CHAPTER 23

Shano stood on the deck of one of his boats. Word had come that he was to meet with the representative to finalize the transaction. If the man accepted his price, the women would be shipped out as soon as he returned. He gave orders to Fellipe and the head guard to make sure the women were not bothered by the men while he was gone, saying it would take at least ten days to get there, finalize the deal, and get back. Just as a precaution, the girls were moved to the main house so Fellipe could keep an eye on them.

Shano smiled. He could see the money even now. He figured to take the profit and build a new place elsewhere. Having his storehouses in the jungle had been a brilliant idea, but now his operation was getting larger and more costly. Having to pay hefty prices to get his stuff moved up river cut into the profit. It was time to move.

The girls were surprised to see they were being moved into the house. Michael thought to herself at last she wouldn’t have to look at Felina constantly.

Ever since the night he had pulled Felina to the side, Shano’s words had echoed in her mind. What could he possibly know and how does he know?

“In ten days we’ll be shipped out of here to some place, never to be seen again!” Suzanne paced nervously.

“What if something happens to us? What if we end up dead before we get there?” Victoria sniffed.

“Please, girls. Someone knows. All of us just can’t disappear like that.” Michael stated, trying her best to reassure the girls.

“Oh, yes! Ms. Positive!” Felina sneered. “Someone’s going to rescue us! How the fuckin’ hell are they going to know we’re here in this hell hole!”

“There might be an outside chance,” Clarice replied. “I hadn’t said much before now, but I work for the government. I’m an undercover agent sent to check out a rumor of a suspected drug-running-white slavery operation.

“Rumor? What the hell do you think this is? A walk in the park? Some agent you are! You’re in this just as deep as we are! Stupid!”

“Oh! Shut your trap!”

Felina turned to Michael. “I’ve had enough of you telling me to shut up!Why don’t you make me, or are you all talk?”

Michael had never backed down from anyone. She slapped Felina on the cheek. Felina’s head jerked back slightly, her eyes becoming slits. She pushed Michael against the back of the sofa.

“That does it!”

Michael rushed Felina, both women falling to the floor. They grabbed each other’s hair, rolling all over the floor. Felina balled her fist and hit Michael in the nose. Temporarily stunned, Michael shook her head and hit Felina in the eye. Both women got up ready to go at it again. The rest of the girls separated them, both of them trying to get at each other.

“Will you stop it, you two!” Summer pleaded.

Michael, holding her bloody nose, was put down in a chair on one side of the room, Felina, who had her hand over her eye, on the other. Both women were heaving, ready to go at each other again.

“I know you two don’t get along, but now is not the time. There’s things far more important than your personal differences!” Ann interjected.

“Let’s get this mess cleaned up before Fellipe comes back in.”

They straightened up the furniture, putting everything back in place, placing themselves between the two women.

CHAPTER 24

Glen had Rock and Jeff scout ahead. Both men hacked their way through the jungle. “Damn, it seems to get worse!” Jeff said, tired and worn out. They stopped to rest for a few minutes before pushing on. Night began setting in on them. Looking around, they found a sturdy tree. Climbing, they perched themselves on some limbs, not trusting what would be out at night.

The rest of the group spent the night in the second clearing. The next morning they followed the trail Rock and Jeff had left. The two men climbed down, stretching, opening their packs to take out a power bar before resuming their trek. It was sometime in the afternoon when Rock motioned Jeff to stop. “I hear voices,” he whispered, pointing to the left.

They crept as quietly as possible, the voices becoming louder as they got closer. Parting some thing brush, they spied six men standing on a wooden dock which jutted out into the river.

“How come those women were moved into the house?”

‘Senor Shano does not want to take the chance of us getting our hands on them.”

“What I wouldn’t give to get a few minutes alone with one of them.”

“The one I want is the one with the yapping mouth. When I got through with her, she wouldn’t be yapping any more.”

The others laughed. “No way! She is a hellcat. I like my women quiet. When are they supposed to go?”

“When Shano gets back.”

Rock and Jeff watched as a couple of them went down a trail. They backed away. “Looks like this is it,” Jeff whispered.

“Go back and get the others. They should be about halfway down the trail. I’ll see if I can get a closer look.”

