn’t exist, and neither do I. Do you understand?”
“Covert operations protocol. I’m not interested in spilling the beans to your targets. I know they’re in trouble and I’m here to find them. Either you help me or I go it alone. It’s up to you, Jennings. You can keep heading west and get on a plane in Oaxaca by tomorrow. I’ll throw in enough food and water to get you there.”
“I’m not going anywhere but back for my team.” For once she let her guard down and groaned, her hand going to her temple as though to still the pain. “Okay. I’ll play your game, but if you threaten my pals in any way, I’ll kill you.”
Again, the bravery of the woman amazed and amused Jinn. She gave a slight nod. “Okay, tiger. Do you need to rest for a while?”
“No. I’m ready to roll. Which way do we go?”
“Right back the way you came. There’s a path about fifty feet to the right of you, but we stay undercover. Let’s move out.”
Though wary of Jennings, Jinn led the way, sure the woman wanted to save her team more than kill her. In minutes they fell into a silent companionship. She scanned the woman’s mind again but couldn’t read it. How weird. That only happens with Julie unless she wants me to read her.
They’d been traveling for an hour when they ran into another surprise. Jinn placed her hand on Jennings’ shoulder to stop her as bushes moved ahead of them. A low groan sounded then all fell quiet, the movement stopping as fast as it started. Even the forest creatures stopped speaking.
“Stay here,” Jinn whispered close to Jennings ear. Withdrawing her blade, she moved slowly forward until she was a few feet from the source of the disturbance and paused.
A man lay on his stomach, as still as death. From the appearance of his clothing, he was from TT&T also. Jinn turned to wave Jennings ahead, but the woman was already kneeling at his side.
How did she sneak up on me? No one sneaks up on me.
“Metcalfe!” As Jennings felt for a pulse, she sighed in relief. “He’s alive. Pulse is strong. Help me turn him over.”
When Jinn moved closer to assist, Metcalfe leapt up and took her to the ground so fast, she barely had time to blink.
“Wait!” Jennings cried, protecting Jinn. “He’s helping find the team. He knows about TT&T. Back off, you fool.”
Metcalfe’s eyes were vibrant blue, filled with such cold hatred that Jinn was sure he’d have killed her but for Jennings’ defense. Though he backed off, he took her dagger with him and stood ready to attack.
“Nice friends you have, Jennings. Hand it over.” Hand held out to take back the blade, Jinn waited, but he held firm.
“Where is everyone?” he asked, keeping his eyes focused on her and the knife held ready.
“The last thing I remember is getting hit, nothing else. What about you?”
“I’ve been going in circles in this terrain for two days. The food and water is gone, lost when we were separated.”
Jinn kept her hand in place. “I’ll trade you water and food for my knife.”
“No deal.”
Damn but the man is stubborn.
“Keeps me alive.”
A gasp of surprise escaped as Jinn realized he’d read her mind.
“Metcalfe!” Fury on her face, Jennings rounded on him and slapped the back of his head. “You’re an idiot. Were you sleeping in training class?”
The slow grin that spread on his face changed his features until he looked like a kid caught with his hand in a cookie jar. Taller by at least six inches, he towered over Jinn, muscles bulging beneath his sweat–-soaked shirt.
“Listen, sweet cakes, this guy isn’t what he seems. There’s something strange about him. I say we kill him and take his supplies then move on alone,” he muttered, loud enough for Jinn to hear him.
Laughter bubbled up before Jinn said, “You can try, kid, but you only get one chance to catch me off guard. It won’t happen again.”
“We’ll see.”
“Give him the damned knife. He hasn’t killed me yet and we’ve been walking for a while. This is no time for a pissing contest.”
“Hand it over and I’ll gladly feed and water you, cowboy.”
Metcalfe flipped the blade in his palm until it
faced her handle first. She accepted it with caution and sheathed it before breaking out her supplies. Together they sat while he ate.
“Do you know where you are, soldier?” Jinn asked.
“Yeah. I’m in Mexico with half the population of murderous thugs trying to kill me. Do you know where you are?”
“Call me Max, smartass.”
“Okay, Max–smartass. I can’t say it’s a pleasure to meet you, but you might rub off on me. If not I’ll—”
“I know. I know…you’ll kill me. It seems to be the team thing to say.”
