"Did you see that?" Scarlett said, straining her eyes in the darkness. She
shook Lady Jaye's shoulder to wake her.
"Is it my turn for nightwatch already?" Lady Jaye yawned. Spotting Scarlett's worried expression Jaye instantly snapped alert. Her hand groped for her javelins and then she remembered the only weapons allowed in the challenge were whatever competitors could build.
Scarlett put a finger to her lips and then pointed into the obscurity.
Green, incandescent eyes glinted back at them. Another pair came into view.
"What are they?" Jaye whispered.
"I don't have a clue. Wild dogs?"
"No, a dingo's eyes don't glow like that," Lady Jaye said. "No creature's eyes glow like that." She paused. "Unless they're at the bottom of the ocean."
"Whatever they are, they're watching us."
Lady Jaye moved slowly towards Beachhead, who lay on the ground beside her. She reached for his foot. "I'm awake, Jaye Bird, don't bother," he said quietly. "I've got my eye on them. Roadblock -" Beachhead tapped his teammate's shoulder.
"What is it, chief?"
"Trouble at twelve o'clock."
Roadblock looked up. "What the hell are those things?"
"They're part of the fun," Beachhead said grimly. "Prepare yourself, ladies."
Lady Jaye and Scarlett crouched down, ready to spring.
Then the glowing eyes disappeared.
"Where'd they go?" Scarlett said, looking around. "They just -"
She was suddenly knocked to her stomach with a crushing blow; the air hissed out of her lungs. Scarlett gasped, desperately trying to breath, her mouth open wide. Two powerful hands twisted her onto her back and she stared in shock at her attacker. It was half-human, standing upright on two feet with a body covered in heavy fur. But it was the face that made Scarlett go rigid with fear: a combination of man and beast with scars crisscrossing along its jaw and forehead. Its glowing green eyes studied her.
"SCARLETT!" Lady Jaye shouted in horror. She flung herself onto the creature's back only to be picked off by his companion, a female version but just as strong. Her hands gripped Jaye's throat tightly, forcing her to her knees.
"Did we have these things last time, Beach?" Roadblock said.
"Nope," Beachhead said, sizing up the situation. "But we had those soldiers from the Foreign Legion."
"Damn they were ugly."
"That's great, guys!" Scarlett shouted, breathing in sharply as the creature licked her neck. "Do you mind helping us out now?"
Lady Jaye's eyes rolled back into her head and her body went limp.
"Hey!" Beachhead yelled. "Go easy on her! This is still just a challenge!"
"Not anymore," said the male creature.
The female threw Lady Jaye on the ground in disgust. "Might be a game for you," the female creature said. "But it's life and death for us. Only fair to make it life and death for you."
"What the hell you talking about?" Beachhead said.
"You expect us to be your pets? Your entertainment?" The male creature brought up a fist and pummeled Scarlett in the face. Blood gushed out of her nose and mouth.
"Jesus!" Roadblock shouted, throwing himself on the beast. It fell back and scampered into the bushes.
The female followed, snarling.
"Scarlett?" Roadblock said, looking helplessly at her bloodied face.
"Ow."
"We'll get help soon."
She tried to smile, but winced in pain. "How's Jaye?"
"Okay, Shana," a weak voice said.
"Thanks for coming to my rescue, doll."
"Anytime, beautiful," Lady Jaye smiled.
Beachhead helped Lady Jaye to her feet. She swayed slightly and leaned on his shoulders for support. He wrapped his arm round her waist, steadying her, his breath catching as his cheek brushed along hers. She looked up gratefully, meeting his eyes, and then quickly backed away.
"This isn't right," Beachhead said, shaking his head. "It's not supposed to be like this. Something's wrong."
"Whatever," Scarlett groaned, touching her face gingerly. "Next time it's your turn to play."
"Shit, Scarlett, you need a medic," Beachhead said, crouching down next to her. He grabbed a transmitter from his backpack and radioed for assistance.
"They'll be here soon, Scarlett. Hang on."
***
"THIS IS G.I. JOE TEAM LEADER REQUESTING IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE. I REPEAT: G.I. JOE TEAM LEADER REQUESTING IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE. SOLDIER INJURED - COMPETITOR NO. 240, SHANA O'HARA. CODENAME: SCARLETT."
