Jungle Rot

By: Wildfire Sky

Now I'm sure you're all wondering, what the hell happened to the updates? Funny story. I tried to install a new hard drive on my computer, and, unfortunately, it ended up frying my computer. So, I spent all of this time trying to figure out how to get it up and running. Luckily, I was smart enough to backup my story files onto disk (thank God), so at least my story is saved. Now then, please enjoy!

Jungle Rot

Chapter Seven

Leonardo leaned back into the stiff hotel couch, his gray eyes sliding closed for a moment of reprieve. The journey from Buenos Aires to the speck of a city Trinidad had been a long and tiring ride. He couldn't understand why they weren't simply sent from Italy to Trinidad in the first place, but the mind of his leader was a strange one that he didn't dare venture into. Despite being a rich, spoiled child, he'd been in the Italian rebel militia long enough to know when to back off and let someone else take the reins. So, he'd taken the tickets, met with that idiot of a Brit, and then traveled from the airport to another private strip where their other air ride was waiting.

Whetstone…that was the only thing the pilot said as far as his name went. A short, stocky fellow from Western Europe who had become their private pilot for both the plane and helicopter they would be taking into the Amazon. Personally, Leonardo didn't trust the man. The mustached man had a greedy gleam in his eye that spoke in volumes about his character, and when he stuck a thick cigar in his mouth, chewing on the unlit roll, Leonardo's observations were confirmed. The entire plane ride, Whetstone sat up front, chewing on his cigar until it was no more than a stub, grumbling and yapping about this and that from take off until landing. At the hotel they parted ways, Whetstone to find more 'pleasurable' company, and himself and his partners to get some sleep for the upcoming day.

Which brought him to the present. Massimo and Roberto had taken claim to the two single beds, curling up beneath the sheets and falling into a deep slumber. They knew Leonardo well enough to do such an act without a danger of reprimand from their boss. Leonardo hated sleeping in beds, preferring the couch. A couch is the last place a nighttime assassin would look. They'd shoot the bed first and never take into account that the occupant was resting on such an uncomfortable object.

A tight vibration at his hip jerked Leonardo upright as he snatched the cell phone from his hip and flipped it open. "Leonardo."

"Issen's been arrested in Buenos Aires and is currently being interrogated."

Leonardo nodded despite the fact that the caller couldn't see him. "Is he talking?"

"With out a doubt. As far as he knows, you're still in Buenos Aires and he's still waiting for contact from you. By the time they follow up on him and discover that you're gone, the girl will be dead and you'll be standing at my desk receiving payment."

"So we have at least a two day jump on the Preventers?"

"Three, with the dead ends I had placed. When they check the hotel records, you'll still be checked in."

"Then we proceed tomorrow as planned, sir." Leonardo said, sitting straighter. "Our views will be realized and justice will be served."

There was a long pause, the air seeming to freeze with the heavy silence emitting from the phone. Then, a low voice hissed through the receiver, his cold voice causing Leonardo to stiffen involuntarily.

"Justice? What the hell would you know about justice? These views that you speak of are wrong and tainted. Don't you dare presume to know what my views are and how I serve justice." Then, a click and a dial tone.

Leonardo stared at his cell phone in surprise, his eyes locked on the flashing words: call ended…He just didn't understand the man, not one little bit. Up until that point Leonardo was positive that the two of them had something in common. Justice to be served on Vice Foreign Minister Dorlain. After all, he was the one who approached Leonardo, promising that his views would come true if he followed him.

Leonardo walked out onto the balcony, staring across the parking lot and into another's hotel room. A man and woman undressing each other in the lamp light, their bodies intertwined in a passionate dance of sexuality. Even as they collapsed onto the bed and the woman came up solely, looking down with a sensual smile on her face, Leonardo felt no arousal, no care for what the couple was doing. He would even go so far as to guess that the woman was the other man's mistress.

