Chapter 12
Tari pushed Yulia angrily back through the falls and into the cave. Water splashed across her body, washing small amounts of the dead creature's blood onto the cold stone floor. Was what left of the fire was sputtering in the center of the cave, which had grown unbearably cold. Tari nudged Yulia again, and spoke.
"Get you stuff. We're leaving right now."
Yulia shot her a squinted glare.
"Oh? And go where? Holiday Inn? Ramada? We need to stay here. Those things are dead now. We should be fine here." she fired back.
Tari took up a dirty knapsack and began to shove things inside. She kept to her work as she responded.
"They're dead now, you say? Perhaps you've already forgotten the one I JUST MISSED? He knows where we are and he's probably run back to grab his friends. We've got to move. NOW. End of conversation." Tari retorted as she shoved a large chunk of metal into the bag.
Yulia protested. "Tari, if he wanted me dead, he would'nt have hestitated to burn a hole through my gut right then and there. I don't think he wants to hurt me. You said yourself that these...creatures...are prisoners on this planet. Maybe he needs some help. Maybe he knows that WE need help..." she trailed off.
Tari stopped and looked up at Yulia with a shocked look.
"You? When did this become a situation all about YOU? Have you forgotten that I'm here too? Maybe I don't want to have anything to DO with these things. Maybe all I want is to grab all remaining members of MY OWN SPECIES and get the FUCK off of this rock! I don't want, and don't NEED their help." she spat, and slung the pack over her shoulder and pushed past Yulia. Tari then threw the last of the wet rags on top of the fire, picked up her rifle, and slung it around her free arm. She then turned to Yulia.
"Listen. Do whatever you want. At this point, it's about staying alive. What you just saw out there was a TASTE of what those things are capable of. We got lucky. And there's more of them. I guarantee it. They won't stop. They'll find you. So you can stay here and wait for one to come back and play Diplomat with, or you can snap out of it, come with me and LIVE." she said, and jumped through the falls.
Yulia watched the blonde women disappear through the water, her arms crossed over her chest, her face twisted in anger and frustration. She knew that in a way, Tari was right. Yulia had no real proof that they WEREN'T out for blood...or worse. Just because one of them had saved her, doesn't mean that he wasn't about to perform the same act the others had desired to do. But there was something in his actions. Something in his demeanor that was just ...different. A hesitation in him. As if he were...shy. She smiled slightly to herself at the thought of this great boorish thing being shy, almost clumsy; like a schoolboy on a playground. She wanted to know what he wanted with her...why he had tried to touch her...was it the same desire she had to touch him? The thought thrilled her. She couldn't believe that in a wild situation such as this, she was actually looking forward to seeing him again. At least to thank his for saving her life...
Yulia then looked out of the falls, thinking things through for a moment.
Perhaps Tari was right.
Yulia gathered up her things, and leapt out of the falls, landing on the gravel with a crunch.
Hearing the sounds of boot treads on the river rocks behind her, Tari stopped in her tracks and waited for Yulia to catch up. When Yulia had reached Tari's side, the two women then continued on, pushing through the treeline and entering the pitch black of the jungle.
Jedhin watched in curiosity as the women entered the forest. He zoomed in with his nightvision and strained his hearing to see if they were speaking.
Quiet. Nothing but the sound of wet leaves crunching underfoot.
Silently, like a ghost, Jedhin leapt from his perch on the branch, and swung like an acrobat onto the next branch. He let the women get slightly ahead of him, tomake sure that any sound he made would be washed out in the sounds of the forest.
Over the tops of the trees, the faintest hint of sun was shining through. It would be daylight in less than an hour. He would have to go into permanent stealth soon. SHE would be on the hunt for her prey...
Yulia and Tari trudged through the thick dense forest, the ground underfoot changing from wet leaves to thick grey mud. Yulia leapt slightly over a falled tree trunk, and landed with a splash in a huge puddle of the smelly sludge. It splashed up to her waist. Slightly put off, she turned to Tari.
"So, where exactly are we going? It looks as if it's going to be light soon...do you know of somewhere else we can hide? Like another cave? It's probably not too smart to be wandering around in broad daylight-"
"Do you EVER shut UP?" Tari turned and hissed like a cat. Yulia stopped and shut her mouth. She decided right then and there that she would not talk to this woman unless absolutely nessecary.
About 30 minutes passed before Tari decided to answer Yulia's "unwarranted" question.
"Not far from here...about a mile or two, is one of their camps. One of their smaller ones. Its usually a staging area for the new drops. Sometimes there are ships. Small ones. They're probably short-range shuttles. Too small for long flights. We're going to steal one, fly off this rock and try and find the mothership."
Yulia stopped dead in her tracks and stared at Tari in disbelief. She suppressed the urge to burst out laughin. She thought to herself how insane this woman was.
Tari realized that Yulia had stopped, and stopped as well and looked back at Yulia.
"What?" Tari asked in a smart alleck tone.
"You...YOU are going to HIJACK a 'shuttle'..then FLY IT into SPACE...to the MOTHERSHIP...and then HIJACK THE MOTHERSHIP? And just how the hell are you going to get past all these..THINGS? Wasn't it YOU who said that they were BIG? And BLOODTHIRSTY? And pretty much impossible to kill?" Yulia spat, this time really riled up at Tari's gung-ho ideas. This woman was obviously out of her mind. She took a step towards Tari, splashing more mud.
Tari glared slightly, and took a step towards Yulia.
