The cat ran harder and was almost on top of the pig when the pig ran straight down a hole to its burrow in the ground. The cat’s claws dug into the ground as she brought herself to a halt. She walked back to the hole the pig went down and started digging. She dug till she realized she was wasting time and needed to be hunting other prey. Her young were hungry and needed food if they were to be strong hunters like their mother. She looked around her and realized she had never been this far before. She had never made it past the wall. Her keen ears picked up sounds in the distance. It sounded like prey. She started off slowly towards the sound, not sure if the invisible wall was going to stop her or not.
Ben and Andrea arrived at the ranger station and went inside to sign in. Ben paid the fee for the park and picked up the map. Ben pointed out a trail that would take them deep into the park and bring them out after about three hours.
Ben walked to the car and grabbed his combat knife from behind the seat. He left the katana. Andrea put her boot knife in the cargo pocket of her pant leg. She left everything else in the bag. Ben activated the force field that would protect the car and its contents while they were gone. He grabbed Andrea’s hand and they headed out into the jungle.
It became dark almost immediately. The jungle’s canopy was blocking out the sun. The amount of light changed as they walked. They would come to a clearing every three hundred meters or so. They were man-made and gave the hikers a place to stop and see the surrounding area in the sunshine.
Every now and then the voices of the hikers up ahead of them could be heard. Girls were laughing and talking.
Andrea was holding Ben’s hand, lost in thought.
Even if we work out the contract and he joins our unit. We have to work out our personal life. The team may not have the faith in her as their leader if they knew she was sleeping with a team member. Would they be able to make a life or death decisions regarding each other? Would Ben get all macho and try to protect her all the time? She couldn’t have that happening.
Ben knew there would be more questions from Andrea soon. Right on cue, Andrea asked, “You’re not going to go all macho and protective if we start working together, are you?”
Ben laughed out loud. “No, I’m not,” he answered. “That would undermine our authority to our team as well as make me look stupid. We have the most dangerous job in the galaxy. Our judgment of a situation has to be the smartest and best for the team and not any one individual. I will have your back, but you know that is different than what you asked.”
Even though marines had taken his honor on paper, she knew he had his honor and integrity intact. She was hoping to find a reason to give her some doubts about the feelings she had for him, but with every answer to every question and every minute that went by she wanted him even more.
The ear-piercing scream of a child brought her out of her daydream, as well as the cries of two others immediately following it. Ben bolted ahead on the trail with Andrea hot on his heels. He came around a bend in the trail and could see a teenage girl sobbing and staring off into the jungle. He covered roughly a hundred yards in 10 seconds.
Andrea arrived at about the same time. The girl was sobbing so hard she couldn’t catch her breath to tell them what had happened. She pointed into the jungle and Ben asked Andrea to stay with her. He ran into the jungle, following the path someone ahead of him was making. Andrea took out her portable com, looked up the ranger station and transmitted an msg. About 20 seconds later a face came up and said he would have people on their way. She told him to lock onto the signal. She handed the girl the vid-com and told her not to move. She ran in the direction Ben had gone.
Ben was thankful it wasn’t night time. He could hear someone crying, sobbing uncontrollably. He found a woman sitting on the ground. He stopped, knelt and spoke softly to her.
“My name is Ben. Ma’am, can you tell me, are you hurt? What happened?”
She didn’t move or look up at him. He reached over and touched her arm gently.
“Ma’am please, I want to help you,” he said.
“It took my baby,” she said between sobs. “A giant cat. We were walking along the trail. It came from nowhere and picked my baby up and never stopped running. I chased it ‘til my legs gave out and I fell.”
Ben looked at the ground and spotted a drop of blood. He got up and walked to it, then six feet farther spotted another drop.
“I’m going after her,” he said. “Go back to the trail. Your other daughter needs you. I’m sure the rangers will be here shortly. Point them in my direction.” Ben headed off deeper into the jungle.
