Jungle Rot

By: Wildfire Sky

The next installment in the "Jungle Rot" series. We're slowly winding down towards the end, trust me, we are, and after that I start a new Gundam Wing fanfic that I certainly hope will be just as successful as this one has been! Thanks for all of your support and encouragement!

Please enjoy and remember to R&R.

Jungle Rot

Chapter Nine

Commander Une sat behind her desk, studying the computer screen before her. She was partially amazed at the lack of knowledge their prisoner had about the entire situation, and even more surprised to discover he'd been coerced into cooperating with the would-be killers. The Argentinean police force had been helpful in apprehending Herald Issen and their cooperation was something that she'd never thought she could get. The Western Hemisphere in general, especially the United States and most of South America, had never been pleased with the unification of the world countries and the development of the ESUN and strived to separate themselves from it, so when Argentina readily assisted the Preventers, Une was compelled to thank them generously.

Une's hands settled over the keyboard of her computer, her mind already set into the proper mode to bang out a personal letter of gratitude to the Argentinean representative for the Earth Sphere Unified Nation. Her hands, flying over the keyboard, barely paused even as raised voices reached her ears, evidence of an impending confrontation. Her office door exploded inward, the doorknob implanting in the wall as the large form of Milliardo Peacecraft appeared in the doorway, her secretary staring around him and into the office.

"I'm sorry, Commander Une, he just…"

Une held up a hand to stop her, a smooth smile settling over her features. "It's alright. I've been expecting him. You can return to what you were doing."

Nodding her head in respect, the secretary quickly backed out of the office, closing the door behind her. Zechs stood in front of Une's desk, glaring at her as he sat down in one of her plush chairs. For a moment, the two regarded each other, throwing a challenge of the wills into the air. It was Une who finally broke the stretching silence, opting to get this meeting over with, rather than sit here in silence. Stroking Zechs' already inflated ego would get him out of her office that much faster.

Leaning back in her conference chair, Une folded her hands in front of her. "I'm guessing you want an update on the Amazon situation."

Zechs nodded, also settling back. "Why hasn't one been sent to my office before now?"

"Zechs…" Une said with a low sigh, "Nothing has changed in the past ten hours. Agents Maxwell and Chang are currently en route to the Amazon jungle, following a tracking signal from the plane."

"And the terrorists?" Zechs questioned, folding his arms, "How much of a time gap is there between our forces and theirs?"

Une frowned slightly. "At the moment, that cannot be determined. As far as we know, the Brazilian government hasn't relayed any information about aircraft on unauthorized flight plans, and therefore, we're assuming that they haven't reached the jungles, or even the Brazilian airspace yet."

Zech's glare increased, his fists clenching into the fabric of his long-sleeved shirt. "Then again, we're not on very good terms with the Brazilian government, are we?"

"About as good as we are with terrorists."

Zechs closed his eyes briefly, his fingers coming up to massage the bridge of his nose. Une couldn't imagine what I must be like for Zechs to be dealing with this newest development. It wasn't like Relena's life hadn't been threatening before, it was almost a daily occurrence, but never had he imagined that she'd be truly lost in a place that humanity, for all its advances and technology, had yet to conquer. And with a man who could never be conquered.

Milliardo finally looked up, his eyes still burning with anger and frustration. "Just tell me you're doing everything you can."

"You know we are." Une said quickly, with a reassuring nod. "Relena is important, not only as a politician, but also as a friend."

"What are you going to do about the terrorists?" Millardo asked, staring directly into her eyes.

Une leaned forward, taking his challenge toe to toe. "They won't escape due justice. I'll see to that personally."

Millardo held her gaze for another brief moment before nodding and relaxing in his chair. "I appreciate that, Une."

The anaconda spat viciously at Relena, its long red tongue flickering out from between fanged jaws. Its dark eyes locked with hers, the long, sleek body contracted tighter around Heero, squeezing the life out of its would-be meal. Angry at the foolish intrusion, the anaconda was torn between devouring its catch or killing the attacker before it. The pathetic looking creature was nothing but skin and bone, unlike the one in its clutches, yet she attacked as fiercely as its strongest prey.

