《Warpaint (Apocalypsis #2)》


 Page 1

    Chapter One


    I WOKE UP BEFORE THE sun, unable to ignore the high-pitched buzzing of the mosquitos near my ears anymore. Even in sleep, they managed to annoy me. I still had some bug repellent left, and I had sprayed it on generously just before drifting off; but that didn¡¯t stop their hovering. The first thing I was going to do when I saw one of our indian hosts was ask how they managed to keep them away without the store-bought stuff. The bottle I had wasn¡¯t going to last forever, and living in the Everglades where the mosquitoes outnumbered the humans about eighty billion to one, made the idea of going bare ¡­ unbearable. I couldn¡¯t deal with the idea of having escaped the teenage cannibals that were running around in my old neighborhood, only to die from an overdose of mosquito toxin here.


    I looked down at the arm that had flung itself across my lap. Bodo. My hot German friend who might actually be my boyfriend now. I still wasn¡¯t exactly sure what our relationship was. Last night he kissed me. It had only lasted a moment and didn¡¯t go any further than that, but he¡¯d dropped a lot of hints when we were traveling from central Florida to the Everglades, about maybe us being together someday. Together together.


    I¡¯d had boyfriends before, but nothing that ended up getting serious or that made me feel more than just a little bummed when they¡¯d decided they¡¯d had enough of my hectic schedule or my interests that weren¡¯t all that girly. I¡¯d learned pretty quickly that not many guys were cool with the idea of a girlfriend who was half their weight but could kick their butts. I¡¯d never dated another krav maga enthusiast. Maybe that was my problem.


    That was one thing that made Bodo different. He seemed to get a huge kick out of watching me do my thing. He¡¯d even managed to figure out the best way to calm me down when I was stressed - engaging me in a little fight therapy. I was going to have to get going with the training of Bodo and everyone else here really soon; I couldn¡¯t expect him to keep volunteering to get jabbed and thrown around by me whenever I was cranky. He at least needed to learn how to fight back a little.


    I picked his arm up by the wrist and gently moved his arm back over to his mattress, being careful not to wake him. We¡¯d had a hell of a few days getting here, and a full night¡¯s sleep hadn¡¯t been a part of our reality for a long time even before that.


    I glanced over at Peter on my other side, noticing that he was still asleep, too. His mouth was hanging open with a glob of drool under it. Buster, my old neighbor¡¯s nearly naked poodle, was sleeping under Peter¡¯s arm, all splayed out on his back, his fuzzy underparts exposed to the world.


    I smiled as I stood, thinking about how simple Buster¡¯s life was, trying not to be jealous. All the way down from Orlando to the Everglades he¡¯d ridden in my bike basket, his tongue hanging out in the breeze. On the river, his biggest contribution had been to run back and forth in Peter¡¯s canoe, barking at noises and invisible threats. Now that we were here on the land of the Miccosukee indians, inhabiting one of their chickee huts, he spent his time begging for food scraps, barking at birds, and running around licking ankles. Compared to what I had to do, this was less than nothing.


    ¡°You¡¯re up early,¡± said a voice from outside the hut. It was Kowi, chief of the Miccosukee tribe that had been hosting us for more than a day now, generously feeding and clothing us even though we¡¯d invaded their territory without permission.


    I joined him just outside the living area of our hut. It had two parts: the one that held our mattresses and the one that had our pantry and an open space for sitting. ¡°Couldn¡¯t sleep anymore with all the mosquitoes buzzing around,¡± I explained.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get you some smoke sticks. They keep them away pretty good and last all night.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. I¡¯d appreciate it. I¡¯m not a fan of mosquito bites.¡±


    I could see the glow of his white teeth as he smiled. ¡°You picked the wrong place to live if you¡¯re sensitive about that kind of thing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Tell me about it.¡± Unfortunately, mosquitoes, snakes, and alligators were the best reasons I could think of to come here. It meant that the teenagers-turned-cannibals who had moved into my neighborhood and elsewhere would be less likely to follow me and my friends.


    ¡°I came to see if you¡¯re ready to talk about schedules. Sounds like we have some meetings ahead of us that you¡¯ll be expected to come to, and some training on your end.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Believe it or not, my schedule¡¯s open. Last week I was totally booked, but this week? Not so much.¡±


    I could hear the grin in his voice. ¡°Well, that¡¯s convenient. Because I¡¯m pretty sure my friends and I have plans that will keep you busy for ¡­ oh ¡­ the next year or so.¡±


    I knew he didn¡¯t mean that I could only stay there with them in their swamp for a year, but it did get me thinking about how long I wanted to be here and under what circumstances.


    ¡°You know, Kowi, I¡¯m still not really sure who I am here with you guys ¡­ who any of us non-indians are. I mean, what our roles are. Maybe we should start with figuring that out.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a walk. I want to show you something.¡±


    I shrugged. It¡¯s not like I had anything else to do, other than scare up some grub and maybe find some better shoes. Mine were still damp and very smelly, and I¡¯d given up hope of them ever not being disgusting again. I eyed Kowi¡¯s very practical moccasins and wondered what I¡¯d have to do to score a pair of those.


    We walked a short distance through the trees, picking our way over interconnected roots of cyprus trees that made small, linked islands all over this part of the Everglades. The tribes call it Kahayatle. Many of the indian kids who live here had recently taken Miccosukee names for themselves, I guess as a sign of respect for the way of life that was keeping them fed, clothed, and safe - unlike many other teens who were starving and dying. The white man¡¯s ways had ended up yielding nothing but desperate kids who had no idea how to survive except by attacking and killing others who were weaker.


    I had quickly earned the nickname Nokosi - the Miccosukee word for bear - for being so protective of my friends. Peter, Bodo, and Buster were my newly adopted family members, and even though we¡¯d only known each other for a short while, we were as close as anyone could be in this new world - the one that only had teens living in it anymore. Some strange virus had moved across the globe like an out of control wildfire and wiped out our parents and younger siblings, leaving a few million teenagers to battle over the remaining resources. Survival of the fittest had taken on a whole new meaning for all of us.


    I¡¯d fought Kowi and his tribesmen for the right to stay in one of their chickee huts, and I¡¯d fought the chief of the Creek indians to be able to stay in the swamps for as long as I wanted. In exchange for their generosity, I had agreed to train all of them in the martial art that my dad had taught me called krav maga.


    They were going to need my skills if my fears ever came true. The cannibals - canners as we called them - were coming. They had already attacked one of the Creek indian sisters not very far from here, cutting off her arm in the process. It was only a matter of time before they arrived in Kahayatle looking for their next meal. It would be my job to get the former members of the Seminole Nation ready to fight back ¡­ to fight for their lives.


    Our first step was to get them united again. I had my work cut out for me, acting as mediator to two very prideful leaders and many followers, most of whom were related in one way or another but seemed to have some deep-seated rivalries.


    Kowi and I came out of the trees that ringed this root-island in time to see the beginning of the sunrise. It was glorious. The sky was lit with peaches, yellows, purples, and blues. I¡¯d never seen anything like it.


    ¡°Wow. That¡¯s just ¡­ amazing.¡±


    ¡°I know. I like to get up every day and watch it. It keeps me grounded. Sometimes, all day long, I see nothing but ugliness. At least with this, I can start the day with beauty.¡±


    ¡°It kind of makes you think there¡¯s hope. That every day starts with a promise,¡± I said, not even really thinking about what I was saying.


    ¡°Yeah. Exactly.¡±


    Kowi turned towards me. I could see the movement out of the corner of my eye, but I stayed facing the glowing orb of the sun that had made it above the horizon. It felt weird, being out here alone with him, the two of us experiencing this poetic moment. His girlfriend would probably want to smash my face if she were here to see it, and who knew what Bodo would think. I still wasn¡¯t sure that I cared what Bodo thought, but I knew I didn¡¯t want any drama with a jealous Coli. She was a cranky wench on her best days. I took a step forward to put more distance between us.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the scoop?¡± I asked. ¡°When do you want to start training?¡±


    ¡°Today. We have a place on drier land we can use. How many can you handle?¡±


    ¡°How many do you have?¡± I turned to face him so he wouldn¡¯t think I was being rude.


    His expression revealed nothing about what he might be feeling. ¡°The Miccosukee have thirty-five guys and twenty girls.¡±


    ¡°What about the others?¡±


    ¡°The Creek? I¡¯m not sure. Probably about the same.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s way too many to do at once.¡±


    ¡°I figured. So we¡¯ll divide them up. Just tell me how many you can do at a time, whether you want them mixed or guys separate from the girls, and how many sessions you think you can manage in a day. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s very tiring, so if you can only do one or two, that¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll understand.¡±


    I shrugged. Yeah, it was tiring. But here there was food to fuel the calorie burn, and I needed to work hard to get my butt back in shape; I¡¯d gotten lax in the last few months. Living alone in my house, isolated the way I had been, caused me to neglect my training. I was just lucky my dad had ingrained it in my life for so many years before he died. Otherwise, I would have never survived the two canner attacks I¡¯d dealt with before arriving here.


    ¡°I¡¯ll work with ten at a time, max. Smaller groups are better and they should always have an even number so everyone can have a partner. Let¡¯s keep the guys and girls separate to start.¡±


    ¡°How many sessions a day can you handle?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, really. I¡¯ve never taught before. Maybe three? Let¡¯s try it like that and then I¡¯ll see how it goes.¡± I looked at him, searching his face for any kind of detectible emotion. ¡°I assume I¡¯m going to be working with the Creek too, right?¡± I was hoping he hadn¡¯t changed his mind about working with them in some sort of cohesive group.


    ¡°Yeah. I think that¡¯s the idea. We¡¯ll find out for sure today. Maybe tomorrow. I expect Trip to show up at some point.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem the type to keep other people¡¯s schedules.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already figured him out, I see.¡±


    ¡°Guys like him aren¡¯t that difficult to see through.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t count Trip out so easily. He might surprise you. We used to be friends. I know him pretty well, or I did, anyway. Just don¡¯t let him get away with anything. He¡¯s going to try, you know.¡±


    I smiled slightly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect anything less.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll get along just fine with him.¡± Kowi turned and headed back in the direction we came. ¡°Breakfast is on its way if you¡¯re hungry.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll catch up,¡± I said, waiting for him to get out of sight. I hadn¡¯t taken my morning pee yet and I was desperate for a bit of cover and a leaf.


    A few seconds later I heard his voice coming through the trees. ¡°We have outhouses for that, you know!¡±


    My face burned red as I shouted back. ¡°Directions?!¡±


    ¡°Follow me!¡±


    I sighed heavily, shaking my head. One of these days I was not going to feel awkward and out of place in this tribe. At least, I hoped so.

 Page 2

    The outhouse was located quite a distance from our hut, on a piece of dry land. Kowi explained as we walked.


    ¡°We needed to keep it away from our water sources and the wildlife that we hunt that use the waterways. We¡¯ll move this one when it¡¯s full. The whole structure can be taken down and set up somewhere else.¡±


    I went inside and saw that it was essentially a hole in the ground with a bench over it. The bench seat had a circle cut out of it in the middle for resting a person¡¯s butt. The whole setup was surrounded by flimsy walls. The bench could be lifted up for guys to pee, which I sincerely hoped they did since there was no such thing as toilet paper here to clean it with. There was a stack of homemade paper nearby that looked really scratchy, but I was more than a little excited about being able to use something that wasn¡¯t leaves for a change.


    As soon as I finished my business, I found out firsthand that it was quite rough, but it was better than the alternative. I also noticed that the inside of the outhouse didn¡¯t smell much better than a construction site toilet, but it did the trick. I was going to have to figure out a way to not need to go during the night, though. It was too far of a trek otherwise, and the mosquitoes would have me in lumps from head to toe before I got there and back, and my butt wouldn¡¯t be spared, either. I couldn¡¯t imagine the special torture a bunch of skeeter bites on the hind end would be.


    Kowi walked me back to the hut, and I took note of the path we took, feeling confident I could find it again on my own. By the time we reached our destination, the sun was fully above the horizon, blazing with its warmth.


    Peter and Bodo were awake, busy eating breakfast - the cold remnants of last night¡¯s dinner. I was happy to have them, since it beat starchy, plain noodles any day. I picked up my wood platter and stood in the living room of my hut, eating while I talked.


    ¡°So what time do you want to start?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have your first group come get you in about an hour. Do you care who¡¯s in it?¡±


    ¡°No. Whoever. Whatever. Doesn¡¯t matter.¡± I was trying to talk around a lump of dry bread, and it wasn¡¯t pretty.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to your food, then,¡± he said, smiling slightly. He walked away through the trees, going I don¡¯t know where, since we hadn¡¯t yet seen where the Miccosukee live.


    ¡°What about the meetings?!¡± I yelled out after him. Supposedly the tribes had to work out the mechanics of coming together as one nation - united against the outside world.


    ¡°We¡¯ll come get you!¡± he responded.


    I shrugged. It¡¯s not like I had plans. Might as well do the beck-and-call thing for a while. It¡¯ll keep my mind off of other less pleasant thoughts. Like canners keeping kids locked up in a room, removing limbs to eat when they got hungry.


    Bodo came out of the other connected hut with a platter in his hand, distracting me from my morbid thoughts. I picked up a cup with water in it that had been put on a shelf by our food preparers and pretended to drink, hiding my lower face with it.


    I had no idea why I did it. Probably because I was feeling nervous all of a sudden. He¡¯d kissed me with almost no warning last night, and it had sent my heart racing. But Bodo was always cracking jokes and messing around, so I had no idea how serious that kiss was for him. If I let it, it could feel very serious to me, but I didn¡¯t want to assume anything was mutual and get my feelings hurt. This world had become an incredibly small place, and a bad breakup could mean someone having to leave the only home we had.


    ¡°Goodt morningk,¡± he said, no expression on his face. His German accent was stronger right now, like it was sometimes when he first woke up.


    His lack of expression made my heart spasm uncomfortably. ¡°Morning.¡± I put the glass back on the shelf. If I kept hiding behind it, it was going to start being obvious, and it was ridiculous that a girl like me would be so nervous over a guy. It was starting to tick me off.