Jeff left back down the trail. Rock looked around, then sat down to wait till night. Just when it turned dark, he crept closer. He looked for a place to climb in but saw nothing. Not wanting to risk discovery, he crept back to his hiding place to wait.

The rest of the group were waiting at the tree that Jeff and Rock had spent the night in, finding the mark Jeff had left behind. Christian and Edge kept watch while the others slept. Edge turned his ear in the direction of some brush rustling. He whistled to Christian who went into camp to wake the others.

His gun ready, Edge waited behind a tree till he spotted Jeff. “Hey man, it’s about time you got here! Where’s Rock?”

“About a day up the trail. I believe we’ve found the compound.”

The two of them entered camp. The others had quickly gotten up and were ready. Upon seeing Jeff and Edge they lowered their guns.

“We found the compound. It’s about a day’s journey from here. Rock’s watching it. Seeing if there’s a way to get in.”

“Okay, let’s get going,” Glen said.

Jeff went on ahead. It was the next morning when Rock saw them coming.

CHAPTER 25

Glen motioned for the guys to stop. Rock Took Glen and Mark to a spot where they could see the compound. “That’s the trail down to the river. Jeff and I saw a dock jutting out about 10-20 feet on the river. There’s the compound. There are two guards constantly at the gate.”

Glen looked it over. “He’s got it built solid, with 20 foot high walls. Looks like we’ll have to go in through the front.” Glen looked at the size of the guards. Matt and Jeff were the closest. “How often do they change guards?”

“I would say every four hours.”

They crept back to the rest of the group. “Matt, Jeff, you’ll have to take out the guards at the front gate and switch to their uniforms, say late tonight.”

“There are guards at the dock also.”

“Bradshaw, Farooq, you’ll take them out, then join the rest of us as quick as possible. The rest of us will get as close as we can to the gate. Once in, we’ll have to move fast. I’ll throw a grenade into the middle of the compound. That should bring the rest of the guards out of the barracks.”

The group sat and waited, silently getting their weapons ready. Glen took a deep breath and said a silent prayer that all would go as planned.

Late that night, Bradshaw and Farooq crept close to the dock. Silent Bradshaw motioned for Farooq to circle to the other side. Farooq slithered along the ground till he came to the trail. Making sure the guards were asleep, he crawled across, then stopped and waited. He stood half way up, making his way to the far side of the dock. He signaled Bradshaw, who was coming up behind the other guard. Farooq threw a small stone onto the dock. Both guards woke up and looked around. Not seeing anything they went back to sleep. Bradshaw threw one on the dock. Both guards woke up, their guns ready.

Bradshaw came up behind, putting his arm around the guard’s neck, and jabbed the knife through the ribs and into the lung. Farooq slid his arm around the other’s throat, giving it a quick twist, breaking his neck. They put the guards in the river and left to join the others.

At the same time, Matt and Jeff were making their way to the gate. They saw the guards leaning against the gate, their guns standing beside them. Concentrating his energy, Jeff focused on the guns. Soon they rose and moved away from the guards. Meanwhile, Matt worked his way to the guard on the left. When the guns were far enough away, Matt eased his arm around the guard’s neck, putting a stranglehold on him. The man’s gurgling noise woke up his partner, who instantly reached for his rifle, but found it gone. Taking his knife from the sheath, he went to help his partner when he felt a knife at his throat. Both men fell to the ground dead. Dragging them away the, they changed into the uniforms then took their positions at the gate.

CHAPTER 26

It wasn’t long after two guards came to relieve their companions at the front gate. “Hey, sleepy heads, it’s our turn. Good thing the boss is gone, or he’d have your hide for sleeping.”

Matt and Jeff stood up. “Hey! Who are you?” Matt and Jeff attacked, slitting the guards’ throats. Matt signaled the group.

“Okay, let’s go,” Glen said.

The rest of them entered the compound as fast as they could, splitting up. One half hiding behind the hut, the other half hiding behind some shrubs. Glen threw the grenade. The explosion brought out the rest of the guards from the barracks. The guys opened fire. Glen signaled for Palumbo to make his way over to the barracks. Palumbo ran to the end of the barracks, keeping low as he tossed the grenade through a window.

Glen looked around the compound, spotting the main house and a smaller one beside it. He motioned Hunter, Rock, and O’Haire to work their way over to the warehouse to see what was inside. While the rest were firing, Mark and Glen ran zigzag to the houses, going to the smaller one first. Kicking open the door, they stood on either side and waited. Quickly going inside, they waited to see if anyone was there, going from cell to cell. “Must be in the big house,” Mark said.

