Hello again everyone! Here's chapter six hope ya'll enjoy. Make sure to leave me a review and let me know what you thought.
CHAPTER SIX
ZAMBIA; AFRICA:
Halfway through the flight Jackson had told Ray the reason for our trip to Africa and Ray agreed to help us find the leopards, saying he had a friend who could hook us up with everything we needed. I wasn't on board with being near a person Ray knew however we did need information and things so I didn't speak my complaints. When we landed the plane in a field by a small building that was obviously an off the path smuggling airway I pulled off my large oversized sweater as the heat was getting to me and I didn't want to get heat-stroke.
I had Mitch help me change the gauze on my tattoos as I couldn't reach them as the others started to get ready to leave the plane. Thankfully Mitch was fast and we joined up with them not two minutes later. As we walked towards the building I stayed at the back of the group, behind Ray keeping an eye on him as we was holding a tranq gun that he had found on the plane.
Mitch spoke up, "I'm a little envious of Chloe right now. Nice air-conditioned cell." He said sounding truly envious causing me to smile and bit my lip to keep my agreement from coming out.
"My man here in Zambia's the real deal. He'll have the intel on leopard sightings, and he'll outfit the lot of us. This is a rough bush. We need a lot more than a tranq gun and a few Glocks." Ray said, the start of his voice causing my smile to vanish as I glared at the back of his head.
Jamie turned her head back to glance at me as Ray had spoke and I gave her a reassuring smile, which she returned before turning around to face front.
"Thanks Ray." Jackson said, he was the only one in the group who actually spoke to Ray when it wasn't necessary.
"You got it. Look, I'm with you now and I aim to help, all right? Because? Come on say it for me sport." Ray said prodding Mitch who sighed deeply before replying.
"Shut up."
"No, one more time. Honestly I can't get enough of it." Ray said.
I had to smirk as Mitch finally gave in to Ray's prodding and repeated the sentence that had caused Ray to decide to help us in the first place.
"The sooner we find the leopards, the sooner we save the world." Mitch said.
"Whew, beautiful." Ray replied before going quiet as we finished walking towards the small building. I decided to go around it to make sure there were no animal's or people waiting to ambush us while the other five went in. I head Jackson holler out, "Hello." As I moved around the building as fast and quietly as I could, a Glock in one hand as I was loaded down with my duffel bag and my two backpacks, one of which I was holding in the other hand.
After making sure the area was secure I entered the building to find the guy's and Jamie gathering supplies. Jamie came over to me as soon as I entered the building.
"Where's the guy Ray said would help us?" I asked not to surprised that I wasn't seeing another guy.
"He's...umm the leopards…neither of them made it." Jamie said nodding in a direction that I guessed two dead bodies lay.
"Oh." Was all I said before I started helping the guy's pack up water and food supplies, who knew how long our little trip would take.
"The car outside…you might find some keys on those bodies over there." Abe said nodding towards the same direction Jamie had.
"Are you serious?" Jamie asked him, I touched her shoulder softly, "I'll get them." I told her handing her my backpack which I had been carrying in my hand and walked over to the mauled bodies.
I crouched and began to pat down one of the bodies when Ray spoke up,
"They used all our ammo in the fight. Now all we got is this tranq gun and whatever Menhit…sorry Jupiter, has on her and in her bags." Ray said.
There was a brief few seconds of silence and then Jackson spoke up, "All right, let's do what we came here to do."
We packed up the vehicle and since there was barely enough room for five people in the vehicle as it was loaded up with bags and supplies I decided to sit on the roof. Jamie, not wanting to leave me alone or maybe just not wanting to be stuck between Ray and Mitch decided to join me on the roof. We sat beside each other Jamie faced forward and I faced behind just in case anyone or thing tried to surprise us from behind.
We neared a river and another vehicle a truck full of people had just drove off of the, there were several girl's voice's singing a song, I glanced over my shoulder at the vehicle but otherwise remained facing the back.
"I'll find out what's happening." Abe said, I heard both front doors open and then the back one's open as well. Abe was talking to one of the men from the truck in an African dialect that I didn't understand. Since everyone else was getting out of the vehicle I jumped down and the motioned for Jamie to jump, catching her and setting her on her feet gently before joining Mitch and Ray who were just shutting the back doors.
"So these leopards we're after, you think they started mutating before the other animals?" Ray asked Mitch.
"According too our research, yeah." Mitch replied.
"I buy that. Africa is the birthplace of civilization. Every great evolutionary leap started here." Ray replied.
