Ntraex stopped in the middle of the forest in a glade surrounded by thick bushes. “Set them down in the bushes and perform death checks,” he ordered.

                The other soldiers disposed of the bodies in the bushes and drew out their spears. Each of them stabbed the bodies three times.

                Damon twitched briefly before being still.

                “Stab him one more time,” Ntraex told one soldier.

                The soldier obeyed, and Damon did not move again.

                “Spears up,” Ntraex said, and when they were all ready, they hurried off.

 

                Several minutes passed. Damon twitched slightly and groaned.

                “Hey, wake up!” came a whispered voice.

                Damon’s eyelids fluttered open, but it took quite a while for him to focus his eyes. He managed to push out a weak, “What?” before falling into unconsciousness.

 

                Jackie sighed. “Why do they have to this to me?” she groaned. “It’s my fault. I didn’t have to make them ‘die’ in love, did I?” She glanced at the forms of Damon and Dory, who had somehow, from the deepest depths of unconsciousness, managed to start holding hands. “Maybe I could turn them into mortal enemies instead. But how? And should I? No, I shouldn’t. Dory was too good to pass on…” she grinned to herself. “Way too good.” She prodded Damon in his side. “Wakey wakey, lovebird.”

                Damon’s eyes fluttered open. “What?” he said weakly. “What are you talking about?”

                “I’m talking about you,” Jackie said matter-of-factly. “Who else? The only other person here is your girlfriend, and she’s way out.”

                “She is not my girlfriend,” Damon said indignantly, though he could not say anything more because he was so weak.

                “Your fiancé, then.” Jackie leaned over him. “I’m not blind. You left because you wanted to get married. You were in love. She has a RING.”             

                Damon glared at her. “OK? Does that mean it was from me?”

                “She’s been an orphan on her own nearly all her life,” Jackie said. “Come on. How stupid do I look?”

                “Extremely stupid,” Damon said, grinning for the first time.

                “Just for that, I’m going to make you die, as only I can.” Jackie pulled a notebook from a backpack nearby. “I’m not as stupid as I look.

                “You can’t make me die.”

                “I can too.” Jackie grinned at him. “I’m your creator.”

 

                Clyde Weston touched Jesse’s prone form with the toe of his shoe. He looked up as two other officers came to him, out of breath and panting.

                “We lost them, Chief,” one said.

                “Oh well,” Clyde said. “I only needed one, anyway. More than one would have been a bonus. How hurt is he?” he asked another officer who was kneeling beside the still figure.

                “He’s definitely alive, but he’ll be out for quite a while. That bullet you shot went very deep into his leg. He might be lame for the rest of his life.”

                “That’s alright. We didn’t want him dead, only hurt.” Clyde shrugged and turned away, pulling a two way radio out of his pocket and speaking into it. “Don’t react, negatively, Jackie, but we have a prisoner. He’s very closely connected to the one we’re after.”

                “You what?!”Jackie answered.

                Clyde winced and held the radio farther away from his ear. “Don’t blow it. Tell Jack, and I’ll be there shortly.”

                “How’s your boss gonna take you running off and blowing our cover?” another officer asked.

                “He’s gonna take it…from me, ‘cause if any of you talk, I’m not going to be happy.” Clyde looked at him and folded his arms pointedly.

                The officer took the hint and fell silent.

                “Any of you have a canteen of water? We need to get moving out of here before someone else finds us.” He pointed to Jesse. “He needs to come around, and fast.”

                The officer examining Jesse pulled out a full canteen of water, opened it, and splashed the water over his face.

                Jesse opened his eyes. “What gives? Why waste water on someone who isn’t out of it?” He grinned at Clyde, who looked absolutely furious.

                “What was the faking for? That was pointless!” Clyde yelled at him, all pretense of caution far from his mind.

                Jesse continued grinning. “Purely for the reaction, my boy, purely for the reaction.”

                “Get up,” Clyde ordered.

