The Forest Whispers

by Forest Whispers (lit) (NCP) (lit)

  The hair on the back of her neck prickled at that thought. Glancing around, she checked the knife in her boot to make sure it was positioned correctly for easy reach, then pulled her pistol from its holster. Stepping onto the vegetation that grew in the center of the track, she moved forward slowly, scanning the forest ahead of her.

  The gathering darkness made it difficult to penetrate the thick growth for any distance and her skin began to prickle, the fine hairs all over her body standing alert, straining to catch some sense of danger.

  The cart trail curved sharply in front of her, disappearing behind a wall of foliage. Lana stopped, drying her sweating palms on her breeches. Gripping her pistol more firmly, she started forward again, leaning slightly to see around the curve. The darkened shape of the cabin came into view as she rounded the bend.

  As were most of the cabins that had been empty for some time, this one was heavily shrouded in a tangle of vines. Slowing her steps, Lana studied the cabin for any sign of movement, then peered around the perimeter of the cabin. Her heart jolted painfully in her chest when she noticed the brush near the front of the cabin looked as if it had been breached recently. Bringing her pistol up, she moved closer to make certain it wasn’t a trick of the failing light.

  As she reached the edge of the trail where it fronted the cabin, Corin stepped through the door, pausing on the threshold.

  Lana’s heart stood perfectly still in her chest, forcing the breath from her lungs. "You scared the shit out of me, damn it!" she hissed when she managed to get her heart going again.

  He grinned. "It’s almost dark. We’ll stop here for the night."

  Warning bells went off in Lana’s head instantly. "I thought you were going to check the cabin to the west of this one," she said slowly, lowering her pistol.

  He shrugged, striding toward her. "I did. He wasn’t there. Hopefully we’ll have better luck tomorrow."

  Lana raised the pistol again. "That’s close enough, Sadin."

  He halted in his tracks only a couple of yards from her, his brows lifting in surprise for a moment before his face went taut with anger. "You don’t recognize me, Ranger Eloy?"

  "I do. I definitely do, Sadin. Get down on the ground. Now!"

  He glared at her for several moments and finally bent down, as if he meant to comply. Before Lana could blink, he morphed into an enormous cat-like beast, springing forward.

  Lana fired and dove to one side. She heard Sadin land solidly on the ground not far from were she’d been standing even as she rolled from her side to her back, trying to bring her weapon up to fire again. She managed to get off another shot as he leapt at her again, but the laser blast barely grazed him. It didn’t slow him. The pain seemed to have no effect other than to enrage him.

  She rolled the moment she’d fired, trying to come to her feet, but she’d managed to do no more than push herself upright when Sadin landed directly beside her. Morphing as he landed, he drew back one leg and slammed it into her ribs hard enough it lifted her from the ground and rolled her several times before she came to a stop. As she was flipped over, her elbow slammed into the ground, sending a paralyzing jolt through her arm. She lost her grip on her pistol as she continued to tumble. When she came to a halt at last, she rolled up onto her knees, holding her ribs as she glanced around for the weapon she’d dropped.

  Sadin bent and scooped it up even as she spotted the pistol. Grinning broadly, he aimed the pistol at her. "Where do you want it? The chest or the head?"

  Lana swallowed with an effort, glancing from the barrel of the pistol to Sadin’s face, gauging the distance between them and wondering if she could reach him before he could fire.

  Sadin chuckled. "I cracked a rib when I kicked you. I felt it. You’ll never make it."

  Before Lana could think of a response, a high, keening whistle distracted her. She glanced toward the sound instinctively. Sadin, drawn by the strange noise, turned, as well.

  The move probably saved his life. Corin’s trident caught him mid-arm instead of in the chest, cleaving his arm in two. Almost as if time had suddenly slowed to a virtual halt, Lana followed the path of the trident, watching as Sadin’s arm separated from his body and began to fall toward the ground. As it did, she dove to one side, knowing the reflexive twitch of his hand and fingers might fire the weapon, but she found she was moving in slow motion, as well.