Deciding against confrontation, the anaconda began to back away, dragging a groaning Heero after it. He would move back to his lair and enjoy his meal in peace, rather than face down this other annoying creature. The one in his grasp moaned in pain and he could feel the bulge in the captive's side. What that was, he could figure out after he finished digesting. For now, he was looking forward to a meal that would have him satisfied for the next few weeks.

Heero jerked in pain as the anaconda reeled away from Relena, hissing at her angrily as she struggled to pursue them in the thick sludge. The pain was so blinding and intense, Heero could feel himself slipping into unconsciousness. With every constriction of the thick body, the metal shrapnel was driven deeper into his side, getting that much closer to the vital organs that would spell his doom. Struggling weakly, he could feel his bones cracking under the immense pressure of the anaconda, blood bubbling up in his throat and dribbling out from between his lips.

"Heero!"

He could hear her calling out desperately to him, her voice panicked. He couldn't understand, even after all he'd done to make her think otherwise, she still cared for him. He hated that she felt this way, it made he feel so many emotions at one time and it was frustrating to him. He could always understand one emotion: anger. Anger was something that could be challenged and feed upon. He valued anger more than he valued anything else. He wished Relena would hate him instead of love him, that way, he could understand her easier.

More blood hacked from his mouth as the anaconda shied away from Relena and her stick. His eyes snapping closed, Heero tried to concentrate on staying conscious. If he passed out, who knew what Relena might do? He wanted her to run…to get as far away as possible, for her own safety.

"Re…Relena…" he managed to choke out. His breath was stolen away by an angry squeeze, followed by a hiss. What the hell was wrong with this snake? He had to get Relena to leave, to escape before the anaconda decided to take her out too.

Relena lifted the stick in her hands higher, putting on the bravest face she could in the face of this extreme danger. She'd never seen a snake this big before, but she'd heard of them. Able to kill a full-grown panther with relative ease, she'd be little more than a digestive problem to it. But at the moment, she could care less. All she could think of now was Heero captured within the thick coils of a natural monster…

There was blood everywhere, flowing all around her, and still she remained oblivious to it all. She just wanted Heero back…

With a sharp cry, she swung at the snake, blindly striking at air as the large reptile jerked away, carrying a groaning Heero with it. Baring it's fangs viciously, the anaconda lashed out with open jaws, snapping inches from Relena's face in warning. Screaming, Relena fell back, choking on the slimy waters as she went down. Determined she stood back up again, the stick still firmly grasped in her hands.

"Let him go!" she cried, moving forward again, ready to strike out. The anaconda tilted its large head, observing her curiously, its mouth open and poised for attack. Watching as it reared back, Relena barely had enough time to bring up the stick before the anaconda struck, snapping the pathetic branch in two and flinging Relena into the air. Landing with a splash, Relena sunk to the bottom of the body of water, stunned.

The blood drained from Heero's face as she watched Relena sink, her limp body bobbing at the surface momentarily before slipping beneath the murk. Suddenly, it didn't matter than he was facing certain death, or that he was being held by one of the fiercest predators in the Amazon. All he cared about was saving Relena. With a savage cry, he began to twist within the coils, ignoring the flaming pain that rushed through his body, as the metal was forced deeper and deeper. Relena would survive this…she wouldn't die in the Amazon…she would die ever so long as he lived.

The anaconda turned its attention away from the few bubbles where Relena had sank, its attention drawn by the increased struggles of its meal. Tongue flicking rapidly, it tasted the air, confused by the sudden spike of primal anger radiating from its captive. Hissing again, it lunged, fangs out and ready to finish off his kill…but the boy moved, jerking to one side. The anaconda's vision exploded with a bright white light as something hard smashed down on its head again and again. Struggling to stay alert, the anaconda fought against the black that slowly enveloped its mind.

