Jungle Rot

By: Wildfire Sky

Another chapter in what I hope turns out to be a good fic. A couple of things to address right here, right now. I am not perfect, especially when it comes to languages. I know only two: English and Ebonics. If my translations are a little off, or even if I have the wrong dialect completely, you'll have to pardon me...I'm trying my best. Secondly, I would like to say that I've asked for some help in this matter of a language barrier. Hopefully with their help, things will go better for everyone.

Jungle Rot

Chapter Six

Golden eyes stared curiously at the large metal invader of the jungle, the dark head tilted to one side as it observed it from a cautious distance. He was the unchallenged ruler of this part of the Amazon, a merciless killing machine that hunted with ruthless efficiency, and armed with an arsenal of razor sharp teeth and long dangerous claws. The natives knew him as only a demon that roamed during the night, striking unexpectedly at both cattle and humans. Many times, he'd found himself hunted, but easily turned the tables on the creatures that dared to challenge him.

The black panther was enormous compared to the others that shared the Amazon. At the nape of his neck, his fur bunched to give him a small mane and making him seem even bigger. Able to tackle a river crocodile, the panther was a formidable enemy to all...and, at the moment, he was very hungry.

The panther moved closer to the destroyed airplane, trying to inhale the remains of any scent that wasn't washed away by the passing rains. He moved around to the open front, nimbly climbing inside and keeping perfect balance as he walked, despite the instability of the aircraft remains. He paused at the large propeller, pressing closer at the smell of the blood that stained it. Protected by the metal around it, the blood was still fresh and easy to pick up.

Turning quickly, the panther jumped down from the cabin, landing lightly in the mud below. Breathing deep, the panther slowly made his way away from the cabin and towards the cockpit further away. Once again, it paused, sniffing lightly...slowly its ears perked up, a delightful sensation running through him. There were two...two injured creatures in the forest. The panther barely gave the corpse of the pilot a passing glance as it quickly headed into the surrounding jungle, ears forward as it stalked into the darkness of the Amazon.

He'd tasted the flesh of a man before...many times before...and to know that there were two in his jungle was too good of an opportunity to pass up. His paced increased as he caught the faint smell of the injured further ahead. He would hunt them, and bide his time...then, when the moment was just right, he would strike and take down the stronger one first. His mouth began to water at the promise of sinking his well cared for killing tools into flesh and bone, feasting on a spread that he'd never had before.

Overhead, primates screamed in terror and warning as their master passed below, ignoring their annoying screeches of surprise. He wasn't hunting them today, no...he was hunting something much more challenging and much more fun. Once he found them, he would wait for the cover of darkness...the perfect time to kill.

Oh yes, he'd tasted man before.

And he had enjoyed it.

Heero cast a sideways look at Relena, insuring that she was indeed still sleeping. The rain had stopped nearly half an hour ago, leaving the air feeling humid and suffocating. As soon as the last rain drop fell, he'd gone out to relieve himself and take a look at their surroundings. The jungle, unfortunately, was like a broken record, the same thing over and over again. He couldn't get a sense of direction, and barely a sense of time thanks to the thick, overhead canopy.

The rain hadn't done much damage, despite the force of it. It seemed that the trees had adapted well to the onslaught of rain, even the animals had recovered from the shock of the sudden and vicious downpour. Overhead, a beautiful, multicolored macaw flapped it wings as it perched on a lower branch, letting out a loud squawk of displeasure in Heero's presence.

Ignoring the bird, Heero turned and moved back into the overhang, carefully maneuvering around the sleeping Relena. He quietly picked up the discarded duffle bag and unzipped it, digging through the contents inside. Pulling out the small roll of bandages inside, he once again moved outside of the temporary dwelling and climbed to the top of it so he'd be able to work and keep an eye out on their surroundings.

Slowly and gently, he pulled up the soaked side of his shirt, tenderly maneuvering it over the jagged piece of shrapnel that was currently embedded in his side. He grimaced slightly as his fingers grazed over the metal, again thanking whatever higher being happened to take an interest in him these past two days. He knew from the lack of extreme blinding pain – and the fact that he was still alive – the metal had missed anything vital. But in the back of Heero's mind dwelled the uncomfortable fact that the wound was a fatal one if he didn't seek medical attention...and soon. The only thing keeping him from bleeding out was the metal itself, acting as a sort of plug to stem the blood flow. But even that plug didn't prevent generous amounts of blood from seeping out.

