Disclaimer—See Chapter One
A/N: I find myself at a bit of a loss for words, I wish I could say more than a simple thank you to you all. Your reviews and your feedback have been amazing, and I wish I could better express how happy and grateful you have made me! Thank you again, for everything!!
Of Wind and Wood—Chapter Eleven
Shalimar shivered as she suddenly felt cold despite the warm afternoon sun shining down on her shoulders. Brennan's hand gripped her elbow as he abruptly stood up, pulling her up with him. She stayed silent as he led her a few yards away from the rest of their group.
"Jesse," he whispered into his ring. No answer came back. "Jesse," he hissed louder. Still no response.
Shalimar tried her ring with the same result. "Out of range?" She turned questioning eyes to Brennan.
"That's impossible," he frowned, trying again to establish a connection. "Isn't it?"
Shalimar shrugged. "What do you want to do?"
Brennan ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "I don't think we should tell anyone else about this," he turned back towards their group, scattered around the clearing. "I don't want to start mass panic."
Shalimar nodded. "I agree. I think we better keep our eyes open though. I have no idea what the motive would be in doing something like this."
"I don't like this, Shal." He stared at her in determination. "As soon as we can reach Sanctuary again, we're calling for them to come pick us up."
Shalimar shook her head defiantly. "No, Brennan. I'm not leaving."
He crossed his arms and stepped closer to her. "Yes, Shal, we are," he said with soft warning.
Shalimar's eyes flared as her first impulse was to argue back. But suddenly she softened, her confrontational stance melting. She laid her hands on his crossed forearms. They were tight, the muscles knotted with tension. For a single moment she caressed them and smiled at him. His expression changed from hard anger to surprise.
"Brennan, I can't explain it, but I can't leave these people alone. I can't go, not right now. I have to protect them, and I have to find out why Ben was killed. So please, let's not fight about this."
He looked rebellious for a moment, and they stood close, facing an unknown danger. Abruptly, Brennan pushed by Shalimar, swearing under his breath. She knew it was a sign of admission, and she blew out her breath through her teeth in relief.
"Well," he looked back at her, "Let's do this then."
Lunch was finished quickly and quietly as gear was packed up again. Shalimar reluctantly pushed her tired feet back into the borrowed shoes, wincing as her blisters screamed at her again. She walked over to where Brennan was waiting with Ana and a few others from their group. Ana's whistle blew loudly and the rest of the group formed around them.
"Where's Gary?" Ana looked around.
"Gary?" Shalimar asked her.
"My other guide," Ana explained, "I don't see him anywhere."
Shalimar's stomach dropped as she again caught the coppery scent of blood on the wind. She turned to Brennan with a growing look of dread.
"No," he stared back at her, "Don't say it. Not again."
She flicked her eyes around the clearing, following the scent past the clearing and into the trees. Brennan trailed after her, watching as she drew to a stop.
"Wait, Shal." He pushed past her, steeling himself for what he might find. Surprised, he bent down and picked up a torn jacket, heavy with blood. They looked around, but could find no sight of Gary himself. Finally, they brought the jacket back with them.
Ana's hand flew to her mouth when she saw the bloodied and torn garment.
"Let me guess," Brennan sighed heavily, "Gary's?"
Ana nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. "Where is he?"
"I don't know," Shalimar placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. "All we could find was the jacket."
"Not again," Ana wrapped her arms around herself as she hunched over.
Brennan examined the garment, brows puckered. "It almost looks like it was clawed," he commented, looking to Shalimar for verification. "An animal attack?"
Ana moaned, rocking on her heels. "Why? Why do all these horrible accidents keep happening to us?"
"We'll find him" Brennan comforted, "Shalimar can track anything."
Ana nodded as she numbly sank to the ground.
Word spread quickly among the rest of the group, and they soon spread out, calling Gary's name as they tromped through the underbrush. Shalimar led Brennan past the area where they found the jacket.
"Can you track the animal?" he asked her, panting in his haste to keep up with her.
"It's not an animal, Brennan." She stopped and turned to face him. "That jacket was deliberately slashed, just like our boat. There is no animal smell on that jacket nor has one been in this area recently." Her nostrils flared as she closed her eyes and smelled the air. She shook her head in confusion. "All I smell is blood, but it just gets fainter. I don't get it." She kicked a tree in frustration. "If he was killed, then I would be able to find him. But it's like he's disappeared."
"If someone attacked him, maybe he was able to run away."
"I don't know," she again tried scanning the area, "I should be able to track a scent."
"Maybe his body was thrown in the river."
She turned thoughtful eyes to Brennan. "Let's check it out."
They walked back through the trees, stopping short at the abrupt cliff walls that flanked the riverbank.
"Or maybe not," Brennan stared at the steep climb down.
"I'll go," Shalimar pointed down the gorge. "Look, it's been disturbed recently, see the scattered rocks."
"No, Shal," Brennan grasped her arm, "It's too dangerous without our climbing equipment. Besides, that could have easily just been a rock slide."
"Well, I'll soon be able to tell," She flashed him a grin as she pulled free from his grasp and sprinted over the edge.
"Shal, no!"
But he was too late, she had already disappeared. He scrambled to the edge, cursing he didn't have his climbing rope with him as he watched her nimbly pick her way down the edge. She stopped to examine the scratched face of the cliff, then dropped the rest of the way to the riverbank. She searched back and forth before finally starting back up. Brennan watched her, heart pounding, as she grasped scrubby bushes and pulled herself back up the cliff. He could see her fingers straining as she clung to invisible holds in the rock. He blew his breath in relief when she drew back to the top. He turned around to hide his relieved expression from her, just as a loud rumble echoed behind him. He whirled around in horror as rocks rolled down the cliff wall, tearing down brush with it.