    ¡°Didt you sleep well?¡± he asked, picking up a piece of meat and biting into it, chewing slowly as he watched my face.


    ¡°Yes. Except for the mosquitoes, I slept fine, thanks. How ¡®bout you?¡±


    ¡°Very nice. I think maybe I hadt a goodt sleeping magic.¡±


    Was he talking about the kiss? ¡°Oh, yeah?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I think so.¡±


    He winked at me and smiled a little, making my heart suffer a different kind of spasm. I turned away so he wouldn¡¯t see me smile back, pretending to be busy with arranging food for Peter.


    Peter was awake, lying in his bed and staring up at the roof of branches and palm fronds overhead. Buster hadn¡¯t left Peter¡¯s side, but he¡¯d flipped over and his eyes were open, following my every move. It was comical the way his eyebrows lifted, one at a time, as his eyes rolled around.


    Walking over and getting closer to them, I noticed something greenish on Buster¡¯s forehead. It looked like a small marble or plant seed pod or something, stuck to what little fur he had left after Peter¡¯s haircut. I bent down to get a closer look, setting Peter¡¯s plate down on the ground next to me.


    ¡°Come here, Buster, let me see your head. What did you get in your fur?¡± I tried to pull it off but almost immediately realized it wasn¡¯t plant matter fixed to his forehead. ¡°Oh, sick. You have a humongous tick on your head, you dumb dog.¡±


    Peter instantly sat up, pushing Buster none-too-gently away from his side. ¡°Ew, are you serious?!¡± He reached over quickly and grabbed his food platter, holding it close to his chest and staring at Buster with suspicion.


    I smiled. It was nice seeing Peter experiencing an emotion other than utter despair for a change. Last night had been really hard on him, telling the tribes about the murder of his little sister by the canners in Sanford. And then seeing Celia, showing up in a bloody canoe with half her arm taken off by cannibals, begging us to kill her. It had been a seriously emotional evening for all of us, but for him especially.


    ¡°Good morning, Sunshine,¡± I said to him. ¡°How¡¯d you sleep?¡±


    ¡°Not good. The mosquitoes were beyond annoying and I had horrible nightmares.¡± He was pouting.


    Also a good sign.


    ¡°Is that seriously a tick on his head?¡± Peter was disgusted.


    ¡°Yes. And I¡¯m guessing he has more than this one, too. Ticks are all over the place here.¡±


    Peter put his platter back on the ground hurriedly and held out his arms, inspecting them closely. Then he reached down and pulled up his pant legs, looking for any offending creatures that might be hiding underneath. Finding none, he sighed in relief. ¡°Well, no ticks better get on me, that¡¯s all I have to say.¡±


    I took the platter off the ground and handed it to him. ¡°Here. Eat.¡± Peter was way too skinny; he looked like a bag of bones. He probably weighed no more than eighty-five pounds, max.


    I pulled Buster into my lap and rid him of the forehead tick and the four others he had on his face and behind his ears. It was a somewhat bloody job, making sure the insects¡¯ heads were totally out of his skin, but Buster didn¡¯t seem to mind.


    ¡°I hope the students I have today are half as tough as you, Buster. It¡¯ll make my job a lot easier.¡±


    ¡°Students?¡± asked Peter, swallowing a bite of some root vegetable I¡¯d seen him choose delicately from his plate a second earlier.


    ¡°Yeah. Krav maga lessons start today. I¡¯m teaching three sessions a day.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the schedule?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I could help with that,¡± he offered.


    Peter was totally anal about organization, and I knew putting things in their places and in perfect order made him feel better about his world, so I jumped on his suggestion.


    ¡°I hope so. I need someone to organize the classes with all the Miccosukee and Creek and also with you guys. Kowi told me how many girls and guys they have here, but I can¡¯t remember the number. Maybe you could get everyone¡¯s names and put them into groups.¡±


    The light came back to Peter¡¯s face. ¡°Definitely. Are you going to just mix it up, or keep people separate?¡±


    ¡°I want to keep the girls and guys separate for now. I know some girls act stupid when guys are watching, so ¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, so you want privacy in the lessons. I can help with that.¡±


    I smiled, picturing my diminutive friend standing guard and forcing an indian guy twice his size to go away. He could probably do it if he used nagging and scolding as his weapons. He¡¯s a skilled ninja-level user of both.


    ¡°Good,¡± I said. ¡°I was also wondering about whether I should mix it up, with some Creek and some Miccosukee in the same sessions. I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    ¡°Why would you keep them separate?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Build up their competitive spirit?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you trying to help them not be so competitive with each other?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s why I wasn¡¯t sure about what to do.¡±


    ¡°I haff an idea,¡± said Bodo, moving over to join us, taking a seat on my right. Buster ran over and begged in front of him, having exhausted all his scrap sourcing from us.


    Bodo handed him a chunk of bread to gnaw on. ¡°What about dis idea - you can mix it up, put da both tribes in itch group. Den inside da group make teams. Den later you can do competitions between dem. Dey will haff to work togedder to make a good success. No¡­¡± he shook his head, momentarily lost, ¡°¡­to succeed. Yes, dat¡¯s bedder. To succeed. To win.¡±


    I smiled. It was impossible not to. He had such a way with words.


    ¡°I like that idea,¡± I said. And I really did. I had a strong feeling that these kids would go nuts for the fights. Not just to prove who was the strongest, but also to help pass the time. Every competition includes hours, days, and weeks of intense training and practice. Without television, school, phones, internet, computers, or any of the old-fashioned conveniences, we had a lot of dead time on our hands, so this could be perfect.


    ¡°Me too. This could be veeerry interesting,¡± said Peter.


    I could see his brain going a hundred miles-an-hour. He probably already had a spreadsheet planned in his head. Too bad computers were totally useless these days.


    ¡°Who are you gonna fight, Peter?¡± asked Bodo. ¡°Da dog? ¡®Causs if dat¡¯s the plan, you better start practicing now. I think he can take you down.¡±


    Peter scowled at him. ¡°Who are you going to fight, Bodo? Bryn? Better plan on losing if that¡¯s the case.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no way. Not me. She¡¯ss too scary. I prefer to fight someone more easy. Like dat Trip guy.¡±


    I snorted. ¡°You know I love you, Bodo, but Trip would kill you, even with no training.¡±


    ¡°Is dat true? You really luff me?¡± His expression was too falsely innocent to be serious. I shoved him over, just for messing with me.


    ¡°Shut up, you idiot.¡±


    Bodo looked at Peter. ¡°You heardt her say it. She luffs me.¡±


    Peter rolled his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t let it go to your head. She loves Buster, too, and he¡¯s a bald, tick-covered, doodle machine.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± I said nodding, trying to stay serious. ¡°I love him so much that I just picked a pile of those ticks off his face. Without barfing.¡±


    ¡°Oh, dat hurts. You luff da dog more dan me.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°What can I say. He¡¯s pretty cute.¡± I knew Bodo thought he was pretty cute too, so it was fun to make him feel like he was in competition with a naked poodle.


    Bodo frowned. Then a gleam came into his eye as he looked at Peter. ¡°Guess what I¡¯m gonna do today,¡± he said.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Peter, sounding very bored as he picked through his food.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna doodle on da house.¡±


    Peter¡¯s head shot up. ¡°Do not even go there, Bodo. I¡¯m serious.¡±

 Page 3

    Bodo was smiling like a fool. We both knew how much Peter hated that word, even though he was guilty of using it from time to time when he wasn¡¯t watching himself close enough. He tried so hard to be mature, but sometimes he just couldn¡¯t help himself.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m gonna doodle udder places too,¡± continued Bodo.


    Peter stood up suddenly, dropping two hunks of meat, much to Buster¡¯s delight. ¡°You guys are totally immature, you know that?¡± He stormed off into the kitchen.


    ¡°Hey!¡± I yelled over my shoulder. ¡°If you want to doodle, there¡¯s an outhouse for that, Peter. I¡¯ll take you later if you want to know where it is.¡±


    I received no answer back.


    ¡°Maybe I can doodle on da doodlehouse door. What do you think, Bryn?¡± Bodo was talking purposely loud enough for Peter to hear.


    I shook my head, smiling and mouthing the words, You are so bad, to Bodo. He just winked at me. It was such a simple gesture, but it made my heart race anyway. I got up quickly to put some space between us.


    I didn¡¯t know why I was suddenly so nervous around him. I liked him. If he liked me back in a romantic way, I¡¯d probably be okay with it. But I wasn¡¯t sure if he was just playing around or not. He was always teasing, so it was hard for me to know for certain when he was being serious. Maybe he never was. And I still didn¡¯t know that much about him. But do I really need to know any more than I already do? This was a new world. Maybe there were different rules about what you needed to know about a person before you got serious with him. Or maybe I was just trying to convince myself of that because I was afraid he was keeping secrets from me that I didn¡¯t want revealed.


    Bodo grabbed my ankle. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Nowhere.¡±


    ¡°Come sit back down with me. I want to talk to you.¡±


    I sank slowly into a sitting position, staring at him as I went. His eyes never left mine. I could feel the sweat starting in my armpits and couldn¡¯t remember the last time I¡¯d felt so nervous around a guy. It was freaking me out a little, my emotions and reactions being this out of control.


    ¡°Last night was pretty craszy, yah? I mean, yes?¡±


    ¡°Yeeeaaaah,¡± I said, wondering where he was going with this. ¡°Last night was nuts for sure.¡±


    ¡°Well, you know, at da end? Right before when we go to sleep?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°I toldt you dat dare was only one thing missing from da day, do you remember dat?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I remember,¡± I said softly. I didn¡¯t want Peter to hear what we were talking about. My face was already on fire with just Bodo and I knowing that the last thing he claimed was missing from the day was a kiss from me, one second before he planted his warm lips on mine.


    ¡°Well, dat was only part of da way true.¡±


    My heart sank. He doesn¡¯t like me. I knew he was only joking. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s okay,¡± I said with false casualness. ¡°I know you were only messing around. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± I stood to go, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me back down. I fell awkwardly into a sitting position.


    ¡°No, dat¡¯s not what I mean. Stop runningk away from me all da time.¡±


    I gave him a half smile. ¡°I¡¯m not running away.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are. You are a fraidykind. Always running from Bodo. I know. You findt me very hot stuff. I can see dat. But you don¡¯t need to go. I¡¯m not gonna hurt you.¡±


    I pulled my hand from his grip. ¡°If your head gets any bigger, it¡¯s gonna pop like that tick on Buster¡¯s neck.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. My head is only a little bit bigk. Because I know dat you can have any of dese indian guys for your new boyfriend if you want. All you haff to do is say, Hey dare, indian boy. Come and be my lover man ¡­ and dey will come to you, very happy.¡±


    I laughed. ¡°You¡¯re nuts.¡±


    ¡°No. I am totally serious right now. It doesn¡¯t happen very offen, so you have to belief me. I am telling you dis becauss I want to be da one.¡±


    ¡°The one what?¡±


    ¡°Da one who is your boyfriend. I want to be Mr. Bryn.¡±


    I totally giggled. I couldn¡¯t help myself. But then I tried to get a straight face back on because this was too hilarious and awesome to let go. ¡°You want to be Mr. Bryn?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Dat¡¯s what I said. So what do you say about dat? You want me to be Mr. Bryn?¡±


    I stared him right in the eyes. ¡°What¡¯s in it for me?¡± I raised an eyebrow in challenge. I had no idea where my balls where coming from.


    He smiled devilishly. ¡°Well, dare¡¯s a big list, in fact, of da things dat come with Bodo¡¯s affection. One, of course, you get Bodo.¡± He raised his eyebrows and then gave me a profile pose, putting his forefinger on his chin.


    ¡°Keep going,¡± I said wryly.


    ¡°Okay, dare¡¯s more. You get all of my muscles.¡± With that he whipped off his shirt and gave me a double bicep flex that made my heart stop for a second.


    ¡°And ¡­?¡±


    ¡°Well, hmmm ¡­¡± he dropped his arms. ¡°I thought dat was pretty good stuff dare. But, let me think ¡­¡± He perked up and pointed his finger. ¡°Oh, yes, of course. You also get all dose cuddle things dat Peter talks about.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°Has Peter been trying to get you to cuddle with him?¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t be silly. I don¡¯t like to cuddle boys. I hear him talkingk to da dog all da time. Peter needs a cuddle, and I don¡¯t know how much longer he¡¯ss gonna be happy with da doodle-machine¡¯s luff alone.¡±


    I laughed. I couldn¡¯t help it. Poor Peter. He really did need some affection. And I didn¡¯t care that I wasn¡¯t his type. He was going to get some cuddles from me anyway. Operation Cuddle Peter was now officially underway. I spied him over at the pantry, organizing our canned goods. Again. Sometimes I moved them slightly, just to give him something to do.


    ¡°Hey, Peter ¡­ could you come here for a second?¡±


    ¡°What are you gonna do?¡± whispered Bodo, putting his shirt back on. His hair stood on end when he was done, making my heart melt just a little more. I reached out to push it back into place, and he grabbed my hand. It was warm and solid. ¡°I hope you¡¯re gonna think about my offer,¡± he said, all serious now.


    ¡°I¡¯ll consider it,¡± I said, unwilling to give him any more of an answer just yet. I was thrilled with the prospect, but I needed to know him more. And I had to find out where exactly he¡¯d been and what he¡¯d been up to before meeting up with Peter and me.


    Plus, I had some cuddling to take care of.


    Peter came walking up, already looking tired. ¡°What?¡± he asked, standing next to where I was sitting.


    ¡°Come sit her for a sec.¡± I patted the mattress next to me.


    Peter sat down. ¡°What do you want?¡± he said, sounding dejected.


    ¡°I want ¡­ a cuddle!¡± I yelled, springing into action, tackling him down on the mattress and giving him a huge bear hug. I didn¡¯t squeeze too hard because I was afraid I¡¯d break him, but I did it firmly enough that he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape.


    ¡°What in the ¡­ Bryn! Get the heck off me, you lunatic!¡±


    ¡°No! Operation Cuddle Peter is in full effect!¡± I yelled back, laughing.