Heero wasn't afraid of death, in fact, at times, he found himself embracing the idea that his life would be ended, but he was afraid for Relena...and that was the only thing that kept him from putting a bullet in his mouth years ago. He tried to tell himself that Relena would be just fine if he died, that she would move on with her life as she should, never again thinking about the soulless killing machine that fate had miraculously brought together. He told himself it would be a good thing if she wasn't always worried about his well-being.

At least...that's what he thought before.

It was only a month ago that his whole outlook on their relationship took a drastic change. He'd been sitting in his Preventers office, empty beer bottles on his desk and the pistol pressed up against the underside of his chin. He was severely depressed that day, because of what he now realized was a complete misunderstanding...a kiss between Relena and another that he thought to mean something more than it did...it made him come to terms with his relationship faster than he'd wanted to. He'd stumbled back to his office last that night, half drunk and carrying another half-empty case, angry and hell-bent on truly forcing Relena from his mind. It was obvious he hadn't been thinking that night as he rammed a clip into his Beretta and put it beneath his chin.

He'd closed his eyes and pulled back on the hammer of the gun, taking a deep breath as his finger started to squeeze the trigger. But before he could get the shot off, a hand had enveloped his own, his eyes snapping open to drown in the soft, aquamarine eyes of the very woman he was going to kill himself over. When he saw the look on her face, the loyal, caring look that he'd always craved, he lowered the gun, releasing the hammer and letting it drop to the floor. They'd stared at each other before Relena wrapped him into a tight hug, pressing his face against her chest. No words were exchanged...none were needed. She'd simply hugged him, stood up, and left his office, leaving him in a dumbfounded and guilty stupor.

Heero frowned slightly...even more evidence on how Relena clouded his mind! In the past, he would have shoved her away and pulled the trigger anyways, but now...now he considered her feelings when before he didn't give a damn about anyone person. Heero clenched one hand into a fist, slamming it against the hard stone. Damn her and her ability to toy with his emotions! He should have finished her off when he had the chance. It was all Maxwell's fault...

Heero glowered. Duo always seemed to be able to royally screw him over when it came to such fragile things like Relena. He couldn't figure out exactly how Duo was able to, but once he did he'd put a stop to it!

A jab of sharp pain drew Heero back from plotting numerous ways on how to bodily injure Duo but not leave any evidence. He glanced down at the shrapnel, debating with himself whether or not to remove it. He wanted to get to the Amazon River as soon as possible...it was their best chance for a rescue rather than in the dense jungle. He'd heard too many horror stories of lost planes and people that were never found again, no matter how extensive the search. But this injury would slow him down, and having to move with a piece of metal halfway through him would make things any better. Of course, if he removed it he was guaranteed to infect it with the amount of bacteria and insects that roamed this place. He could already see the start of it festering around the wound.

Shaking his head despairingly, Heero opted to leave in the metal and risk taking longer that he wanted, rather than die a slow and horrible death in the middle of the Amazon that would no doubt kill Relena too.

Damn it! There I go caring about her again! I have got to get her out of my head!

He viciously jerked out a length of bandage from the roll, cautiously starting to wrap it around his lower chest, careful to avoid jarring the metal and forcing it in deeper. Who knew how unsanitary the metal was? He'd just finished wrapping the wound when a strong bout of coughing over took him. He bent over painfully, clutching his side as he body rocked with the powering coughs. Droplets of blood splattered onto the rock. Shit...not good...

"Heero? Are you alright?"

Heero tried to straighten, but the pain was too great. He could almost feel Relena's worried gaze from below, and he felt the overwhelming urge to reassure her. When the coughing finally stopped, he wiped his mouth and sat up, glaring down at the anxious Relena. At the harsh look directed at her, Relena's worry turned to that of annoyance.

"Well excuse me for being a little bit worried, Heero!" she snapped, hands on her hips, "May I ask what you're doing way up there?"

Heero pointedly ignored the question, instead standing up and moving towards the slope he used to climb up. Jumping the last few feet, he landed nimbly in front of her, refusing to let his face twist into a grimace of pain.

"What are you doing up?" he growled, annoyed that he'd been caught before he was able to return the bandages. "I told you to get some rest."

Relena huffed, her arms crossing in front of her chest. "First of all, Heero dear, you are not the boss, I am...and secondly, you told me to rest until the rain stop. Guess what. It has, and right now, it's really hot so I would love to hear what your next move is. Unless, of course, you plan on having us sleep with bug until help arrives."