He chuckled and finished his packet of processed nutrients then stood, handing her back the canteen and empty packaging. They left nothing behind.
“Let’s see who else we can find on our travels. Stay close, and keep out of my head. That’s a warning.”
Amusement lit in his eyes as Metcalfe pressed against her mind. Jinn’s hand went to her knife immediately, only causing him to laugh harder.
“I meant it, soldier.”
“I know.”
Sure that he was testing her to the limits, Jinn ignored him and began the journey, the hairs on the back of her neck rising each time he got too close behind her.
Chapter Three: The Gathering
It was getting dark when Jinn stepped into a clearing and three large figures came forward, guns aimed at her head. Instead of running, she stood still and waited for Jennings and Metcalfe to catch up. The steady hum of insects announced that it was becoming night.
“It’s about time you two showed up. We’ve been sitting here for hours.” The tallest of the three mumbled, eyes focused on Jinn.
“Who’s your friend?” The second one growled, taking a step forward. He was a giant of a man of African-American descent.
“You’d better back away or Jennings will beat the hell out of you, Blackstone.” Metcalfe’s snicker ended in a grunt as Jennings moved up beside Jinn.
“Hey, what’s with the elbow?” he said, laughing at her.
“Shut up, Metcalfe.” Jennings nodded to the first man, “Gonzales, Blackstone, and Chan, meet Max.”
“He prefers Max–asshole.”
Jinn rolled her eyes. “Don’t make me say it again, idiot.”
Chan remained silent and watchful, his hand steady as he held the gun. His left side was caked with blood from a shoulder wound, the arm hanging limp. The other two seemed to be unharmed until they stepped forward and Jinn saw they’d received their own battle scars. Gonzales only had a long scar down his cheek from a previous wound while Blackstone had dried blood in his hair near his temple.
“We have food and water. Do you two need anything?” Blackstone spoke in a low controlled tone, his eyes focused on Jinn.
These are dangerous people. My kind of friends, for sure.
Metcalfe snickered, once again reading her mind.
“I meant what I said, asshole. Back off.” Jinn turned to glance at him, the net still covering her face.
“Take off your gear,” Gonzales said quietly.
She turned back, shaking her head.
“TT&T has its reasons for remaining incognito and so do I. We rest then head out in a few hours. Get some sleep, you two. Gonzales, Blackstone, you take the first watch. Chan, I want to see that wound.”
“Bossy. We don’t take orders from anyone but the Captain.”
Jinn turned to face Blackstone. “You’ll take orders from a Sergeant since your Captain is missing. Now do it.”
“That’s great. Two Corporals, two privates first and second class, and now a Sergeant. You got any credentials?”
“Metcalfe, don’t push me too far. You won’t appreciate the results.”
Since the man towered over her, Jinn was surprised when he put his big bear-paw sized hands up and backed down at her tone of command.
“Okay, Sarg. You got it. I could use a nap.”
He lay down and stretched out on the soft ground, snickering his way to sleep before Jennings sat and leaned against a tree. She shook her head in annoyance.
“You’re right, Sarg. He’s an asshole, but I sure wish I had his ability to sleep in seconds. He only takes a few hours to regenerate and he’s up and running like a pup with a ball. It’s damned annoying if you ask me. You should get some sleep too.”
Wound up tighter than a drum, Jinn closed her eyes for a moment and sought out Julie. There was no answering call. Slipping her hand into her pocket, she palmed the pendant she’d brought with her and soon found her quarry. When pain radiated through her entire body, Jinn knew they were running out of time. Determined to keep moving, she stood and walked over to Chan.
“Let me take a look, soldier.”
Chan’s dark eyes reflected the moonlight as he watched her work in silence. She fingered his shoulder and found an open wound, the material of his shirt stuck to it.
“We need to get that bullet out, son.”
He only shook his head slowly.
“He doesn’t speak much,” Gonzales murmured from behind her.
Jinn swore. What is it with these people sneaking up on me? Rather than let him see how much he’d startled her, she focused on the wound.
“We should send him to Oaxaca for help.”
Again, Chan shook his head.
“Chan, with a bullet inside you, an open wound, and a rainforest full of bacteria, you could end up dying. You need surgery.”