    Peter struggled, sounding more bemused than anything else. ¡°What are you talking about? Bryn ¡­? Get off me you spaz!¡±


    ¡°No. Cuddle me.¡± I started snorting into his neck.


    He was giggling now, still struggling but losing some of his strength. ¡°Stop! I¡¯m ticklish! Not in my neck! Aaahh!¡±


    ¡°Oh, Peter,¡± I swooned exaggeratedly, ¡°you¡¯re the best cuddler in the swamp. How have I lived so long without your loooooove?¡± I left his neck alone and just hugged him then, burying my face in his arm. When I spoke again it was muffled. ¡°Everyone needs cuddles, Peter. Even me. Now hug it out right now with me or I¡¯m gonna cry.¡±


    Peter stopped laughing and took a deep, calming breath. ¡°Maybe I could hug you back if I had the use of my arms. But right now I¡¯m more involved in what I¡¯d call a cuddle attack ¡­ or a cuddle straight-jacket.¡±


    ¡°If I let you go, will you hug me back?¡±


    ¡°Fine. Yes.¡±


    ¡°Promise?


    ¡°I said I would.¡±


    ¡°Promise. Or I¡¯ll stay like this all day.¡±


    ¡°Oh, God, please don¡¯t. I promise.¡±


    I slowly let go, keeping my eyes on him, ready for him to make a break for it. I was totally serious. I was going to force him to hug me.


    But it turned out that I didn¡¯t need to. He put his arms out and took me into a nice, if a little bit boney, hug. His arms were like matchsticks, but I could feel the affection regardless.


    ¡°There. Are you happy?¡± he asked, over my shoulder. He tried to sound all put-out, but I knew it was just an act.


    ¡°Nope. It¡¯s not hard enough. You¡¯re just humoring me. It needs to be a real cuddle-hug.¡±


    He sighed but squeezed harder. ¡°How about now?¡±


    ¡°A little better.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s as good as I can do.¡±


    ¡°Well, I think it¡¯ll do for now. You¡¯ll get better with practice.¡±


    ¡°You mean I have to do this again?¡±


    ¡°At least three times a day. I¡¯m high-maintenance.¡±


    He patted me on the back before pulling away and saying, ¡°Aren¡¯t we all.¡± He stood to return to his can arranging.


    Bodo watched the whole thing in silence. When I turned my attention back to him, he looked very sober.


    ¡°Jealous?¡± I asked.


    He shook his head. ¡°I will never be jealous of something like dat. I will only be sad if I can¡¯t have some of your affection too.¡±


    I squinted my eyes at him. ¡°Bodo, I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re messing with me now or what. It¡¯s making me crazy.¡±


    He took me by the upper arms and pulled me closer to him. I didn¡¯t fight him at all, even though my heart rate had instantly increased fivefold.


    ¡°I¡¯m a very serious persson sometimess. But you will know for sure dat I am, when I do dis ¡­¡± He leaned in and kissed me.


    His mouth was warm and smelled of bread. I thought it would be a chaste kiss on the lips like last night, but this time, he was more insistent that it go further. He pulled me closer and his mouth moved over my lips, going hard and soft at intervals, while his tongue reached out to slide across mine.


    I kissed him back for a few seconds, reveling in the heady sensations that took over my body and mind. My hands reached up to rest on his upper arms. I could feel his muscles flexing underneath, and it turned me on instantly. I got tickly sensations in my stomach and other places lower down.


    Buster barked and Peter cleared his throat, causing the sensual fog that had moved into my brain to clear in a hurry. I started to pull away hastily, embarrassed for some reason about being caught making out, but Bodo took me by the back of the head to keep me close, resting his forehead on mine, his eyes still closed.


    ¡°You are a very good kisser, you know dat?¡± he asked quietly.


    ¡°I was thinking the same thing about you,¡± I whispered back. And I meant it. It was like his lips were meant for mine. We had the same rhythm in mind when they were touching, and our mouths worked perfectly in synch. His lips were full and soft, but firm when they needed to be. Kissing him was nothing short of incredible.


    ¡°Hey, guys! What¡¯s up?¡± came Paci¡¯s voice from outside the hut.


    I sat back up straight, breaking out of Bodo¡¯s grip and the sexy trance I¡¯d been in for a few wild seconds there. I had no idea what would have happened if we hadn¡¯t been interrupted; it was almost scary, admitting to myself what I might have been willing to do. Bodo was that incredibly attractive to me, and I didn¡¯t know what it was that made him that way. Was it his ability to go from joking to dead serious in less than a second? His bold confidence but easy self-depreciating humor? Maybe I was shallow and it was his adorable face and killer body. Or maybe it was that even with all this great stuff he had going on, he still somehow wanted me, of all the girls left in the world.

 Page 4

    I didn¡¯t have time to analyze it further, though, because my students were showing up for their first lesson; and apparently it was a group of Miccosukee guys, headed by the gregarious Paci and rounded out by a subdued-looking Yokci. They were already putting each other into playful headlocks, so I knew it was going to be an energetic session.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you about this stuff later, den,¡± said Bodo, standing next to me.


    I tried to be immune to and casual about his nearness, but it was tough. ¡°Okay,¡± I said, taking a step away.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna doodle on da house while you¡¯re gone,¡± he said at my retreating back.


    I grinned at the horrified look on Peter¡¯s face, as I walked past him to join Paci and his friends.


    I had ten Miccosukee indians standing in front of me, most of them in various states of half-dress. I was pleased to see that most of them looked to be in pretty good physical shape. None of them were less than twice Peter¡¯s size.


    The only ones I already knew were Paci, Yokci, and Kowi. I had already shown those three what I was capable of, so I knew they¡¯d be open to whatever I had to say. From the others, I expected a little bit of a hard time at first. I¡¯d have to get over that problem right from the start if our time together was going to be worth anything.


    ¡°Okay, everyone. Uh, thanks for coming. I guess I¡¯m going to be teaching you some krav maga today.¡±


    Several of them high-fived each other, one of them biting his lip and nodding his head suggestively after. Some just stood with their arms crossed. Others, including the guys I already knew, looked more relaxed and open. I decided the first order of business should be demonstrating the importance of body language.


    ¡°You,¡± I said gesturing to the guy with his arms crossed. ¡°You doubt me. You think either I don¡¯t have what it takes, or that you could bring me down yourself with little effort.¡±


    He raised an eyebrow at me, smirking silently.


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t around to see you kick A,¡± said Paci.


    ¡°And you,¡± I said, to the guy who had high-fived a friend. ¡°You¡¯re thinking you might get a feel on me if you¡¯re lucky today.¡±


    The guy¡¯s mouth opened but he said nothing. His friend shoved him and laughed.


    ¡°Body language. I already know everything you¡¯re thinking now. That makes you vulnerable. I¡¯ll know where to hurt you real easy if you¡¯re stupid enough to tell me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bet you don¡¯t know what I¡¯m thinking,¡± said Paci, playfully.


    I lifted my chin at him once. ¡°I¡¯ll bet you I do. Wanna test me?¡±


    He held up his hands in surrender. ¡°No way, man. Once was enough for me.¡±


    ¡°Anyone else?¡± I challenged, looking each one of them in the eye. I was praying the guy with the smirk would take me up on it, and he didn¡¯t disappoint.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you. I¡¯ve got no problem showing a girl a thing or two on the mat.¡±


    I took that to mean he either had wrestling or martial arts experience. Now he had two strikes against him - he¡¯d given me way too much information and he assumed he was tougher than me.


    ¡°What are you waiting for, then? Bring it.¡± I waved him over, and the other guys got out of the way.


    He walked up casually as if he were waiting for some kind of formal start to the fight.


    I didn¡¯t see the need, though. I strode up to him without stopping and put him immediately on the defensive.


    But he wasn¡¯t quick enough. Like every guy who doesn¡¯t know what the hell he¡¯s doing, he stood there with his legs apart, looking for balance, assuming I wouldn¡¯t go there. He lifted his hands up in a move I¡¯d seen guys do who¡¯d had some Kung Fu training.


    I telegraphed an obvious punch, but pulled it at the last second and brought up my leg, nailing him in the nads.


    He bent over in half, which brought his face down to my level, putting him in the perfect position for a couple of palm strikes. That sent him stumbling off to the side, and he valiantly tried to stay on his feet, but an elbow to the cheek and a hammer strike to his neck ended that plan in a hurry.


    He lie face down in the grass, writhing in pain.


    I wiped my forehead off with my arm and danced back and forth on my toes, my hands up for some straight punching action in case anyone decided to get stupid.


    ¡°Anyone else wanna go?¡± I asked, looking at the high-fiver guy and his friends.


    No one took me up on my offer.


    ¡°Yeah. I didn¡¯t think so.¡± I stopped bouncing and dropped my arms. ¡°You guys ready to train? Or you still want to goof around and act like you can take me down?¡±


    Paci smiled, speaking for the group, looking as proud as my dad sometimes did when I brought a big guy down in the dojo. ¡°No, Nokosi. We¡¯re ready to train.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I said, bringing my hands together in one clap, like my dad always used to do with his groups. I walked in a big circle, getting my head around my plan, talking to them while I looked at the ground and paced. I¡¯m sure I looked a little crazy, but that was part of my plan. They needed to see that I was no lady out here. I was a machine. A monster, even. Nothing was personal. It was all about defeating the enemy ¡­ immobilizing him ¡­ ending him if necessary.


    ¡°Fan out,¡± I barked. ¡°Two rows. Straight punches. Ready?¡± I stopped in front of them, raising my hands up near my face, my elbows bent and in, resting my weight on one foot while the other balanced on its ball.


    They rushed to get into position, trying to avoid stepping on their downed friend. I just ignored him.


    ¡°Follow my lead. One-two!¡± I shouted, demonstrating two straight punches. ¡°Use your hips and shoulder. Drive into it! Drive!¡± Mine were aimed slightly upwards, because everyone I fought was taller than me. ¡°Not up, out straight!¡± I yelled, correcting their form. ¡°You¡¯re taller than me. You¡¯re aiming for faces. If you¡¯re tall, bring it down a bit.¡±


    I did a few more reps. ¡°Again! One-Two! One-Two! One-Two!¡± Then I walked around watching their form. Some of them had raw talent, like Paci and Kowi. I could already see who was going to need extra attention - guys like Yokci. I stopped occasionally, lining myself up with someone, doing a series of punches so they could watch me, side-by-side. I could see it already improving their work.


    The injured guy slowly got up and stood off to the side. I walked over to him and put my hand on his shoulder. ¡°You ready to work?¡±


    ¡°In a minute. Hey. I¡¯m ¡­ uh ¡­ sorry.¡± He grunted the apology out, probably still feeling the aftershocks of my stinky-shoes-to-the-crotch move.


    I didn¡¯t even look at him. I just let my hand drop and walked away. He was going to have to work a lot harder than that to earn my forgiveness.


    As far as I was concerned, this was no game. What we were working on here could mean the difference between life and death with these guys someday. If he wanted to make it about jokes or stupid crap like guys are stronger than girls, he could go live in someone else¡¯s swamp. We were only going be strong as we could be if we were able to admit where we had weaknesses and did our best to fix them. It would make it a lot easier for me to train them if I could control them; and the best way to do that was through intimidation. At least, that was how it was going to work with the guys. The girls were a different story.


    I worked with the first group of guys for ninety minutes. By the time we were done, I had a nice sweat going and my students were about to collapse. I finished with pushups and planks, making them hold the pushup position for a full five minutes. None of them could do it without a break, but I could. Of all the things I did today with them, this one probably made the biggest impression. When I stood afterwards, my muscles were totally pumped. I didn¡¯t even have to move an arm or a leg for their tone to be broadcast to anyone looking my way. I silently thanked my dad for training me all those years and making me into such a skilled fighter. Who knew where I¡¯d be right now if I didn¡¯t have this valuable skill to offer these people in exchange for a safe place to live.


    When I stood and motioned for them all to join me, they came over, no one saying a word. They all kept their eyes glued to me, ready to eat up whatever I was going to say. I had them exactly where I wanted them.


    ¡°Listen up, guys. I don¡¯t have time to mess around anymore. Today was a freebie. I let you off easy. You get one day of rest and then another day with me, and so on and so forth until I say you¡¯re ready to do something different. You¡¯d better come prepared to work. Anyone who can¡¯t hang with this group, joins the girls.¡±


    The friend of the guy with the injured balls snorted until he caught my eye. Then he went quiet.


    ¡°You think I¡¯m kidding? Try me. I have the chief¡¯s support.¡± I didn¡¯t even look at Kowi. I had to show them how sure I was of my position in the tribe. I prayed he was either nodding or saying nothing.


    The guy just bobbed his head up and down, assuring me he was okay with my plan. I was certain the humiliation any of them would feel about being put with the girls would be enough to get their best efforts out of them. I had a feeling some of these guys would be practicing that plank exercise in their off-time now, which is exactly what I wanted.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t we training every day?¡± asked Paci.


    I had to smile at his obvious enthusiasm. He was going to promote quickly. ¡°Your muscles have been damaged today. They need time to heal. It¡¯s better to have two days in between, but we don¡¯t have that kind of time.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the big hurry?¡± asked some guy in the back of the group.


    ¡°We¡¯ll discuss that at dinner tonight,¡± said Kowi, saving me from having to explain anything.


    I couldn¡¯t imagine that this kid hadn¡¯t seen or at least heard about Celia, but it was possible they didn¡¯t think her injuries or problems could touch them here. They were in for a rude awakening, but it wasn¡¯t my problem. I wasn¡¯t the chief and I didn¡¯t want to be. All I wanted to do was get some workouts in, eat some decent food, and live as far away from the canners as I could ¡­ with my little family consisting of a nutty German, a skinny fairy, and a naked poodle.


    I had a one-hour break before my first session with a group of girls was supposed to start. I used that time to lie down in my hut, eat some lunch that had been delivered, and hydrate myself. Peter chattered away while he re-organized the pantry, not seeming to care whether I was listening or not.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get your schedule in order by tomorrow. I¡¯m doing it in my head until someone can get me some paper and a pen. I hope we meet with the Creeks tonight. Then I can get all their names and stuff. I assume they¡¯ll always come to you at the same place, rather than have you traipse all over the swamp coming to them. I mean, that seems like the fair thing to do. You¡¯re like, the master or whatever you call it, so you shouldn¡¯t be inconvenienced. But what I need to know is, how many people do you want in each class? And do you get any days off? Because its seems like you should.¡±


    I answered him, looking up at the ceiling of the chickee hut, appreciating how the branches and palm fronds were put together so tightly that they kept the rain from getting through, even without roof tiles, shingles, or tar.