"YES, I did. I also said that THIS is the only way off of this rock! REGARDLESS of how FUCKED UP it may sound, THIS is our only option! I am jsut about sick and tired of you QUESTIONING my plans. I've been here for LONGER THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE. How long have YOU been here...24 hours, MAYBE? YOU. NEED. ME." Tari spoked forcefully. She stomped, splashing mud onto her own belly, taking more steps towards Yulia. The women were now nose-to-nose.
'Wasn't it also YOU who said to KEEP YOU FUCKING VOICE DOWN so these things DON'T HEAR US?" Yulia retorted, the words jabbing out of her mouth. Tari unslung her bag and her gun. They landed in the sludgy mud with such force, the splashed mud into the womens' faces.
"Yeah, I did. But maybe I canged my mind. Maybe I want them to come now. It sure would be nice to never have to hear your voice again.." Tari spat.
With that, Yulia reached back with her fist and punched Tari squarely in the face. The force of the blow sent her flying into the mud. It splashed over her back and belly. She let out a yelp of pain.
"You CUNT!" Tari screamed and scrambled to her feet. She then ran at Yulia full force, who had positioned herself to take the blow that Tari was about to serve back. Tari grabbed Yulia around the waist, and the women landed on the forest floor in a splash of smelly mud. They were now completely coated, clawing and scratching each other, yelping and squealing. They showed no signs of stopping.
Jehdin watched with hungry curiosity as the female with the light hair launched herself at the other female, pushing her to the ground. It was unlike anything he had seen before. Amusing. Here were these small delicate creatures, fighting each other for no apparent reason in the middle of the forest. It was like watching two small birds fighting over a grub. He swung from his branch to a lower one, desperate to get a closer look...he would have to, for they were beginning to be soaked in the wet mud, and were getting harder and harder to see...
Yulia grabbed a handful of Tari's hair and pulled. Tari cried out in pain and swung with her free arm (the other hand was digging fingernails into Yulia's back), hitting Yulia in the stomach. The women continued rolling and screaming, slamming each others heads into the ground, kneeing each other in the stomach, clawing, scratching, biting.
Tari flipped Yulia onto her back, pinning her. She was panting heavily.
"Bitch. You've given me more pleasure in the past few minutes than I've had in a long time." Tari whispered, grinding her hips into Yulia's to pin her even harder in place in the mud. Yulia squirmed, trying to free herself. She then found her chance, and with a single swift movement, brought up her knee, bashing Tari squarely in the crotch. Tari's face twisted in pain, and Yulia flipped Tari over and pinned her to the ground instead.
"Looks like I'm having all the fun now." Yulia whispered into Tari's face.
Quite suddenly, Yulia heard a crunch.
Her head shot up and scanned the tree line. At first, she thought it was her 'friend', but something didn't feel right about it. It didn't feel as though she was being watched...it was more like being stalked...
Tari tried to wiggle free. Yulia placed a muddy hand over her mouth to silence her.
Her gaze then returned to the treeline, scanning.
From underneath Yulia's hand, Tari's mouth gasped. Yulia's gaze returned to Tari's. Tari was staring wide-eyed at Yulia's chest. Yulia froze, and swallowed. Slowly, she lowered her head, and saw what Tari had gasped about.
Hovering on her chest were three points of red light.
The women froze. They had no idea what to do. They were exposed, in now-morning light, and would be easy to see. They also had no weapons, for they were tossed somewhere, coated in layers of mud.
They could do nothing. Once again, they were trapped. All they could do was wait to see what happened.
About 20 or so feet away, the air rippled within the trees. This rippling was massive. Much more massive than the creatures Yulia had seen before. With a single movement, the rippling air fell from the trees, and landed with an invisible splash in the mud.
Sludge seemed to cling to a leg that wasn't there.
Yulia's heart seemed to be beating in her throat. The rippling air was about 15 feet away.
The rippling air took a step forward, and decloaked.
Standing before the women was another creature. But this creature was definitely different from the others.
It was about 12 feet tall. Much taller than the from its neck and waist were tons of skulls. Across it's silver mask was a huge scar, cut into the metal across the eye socket. It's arms were covered in what looked to be thick black tattoos.
It also was obviously female, it's breasts bound tightly to it's body in what looked like strips of human flesh. It's nipples were pierced, and long thin pieces of metal were stuck through them.
This was...
"Hulij..." Jedhin thought to himself as he watched the freakishly tall Yautja female uncloak herself. A wave of excitement washed over him.
There she was, out in the open. The stupid bitch. He could have his chance to take her out, once and for all. Thrilling energy surged though him. But then he realized why she was there.
The females. Hulij was there for them.
Tari and Yulia remained motionless. The giant female creature took another squelchy step towards them, splashing mud everywhere.
Momentarily, she would be upon them. There was no way she wouldn't see them...
The female creature looked down directly at the females, and gave off a few clicks.
Another step.
Yulia thought her heart would explode.
She looked down into Tari's eyes, which were as wide as her own. Tari's eyes were darting back and forth from the female to Yulia. Yulia begged Tari with her eyes to be silent.
Another step.
(to be continued)
Hey everyone! I just wanted to take a minute and thank each and every one of you who favorite, review, and follow my story! You all are the reason I write it, and it means so much to me that you take the time out of your day to give it a read! It truly makes my day!
The plans I have for this story are seriously getting ME hot! :D I want to cut to the chase so bad, but there's still a tad more to build up to the GOOD STUFF...stay tuned, I promise you won't be disappointed!
Thanks everyone!