Hunter: Ambushed

I walked back to Jake after standing there motionless for about a minute. He gave me with a look of concern, "Are…are you alright?"

I didn't answer as I laid down a comfortable distance from him. My thoughts were so confused and jumbled I couldn't scramble to catch up. Garv—he really did like me. I didn't know how to handle such a revelation. All these years of growing up together I never would have suspected the feelings he had for me were deeper than simple friendship. Why did he care about me? We weren't even the same species. It didn't make sense to me at all! I wondered how long he'd felt this way. Sure, we hung out together, hunted, and sparred but those kind of feelings never seemed part of it. Was that why he'd remained my friend for so long? He'd liked me more than I thought.

Then Jake came along, the only competition for my attention he'd ever had to face. None of the other Predators treated me as Garv did and he had me all to himself. But now there was another. A very dangerous opponent to him in terms of my affections; same species and attractive with similar feelings of attraction. He'd never had competition for me and he was treating it as he would treat any male's interest in a female he wanted: fight and kill the competitor.

I don't know why, but I was attracted to Jake. Though I'd barely known him a day, something in those eyes and in that face held me as no other had ever done. Perhaps it was merely the lack of human males during my entire life that made me so allured by him. The feelings were natural and very good. All my life I'd felt like the freak, the different one—the alien. But that had changed in a day.

Then I felt a hand tap my back. I rolled over to look at Jake. "Hey, are you alright?"

I shrugged. Honestly I didn't have a clue.

Deciding I wished to keep it to myself Jake whispered, "So how am I going to get back to my platoon?"

I nearly forgot about that. Sitting up I whispered back, "Where Jake 'Platoon'?"

"Well I have a radio but…" he patted his vest and cursed, "I think I took it off with my weapons. I…I was so overwhelmed I just couldn't think straight. Damn. I'm supposed to handle any situation and I go and do something stupid like that!" he beat himself up verbally.

I glanced up at the tree. My clan was probably resting…and Garv was…I don't know where.

"With that radio, I could communicate with my men and get back to them," he explained.

"Not good."

"What do you mean Little Fighter?"

I stared at him directly, "They hunt you and men if you leave."

A puzzled look crossed his attractive face, "Hunt me and my men?"

"Yes. They hunt men."

"Then, why are you…?" he started but I finished.

"I help bring men close."

Jake's face became a mask of dumbfounded horror as he whispered intensely, "You WHAT?!" I blinked but didn't know how to explain myself. "You mean you…you just walk around and when you find some men you…you lead them to their deaths?!" he asked with disbelief.

"You no understand."

"NO! I thought you…I can't believe this!" he continued standing and pacing back and forth.

"It my purpose."

He turned fast, "Your purpose?! Little Fighter that's crazy talk! Why do you betray your own species?"

That struck me. I'd thought that same thing the first day of the Hunt but now I was angered. "I not change! I not betray Hunter! He raise me! They my family!"

Rubbing the back of his neck Jake finally said, "Look, Little Fighter you're not small anymore and out of contact with your people. You're grown up and can decide your path! If you see these guys as your 'family' then so be it. But every child grows up and makes choices of their own. Is this the life you want to lead for the rest of your life?"

I thought about his words for a minute. It seemed reasonable and yet…My mind and heart were tearing each other apart. Part of me agreed with Jake. Why didn't I lead my own life instead of being the submissive all the time? I could have a life that never presented itself on the Predator world. I would have acceptance instead of mistrust and disdain as I had faced with most Predators. I could have children and a man of my own instead of looking on at the offspring and mates of others and knowing such things were always out of my reach. But my current life wasn't just a thing to turn away from. I was part of a clan and a family. Predator life never bored me and it never failed to impress me.

Then Jake knelt down and held one of my hands, "Little Fighter, come with me!"

"Find Jake 'Platoon'?"

"Yes, but more than that. Come with me. Rejoin your people," he said with fervor.

My head pulled back, "Join…people?"