Heero heaved heavily as the grip of the anaconda slowly loosened around him until he was finally able to extract himself from his would-be killer. The anaconda slumped forward, its coils unraveling as it floated on top of the thick foliage of the water, unmoving. Coughing, Heero wiped the blood from his mouth as he rushed towards where Relena sunk, his eyes scanning the water as he moved. Yelling in surprise as his body hit a large object underwater, he spun and dove down, wrapping his arms around Relena's limp body and lifting her to the surface.

Gagging and sputtering, Relena clutched at Heero's sopping jacket, taking deep, heaving gulps of the life-giving air. Heero stood amongst the shrubbery, carefully wiping the slime from Relena's face as he supported her with one arm. He continued to caresses her face, even after cleaning it of the goop, trying to reassure his mind that she was safe and all right. She felt warm against him even though she trembled, her body solid as he cradled her to his chest.

He never noticed the presence of others until he felt the cold steel of a weapon pressed against his temple and the equally cold voice of the one holding it.

"Hey there."

Leonardo smiled victoriously as he led his two captives through the thick jungle of the Amazon, his rifle trained on the back of Vice Foreign Minister's bodyguard. The Japanese man had hardly put up a fight when he saw the three of them surrounding him and his precious Princess, their guns aimed and loaded. It was only until Massimo had tried to take the princess from him that the bodyguard began to retaliate, quickly backing away and holding her tighter to him. As soon as Massimo reached out and wrapped his hand around the boy's throat did he stop struggling and released his charge to them, the need for air overpowering his senses. They took that time to bind his hands together, the rope end let loose so they could lead him around and not worry about an escape attempt.

Now Massimo walked behind the group, the limp Relena slung over one shoulder to allow the liquid to drain from her lungs. Occasionally she would cough, causing their other prisoner to turn in concern, but a well place shove set his eyes straight. Roberto walked further ahead, searching the jungle for threats of animals or rescue groups. They were closer to the river and stood a greater chance of being found.

"How did you find us?"

Leonardo quirked an eyebrow at the bodyguard. "What did you say?"

Heero turned, his eyes cold. "I want to know how you found us so quickly."

Smiling, Leonardo moved to catch up to him until they were walking side by side. "Nothing stupid now, or my friend will snap her neck." He warned as he moved closer and reached for Heero's jacket. "I wasn't sure if you would actually keep this damn thing with you, but I had a tracing beacon placed on your clothing. Right here." He pointed at a button.

Heero frowned, his glare intensifying. "How?"

Leonardo's smirk grew. "Tell me, mister Yuy, did the co-pilot ever touch you?"

The flash of anger that crossed Heero's face with almost laughable to Leonardo. The smirk on his face never disappearing, he dropped back, slamming the butt of the rifle against Heero's back. "Face forward. You have a lot more to worry about than buttons."

The radio at his side blared to life. "Leonardo…" Roberto's Italian speech forced its way through the harsh static caused by the rain forest.

Leonardo pulled the radio from hip, bringing the small box to his mouth. "What?"

"There is a small village ahead of us," Roberto reported in quick Italian, "There's not much more than fifty people there. What do you want to do?"

"Where's Whetstone?" Leonardo asked in his native tongue, "He should be waiting ahead of us, correct?"

"I haven't been able to contact him. There were reports of patrols in the area, so he may have turned off his radio."

Leonardo cursed silently. He didn't know how far off the Preventers were, or if these patrols were them. Luckily, the village was far enough in land to be hidden from patrol boats traveling the river, and hopefully there was enough foliage to cover them from air units. He glanced back at Massimo, noticing that he was now carrying a still unconscious Relena in his arms. Turning back towards Heero, he noted the slumped look to his shoulders and the blood dripping down his side. Thinking the wound was from the snake attack, he hadn't bothered to check it, but now that the blood flow seemed to be increasing, it hinted at something worse.