  As she flew through the air, she saw the stunned look on Sadin’s face slowly turning to horror as he watched his arm drop away. She saw the flash of blinding light as his dismembered arm twitched and the laser erupted from the barrel. Fire scorched her hip even as she began to settle slowly toward the ground once more.

  Abruptly, time reasserted itself and sped forward so that everything seemed to happen at high velocity. Corin appeared in a blur of motion, slamming into Sadin and carrying him to the ground.

  "Don’t kill him," she screamed as she saw the glint of a blade in Corin’s hand.

  His head whipped toward her for a split second. In the next, he slammed his fist against the side of Sadin’s head and Sadin went limp.

  Holding her ribs, Lana pushed herself upright with an effort as Corin stood, one leg on either side of Sadin’s limp form as he stared down at him.

  "Is he dead?"

  Apparently satisfied that Sadin wouldn’t be getting up anytime soon, Corin stepped away from him and strode toward her. "Not yet," he said grimly.

  Squatting beside her, he examined her for injuries and finally touched the burned fabric of her breeches. Lana sucked in a sharp breath, glancing down. "He barely grazed me," she said a little breathlessly. It burned like hell, though, and rivaled her cracked rib in pain output.

  When she met his gaze, she saw that he was glaring at her. "You were supposed to call out if you needed me. I only agreed to follow at a distance because you gave me your word you would," he ground out furiously.

  Lana looked at him uncomfortably. "I didn’t get the chance."

  Some of the anger seemed to leave him. "He jumped you?"

  She blushed. "He looked like you. I was … caught off guard. He’d already started toward me before it clicked in my mind that it wasn’t you. I thought I had control of the situation, but I’d let him get too close."

  His face was grim as he turned to study Sadin’s still form. After a moment, he turned to look at her again. "Stay put. I will get your pack so that you can summon your craft. You need medical." He glanced at the still man again. "Him also if you want him to live."

  When he’d dropped her pack within reach, he pulled his own pack from his shoulder and dug through it, producing a coil of rope. Bending over Sadin, he looped the rope around his ankles, binding his feet together, then pulled the rope up and bound one wrist and the stub of his arm.

  Lana watched as she hailed the computer and summoned the ship. "You really think that’s necessary?" she asked a little doubtfully when she saw him tightening the rope around the bleeding stump.

  Corin sent her a wry smile. "This is to slow the bleeding."

  "Oh." She wasn’t accustomed to that sort of wound. She had a knife, but she only used it on very rare occasions, and she’d never lobbed any part of anyone’s anatomy off with it. Queasiness washed over her as she stared at the widening puddle of blood and the occasional twitch of the disembodied arm.

  She looked away, surveying the area critically. "I don’t think Louise will have enough room to land here. Is there a clearing close by?"

  Corin leaned down and pulled the pistol from the hand lying on the ground. When he straightened, he strode toward her. "Four parsects."

  A parsect, as nearly as she could tell, was roughly three quarters of a mile. She wasn’t sure she was in any shape to walk so far, but there didn’t seem to be an alternative. "We’ll have to meet the ship there. Do you think you can carry Sadin that far?"

  "I will carry you and return for him," he said, leaning down to push her pistol into her holster and then helping her to her feet.

  Lan
a felt lightheaded when she stood. She knew it was a combination of not being able to breathe deeply and the system shock of the laser burn on her hip, though, not anything more serious. "I can make it," she said tightly. "Sadin won’t if we don’t do something for him pretty quickly."

  His lips flattened into a tight line of anger. "He is that important to you?"

  Lana nodded. "Dying now would be too easy for him. I want him to stand trial and face the executioner for what he’s done."

  After a moment, Corin nodded reluctantly in agreement and reached for her pack. She took her communicator from it before she handed it to him and instructed Louise to use the ship’s flood lights to guide them to the clearing since it was already nearly dark and she knew it would be fully dark before they could reach the landing area.