When they heard the first explosion, the girls sat there frozen. Even Felina and Michael forgot their differences and held on to each other. They heard footsteps in the hallway, Fellipe telling the two guards to go outside and see what was going on. He came in the room, a rifle in his hand, locking the door.

Glen and Mark cautiously approached the side of the house. They crept low, nearing a large door. Glen peered cautiously, seeing the women standing there, Fellipe standing to the side, ready to fire if any one came in. Jeff came up behind. “You and Matt go through the front door, while Mark and I go in this way.”

Jeff saw Matt taking down a guard, ripping his heart out. He got Matt’s attention, waving to him to go to the front door. Jeff tried the front knob. Concentrating his energy, the lock slowly turned, the doors opening. The two guards began firing. Hearing the gun fire, Mark and Glen burst through the side door. The women screamed, making Fellipe turn. He never got the chance to fire as a couple of rounds from Glen and Mark sent him to the floor. The door flew open, Matt and Jeff bursting in.

CHAPTER 27

The women didn’t know what to do. They looked back and forth between the men, the resting entering. “Who..who..are you?” Mimi stuttered.

“Let’s say we came to get you,” Glen replied.

At first the girls didn’t know whether to believe them or not. Michael was staring at Mark. She couldn’t believe she was seeing him in camouflage toting an automatic as calmly as if it were a natural part of him. Mark now knew who Michael McFee was. All this time he had been fighting with a woman. Glen took off his pack and took out the clothes and shoes, giving them to Felina. The rest of the men did the same.

“Here, put these on. These will be better suited than what you’re wearing.”

“Why? Are we walking back?” Ann asked.

Glen nodded.

“We’re having to walk back when there is a river right there. That makes a hell of a lot of sense.”

Glen chose to ignore Felina for the time being. “Well, get changed.”

“We don’t change till you guys leave,” Michael raised her brows.

“Come guys, let’s wait outside.”

The men stepped out, grumbling it will take them an hour to get changed. Michael closed the door, putting a chair in front of it. Suzanne went to the side door and closed the curtains. For several minutes they looked at the outfits.

“Come on, girls, let’s get changed,” Michael said.

They stripped, putting on the pants first. The pants were way too big for them. Clarice went to the door, holding her pants up, the shirt over the top. She peered out, seeing Palumbo standing there. “These pants are too big. We need something to hold them up.”

Palumbo rolled his eyes. “Glen, the girls need…”

“I heard them,” he shook his head.

Hunter said there were rolls of cords in the warehouse. He and Rock left. A couple of minutes later they came back with a couple of small rolls. “We got some cord.”

“Cut it in 2 ½ foot strips. That should do it.”

Measuring, O’Haire and Jeff cut twelve strips, then handed them to Clarice. The girls threaded them through the loops. The girls tied the shirts in a front knot.

“These boots are way too big. What size are they?” Brenda asked.

“They probably are men’s boots. I’m glad they put socks in with them. These shoes will rub blisters on your feet if you don’t have them,” Clarice said. “I did two years in the army. I can’t tell you how many times I was always given the wrong size shoe.”

The girls came out, not liking what they had on. The guys took one look and began to laugh.

“Very funny. Whoever picked these out didn’t know about size,” Bethany said, readjusting her uniform.

“If you laaddies are ready, we need to get going!”

Rock came in from the back room. “Look what I found.” In his hand was a bag. He poured out the contents. Everyone’s eyes widened. Cut and polished diamonds of various shapes and sizes lay before them.

“Damn! What would you say they were worth?”

“Around $10 million.

“Where did you find them?”

“In a back room, which happened to have a safe. So I just opened it and found the bag.”

“Nothing else?”

“No, just this.”

“Give them to me,” Glen said. “We’ll divvy them when we get back. Now let’s get going. Before we leave, set fire to the warehouse.”

Bradshaw and Hunter lit torches and set the warehouse ablaze. Then they lit the other buildings as well. Glen wanted everything burned. They left the compound in flames, then started the long trek back up the trail.