Leonardo lifted the radio again. "Scout out the village. We will go to the village tonight and wait for contact from Whetstone."

"And if we don't hear from him?"

Leonardo glowered. "We will deal with that when the time comes. Out."

"Confirmed. Out."

Looking up, he noticed that Heero had stopped and was staring at him with a hard, direct glare. Hating the unnerved feeling that came over him, Leonardo strode over, leveling the younger boy with his own glare. "Is there a problem, bodyguard?"

"What do you plan on doing with us?"

Leonardo blinked at the direct question before letting a sinister smirk cross his features. "That's my special surprise." He raised his voice in Italian so Massimo could hear. "We'll wait here for Roberto to return and then we go to the village. Tie our two lovebirds together."

Massimo nodded silently, reaching into the pack on his back and pulling out an additional length of rope. Leonardo jerked at the rope binding Heero's hands, chuckling at the slight stumble of a normally solid man. He watched at the ready with his rifle as Massimo forced Heero to a sitting position on the ground, propping Relena against his back. Never uttering a word of command, Massimo began tying the thick rope around Heero and Relena, tying it off securely. Straightening, he looked down at Heero for a moment before turning and walking off. Heero sat slumped against Relena, struggling to remain awake. He was too much blood and his hard trek through the jungle was taking its toll on his body.

It couldn't take much more before it would finally give out.

He heard Relena groan behind him and he leaned forward until he felt her head roll back against him. She should at least be the more comfortable of them. He was the best pillow she had around at the moment, and he was going to be a damn good pillow. Letting his head droop forward, Heero closed his eyes, giving into the much needed rest his body was craving.

"Injury."

Heero's eyes snapped open and he turned his head, looking up at the large Black man before him. For a giant, the man had remarkably light footfalls, rival to that of the Gundam pilots. Massimo, as he was called, crouched down in front of Heero, his dark eyes narrowed. Heero stiffened as Massimo reached out towards him. The man paused, his eyes narrowing further into slits.

"You. Injury." Massimo held up a roll of bandages. "I will fix."

Heero blinked. Wait…was this man, his captor, trying to help him? Heero might not be good in the people skills department, but he knew when the intent of others was to kill him, and this group definitely qualified for that category. So why was…

"Massimo!" Leonardo's voice cut through the air. "Arresto. Nonlo aiuti. Don't help him."

Massimo was instantly on his feet and turned away without so much as another glance in Heero's direction. Leonardo strode over once Massimo left, crouching down much like his partner had before. For a moment, he held Heero's glare before his hand lashed out, striking the injured boy's side. Heero shut his eyes in pain, tasting the blood welling up in his mouth. Leonardo watched as Heero gasped for air then lifted the edge of his shirt, staring at the flaming injury in the boy's side. The metal was almost completely impaled in his side, slanted at an upward angle. No longer acting as a plug but more as a leaking pipe, blood poured freely from the opened wound, staining Heero's clothing and the ground.

Pressing his hand around the wound, Leonardo ignored the hiss of pain that forced its way out from Heero. "That was a mistake to tangle with that anaconda."

"A...Asshole..." Heero spat, cracking open an eye and glaring with as much intensity as he could manage.

Leonardo laughed, standing up and spitting on Heero's pants. "You, my friend, don't have much longer to say things like that. Besides, you should be thanking me. I plan on finishing you off long before that wound does." The jungle suddenly darkened, pulling Leonardo's glance to the sky. "Looks like rain…" He smirked, reaching into his pack and pulling out a parka.

"I certainly hope you don't get too wet."

Another chapter completed! I'm very sorry about the delay, but my finals are breathing down my neck and I've been trying to fit in time, managing only a few minutes of writing before having to get back to studying and working. But, it'll be worth it. Soon I'll be directing films and then I'll have all the time in the world to do whatever! However, my finals end on December 13, so I'm not doing anything with my fanfics until that passes. Sorry, but school must come first.

Please remember to R&R! And thanks for your understanding and support!