by Melody Adams
"What is it?" asked Pearl.
"I don't like this". I said and then I heard fire salvos. "Fuck! They are attacking our camp."
"What?" Pearl screamed in horror. "What are we going to do now?"
"Let go", I urged her and went down a bit so that she could get down. Searching I looked around. My eyes fell on a tree that seemed suitable for our needs. I took her by the hand and pulled her along with me.
"Get up on the tree", I said.
She looked at me as if I had lost my mind.
"WHAT?"
"I have to get to the clearing. Check what happened. But I can't take you with me. You stay here and wait until I come back!"
"You want to leave me here alone?" she asked and looked at me anxiously.
"It's only for an hour or two. You should be safe to stay up there. I'll leave you my gun with you. The magazine is full."
Pearl slowly shook her head.
"You can't be serious. I ... I'd rather come with you and stay in the background, but please don't leave me here alone!"
"You promised to do what I say", I reminded her.
"Yes, yes, but ...", she tried to object.
"Nothing but", I interrupted her firmly. " Get up there!"
"What if something happens to you and you don't come back?"
I looked at her and grinned.
" Are you worried about me, sweetie?" I teased her.
"Don't delude yourself! If you don't come back, I don't have anybody to get me out of this mess!"
"Of course", I said, still grinning. "I’ll come back! That is a promise!"
She sighed. I gave her a stern look.
"And now: Get. In. The. Tree!"
"I can't get up there!" she replied shaking her head.
I didn't have time to argue with her. I firmly grabbed her around the waist and lifted her up. She squealed and wriggled.
"Grab the branch and I'll push you up!" I ordered.
She gave me a scowl, but then she grabbed the branch and I grabbed her under her sexy ass to push her up. As she sat up on the branch, she looked down and sparkled angrily at me. I laughed quietly. I liked it when she was angry. She looked gorgeous.
"Here! Take this!" I said and handed her my weapon. "Do you know how to handle it?"
She nodded and put the gun in her waistband.
"Good! Climb higher! From your position it should be easy enough now."
"Are you always so ... so bossy?"
"Always baby!" I replied and winked. "Even in bed!
She snorted angrily and I laughed. I thoroughly enjoyed teasing her.
"Come on! Up you go! I want to go see what's going on."
She climbed a few levels higher.
"Good. Stay there!" I finally said and gave her a thumbs up. Suddenly we heard a loud explosion.
"Fuck!" I growled. "I guess that was our helicopter." I looked up at Pearl, "Stay where you are! Then I started running!
Pearl
Clinging on to a branch, I looked after Hunter. I hadn't told him that I was afraid of heights. I didn't want to cause him any more problems. I knew he was right to leave me here. It was certainly too dangerous where he was going. But that also meant that it was dangerous for him and that he may be killed. It was not just the fact that I would be alone if that happened that this thought kept me so busy. I was truly worried about him. There was an undeniable attraction between us and I wanted to find out where it could lead us. But first he had to come back alive. I sighed and tried to get a better seat in the branches of the tree. My hand was already hurting because I was holding on so tightly. I found a position where I could sit with my back leaned against the trunk in a triangle fork with a broad branch supporting me to the right. I felt reasonably safe. At least as long as I wasn't looking down. I had to stop thinking about how high it was. It would be best if I could distract myself with something. Unfortunately there was nothing suitable. No matter what I thought of, sooner or later my thoughts started wandering back to Hunter, then to the mission he was on his way to, and finally to my own situation here in the tree.
Time was ticking slowly and I wondered a little worried how Hunter was doing. He had been gone for about half an hour now and I had heard small explosions and several shots. The waiting, and not knowing tore at my already very strained nerves. I tried to distract myself again and thought of people I cared about. My father, despite his controlling nature, my Mom, Pia, my best friend and Morten, my gay best friend.
The thought of Morten made me smile. I imagined what he might say to Hunter. He had just as much a weakness for the Alien Breeds as I did. I had talked to him so many times about how great it would be to travel to Eden and meet the Alien Breeds in person.
Hunter
I could see the smoke from a distance. Shots echoed through the jungle and I knew that at least a few soldiers had to be alive. I tried not to think of Pearl. I didn't like having to leave her behind, but it would have been irresponsible to take her with me. Where she was, she would be safe. At least safer than here. But it was quite possible that a few of the villains would also fight their way through the jungle and encounter her. Or wild animals. I cursed internally. There was no one hundred percent safe option. In the tree she was still the safest. And she had my weapon to defend herself.
Concentrate on what you have to do, I reminded myself. You can't do anything else now anyway.
I growled grimly and fought my way through the brush as fast as I could. Now I was so close that I could hear screams. A few helicopters were hovering in the sky, but they had stopped shooting. Probably because they had their men down here. Good! I was going to take them out one by one.
There were still two helicopters in the sky, but there were no longer sending fighters down. I could see that at least two soldiers had entrenched themselves behind the trees and defended themselves against the rebels. There were still five rebels left. I had already taken care of the rest. I pulled one of my knives out of my pant leg and targeted. It landed perfectly in the thigh of a rebel. He screamed and drew attention to himself, which gave the entrenched soldiers some breathing space. Immediately the rebels fired blindly in the direction where I had stood a moment ago. Except I was already on the other side of the clearing and was able to stalk them from behind. Humans were so pathetic. It revealed itself again and again.