"Shalimar!"
He scrambled to the cliff, dropping to his knees and draping his body over the crumbling edge, screaming her name in desperation.
"Shalimar!"
The dust settled and he saw her. She was clinging to a scraggly brush with one hand, head turned up to him with a smile, teeth shining white in her grimy face. He could see she was hiding pain in her expression, and his eyes frantically searched her, noticing she was favoring one arm and shoulder as small rocks continued to rain down on her. He vaulted over the edge, sliding his way towards her with gasps of pain as rocks bit and tore into his palms. He slid past her a few feet before he was able to stop his descent, her voice registering in his ears as the sliding rock trickled down past him.
"Brennan!" She hollered down to him, "Do I have to come rescue you too now?"
"Very funny, Shal!" He called back, "You scared me to death."
"I'm fine!" She stubbornly yelled back, even as she clung helplessly to the brush.
"Don't move!" He admonished, carefully and slowly picking his way back up the face of the rock, calling upon years of climbing experience to help him. After breathless moments, he finally reached her and braced himself behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist and hoisting them both up a few inches. Tendons bulged and corded as he bore both their weight, pulling them up a bit further. Shalimar dug her toes into the rock and found footing, pushing them up further as she took a turn, grasping the next closest bush and pulling them up with one arm. She bit her lip in agony as pain shot through her arm and shoulders.
"Shal, let me," Brennan pleaded seeing her struggling against the pain.
Finally she nodded and allowed Brennan to take control, slowly leading them inch by inch back up the cliff. Finally, they reached the top and he rolled them over, wheezing as he sprawled out on the edge, chest raising and falling with released tension. Shalimar groaned beside him as she struggled to a sitting position. Her shoulder dropped at a sickening angle.
"Brennan," she clenched her teeth.
He dropped to his knees beside her, hands hovering over her shoulder. "Oh Shal," he blew out his breath.
"I know," she gritted, "It's dislocated."
His heart pounded in his throat as he stared in sickening awareness of what he had to do. "I can't do it, Shal."
"Yeah you can." She panted at the pain.
He shook his head, a trembling hand rubbing his forehead, leaving muddy black streaks.
"Come on, Brennan," she sternly admonished him, "I need your help. You know what to do."
He nodded, "Shal," his voice shook, "I don't have anything to give you for the pain."
"I know." She cried out as she lay back down on the ground, and tears sprang to his eyes, "Just do it." She pleaded, face distorted with pain.
He leaned over her and cupped her face, dropping a kiss onto the corner of her mouth, before pressing his forehead against hers. "I'm sorry," he rasped as she bit back another cry. Her eyes stared up at him, offering comfort, and he shook his head in disbelief that she would be worried for him at a time like this. "I love you," he huskily whispered, pulling back and bracing a foot in her armpit. He took a deep breath as her eyes slammed shut.
"I'll count to three, ok?"
She nodded without opening her eyes.
"One."
He gently grasped her arm, preparing to pull the bone back into place.
"Two"
She tensed beneath him, and he suddenly pulled with all his might, gasping as the bone fell back into place with a sickening pop. Shalimar gave one small groan and then passed out cold as he was setting the bone. Brennan released her arm with numb fingers, staggering to his feet and retching into a nearby bush. He never wanted to do that ever again. Concern for her soon drove him back to her as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He pulled his shirt over his head and ripped it into strips, kneeling down and wrapping her arm tightly to her chest. She mumbled, but didn't wake up. Carefully, he scooped her up into his arms, tenderly cradling her against his chest and heading back the way they came.
Her head lolled around his shoulder as her eyes fluttered open with a groan. She forced her gritty eyes to focus, and smiled groggily as Brennan's concerned face swam before her. She smiled in relief as the afternoon came rushing back to her, and she realized her shoulder was now down to a throbbing dull ache. Brennan stared down at her as he walked; eyes huge and dark. She couldn't take her eyes off him. His chest and arms were bronzed and muscular, and she was fully aware of how easily he held her.
"Thank you," she murmured.
His gaze grew fiery, and his mouth tightened as he hugged her tightly against him. "You scared me," he answered tremulously.
"Sorry," she wryly shook her head. "I can walk now, Bren."
"No, Shal," he beseeched her, "Please let me do this."
"Alright," she leaned her head back down on his strong shoulder. They walked along in silence for a few moments.
"Hey Bren?"
"Yeah, Shal?"
"What happened to three?"
"What?" He stopped and stared down at her.
"You only counted to two."
He laughed and shook his head, hoisting her higher in his arms as she carefully wrapped her good arm around his neck and planted a grateful kiss on his bare shoulder.
"Hey, Bren?"
"Hmm?"
"The next time I want to jump off a cliff, don't let me."
He laughed again. "Since when I have ever been able to stop you from doing something you've set your mind to?"
"True," she smiled up at him, "But I know you'll be there with me anyway."
"I'm with you, Shal," he agreed, "As always, I'm right with you."
She was silent for a moment longer.
"You want to call Jesse now?" He gently prodded.
"I-I can't, Brennan," she anguished, "I have to stay and help. I can't explain it to you, but it's not time yet, I—"
He smiled down at her, touching her face, "Doesn't matter."
"It doesn't?"
"Nah," he breathed softly, "Cause I already know."
Her eyes alight, she whispered, "You always do."
"And I always will," He nodded, resting his forehead against hers, "I always will."