    ¡°I need two days off a week, but not next to each other. Try Sunday and Wednesday, maybe. And no more than ten people in a group unless we get desperate. It¡¯s better to always have even numbers also. Oh, and no more than three sessions a day. And I need at least an hour break between them, too.¡± I had no idea how he was going to keep it all straight in his head without writing it down.


    ¡°Okay, I can do that.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Bodo?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I have no idea. He disappeared again.¡±


    ¡°I hate when he does that. He always gets into trouble.¡±


    ¡°Not always.¡±

 Page 5

    ¡°Okay, not always, but when he does get in trouble, it¡¯s not minor trouble. It¡¯s major.¡±


    ¡°True.¡± Peter clanked some cans around on the shelves before saying, ¡°So what¡¯s the deal with you guys, anyway? Are you like, romantically involved?¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°Romantically involved? What the heck does that mean?¡± All I could think about was a candlelight dinner at a restaurant - a pretty ridiculous idea considering where I was and what the world was like right now.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said, coming over and sitting next to me, gathering Buster into his lap. ¡°Are you boyfriend and girlfriend?¡±


    I sighed. ¡°I have no idea. It¡¯s confusing.¡±


    ¡°Why? What¡¯s so confusing? He likes you. You like him. Seems pretty simple.¡±


    I turned my head to look at Peter and Buster, busy playing the you-can¡¯t-lick-me because-I-move-my-face-away-too-fast game.


    ¡°Well, for one, I can never tell if he¡¯s serious or joking.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh. Well, that kiss you got today seemed pretty serious.¡± Peter gave me a sassy look, challenging me to deny it.


    I smiled, trying hard not to, but failing. ¡°Yeah, that was kind of serious. But all the other times he seems like he¡¯s goofing off. Like today he told me he wants to be Mr. Bryn.¡±


    Peter giggled. ¡°That¡¯s kind of cute, actually.¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± I said, feeling my face go red.


    ¡°Well, even if he does joke around a lot, I know he likes you. I can tell these things.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re, like, lovelorn-advice-column-guy?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m more like psychiatrist-with-lovesick-girl-on-the-couch-guy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not lovesick,¡± I said, firmly believing it. ¡°I¡¯m just ¡­ I don¡¯t know. Worried or something.¡±


    ¡°Worried about what?¡±


    ¡°Him. His past. His intentions. Our future. You. Choose any of the above.¡± It was depressing, really, hearing it said aloud. It should have been so much simpler than this. The world as we knew it had ended. There was no more high school drama, no more parents hassling us to do our homework or go to bed or stop texting. But life was even more complicated now, not to mention dangerous.


    Peter frowned. ¡°His past ¡­ the future ¡­ me? What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Well, first of all, I have no idea where the hell he came from.¡±


    ¡°He already told us that. Germany. And West Palm Beach.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but he¡¯s been alone for, what? Six months or longer? I mean, what¡¯s his deal? Why was he alone that day we met him?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe for the same reason I was.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t lose a sibling to the canners. He would have told us that. And a guy like him? Mr. Happy Guy? He should have had a flock of people around him, right? Or am I crazy?¡±


    Peter sighed. ¡°No. You¡¯re not crazy. It is kind of weird, but I like him. I¡¯m sure he has a rational explanation that will make your worry seem silly.¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think he has a dark past? That he did something bad? Because if you try to tell me you think he¡¯s a reformed canner, I¡¯m gonna slap you silly.¡±


    ¡°Bigger men have tried, pipsqueak, and failed. Miserably.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, bigger men might not resort to titty-twisting like I will.¡±


    I barked out a laugh. ¡°What did you just say?¡± I sat up suddenly, still laughing, crossing my hands over my chest protectively. ¡°You¡¯d give me a purple nurple?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve learned to do whatever it takes to get a bully to leave me alone.¡±


    I help up my hand, hunched over and nodding. ¡°Respect, my friend. Respect.¡±


    He gave me a high-five, smiling shyly.


    ¡°I think you need to come to my next training session.¡±


    ¡°When is it?¡±


    ¡°Five minutes. With the girls.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll go. I¡¯ve already organized our pantry eight different times. Either we need more food or I need a bigger job. Otherwise, I¡¯m going to go nuts in this place in under a week.¡±


    I got up on my feet and held my hands out for him to grab. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s plenty for you to do around here. We just need to find out what our places are in the tribe. That¡¯ll all be figured out at dinner, I promise.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± He stood with my help and then wiped his hands off on his jeans. ¡°Ew. Sweaty.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡± My body was still humming in high gear, and the stifling heat and humidity sure wasn¡¯t helping cool me down. I glanced over at the swamp, trying to figure out how desperate I¡¯d have to be to swim in it.


    ¡°I saw a snake in there today,¡± said Peter, looking off into the water. ¡°It was creepy.¡±


    I guess that answers my question: I¡¯d have to be really, really desperate.


    His comment made me think of the gator we saw before. ¡°Not as creepy as that gator momma that was coming after you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. Except that was more terrifying than creepy.¡±


    ¡°Totally.¡±


    We heard someone approaching and both turned to greet our visitor.


    ¡°Are you ready to go?¡± asked a scowling Coli, appearing out of nowhere, silent until she was practically on top of us.


    I rolled my eyes at Peter out of her view before turning back. ¡°Yeah. You training with me today?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately.¡±


    At least she¡¯s honest. ¡°Good,¡± I said as I walked by her. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking forward to kicking your ass for a while now.¡±


    I heard Peter sigh behind me as he struggled to keep up with my pace. I didn¡¯t check to see if Coli was following. She needed to learn that I was going to win at the intimidation game. If I let her get away with being a pain in the ass, she was going to get herself hurt and maybe someone else too if we were really unlucky.


    I don¡¯t know why I expected all the girls to act angry and defiant like Coli and Celia. Most of them were shy and a lot more laid-back. Some of them smiled shyly when I approached, and others just avoided eye contact.


    I wanted to ask them how Celia was doing because I was worried about her and thought it was something we all had in common and could talk about, but I decided to wait until we were done. I needed them to be focused on the training and not their injured friend.


    Might as well get started, then. I rubbed my hands together and clapped them once before speaking.


    ¡°Peter is going to be my partner today, since he¡¯s the odd man out.¡±


    ¡°Oh goody,¡± he said.


    I shot him an angry look and he immediately got with the program.


    ¡°Sorry. I¡¯ll behave.¡±


    I turned my attention back to the group. ¡°I¡¯m going to teach you my two favorite moves today. These will be the ones you¡¯ll use most often, probably. I¡¯ll show you with Peter in slow motion, and then you can practice with a partner.¡±


    I reached over and pulled Peter to me before facing them to explain. ¡°First, the easiest move. The one that will save your bacon more than anything. I call it the nut crusher.¡± I turned back to Peter. ¡°Peter, spread your legs.¡±


    He put his hands over his crotch. ¡°You must be out of your mind, Bryn. Did you spend too much time in the sun today?¡±


    Some of the girls giggled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not really going to kick you. Just relax. You can keep your hands there if you want.¡± I looked at the girls. ¡°Most guys will not expect you to go for the balls right off the bat. They expect you to struggle, not fight, or run. But the most important thing is not to telegraph your moves ahead of time.¡±


    ¡°Come at me,¡± I said to Peter, taking two steps back to put some distance between us.


    ¡°What?¡± He looked confused.


    I waved my hands, gesturing for him to come to me. ¡°Walk towards me like you¡¯re going to attack me.¡±


    He took two tentative steps forward, his hands still cupped over his crotch, causing more giggles to erupt from the group.


    ¡°Geez, Peter. Could you be any less threatening?¡±


    He looked like he was about to faint in fear. ¡°Hey! My balls may be small, but they¡¯re sensitive!¡±


    I laughed. ¡°Who said anything about small balls here?¡±


    I didn¡¯t mean for that to be a joke, but the laughter was nearly out of control now. I pinched the bridge of my nose for a second, trying to think of a way to get us back to something resembling a serious session, and also trying to keep the smile off my face. I could hardly expect them to be serious if I couldn¡¯t be.


    ¡°Okay, fine,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll attack you. When I get close, don¡¯t look at my balls, look at my face. Lift up your hands like you¡¯re going to slap me, but balance your weight on your back leg a little.¡±


    He looked at me totally straight-faced and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you lost me at, ¡®Don¡¯t look at my balls¡¯.¡±


    I gave up. The laughter had gotten to the point that some of the girls were gasping for air. ¡°Bring it in, Peter. Let¡¯s just sit down and talk, first.¡±


    He came walking over, still cupping his nuts, earning him new respect from the girls. He was our new funnyman, brave in the face of badass Bryn, renowned buttkicker. I had known that I would have to use different tactics with the girls, but until Peter had started his comedy routine, I hadn¡¯t realized how different. I was mad at him at first for ruining my setup, but quickly changed my mind as I realized this would be better. I just hoped I could pull it off and not just turn the whole thing into a big emotional, angry mess.


    ¡°Alright, so, everyone get your breath back and I¡¯ll go over a few things with you.¡± I looked around and saw that for the most part, they were in control. The only one not laughing at all was Coli. Of course.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to talk to you about some serious crap. Not because I don¡¯t like goofing around or having fun and want to throw a wet blanket on you, but because the reason we¡¯re doing these exercises really is serious. It could mean the difference between life and death for many of you. Or your friends or family.¡±


    That got their attention, at least. Now it was time to go for the gut.


    ¡°You all know how seriously hurt Celia was.¡± I looked around at their faces, the laughter now completely gone. Some of it was replaced with sadness and some with anger - possibly at me.


    ¡°When I first met her, she attacked me with a baseball bat.¡± I waited for that to sink in. Some of the girls nodded, apparently approving of her tactics.


    ¡°But here I am. I arrived on your doorstep a few hours later. Did any of you see any lumps on me?¡±


    ¡°I saw a bruise on your shoulder,¡± said Coli with attitude.


    ¡°Yeah. Because she missed my head, where she was aiming, even though she snuck up behind me and was only three feet away. Want to know why she missed her target?¡±


    No one answered, but I could tell they were waiting to hear what I had to say.


    ¡°Because she telegraphed her move. It¡¯s pretty hard not to when you¡¯re holding a weapon that big. Still, she should have been able to crush my skull three times over, or at the very least, knock me out. But she missed because I¡¯m trained to read body language and I¡¯m fast.¡±


    I looked at all of them in turn. ¡°Someday, you might be attacked by a canner ¡­ a kid who wants to make you his next meal, like what happened to Celia. The question is, are you going to go down? Are you going to be seriously injured or killed? Or are you going to be the one taking people out?¡± I searched their faces, talking as earnestly as I could. ¡°Just because you¡¯re girls, doesn¡¯t mean you have to be victims. Do you get what I¡¯m saying here?¡±


    Heads were nodding, reluctantly. It was clear that I needed to get their leader over on my side, and by the way they kept stealing glances her way, I could tell it was pain-in-the-butt Coli I had to impress. Ugh. Why can¡¯t life ever be easy for a change?

 Page 6

    I stood up and spoke to Peter quietly so the others wouldn¡¯t hear. ¡°Peter, do me a favor. Go back to our hut and find me a guy. Any guy will do.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to use me?¡±


    ¡°No. You¡¯re too much like a girl, it¡¯s not going to work.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°Do you have any idea how insulting that is?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and I¡¯m sorry. But I¡¯m impatient and running out of time here. Every minute I don¡¯t train these girls is another step towards one of them losing a fight like Celia did.¡±


    He rightly guessed that this was not the time to argue with me, and left without saying another word. While he was gone, I decided to attack the situation head-on and stop ignoring the elephant in the room.


    ¡°How¡¯s Celia doing?¡± I asked Coli.


    ¡°Not good.¡±


    ¡°So she¡¯s still alive.¡±


    ¡°Yes. But she¡¯s not talking to anyone. And she¡¯s sick.¡± Coli¡¯s tone made her sound more vulnerable now.


    ¡°Do you have antibiotics?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We have some. But she doesn¡¯t want them.¡± Her voice got rough and she looked down at her hands in her lap. ¡°She¡¯s trying to die.¡±


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re denying her attempts.¡±


    ¡°We are. But it isn¡¯t pleasant, having to force her to accept the medicine.¡±


    ¡°That sucks. Has she been able to tell anyone where she was being kept?¡±


    ¡°I think so. Kowi talked to her. He¡¯ll discuss it tonight.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    My next thought was interrupted by the sounds of Peter and Bodo crashing through the trees and brush. I could hear Peter talking.


    ¡°I told you, she needs your help with something. I don¡¯t know what it is.¡± The devious smile Peter was trying to hide behind a mask of innocence didn¡¯t fool anyone in our group for a second, but I don¡¯t think Bodo noticed. He was too busy staring at all the girls. Some of them were quite beautiful, and I suddenly felt really plain.


    ¡°Hello, girlss,¡± said Bodo cheerfully. ¡°I hear you needt some helping from a big strong guy. I guess dat¡¯s me.¡± He rubbed his chest through his t-shirt and then looked at me. ¡°Hello dare, Bryn. What do you want me to do? Show dem my moofs? Becausse dat¡¯s definitely not a problem. I can do dat.¡± He did a couple karate chops that would have had my father shaking his head. Bodo had absolutely no finesse at all.


    ¡°Uhhh, no. That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± I said, standing. ¡°Girls, please get up and move back a little so I can have some room here. I¡¯m going to have Bodo demonstrate an attack so I can show you that move I mentioned earlier.¡±


    Peter self-consciously covered his crotch again. I motioned with my head for him to get the heck out of the way, trying to tell him silently with a frown not let Bodo see what he was doing.


    The girls stood back, watching attentively.


    ¡°Okay, Bodo. I need to you attack me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± he said, laughing a little bit, a big smile on his face along with a look of confusion.