Lighting a cigarette, Leonardo took a small drag, watching the smoke play in the small breeze as it dissipated. Justice to Leonardo was killing the Vice Foreign Minister and displaying her body for all to see…just like she condemned the lives of fallen soldiers, calling their beliefs foolish. Calling his family foolish. So much had they sacrificed – he had sacrificed – in the face of a 'fool's war'. A brother's glory of death in battle, a grieving mother of a broken heart, a father's political career, and his honor. All were taken from him with the few simple words uttered from that woman's mouth. He was alone now. No soldier would expose his past for fear of being shunned by society. There was no one to talk to about his pain and sorrow. Until he met him. The man was sympathetic to him, took him in and gave him an outlet for his anger.

Let not the sacrifice be forgotten. Embrace the mistakes of the past and make them good. Condemn not the soldier, but the man who sent him into battle. Hate not the fighter, but hate the one who fears him. Cowardice is a sin…and she is a coward.

Leonardo took another pull, releasing the smoke with a heavy sigh. He'd learned those words from heart, had them recited to him over and over as the man broke him of his snobbish wanting and prepared him for the task at hand.

Grief is strength. He said that over and over. Use it to destroy who gave it to you.

The man…always shadowed in a darkness that seemed to surround him no matter where he was. The man known only as Lex. Nothing more. A name that you never said aloud unless you were facing him and he gave you permission. His past, strange and unknown, something that Leonardo shied away from.

Flicking the still burning butt of his cigarette angrily, Leonardo continued to watch the woman making love. Let him have his secrets. As soon as this was over, Leonardo would collect and live without disturbance or pain for away from the plague of politics. He would inhabit his father's small private land miles away from civilization and never return to the outside world. Never speak or think of Lex again.

Returning inside the room, Leonardo laid down on the couch, curling up beneath the blanket and staring at the pool of moonlight that cascaded in from the open curtains, urging sleep. As his eyes slid closed, he nodded to himself.

Secrets were for cowards'…cowardice is a sin…

Relena paused, her hand coming up to caressed her aching belly as she leaned against the nearest tree, her breathing labored. It would have been more satisfying if Heero were throwing up as much as she was, but no, the damn Perfect Soldier just stopped occasionally and closed his eyes, then moved on as though nothing had happened. But Relena knew better, she knew that he was in as much agony as she was or else he would never bother to stop.

Serves him right! Relena declared to herself as Heero did lean against a tree this time. Mr. Macho had served them both up a bunch of fresh and delicious 'puke-berries' – as Relena so aptly named them. She couldn't help but wonder why the tasted to weird until she'd pulled a half eaten one away from her mouth to come face to face with a swarm of tiny maggots. Her scream had hurt even his ears. Now they were both struggling along, in nauseous pain as they moved through the fog filled jungle.

The floor gave slightly as she stepped forward and she looked down, retracting her foot from a pool of sludge. She glanced up at Heero, noting uncomfortably that the knee-high fog seemed to become increasingly thicker as the darkening sky began to light. Heero stared back at her for a moment before pushing himself away from the tree.

"Relena." Heero said. "Let's go." He turned away and started forward. When Relena didn't follow immediately, he turned back and made his way towards her. Relena was standing shock still, her mouth working but with no sound, her blue eye wide with some unspoken horror. Reaching out a grabbing her arm gently, Heero gave her a little shake.

"Relena?"

Relena's eyes remained riveted on Heero's shoulder. And the enormous, furry black spider perched on it. The spider stared back at her with eight, very visible eyes as if daring her to ruin the surprise he had in store for his current host. Long fangs moved and dripped, with what Relena assumed was venom, as it slowly raised and lowered each leg, pulling its large body completely over Heero's shoulder.

She began to tremble. "He…Heero…"

"What?" he demanded, truly beginning to worry. Was she going into some sort of post-traumatic shock? He brought his other arm up, giving Relena a firmer shake. "What's the matter with you?"

