by KD Jones
ZenIM pointed to a spot. “You can do your business behind the tree. I’ll go that way and check the perimeter. You have five minutes and then I’ll be back for you. I guess I’ll have to help the pilot do his business as well.” He handed her a leafy plant which looked similar to an aloe plant. “When you are done, you can snap the leaf, and the content is a natural soap to clean your hands. You can wash it off with the water from the waterfall.”
She took the plant leaf from him. “Thank you. I can help with AkER if you need me to.”
ZenIM snorted. “I’m sure he would be thrilled to have a female help him do something so personal while he’s at his weakest.”
“I’m a medic and an adult woman. It’s not like I haven’t seen a man naked before.”
He moved closer to her. “How many naked men have you seen not in a medic situation?”
She felt heat travel throughout her body. “I don’t think that’s an appropriate question.”
“Why not?” he asked with real curiosity.
“We’re practically strangers.”
“Talking helps us to become friends,” he suggested.
He had a point, but she wasn’t telling him something so personal. “Well...how many women have you been with?” she asked, fully expecting him to back down.
“Three,” he answered without hesitation. His answer shocked her. He had to be in his mid-thirties. Surely there had to be more women than that. She felt that since he was being honest, she could answer him too.
“I...two. I’ve only been with two. I spent the majority of the time studying at school then I focused mostly on my work. I didn’t have a lot of time for relationships.”
Why she felt the need to justify her response, she didn’t know, but she gave him an explanation anyway. He took another step closer, but she backed away remembering the reason they were standing out in the open.
“Give me five minutes; I’ll be done by then.”
“I’ll check the perimeter so you can take your time.”
“Thank you.”
She fled to the trees behind her. Hopefully this would be the last time they talk about that particular subject. As she thought about him, she couldn’t help but wonder who the three women were, and why they would let someone as wonderful as ZenIM get away.
Chapter 10
ZenIM hated leaving the female, but he needed to check on the enemy. He set up markers which would activate if the enemy approached the cavern. None of the markers were disturbed, but the birds seemed restless which indicated movement within the jungle.
Taking to the trees, he traveled quickly, jumping from limb to limb, and swinging from vine to vine. If he could get Jenny and the pilot to the trees, they would be able to travel much quicker and stay farther out of view. He smiled at the thought of how Jenny might react to swinging from a vine. She wasn’t the athletic type, but he liked her softer form. And her natural scent had been driving him a little crazy.
What he liked most was how easy it was to speak with her. Jenny made him feel like he could tell her anything and she would welcome it. He knew it was something special, something rare and precious. And something he didn’t want to let go.
The sound of leaves being crushed caught his attention. Moving closer, he caught sight of three males, all wearing suits with helmets. He couldn’t tell from this distance who they were, but their uniforms didn’t look like anything he had ever seen. He wanted to move closer and thought briefly about taking them on himself. He couldn’t do that. It would leave Jenny and the injured pilot vulnerable.
He still had to get them across the ravine. No small feat. Once that was accomplished, he knew his warriors would look after the two while he hunted the attackers.
ZenIM watched the enemy intently. They were moving in the direction of the cave. This would not do. He headed back.
Jenny was waiting for him by the waterfall, and he motioned for her to enter the cavern. AkER was sitting up and looking anxiously for them.
“Is everything okay?” Jenny asked with concern.
“Once I help AkER, we will need to leave immediately.”
“Are they close?” AkER asked, trying to stand.
Jenny came over and helped him back into the seat.
“They have changed their direction and are coming our way. We need to move as quickly as possible. I’ll push the chair today.”
She didn’t complain. One of the many qualities he admired in her. She stayed close to him as they moved through the jungle and did what was needed without argument.
“Did you get a close look at the enemy? Who are they?” AkER asked.
“They had their helmets on, but their uniforms were strange to me. I did not recognize them.”
“Kitana! If only my communicator would work, I could call for help.”
“These assailants might intercept your transmission and use the signal to track you. It’s better to go without.”
He looked at Jenny. “Wait here; I’ll come get you when AkER is done.”
Jenny nodded and waited inside the cavern. About ten minutes later, ZenIM reentered. “We’re ready.”
Jenny followed him out. They walked through the trees keeping to the shadows. Several hours passed quickly. He wished this was a private stroll through his beloved jungle, just him and Jenny. He would show her all the exotic plants, the ones that heal sickness, and the ones which could be used as a source of food. ZenIM knew she would love to study the healing plants. His mother had taught him at an early age. Their village didn’t have a healer or medic; the villagers had to learn to do healing via nature.
“I need to check on AkER’s injuries,” Jenny said.
He looked down and noticed the male in the chair had fallen asleep. It would definitely hurt the male’s pride to know he had passed out. However, it could mean the male was in so much pain, he lost consciousness. He stopped.
Jenny came around to kneel. She used her medical scope to scan AkER’s vitals.