CHAPTER 28

The pace Glen set was hectic, as he wanted to get as far away from there as he could. The girls kept up as best as they could. Every now and then one of them would trip, making the men stop and help her up. Finally, after three days of constant walking, he told them they would be stopping for the night.

The girls collapsed on the ground in a circle, their chests heaving. While they had walked, Michael had looked at Mark, who had been walking ahead of her. She was still in a state of confusion about him. Was this who he really was or was he the Mark she had known on the cruise?

The guys sat across from them, glancing at the girls when they thought the girls weren’t looking. Likewise, the girls would look at them from the corner of their eyes.

Glen sat under a tree, looking the group over. So far they hadn’t complained, but the trek was only beginning. He pulled the map out to check their position. They had made it to the first clearing. If they kept up the pace, stopping only long enough to rest and eat, they would be at the pass in a week.

Mark came over and sat next to him. “You’re pushing rather hard, aren’t you? We’ve got plenty of time, and no one is following us. So what’s the rush?”

“I just want to get hem out of here. He paused a bit. “Uh, I see you looking at Michael a bit confused.”

“All this time I’m thinking Michael is a man. Who would think my competition would turn out to be a woman. I wonder if she owns her company in name only or does she really know her stuff?”

“I see her nose is a bit swollen. Wonder where she got that from?”

“I wonder too.” Mark saw Felina sitting with her back to the others. “Look at Ms. Bitchy. I see she has a black eye.”

Glen saw her left eye. “Given her attitude, she probably ticked someone off. I would say she got what she deserved.”

Mark looked back and forth between the two. “You know, it wouldn’t surprise me if she and Michael got in a fight.” He smiled. “Well, you can’t say they don’t know how to throw a punch.”

“Hmph! So Miss High Society can throw a punch,” Glen snorted.

Felina looked at Glen out of the corner of her eye. She had held her tongue since they left the compound. Why had he ignored her comment? Why hadn’t anybody questioned him? What was he – a dictator?

The girls continued talking among themselves, still glancing at the guys, looking away quickly when they saw the guys looking their way. Edge made a fire for the girls to make them feel safe.

Michael called Mark over. “We haven’t eaten since we left. Couldn’t you guys get us something?”

Mark motioned for the guys to give the girls something to eat. The girls were each handed a power bar. The guys went back to their side of the camp. The girls slowly ate their bars, relishing having something to eat at last. “Felina, aren’t you going to eat?” Ann asked. Felina pretended she didn’t hear her. “Leave her alone, Ann. She’s being stubborn as usual,” Michael said.

Although tired, the girls still were a bit apprehensive about going to sleep. Glen saw their apprehension. “You ladies needn’t worry. We came to get you out, nothing more.”

A distinct “humph!” was heard. “We’re supposed to believe that? Yeah, right! Of course, anyone who would rather walk instead of using the river can’t know too much of anything, especially that.”

Everybody got quiet. They looked at her, then at Glen. This was the first time anyone had talked about his decision-making. As tough as they were, they had never dared to challenge a decision he had made. Mark was the only one who could.

Mark cast a sidelong glance at Glen, expecting him to reply. To his surprise, Glen didn’t utter a word, but he did see Glen’s eyes turn hard as flints. Glen put his pack on the ground and laid down, his back to them.

“Could we have something to lay on?”

Glen sat up. “Guys, give them your blankets!” he snapped.

The girls unrolled the blankets, laying down facing the fire.

“Now, are we ladies comfy?” he sneered.

“No!” came one reply.

Glen ignored it, turning his back to them.

Brenda lifted her head to see Felina still sitting up. “Come on, Felina. I’ll share.” Brenda moved closer to the fire. Felina laid down, her back to Brenda. Using her arm as a pillow, she closed her eyes.

CHAPTER 29

“Okay, everyone, time to get your asses up!”

The girls woke up slowly, holding their backs. “OOHH my back! I can’t wait to get back to civilization.” Mimi groaned. Getting up, they stretched, and then rolled up the blankets to hand back to the men.

“I need to use the restroom,” Suzanne said.

“Go behind the bushes,” Glen replied.

The girls went over to some tall bushes. “Turn your backs,” Bethany said.

Glen inhaled. “Guys, let’s look the other way.”

The girls went two at a time, the rest making sure the guys didn’t look. Ten minutes later they were finished.

“Is everyone through?”

“Yes, we’re through.”

“Get your packs on, guys,” Glen ordered.