"Are you looking for me?" I asked mockingly and all five of them turned around in a panic. I pushed a knife into the chest of one, broke the neck of another while I jumped and kicked two more to the ground. Like a deadly shadow I moved among the three that remained, killing one by one with cold precision. It was in my Alien blood to be able to completely shut off my emotions in such situations. Neither fear, insecurity, compassion or other disturbing emotion could influence my thinking and paralyze my actions. I did what I had to do. Only when the last man lay on the floor before me did my thoughts return to Pearl. I would have to get back to her as soon as possible. But first I still had a lot to do here. With regret I looked at the blazing remains of the military helicopter. Then I turned to the two soldiers who had just stepped out of their hiding place behind the trees and approached me.
"Where is the President's daughter? And where are the other two soldiers who were here with you? Did you fail?" one of them asked.
"The President's daughter is safe," I growled and gave the soldiers a cold look. "Your men, on the other hand, are dead! They wanted to free Pearl on their own, without considering my objections. They paid for their stupidity with their lives."
"Oh, my God!" said the second soldier. "They are dead? Did you see it? Maybe they are just ..."
"They’re dead! I interrupted him frankly. "I saw their bodies. They were tortured to death. It was not a pleasant sight!"
The two soldiers got pale.
"Can you establish contact with the president?"
"Yes, of course. We have an SV station in the tent. Fortunately it was not damaged during the attack. Come on!"
I followed the s
oldiers into the only undamaged tent in the small camp. It was close to the trees, which probably contributed to the fact that it had not been hit. Inside, the SV station was standing on a table. One of the soldiers started the generator and logged into the station. After seemingly endless minutes, the screen flickered and the president's face appeared.
"Do you have her?" he asked worriedly. "We've heard rumors that there was a helicopter attack in your area."
I stepped into the recording area of the video camera.
"Sir, I have Pearl. She is safe. But she's not here with me. I had to leave her behind in a safe place because the camp was under attack."
"Thank. You. God!" the president exclaimed with relief and tears welled up in his eyes. "Thank you, Hunter. I cannot tell you how grateful I am. Bring her to me as quickly as you can".
"If you could send a helicopter, Mr. President, we will fly out your daughter as fast as we can..." one of the soldiers interfered.
"No!" I cut him off. "That's far too dangerous. The helicopter would be shot down immediately by the rebels. I will take her through the jungle to Ourilandia do Norte", I said, looking at the map hanging from the tent wall. "There is an airfield there. Bring enough soldiers there and expect us in four to five days".
"The jungle is too dangerous", said the soldier who had requested the helicopter. "The rebels are everywhere. If we get a helicopter fleet of six helicopters, they won't dare attack us."
"Hunter?" the president addressed me. "Can you guarantee Pearl's safety if you follow your plan? I want the safest way to get my daughter out and every day she spends in hell is one more day her life is in danger."
"Mr. President, I really think it's too dangerous to fly her out. There is never a guarantee. But I am determined to do everything I can to bring your daughter back to you safe and sound. I will protect her with my life. But I cannot prevent a helicopter from being shot down. I can only and solely protect her on the ground, sir!"
The President nodded.
"Good! I'll have a unit sent to Ourilandia do Norte. I will expect you there myself."
"Okay!"
"Bring my daughter there safely!" President Jackson said.
"I will do my best. I will protect her with my life if I have to!"
"I know!" the President replied. "Thank you, Hunter!"
I knew the soldiers were incredibly pissed that President Jackson had agreed to my plan and not theirs. I didn't give a shit! The only thing I cared about was getting Pearl Jackson out of here safely. I had to get back to her as soon as possible. I was hoping that she was still sitting safely on the tree where I had left her. Without giving the two soldiers another look, I left the tent. I was already a few steps away when I heard the click of the weapon lock. I stopped without turning around.
"Come on!" I said coldly. "Shoot me! I was just waiting for a reason to rip your heart out of your chest!"
"Don't fuck around, Ben", said one of the soldiers. "It's not worth it!"
"Fuck you, Leon", Ben said with painstakingly suppressed anger. "I'm going to destroy this animal. He thinks he's better than us. Damn beast! I was against the president bringing one of those cursed Alien Breeds into the equation right from the start. He probably killed the two soldiers who were supposed to rescue Pearl himself. So he can collect the medal for his fucking heroic deed!"
"Put the gun down, Ben", Leon said calmly. "I'll shoot you, if I have to. The President has made his decision and just because you went out with Pearl a few times doesn't give you the right to take her safety into your own hands."
"Fine! Go! You damn guinea pig. But if anything happens to Pearl, or you touch her with your dirty hands, I WILL rip your fucking heart out!"
I slowly turned around and looked at Ben, who was still pointing his gun at me. The hatred in the man's eyes could not be ignored. I understood what he meant. If he liked Pearl, then of course he would want to take care of Pearl's safety himself. It would feel the same way. But he was a hot-headed idiot. He would put Pearl in danger. Besides, I didn't like to be insulted and the guy had already stretched my patience enough. Without batting an eyelid, I jumped at him. I was so fast that Ben barely had any time to react. He fire a shot into nothing, then I grabbed him by the throat.