Relena could only stare as the spider's legs latched onto the fabric of Heero's jacket, swaying with each shake. Finally, she managed to raise a finger and point. Heero's eyes slowly followed her finger. For a moment, he and the spider stared at each other, frozen. Then, it was like a bomb went off. The spider let out an audible hiss, launching itself at Heero face, legs spread in attack, leaving his fangs exposed and bared for penetration of flesh and injection of venom. Heero gave a low snarl at the same time, his gun flying out to connect with the spider's body. There was a tiny scream as the spider flew straight into the tree Heero formally occupied, its crumpled body sliding down into the fog and followed by a well placed bullet.

"Hn." Heero grunted, replacing his weapon and glaring at Relena accusingly. "Thanks for warning me."

Relena turned red. "Sorry. It's just that…well; I've never seen a spider that big. But Heero, shooting it? Was that really necessary?"

This time Heero's face slowly burned as he mumbled something that sounded distinctly like: I hate spiders. He quickly gathered himself, nodding over his shoulder. "There's some wetland further in, probably caused by the flood. Hopefully it's an open area that we can rest in for awhile and not have to worry about any other visitors."

Relena smiled to herself as she stepped in line next to Heero. For a moment they walked together in silence, each possessed by their own thoughts. Relena's distinctly dwelled on her relationship with Heero and the current situation she'd found herself in. She didn't need to be told that they were currently treading on very dangerous ground, both metaphorically and literally. One wrong move by either of them and death would come swiftly and painfully. No doubt, she would have been dead had Heero not been there with her these past three days…

But at the back of her mind, she knew all was not well. Yesterday, she had watched him pull out the bandages, pretending to be asleep so as not anger or surprise him. That was one of his more sensitive traits, admitting that he needed help, never mind actually asking for it. It had only confirmed her fears that Heero's injuries were worse that he let on. He was always talking about how they would need to trust each other now and how such little things could be the end for them both. So why wasn't he taking his own advice?

Unconsciously, she moved closer to him, fearing not her surroundings, but the safety on the one she cared for. Heero remained stiff and alert next to her, his eyes constantly sweeping the surrounding jungle for any signs of hostility, whether animal or human. Relena stared at him as they walked, studying his stern features. The beginning of a beard was showing on his normally clean-shaven face, circles of weariness forming beneath his eyes, the various cuts and bruises just beginning their repairs. She wanted to touch his face, truly touch it and see his reaction. She didn't want to kiss him in the dark; she wanted to kiss him in the bright sun, in a beautiful setting, with no worries of death.

Slowly, cautiously, she intertwined their arms, her hand coming down to capture his. She could feel Heero's arm tighten instinctively in the distinct need to pull away from human contact. She merely held his tighter, leaning her head against his shoulder and staring straight ahead, not wanting to meet the heated gaze that she knew was directed at her.

Heero was truly fighting with in himself, not to pull away, but to embrace her…to give into male animal instincts and take what was offered to him. His heart nearly stopped when she leaned against him, her face snuggling against his arm. This is completely inappropriate! His mind screamed at him. He shook his head, trying to clear the webs that suddenly appeared, glaring down at Relena accusingly. She was doing it again, clouding his mind with her…her…womanness! How was he supposed to concentrate with her snuggling up against him all the time? Smelling like a fresh morning…and so soft…

Heero resisted the urge to bang his head against the nearest tree. Concentrate you moron! Your mission is to get her to safety, nothing else. You already screwed up once, don't let that happen again!

"Relena…" Heero began, closing his eyes to gather himself, "Stop."

Relena froze; bring them both to a short stop in the middle of the jungle. Overhead a flock of macaws perched on the thin branches of a tree, staring down at them curiously as they cried into the wind. Insects settled around them in a thick swarm, their needle-like noses piercing skin and drinking. But Relena didn't care…something else was hurting her…

"Why?" she asked, her eyes on the ground.

Heero swallowed, "Because we just can't. You're my boss." He quickly extracted his arm from her grip. "It's against regulations for me to…"

"Regulations?" Relena fumed, finally turning towards him with narrow eyes, "We're in the middle of the Amazon, Heero Yuy! Who cares about regulations?"

Heero glared back at her, refusing to bow down to her anger. "I will have to file a report about this."

"Have you ever heard of omitting?" Relena retorted in exasperation. "I'm pretty sure no one would notice if you left out some of our interactions."