The group left out, the day starting out like the others, hot and humid. Glen sent Jeff and Sean up ahead to scout around fro something to fee them all. As they walked, Glen heard Felina’s words echo in his mind. His eyes became like flints. “How dare she call me stupid! One of these days!” he thought.

The girls were sweating, slapping at the constant biting of insects. Glen ordered them to stop for a bit to drink water and catch their breath, resuming their march after ten minutes.

Dinah was busy looking around and found herself face down on the ground. Rock came over and helped her up. “I’m fine, thank you,” she told him. As he had helped her up, he brushed against a bush, not noticing what was on it. Soon he felt something crawling on his neck. A hot piercing pain made him stop. He began slapping his neck and yelling. “Shit! Something is stinging me!’

Glen went over to Rock, seeing red ants on his neck. Dinah went over. “Fire ants!” she gasped.

Jeff and Sean came running. “We have to get out of her! The trail up ahead is nothing but a see of crawling red! Look at the bushes!”

Glen saw the bushes were now crawling with red ants. “Let’s get out of here!” He turned and ran north, the others following him. One of the girls screamed when she saw the bushes literally covered with ants. Each of the guys grabbed a girl and started running behind Glen. Mark was dragging Felina and Michael. Catrina was beginning to gasp. Bradshaw picked her up and carried her.

The group ran for half an hour without stopping, the bushes slapping at them as they ran. Finally Glen had them stop, telling Jeff to go back and see where the ants were. Twenty minutes later, Jeff reported they ants had stayed where they were and were on their way down the trail.

Rock began to feel dizzy, the jungle looking blurry. Dinah saw redness and swelling on his neck and face. “Man, things look weird!” he mumbled. Dinah began looking around, and then spotted a bush. Taking some leaves, she put them on a fallen tree trunk, picking up a small stone to pound them. She scrunched her nose as they were now giving off a foul smell. “Could someone give me a strip of bandage or something?”

Edge cut a strip of his shirt and gave it to her. Making him sit, she put the smashed leaves on the marks, tying them in place. “That should do it.” She turned to the others. “The leaves will draw out the poison. It’s something I learned from a native. I had gotten bit by one of them before. He should be alright in a couple of days, provided he gets some rest.”

Glen had wanted to continue, but decided to stop. With the change in direction, he would now have to plot a new course for them. He looked up and saw clouds gathering. “Great, just what we need!”

He told Bradshaw, O’Haire, Palumbo, Farooq, and Hunter to cut some saplings, while the rest were to get fern leaves. Dinah took one of the leaves and showed the girls how to pull strips, which she explained would be used to tie the saplings together. Matt brought the ferns over, dropping them in front of the girls, giving Victoria a small smile. She blushed watching him as he went back to get more.

Felina, as usual, refused to help at first. Glen pulled her to the side. “Look, get off your high horse and start doing something constructive for a change instead of running your mouth. It’s going to rain soon, so decide which you would rather be – wet or dry.”

“You telling me if I don’t help, I’ll be made to sit in the rain?”

“You got it.”

Felina went over and sat, taking the fern and pulling strips, her lips curled in anger as she watched him put the saplings in the ground.

“Watch it, Felina! The strips can’t be too thick or they won’t hold,” Dinah said.

“Shut up, nerd!” she snapped, continuing to pull strips.

It took the group a couple of hours to put the shelter up. It was none too soon as the sound of thunder could be heard, the wind now picking up a bit. A floor of fresh ferns was put down to make it more comfortable.

Rock was now sweating profusely as he was helped into the shelter and put down on a huge pile of ferns. Glen gave Dinah his blanket to cover Rock with. Rock closed his eyes as Dinah was dabbing his forehead with water.

Everyone sat down as they heard the first droplets fall. O’Haire and Christian had gone foraging and were back with armfuls of fruit and coconuts. O’Haire hacked open the coconuts, cutting them into quarters. The girls looked the fruit over, picking what they wanted. Dinah went over to check on Rock, feeling his forehead. The girls went to one side of the shelter and laid down, exhaustion overtaking them.

CHAPTER 30

Michael woke up the next morning as the sunlight shone in the shelter. She got up and walked outside, taking a deep breath. The air smelled of flowers; the rain drops sparkling on the bushes.