    ¡°Attack me. Come at me. I need to demonstrate something to the girls.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to hurt you, Bryn.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a real attack, first of all, and second, you couldn¡¯t hurt me if you tried. Now come on. Just play-attack me.¡±


    ¡°I could hurt you if I really wanted to,¡± said Bodo, his smile disappearing to be replaced by a cocky expression.


    ¡°No. You couldn¡¯t. We¡¯ve already established that several times over. Now get over here and attack me.¡±


    He thought he was going to fool me by first talking me to death and then following it up with some crazy sneak attack, but I was totally ready for him, since he¡¯s about as sneaky as a bull in a china shop. I think I knew what he was going to do before he even did, his thought process was so obvious. He spouted some more nonsense and then suddenly came charging at me, planning to put me into a bear hug.


    I met him halfway, jumping to the side, slamming his arm down at the wrist, and reaching up to gouge him in the eyes. I did it gently - not enough to hurt him seriously, but enough to temporarily blind him.


    ¡°Aaaaahhh!¡± he yelled, his forward momentum still carrying him a few steps, but haltingly since he was unable to see. ¡°My eyess!¡± He stopped and put his hands up to his face, bending over slightly.


    ¡°Now that you have your attacker blinded. Your next move is to finish him.¡± I walked over swiftly and heard Bodo say, ¡°Finish him?¡± in a weak, confused voice, just before I kicked him behind the knee to drop him down and then drove three knee thrusts up into his chest. I sent him to the ground with a hammer strike to the upper back.


    He laid motionless on the ground, but I think it was more for effect than anything. I hadn¡¯t really hit him hard at all.


    The girls didn¡¯t seem to notice that I held back a little, though. They just stood there, looking stunned. Even Coli.


    ¡°Holy shit, did you see that?¡± asked one of the girls.


    ¡°She blinded him,¡± said another.


    ¡°Man, you aren¡¯t messing around,¡± said Coli. ¡°I thought you liked that guy.¡±


    ¡°I do. But this is war, girls. If someone attacks you, anything goes. I didn¡¯t get to show you the nut crusher this time, but we¡¯ll do that in our next session.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± moaned Bodo from the ground. ¡°No more. Pleasse. My nuts are all I haff left.¡±


    Peter came over and helped him up.


    Bodo¡¯s eyes were watering, and he kept wiping them, talking to me as he walked by. ¡°Wow. Dat was very effectiff, dat eye poking thing. It¡¯s better dan a ball kick dough. For me, I prefer dis eye thing. I¡¯ll just do da ball one later. Anudder day, maybe.¡± He limped away, Peter helping him along.


    I could tell he was totally over-acting, and I seriously appreciated what he was helping me do. Somehow he¡¯d figured out that these girls needed to see me bring down a bigger guy, to show it could be done. And it was good that I had used my friend and not one of theirs as my crash-test dummy, since it left the whole insider-outsider bias off the table. Anyone could kick Peter¡¯s butt - even Buster - so he was a terrible choice for an attacker.


    Bodo didn¡¯t realize it, but he had just volunteered himself as my new training partner for the girls¡¯ groups. I was hoping he would be as thrilled about it as I was.


    I didn¡¯t have any trouble getting the girls into the training session after the guys left. Before long, I had them eye gouging, nut crushing, palm thrusting, and forward punching; and they were having a ball. Maybe it was the exercise, maybe it was the teamwork - or maybe it was taking charge and not accepting the victim role anymore. But whatever it was, it amped up the energy of our group a hundredfold. I used one last nugget of temptation to push them all the way over to my side.


    ¡°After I get you girls in shape, we¡¯re going to challenge each other to matches, and then eventually, the guys. My goal is to have you taking down guys like Paci, Jeremy, and even Trip and Kowi by the time we¡¯re done here.¡±


    Coli stopped punching her partner¡¯s palms and said, ¡°How long will that take?¡± Her face was red and sweat was pouring down her temples.


    ¡°About two months. Depends on how focused we can be in our training.¡±


    She nodded her head and went back to punching her partner with what looked like renewed energy. I smiled at her form, noticing already that she was a natural.


    The response from the other girls had me practically glowing. They had taken one look at their leader Coli, one hundred percent focused on landing her punches and using the technique I had taught her, and doubled their efforts. It was poetry in motion, as my dad used to say.


    After ninety minutes of work, when the girls were almost ready to collapse from exhaustion, I let them stop, promising them it would be tougher next time when we met again in two days. I ran them through some cool-down stretches and said some brief goodbyes before walking away. Coli went with me back in the direction of my hut, leaving the girls behind.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I asked, not wanting to pressure her to talk, but curious why she wasn¡¯t walking in the opposite direction like everyone else.


    ¡°I ¡­ well ¡­ first I wanted to say thanks. For the training and stuff.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± I didn¡¯t know if the ¡®and stuff¡¯ actually meant there were other things she was grateful for, but I decided not to worry about it. I knew even this gesture was hard for her and her prickly personality to make.


    ¡°And I also wanted to know if you want to come see Celia with me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to.¡± I didn¡¯t hesitate. I knew this invitation wasn¡¯t given easily, and I really did want to check on my friend. I also could never lose sight of the fact that what I was doing in these sessions was for the purpose of getting these kids ready to go after the ones who had not only injured Celia¡¯s body but her mind also. Anything I could do to help them with that I would, including talking to Celia and finding out as much as I could about the canners.


    We walked for a ways in silence. I kept thinking that Coli was going to say something else, but she didn¡¯t. She was always giving me the impression that she was a tortured soul, like she has a lot of things bothering her and no one to talk to about them. But I told myself that this was ridiculous. She had Kowi and who knew how many other relatives and friends around her she could unload on if she wanted to; she just chose not to for whatever reason.


    A couple minutes later, we arrived at a hut that had been set up as a type of clinic. I could see shelves with baskets on them, filled with supplies. Celia was lying on a mattress like mine, covered in a brown blanket. Her face was gray.


    Coli stopped at the entrance, gesturing with her chin for me to go inside.


    I walked in softly, trying not to wake Celia. Stopping and sitting down on the floor at her bedside, I watched her breathing. Her chest was rising and falling at a much faster rate than I would have expected from a sleeping sick person.


    ¡°Celia. I can tell you¡¯re fake-sleeping.¡±


    Her eyes fluttered a little but didn¡¯t open.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Keep pretending. I¡¯ll just sit here and talk. You¡¯re much more interesting when you don¡¯t say anything, anyway.¡±


    Her lips pressed together, but her eyes remained closed.


    ¡°I know you want to die. I get that. But I have a better idea.¡± I waited to see if she would respond, but there was still nothing.


    ¡°I know you think that death would bring relief, but you¡¯re wrong. It¡¯ll only bring pain. Everyone here needs you to live. You¡¯re a symbol now, whether you like it or not. Live, and you give the entire indian nation hope. Die, and you¡¯ve turned them all into victims. It¡¯s a heavy responsibility. I don¡¯t blame you for wanting to chicken out and say ¡®screw you¡¯ to your whole family.¡±


    Her eyes popped open. ¡°Shut up,¡± she croaked out.


    ¡°No, seriously, I mean, what do you care? You¡¯ll be gone. Let someone else clean up the mess. Why should you have to do it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that,¡± she whispered.


    I shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s how I see it. And I¡¯m sure I¡¯m not alone. But, whatever. It¡¯s your life. Give it to the canners if you want.¡±


    A tear trickled down her temple, running towards her ear.


    I reached over and wiped it away with my finger before continuing. ¡°Ooor, you could stop lying here marinating in your pity party sauce, and get better so we can go after those animals. Doesn¡¯t that sound fun? Killing canners? I mean, maybe we should be deciding who lives and who dies and not them. I think we¡¯re better qualified to make those decisions since we¡¯re the sane ones.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no use. They have weapons.¡±


    ¡°So do we. I brought some military-grade with me, and we can get more if we need to. But I can train you, Celia. I can turn you into a weapon. And then the only way anyone will ever get to you again is with a gun, and they¡¯ll have to kill you to stop you. That¡¯s what you want, anyway, right? I could totally hook you up with that glorious death match you keep dreaming about.¡±

 Page 7

    ¡°I¡¯m going to die anyway. I¡¯m sick.¡±


    ¡°You wish. You already look better than you did last night.¡± That was kind of a lie, but she needed to hear it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to live,¡± she whispered, the tears coming faster now and her chin quivering.


    I leaned over and looked right in her face, forcing her to look in my eyes. ¡°If you can¡¯t live for yourself, live for your people. They need you, Celia. Your mom wouldn¡¯t have wanted you to abandon them like this.¡±


    She threw her good arm over her eyes, sobbing now. ¡°I miss my mom.¡±


    I rubbed the shoulder of her injured arm, gently. ¡°I know.¡± My voice had gone all wonky, so I had to clear it to keep talking. ¡°A-hem. I miss my dad, too. We all miss someone. That¡¯s why we have to stick together and not give up. We¡¯re already too alone as it is.¡±


    After a while, she nodded. ¡°I know you¡¯re right,¡± she said tiredly. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to deal with all this shit anymore, you know? It¡¯s just ¡­ too much. It¡¯s too much for me.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. You¡¯re stronger than you think. Let me show you.¡±


    She dropped the arm covering her eyes. ¡°Now?¡± She had stopped crying and was giving me an incredulous look.


    I smiled. ¡°Well, not right this second. Get a little bit better, so you can at least stand on your feet, and then we¡¯ll get started. I¡¯ll work with you alone. Just you and me. Private lessons.¡±


    ¡°What am I going to learn?¡±


    ¡°A martial art called krav maga. I¡¯ll turn you into a certified badass.¡±


    She whispered, another tear making its way down her temple, ¡°But I only have half an arm.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t matter. I promise. We¡¯ll adjust adapt. It¡¯ll work to your advantage.¡±


    She scoffed at that. ¡°Yeah, right. Now I know you¡¯re full of shit.¡±


    ¡°No, seriously. I¡¯m going to let you in on a little secret. Don¡¯t tell any of the guys. I¡¯m saving this for just the girls until we finish our guys-against-the-girls competition.¡± I waited for her head to nod in agreement before continuing. ¡°Your biggest asset will be your ability to look weak. Any canner who sees you is going to see a victim, not the master of death I¡¯m going to turn you into. You¡¯ll totally be able to take them by surprise. And that¡¯s all you need - one chance to catch them off guard.¡±


    She smiled weakly. ¡°Master of death. I like that.¡±


    I smiled back. ¡°I thought you might. So listen ¡­ can I ask you some questions? About the assholes who did this to you?¡± I gestured to her injured arm lying at her side, the stump ending at her elbow wrapped in white gauze.


    ¡°Sure,¡± she sighed. ¡°What do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°Everything you can remember about the people who took you and hurt you - where they live, who was in charge, what they did, who else was around, their habits. Everything.¡±


    ¡°Why? What are you planning to do?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I¡¯m going to go kick some canner ass.¡± I leaned in closer, giving her my most serious look. ¡°And I¡¯m bringing friends.¡±


    She smiled, closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep, but not before she said, ¡°I like that plan.¡±


    I left Celia to her much-needed sleep and walked back to my hut with Coli at my side.


    ¡°What¡¯d she say?¡± Coli asked when we were about halfway there.


    ¡°She¡¯s ready to go on living, I think. I promised her I¡¯d help her learn to fight.¡±


    ¡°How are you going to do that with her ¡­ you know ¡­ her arm?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll just have to adjust somehow. Remember what I said today? One of your biggest advantages in a fight?¡±


    ¡°That guys will assume we¡¯re weak?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. What do you think they¡¯ll assume when they see Celia?¡±


    ¡°That she¡¯s the weakest one of all of us.¡±


    ¡°Right. Easy to kill. But by the time I¡¯m done with her, she¡¯ll be the strongest. She¡¯s more motivated than any of you to get tough. Plus, I think she started out tougher than all of you.¡±


    I looked at Coli who had the hint of a smile on her face. As soon as she saw me looking at her, though, she stopped.


    Baby steps. Today, a half-smile. Next year, a hug. Or maybe just a full smile. If I¡¯m lucky.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the deal with tonight?¡± I asked. ¡°For dinner and the meeting ¡­ is it called a pow wow?¡±


    ¡°You can call it whatever you want. Someone will come get you when we¡¯re ready. The plan is to work out some details concerning you and your friends and the issue of getting our tribes together.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t sound like you¡¯re that excited about it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±


    I stopped walking. ¡°How come? It seems silly that you wouldn¡¯t want to be closer to your family and have them all together. I mean, your brother Jeremy is over there.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any brothers or sisters?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, when you do, come talk to me.¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, saying the reason you don¡¯t want to combine tribes is because you hate your brother.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m just saying that they have their way of doing things and we have ours. It¡¯s a difference of personalities. We don¡¯t mix well.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re just too close-minded about the whole thing.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± was all she¡¯d say.


    I gave up trying to engage her in conversation. I¡¯m not the most social person on a good day, and trying to get her to say more than a few words at a time was like pulling teeth, for both of us.


    We arrived at the hut to find both Peter and Bodo there. Coli left without saying a word.


    ¡°She¡¯s not very friendly, iss she?¡± asked Bodo.


    ¡°No, not really. But whatever. We have a meeting tonight at dinner to discuss what our roles will be and also about integrating the tribes, so we need to get our stories straight and figure out what exactly we want before we get there.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it now. I¡¯m bored out of my mind,¡± said Peter.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I have another training session today or not, but I can hang out here and talk to you guys until then, if I do.¡± I looked over at the shelves. ¡°Is there any food around? I¡¯m starving.¡±


    ¡°I saved you some. Go sit downwind, and I¡¯ll bring it,¡± said Peter.


    I rolled my eyes, ignoring his comment about my stench. I couldn¡¯t help it if I sweated when I worked out. I¡¯d long since run out of deodorant. I didn¡¯t know whether to be happy or disgusted by the fact that I¡¯d become kind of immune to body smells. They used to be offensive to me, even though I smelled a lot of stinky guys at the places I worked out, but they weren¡¯t so much anymore. Apparently, it wasn¡¯t the same for Peter.