"Yes!"

"No. I not go."

A look of disappointment filled his eyes but he stood, still holding my hand lightly. "I can't make you Little Fighter. No one can but you. I'm going to find my radio and then my platoon. You can come with me if you want."

Everything was moving so fast I barely could think straight. Go? Stay? Jake? Garv? Humans? Predators? I lowered my head whispering, "I sorry Jake. I not go."

He lowered his head sighing. "Alright." I felt like tears would fill my eyes if things got anymore overwhelming. Gently he placed a curled finger beneath my chin and lifted my eyes to his, "Thank you Little Fighter. I will miss you."

Gently he touched my face and I leaned into it as his lips enveloped mine again. Aggressively I clenched the back of his head and returned the new wonderful gesture of affection. When he pulled away reluctantly he gave a smile and crept away into the jungle. My head fell.

……………………………….

Morning came and I awoke on the mossy jungle floor. I didn't sleep very well. My mind had been too active. All at once I felt a tap to my back. Turning, I stood and lowered my head slightly to Hunter who'd tapped me with his spear. Fire Blood and Garv were nearby as well. Apparently it was time to hunt.

"Where is your mate?" he asked with interest.

"He left." I uttered bluntly.

"And you let him leave?" he asked incredulously.

My eyes closed halfway, "Yes…I did."

He rattled softly. "Was he unworthy of you?"

Immediately my eyes wandered over to Garv. He silent and impassive, but I could tell he was thinking the same thing.

Fire Blood leaned over to Garv and I could hear him whisper in a low tone, "Bet he failed to satisfy her." At that Garv chattered with quiet laughter.

I didn't respond to the question but instead asked, "Where will we hunt today Hunter?"

His head inclined a bit in a consenting gesture. He took the hint I didn't want to talk about it. "Very well. Follow us."

We began the hunt just as we had done days before. Before Garv disappeared behind his camouflage he stared at me for a moment. Then he turned and dematerialized, climbing the trees behind Fire Blood and Hunter. I watched them but the feeling wasn't the same as it had been before. Sighing I raced through the trees. I tried not to think.

Nearly an hour passed before I heard the unnatural sound of machinery through the brush.

Time to fulfill my purpose.

I stole a glance over my shoulder and saw the Predators. They heard the sounds too but would wait there while I went ahead and brought the quarry closer.

I slinked ahead. A thought struck me suddenly. What if it was Jake and his platoon? I didn't I could lead them to their deaths—especially Jake. Tentatively I peeked through the bushes and my eyes widened.

What the…?

There were dozens of them; men in baggy, non-reflective outfits that covered their entire bodies and their faces too. They looked very unusual and almost sinister. Why would men wear such unusual suits in the middle of a jungle? Not only were they suited but they had gun-like devices which had tanks of something mounted where a scope should have been. I watched and counted. There were thirty of them, no wait, more than that. They kept coming through the jungle as a unit. Some were scouting the outer perimeter with the weapons and some held bulky devices in hand that they waved slowly over the terrain. My mind wasn't sure how to handle this.

Suddenly one of the men said in a mechanical lilted voice behind his mask, "Hey! There's someone over there!"

Well, they saw me so I decided to show myself. Parting the foliage boldly I strode out. Some of the men raised their weapons. I watched each one, keeping my eyes on the armed ones and the closest ones. Yes, there were way more than thirty here.

I gave them a smile as I had done before and mimicked a sensuous purr to get them interested. Honestly with their obscuring masks I couldn't tell if it was working or not. But they came closer talking through mechanical devices in the helmets. Finally when some had drawn close enough I backed up. They followed. I bolted, running fast through the jungle.

I heard them coming shouting, "After her! Don't let her out of your sight! Move! Move!"