Duke replayed the message for the fifth time, trying to find something he'd missed, some clue to let them know the team's whereabouts. "Are you sure that's all you got?" he snapped, grabbing the course official by the shirt.
"Yes, sir, I've told you five times," the official said, trying to remove Duke's hands. "The frequency jammed after that. We're not getting signals from the other teams either. Somebody's screwing with the transmission waves."
"COBRA," Flint growled.
Duke let go of the official in disgust. "I thought these frequencies were impossible to mess with. Isn't that your guys' job?"
"Apparently not," Flint muttered under his breath.
"Go," Duke said to the course official. "Try and find out something useful."
The course official glared at him before turning away.
"What are you thinking, Duke?" Flint asked.
Keep it together, Duke thought. She's okay. Everything's fine. "Just give me a moment, Flint."
Flint nodded and turned to the rest of the team. "Alright soldiers! Get your supplies ready. Carry as much water as you can. Go! Get busy!"
The team ran off.
Flint turned to Duke and cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I know it's hard, Conrad."
"I'm okay, Dash. I know nothing would give you more pleasure than to see me crack."
"Come on, Conrad," Flint sighed. "Give me a little credit. Allie's out there also."
"You're comparing apples to oranges, pal," Duke said, turning to some maps of the course.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Flint growled. "You telling me Allie's not as good a woman as Shana?"
"Of course not, you idiot," Duke said, seething with misplaced anger. "I'm telling you that your 'relationship' isn't the same as mine."
"Don't go psychiatrist on me, golden boy. You don't know the half of it."
"Oh?" Duke said, going in for the kill. "Ask me how many times Shana and I have found Lady Jaye in her room crying? Go ahead. Ask."
Flint took a step back. "Allie never cries..."
"Moron," Duke muttered, walking off. "I'm going to ready the troops."
***
Hector Ramirez peeled his sweaty shirt off his body and pulled out his compact mirror. He groaned as he studied his reflection. The hairspray in his hair was dripping down his forehead, stinging his eyes and tickling his nose. The foundation on his face - applied liberally with a spatula - was beginning to slide down his neck and onto his collar.
Bondi Beach was packed full of people, strolling casually in the sun, throwing the frisbee and splashing in the waves.
"I don't get it," Jimmy said, setting up his camera. "From what direction are the competitors coming from?"
"Ever seen those NAVY Seals documentaries?" Gung-Ho said.
Jimmy shook his head.
"Well, what they do is come up from the waves, in full scuba gear, machine guns, black face paint," Gung-Ho said. "It's all about the element of surprise."
"No shit," Jimmy whistled.
"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!" Hector yelled, stamping his foot on the ground.
"What is it boss?" Jimmy asked.
Hector waved at the beach in disgust. "Can't these women put some tops on? How am I supposed to film for an American television station - LIVE - when naked girls are strutting past? Lord, TAKE ME NOW."
Gung-Ho jumped up, squinting to get a better view. Jimmy grabbed the camera and peered through the lens.
"Here," Jimmy said, handing the camera over to Gung-Ho. "You can zoom in with this."
"Thanks, man."
Hector swore and marched to the back of the SUV, throwing open the back door. He slammed a suitcase onto the ground, flipped it open and grabbed two sweaters.
"Hey! You girls!" he said, running up to two women sunbathing topless. "Put these sweaters on! Quickly!"
"Your boss is a little messed up," Gung-Ho said to Jimmy as they watched Hector chase the bare-breasted women along the beach.
"A little? The guy's full-on cracked."
"GUNG-HO? FLINT HERE. DO YOU READ ME? OVER."
Gung-Ho reached into this pocket and pulled out a radio receiver: "I'M ON BONDI BEACH, FLINT. WHERE YOU AT? OVER."
"ENJOYING THE SITES, EH GUNG-HO? I'M AT CHALLENGE HEADQUARTERS. THEY TOLD ME YOU VOLUNTEERED TO SIT THIS ONE OUT. SMART MOVE. WE NEED YOU BACK HERE ASAP. I'LL EXPLAIN LATER. OVER."
"I'M ON MY WAY. OVER."
Gung-Ho turned to Jimmy. "Sorry, pal, I'd take you but it's top-secret."
"Hey, I get paid either way." Jimmy smiled and watched Hector sprint along the beach, waving his arms frantically at naked women. "This beats an army competition any day."
