Chosen
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Chapter 13: Danger in the Darkness
She cried to the southern wind
About a love that was sure to end
Every dream in her heart was gone
Heading for a showdown
From "Showdown" by Electric Light Orchestra,
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Lopez's phone began to vibrate in the pocket of his sports coat and he fished it out. "Excuse me a moment," he said to Márcia. "I've been expecting this."
A gentle smile flitted across her lips, but her eyes showed a bit of sadness. He had told her the good news of finding Burns and that a party would be arriving late tonight to rescue their lost comrade. But the recovery of Burns meant the loss of her lover. The doctor would depart, returning to the north from whence he came, leaving her behind. He was everything she head hoped for in a man: kind, generous, intelligent, playful, educated, and employed. And while she had known from the start that his visit would be temporary one, she had fallen hopelessly for him, and the more she fell the more she had lived in denial of his inevitable departure.
Lopez left his chair and walked to the balcony of the restaurant where he answered the call. "Olá Chefe."
"Heya," said Trakker. "The captain just told to return our seats to their full upright position and to lock our tray tables away. Where are you at?"
"Just having dinner in Macapá, waiting for you to arrive."
"Want to meet us at the airport? We didn't bring Firefly, but we do have Raven again, all the dents fixed and a fresh coat of paint."
"I'll trade Dusty's redneck-mobile for Raven any day." They had left Gator behind for Lopez to use while in São Miguel.
"I heard that!" said Hayes accusingly.
Lopez laughed. "You know I'm kidding. Actually, I'll just head back into Macapá. I have my Portuguese tutor here with me...no need to complicate things."
Hayes' ears perked up. "That curvy redhead nurse?"
"The same."
"Hmmm...you'd better come to the airport. You can have Raven and I'll take her home in Gator for you," laughed Hayes.
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Following the signal and the location pinpointed by Lopez earlier that day, Gator and Raven made their way to a quiet section of the Amazon, far off of the main channel and away from any human settlements. Then they turned up an unnamed tributary, heading several miles upstream to an island separated from the mainland by wide streams of water. "This is it," announced Scott, pointing at the small island as he looked up from the blue-lit display on the tracking system. His father had brought him along on the recovery mission.
Trakker eased up on the throttle and let the boat drift closer. "There seems to be some sort of structure there," he noted. He turned Raven's spotlight toward the low island where the beam caught the shack built on stilts.
"I'll bet he's in there," said Scott. "The homing device appears to be."
"Maria, can you sense the River Princess?" Trakker asked, putting his hand on her shoulder. She and Scott were squeezed onto the front seat.
The girl shook her head.
"Maria says the Princess isn't around, so we'll go see if Cal's here. But keep alert." He turned to the girl. "Maria, let us know if you sense her. If you do tell us as soon as you know."
"Hopefully Mrs. Burns doesn't give us too much trouble, " said Hayes to Lopez, riding in Gator beside him.
"If she does, I'll try to stick her to a tree or something. I don't want to hurt her, but I'm afraid she might be belligerent if she finds us here."
"I could use Gator's water cannon or a low-power blast from Backlash on her."
"That would probably work."
Trakker nudged Raven to shore, and hopped out. "Scott, stay here in the boat with Maria. I need you to work the spotlight."
"Okay, Dad." he said and climbed nimbly across the center console into the driver's seat.
Gator pulled up beside them just as Trakker was pulling on his mask. Immediately the visor lit up with the eerie glow produced by the night-vision scanners. Hayes did the same. Lopez picked up the lantern he had brought with him and turned it on, lifting it in one hand with his mask tucked beneath the opposite arm.
Cautiously they advanced on the cabin. On entering, were relieved to find Burns there, lying on his back in the bed, the sheet pulled over him. Lopez handed the lamp to Trakker and rushed to the bedside. "Calhoun! Calhoun!" He shook Burns' arm gently, noting the feverish temperature to his skin.
Burns woke moaning and blinking at the light. Then a smile of recognition crossed his face as his eyes focused on the three figures around his bed. "Hello. Welcome to my new home," he said weakly. "Are you here for the housewarming party?"
Matt pulled off his glove and clasped the man's hand. "Good to see you again, Cal. We're going to get you out of here," he said quietly. "Get you back to civilization."
"That would be nice," Burns smiled. "I'm dying for a cup of coffee."
"And here I thought you had malaria," grinned Lopez, making a joke of the statement. Going through the contents of the package he had sent that morning, he noted that Burns had taken the tablets for that day as instructed.
Burns' eyes suddenly opened wide, a touch of fear playing in them. "Where is she?" he gasped.
"She's not here. We don't know where she is."
He took a breath and slumped back down. "Probably out hunting. She seems to be primarily nocturnal."
"Calhoun. Are you all right? Has she hurt you?"
"No...not intentionally at least. Just a few scratches from her claws." His hand flopped up to his chest and stroked the long half-healed streaks of red on his skin. "But she's very strong, and she guards me jealously. If she hears a boat or an airplane she grabs me and hides me from it."
"No wonder we couldn't find you earlier. And we passed over this area at least twice."
He closed his eyes and smiled. "I heard you searching for me. It gave me hope."
"I'm sorry we had to leave though. You know what the PNA says."
"But Julio stayed...I owe you one," he said reaching for the doctor.
Lopez took his hand. "I got a job in town and just stayed at the cottage."
"You sent me the package of medicine."
"Yes. The River Princess went to Maria for help, and Maria came to me."
"C'mon. Let's get him out of here," said Trakker.
And just as he went to pull Burns' arm over his shoulder Maria began shouting from outside. "She's coming! She's coming!"
"Damn!" Trakker cursed. "Let's hurry."
They got Burns up and draped between Lopez's and Trakker's shoulders and carried him to the door.