Heero's lip curled into a snarl at her sassy quips. This washy he liked working alone...your partner always wanted to know your every thought. He wanted to tell her to just be quiet and let him make the decisions, but he knew, without a single, utter doubt...she would explode.

"We're going to the river." He said, brushing past her and into the overhang. Blocking the bag with his body, he quickly slipped the bandage roll back into the duffle. He didn't want her to know about his injury...he absolutely hated it when she misdirected her worry towards his well-being instead of herself. Whenever she did, it only put her at a greater risk to be hurt or killed.

Relena stared at him, watching as he shuffled about in the overhang. "The river? Why?"

Heero tossed the strap over his head, letting the duffle bag hang against his back. He quickly checked his pistol, making sure the clip was full and undamaged and the safety on, before stuffing it back into his pants. "Transport boats travel the Amazon River daily, and water is the first place a search team would look." He stepped out from the overhang and stood in front of Relena. "Ready?"

The young Peacecraft daughter let her eyes stray to the large stain on Heero's shirt before handing him his jacket and tying her own around her waist. She wanted to ask him about it, unsure of whether the blood really was from the pilot or a real injury. But even in their current situation, he'd never tell her more than she needed to know.

Ugh! He can be such an asshole sometimes! She thought bitterly as she fell into step with him. She was sure that her thoughts were justified...after all, only an asshole would set your nerve endings on fire with the hottest kiss of your life...and then push you away and tell you it was a mistake. Relena felt the burning desire to confront him about it and try and find a damn good reason of why he did it.

Heero was straying further ahead, his head moving from side to side as he scanned the forest for whatever predators might be lurking. She watched his back absently, growing more and more frustrated with his declination to talk. Damn it, she was hurt and scared! A few words of wisdom from the man she'd always fawned over wouldn't cause the universe to implode. She felt lonely despite the fact that she had a companion walking right next to her.

Gurgggle...

Relena paused, her face flushing as Heero stopped at turned towards her, an eyebrow quirked in question. Her mouth moved, trying to formulate an explanation when another gurgle sounded. This time, Heero visibly winced, turning away swiftly to hide his embarrassment.

Relena sighed. Food...if they didn't find something to eat, they'd starve to death before help ever came. Coughing lightly, Heero glanced back over his shoulder, his face expressionless as he observed her.

"I think we should find some food."

Obviously, the intelligence of men knows no bounds...Relena thought sarcastically as she moved up next to Heero, glancing at the bushes around them. "Do you know what we can eat?"

Heero shrugged one shoulder, moving towards a gathering of dark red berries and studying them carefully. "Nothing that gets you sick."

Relena glowered. Self-centered asshole...

Lady Une sat at the head of the conference table, trying to fight off a growing headache. Gathered around her were five very distressed looking people, each one avoiding looking at the furious face of Milliardo Peacecraft. Having flown in from Mars in record breaking time, and leaving behind Noin and his child, Milliardo was obviously not in the best of moods right now...in fact, he looked as though he was seriously considering shooting someone – namely a certain Japanese Gundam Pilot. Also sitting at the table was the usual crowd when it came to Relena's safety – Wufei, Sally, Trowa, and Quatre.

"Duo," She said, rubbing at her temples as she regarded the video image of him on the large conference screen, "How are you doing with Mr. Issen?"

Duo, who was still located in Buenos Aires – and once again in the men's bathroom – pulled a grin on his face as he replied, "Ol' Harry had a meeting today with a group of thugs. Italian mob by the looks of them. They didn't seem to like each other..."

"You think they're connected with Relena's disappearance?" Sally asked quietly, already knowing the answer from the shadow that fell over Duo's face.

"Most likely." Duo scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I know I'm supposed to get clearance...but I tapped Herald's phone line and put a trace on his emails. Nothing overly suspicious yet, but that's probably because he's at the bottom of the totem pole."

Wufei nodded in agreement. "From his file, it seems to me like the man's a complete moron. No one in their right mind would give him any sort of influence in their operation." He slid a small folder across to Une. "Maxwell was actually able to do some good this time. These are the photographs of the three suspects in questions that he was able to take from his new bathroom abode..."

"Hey!"

"I had the photographs compared with our database," Wufei continued, ignoring Duo's offended outburst. "The one closest to Mr. Issen is Leonardo Julius, son of Gabriele Julius the late representative of the southern Italian providences. He was killed just before the Mariemaia coup in a drive-by shooting. Accidental death."

