Deep into the darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing,

Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;

But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token--

-Edgar Allen Poe

The Raven

Chapter 9

Darkness There, And Nothing More

Four days later

As I opened my eyes, I could feel the warmth of the sun stream through the cave opening and dance on my skin. I'd expected to find Mac laying by my side, however I found that she was standing at the mouth of the cave.

"Going somewhere, Mac?" I queried, as I stretched my sore limbs. My wound felt much better than it did. And because of this, Mac had treated me to walks in the cool of the last two evenings to exercise my leg.

"I'm going to the stream to see if I can catch something this time."



"I'm coming with you," I asserted instinctively.

"You need to stay here."

I uncharacteristically stultified the protestations that flurried around in my mind, and just nodded.

"Harm, I was thinking, we need to find a way to get home soon. Since I know that we are south of the city, we could use the sun to help us find our way out. We can start on our way early tomorrow morning. What do you think?"

"Sounds good," I agreed.

"Do you need anything, before I go?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Okay. Wish me luck, then."

"Good luck," I grinned. She returned the smile and hurried off into the tranquil beauty of the golden day.

I wasn't sure exactly how long I'd been waiting, as I didn't have Mac's innate precognitive ability for time. It seemed like it had been years. I had heartily agreed with Mac's decision to attempt to catch something for lunch, because last night she had been unsuccessful. We ended up going to sleep hungry. I didn't want to slow her down getting to and returning from the stream. But, right then, my stomach was gluttonously gnawing a hole into itself.

I walked out of the cave and looked around to see if I could find the stream that Mac was fishing from. I found her footprints in the soft earth and I decided to follow them. I wanted to help her if I could. I was tired of being in that cave. Tired of feeling useless, and tired of inaction. It was just not me to sit around like that. Besides, I was never any good at following instructions strictly anyway.

At last, I made my faltering way to the stream. I could hear the melodious trickle of the water before I actually saw it. The sweet smell of nature's fecundity surrounded me. Dense tangles of trees clothed in bright green, laden with exotic flowers, lined the bank. That cool water sounded extremely tempting after such a laborious journey. As I stepped out of the shelter of the trees, and onto the waters edge, I heard Mac splashing about in the water. I opened my mouth to call out to her, but instead of the clever joke I had thought up, an inadvertent note of surprise escaped my lips. There, standing with her naked back facing me, stood Mac. The water came up to the curve of her feminine waist. Her velvety skin was moist with beads of glistening water.

The surprised sound I ejaculated carried quite well over the waters, and startled her. She quickly dipped down into the water to where her head was the only thing left to be seen. As she turned around to scan the bank, I ducked behind a tree.

"Harm?"

I knew better than to reply. That kind of situation did not lead to clear thinking actions. What that woman could do to me! Thank God, she didn't realize the full power she held, or I'd have been finished a long time ago. I attempted to sneak stealthily back to the cave.

"Harm, I know it's you. I thought I told you to stay in the cave!"

I could hear her get out of the water. My pulse quickened and I tried to prod my stiff limb to scurry faster. All I needed was to accidentally spot a fully nude Mac. As much as this realization spurred me on, I still didn't have the full function of my cursed leg. I heard a noise behind me and peered guiltily over my shoulder. Mac stood there with her arms folded, and a mothering look on her lovely face. Damn, busted!

Suddenly, I slipped into the dark, squishy mud. As if she couldn't help herself, Mac chuckled.

"Glad I amuse you."

She stifled her amusement, sauntered over and checked my leg.

"Sorry, I laughed. You okay?" she asked with a twinkle in her eye, and a smirk on her lips.

"My pride is bruised, other than that, I'm fine. Thanks for the concern," I darted back.

After a firm scolding from Mac on our way back to the cave, she settled me in. I had to admit my leg was pounding achingly from my little adventure. She threatened me before leaving to retrieve the fish she had succeeded in catching earlier, before she'd decided on a bath. I sat propped up next to the wall of the cave, absent-mindedly drawing patterns in the dirt. I tried hard not to think about the feelings the vision stoked in me.

Finally, to try to help stave off those memories I secretly relished, I decided to make myself useful and gathered branches for the fire tonight--whistling as I did so. I didn't know why, but I felt quite cheerful. And then, suddenly, I heard Mac's unmistakable voice,

"Har-r--!"

That was followed by the ominous sound of a shot. I froze for a moment, and then dropped the bundle of branches I carried and rushed off toward the direction where the cry came from.

By the time dusk had fallen, and well into the evening, I had searched endlessly, but she was nowhere to be found. My cries rent the night, as I plodded on in my quest. During my struggle to find Mac, thoughts, agonizing questions, had been clamoring around in my head. Had Fahd's men found her? Was she dead? Why would he send men after us when he couldn't be sure how many people were after him? If I were him, I would've made preparations to get my six out of there--gone to a new country, changed my name. Besides, the Stingers were destroyed and he had no idea who else knew about his base of operations. Even with the help of the damnable leak in the CIA. My thoughts scraped over the hardness of those spiky thoughts and diffused to more tortuous thoughts.

Every fruitless mile I searched, fear smacked another stinging lash across my heart. So, by the time I reached the bank of the stream for the second time in my search, it was covered with his blistering welts. And then I saw it.

By the grubby tangles of roots from one of the trees. It glistened darkly, like the stream flowing next to it. A strangled cry gurgled up into my throat. I hurried over, and dipped my finger into the dark liquid. Blood. Oh, God!

Later

I drug my weary body back to the cave, vowing to myself to not to leave that jungle until I found her, at least her body. Sitting down in the dust, I began to gather everything from our shelter together that might be useful to me, when suddenly I heard an eerie clicking sound. Peering up into the night, I saw a man standing there, staring at me with his dark, implacable eyes gleaming under thick tufts of eyebrows. His swarthy frame blocked the front of the cave. But, he was holding something. Lowering my eyes, I saw the honey-colored moonlight gleam ominously off of the hard black skin of the gun he wielded.

End of chapter 9