***
"Is it my turn for nightwatch already?" Lady Jaye yawned. Spotting Scarlett's worried expression Jaye instantly snapped alert. Her hand groped for her javelins and then she remembered the only weapons allowed in the challenge were whatever competitors could build.
Scarlett put a finger to her lips and then pointed into the obscurity.
Green, incandescent eyes glinted back at them. Another pair came into view.
"What are they?" Jaye whispered.
"I don't have a clue. Wild dogs?"
"No, a dingo's eyes don't glow like that," Lady Jaye said. "No creature's eyes glow like that." She paused. "Unless they're at the bottom of the ocean."
"Whatever they are, they're watching us."
Lady Jaye moved slowly towards Beachhead, who lay on the ground beside her. She reached for his foot. "I'm awake, Jaye Bird, don't bother," he said quietly. "I've got my eye on them. Roadblock -" Beachhead tapped his teammate's shoulder.
"What is it, chief?"
"Trouble at twelve o'clock."
Roadblock looked up. "What the hell are those things?"
"They're part of the fun," Beachhead said grimly. "Prepare yourself, ladies."
Lady Jaye and Scarlett crouched down, ready to spring.
Then the glowing eyes disappeared.
"Where'd they go?" Scarlett said, looking around. "They just -"
She was suddenly knocked to her stomach with a crushing blow; the air hissed out of her lungs. Scarlett gasped, desperately trying to breath, her mouth open wide. Two powerful hands twisted her onto her back and she stared in shock at her attacker. It was half-human, standing upright on two feet with a body covered in heavy fur. But it was the face that made Scarlett go rigid with fear: a combination of man and beast with scars crisscrossing along its jaw and forehead. Its glowing green eyes studied her.
"SCARLETT!" Lady Jaye shouted in horror. She flung herself onto the creature's back only to be picked off by his companion, a female version but just as strong. Her hands gripped Jaye's throat tightly, forcing her to her knees.
"Did we have these things last time, Beach?" Roadblock said.
"Nope," Beachhead said, sizing up the situation. "But we had those soldiers from the Foreign Legion."
"Damn they were ugly."
"That's great, guys!" Scarlett shouted, breathing in sharply as the creature licked her neck. "Do you mind helping us out now?"
Lady Jaye's eyes rolled back into her head and her body went limp.
"Hey!" Beachhead yelled. "Go easy on her! This is still just a challenge!"
"Not anymore," said the male creature.
The female threw Lady Jaye on the ground in disgust. "Might be a game for you," the female creature said. "But it's life and death for us. Only fair to make it life and death for you."
"What the hell you talking about?" Beachhead said.
"You expect us to be your pets? Your entertainment?" The male creature brought up a fist and pummeled Scarlett in the face. Blood gushed out of her nose and mouth.
"Jesus!" Roadblock shouted, throwing himself on the beast. It fell back and scampered into the bushes.
The female followed, snarling.
"Scarlett?" Roadblock said, looking helplessly at her bloodied face.
"Ow."
"We'll get help soon."
She tried to smile, but winced in pain. "How's Jaye?"
"Okay, Shana," a weak voice said.
"Thanks for coming to my rescue, doll."
"Anytime, beautiful," Lady Jaye smiled.
Beachhead helped Lady Jaye to her feet. She swayed slightly and leaned on his shoulders for support. He wrapped his arm round her waist, steadying her, his breath catching as his cheek brushed along hers. She looked up gratefully, meeting his eyes, and then quickly backed away.
"This isn't right," Beachhead said, shaking his head. "It's not supposed to be like this. Something's wrong."
"Whatever," Scarlett groaned, touching her face gingerly. "Next time it's your turn to play."
"Shit, Scarlett, you need a medic," Beachhead said, crouching down next to her. He grabbed a transmitter from his backpack and radioed for assistance.
"They'll be here soon, Scarlett. Hang on."
***
"THIS IS G.I. JOE TEAM LEADER REQUESTING IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE. I REPEAT: G.I. JOE TEAM LEADER REQUESTING IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE. SOLDIER INJURED - COMPETITOR NO. 240, SHANA O'HARA. CODENAME: SCARLETT."