                “But why? It’s nice and comfy here.” Jesse folded his hands behind his head.

                Clyde clenched his teeth. “Get…up,” he hissed. “Now, before I kill you!”

                “But you can’t. You needed me, for valuable information.” Jesse remained in his relaxed, casual position.

                Clyde nodded briefly at an officer behind Jesse, who had closed his eyes and almost looked asleep.

                The officer moved forward quietly, and then halted as Jesse spoke.

                “Don’t try to knock me out,” Jesse warned in a calm, but cool, voice.

                The officer halted and looked uncertainly at Clyde, who nodded again. The officer proceeded with the order, and continued to come up behind Jesse.

                “Don’t,” Jesse warned.

                The officer stood right behind him now.

                With a lightning quick movement that startled his captors, Jesse leapt to his feet and grabbed a vine hanging nearby. When they came after him, he swung away.     

                “Circle around him!” Clyde ordered. “I want him surrounded!”

                As the others obeyed, Jesse grinned and said, “If you live to see the end of today, you’ll forever regret this. Trust me.”

                They ignored him and pulled out their guns.

                Jesse sighed and closed his eyes. “Your moms didn’t train you very well, did they?”

                “They might have tried to,” Clyde said, “but they didn’t succeed.”

                “I couldn’t tell,” Jesse replied. “Now, move off, ‘cause if you don’t….”

                The officers deliberately ignored him, and soon ten guns were pointed at Jesse.

                Jesse inched farther up the vine. The guns followed his every move. Jesse sucked his breath in and tensed his muscles.

                “Don’t shoot ‘til I give the order,” Clyde said.

                Jesse’s hands tightened around the vine. He knew that with bad timing, he could end up permanently lame or paralyzed or something very, very close to that.

                “Now!” Clyde shouted.

                Jesse was startled for a split second, longer than the other officers. In a movement that startled them even further, he let go of the vine and leapt over their heads. He landed neatly on two feet and took off running through the woodlands.

                His former captors shot after him.

               

                Jesse ducked a tree branch as he sped off in the direction opposite to where the others had fled. He looked up and saw a thick vine almost directly above him. He pushed off the ground and grabbed it, then swinging into the top of a nearby tree. He tried to keep his breathing quiet as he saw his pursuers run right below him.

                “Good, that shook them off,” he said, panting.

                Jesse leapt nimbly from branch to branch, and soon reached the ground. He leaned against the tree trunk and rested for the briefest moment.

                Two hands reached around the trunk and grabbed his neck. “You haven’t shaken them off….little brother.”

                Jesse fought for breath, but the grip of the hands was strong and he soon slipped out of consciousness.

 

                Kerry awoke in a dark cave. She blinked her eyes, and tried to sit up. A hand pushed her down, and a voice she recognized as Jess’s said,

                “Lie down, Kerry. That was quite a smack you got back there, and it amazes me how hard your head is, surviving through two bad accidents in a day’s time. You need to lay back and rest and try not to hurt it more.”

                Kerry lay back and closed her eyes. “Where are we?”

                “CJ found a cave, and we’re gonna stay here until it’s safe to come out.”

                “Oh.” Kerry fell silent.

                Just then, DJ’s voice rang out. “Hey, Jess, we found some dry firewood back here.”

                “Make a fire, then,” Jess called back. “And cook some dinner.”

                “Me?” DJ sounded indignant.

                “Yeah, you’re a better cook than CJ.”

                “Hey!” CJ protested.

                “Well, he is. I’m telling the truth.” Jess sat down beside Kerry. “Really, the way those two argue with me sometimes!” she murmured.

                Kerry grinned. “I believe it,” she whispered back. “About the cooking, I mean.”

                “Well, Jesse is a much better cook than the two of them put together,” Jess said.

                “Jess!” came CJ’s voice again. “Don’t compare us to him! We’ve only been alive for twelve and a half years! Give us a break!”

                “They’re the same age?” Kerry almost groaned.