The big cat had the girl by the shoulder and was carrying her through the jungle. She came to a stream and laid her prey down while she got a drink. It was still a great walk to her den. She had ranged far on this hunt. She heard something following her trail. She turned around and backtracked down the path.
Ben could hear the stream up ahead. He was hoping the cat stopped to drink. He would gain some time if it had. Ben smelled a musky smell and knew something was on the trail just ahead of him. In two steps he came face to face with the tiger. It growled from deep in its chest, but Ben took a step forward. He took another step, this time to his right, and then another step forward.
The cat was unsure of what he was doing, and it moved to the left Ben knew the girl must be ahead but didn’t want to look and give away his intention. The cat continued to growl and step to its left until they had both moved 180 degrees. He had placed his body between the cat and where he thought the girl was.
He took a step back and then held his ground. The cat was growing tired of the dance. Ben reached back and pulled his combat knife out. He started talking to the cat.
“You don’t belong in here,” he said gently. “I know you are hungry, but you cannot take your prey from here. You must leave here and never return.”
The cat was torn. In front of her was a feast that could last for many cycles of the light and dark. Instead of one feed there would be many for her and her young with this one kill. Ben heard the child whimper behind him and knew he was close.
Andrea saw Ben facing off with the cat and had heard the child sob and whimper. She cut through the jungle to the stream, followed it up behind Ben and found the girl. She bent down, picked the child up and cradled her in her arms. The girl was weak from loss of blood.
The cat saw Andrea pick up the child and thought its prey was being stolen. It was going to kill the big one first then the female that held the young one. It leapt at Ben and dug its claws into his shoulders. It weighed 500 lbs. and the momentum drove him to the ground. Ben’s left arm grabbed the tiger by the throat, holding its head from biting his face off. It thrashed and would break his hold in another couple seconds. He plunged his combat knife into its neck three times hard and fast, severing major arteries. Hot blood was running down into Ben’s face, but he held on.
He stabbed again twice and blood flowed free. The tiger stopped trying to bite him; its blood was all pumping out the wounds in its neck. Its body collapsed on top of Ben and he felt its breathing stop. He lay there in immense pain, his shoulders on fire where the claws were still imbedded in him. He heard a hover craft of some kind approaching before he lost consciousness.
Andrea was at his side holding the girl when the rangers showed up. They couldn’t land, but they stopped above and rappelled down to the ground. Andrea handed the girl off and started pulling the cat’s claws out of Ben’s shoulders. He woke up at that point.
Once the paws were free, two rangers pushed the tiger off of him. His eyes burned from the blood and he could taste it in his mouth. Andrea picked up his knife. The head ranger told her they had a stretcher and would carry him back to the trail where a hover truck would pick them up.
They met up with the mother and explained that her daughter had been flown out in the other hover truck and that they were going to wait in the clearing for the second one to arrive. The hover truck landed right as they got to the cleari
ng. They slid him into the back. Andrea, the mother, and the daughter jumped in the back with him. He was a mess and looked awful with the blood all over him. The teenage daughter held his bloody hand and kept telling him it would all be alright. Andrea held his other hand with tears in her eyes. She was proud and very impressed with him.
Ben woke up a couple of hours later clean, stitched up, and pumped full of antibiotics and pain killers. Mr. and Mrs. Washburn and Tara were walking back and forth between Kara and Ben, checking on each of them. Ben wanted to go home. While he was out, Andrea called the ranger station and gave them the codes to their hover car so they could bring it to the hospital for her. Andrea told Ben little Kara was going to make it when he woke. The puncture holes had missed any vital arteries and parts. She had lost a lot of blood but the whole incident had only lasted 30 minutes. She also told him that Mr. Washburn had already paid his hospital bill and they were to forward any addition bills to him.
