My musings were interrupted by the sound of someone yelling a greeting.A female someone.Strange, I hadn’t seen any females with the poachers up to this point.I listened intently but no one answered the call.
The birds stopped chirping, though, and the forest became eerily silent.Never a good sign.I glanced around.I would be easy to spot if anyone happened to wander in this direction.I lay fully exposed in the center of a small clearing, probably less than a hundred square feet in total.The closest cover was a tangle of brush and fallen needles under the huge cedar tree to my left.If I could shift enough to get under there, I’d be out of sight, at least to a casual observer.
I took a deep breath.Fuck, this was going to hurt.Moving at all was painful, but occasionally necessity outweighed comfort.Scratch that.Most of the time necessity outweighed comfort.I’d be smart this time though.No trying to stand up.Just drag myself over there so I could take cover under the brush and needles.
I used my good arm, pushed with my legs, and managed to shift a few feet toward my goal before I had to stop and rest.Shit.This was going to take forever, and I was leaving drag marks pointing directly to my hiding spot.Not such a bright idea.I needed to move faster.
Gritting my teeth against the inevitable pain, I rolled over, careful not to let my wounded arm take any weight.Stars swam in front of my eyes, but I stayed conscious.So far, so good.I crawled forward using my good arm.My other hurt like a son of a bitch, but that couldn’t be helped.
I was within grasping distance of my goal when Karma struck once again.A wasp landed on my arm, right below my makeshift bandage.I’m not sure what the fuck I did to annoy it, but it jabbed its stinger into my arm.I slammed my other hand down over it.Those little fuckers can sting multiple times, and even though I wasn’t allergic, it hurt like hell.I killed the little asshole, but not before he got his revenge.
All that movement caused my head to swim, but this time I was smart enough to lay my head down before the blackness overcame me.
* * *
Kimberly
Who the hell were these guys, and what were they doing on my island?They definitely weren’t your run-of-the-mill tourists.Those carried cameras, not crossbows.
Keeping one hand firmly latched on Diego’s collar, I backed farther into the black emptiness of the cave.Right now, the darkness was the most welcoming place I could think of.
“I don’t see her tracks no more.You think maybe she crossed the river?”
The voice was fainter now, and I took that as a good sign.They were moving away from my hiding spot.
“Maybe.You don’t suppose she thinks she can fool us with an old trick like crossing the river, do you?”
“You think she’s Native?”
“Maybe.That dark hair and those eyes sure look like it, but it doesn’t matter.Ain’t no one going to stop us, Native or not, and definitely not a little bitch with a mongrel dog.”
The voices were starting to fade into the sound of the water flowing down the river.I strained to hear what they were saying, without much success.They trailed off until they stopped altogether.
I sagged down against the wall, pulling Diego into my arms.As his large, furry body pressed against me, his warmth slowly seeped into me and I stopped shaking.
I wasn’t sure how long I stayed in that position, hiding in the thick darkness of the caves with my dog clutched tight in my grasp.I was afraid to move, afraid to leave the cave, afraid that those dreadful men were still out there, just waiting for me to reappear so they could finish what they started.
I had the distinct impression they’d be sure not to miss this time.Whatever they were up to on the island, it must be serious if it was worth murdering for.I shuddered again, burying my face in the warmth of Diego’s neck.
Okay.I couldn’t stay here all day.Time to move.
I needed to get off the island and back to civilization where strange men didn’t take potshots at me.I lifted my head but kept a tight grip on Diego’s collar.Clambering slowly to my feet, I listened intently for any hint the strangers were returning.Diego kept silent, but I could feel the tension in every muscle in his body.
Staying tight against the wall of the cave, I crept toward the entrance, pausing often to listen.Nothing.Maybe they really had gone.Maybe they were looking for me over on the far bank.Maybe I should quit guessing and get on with it.
I reached the mouth of the cave and stopped, my legs shaking so hard I wasn’t sure I’d be able to walk without a wall to lean on.
Was it safe?
Wow.When had I become such a coward?I knew I had to leave the cave, but my legs felt like rubber and my heart was racing a mile a minute.
Diego pressed himself against my side, and I held on to him like a lifeline.I’d always thought of him as a bit of a goofball, but now he suddenly reminded me of the fierce predators that were his ancestors.I had no doubt he would defend me with everything he had in him.
Looking around, I found a small stone and picked it up.It felt cold and hard in my hand.I took a deep breath and tossed it out into the clearing.
It hit the dirt hard, rattling across the ground.I listened carefully for a reaction… any reaction to the noise and movement.
Nothing.
