The sun was relentless, beating down on everything around. The jungle air was heavy, and still, the kind that made you feel as if you were stuck in a giant oven. All around me were sounds of the wildlife, I could hear goats bleating as they wandered aimlessly through the brush, the flutter of birds overhead, the sharp squawks of cassowarys, and the underlying drone of cicadas. My grip tightened on the handle of my AK-47 as I hear the distant roaring of a tiger, tigers were huge threats to us, they wiped out half of our group in less than half a minute, and they take a hell of a lot of clips to put down. I hear the occasional mutter of my team mates as they lounge about. From my position on the bank of the river I can see a crocodile floating lazily in the shallows. I'm tempted to kill it, but what's the point. We have all the materials we need. I sigh and sit back, thinking that today is going to be another pointless and boring day.
Suddenly a shape bursts out of the water, wraps its arms around me and drags me under. The hands release me and I come up coughing and spitting out water, automatically bringing my gun to my shoulder, flicking off the safety as I do. Before I fire, a warm, familiar voice speaks out. "Come on now man" it said, thick with accent. "You wouldn't wanna shoot me". My blurred vision sharpens suddenly, and before my eyes stands John, my secret lover. He tries to wrap his arms around me but I shove him off. "What the fuck man, you almost gave me a heart attack".
"Aw come on Sam" he says playfully. "I'm just kidding around with you". He steps in to embrace me again, and I let him, savouring the touch of his skin against mine, as he rough hands brush my face, I close my eyes and feel his warm, soft lips press up against mine. I break off the kiss gently and whisper "John, you know what would happen if we got caught like this".
His deep blue eyes locked with mine. "I know I know, but sometimes I can't help but want you".
He smiled and I returned it, before he leaned in and gently kissed me again. "Besides" he added "I made sure none of the others could see us".
I looked around and had to agree, we were amidst the trees on the far side of the river, the thick curtain of leaves blocking anyone from seeing what was happening within.
"Alright fine" I said finally. "I'm all yours".
But just as John grabbed me and pulled me in again, a crack of static broke through the chatter of the jungle, before a garbled, yet desperate voice screamed something about an attack.
The voice of another man rang out. "Fuck, come on everyone, an outpost near here is being attacked, apparently its Snow White".
John's face dropped "Snow White? That's Jason Brody right? He's the bastard that took out Vaas, Hoyt has a huge price on his head! Come on we have to go"
He took off running and I stumbled after him. Our team piled into jeeps, as I launched myself into the passenger side, I heard a series if thuds as John climbed the back and manned the 50cal. He banged on the roof of the jeep. "Let's move it ladies". Another man jumped into the driver's seat and the jeeps roared to life, wheels spinning for a few seconds before tearing off down the dirt road. Anticipation hung as a lump in my throat the closer we got, but a massive thud as our car ran over a dingo jolted me back into reality. As our jeep skidded around the corner into the outpost, the car in front of us suddenly swerved, the driver falling out dead, and ran down a hill, flipping over and over before exploding at the bottom of a river. Time seemed to stop. I saw bodies littered everywhere, each with a single, neat arrow protruding out from various parts, I saw another man atop a building shooting wildly into the hill behind the encampment, before his entire body shattered and he flew backwards onto the ground, the 50 calibre sniper bullet destroying him.
I heard steady gunfire as John tore up the hill with his mounted machine gun, and a loud crash and a jolt as the windscreen exploded, leaving a gaping hole in our drivers head, and leaving our jeep to smash into the wall in front of us.
We were slowing down anyway, so the jolt wasn't serious, but it was enough to leave me dizzy and disoriented as I fell out of the passenger side, before regaining my feet and firing blindly at the hill, the AK-47 drilling into my shoulder with each shot I took. I noticed a small shaking of leaves to the side of where we were firing at, and the brief glint of the sun reflecting off the sniper scope. "Got you" I thought, lining up my sights and preparing to pull the trigger. Just as another shot rang out.
My entire world went silent. "I'm not dead, He missed!" I thought excitedly.
Before John's cries reached my ears.
I turned my head in horror to see him fall to see him slam against the back rest of the mounted machine gun, before falling to his knees, and slowly, rolling off the trailer and to the ground. Dead.
My world shattered, I could comprehend that my love, my life, my John had just died, he wasn't dead, he couldn't be, he couldn't just leave me like that.
A sudden wave of anger clouded my thoughts, overwhelming my thoughts as a roar of agony and despair escaped my lips. I saw a man sprinting towards me, I took a flying leap onto the trailer, abandoning my gun as I landed, I turned for the 50 cal, determined to end this mans life, as he had John's. Even as I turned the man dropped to one knee, drew and an arrow and released.
As I reached out for the mounted gun I felt a heavy impact on my stomach, as if someone has punched me with all their might, as my body curled around the blow. Suddenly all strength in my legs deserted me, and I fell to my knees. Looking down to see a long, feathered shaft impaled in my stomach. I saw a red patch slowly grow as my suddenly slow and groggy brain tried to comprehend what had happened. I looked up. The man lowered his bow, and began walking slowly towards me. I suddenly felt weak and light-headed, awkwardly landing on my shoulder, and rolling off the trailer to land behind my dead partner. As my vision dimmed and the last of my strength left me, I managed to lift one arm and lay it over John, showing one last act of love, one last thing to make me happy, as I drew my last breath, and slipped quietly away.