“I’ll check where the attackers are and give you a little time to rest.”
He felt jealousy again at watching her attend the male. He knew she was looking at him as a medic and patient, but he wanted her eyes and hands on him. ZenIM considered giving himself a minor injury, but immediately dismissed the idea as less than honorable.
Taking to the trees again, he looked out and caught sight of the strangers. They were catching up. This was not good. He had hoped to get Jenny and AkER over the ravine. Time was running out.
ZenIM e moved closer to the enemy, circling until he was behind them. Dropping to the ground, he made enough noise to catch their attention. Then he ran off in the opposite direction. It didn’t take long before he heard the sounds of footsteps following after him.
He led them away from Jenny. Scaring the birds above, he knew he had gone as far as he could. Getting back to Jenny was a priority in case some of the enemy didn’t follow him. Making sure to not draw attention to himself, he made his way back to where he had left them.
The male AkER was awake and held his phaseray gun out at his approach. He felt relieved the male was getting back the strength to put up a fight.
“We need to get going,” he told them as he moved to take the back of the chair.
“Where are they?” AkER asked, shifting in the seat.
“I led them away from here, but they are much closer than I would like. There’s a ravine a few hundred feet ahead; we need to get to the other side. It will slow down the enemy enough to make sure you two make it to the village, to safety.
“The three of us you mean?” Jenny put her hand on ZenIM’s arm to halt his movements.
“I’m going to continue to lead them away until my warriors come. Then we’ll capture them and find out who they are and what they want.”
“I don’t like it,” Jenny said, glancing in the direction they came then back at ZenIM.
Was she concerned for him? ZenIM had never had anyone worry for him. He liked it, but at the same time,
he wanted to reassure her.
“I will be fine. The hardest part is the ravine. It’s steep and wide. It will be tricky getting the two of you over.”
*****
“Tricky?” Jenny questioned, standing cautiously at the edge of the ravine. That had been an understatement. This ravine reminded her of the Grand Canyon on Earth. This would be impossible. “How are we getting over this?”
“There’s a foot bridge. It’s seen better days, but I was able to get across without any problems.” ZenIM led them around bushes and trees to a small opening.
“That is not a bridge, more like ropes with a few sticks tied to it,” Jenny said with fear in her voice.
He placed a warm hand at the small of her back patting her as if calming a child. “I will take AkER over first, and then come back for you.”
“Will the floating toolbox even work over places where the steps are missing?”
“No, that’s why I’ll be carrying AkER over my shoulder, and holding on to the toolbox, and seat.”
“What was that? You plan to carry me? I don’t think so.” AkER made to stand, but he couldn’t stay upright without holding on to something.
Jenny took a deep breath and placed a hand on AkER’s arm. “We need to get over the ravine. If you stumble it could lead to certain death. Or, I could try to catch you, and you would cause us both to fall to the bottom. I don’t want to die today.”
It must have been the right amount of guilt to place on AkER because he sighed and nodded his understanding. “Very well.”
She thought about the plan and had to disagree with one thing. “I don’t think carrying both AkER and the toolbox/chair thing at the same time is a good idea. You will need your hands to keep your balance.”
“You won’t be able to carry it,” ZenIM pointed out.
“No, but you could take AkER first, then come back and get the toolbox and chair. I’ll follow behind you on my own.”
“If my hands are full, I won’t be able to assist you.”
“I’ll be careful. It’s the best way to save time.”
“I don’t like it.”
“We can sit here and argue. All that will do is give the enemy time to catch up to us. That’s not what any of us want.”
His disgruntled expression screamed he wasn’t pleased, but ZenIM finally agreed to the plan. After lifting AkER over his shoulder, he began his trip across the worn bridge.
She watched with anxiety over every step ZenIM took. There were a few times she thought the step beneath him wobbled. Images of them falling into the ravine came to mind, and she shook with real fear.
“Jenny, are you all right?”
Shaking her head, she couldn’t stop looking at the bridge from hell. “I don’t think I can do this.”
ZenIM placed his hands on each side of her arms and squeezed gently. “Look at me.”
She did what he asked and saw such confidence. He believed in her.
“You can do this. All you have to do is follow me, step on the steps I use, and keep your hands on the ropes. I will be with you. Okay?”
Nodding, she answered, “Okay.”
ZenIM lifted the chair and toolbox and took the first step. Jenny watched amazed at his strength. When he turned back to her, she took a deep breath and moved her foot forward to test the stability of the step.
“Here we go.”
Jenny clenched the rope railings in her white-knucled fingers and moved one step at a time. The bridge swayed from the weight of ZenIM and the chair moving ahead of her. She took one step at a time, breathing deeply and letting out the breath slowly. It was slow going, but she was nearly to the middle of the bridge when she made her first mistake—she looked down.
“Oh my God!” she froze at seeing the far distance below her. She would die if she fell. No coming back. Sweat broke out over her body and she wiped her hands on her pants.