    ¡°You can sit next to me, Smellykind.¡±


    I sat down. ¡°What is that smellykind thing? Is that a real word?¡±


    ¡°Well, kind is a wordt. It means childt. You use it in English. You know da place, kindergarten. Dat¡¯s a garden where you grow da little childrens. Kinder is more dan one kid. Kind is chust one kid. See dat? Our language is not dat different.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Say something in German. Let me see.¡±


    ¡°Ich bin Deutscher, und ich liebe dich, auch wenn du mich manchmal verr¨¹ckt machst.¡±


    I laughed. ¡°Yeah, right. I have no idea what you just said, and it sure didn¡¯t sound like any English I know.¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Dare are many parallels. Maybe I will tich you. Den we can talk about Peter and he won¡¯t know what we are saying.¡±


    ¡°Like I even listen to you when you¡¯re speaking English,¡± scoffed Peter, handing me a platter of food and sitting down next to me.


    ¡°You just listened to dat, didn¡¯t you?¡± challenged Bodo.


    ¡°Did you hear something, Bryn? No? Me neither. Maybe it was the wind,¡± said Peter, deliberately not looking at Bodo.


    I joined in, smiling. ¡°I think it was Buster. He has gas.¡±


    ¡°Ha! What does dat mean?¡± said Bodo in mock offense. ¡°Are you saying dat my wordts are like da fartings of dogs? Because dat is chust mean, Bryn. And after I said dose nice things to you.¡±


    ¡°What nice things?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure, yeah, now you want to talk to Bodo. Okay. I see how things are going to be.¡± He shook his head. ¡°No, sorry. But you can¡¯t know. It¡¯s a big secret now. Too badt you don¡¯t speak Cherman. You would like dis very much, I am sure.¡±


    ¡°Tell me,¡± I said, shoving him lightly.


    ¡°No. Leaf me alone, smellykind.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll tell you later,¡± said Peter. ¡°He can¡¯t keep a secret.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. I can. I can keep lots of secrets.¡±


    The way he said it made me think of the things he could be keeping from us. It suddenly made me uneasy.


    ¡°Secrets shouldn¡¯t be kept from family members,¡± I said, all traces of humor gone from my voice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t agree,¡± said Bodo, also very serious.


    Peter looked back and forth, from Bodo to me. ¡°What¡¯s going on here, guys? Do we have a problem?¡±


    ¡°We only have a problem if Bodo is keeping secrets. And I¡¯m not talking about his little German sentence, either. What aren¡¯t you telling us, Bodo?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Nothing you needt to worry about.¡±


    ¡°Where were you earlier?¡± I asked, now more suspicious than ever. It made me sick to think about how quickly he¡¯d gone from joking and companionable to cold and obstinate like this. I questioned how much I really knew him. I felt like I couldn¡¯t trust the read I was getting on him - like maybe it was the German thing or the cultural differences that were throwing my radar off.


    ¡°I was aroundt.¡±


    ¡°Around where? You weren¡¯t here at the huts. You weren¡¯t at the training session with the guys.¡±


    ¡°Just around. Around da swamp. Why do you care so much? What do you think I¡¯m gonna do? Run away?¡±


    ¡°Well, you do, Bodo, don¡¯t you?¡± I was getting cranky now. ¡°You do runaway. You disappear and we have no idea where you go.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware dat I had to ask you for permission to make a doodle.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t give me that crap. You know you weren¡¯t out going to the bathroom.¡±


    ¡°How do you know dat?¡±


    It was a stupid question but it went along with the whole stupid conversation. I was sick of it. ¡°Whatever, Bodo. Keep playing like it¡¯s me and not you. See how far that gets you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight with you, Bryn. But dat doesn¡¯t mean you are going to be da boss of me all da time. I¡¯m a bigk boy. I don¡¯t need a mudder.¡± He sat up straighter.


    I just ignored him, talking to Peter instead. ¡°So what do you think we should say to them about our roles here?¡±


    Peter looked worriedly at Bodo, but answered me anyway. ¡°Well, I¡¯d like to offer myself to help with the chores, whatever they are. I guess they have someone cooking, someone cleaning clothes, someone raising food. Probably other things, too. I could help with any of that.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°I know you could probably clean the hell out of this swamp if they let you.¡±


    ¡°No, thanks. I¡¯m not really into the whole snakes and spiders thing. I was thinking more like cleaning huts.¡±


    ¡°What about toilets?¡±


    ¡°Uh ¡­ no.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so you¡¯re going to tell them that you¡¯ll clean huts but not toilets.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±

 Page 8

    ¡°Good luck with that whole picking and choosing thing.¡± I turned to Bodo. ¡°So what about you? What is your offer going to be?¡± I was trying to be all mature and act like I wasn¡¯t still pissed at him for being a jerk.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna grow some stuff. Some tomatoes. And maybe I¡¯ll be an alligator farmer.¡±


    I laughed. ¡°An alligator farmer? What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Well, what do you think you¡¯ff been eating all dis time?¡±


    I looked down at my plate and said weakly, ¡°Deer meat?¡± I looked up at him, hoping he¡¯d confirm my guess.


    ¡°The udder day, maybe. But dat is alligator tails right dare.¡± He pointed to the piece of meat that had tasted like watered-down chicken to me.


    ¡°Oh. Geez. I¡¯m not sure how I feel about that.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s da problem? Meat is meat.¡±


    I instantly felt sick to my stomach and faint. I glanced over at Peter to see that his face had gone white.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± I said, dead serious, staring at Bodo.


    Bodo looked at Peter and then me, confused. ¡°What? What did I say? Why are you looking at me like dat?¡± After a couple more seconds, his expression changed. ¡°Oh, okay. I know what you are thinking. Of course, meat is not always meat. Sometimes it¡¯s a person¡¯s body part and den of course it¡¯s not okay. I am sorry, Peter, I wasn¡¯t thinking about dat. It¡¯s not in my head like dat.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Peter said in a strained voice. ¡°I know what you meant.¡±


    Bodo ran his hands through his hair in a frustrated gesture. ¡°Dis whole conversation is going in a bad way. I want to fix it. I don¡¯t like for you guyss to be mad.¡±


    ¡°Fix it by telling us your secrets,¡± I said, point blank. I was tired of the games.


    Bodo sighed and then stood. ¡°Never mind. It¡¯s useless,¡± he said, before stalking off.


    ¡°What was that all about?¡± asked Peter, watching him go.


    ¡°I would really like to be able to answer that question, Peter. I really would.¡± My mind was going a million miles an hour. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to hear me say it. But after his meat is meat comment, I have to.¡±


    ¡°Bryn¡­¡± Peter was shaking his head.


    ¡°What if he is?¡± I said in a loud whisper. ¡°What if he was a canner before he met us? What then, huh? He can¡¯t stay here if he¡¯s one of them.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not one of them. He couldn¡¯t have been. He¡¯s too ¡­ nice.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but nice and hungry maybe sometimes don¡¯t mix. Maybe sometimes the hunger wins out over the niceness.¡±


    Peter thought about it for a second. ¡°He is pretty muscular.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right? I mean, how did he stay so buff if all he had to eat were Pringles?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re fattening?¡± offered Peter, weakly.


    ¡°Fattening, maybe. Muscle-building? Not so much.¡±


    ¡°We should just ask him instead of sitting here thinking the worst.¡±


    I snorted. ¡°Right. We¡¯ll just go up to him and say, ¡®Did you used to eat people before you met us?¡¯ ¡± I shook my head. ¡°I think that¡¯s almost the same as asking someone if he¡¯s a child molester. He¡¯s not going to admit it, and if he¡¯s never done something terrible like that, it¡¯ll offend him.¡±


    ¡°So what if you offend him? We need to know.¡±


    ¡°Well, if he¡¯s not guilty of doing something bad, I don¡¯t want to accuse him of it.¡±


    Peter sighed. ¡°So we¡¯re right back to where we started.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Maybe not.¡±


    ¡°You have that devious look in your eye, Bryn. The one that makes my butt hairs stand on end.¡±


    I laughed. ¡°Ew. I so do not need a vision of your bum fur in my mind right now.¡±


    ¡°What are you thinking about? Tell me.¡±


    ¡°Your butt hair, thanks to you. I was thinking of a plan before.¡±


    ¡°Well ignore my butt hair for a minute and tell me your plan.¡±


    ¡°I was just thinking that we can act like we don¡¯t care and then follow him when he disappears again ¡­ see where he goes.¡±


    ¡°There are only about five problems with that plan,¡± said Peter, rolling his eyes and shaking his head, obviously disappointed in my suggestion.


    ¡°Oh, yeah? Enlighten me.¡±


    ¡°Well, first, neither of us is good at sneaking.¡±


    ¡°We could get one of the Meeks to do it for us.¡±


    ¡°Which leads us to the other problem of tipping them off that we suspect Bodo of something bad, which I will go on the record as saying is a bad idea. Even worse than your other one.¡±


    ¡°What else?¡± I said, trying not to be offended about essentially being called an idiot.


    ¡°He¡¯ll catch us and then be hurt that we didn¡¯t trust him and maybe not want to be with us anymore.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I agree, that would suck - if he¡¯s not a canner. Anything else?¡±


    ¡°He could just be off doodling. And I sure as heck don¡¯t want to walk up on that ¡­ activity.¡±


    I laughed. ¡°I hear he¡¯s a good doodler, though.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    ¡°Is that it? All your reasons for why we shouldn¡¯t go after him?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I think so.¡±


    ¡°Well, none of them are good enough for me to listen to you.¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine. But don¡¯t say later that I didn¡¯t warn you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t listen.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll titty twist you.¡±


    I covered my boobs. ¡°Stay away from my lovely lady lumps.¡±


    Peter laughed. ¡°Please. They¡¯re more like mosquito bites than lumps.¡±


    I looked at him, exaggeratedly appalled. ¡°How dare you insult my lady lumps, in the back and in the front.¡±


    ¡°No one said anything about your lumps in the back. You actually have lumps in the back. Not so much in the front, though.¡±


    I removed my hands and looked down. ¡°You may have a point. I¡¯ve lost a lot of weight.¡±


    Peter shoved me gently before standing up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Hooters would just get in the way out here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, still examining my lack of lady lumpage. ¡°They get sweaty, you know. This means I have less sweat.¡±


    ¡°And we all know you could use less of that,¡± said Peter, giggling from the pantry area.


    ¡°Are you organizing cans again, Mr. OCD?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    I sighed. It was almost scary to think we were getting into a routine here. I wasn¡¯t sure if it made me happy or nervous.


    I turned my thoughts back to Bodo, wondering where he was right now and what he was hiding. I couldn¡¯t think of a single thing, other than former canner activity, that would keep him so shuttered off from us. But I was determined to find out what it was, and if that meant playing indian girl sneaking around in the swamp, I was going to do it.


    I thought of Coli. She was pretty good at it. Maybe she¡¯d give me lessons. I planned to ask her the next time I saw her, which turned out to be at the meeting just a few hours later.


    The day flew by. I ended up doing only two training sessions, and while I laid around waiting for a third to come, the sounds of Peter organizing cans and whatnot put me to sleep.


    I was awakened by Peter and Bodo arguing about the drawings that Bodo wanted to put on the poles that supported our hut above the water.


    ¡°No, you are not going to doodle on the house, Bodo. It¡¯s not our house, to begin with, and you have nothing to doodle with. If you have a pen, I need it to put Bryn¡¯s schedule together.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t haff a pen. But I can use udder things. It¡¯s not a problem. I will adapt to da situation. You are gonna like it.¡±


    Peter sighed loudly. ¡°Fine. Doodle away. I don¡¯t really care. I just don¡¯t want you to upset anyone.¡±


    ¡°I will ask permission first, don¡¯t you worry. And I am a goot artist, you will see. I¡¯m gonna draw some birds, and I can see dey like da birds. Did you see da tattoos?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they did seem to have a lot of bird tattoos, you¡¯re right.¡±


    I got up and joined them, trying to ignore my weird feelings about Bodo. If I were going to sneak around behind him, I was going to have to let him think I had dropped the whole thing. I couldn¡¯t have him on edge or suspicious of me.


    ¡°I think the idea of drawing birds is a good one.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? Why? Are you a bird lover?¡± asked Bodo, sounding surprised and happy.


    Holy mood swing. ¡°Uh, I guess. I mean, they¡¯re pretty. I wouldn¡¯t mind having some fried chicken right now.¡±


    Bodo frowned at me. ¡°Birds and chickens are different things.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± I asked. ¡°They all have feathers. They¡¯re all edible, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Maybe dat¡¯s true. But dat doesn¡¯t mean you should eat da birds, even dough you can. Just like da people. Just because you can eat dem, it¡¯s still wrong to do it.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because they¡¯re people, not animals,¡± said Peter.


    ¡°Some birds are more intelligent dan udders, like people. You should not eat da smart birds.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked. He seemed kind of serious about this, which was weird, even considering he and I had sort of had a disagreement. Why get your undies in a bunch over stupid birds?


    ¡°Because smart birds can be your friends. Dey can help you to survive. Dumb birds like da chickens are good for making food only. Either eggs or meat, whatever you want. But smart birds, dey are not for making food. Just for getting food.¡±


    I rolled by eyes. ¡°Whatever.¡± His English was clearly falling apart. It was the only explanation for this craziness, other than actual craziness which I was pretty sure he didn¡¯t suffer from.


    ¡°I think what you¡¯re saying makes sense, Bodo. But let¡¯s face it - if we¡¯re starving and there¡¯s a smart bird standing there, I¡¯m going to eat him. It¡¯s all about survival.¡±


    Bodo put his head down. ¡°I know. It¡¯s all about da survival. For some people.¡±


    His last comment caught my attention. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean ¡­ ¡®for some people¡¯?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Dat¡¯s what I said. I mean dat.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying you don¡¯t only care about survival?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± He looked up at me in challenge.