She decided to take a short walk to stretch. As she walked she thought of Mark. She was still confused as to who he really was. As she stood under a tree, she did not see a small anaconda slowly slither down the trunk. It inched closer, encircling her waist. Michael screamed as the snake continued wrapping itself around her. She saw a knife come out of nowhere and begin slashing the snake. Huge hands uncoiled the snake from her. She began to hyperventilate as she fell to the ground.

Mark slashed the snake till it no longer moved. He quickly picked her up, her eyes now big as saucers as she continued to hyperventilate. “Michael, calm down! It’s dead.”

Michael didn’t hear him. “Michael, stop it!” Mark said louder. She was now thrashing and screaming, her breathing more irregular. Mark had no choice but to slap her. She stopped. Mark held her tight, rubbing her back. After a couple of minutes, her breathing went back to normal. She looked up at him. He bent his head and kissed her.

“Well, what’s this?” Glen had a smile on his face.

They abruptly broke apart. She ran back to the shelter, her cheeks a bright red.

“Another five minutes I might have walked up on something else.” Glen saw the snake. “I take it that’s what the screaming was about?”

“I had seen her leave. I heard her scream and ran, seeing it wrapped around her. She wouldn’t stop, so I had to hit her.”

When they entered, Michael blushed, then turned back to eating her fruit.

Glen went over to check on Rock. Dinah was already there, taking the strip off. “There’s still a bit of red there. Once more should do it.”

Rock opened his eyes, feeling her cool hand on his forehead. He smiled. “How am I doin’, Doc?”

“One more treatment and you should be okay.”

Rock put his hand on top of hers. Dinah lowered her eyes and blushed.

CHAPTER 31

When Michael had run back inside, she plopped beside Ann. The girls looked at her, seeing a bright red mark on her face. “Was that you screaming?” Ann asked. Michael nodded, telling the girls what had happened, leaving out the part of Mark kissing her. “I have a fear of snakes. It makes me go bezerk.” Felina snickered. “So, Miss Tough Woman is scared of snakes.” “Oh why don’t you go back to your corner!” Summer retorted.

The girls continued talking among themselves, the main topic being the guys. “I’m kind of curious. I wonder if this is all they do?” Victoria asked, casting her eyes in Matt’s direction.

Glen had gotten the map and, wondering now which way they should go. He checked their location, judging they were four days from the Purus River. That wasn’t much, but what was in between them and the river? Mark joined Glen. Every now and then he would look at Michael. He was still confused. Was the kiss real or just gratitude?

Dinah had gotten some more of the medicinal leaves, putting them on Rock’s neck, retying the strip. He tried to get up, but was still a bit woozy. She gently pushed him back down. “Be patient. You’ll just have to wait.”

The confinement of the shelter made the air inside humid and warm. Catrina felt an attack coming on and so got up to get some air. Just as she reached the doorway it began to rain. She pulled out her breathalyzer. Bradshaw was watching. Curiosity got the best of him. Getting up, he came up behind her.

“What is that?”

Catrina jumped a bit. “Oh! You startled me!”

“What is that thing I see you put in your mouth?”

“This? It’s a breathalzyer. I have asthma and I have to keep this with me at all times, just in case I get too excited or over heated. I just put it in my mouth and give it a few pumps. It opens the passageways, making it easier for me to breathe.”

“What happen if it doesn’t work?”

“Then I would have to be taken to the emergency room, where they would put me on a bigger version. Sometimes one can pass out or die, but that is only in very severe cases.”

“All the running we’ve been doing hasn’t helped you any. Oh, my name is John Bradshaw.”

“I’m Catrina Daniels,” extending her hand.

Bradshaw shook her hand, feeling how small it was inside his.

Catrina went back to sit down. Bradshaw went back to the guys, watching her from the corner of his eyes.

Things were getting a little dull as the rain fell. Brenda asked Summer if she would sing a song. Summer shook her head. They kept on till she finally relented. She began to sing “Stormy Weather.”

The guys stopped talking when they heard her sing. Hunter heard her voice enter his mind, her velvet throat making him relax. When she was finished, everyone clapped, even Felina. “That was wonderful!” Suzanne exclaimed. “Would you sing another one?” Summer blushed and shook her head. “Oh, please!” she begged.

“Yes, could you?’ Hunter asked.

Summer looked up at him. “Are you sure you want to hear me again?”