Duke replayed the message for the fifth time, trying to find something he'd missed, some clue to let them know the team's whereabouts. "Are you sure that's all you got?" he snapped, grabbing the course official by the shirt.
"Yes, sir, I've told you five times," the official said, trying to remove Duke's hands. "The frequency jammed after that. We're not getting signals from the other teams either. Somebody's screwing with the transmission waves."
"COBRA," Flint growled.
Duke let go of the official in disgust. "I thought these frequencies were impossible to mess with. Isn't that your guys' job?"
"Apparently not," Flint muttered under his breath.
"Go," Duke said to the course official. "Try and find out something useful."
The course official glared at him before turning away.
"What are you thinking, Duke?" Flint asked.
Keep it together, Duke thought. She's okay. Everything's fine. "Just give me a moment, Flint."
Flint nodded and turned to the rest of the team. "Alright soldiers! Get your supplies ready. Carry as much water as you can. Go! Get busy!"
The team ran off.
Flint turned to Duke and cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I know it's hard, Conrad."
"I'm okay, Dash. I know nothing would give you more pleasure than to see me crack."
"Come on, Conrad," Flint sighed. "Give me a little credit. Allie's out there also."
"You're comparing apples to oranges, pal," Duke said, turning to some maps of the course.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Flint growled. "You telling me Allie's not as good a woman as Shana?"
"Of course not, you idiot," Duke said, seething with misplaced anger. "I'm telling you that your 'relationship' isn't the same as mine."
"Don't go psychiatrist on me, golden boy. You don't know the half of it."
"Oh?" Duke said, going in for the kill. "Ask me how many times Shana and I have found Lady Jaye in her room crying? Go ahead. Ask."
Flint took a step back. "Allie never cries..."
"Moron," Duke muttered, walking off. "I'm going to ready the troops."
***
Hector Ramirez peeled his sweaty shirt off his body and pulled out his compact mirror. He groaned as he studied his reflection. The hairspray in his hair was dripping down his forehead, stinging his eyes and tickling his nose. The foundation on his face - applied liberally with a spatula - was beginning to slide down his neck and onto his collar.
Bondi Beach was packed full of people, strolling casually in the sun, throwing the frisbee and splashing in the waves.
"I don't get it," Jimmy said, setting up his camera. "From what direction are the competitors coming from?"
"Ever seen those NAVY Seals documentaries?" Gung-Ho said.
Jimmy shook his head.
"Well, what they do is come up from the waves, in full scuba gear, machine guns, black face paint," Gung-Ho said. "It's all about the element of surprise."
"No shit," Jimmy whistled.
"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!" Hector yelled, stamping his foot on the ground.
"What is it boss?" Jimmy asked.
Hector waved at the beach in disgust. "Can't these women put some tops on? How am I supposed to film for an American television station - LIVE - when naked girls are strutting past? Lord, TAKE ME NOW."
Gung-Ho jumped up, squinting to get a better view. Jimmy grabbed the camera and peered through the lens.
"Here," Jimmy said, handing the camera over to Gung-Ho. "You can zoom in with this."
"Thanks, man."
Hector swore and marched to the back of the SUV, throwing open the back door. He slammed a suitcase onto the ground, flipped it open and grabbed two sweaters.
"Hey! You girls!" he said, running up to two women sunbathing topless. "Put these sweaters on! Quickly!"
"Your boss is a little messed up," Gung-Ho said to Jimmy as they watched Hector chase the bare-breasted women along the beach.
"A little? The guy's full-on cracked."
"GUNG-HO? FLINT HERE. DO YOU READ ME? OVER."
Gung-Ho reached into this pocket and pulled out a radio receiver: "I'M ON BONDI BEACH, FLINT. WHERE YOU AT? OVER."
"ENJOYING THE SITES, EH GUNG-HO? I'M AT CHALLENGE HEADQUARTERS. THEY TOLD ME YOU VOLUNTEERED TO SIT THIS ONE OUT. SMART MOVE. WE NEED YOU BACK HERE ASAP. I'LL EXPLAIN LATER. OVER."
"I'M ON MY WAY. OVER."
Gung-Ho turned to Jimmy. "Sorry, pal, I'd take you but it's top-secret."
"Hey, I get paid either way." Jimmy smiled and watched Hector sprint along the beach, waving his arms frantically at naked women. "This beats an army competition any day."
***