    It just pissed me off all over again. ¡°Yeah, right. As if you¡¯d stand there and die of starvation while a smart bird hopped all around you squawking. You¡¯d grab that thing and wring its neck just like anyone else. And the only reason you¡¯d say you wouldn¡¯t is because you just haven¡¯t been hungry enough.¡±


    Peter blanched. ¡°Um, Bryn? I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s the canner¡¯s creed.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Peter. That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying. There¡¯s a difference between the life of a human and the life of a dumb bird.¡±


    Bodo stared at me for a few long seconds, before turning and walking away again. I watched his back disappear through the trees.


    I sighed heavily in frustration. ¡°What is wrong with that guy, anyway? See?¡± I threw my hands up and looked at Peter, practically demanding an explanation. ¡°One minute he wants to be Mr. Bryn, and the next he wants me to starve and let a stupid bird live! I don¡¯t get it!¡±


    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s a bird lover? How am I supposed to know? Maybe it¡¯s a German thing.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember hearing or reading that Germans have a special affinity for birds.¡±


    ¡°Well, then, you don¡¯t pay much attention in history class.¡±

 Page 9

    I nodded, grudgingly. ¡°That¡¯s probably true. Why? What did I forget?¡±


    ¡°Their coat of arms is a giant, black bird.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± I thought about that for a second. ¡°So what does that mean? They¡¯re all freaky bird lovers?¡±


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t know what it means. I was just saying ¡­¡± He shrugged.


    ¡°Well, whatever. Bottom line is, he¡¯s annoying, sneaking around, and defending birds probably just to argue with me.¡±


    ¡°And he¡¯s hot, funny, and in love with you, too. Don¡¯t forget those things.¡±


    My face went red. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that last part, but I agree with the other stuff.¡±


    ¡°So let¡¯s just give him some space and wait and see what happens. He¡¯s a good person, and I really do think he likes you a lot. I¡¯m sure things will work out one way or another.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he used to like me, but I doubt he does anymore, now that I¡¯ve insulted his bird fetish.¡±


    Peter smiled. ¡°He¡¯s not going to stop liking you over one little argument. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s the type to just fall for someone and then hate them the next day. We don¡¯t live in that kind of world anymore, anyway.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, when there were thousands of possible mates to choose from, it was like being a huge candy store with a billion types of sugary things to choose from. You could sample one of everything and not worry about whether you¡¯d like it much or whatever, because there was always another jar of candy nearby. But now, there¡¯s no candy store. There¡¯s a single jawbreaker that you found in the gutter. And there are no more jawbreaker factories. No more candy stores. No more refined sugar. That one jawbreaker you found could be the only one you¡¯ll ever have again. You aren¡¯t going to just eat it and say goodbye.¡±


    His analogy wasn¡¯t perfect but I saw where he was going with it. ¡°So I¡¯m like a jawbreaker. A dirty one you find in the gutter.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. And he likes that candy. It¡¯s his favorite. So he doesn¡¯t care that it has smelly feet.¡±


    I scowled at him. ¡°How do you know he likes jawbreakers so much?¡±


    ¡°I just know. I can tell a good match when I see one. He needs someone spunky and tough, someone different than other girls. That¡¯s you.¡±


    I smiled, liking how Peter had described me. ¡°But what if he just decides to eat it real quick and then move on? I mean, there are other jawbreakers out there. They¡¯re just more rare.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how he is. He¡¯s methodical. A thinking person. He¡¯s not rash. And he knows his odds of finding a jawbreaker of this flavor? Are pretty slim.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen him do some stupid, rash things ¡­ like going after the candy at the Cracker Barrel.¡±


    ¡°That was all a very carefully-crafted way of making sure he had a good grip on his jawbreaker. He wants to keep the candy happy. Keep it sweet.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Ugh. Your analogy is making me want to eye gouge you right now.¡±


    He held up his fingers, turning them like he was adjusting dials on a stereo. ¡°Just remember: titty twisting champion, eight years running.¡±


    I resisted the urge to cover my boobs and was rescued from having to come up with a suitable retort by Paci joining us.


    ¡°Hey, Hot Stuff and her very small friends. Are you ready to go?¡±


    Buster went bananas, running over to Paci and jumping up on his legs, begging for attention. Paci didn¡¯t disappoint him, either. He bent down and baby-talked with Buster like he was an old hand at it.


    I smiled in amusement. Paci was no wimp. He was almost as big as Bodo and ripped to the max. He had zero body fat, so Peter and I were able to admire his every muscle, which I noticed Peter was doing with unabashed curiosity.


    I caught Peter¡¯s attention and raised my eyebrows at him in a conspiratorial message of mutual admiration. He smiled in return, giving me a pitiful wink that made him look like he had something stuck in both eyes. It made me laugh.


    Paci looked up at me. ¡°Something strike you as funny?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You baby-talking to a nude poodle.¡±


    Paci turned his attention back to the dog. ¡°I had a dog, but she died a few years back. I miss her.¡± He swallowed hard.


    I wondered how many family members Paci had lost. Most of us didn¡¯t talk about it. It was too depressing, and life was already pretty crappy most of the time. It had turned into some kind of unspoken rule to keep your family miseries to yourself. Peter was the exception, maybe since it hadn¡¯t been the virus that had taken his sister.


    ¡°Time for the meeting,¡± said Paci, standing up straighter. ¡°Where¡¯s your boyfriend?¡± he asked, looking at me.


    ¡°He¡¯s not my boyfriend, and I have no idea where he is. He took off on a walk or something.¡±


    Paci¡¯s eyebrows raised. ¡°He¡¯s not your boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°No. Why?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure why I asked. It was kind of a loaded question, and I tried to avoid those, generally speaking - at least when it came to guys.


    ¡°Sure looked like it to me.¡±


    ¡°Well, looks can be deceiving.¡± My hands went to my hips, and I probably seemed defensive but I couldn¡¯t help it.


    He looked at me for a couple seconds and then broke out in a huge grin. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me that. The first time I saw you acting all tough I was expecting to see you on your ass in the swamp.¡±


    ¡°The only ones on their asses in the swamp when Bryn¡¯s around are you guys,¡± said Peter, pride in his voice.


    I glanced over at him and winked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t deny it. But see, she¡¯s making a critical mistake.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah? What¡¯s that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re teaching us all your moves. Eventually we¡¯ll all be as tough as you, and then you¡¯ll be the one taking a bath.¡±


    ¡°You might think so,¡± I said casually, ¡°if you didn¡¯t consider the fact that while I train you, I continue to train myself. So no matter how far you move forward, I¡¯ll always be ahead of you.¡±


    ¡°Burn, Paci,¡± said Peter, his voice again full of pride.


    Paci smiled. ¡°I like your style, Bryn. I really do.¡± He walked towards the ceremonial hut. ¡°Let¡¯s go. The tribe is waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°Tribe, as in singular?¡± I asked, walking over to follow him through the trees.


    ¡°No. They¡¯re both there. I¡¯m just trying to get my head wrapped around the idea of us being just one now. It¡¯s not easy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll get easier,¡± I said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope so,¡± said Paci. He remained silent the rest of the way to the ceremonial hut, but he kept looking back at me from time to time with a weird expression on his face.


    Peter came up to me as we reached the edge of the trees that ringed the hut. We let Paci pull ahead until we were alone again.


    Peter spoke once he was out of earshot. ¡°I think he likes you.¡±


    I watched Paci join the others, noticing that he was still glancing at me occasionally, and watching other guys who were looking over at Peter and me.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He keeps watching you. Once he heard Bodo wasn¡¯t your boyfriend, he was all over that.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Shit.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Exactly. You¡¯d better not go around advertising you¡¯re single. There¡¯s not a hell of a lot of available jawbreakers if you know what I mean.¡±


    My mind raced with the implications. It was stupid of me not to have been thinking about all this stuff before. I¡¯d been so wrapped up in finding food to eat, a place to live, and companions who wouldn¡¯t eat me, I hadn¡¯t much considered the other human needs, other than on the most basic level. God, I hope there are no rapists in this group. The last thing I wanted to do was kill a guy in the swamp.


    There were almost a hundred people jammed into every available spot in and around the hut. Some carried torches, but none were lit. Most of them were wearing regular clothes, no one bothering to get all dressed up like they had last time.


    Trip and Kowi were talking together near the center. Coli was standing off to the side, behind Kowi, gesturing to me with her head to join the two leaders.


    I walked into the center of the hut, making my way through the surrounding throng, arriving in time to hear them talking about what I assumed was the training I¡¯d done with the guys earlier today.


    ¡°Yeah, very cool. You¡¯ll like it. She knows her stuff. I¡¯m dyin¡¯ right now, man,¡± said Kowi, rubbing his bicep muscles.


    Trip acknowledged me with a bland look. His bruises from our fight still hadn¡¯t completely faded.


    ¡°What¡¯s up, guys?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I was just telling Trip about your training ¡­ told him he needs to get in on it.¡±


    ¡°He can if he wants. I¡¯ve got room for two groups a day of each tribe. One girl, one guy. Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that.¡± I changed my focus to Kowi. ¡°I¡¯m putting Peter in charge of the schedule if that¡¯s okay with you. He needs something to organize so he doesn¡¯t go nuts or drive me crazy. He¡¯s already reorganized our pitiful pantry about a hundred times.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay with me,¡± said Kowi, looking at Trip.


    Trip shrugged. ¡°Whatever.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t get a read on Trip at all. ¡°Whatever, as in, you¡¯re okay with it? Or whatever, you don¡¯t want to do the training?¡±


    ¡°Whatever.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Again, Trip? Again with the rooster shit?¡±


    ¡°Rooster shit?¡± he said, looking a little angry now.


    ¡°Yeah. The strutting around with the feathers and stuff. Honestly, I thought we were beyond that.¡±


    Kowi cuffed him in the shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s just pissed you kicked his ass in front of everyone.¡±


    Trip scowled at him but said nothing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let it bother you,¡± I said with a totally straight face. ¡°No one¡¯s managed to beat me since I was twelve. You have a lot of company.¡±


    Trip smiled in spite of himself. ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Seriously.¡±


    ¡°How long have you been doing this? The fighting stuff?¡± asked Kowi.


    ¡°Since I was three.¡±


    ¡°No way.¡±


    ¡°Yeah way. My dad was an instructor. He was kind of obsessed with it, especially after my mom left.¡±


    Trip nodded, saying nothing.


    I decided a change of subject was in order. ¡°You guys ready to start? And what exactly are we doing here, anyway? I¡¯m kind of clueless, actually.¡±


    Kowi waved around to everyone, motioning for them to sit. ¡°You ready, Trip?¡±


    Trip nodded, scanning the crowd.


    Kowi looked at me. ¡°Just stay here. It¡¯ll be easier to just explain as we go, if that¡¯s okay with you.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± What am I going to say? No? Sorry, Chief, but it¡¯s my way or the highway? I tried not to be frustrated with my place on the totem pole, which was much lower than I cared for. It made me feel out of control of my life and therefore, my safety, so it put my nerves a little on edge.


    ¡°Thanks for coming,¡± said Kowi to the group. ¡°Trip and I have agreed to get all of us together to discuss uniting the tribes into one nation.¡±


    ¡°I agreed to this in principle only,¡± clarified Trip. ¡°I know we¡¯re stronger as one. But we still need to figure out who¡¯s in charge and how it will work with sharing hunting grounds and other stuff. If I¡¯m not happy with it, I won¡¯t agree.¡±


    ¡°I thought we already talked about a combined ruling council,¡± said Coli from the perimeter, her voice clearly expressing how annoyed she was with Trip.


    ¡°We did,¡± said Kowi, ¡°and as far as we¡¯re concerned, it¡¯s still the option we agree to go with.¡±

 Page 10

    ¡°I¡¯m fine with it, too. But we need the person to act as the tie breaker for decisions that are stuck, and we need to figure out the specifics of who does and gets what.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s figure out one thing at a time,¡± said Kowi. ¡°First, the issue of tiebreaker. We nominate Bryn.¡± He looked at me as if waiting for me to say something.


    ¡°Uh. Are you sure?¡± I asked. I actually thought Peter would be a better choice than me. Or even Bodo. They were less emotional than I am and always seemed to be talking sense when I was going off, following my first instinct. ¡°Why not Peter? I think he¡¯d make more sense.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome to consult with him, but I prefer you,¡± said Kowi.


    I looked over at Peter and he just shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°I agree to this,¡± said Trip, ¡°but only if she has plans to stay here for a long time. There¡¯s no use giving her that kind of power if she¡¯s just going to be here for a little while and leave.¡± He was staring at me intently, a challenge in his eyes.


    Trip was really putting me on the spot. I looked over at Peter and he nodded his head, encouraging me to accept. But I wasn¡¯t sure what to say. Can I promise I¡¯ll never want to leave? Do I even know what it would mean to actually live here? So far it had been more like a camping trip than a lifestyle.


    Kowi must have sensed my reticence because he chimed in with, ¡°I don¡¯t agree that she needs to commit to the tribes forever. I think it would be good to get some sort of commitment from her, though.¡± Kowi looked at me and then Trip. ¡°Would you agree to six months at least?¡±


    Trip shook his head. ¡°No. But one year? Yeah.¡±


    So it¡¯s a one-year commitment or I can see my ass out of the swamp. I looked over at Peter again, and his eyes were begging me. Bodo wasn¡¯t there, but I had to assume he¡¯d want to stay, too. He was always talking about doodling on the house to make it nicer; I was going to take that to mean he wanted to make it more homey - as in a place he¡¯d want to put down roots. Buster licked my ankle, which felt a lot like moral support, and that was the final sign I needed to agree.


    ¡°Fine. I can commit to a year. I guess we¡¯ll look at this again when we get to that point and decide what works for us then.¡±


    Kowi nodded his head.


    Trip just stared at me as if he were trying to read my mind.


    It made me uncomfortable, but I stared back without flinching or glancing away. Obvious and purposeful strength was important to earning and keeping his respect. I knew that. I wondered if he knew even this much about himself, or if he was a slave to his ego like most guys were.


    That¡¯s where Bodo had it over Trip, as far as I was concerned. Bodo knew who he was and could make a joke about himself without worrying about being seen as less of a man. But not Trip; making a joke about him would probably get you beat down in a hurry.