I rolled my eyes but didn't say anything as I got Jamie's attention figuring this little break meant that we could work on her throwing arm, I had given her a few throwing knives which she concealed on her person with some tips from me however she wasn't very good at throwing them and hitting the intended target. I pulled out my oversized sweater which I had taken off in the plane and put it up on a tree before handing her the two daggers that I had forgotten in the sweater's pockets.
She had just thrown the knives for the fourth time when the sound of a vehicle starting caught my attention causing me to look backwards just in time to see the other vehicle drive by. Communicating with our eyes Jamie went to go see what information the driver had given while I went over and pulled out the two knives Jamie had thrown as well as the dagger I had used to hold the sweater in place by the hood.
"I'll have to remember not to where this if I don't want to get wet." I muttered to myself as I put the dagger back into its sheath on my back before grabbing the sweater and walking over to the others who were gathered around the hood of the vehicle where Abe was opening a map. There was a space in between Jamie and Mitch that I stepped up into to hear and see what was going on.
"Up here." Abe said pointing to a spot on the map.
"All right, so this is where he said their farm is.' Jackson said marking a spot on the map before pointing to another place further down.
'This is where the leopards attacked a few days ago, and this is where the airport is." Jackson said pointing to a third spot.
"It's totally random." Jamie said as we all looked at the three spots Jackson had marked.
"Yeah, you'd think they'd move in a clear direction." Mitch said.
"Unless random is a part of their plan." I said causing everyone to look at me, Jackson nodded in agreement.
"When an army wants to take an area, they attack in a haphazard fashion. It causes fear. Rumors of their next attack frightens people enough for them to leave before the army arrives." Abe said.
"Wait what are you telling me? That leopards are using military strategy?" Ray asked his disbelief clear.
"It's possible. They're working as a group. Means their thinking as a group." Mitch said.
"Well, glad we don't have any real guns then." Ray said giving me a meaningful look. I rolled my eyes and started towards the back of the vehicle, grabbing my one backpack and my duffel bag I walked back around to the front and set them on the hood. "Ray the only thing I'm willing to let you have is that dart gun, everyone else…take what you want." I said as I unzippered my backpack and duffel bag and stepped back.
Thanking the heavens that I had put all my underclothing into my second backpack along with a few flairs, a pair of binoculars, some glow in the dark sticks a few packs of jerky, several protein bars and three waters as well as all my Zippo's, lighter fluid and cigarettes that I wasn't carrying. "I wouldn't want them going through that backpack." I thought was I watched everyone but Ray move towards my bags gingerly. Jamie started pulling clothes out and upon unwrapping two shirts she found a small revolver and two dozen bullets for it. That caused the guys to man up and they reached in as well starting to find the weapons that I had packed into my bags, the TeleDart RD706 with a small case of animal darts which Jackson took, the half a dozen throwing knives and four untraceable guns as well as ammo and the grenades.
"Seriously! You've been carrying grenades!" Jamie said holding up one gingerly, I sighed.
"Calm down Jamie. Their just flash bangs and tear gas." I replied taking it from her hand and putting it down beside the duffel bag. When everyone was done I put my clothes back into the duffel bag which now had a lot more room so I added everything from the backpack into the duffel bag and tossed the empty backpack into the back of the vehicle while I used the back tire as a ladder to put my duffel bag on-top of the vehicle roof.
Now that they were fully armed Jamie turned her attention back to the leopards.
"Uh, if the attacks are random, how are we gonna know where to look for them?" She asked.
"I have a feeling the leopards are going to find us." Abe said. I felt a chill at the truth in his words, we began to get back into the vehicle. Jamie decided to ride in it this time so I was going to ride on the top alone however Mitch took me to the side and asked me quietly to ride in the vehicle with them.
"Why?" I asked confused. Mitch looked behind me, I guess to make sure no one was watching before he leaned forward and put a quick kiss on my lips.
"Because I want to get to know you better." He replied awkwardly. I blinked as he rubbed the back of his neck before shrugging, "Sure why not." I replied.
We didn't get to talk a whole lot as Jackson drove and Abe sat upfront in the passenger side leaving Ray and Jamie in the back with Mitch and myself. Whenever I felt Ray's eyes on me I gave him a cold glare and stared him down until he looked away.
Suddenly Mitch spoke up, "What is that?" He asked pointing to something up out of my eye view. "Hanging in that tree?" He said continuing to point.