Ben got out of bed and walked down to little Kara’s room. He walked in and while the family watched he kissed her on the forehead. She was asleep. He turned and left the room and they followed him out. The mom hugged him until she hurt his bruised ribs and let go when she realized what she was doing. The daughter, Tara, hugged him and thanked him for saving her little sister. Mr. Washburn shook his hand gently and told him to call if he ever needed anything.
Andrea helped him out and into the passenger seat of the car. He sat back and closed his eyes. She lifted off and headed back to the farm. The coordinates were already activated. It was not the kind of date he had planned, but in the end it was better — at least for one little girl. One big girl knew she was wrong, and without a doubt Ben was a Superman to her.
Ben slept for most of the flight back to the farm house. Andrea had sent a message to Matt asking for them to be outside to help Ben into the house. Andrea could only imagine how Janet was going to react. She looked around as she flew and could see how this planet would appeal to someone trying to keep a low profile. It was so unlike the more modern planets, which thrived on technology.
On this planet, Ben worked at a hover car repair shop where the owner made the repairs. No robots. On Ares, robots did everything. It was nice, Andrea thought, to hear a real voice and not a synthesized voice take your order or help you in some way. It occurred to her that most of the crime that had happened this weekend she had either caused or been involved in. She had warned that captain to let it go. She didn’t feel any remorse for the deaths of the spacers, but she had started the chain of events that led them to their fate.
Andrea landed the hover car next to the farm house. Everyone came out to see Ben. Andrea had bought him an oversized hospital shirt and it looked like he had armor on. His chest and shoulders were bandaged heavily with thick gauze. He was awake and making a slight gasp every time he had to move; the painkillers were wearing off. He rose out of his seat very slowly and made his way into the house. The sergeants walked on either side of him. The Vander Hoyts watched him but said nothing as he walked. Janet had tears in her eyes. Ben made it up the steps and into the kitchen and sat down.
Janet started getting food out and lining it up on the counter. She made a heaping plate for Ben.
“Dawn, would you like some supper?” she pointedly asked Andrea. Heads turned, looking at her with slight confusion.
“Her name isn’t Dawn,” Ben said softly.
“I didn’t think it was. I just wanted to open the floor up for a little explanation,” Janet replied. She looked Andrea in the eye. “What I do know is that since she has been around, Ben, you have gotten hurt every day.”
Andrea was trying to think of something to tell Janet when Ben came to the rescue. He put his fork down.
“Her name is Major Andrea Andersen. This is Sergeant Major “Matt” Kim and the other one is Gunnery Sergeant “Bill” Smith. They are here to recruit me back into the Colonial Marines,” he said. He picked up his fork and went back to eating.
Ben finished his food. “I’m going to go lie down. Jen can use the downstairs bedroom for now,” he said, standing stiffly. He kissed Janet on the cheek and hugged her. Harold walked with him to the steps. Ben briefly told Harold how Andrea had taken it on herself to watch over the house last night. Harold smiled and said, “I will talk to Ma.”
“Do you mind if she stays here tonight?” Ben asked.
“That would be fine.”
“Major!” Ben called out. “Could you help me out here.” He turned and walked up the steps. Harold saw Andrea approaching and stepped in front of her. “I will talk to her,” he said and motioned with his head towards the kitchen.
“He wants you to stay the night,” he told Andrea. “I think you should.” He was smiling at her, a kind, warm smile. She nodded to him and walked up the steps to Ben’s room. He had managed to get his pants off but couldn’t get the shirt. She worked the back of the shirt up and over his head then pulled down on both arms. He lay back on the bed and she pushed the hair from his forehead.
“I’ll be back in a minute,” she said.
Andrea went downstairs and told Matt and Bill they could head back to the hotel. She had the rental hover and would see them in the morning when she returned it. She grabbed her bag and Ben’s weapons and returned to the house. Everyone was sitting around the kitchen table smiling at her when she walked in. Even Janet was smiling.
