On the Edge of Now: Book III - Redemption, page 8
He met her gaze. “What? No questions?”
“Not a question—simply a comment,” she stated. “You don’t appear disturbed at all that your little prize got away.”
A fleeting smile crossed the large face. “I’m glad you’re the only one who noticed . . .”
CHAPTER TEN
They settled in for the night. Claire curled up next to Devin, exhausted from their trek, and it was clear the three days of inactivity softened her. Several feet away, Rose and Tag lay together, talking quietly. Again, they did without a fire for fear of alerting the opponents to their position.
It didn’t take long before Devin relaxed into an obviously needed sleep, but Claire’s brain didn’t line up with her tired body. She rewound the previous three days of close contact with the intriguing alien individual, finally focusing on his features. Massive and solid, his size was impressive. His head was broad and long—more than twice the size of hers—the chin square and robust, and his nose was straight with a slight hook. But it was wide-spaced eyes winning out as his most impressive feature—they were large, and a striking red. It were as if his gaze could see everything, inside and out.
Yet, with the overwhelming size difference, Claire sensed the basic, gentle nature of the alien. He might be a trained hunter ordered to perform his duty, she thought, but, his essential nature is contrary to what they order him to do.
Claire examined it from all sides, but she concluded there was a significant connection between the two of them—a connection intertwined with mutual respect and intense curiosity. To her, Ranj represented someone whom she could call upon in time of need—granted, it was an untenable concept considering at the moment they were on opposing sides of a situation which may turn deadly. I guess we’ll find out how strong that bond is the next time we meet, she thought as she started to drift off. Within a few minutes, she snored softly, nestled into the crook of Devin’s body. If there were a next time . . .
****
Rose and Tag talked quietly as their companions slept.
“I’m surprised Claire isn’t more traumatized by this whole captivity thing,” Rose observed.
Tag stroked her hair as he considered her comment. “Well—first, Claire’s one tough chick, especially on the mental side of things. Although she’s sensitive on occasion, her basic nature is a strong sense of self and confidence in what she thinks and does—that vitality leaves her well-equipped to handle stressors such as being captured.”
“She told us the alien Sub-Commander wanted to finish her off—that’s coming too close to the reality of actually having it happen, if you ask me . . .”
“True—but, I think she sensed an ally in that big guy well before the others returned from searching for us. Even though they appear to be a more aggressive race than ours, I’m hearing they’re not totally blood thirsty simply for the sake of it.”
“What do you think is going to happen next?”
“You mean if we meet up with them again?”
“Yeah . . .”
Tag wondered about that himself. He weighed the balance of giving it to her in harsh reality terms, or toning it down a bit so she wouldn’t worry. “I hope we can avoid them for a while—however, it’s likely if they keep chasing us, we’ll have to bring it to a head somehow. That might get pretty hairy, for both sides . . .”
“Couldn’t we call a truce, or something?” Rose figured they should at least try, if possible.
“That would be ideal—but, it takes two to tango. And, if they’re hell bent on capturing us—or, worse—that option might not be open to us.”
She hugged him tighter. “I’m scared . . .”
“I don’t blame you—it’s a natural reaction to a volatile situation. However, keep some optimism—look at the crap we’ve gone through already in your world and the last one, and we’re still here. Now—go to sleep. We have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow . . .”
Rose was quiet for a while and, just when he thought she fell asleep, she whispered, “I love you . . .”
“Me, too . . .”
It took considerably longer for him to drift off, his thoughts weighing the chances of their getting out of the whole mess.
He didn’t particularly like the odds.
****
Despite their earlier slight misunderstanding, Kyle enjoyed the first day in Denver, and Jackie was eager to check out several of the top art galleries in town. She felt the need to see what big city competition was doing, comparing their choice of artists and layouts to the modest Durango gallery where she worked. It was fun to imagine how she might create a different feel as well as choose other works—besides, if things went well, she could have her own gallery, and that meant she would need to make such decisions for real.
Kyle relished following, watching her obvious excitement as he listened to her critique of what was executed properly, or how improvements could have been made. And, by the time they were deciding dinner was in order, he realized how relaxed he felt. Concentrating on his lady, having a wonderful time—it provided sufficient distraction to allow the pressures regarding Tag’s disappearance to ease for a time.
While Jackie ran through the litany of choices for dining, it suddenly struck Kyle his recent obsessive behavior while seeking a solution to getting his brother back was counterproductive to the desired result. Sometimes, he thought, when working hard on a problem, it’s best to step back—get involved with other activities. It was then he realized he must allow his subconscious mind to work its magic in the background. Except, putting it into practice was a different ballgame—it required constant vigilance, guarding against slipping back into old habits.
“Hello? Anybody home?” Jackie waved her hand in front of his face. The truth was she was used to it—living with a brilliant man required a certain amount of leeway for quirky behavior.