Jackson slowed the vehicle before stopping it and we all got out to look, I mentally said a quick prayer for the poor soul's as I saw at least five full bodies and several pieces of others laying strung throughout the tree.
Both Jackson and Ray were holding their dart guns at the ready as we all stared at the gruesome sight.
"The leopards." Jackson said looking around at the ground.
"Judging from these prints … I'd say a group of about eight or so." Jackson said as he moved forward a bit. I stayed where I was keeping my ears and eyes on full alert as I scanned the woods and grass around us not wanting to be caught unawares by any animal.
"I've never seen animals do anything like this to humans." Ray said, I could tell it was finally seeping into his brain that there was definitely something wrong with the animals like we had been telling him.
"We have." Mitch said from where he was standing right beside me, I felt his hand brush mine gently before I laced our fingers together, offering him some silent comfort as I knew the sight was getting to him.
"Hey these prints can't be more than a few hours old. That means were getting closer to the leopards." Jackson said from where he was crouched down.
"Their den may be around here." He said as he stood up.
"Closer? You want to get closer? That suddenly sounds like a really bad idea." Jamie said worry and a faint hint of fear in her voice.
"We want to find the cure, right? Let's go find those leopards." Jackson said moving back towards the vehicle.
I squeezed Mitch's hand once before letting it go as I walked back towards the vehicle keeping vigilant watch of our surroundings.
When we got in the vehicle again I found myself between Jamie and Mitch with Ray on the other side by himself as both Mitch and Jamie stayed closer to me. Jamie laid her head on my shoulder so I put my arm around her waist holding her close and giving her forehead a kiss while Mitch threaded our fingers together again. We were mostly silent as we drove till it started getting dark I napped on Mitch's shoulder just as Jamie napped on mine. Mitch woke me up when we stopped and I in turn woke Jamie up as we had stopped to make camp.
Knowing that animals could see in almost pitch black circumstance's and not wanting to test out how good my aim was in the dark I suggested we build several fire's around the center of our camp so we could see. Everyone agreed to my suggestion and we began to make fires around the center we had chosen for camp. One beside the vehicle so we could see it in case we needed to get in it during the middle of the night and eight in two circle like shapes four of them were only twenty-five feet away from us and the other four were thirty-five feet away from us.
Jamie had to go to the bathroom so after lighting up the last fire I went with her figuring I might as well go while we still had hand sanitizer and it wasn't completely dark. When we got back to the camp Jamie and Mitch went to work on one of the tent's while I went to set up another one. I couldn't help but snicker at them as they were completely confused about how to put the tent together. I finished mine and watched them for a minute debating on if I should help or just watch them keep trying.
Abe spoke to me distracting me from watching the two of them,
"Jupiter why does Ray call you Menhit?" Abe asked me curiously.
"When I was a Seal we went by codenames. Menhit was mine.. Anyway when I met up with Ray I was with two teammates and that's how they addressed me when they were trying to get me to leave. Ray never knew my real name until he heard ya'll call me by it." I replied holding my hands out near the fire a bit as the air started to cool down.
"What does it mean? Your Seal name?" Abe asked curiously. I tilted my head to the side a bit to see him.
"It means, she who massacres." I replied softly. I saw Abe's eyes widen a bit and I gave him a small grin, "You saw the scars that I had tattooed over on my back right? The claw marks that look like their bleeding?" I asked.
Abe nodded. "Yes, when we were in France at Chloe's." He replied.
"They were from a lioness, it happened when I was fifteen. When I was in BUDS training, a friend saw it he was from Egypt and had moved to the US when he was ten. He still remembered a story his grandmother use to tell him about an Egyptian goddess called Menhit who was said to be war goddess and depicted in a lioness human form. He began to call me Menhit and when we made it into the Seals it stuck." I said cracking my neck and shoulders.
"I to once went by another name." Abe said softly. I kept my eyes moving however I stayed quiet as he told me his story in a soft voice. I couldn't begin to imagine the pain he must have felt knowing that he had made a choice which had led to the death of his two younger brothers. When he finished his tale, we stood together in silence for a minute before I touched his arm softly, "Well now you have an extended family and we have gained an older brother." I told him with a smile which he returned before we went our separate ways.
I went around checking on all the fires before heading back into the center of the camp. When I got there, I put the sweater Jamie had used for target practice on the ground and sat down on it beside the fire. As I stared into the fire I began to be drawn into my past and was startled out of it when Mitch's voice spoke up from near-by.