Back up in the bedroom, Andrea sat her bag down on the floor and put Ben’s katana and knife on the dresser. She took off her clothes and took one of Ben’s shirts out of the drawer to sleep in. Ben was already sound asleep. Andrea lay beside him, examining his face and chest. There was his cracked lip and slight bruising on his cheek. There was also some bruising on his chest from the repulsor she had hit him with. She guessed his back had scrapes and bruises, mostly due to her and the cat. The cat had done some damage on his upper back and shoulders.
It would take months to heal totally if he stayed here on Anubis. But if he joined her and the team she would get him to a regen center on Ares. They would have him healed up in a matter of days. She kissed him good night, pulled the blanket over both of them, and was asleep a minute later.
The sun was up and shining through the window. Andrea felt its warmth on her face. She was alone in bed. She could hear voices speaking softly downstairs. She pulled on her cargo pants, ran a comb through her hair, and went downstairs. Ben, Jen and the Vander Hoyts were sitting around the kitchen table drinking coffee. Bacon and toast was cooked and they were waiting on the eggs. Janet got up to check the eggs and told Andrea to sit down. She handed her a cup of coffee.
“Can you drop me off at work when you leave?” Ben asked. He was looking at Andrea. “And come by later to help with the contract? It’s probably not to my benefit to have you help, but I want it to be simple and fair.”
She smiled. This is unusual and not ethical. But it will definitely speed things up, she thought. “Sure, that should be no problem,” she answered.
A lot had happened since Friday night and Saturday morning. Ben was well aware of his feelings for Andrea and he felt he could trust her. He thought she would be fair to both him and the Corp.
Ben could see that a lot had gone on while they were gone. The sergeants must have helped out. The walls were fixed and everything looked almost exactly like it had been before the fight. Once breakfast was over, Ben asked Harold to walk outside with him. He explained that Jen owed him a debt and would be staying until he felt it had been paid off. Harold just raised his eyebrows. He did that when he didn’t want to ask.
“Put her to work,” Ben said. “She’s healthy and smart and seems to like it here.”
“What if I don’t have much for her to do?” Harold asked.
“Let her get a job,” Ben answered. “I will talk to Gus and see if he wants to take on another waitress or bartender.”
Ben walked to the kitchen and motioned for Angela to follow him. He made his way to the bathroom and got a wash pan and sponge
out of the linen closet. She had yet to say anything as he put the sponge in her hand and started filling the wash pan with warm water. He had been shirtless all morning.
“I can’t shower,” he told her finally. “Would you please wipe me down and help me get a shirt on?”
Andrea took the pan of water, sponge and soap. She was smiling as she gently moved the sponge over his back. His wounds were black and blue and scabbed. She worked around the stitches, careful not to get them wet. She had to stop smiling when she turned him to do his chest and face. She didn’t want him to know that she liked taking care of him.
When she was done with the sponge bath, he looked at her and grinned.
“Later I will need a full body sponge bath,” he joked.
“In your dreams,” Andrea answered, already planning it for when he was better.
Dressed, they headed out the door and to Nick’s garage. Ben was still in a lot of pain and was glad that he could trust Nick and Val. Ben hoped they weren’t busy today. He didn’t want to take up a lot of Nick’s time with the contract if they had work to do.
Andrea dropped Ben off and he walked into the office. Nick and Val were in the office, but neither looked up at him right away.
“Nick, I’m not going to be able to work today,” Ben said to the top of his friend’s head. “I was attacked by a long fanged tiger and it tore me up pretty bad.” Both looked up at the same time and could see the bandaging under his shirt. Val jumped up and ran to him, looking him over.
“Are you going to tell us about it or keep us in suspense?” Nick asked. Ben gave them the short version.
“Have a seat, hero, we’re about through with these spreadsheets.” Val pointed to the chair next to her desk.
Nick asked Ben about the contract he wanted help with. Ben told him he knew what he wanted but would need help with all the legal mumbo jumbo.
The Chronicles of Benjamin Jamison: Call Sign Reaper Page 8