                “Yeah, and they’re going to be teens in two months.” Jess buried her face in her hands.

                “Oh no,” Kerry moaned.

                “Don’t mention it. When you hear the names CJ and DJ, they’re almost always connected to some kind of accident or the destruction of something.” Jess crossed her legs. “I’m not lying.”

                “They haven’t been destructive as far as I’ve seen,” Kerry said.

                “Not that you’ve seen,” Jess said. “They burned toast this morning, burned a salad making lunch-“

                “Burned a what?” Kerry said incredulously.

                “They broke the dishwasher, ruined my two way radio, messed up the contents of my backpack and Ryan’s,” Jess continued, “put the wrong dressing on your head both times you were knocked out, and-“

                “Alright, alright,” Kerry interrupted. “You’re making my head hurt more.”

                Jess quieted, then said, “Well, it’s all true, every single word of it. And they did it all today. Can you believe it?”

                “Stop it!” Kerry clapped her hands over her ears.

                Jess shut her mouth.

                “Thank you,” Kerry said gratefully. She slowly sat up and gently rubbed the injured area on her head. “My head feels better already.”

                Jess rolled her eyes. “You’re welcome.” She called out, “What’s for lunch?”

                “My special,” DJ called back.      

                Jess’s face twisted into a grimace. “Count me out. I’ll have bread and cheese.”

                “Why, what’s his special?” Kerry inquired.

                “Baked chicken, broiled potatoes, and….” Jess paused….”fried salad.”

                “Fried what?” Kerry almost shrieked.

                “Shhh!” Jess hissed. “Do you want them to hear you?”

                “I already did!” DJ called out, sounding like he had just been insulted.

                “Oh well. What did you expect?” Jess replied.

                “I keep telling you not to tell anyone what my special is,” DJ said. “And now you’ve ruined the surprise for Kerry!”

                “Ruined what surprise?” Jess asked. “You would have poisoned her!”

                DJ groaned. “Look, what is CJ here for?”

                “The exact same reason you are: Destroying everything in sight!” Jess said.

                “He’s a healer,” DJ answered. “He’s a bad one, but a healer nonetheless.”

                “A bad healer is worse than no healer,” Jess retorted.

                There was a rustling at the front of the cave. They all fell silent and turned to see how or what was there. They saw nothing.

                “Who’s there?” Jess called out.”

                There was no reply.

                Jess got up and moved toward the entrance. “Who’s there?” she repeated. “I demand to know!”

                “As always,” came a sarcastic voice. “You always were a demanding soul, Jess Ryyn Brady.”

                Jess relaxed slightly. “You always were bothersome, Tristan Mace Jordan.”

                The noise stopped and someone entered the cave. It was a young man who looked to be in his early twenties. His jet black hair was shoulder length and tied back in a short ponytail. He was almost six feet and his dark brown eyes twinkled mischievously at Jess. He was dressed in jeans, long-sleeved shirt, and a dark brown vest. A belt was slung about his waist with a gun hanging. For some reason, he reminded Kerry of Indiana Jones in some movies she had seen a few months before.

                Except, she thought, he doesn’t have a whip. She grinned at the thought.

                “Well ,well, Jess, who have we here?” Tristan asked.

                “A stray we picked up off the streets who had no collar,” Jess answered teasingly.

                Kerry shot her a glare.

                “Well, it’s a bit of al long story. Better wait until lunch,” Jess said, winking secretively at Kerry, who tried to contain her smile.

                “Well, I never could resist a good meal.” Tristan sat and rubbed his stomach. “What’s cookin’?”

                “DJ’s Special,” DJ called from the back of the cave.

                Tristan sat back limply. “I’ll pass.”

                “Aw, come on,” DJ groaned.

                Jess sat up suddenly. “What’s that?”

                They all listened carefully. There was more noise outside the cave.

                Jess crept to the entrance and peeked out. “Oh no,” she groaned.

                Kerry and Tristan joined her.

                “What are they doing here?” Tristan whispered.

 

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