“Yeah, I’m here . . .” he answered with a devilish grin.
“Okay—what’s that look all about?”
“I’ve come to an epiphany . . .”
“An epiphany? About what?”
“It’s regarding you and me . . .”
She narrowed her gaze. “Alright—let me have it . . .”
“Actually, it’s twofold—first, I love you dearly. Second, I need to work less, and spend more time with you . . .”
She stared at him, then leaned over and placed a hand on his forehead. “And, when exactly did the fever overcome your senses?”
“Very funny—I’m trying to be serious here . . .”
Jackie made a show of checking his eyes carefully. “You haven’t been drinking on the sly, have you?”
He paused. “Let me start again—would you like me to have more Jackie time, and back off work a bit?”
She reached over, placing hands on either side of his face and planted a big one on his forehead. “Now you’re talkin’!”
****
As they broke camp after a night’s rest, Goran took Ranj aside for a discussion with his oversized subordinate. “When learning your prisoner was—liberated—I forgot to ask if there were anything else you wish to add regarding the situation . . .”
Ranj met his Commander’s eye with a steady look. “I believe you have all the relevant information, Sir.”
“I’m not insensitive to the fact you may have formed an attachment to your captive . . .”
Since it wasn’t framed as an actual question, Ranj chose not to respond.
Goran couldn’t detect anything, one way or the other, from the staid expression. “Alright, tell me about her—and, them . . .”
Relieved to have the topic move to generalities, Ranj relaxed as he considered where to begin. His Commander noticed the subtle shift, confirming his feeling that his subordinate was holding something back concerning the petite, former captive. He decided to let it go—for now. But, he knew with future confrontations he should keep a close eye on how his team member performed.
“If I understood her correctly,” Ranj stated, “there are only four of them, all on the young side. They aren’t part of a military or security team—the opposite, actually. All are civilians who left their previous world via the portal transport, and I believe they arrived here roughly the same time we did, but at a different location.”
“Why did they come here?”
“The little one I caught is named Claire—she said this is the second world different than her own. Apparently, their young leader arrived in her world and bonded with her friend—then they were chased by their authorities and had to escape. I’m not clear on exactly why that happened . . .”
“Are they criminals?”
Ranj considered his question for a moment, before discarding it. “I don’t think so—it had more to do with the leadership of their world which I understood to be quite oppressive.”
“They’re refugees?”
“I guess—something like that. The last world they transported out of sounded as though it were going through a breakdown of civilization. Apparently, they had a few situations that required violent actions in order to extricate themselves from an unsafe location.”
Goran considered Ranj’s information. “It seems— although not specifically trained as a fighting team—they have an ability to function in dire situations. We need to keep that in mind if there’s a confrontation with them . . .”
“Considering everything I understood from talking to her, I believe Claire was open and truthful. It appears they were transported here when they were just trying to get home. If that’s the case, they aren’t in competition with us for this world.”
His leader eyed him closely. “What are you suggesting?”
“Maybe we don’t need to hunt them—this is a big place with no obvious civilized, indigenous species. If they stay out of our way, why create a confrontation?”
Goran had a tough time digesting Ranj’s suggestion. “She could have been feeding you incorrect information to persuade us to let our guard down,” he argued.
“Why?”
“To gain an advantage over us . . .”
Ranj was getting annoyed. “What advantage? They did nothing but run from us from the moment we first spotted them.”
“Maybe to entice us into the forest for the purpose of ambush . . .”
“While I spent three days with Claire, the rest of the team wandered through the woods looking for them, and you didn’t encounter any ambush.”
“Perhaps we were skillful in avoiding them—or just lucky . . .”
“Or, they weren’t planning an ambush. I took their companion, and they came to retrieve her. Then, they left. I had a weapon pointed at me, and they could have easily finished me off before you got back. However, they chose not to . . .” Ranj hoped his frustration didn’t show.
Goran looked at the ground as he considered Ranj’s comments. “We’ll resume the hunt today. Depending on how they react when we see them, we’ll act accordingly. I don’t like the idea of another force running around out there without knowing what they’re up to . . .” Ending the debate, he returned to the other team members.
Ranj couldn’t help but notice Songa’s smug expression.
****
They were up and moving as soon as light conditions made it possible to proceed. However, one concern arose before they got started. Operating as their quartermaster, Rose monitored and rationed supplies given to them by their Neanderthal friends prior to their portal transport.
She pulled Tag aside. “We’re almost out of dried food, and we need to start supplementing with fresh provisions.”
“How long can we last?”
“A day—maybe two, if we’re lucky.”
He considered the problem for a moment. “That means we’re going to have to start hunting and gathering, which normally wouldn’t present a real problem. However, we’re on the move, and we need to get more separation from the alien group.”
“At least we can collect plants as we move forward . . .”