"Six tranq darts. I hope Ray is as good a shot as he says he is." Mitch said.
"He is. Much as it pains me to say." Abe said from right next to me. There was a pause as the sounds of animals filtered throughout camp.
"I used to love the sound of nature." Mitch said.
"This is not how the bush should sound. Before, it was something beautiful. Now it's something entirely different." Abe said. I felt a chill from the air and stood up, pausing to stretch before I walked down to the vehicle and quickly and quietly climbed up onto the roof where my duffel bag was. Crouching down I unzipped it and quickly found a black hooded long-sleeve shirt that I pulled on then I grabbed a box of milk-duds that I had put in there from my backpack before re-zipping my duffel bag and walking back over towards the fire.
I got there just in time to hear Mitch say, "Give us some warning." To Jamie who was standing close beside him.
Unable to help myself I got right up behind him and leaned down whispering in his ear, "Warning."
"Holy!" Mitch said jumping up from his seat I grinned and saw my smile mirrored on Jamie and Abe's face.
"What you said give you warning." I said in answer to his accuse eyes before opening the box of milk duds and holding them out in a peace offering, "Milk-dud?" I asked.
After giving Mitch and Abe some I popped one into my mouth as Jamie asked me to go with her into the bush a little way's as she had to go to the bathroom. Abe offered the tranq gun to which I had held up the Glock I tucked in the waist of my pants accepting that with a nod he put the tranq gun back down beside him. I put another one into my mouth and offered Jamie some which she took a few and put them in her mouth as we walked away from the camp-sight.
"It's been a while since we've been alone." I commented. She nodded in reply as she found a good place to squat and broke a glow stick so it would light up the area around her.
"Oh here. These are safe for the environment so you can just leave it where you go." I said pulling out a small pack of wipes and handing them to her as well as a small thing of hand-sanitizer. Then after giving the bush behind her a good going through I turned around so she could have some privacy.
"It feels like it's been ages since I crashed in your apartment." I said remembering the day I had been planning to tell her I had retired from the Seals.
"Tell me about it. I can't believe how much has happened since then." Jamie said as she went, a soft growling noise and a rustling in the foliage caught my attention.
"Jamie if you can hurry it up. I'm a good shot but in close quarters a gun is not ideal." I said listening to the jungle around me, knowing that a leopard or another big cat could jump out at any time. A howl in the distance seemed to puncture my statement and seconds later Jamie came out of the tree's zipping her pants back up, and scrubbing her hands together.
"Thanks for the wipes and hand-sanitizer, I totally forgot to bring anything like that." Jamie said I smiled and put up my hand stopping her from handing it back, "I have more you keep those." I said as we started walking back to the camp sight.
Jamie went back to the tent while I went back over to the fire, time passed slowly and we stayed mostly quiet or talking in hushed whispers until it was time for Mitch and Abe to switch-out with Jackson and Ray. I had moved my sweater over towards where Mitch was sitting and had dozed off and on again leaning against his legs my Glock close by on the ground just in case.
Used to having little sleep and catching it where I could, I felt wide awake when Ray and Jackson started their watch and shared what was left of the milk-duds with them.
Not more than three hours later something defiantly began to circle us in the brush so Jackson woke up Abe, Mitch and Jamie while I had Ray's back as he crouched near the bush, close to where we had heard the movement. The tranq gun I had brought was in his hands while the other one was slung across his back just in case. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Jackson and Abe each grab a home-made torch and come close to us.
"We just saw something zip by." Jackson said to the others, not bothering to keep his voice quiet as we were all awake now.
"Throw me that box of tranq darts will ya?" Ray said to Abe who bent down and picked it up before tossing it to Ray.
"If it is a leopard I can handle it." Ray said. I grabbed his arm causing him to look at me, "They are not like any leopard you've dealt with before." I warned him. He nodded and I let him go as he moved off into the bush I stepped back so I was near Jamie and Mitch who immediately made a hole between them that I seamlessly fit into. I held my Glock at the ready and noticed everyone holding one of the weapons I had outfitted them with at the ready as well. Even Jamie was holding her throwing knives as she refused a gun.
"Ray you stay here. We're safer together." Abe said.
"Right. I got this." Ray said confidently with a smirk before he continued to walk off into the darkened bush.
For several tense moments, there was nothing but animal noises and I wanted to immediately call out a command to circle up so none of our backs were exposed however before I could suggest such a thing Ray came back out of the bush.