  Shoving the communicator into her belt, she limped toward Corin and Sadin. Corin picked up the detached limb, stuck the bloodied thing in his pack and hefted Sadin onto his shoulder. With an effort, Lana leaned over to pick up Corin’s trident. "Leave it … or use it to help you keep your balance."

  Lana studied the trident once she’d lifted it from the ground. It was surprisingly lightweight. Ignoring the blood dripping from the blade, she used it as a staff to help her walk as they set out toward the landing area.

  Corin was determined to match her pace, which wasn’t much more than a slow shuffle. As anxious as she was to get medical attention for Sadin, though, she knew she was going to pass out if she tried to move any faster. Every step was agony, and the trip seemed to take forever, but she found as they neared the spot Corin had described that reluctance began to gain the upper hand.

  When they reached the clearing and Louise landed, opening the hatch and extending the gangplank, she urged Corin ahead, watching as he disappeared inside with Sadin. He reappeared at the top of the gangplank as she reached it. Striding toward her, he took the trident from her hand and dropped it to the ground, then scooped her into his arms and strode up the gangplank with her.

  Sadin was already in the examination tube when they reached sickbay. Instead of setting her on her feet, Corin moved to the gurney beside the examination tube and lowered her carefully onto the padded top. Grateful, Lana lay back, closing her eyes for several moments while she tried to regulate her breathing to a less painful struggle. Finally, she turned her head to look over at Sadin. "Where’s his arm?"

  Corin shrugged. "He has no need for it. I will take it to Rex Pimetrius as proof that the killer has been dealt with."

  Horrified, Lana glanced up at him sharply. Every instinct screamed a protest, but none found their way to her lips. Corin was taking a grave risk as it was in allowing her to remove the prisoner without protest. Unless he had something that might convince Rex Pimetrius that he had indeed dealt with the killer, there was no telling what sort of punishment he might be facing himself.

  "Do you think that will convince him?"

  Corin shrugged. "His head would be better."

  "He’d have a little trouble breathing without it," Lana said dryly.

  "The arm will have to do. Rex Pimetrius trusts me. If I tell him the killer has been dealt with, he will accept that it is so."

  Lana swallowed with an effort. "You’re not just telling me that to keep me from worrying about your hide, are you?"

  Something flickered in his eyes. "Would you worry, Lana?" he asked quietly.

  A hard knot swelled in her throat. It took an effort to swallow past it. "Yes, I would worry."

  He laid one palm along her cheek and leaned down, fitting his mouth to hers and kissing her lightly. Then, as if he couldn’t resist, he opened his mouth over hers and kissed her deeply, lingeringly. When he broke the kiss, he studied her for a long moment before he drew away. "Do not worry for me, Lana. All will be well."

  Lana nodded, struggling against the tightness in her chest that had nothing to do with her injury. "Promise?"

  "I give you my word."

  Again, she nodded. Doubt still teased at her, but she saw confidence in his expression and knew he believed he told her the truth. "It has been … the greatest honor to work with you, Captain Thantos."

  He smiled faintly. "It has been an honor and a privilege to work with you, Ranger Eloy. Anhana hoy," he murmured. Stepping away from the gurney, he turned and strode toward the door.

  "What does that mean?" Lana asked as he reached it.

  He stopped. Turning to look at her, he smiled faintly. "Until we meet again."

  Lana swallowed with an effort. "Anhana hoy, Corin."

  His eyes gleamed, his smile growing more pronounced. Without another word, he nodded, stepped through the doorway and disappeared.

  Lana lay back, dropping an arm across her eyes. "Set a course for Earth, Louise."

  Epilogue

  Ten months later

  It was usually bad news when Director Mallory called her to his office. Lana had been wracking her brain since she’d gotten the summons, though, and she couldn’t for the life of her think of anything she’d done lately to be called on the carpet for. She hadn’t even been in port twenty four hours. She’d just successfully concluded the case she’d been working on.