Shaking his head firmly, Heero moved to escape the vicious swarm of mosquitoes. Damn it, they didn't look so annoying on the Discovery Channel! He didn't get more than a few steps before he felt a firm hand grip his jacket, trying to pull him to a stop. He paused, turning slightly to stare at her out of the corner of his eye. He couldn't stop to tight feeling that formed in his gut as he observed her. Her face was smudged with drying mud, her normally tame hair now wild looking, fraying from the mix of rain and heat. Her face was cut and bruised, her lips swollen, her eyes tired…and yet, she was the most beautiful person on Earth. Despite the fact that she looked like she'd just back from a battlefield, his attraction to her spiked rapidly.

And her angry expression only made things worse.

Sighing inwardly, Heero extended his hand. "We need to keep going. You can smell the water, so it must be close."

Relena's glare moved from the offending hand to Heero's face, locking with his deep Prussian eyes. "When were you going to tell me about your injury?"

A muscle in Heero's face twitched, his hand dropping away to his side.

"I though you said we need to work together, Heero…"

The hand clenched, his eyes narrowing. "Relena…"

"How can we work together if you won't even tell me what's going on?" Tears of anger were beginning to form in the corners of Relena's eyes. "How can I believe in you?"

Heero winced again, a stab of pain piercing through his heart…his soul. That was a low blow, but one that most would agree he deserved. She was right in every way, he was a hypocrite, a liar…but what she didn't realize was that it was for her own good. Just seeing her reaction now was enough evidence to point to it. She would spend precious time trying to help him…time that should be used to save her, not a doomed man. He knew. He knew that if he told her he was dying, then it was over for both of them. Even though he wanted to tell her so bad, tell her all of the things that plagued his dreams ever since he'd met her…it would end up hurting her further when the time did come for her to say good bye. Better that she think he didn't care for her, at least not how she wanted to be cared for.

"Don't worry about it." He managed to grind out, stepping back, "I don't need you whining over me because of a little scratch."

Relena blinked at the harsh words, her anger melting away to hurt. He watched her with bitter love as she lowered her gaze to the ground, staring at it pointedly, as if she was unsure of herself. He wanted to lift her chin up, press his lips against hers again, apologize and let her care for him like he wanted her to. However, despite the romantic glamour of it all, dying in each other's arms in the middle of the jungle was not his cup of tea.

Extending his hand once again, he managed to call out her name. As her eyes fell on his hand, the tears finally spilled. He ignored it all.

"Ready?"

Straightening to her full height, Relena locked gazes with him a final time before shoving his hand aside and storming forward. Heero clenched his teeth briefly, before following and returning to his previous activity of scanning the jungle, trying his damnest not to feel anything…

And failing miserably.

The panther climbed to the top of the rocky outcropping, his keen eyes sweeping his kingdom for any signs of the intruders-turned-meals. Bending his head down, he sniffed the small splatter of blood that, although dry, was still fresh to him. He followed the scent down the rocks and into the overhang, sniffing about. They'd laid here…both of them…

Shivers of pleasure streamed down the panther's slick body. His mouth began to water in anticipation of a glorious kill. His claws would tear man flesh again; his mouth would overflow with their blood.

A low rumble in the distance made the panther raise his head, tilting it curiously. The winds had changed once again…the cold preceding another coming storm. He enjoyed the rain, even though it washed away the smells. It made things interesting, more challenging, which only made the kill that more exciting to him. Besides, he was already on the trail of his prey; the rain would hinder them while he continued forward. By storm's end, he'll be asleep, satisfied and with a full stomach.

I don't want to hear it! Damn it, I know I screwed up, but what can I say? I FRIED MY FRIGGIN HARDDRIVE! It's kaput! Gone! Adios amigos! Sayonara baby! Good-bye! Can I say it any clearer? This is a brand new drive. Please R&R, and if you're a fan of "The Guardian" I'm working on that one as we speak…or as you read…or as you stop reading…WHATEVER!

Remember to read and review!