He pointed to her sheathed blade.
“No! I’m not a doctor.”
“Not bad for someone who doesn’t speak his language, Sergeant. He stays. Either you fix it or we move on as is.”
“Damned stubborn idiots. Fine, start a small fire to sterilize the blade. I’ve got some penicillin in my bag. Can you take that?”
Chan nodded.
“I can’t believe it, you can move your head in a different direction. I was beginning to wonder.”
Jinn had trained for field surgery for emergency purposes. She hated doing it though. Medical triage took a lot of time and patience. She didn’t have either. It was 2025 and things had changed drastically in the military. For one thing, Canada and America were now one country and worked together in combat.
“Lie down, Private. I hope you can stand the pain with only a local shot. Sound travels in the forest.”
Without a word he obeyed and stretched out on the ground, his shirt still stuck to his arm. Jinn poured some water on the area to loosen the material. All he did was jerk slightly in response. After injecting a local anesthetic into the skin around the wound, she looked up to find Jennings, Blackstone, Metcalfe, and Gonzales standing around her, their expressions hard and cold when she picked up the tiny scalpel she carried.
“I have no intention of harming him. I gave you your orders, now get to it. Watching this is not an option.”
For a few moments they remained in place, then Blackstone and Gonzales went back to guarding them. Jennings knelt on one side of Chan and held his legs down while Metcalfe pressed down on his good shoulder. Chan relaxed beneath them.
“Go ahead, Doctor–Sergeant–Max–asshole.”
“I wish I was working on you, Metcalfe. I’d sew your mouth shut.”
Instead of getting angry at her, he grinned. His deep chuckle eased the tension between them.
“I’m beginning to like you,” he said.
“Idiot.”
The metallic smell of blood became stronger when she peeled away the moist cloth and began to cleanse the area with disinfectant. Chan stiffened then held still, his dark gaze fixed on her.
It was difficult to see through the netting, but since it was getting dark, she pulled out her flashlight and focused the beam on the wound. The wound was close to his collarbone. She knew the bullet would only be in a few inches and had missed vital organs.
“Metcalf, hold this so I can see what I’m doing.”
He took the light without a word and held it steady. While Jinn worked, she lost herself in the job, blocking out all other noises until she loc
ated the bullet, lodged just below his neck. When she pulled it out with a medical tool, Chan shuddered yet didn’t make a sound.
“Jennings, I need to cauterize the wound. Place this in the fire and let it heat up.”
She handed the woman her dagger and pressed hard against the flow of blood until the blade was sterilized and hot. After Jennings handed it to her, she sat on Chan’s legs.
Metcalfe was prepared too, and whispered, “Hang in there, my friend. Take a deep breath and get ready.”
Chan sucked in a harsh breath and nodded. As Jinn pressed the blade to his wound, the sizzle of flesh and putrid smell of burned skin nearly made her gag, but within seconds she handed it back to Jennings.
“Burn it clean. Metcalfe, get the gauze ready and cut some tape, then help me sit him up so we can make a sling around his arm to keep it immobile.”
“Yes, sir.” For once the man had no humor in his tone.
A few minutes later they helped Chan lie down to rest. With disinfectant, Jinn cleaned her hands and the blade then placed her tools back in the kit. She was shaking from nerves when Metcalfe placed his hand on her shoulder. Jinn reacted before she could think and had him on his back, hand raised ready to strike.
Blackstone and Gonzales rushed forward, guns in hand, but Jinn ignored them.
“Uh, I was about to thank you, Sarg.”
“Don’t ever touch me again. Understand?”
He nodded, but she was shaken from the experience. The way they snuck up on her without a sound was disturbing. In her entire life, few people could get close without her sensing them, but this group…they were something else. After releasing him, she stepped back and slipped her hand into her pocket, clasping the pendant without realizing it. Immediately, pain ripped through her, blind fury causing her to lose focus as the owner’s emotions battered at her.
When Jinn snapped out of it, she realized that they were all staring at her.
“We’re out of time if you want your team to remain alive. One of you will have to stay behind with Chan while the rest of us go on ahead.”
Gonzales stepped forward. “We won’t leave our soldiers behind.”
Jinn & Toxic Page 3