"I may be an animal, but I have better instincts. I can get Pearl out of here and I will do so. I am warning you! If you follow me, I will kill you! I am faster, stronger and better than you!" I grinned at the man mockingly and added: "I also have a bigger cock. A good fuck with me and your Pearl won't even look at a pussy like you anymore!"
"I'll kill you if you touch her!" growled Ben.
"Try!" I challenged him. "You can't tell me what I can or can't do. If I want to fuck Pearl Jackson, I will. And if I want to rip your heart out, then I’ll do that, too. You think I am an animal? I’ll tell you what. I am worse than an animal. I will take you apart piece by piece if you stand in my way! Piece. By. Piece!"
With these words I let go and gave him a blow to the temple that sent him into unconsciousness.
"Make sure he doesn't follow me, or I'll kill him!" I said to Leon. "I'll get Pearl out of here safely, but I'll do it my way. Whoever gets in my way will die! Quite simple. My only interest is to get the president's daughter safely out of this hell hole. I am not interested in the life of a soldier. I have no qualms about wiping out one of you. Have I made myself clear?"
Leon nodded.
"Good!" I said and turned away. I had to make my way back to Pearl before it got dark.
Chapter 2
Pearl
It was slowly getting dusky. Worried, I looked up at the sky that was shining through between the branches above me. Where was Hunter? Did something happen to him? I didn't even want to think about it. I had no idea how long he had been gone. At least there weren't any more shots or explosions to be heard and the helicopters also seemed to have disappeared. Which of course could also mean that everyone in the camp, including Hunter, was dead.
A crack in the brush made me jump, but then, to my relief, I saw Hunter break through the dense shrubs. My heart began to beat faster. With shaky legs I slowly began to climb down. I had reached the lowest branch when Hunter arrived at the tree. He raised his arms towards me.
"Jump!" he said.
I took a deep breath, then I did what he said. Hunter caught me safely and slowly let me slide down his body. A tingling excitement spread through me and I raised my gaze to look into his incredible eyes. Inside of them was a demanding sparkle and I felt hot. I knew that he wanted me, but he seemed to have himself under control too damn well.
"I was worried about you," I said. He was still holding on to me tightly, even though I was already standing on the ground.
"I am unharmed, as you can see", he replied, but he made no effort to let go of me. My heart beat faster when I felt his hard girth pressing against me. Yes, he was definitely aroused.
"Why don't you kiss me?" I asked breathlessly.
"Because I wouldn't stop at kissing, Pearl. I want you too much!"
"I want you too, Hunter," I confessed.
Hunter shook his head and let go of me abruptly. With a growl he turned away and punched a tree. Just watching it made my hand hurt. A normal man would probably have broken his wrist with that kind of blow, but Hunter was anything but a normal man.
"I talked to your father", said Hunter, with his back turned to me. "I will take you through the jungle to a village where he and his soldiers will be waiting for us. It would be too risky to fly you out from here. The danger that the helicopter will be shot down is too great. Your father agreed with me. It will take us a few days to get to the village and I want to make one thing clear!" He turned to me and sparkled at me with his cat eyes. "I will not touch you! It's for your own good and I don't want you to tease me anymore. I still am only a man, Pearl. No! I am more than that! I am more than just a man. In me slumbers a beast, which you do not want to get to know! Believe me, Pearl. Do not wake it! I am warning you!"
&nbs
p; I had no idea why he kept insisting that he would hurt me if we had sex. I couldn't imagine that he would ever do anything to me. Maybe it was naive, but I just had a gut feeling about it. The attraction he was exerting on me was stronger than anything I had ever experienced. I was unable to resist it and I suspected that he felt this connection from his side as well. It went deeper than just sexual attraction. Even if that was huge, there was still something else I could not describe. Was it only because he was my rescuer and my safety in this hell hole depended on him? Like Stockholm syndrome in kidnapping victims? I shook my head. No! There was something between us! Something real! I was quite sure of it!
"Why don't you just tell me what your problem is?" I snubbed him. "You think I'm a spoiled brat and can't handle a bit rougher treatment? Fuck you, Hunter! I've gone through a hard school the last few days. Whatever you think would happen between us, I think I can handle it!"
Within seconds Hunter was beside me and grabbed me by the arm so brutally that I screamed in horror. His face was distorted with rage and it came close to mine. My heart was beating up in my throat. I had to admit that he looked frightening at that moment.
"No!" he said coldly. "You. Can. Not!"
As fast as he had grabbed me, he let go of me again. I rubbed my aching arm and stared at him. He growled and turned away.
"Come on! I want to make a bit of headway before it gets completely dark!"
With these words he marched off and I followed him reluctantly.
"Arrogant bastard!" I mumbled to myself. "Hopefully your balls shrivel up and fall off!"
"I heard that!" Hunter growled.
"So? Who cares? I can also say it to your face if you want! You are an arrogant asshole!"