The Little Scout

Chapter Fourteen

Tessa's POV

They'd been searching for Ben for an hour. Tessa was tired and Jimmy was tired but they still didn't give up. He had to be close. "Ben!" Tessa shouted again.
"Tessa, he's probably back at camp."
"No he isn't Jimmy. If you think that then you obviously don't know Mason."
"You haven't called him that in a while, you must be Mad."
"I am." Tessa stopped. "Hey, look at this." She bent down and picked up the cloth.
"Yeah it's a rag."
"No, it's Ben's gun cleaning rag."
"You think he was here?"
"Yes, look, there's boot tracks."
"Tessa, we don't know they're his."
"Size five. They're his. But...there's size twelve's too. Kid twelve's." Jimmy shrugged.
"It's creepy that you know that. It's really creepy."
"My Mom did forensic."
"Oh, she taught you some?"
"Yeah, you could say that." She stood up and pointed towards a clearing. "That way." She told Jimmy.

They continued walking; they followed the tracks made in the dirt. "Ben!" Tessa shouted.
"Tessa?" It was Ben.
"Ben!" Tessa started running towards his voice. They both met half-way. "Oh my god, I thought..." He wrapped his arms around her.
"Is this Tessa?" A little girl's voice interrupted them. Ben broke the hug.
"Yes, Tessa and Jimmy this is Melisa, Melisa this is Tessa and Jimmy."
"Hi." Jimmy said. Tessa stayed silent.
"Where'd you find her?" She asked.
"In a bush."
"Any reason why you kept her?"
"I think he's hinting at something." Jimmy joked.
"Shut up. I couldn't leave her."
"It was so cool. He told Jumbo he'd shoot him!" The little girl shouted. Tessa bent down to the girl.
"Did he? Was there any need? Did he need to shoot Jumbo?"
"Jumbo hurt me, when he looked after Me."
"Hurt you how?"
"Look at her back." Melisa pulled the back of her top up and Tessa gasped.
"Where'd they go?" She asked Ben.
"I don't know, but she's safer with us."
"If I find them, I'll..."
"I know. I'll help you." Tessa smiled at Ben and then at the little girl.
"Come on."
"Where's Sophie?"
"We lost her too."
"We have to find her."
"You don't say." Jimmy shot. Tessa took Melisa's hand.
"Which way do we go?"
"I don't know, she just...disappeared." Tessa said.
"We have to go back to camp." Jimmy crossed his arms and leant against the tree beside him.
"We can't! We have to find her." Tessa protested.
"Tessa, look. Your dead on your feet, Melisa doesn't look too far from starvation and Jimmy's on another patrol in the morning. He'll go after her then with Hal when he has more strength and ammo."
"You can go, I'm going after her." Ben sighed, picked Tessa up and threw her over his shoulder.
"I thought you'd say that." He muttered. Tessa kicked and kicked to get him to free her but he didn't let her go.

"Where have you three been?" Weaver shouted at them. Tessa shifted her head and then just let it drop back onto Ben's shoulder. She was too tired to do anything now. "And where's Sophie?"
"We lost her. Well, Tessa did. She just went..." Ben started
"Poof." Tessa finished.
"Who's this?" Weaver asked.
"Melisa, Ben found her in a bush somewhere. It wasn't safe to leave her there."
"We ran into her brother too, bit stupid actually." Melisa stayed silent, hiding behind Jimmy.
"You four get some rest, I'll send some patrols out for Sophie."
"I'll go with them." Tessa choked on her words.
"With all due respect, Tessa, your falling asleep now we can't have you dropping off in a field." Weaver told her. "Ben, make sure she doesn't leave your side. You know she'll only do something stupid." Ben nodded and Weaver walked away.
"C'mon then, Melisa can stay in our tent and I'll make sure sleepy head doesn't move."
"Ben, please." Tessa started.
"Shut up and go back to sleep."

Ben practically threw Tessa into his cot and left her as he went to see to Melisa. Tessa was too tired to get up and make a run for it, plus she wouldn't get far anyways. So she just laid there, her eyes half-closed. Her body ached with sleep deprivation. She turned to her head to the side, her body with it, and closed her eyes completely.