Trowa closed his eyes in thought. "He's the leader of the three, despite how the big one looks. No doubt his past and his inherited wealth are major influences."

"What about the other two?" Une asked, "I'm especially interested in the Black man. He seems to be one of the bigger threats we'll have to deal with if things come to that."

Wufei snorted in contempt. "It already has. The large one is named Massimo, no last name given. Ancestors were African slaves who remained in Italy. The rest of his history is unknown. His purpose, from what I can tell, is simply muscle and intimidation. The last one is Roberto Benifico, the only one with real connections to the mob. He used to be the right hand man until he fell out of favor when he botched a hit and wound up in jail. His arrest led to a raid of one of the mob's shipyards where they sold and transported drugs. The only reason he's still alive is because he received an important job offer."

"Relena." Quatre said, confirming Wufei's statement. "And Leonardo probably arranged the whole thing."

Duo smirked victoriously. "So this Leonardo guy is the one behind it all? Great! Give me fifteen hours and I'll have this bastard in custody."

At that moment, the conference doors opened admitting a muscular, bearded man dressed in an all black uniform and boots. Hiding his light brown hair was a dark beret, trimmed with red and a red, flipped triangle badge in its center. He strode into the room confidently, pulling off the dark sunglasses that hid his eyes. He made no move to conceal the standard issued Beretta holstered at his side as he threw a snappy salute, his heels coming together as he stood rod straight, his silver eyes forward and unwavering.

"First Lieutenant Becan reporting as ordered, ma'am!" he said, his voice clear and precise.

The other occupants stared at him. Finally, Zechs, who had up to this point remained in a brooding silence, spoke. "Who the hell are you?"

The lieutenant remained saluting, waiting for the at-ease. "Sir! First Lieutenant Sean Becan, Alpha Team of the Preventers Special Tactics Unit. Reporting as requested by Head Commander Une, sir."

Five pairs of eyes shifted to Une, waiting for an explanation. The commander told the lieutenant to relax before turning to her subordinates. Sean quickly took the empty seat next to Trowa, throwing a curt nod the other occupants.

"Lieutenant," Une said, motioning towards the newcomer, "Why don't you explain what you and your unit does."

Sean nodded obediently. "Yes, ma'am. The Special Tactics Unit is a division of the Preventers responsible and excelling in information gathering, search and rescue operations, riot control, anti-terrorism, and any other extreme or otherwise dangerous operations that the Preventers see fit to assign us. On occasion, we are also responsible for the safety and care of one, Vice Foreign Minister Relena Dorlain, should Head of Security request." Sean beamed, "And may I say, our record so far is excellent."

Quatre looked at Une questioningly. "I didn't realize the Preventers had an elite unit. When were they organized?"

"You'd have to ask Heero that." Une said, her voice a little strained. "He'd already had it formed an organized long before he ever approached me with the proposal to make it an official Preventers unit. He had Relena's backing, although I'm sure she didn't know what she was signing at the time."

Zechs turned three shades dark red. "So not only does he get her lost, he's been using her?"

Une sighed. "I wouldn't exactly put it like that, but yes..."

Sean held up a hand, glancing at Milliardo worriedly. "Excuse me, Commander, but Lieutenant Colonel Heero Yuy is not lost. In fact, the tracking device we had placed in his luggage is still functioning properly. We have their exact location and are ready to move in as soon as you give the word."

"Wait a minute." Wufei said, drawing everyone's attention back to the video screen. "First of all, Lieutenant, it was a plane crash, not a landing. Second of all, how do we even know they're still alive?"

"Because," Duo said, his voice soft, "Heero Yuy won't ever let anything happen to her...he can't."

Tada! Look, another character for you guys to wonder over! And no, I'm not going to be cliché and have this guy be the person that planned everything. First of all, that's been done over and over again, and second of all, he's in Heero's unit. For Pete's sake, if he can create an elaborate and high tech security system, why in Hell couldn't he perform a very through background check? Yea...that's right...

Oh, and another thing. Don't be afraid to crticize me and tell me things. That's how I improve as an author, through your suggestions. I'm not going to snap at you because you don't like something. I'll just take into consideration what you say and see if it's actually something I need to improve on. Believe me, I'm a nice person...I think it's rude to yell at someone because of their opinion...I may ignore it, but I won't hold it against you. That's just wrong!