"She knows I'm here!" cried Maria frightfully. "She knows you're here!"
Suddenly Melusine charged out of the water roaring, her arms raised and her bright fins standing on end. She stood there in her aggressive stance surveying the scene, and on spotting her mate in the arms of the masked men she roared again.
"Maria! Tell her not to attack!" Trakker shouted.
"I'm trying to tell her" the girl cried. "She's so angry. You've invaded her nest."
Hayes stepped forward, placing himself between the others and the River Princess. "I'll stop her."
"Don't hurt her," Burns begged.
"Backlash! Power Level 2. Fire!"
Hayes' mask lit up and fired a blast at Melusine, knocking her back several feet. She stumbled in the sand, roaring and flailing her arms as she recovered herself.
Meanwhile Trakker had put Burns' weight onto Lopez's shoulder and had advanced down the stairs of the shack. "Maria, tell her to stop. Tell her not to attack. We don't want to hurt her, but we must defend ourselves."
"Backlash..."
Hayes did not get a chance to finish. Melusine charged him before the command could be completed and grabbed him around the waist. Lifting him into the air, she flung him to the ground, knocking the wind out of him. She then grabbed him again and tossed him down the beach toward the boats. Hayes rolled over several times before coming to a stop.
Melusine leapt upon him...just as Backlash fired again, knocking her back once more. Hayes staggered to his feet and shrugged his shoulders in a circular motion, arms coming up like a boxer ready for round two. "Where is she?" he shouted, looking around but not seeing her.
"She dove into the water," yelped Scott, pointing between the two boats.
"She ran away already?" He walked down to the edge of the water as Scott turned the spotlight into the channel.
But she hadn't left. Suddenly she came leaping from the channel again, tackling Hayes, landing on top of him, and clawing at his neck.
Trakker, now halfway down the beach, dreaded what she would do to Hayes with her claws once she tore through his uniform. "Spectrum Laser! Lowest Power. Fire!" Trakker commanded, and a quick burst hit Melusine in the shoulder.
She screamed, looked to where the blast had come from, and launched herself at Trakker. But he had been ready, and grappling each other they rolled over a couple of times before he was able to break free and deliver a kick to the back of a knee just as she was getting up. Gloria would have been proud.
Melusine tumbled to the sand, howling in anger. Maria was screaming at them to stop fighting. Spectrum was lit up and ready to fire, and did as the fishwoman advanced again, but this time she took it full in the chest and kept coming. Seizing Trakker she hoisted him in the air as she had with Hayes.
Lopez had dragged Burns back inside the cabin and hefted him onto the bed.
"No, Julio, help me to stand. I can stop her." Just then they heard Trakker scream, followed by a crash and the sound of splintering wood.
"You're too weak."
"Just help me get to her."
"You can't talk to her. She's not listening."
"She's headed inside," moaned Trakker.
"Help me stand," whimpered Calhoun desperately.
Lopez decided to trust his patient and so grabbed him under the arms and got him standing just as Melusine appeared in the doorway, her terrifying form silhouetted by the spotlight. She growled primally and raised her arms.
"It's all right," Burns told her gently, forcing himself to smile. "I'm all right." He could feel Lopez's hands shifting nervously, and he worked to find a bit of strength to stand. And then he took a step forward.
Her arms came down and she took a step into the cabin.
"I'm here...I'm all right." He stepped forward again and held out his arms to her, and Melusine walked into them. As the mismatched pair embraced Burn's legs gave out and he began to sink. But she held him up, half-dragging, half-carrying him to the bed. "Melusine..." he said softly to her as she placed him there tenderly, her cold hands stroking his heated skin and her raised fins slowly relaxing. "See...nothing's wrong. I'm still here with you," he cooed.
Lopez stared. What had the fever done to Burns? Or what had she done to him? The attitude had completely changed.
"Julio...I've got her," Burns said quietly. "She's just worried about me. Better go check on Matt and Dusty."
Keeping his back to the wall, Lopez slipped out of the shack and found Trakker staggering to his feet amidst the wreckage of what had been a rickety old table near the fire ring. Scott had left Raven and was seeing to Dusty, who was lying on his side holding his ribcage and groaning.
Lopez helped Trakker to his feet and then pulled off Spectrum for him. "Matt, she's in there with Calhoun. He's calming her down. She just appeared to be very worried about him." And then he gasped. "You're bleeding!"
Trakker looked down at himself. Hot blood seeped through the torn canvas of his uniform at his shoulder and upper arm. "She must have gotten me in that fight. Calhoun was right. She is very strong." The two went to the front window of the shack, Trakker clutching his wounds, and pulled open the tattered calico curtain.
On the bed, Melusine cradled her beloved tenderly but hissed at the two other agents when she saw them looking in. Burns reached up to her and stroked her cheek. "It's all right," he whispered.
Julio left the porch and went to Hayes' side, where he was now sitting up checking himself over for injuries. "Anything broken?"
"I don't think so. I've ridden meaner bulls than her, but not by much I'll tell you that." He nodded in the direction of the cabin. "What's going on in there?"
"Calhoun's just calming her down. They're having a little cuddle on the bed."
"Did you say cuddle?"
Lopez grinned. "I think the malaria fever's gotten to him."
Trakker walked down toward the boats. "Maria, can you talk to her now?" he asked. "We need to let her know what's going on."
"I will try again," she said timidly, clinging to Raven's door.
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Chosen continues in Chapter 14: "Civilization Again"
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M.A.S.K. and all related concepts, characters, worlds, and events are property of DIC Enterprises, Inc and Kenner Toys. Original characters and story elements are property of E. Potter, writing under the pen name of Miratete.
This fic is dedicated to Ben Chapman (1925-2008), Ricou Browning, and Tom Hennesey (1923-2011)
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