“True—but the main challenge is we can’t discharge a firearm without giving away our position. And, we only have handguns with limited ammunition—not much use for hunting, I’m afraid.” Tag paused. “Plus, there isn’t a lot of time to stop moving to stalk a meat source . . .”
Rose sighed. There wasn’t much they could do. “Well— I’ll tell the others to start collecting as we move . . .”
By early afternoon, the Travelers transitioned from deciduous forest into conifers where the forest floor was rugged, slowing their progress. At a higher elevation, they followed a wide river valley between mountain ranges, and Claire’s sprained ankle held up with a minimum of discomfort. As she walked, she figured whatever Ranj used on her injured limb would be a huge hit in her world, worth considerable value in their non-currency system.
Along the way, they encountered berries and each stuffed them into their pockets for a stash in case they got into trouble. They also found what looked like wild onions, but they weren’t sure—they stashed those, too. In fact, once the group took note of their diminishing supplies, they were soon adept at seeking anything qualifying as a potential food source.
As they forged ahead, Devin and Tag discussed making a hunting weapon—Devin was all for making a short spear because it would be easy. Tag opted for an elementary bow and arrow, even though it would be harder to craft. He argued the reward of a successful hunt would be higher since it allowed them to strike from a greater distance. Both ideas had merit, and they added building materials for weapons to the list of things to gather on the trail.
****
It was an arduous trek and, by early evening, Claire’s ankle was rebelling, so they located a good spot by a decent-sized river, and made camp. The day’s haul from gathering food was respectable, but not much in the way of protein. Still, it made a nice complement of fresh food to go along with the dwindling quantity of their dried food supplies. What they really needed was fresh meat, and that wasn’t going to happen without suitable hunting weapons.
As the girls sorted out what to have for dinner, Tag and Devin worked on the odds and ends they managed to collect during the day. Devin used his large knife to trim a sturdy branch with minimal flaws as well as a reasonably straight length. By the time he finished sharpening one end to a fine, piercing point, it measured just over five feet.
Meanwhile, Tag thought about how to create a functional bow and arrow from the meager materials he acquired. His Neanderthal friends gave him quite a bit of tough cord, and he used a good portion of it to tightly wrap several green branches cut to length. Each was the thickness of his thumb—two were together on the outer surface with a third tucked behind on the inside. It took him awhile to finish the weapon to his satisfaction, and he rested only when Rose forced him to stop and eat. He grudgingly agreed, figuring he could carefully notch the ends in the morning before they began hiking again. The arrows? They would have to wait until the next day, too.
Then, Claire pointed out building the weapons for a successful hunt was all well and good—however, if they killed something, they would need a campfire to cook it. That necessity went against all the criteria of their strategy—not having fires in the first place.
“In this situation,” Tag commented, “we don’t have a choice . . .” He glanced at Devin who nodded his agreement.
“That’s it, then—tomorrow we hunt.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Pa’la led the way. The quarry’s trail varied from easy to difficult to follow, but, eventually, she picked up the signs and began again. The alien group appeared to flee directly toward the deeper mountains, obviously hoping to throw them off in the rougher terrain.
As his team moved through trees and past small creeks and streams, Ranj spent a good portion of his day thinking about his little friend somewhere ahead of them. How is she making out with the injured ankle? Did she respond well to my treatment? He was particularly interested in how she felt about their time together—was it artificial, and for strategic purposes as Goran suggested? Or, did they have a personal, valid connection?
Questions cycled through him as he trudged on, answers different each time he asked. Not knowing caused him frustration, and he found himself plodding along, taking only cursory notice of his surroundings.
Of course, Goran noticed, deciding to leave him alone with his thoughts—he thought it best for his large teammate to figure things out for himself.
Songa, however, was a different story—she relished Ranj’s obvious discomfort, oblivious to all he passed. She couldn’t reconcile why he spent so much mental energy fussing over a weak alien he captured and tried to pump for information. That was his job! She knew it would have been better if Goran hadn’t stepped in—she could have finished off that puny thing, giving their team a tactical advantage based on numbers. Four against three. It would have brought a well-deserved element of fear into the opposition—again, an advantage for her team.
Pa’la spent most of her time in the lead following the trail, checking back in with her team periodically. Hers wasn’t an easy task, and she was the tripwire for potential ambush. But, such danger went with the territory—it was her task, and she accepted it. She barely interacted with Ranj during the day, only catching glimpses of him as she continued her sweeps. Still, she registered he was troubled, quickly deducing it related to the little alien. She didn’t quite understand the attraction, and she wished she could spend time alone with Ranj in an effort to help. However, once that concept surfaced, she had to fight off her own distraction— why did she feel the need to help him? She never felt that way previously and, as much as she didn’t want to face her feelings, it was time to evaluate exactly how she felt about her oversized teammate.
Out of sight of her team, it suddenly struck her she was probably suppressing certain emotions about him. And, why shouldn’t she suppress them? It was new territory for her, and somewhat frightening.