  She’d been tempted to head down to the canteen for a little R&R, but she’d refrained—even if she’d gone, she was off duty at the moment and had every right to go.

  She dismissed the speculation as she reached the director’s office and tapped on his door.

  "Come."

  Stepping into the room, she moved toward the director’s desk and stood at attention. "You wanted to speak to me, sir?"

  Mallory gestured toward the chair facing his desk. "Have a seat, Eloy."

  "I’d as soon stand," she responded.

  Mallory, always short tempered, frowned. "Sit down, Eloy. I’d just as soon not strain my neck looking up at you."

  Her lips tightened, but she took the seat.

  "How long have you been working without a partner?"

  Lana’s gut clenched. She knew damned well he knew exactly how long she’d been working alone. "Since Patrick Neilson was killed, sir."

  He nodded. "I’m going to assign you a new partner. He’s a rookie, so you’ll have to show him the ropes, but he’s not without experience."

  "I don’t need a partner," Lana said sharply. "I work best alone."

  Mallory slammed his fist against his desk. "Did I ask you if you wanted a damned partner, Eloy?"

  Lana ground her teeth, jumping to her feet and slamming her palms down on the front of his desk. "I don’t have time to break in a rookie!"

  "Make time!" he roared at her. "He’s a good man and we’re damned proud to have him!"

  He punched the com unit on his desk. "Send the rookie in, Connie."

  Lana pushed away from his desk and flung herself into the chair once more, glaring at Mallory as she heard the door open behind her and the light tread of feet crossing the room. A dark shadow fell over her.

  "You’ve worked with him before, Eloy," Mallory growled. "Meet your new partner, Ranger Corin Thantos."

  Lana’s head snapped around so fast she almost got whiplash. She gaped up at the man standing beside her chair, staring stupidly at the hand he held out to her. After a moment, feeling as if she was caught up in a bizarre dream, she rose and extended her hand. "Ranger?" she managed to say after a moment.

  He shook her hand, smiling faintly. "It’s a pleasure to be working with you again, Ranger Eloy."

  Lana was still staring up at him, dumbfounded when Mallory slammed a folder down on his desk. "Something’s up in sector MHJ541. I want you two to check it out for me."

  Lana stared down at the magnetic folder blankly for several moments and finally picked it up. "When do you want us to leave?"

  He stared at her in surprise for a moment and finally frowned. "The ship’s prepped to go—yesterday would be good," he muttered, waving them off as if they were a pair of pesky insects.

  Nodding, Lana scooped the electronic ‘paper’ from the desk an
d left the room. Corin fell into step beside her as she strode down the corridor toward the station’s landing bay. Still in shock, she glanced at him a couple of times, half fearing her mind was playing tricks on her.

  It seemed strange to see him without war paint, wearing the uniform of a ranger. He almost seemed like someone else entirely.

  As hard as she’d tried to oust him from her mind since she’d left Ata Prime, she only managed to keep her memories at bay for short periods of time. She’d missed him, far worse that she would ever have imagined. "You left Rex Pimetrius’ service?" she managed finally.

  "He graciously granted me release to represent Ata Prime in the ranger program. We are required as members of the confederation to donate manpower to patrol."

  Lana frowned. "I know that, but … he hasn’t. I mean, he refused before."

  "When I expressed an interest, he saw the merit in complying with the request."

  Lana shook her head, falling silent. It was just too much to take in at once. Her mind felt strangely blank.

  When they’d reached the ship and boarded, she ordered the hatch sealed and the gang plank retracted before she turned to Corin. He caught her even as she turned, sandwiching her between the bulkhead and his body. His mouth, as it covered hers, shattered the little wit that remained to her, flooding her with heated longing.

  She felt weak all over when he pulled away from her at last. She had to lock her knees to keep from sinking to the floor in a puddle. "You … wanted to be a ranger?" she asked in confusion.

  His eyes gleamed with both amusement and desire as he stared down at her. "I wanted a ranger. If I must be a ranger to be with you, then so be it."

  The End