When I came to the stopping point I slowed to a trot and finally stopped in the partial clearing of the trees. The men in the plastic-like suits came crashing through the trees and eventually surrounded me in a scattered pattern. I waited for the Predators to strike. I waited. The men didn't move in on me they just stood there waiting as I was. That didn't seem right. What were they waiting for? This was supposed to be a lure, but they didn't seem interested in me.

Suddenly, one of them men stared up and shouted "UP THERE!"

Instinct prompted me to see—wait—they SHOULDN'T be able to see my friends— not THAT easily! My eyes widened in horror as some of the men raised their weapons to the trees.

"NOOOO!" I screamed drawing my twin hip daggers.

But I wasn't quick enough. The men fired, but the projectiles were not bullets as I initially thought. Instead the fast traveling projectiles struck my friends' shimmering forms and their camouflage instantly shorted and crackled, making them fully visible. Shocked by the attack the Predators ignored their disabled camouflage and dropped down from the trees as gigantic warriors of fury! Once they landed and rose with weapons out they seemed to hesitate, looking around. What was the matter with them?

Abruptly Hunter swirled his spear in a high arc over his head and stabbed forward, but there was no one there. What?! What the Hell was going on?! Then it struck me, they couldn't SEE them! Just like when I used mud to conceal my heat from Garv—those SUITS! YES! The suits hid them from the hunters' view!

Working as a unit the men at the front ducked down and exposed a row of men all with guns in hand. I screamed in rage spinning my daggers and impaling them through two men's throats on either side of me, but I couldn't stop them. In an instant they fired! But, not with bullets. Instead several bright colored darts struck each of my friends full on. They snarled and winced as they furiously ripped the offending devices from their flesh. I didn't know what kind of weapon that was or what purpose it served but it didn't seem to injure the Predators.

Since I could see my targets I hacked through another masked man, letting his crimson human blood spill over the camouflaging outfit. Guilt didn't exist now. I was protecting my friends and if that meant killing every last one of these men then so be it!

Suddenly one of the men must have stirred the brush near Garv because in the blink of an eye he struck, burying his deadly wrist blades though the man's chest and heaving him several yards. They might not be able to see their targets but they had other senses.

With a flick of his wrists Fire Blood unleashed two of his monster throwing disks in opposite directions. Being smart I ducked low as the twin saws of death whirred around in a circle. Several men were not fast enough to dodge and were hacked in half, decapitated, and eviscerated in a rain of blood and entrails! Swooping across each other perfectly the merciless disks arced back to their master's awaiting hands.

Each Predator attacked in their own way, hacking, slashing, crushing, and cracking any poor soul whom they were able to hit. Men shouted behind their masks moving and scrambling almost in unison and panic at the same time. It was mass chaos!

I too fought, killing any man in my path as I made my way forward. One suited assailant tried to hammer me with the butt of his weapon. I leaned back and to the side, dodging his swipe and slid my two daggers into the space of his ribs. He choked mechanically and clenched at his chest. My eyes burned ruthlessly into the rounded eye pieces of his mask as they became speckled with blood droplets from his punctured lungs. Forcefully I removed my weapons and kicked him down out of my way.

I stole a glance to my right and swerved just as a pair of bodies flew past me! Shrieking and roaring the hunters fought and I noticed more of the colorful darts sticking out of their backs where they couldn't reach and some forgotten ones on their chests. Then I noticed Hunter sway in mid step like he'd lost his balance. Garv swung his wrist blades, ripping a man nearly in half, but stumbled shaking his dreadlocks as if confused. What was wrong with them?

Fire Blood had moved away from Garv and Hunter and seemed to be acting funny too. Suddenly a pair of suited men raised their gun-like weapons and in the blink of an eye the giant Predator had a pair of metal prongs attached to wires hit his flesh and deliver a hideous shock! He reared back shrieking in pain but couldn't control the spasms of his electrocuted muscles! I screamed and tried to help him but suddenly someone struck me in the back of the head, driving me to my knees. White lights exploded in my vision…but through it I could see Hunter fall to his knees and Garv after him until darkness closed around me and I went unconscious.