Chapter Twelve

" Head for the water, " Jackson snapped harshly as the feline snarled another challenge out to the two fleeing teens, " it shouldn't follow us in too deep! " He broke branches and pulled vines as he plowed through, all but dragging Eric with him. And then, a hideous sounding yowl came from directly behind them. Jackson looked back just in time to see a yellow and tan streak hit Eric squarely on his back pack, sending him tumbling to the ground.

The cat wasn't all that large, although it probable weighed in the forty to fifty pound range. And it was doing it's best to get to Eric's neck. The only things preventing it were Eric's desperate squirming and the way the back pack kept knocking the animal off balance.

"HELP!!!" Eric shouted, naturally enough.

And the cat suddenly went flying as Jackson sent his on backpack flying into it with every fiber of strength he possessed. The tan colored monster as knocked a flip, but hopped up even louder and madder than before. Jackson stood in front of Eric, whirling his backpack in front of him, a pitiful defense against the claws and teeth of the small predator.

" Back to back! And you'll have to lead me , so fucking tell me here to step!. If I fall, that damn bobcat will be on me in about a half second!" He kept his eyes on the hissing bobcat, which growled and kept scarping it's pas, alternating between standing and hunkering down to pounce. It obviously had underestimated it's larger prey and was deciding on attacking or not.

Eric McGorrill could have cared less what the 'cat as planning ; his plan was simple: GET THE HELL AWAY FROM IT!! And that he did, snagging Jackson's shirt and tugging him as he called out. " Three big steps back. No, go left a couple of feet. Watch out, there's branches and crap all over. Where's Sylvester at?" he asked , picking the least threatening feline name he could think of for the little assailant.

Even in the danger, Jackson still asked, incredulous, " SYLVESTER?! Death Fang I more like it! That frigging thing's crazy, trying to attack two humans at one time like that! Ho much further? I don't think Sylvester is gonna be content to sit and watch much longer before he does something we won't like." he warned and he fought to keep his balance. Man, this walking backwards through the jungle while you ere trying to keep from being eaten alive was freaking difficult! He stumbled and cursed, " Eric, I need fucking directions! I nearly fell!"

" Sorry Chief!" Eric finally saw the edge of the jungle, and the clear blue water sparkled in the distance at his, a very welcome sight indeed. " Hey, I see the beach, we're almost there!"

Afterwards, Eric would always swear this: " That damn thing could speak English!. I swear to God, it knew what I said or it wouldn't have done what it did next."

It charged with a sound like a ripping sheet of canvas .

" Hang on!" Jackson shoved Eric's hand off and whirled the back pack, ready to try to beat the beast brains out, but at the last second, it veered off into the jungle.

Directly in their path.

" Why you smart little motherfucker!" Eric seemed amazed and infuriated at the exact same time. " That damn thing cut us off. What do we do now Chief?"

To be perfectly fair, Jackson looked stupefied at the cunning the small predator had shown. He looked into the thin skein of trees and shrubs that lay between them and the ocean . And he thought hard for a few seconds. Then came to a conclusion that he was certain would bring a yowl or two for Eric as well as their tormentor.

" We go through. We hit the water running and we swim the edge of the shoreline until e can swim anymore. Unless that thing is completely crazy, it'll give up after a hour or so." He cocked his head as he looked at Eric, awaiting the inevitable explosion.

Which failed to come.

" Ok, you're the boss." Eric said simply. And looked expectantly bright back into Jackson's turquoise eyes.

" You're not going to argue or pitch a bitch fit like usual?" Jackson asked in confusion. " Eric, seriously, are you ok? You're not hurt or anything?" He as being serious about it. Eric never goes along with anyone's plan without at least one complaint! He's scared even worse than I thought. Plenty of that going around just now, he thought ironically. " No plan, just stick by my side and run like hell. On three."

They both took deep breath and got into running postures.

" One, " deep breath, " Two", he glanced at Eric, a burst of love, pride and fear in his chest, " Three!" . They took off as fast as they could.

Cody thought as he ran: Run. Jump over the small bush. Trip, stagger, regain balance. Look for Eric, there! Run. Knock vines out of face. Finally, onto the sand. Turn back. Eric approaches and dammit!

The bobcat dove from the tree directly onto Eric, who was saved once again by his half shredded back pack. He went on a knee as the psycho animal attacked. He saw danger coming from a different source and ducked…

Just as Jackson slammed his back pack into the vicious feline's furry face again. The first blow staggered it, he spun around with a follow up that catapulted it into the air. He snatched Eric up and shoved him towards the water, running backwards into it himself. He didn't turn around until he was waist deep in the Pacific water.

The crazed bobcat stood there, yowling, howling, hissing , spitting and basically doing everything but shooting them the bird and throwing up feline gangs signs to them in it's fury. It had one target of opportunity though. Eric's poor back pack had gave it's all. It lay on the white sugar sand beach and received a fearsome mauling. As they swam off, Eric saw the cat pulling something out and moaned as it ripped his best pair of boxers to shreds.

" Man, now I don't have any clothes or , hell, anything to wear. That damn thing got my backpack!" He had a sour look on his narrow face as he floated there, then asked Jackson, " Now what?"

" We take off our pants , shirts and shoes, tie them on and swim as far from here as we can and hope that thing doesn't follow us, " Jackson said in a deceptively calm voice as he handed his back pack t Eric, then began to divest his clothes and shoes, to enable him to swim better.

" I hope it at least get's a stomach ache from eating my drawers, " Eric muttered as he watched his clothes be destroyed.

" He probable will. Those skid marks aren't exactly appetizing, I'd bet, " Jackson quipped as he tied his clothes into a bundle. " Ok, strip and swim time Eric, .he said, taking his back pack from the other young man.

H grinned before doing so, white teeth showing " I knew you couldn't get enough of my sexy body . You planned this just to get me naked again!"

" Just take 'em off before I throw your ass to the cat!" Jackson shot back.

But there was no denying he watched every move Eric made with a smirk firmly on his face.

They swam off looking for a safe harbor.

The bobcat looked after them, then pissed on Eric's ruined clothe before slowly padding off into the jungle. But in the opposite direction.

Author Here: yes, I'm aware that bobcat's don't live on islands. There will be an explanation in a later chapter, telling how Sylvester got there.