“Jenny?” AkER called out.
She didn’t answer, she couldn’t breathe. Jenny froze in place with fear so great, she couldn’t do anything but grip the railing with all her might.
“Jenny! Look at me!” ZenIM called out. The power in his voice had her glancing up.
He’d made it to the other side and dumped the chair/toolbox to the ground. Then, he began to walk to her.
“No! Don’t come back here.” She didn’t want them both to fall.
ZenIM stopped moving but kept his eyes on her. “Come to me, Jenny. Don’t look down, just keep your eyes on me. One step at a time.”
She managed to take a step, then another. Their eyes locked and she couldn’t look away. Those beautiful, strange, swirling eyes were hypnotizing. He drew her to him, and her heart began to race for a different reason. She imagined being wrapped in his arms and wondered what it would be like to kiss him.
When she was three feet away, he moved quickly reaching out and lifting her into his arms and carried her the rest of the way off of the bridge
“You’re safe now,” ZenIM reassured her.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face against his skin. God, he was so warm, and whatever cologne he wore was woodsy and masculine. She could sniff him all day, if that wasn’t so weird. She was tempted to lick him then remembered they weren’t alone. He held her for a few minutes, then slowly lowered her to her feet.
“You two need to continue on to the village.” ZenIM motioned for AkER to get back into the seat.
“What about you?” Jenny asked, holding on to his arm.
“I’m going to make sure the attackers can’t get across the ravine.”
“How?”
He walked over to the rope bridge, pulled out a long blade hidden in his boot, and sliced through the ropes. The bridge fell from their side and hit the other side’s wall.
ZenIM pointed toward woods not far from them. “Go past those trees, and you’ll find a dirt path. It will lead you to the village. My warriors will be on the lookout for you. Just let them know what’s happened.”
“I don’t want to leave you,” Jenny whispered.
“I will be fine. Your safety comes first, always.” He bent and kissed her lips softly, surprising both of them. The current she always felt at his touch was stronger and nearly made her forget everything going on around them. When he pulled away, she clung to his arms.
“Come with us,” she whispered.
“This is our best chance.”
She hated watching him walk away alone. Everything inside her screamed to go after him, but she would only be a hindrance now.
AkER called her to him. “Come on, Jenny, we’ve got to get to the path and find his warriors.”
She pushed the chair. Please, God, keep ZenIM safe.
Chapter 11
ZenIM watched Jenny and AkER until they disappeared behind the trees. Letting her go ahead was not sitting well with him. At least Warrior AkER was awake and aware of their surroundings. He had a weapon to defend them. Still, ZenIM wished he could have kept her with him. The danger to her had to be dealt with and her safety would always come first.
Turning his attention to the ravine, he knew the enemy would not be able to cross using the broken foot bridge. They would have to travel to the bottom and cross the choppy river. That alone could be dangerous. People have been lost to the strong currents.
He had to make a choice. Either he stayed on this side and tracked the enemy while he waited for his own warriors to assist him. Or he could travel down to await the males. If it were just three assailants, he might be able to take them on his own, but he had no idea if more were out there. If an alien ship got through the Colony’s defenses, how many more had done the same?
The smarter thing would be to wait on this side; he might get a better view of them and determine how many he had to deal with. Walking the ledge, he scanned the other side for movement. It didn’t take long before figures appeared. Moving toward the nearest trees, he blended in with the environment.
There were four of them now. They st
ill had their helmets on. Perhaps they couldn’t breathe in this atmosphere. If that were true, it would be the first time he had come in contact with a different species since the humans, the Norads, and most recently the Morinians.
He edged closer watching as the enemy discovered the broken foot bridge. They seemed quite perturbed by that. The tallest of the four attackers let out a roar of disgust so loud, the sound reached ZenIM.
Continuing his observation, he noticed one of them limped. He had an injury of some sort. The males searched for another way across, but realized the only way was to go down to cross the river. An idea came to him. Perhaps there was a way to reduce the number of enemy without giving up his presence.
*****
Jenny kept looking back hoping ZenIM would catch up to them. Unfortunately, she wasn’t paying attention to where she was pushing the chair and bumped into a tree.
“Ouch!” AkER grumbled rubbing his knee.
“Sorry.”
“Pay attention to where you’re pushing me. I have enough bruises already. I don’t need any more.”
That made her feel horrible. “I’m just worried about him. He’s all alone against an unknown enemy. We don’t even know how many are out there.”
“He seems very capable of handling himself.”
“Maybe we should wait here for him.”
“We would be more of a hindrance than help. No, the best thing is to keep going. Once we reach the village, we can send others to help him.”
She knew he made sense, but it didn’t stop her from worrying over ZenIM. Her quickly developing feelings for him came fast. She questioned it. How could she grow so attached to him within twenty-four hours? Never before had she had such an instant connection with someone. She had spent a few weeks in AkER’s company and there was nothing there, at least, not on her side.