"Nothing there. Looks like we live to die another day." Ray said just as a loud growl came from his right and a leopard slammed into him. I heard Jamie scream out, "Ray!" In shock as the leopard drug him into the jungle.
Immediately I took control of the situation. "Everyone in a circle around the center of the fire don't waste your bullets without a clear shot all the ammunition you have is all I brought with me." I said, everyone did as I said Jamie was on my right side and Mitch was on my left around the fire as we watched the leopards come out of the jungle and circle us.
"Jamie those glow sticks you have, bring 'em here." Jackson said causing Jamie to pause in her moving towards the fire enough to bend down and grab her glow sticks out of her backpack and walk towards Jackson. I had several clear shots however I didn't want to kill the leopards if I didn't truly have to so I didn't take any of the shots.
"Mitch behind you!" I heard Abe say and saw two leopards ganging up on Mitch, I reached down and pulled one of the daggers out of my boots and tossed it causing it to slam into the back leg of one of the leopards who snarled and backed off Mitch. Jackson must have done something as I heard him holler and then it was over, all of the leopards backed off and ran back into the bush.
"Come on, lets go." Jackson said starting towards the vehicle.
"Go? Go where?" Mitch asked.
"I tagged one of the leopards with a glow stick. We can track it." Jackson replied before turning and heading over to the bags near the fire, "Where are the keys?" He asked digging through them.
"Jackson, Ray had both tranq guns on him. We need a plan." Abe said trying to convince Jackson.
"We have a plan okay? This is it. We follow the leopards, that's our best chance." Jackson said.
"What else you guys want to do? You want to stay here and wait for them to come back? Come on." Jackson said moving once again towards the vehicle his backpack over his shoulder the keys to the vehicle in his hands.
"We do need to leave but first we need to re-pack the things we need the most." I said taking control before Jackson and Abe had a confrontation.
"Everyone grab your bag and or bags, we can leave the tent and the fires will burn out on their own. Let's grab the supplies we un-loaded and pack them back up so we can get moving while it's still dark." I said before starting to move to do just that. Everyone else started slowly to do as I said and then faster their minds no doubt still process the death of Ray and the coordinated attack of the leopards.
We were packed up within ten minutes and on the move following the faint trail of glowing green from the leopard that Jackson had tagged with the glow stick fluid.
"Hey right up there. Up ahead on the right. We're on the right track." Jackson said pointing out the glowing trail. Everyone remained silent as Abe continued to drive staying as close to the trail as he could.
"Maybe somebody should say something about him." Mitch said finally breaking the silence.
"..Ray I mean…nobody should die without words being spoken right?" Mitch said again causing me to realize with surprise that we were holding hands. "When did this happen?" I wondered curiously but shrugged it off as Abe spoke up.
"Ray was…obnoxious, loud and stubborn. But he was passionate, and he care more about animals on this Earth then any man I've ever met." Abe said.
There was more silence until Jackson spoke up, "Looks like the trails run out. We lost him."
"Okay.. team. What now?" Mitch asked.
"Let's make camp for the night. We can pick up the trail when it gets light out." Jackson said.
Abe slowed the vehicle and pulled over, I let go of Mitch's hand and started towards the doors in the back, "I'll keep watch from the roof." I said before opening the doors and climbing up onto of the roof.
As soon as the sun came up we were on our way again, looking for the leopard trail.
"We've lost both tranq guns so we'll have to make our own. It's not quiet ketamine, but it should do the trick. The locals have used it for hundreds of years to get drunk so hopefully it's enough to knock a leopard out." Abe said. Talking about the root he had given Mitch to make into liquid to put in a needle that had been taken out of the first aid kit that had been placed in the vehicle.
"That's the most disgusting thing I've ever smelled in my life." Jamie said causing me to grin a little.
Mitch finished stirring the stuff up and put it into the needle before raising it to just above his tongue, "Okay." He said.
"Whoa. Easy are you sure about that?" Jamie asked him.
Mitch shrugged, "It's for science." He replied causing me to snicker a little. He smiled at me and then put a dab on his tongue immediately grimacing at the taste. "Mmm. Tingles. Hope it does more than that to the leopard." Mitch said.
"Stop the truck. Right up there. You see those trees? With the rocks. The rocks along the base." Jackson said passing the binoculars I had given him to use earlier to Abe who peered through them.
"Yes. Looks like their den." Abe said.
Stopping here for right now. No worries I will continue this chapter and story later on for now I really need to get to bed. Leave a review and let me know what you think so far.