Hunter nodded, as did everyone. When Summer was through, she told them that was enough. She looked up at Hunter, who smiled at her.

“Jeff, Sean, see if you can scare up something for the girls,” Glen said.

They waited till there was a lull in the rain, leaving out. It was a half hour later when they returned with more fruit, this time bringing in several gourds, which Sean cut open, telling the girls to drink from them.

CHAPTER 32

Glen went over to Dinah. “How is he?” She felt his forehead. “Much better. The redness is almost gone. I would say by tomorrow he should be able to walk. It took me four days to get back on my feet, and I was stung by just one. He got stung by three or four. He’s very lucky.

Rock moved his head, opening his eyes to see Dinah and Glen standing there. “I’m hungry. I want some meat.”

Glen told Sean to see if he could find something for all of them. Just as Sean got to the door, Rock hollered, “And I don’t mean tarantula!” Sean laughed as he set off, remembering having seen a tapir earlier that day.

Jeff had been watching Bethany, noticing how her hands looked. He could see they had done a lot of hard work. Easing himself closer, he overheard her talking to Brenda about how hard it was for a woman running a ranch. Jeff raised his brows when she told Brenda how big it was.

“I know what you mean. Running the farm isn’t easy. It’s tough trying to get the hands to get the work done. Just because I’m a woman, I’m not supposed to know anything.” Brenda shook her head. “It’s even worse when the equipment breaks down. They really take advantage of you then. My hands would tell me this or that part was all it needed. It would work for a while, and then break down again. Believe me, I could tell you from start to finish how to rebuild a carburetor or replace spark plugs.”

Christian’s ears perked up as Brenda described what she had to go through. He thought to himself. “Finally, someone that can understand what I’m talking about.”

The girls saw a lull in the rain and decided to step outside, not straying too far from the shelter. Jeff and Christian followed them out. “Excuse us, but would you ladies care for some company?”

“Sure!” Bethany replied.

Jeff nodded to Christian to take Brenda in the other direction.

Bethany kept her eyes down as they walked. She saw a small blossom being put in her hands. She lifted her eyes, looking into a pair of blue ones. “Thank you,” she said softly.

“I couldn’t help overhearing you talk about owning a cattle ranch. You actually run that place by yourself?”

She nodded. “It hasn’t been easy. When my father died, he left me owing a lot of money. It took me over a year to get it back in the black. I took a cruise to get away for a while.” She smiled. “Well, I can’t say I didn’t get away. By the way, my name is Bethany Michaels.”

“I’m Jeff Hardy.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, how long have you been doing this?”

“Oh, about 5 years now. My brother, Matt, and I were recruited by Glen.”

“Did you do anything before this? You seem awfully young.”

“Well, I used to ride the rodeo circuit. My area was bull-riding, and I was damn good at it too. Every year I would go to the big round-up that all riders go to. One of the prizes is a gold cup that’s given to the best bull-rider. Every year I would always come in second, missing it by just a few seconds.”

Brenda and Christian were near some trees. Christian wasn’t usually shy around girls, but he was finding it hard to speak. A light breeze came up, blowing some raindrops on them. “Oh!” Brenda wiped the drops from her face. Christian laughed.

“You think that’s funny?”

“Yeah.”

Brenda shook some of the leaves at him, the droplets spraying him in the face. Brenda laughed.

“Hey!” wiping his face. “Okay, you win.” He was quiet for a bit. “Mind if I ask your name?”

“It’s Brenda Pollack.”

“I’m Christian Reso. I don’t want to seem a snoop, but I heard you say you own a farm.”

“Coming from South Dakota, there’s not much to do there but farm. I suppose you heard me tell how hard it was to get the hired hands to do anything. It is a pain, especially when the equipment does break down. I really can rebuild a carburetor.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Well, I won the state lottery, so I decided to see what the outside world was like.”

“Who’s running the place?”

“I have an uncle watching it for me.”

“From the way you talk, you sound like you could use a foreman to take care of things.”

“True. Why? Are you wanting to apply?”

They heard a shot in the distance.

“What was that?” Brenda asked.

“That was Sean. He went out hunting. Sounds like he might have bagged something.”

Part 3

Home

Except where otherwise noted, this website and most of it's contents © copyright by Dancer Productions, Inc. 1999-2002.