    I watched Trip and Kowi standing side-by-side, wondering how two close friends out in the old world, like they apparently had been, could become such rivals when the world fell apart like this. What had caused Kowi to become this calm and thoughtful leader, and Trip to become so belligerent and short-fused?


    Kowi spoke again, gesturing to Peter. ¡°We need jobs for the three additions to the tribes. Who¡¯s got a spot for Peter?¡±


    One of the Creek girls raised her hand. Trip acknowledged her. ¡°Jen?¡±


    ¡°What can he do?¡± she asked.


    Everyone looked at Peter, who immediately squirmed under the attention. He seemed at a temporary loss for words, so I spoke up for him.


    ¡°He¡¯s very good at organizing and cleaning. He¡¯s going to keep my training schedule for all of us, so that¡¯ll keep his brain busy. But he needs to do something with his hands.¡±


    ¡°And not cleaning the outhouse, please,¡± he said in a meek voice.


    Everyone laughed.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got a spot for him,¡± said Jen.


    ¡°Good. Get him in the morning tomorrow,¡± ordered Trip, not even looking at Kowi.


    Kowi spoke up. ¡°Anyone in the Miccosukee tribe able to use Peter?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We could use him. In the weaving hut,¡± said Coli, narrowing her eyes at Trip.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to suggest that Peter spend half his time with you and half with us,¡± Kowi said to Trip.


    Trip thought about it for a second and said, ¡°I agree.¡± He jerked his thumb at me.


    ¡°What about her boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s talking about Bodo,¡± I clarified, ¡°but he¡¯s not my boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± said Kowi, looking genuinely surprised. ¡°Sure seemed that way to me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, whatever.¡± Peter¡¯s words were coming back to me, so I decided not to argue the point. Maybe it was better to just let everyone think what they wanted about us. At least I wouldn¡¯t have to fight off any advances during practice sessions.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to take him with us hunting,¡± said Trip.


    ¡°We would also,¡± said Kowi.


    The two chiefs were facing each other, almost like a showdown. The temperature of the place rose as moods shifted.


    I spoke without even thinking. ¡°Hey! I have an idea!¡±


    They both looked at me, waiting for me to continue.


    I paused, not exactly sure what my idea was. ¡°Um ¡­ why ¡­ uh ¡­ don¡¯t you, like, share him. Share everybody. Everything.¡±


    Trip frowned at me.


    Kowi said, ¡°What?¡± looking just as confused as the other chief.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. That wasn¡¯t very clear was it?¡± The idea took shape in my mind as I spoke. ¡°What I meant was, why do you continue to live separately? Why don¡¯t you combine forces for everything? Weaving, hunting, cooking. Whatever. Why keep it yours and theirs? Why not ours, as in all indians in Kahayatle?¡±


    ¡°We lost our identity once. We¡¯re not going to do it again,¡± said Trip.


    ¡°No, we didn¡¯t,¡± said Kowi, dismissing his concerns. ¡°Working together doesn¡¯t change who we are. It just makes us safer.¡±


    ¡°And it makes the most efficient use of your talents and resources,¡± volunteered Peter from the sidelines.


    Everyone looked over at him and he shrank down, looking at the ground. If he could have made a hole open in the ground in front of him, he probably would have stepped into it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t agree, personally. But I¡¯m willing to give everyone a vote,¡± said Trip.


    I nodded. It seemed fair.


    ¡°Who agrees with Kowi and who agrees with me?¡± he said, looking out at the group.


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Pfft. Like that¡¯s fair.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± he asked, trying to act like he didn¡¯t understand what he¡¯d done wrong.


    ¡°That¡¯s just intimidation. No one¡¯s going to give you their real opinion if you put it like that.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± said Kowi. ¡°Either do it the right way or don¡¯t bother. It doesn¡¯t matter to me. I¡¯m going to do what¡¯s right for all of us - not just the Miccosukee. It¡¯s not that long ago that our parents were friends. And so were we.¡±


    ¡°I know that. And so am I. Doing what¡¯s right, I mean,¡± said Trip, offended. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to hurt anyone here.¡±


    It was a smooth move on Kowi¡¯s part. I tried not to smile at him and get Trip all upset about a possible conspiracy that didn¡¯t exist.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a secret ballot vote,¡± I said.


    Both chiefs looked at me confused.


    ¡°Everyone gets ¡­ uh ¡­ a leaf. And they put the leaf in one basket or another to cast their votes. Behind a tree. So no one can see it.¡±


    Kowi and Trip nodded.


    ¡°Everyone find a leaf,¡± ordered Kowi. Within seconds the whole mass of people was reaching over to grab leaves off the ground, passing them around to friends until everyone had one.


    Two baskets made their way up to the front. One was square and one was oblong.


    ¡°You want to take over, Nokosi?¡± asked Kowi, handing me the containers.


    ¡°Not really.¡± I wasn¡¯t kidding either.


    ¡°Do it,¡± said Trip, his voice brooking no argument.


    I rolled my eyes. Sometimes his macho act was really annoying.


    ¡°Fine.¡± I spoke up so everyone would hear me, holding up the baskets in my hands above my head. ¡°The square basket is for staying square - everyone staying in his own little box. Keeping the tribes separate. The oblong basket is one big body of water - everyone being part of the Kahayatle as one tribe. Put your leaf in the basket representing the way you want to go. If you want to join the tribes, put it in the round basket. If you want to stay separate, square basket.¡±


    I brought them down to waist-level. ¡°Where should I go?¡±


    ¡°Go sit behind that tree.¡± Kowi pointed over where Peter was standing.


    I nodded and walked towards Peter, gesturing with my head for him to come with me.


    ¡°How do we know someone won¡¯t choose one basket over another based on peer pressure?¡± asked Peter, joining me as I walked behind the tree.


    I flipped the baskets over and put them down on the ground with their bottoms up. Luckily they weren¡¯t totally solid and had spaces between the fibers. ¡°Like this. They have to jam their leaves into a hole. They won¡¯t be able to see how many are in either one.¡±


    ¡°Sweet. Man, did you plan that out all ahead of time?¡±


    ¡°Nope. Totally pulled it out of my butt.¡±


    ¡°Nice. Your butt has voting machines in it.¡±


    I shove him gently. ¡°Shut up. It¡¯s a voting system, not a voting machine.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Yeah, that sounds so much better. You have a voting system in your butt.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d better be quiet or I¡¯m going to cast a vote from my system right now.¡±


    Peter looked at me, horrified. ¡°Can I just say, ew? Ew, Bryn. Ew.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°You started it.¡±


    The first voters showed up to join us. We could hear the sounds of the group gathering and talking on the other side of the tree as the tribe members mingled, waiting for their turns to come.


    I instructed the girl who approached. ¡°Push your leaf into a crack in the basket.¡±


    ¡°Round is for combining, right?¡± she asked in a soft voice. I recognized her from our training.


    ¡°Yep,¡± I said, smiling as she pushed her leaf through the bottom of the round basket.


    She smiled back. ¡°Thanks, Bryn. For everything that you¡¯re doing.¡±


    I was embarrassed by her compliment and momentarily dumbstruck.


    Peter spoke up while jabbing me in the ribs with his boney elbow. ¡°She says thank you and that it is her pleasure.¡±


    She giggled. ¡°Bye.¡±


    ¡°Bye,¡± said Peter.


    When she was gone he looked at me. ¡°Hello? Anyone in there?¡±


    ¡°Shush,¡± I said, as another girl came around the corner. I felt really weird taking thanks from anyone. Everything I was doing, I did for what seemed like selfish reasons. I just wanted a safe place to live for my little family, and to get it, I had to help them. It didn¡¯t seem right, acting like I was being this altruistic nice person they all seemed to think I was.


    We repeated our voting instructions for this second girl and the other almost one hundred kids who came behind the tree eventually. It took a really long time, even with several of them coming to vote together, not worrying about hiding their choices from anyone.


    When we were finally finished, Trip and Kowi came back and joined Peter and me.


    ¡°Is that everyone?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah. What¡¯s the vote?¡± asked Kowi.


    I lifted up the square basket to reveal a small pile of leaves. One of them was Trip¡¯s.


    I lifted up the round one, the pile of leaves underneath about five times bigger.


    ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s it, then,¡± said Trip. ¡°I¡¯ve been out-voted.¡±

 Page 11

    Kowi punched him lightly in the arm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, man. I got your back now.¡±


    Trip tried not to smile, but I saw the corner of his mouth twitch. He reached over and punched Kowi back. ¡°You¡¯d better.¡±


    Kowi winced. ¡°Oh, shit, that hurt.¡± He massaged his muscle.


    ¡°Have you gone soft on me, dude, or what?¡±


    ¡°Hell no. I went to the Nokosi school of krav ¡­ whatever the heck it is. I¡¯m sore as shit.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be worse tomorrow,¡± I said, trying not to smile.


    Trip lifted his chin at me once and said, ¡°How do we get in on these lessons, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Talk to my manager,¡± I said, sticking my thumb out at Peter.


    ¡°Yeah. I meant to talk to you about that,¡± said Peter to Trip, completely forgetting his shyness in favor of organizing my life. ¡°I¡¯m going to need names and so on so I can get the schedule together. Who do I talk to about ¡­¡±


    I missed the rest of it, walking away with Kowi, back towards the crowd on the other side of the tree. Trip stayed behind with Peter.


    ¡°Good work, Nokosi. You solved a big problem for us today. Again.¡±


    I smiled shyly. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it for you guys. I did it for my friends.¡±


    ¡°Whatever your motivations, thank you.¡± He put his hand on my shoulder and stared into my eyes.


    I saw golden flecks mixed into the brown of his irises. They reminded me of sparks that came out of a campfire. I was momentarily speechless, but my problem was solved by the agony of my toes being crushed beneath a moccasined foot.


    ¡°Hello, Kowi. How did everything go?¡± asked Coli, giving him a beaming smile. It transformed her face, making her incredibly beautiful.


    Kowi¡¯s hand slipped off my shoulder, and he stared at Coli for a second before answering. ¡°Uh, it went well. You can let everyone know the tribes are together now.¡±


    She stood on tiptoes and kissed him right on the mouth before turning and making the announcement to a mostly jubilant crowd.


    Kowi smiled absently, watching her go. ¡°I guess she doesn¡¯t like me talking to you.¡±


    ¡°I guess she doesn¡¯t,¡± I said, smiling and flexing my sore toes. ¡°At least she¡¯s not obvious about it.¡±


    We both laughed, the uncomfortable feeling between us evaporating. When Coli looked back at us, Kowi winked at her, making her smile ramp up to level ten in a split second.


    He looked as stunned by his girl¡¯s beauty as I was. Apparently she was never without that scowl, even around him.


    Now we both knew that next to her, when she was smiling, I was about as pretty as tree bark. I had a feeling I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about fighting off his advances at least, regardless of my boyfriend-less situation.


    Now that the voting was over, the hard work had to be done. Everyone was sitting again, waiting to hear what the tribes¡¯ next steps would be.


    ¡°So, we¡¯ve voted. We¡¯re going to get our tribes together and start working on combining forces. That means food, clothing, maybe shelter, I don¡¯t know ¡­¡± Kowi looked over at Trip and received a shrug in return.


    ¡°Trip and I discussed it, and we think you guys should get together - those of you doing the same kind of work - and talk about how you could work as mixed teams. You guys are better at knowing how this stuff could function for you than we would be. Come see me or Trip if you have questions or disagreements on how it should be done.¡±


    I leaned over and whispered to Peter. ¡°Seems like it could work, right?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. If everyone cooperates.¡± He looked over meaningfully at a couple Creeks who were sitting with their arms folded, definitely looking defensive with their posture.


    ¡°Uh-oh. Trouble in paradise,¡± I murmured.


    ¡°I warned Trip,¡± said Peter softly.


    ¡°Oh yeah? What¡¯d you say?¡±


    ¡°I told him he¡¯d have to monitor the groups or he¡¯d have little rebellions going on all over the place.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯d he say?¡±


    ¡°He said he didn¡¯t need me to tell him how to manage his people.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s an idiot.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. But I like the fact that he seems to be allergic to shirts.¡±


    ¡°Holy wowza, I know, right?¡± I admired Trip¡¯s totally solid form from across the hut.


    Peter gave me the cutest smile ever in response.


    I put my arm around him and squeezed. ¡°That¡¯s the bright side of Trip¡¯s personality, for sure.¡± I thought about it for a second and added, ¡°I¡¯m glad he¡¯s not gay. I don¡¯t think I could handle you dating a mean guy like him.¡±


    Peter snorted. ¡°As if a guy like him would want to be with a guy like me.¡±


    I squeezed Peter harder, looking at him now instead of Trip. ¡°What¡¯s that all about? Any guy would be lucky to have you.¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± he said sadly. He tried to shrug me off, but I refused to be detached.


    ¡°Peter. Don¡¯t make me hurt you. You are cute and sweet and funny. And even in the middle of all this mess you haven¡¯t lost your class or your cool. Like I said. You¡¯re a hot property. Anyone would be lucky to have you. Just not Trip, cuz he¡¯s mean.¡±


    ¡°Well, I appreciate the thoughts, as misguided as they are.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your knight in shining armor will arrive someday. And when he does, I know he¡¯ll not only be totally adorable, but he¡¯ll be a good cuddler, too. I¡¯ll bet Trip is a horrible cuddler.¡± I narrowed my eyes at the offender, ignoring his amazing body in favor of his imagined snuggling crimes.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Peter, gamely. ¡°He probably just lays there and expects to be the cuddlee all the time and not the cuddler.¡±


    ¡°You are so right. Just look at him. I¡¯ll bet you twenty bucks he¡¯s a cover-stealer, too.¡±


    ¡°Not that twenty bucks means anything, since bills are only good for feeding fires right now, but yeah. I get it. I¡¯ll bet you a can of beans he¡¯s a cover-stealer.¡±


    ¡°A can of beans and a bag of chips,¡± I countered.


    ¡°Whoa. That¡¯s serious. A bag of chips? Really?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s serious?¡± asked Kowi, coming up from behind and scaring both of us enough to make us jump.


    ¡°Uh ¡­ nothing?¡± I said, looking sheepish.


    Kowi eyed me suspiciously for a second, but thankfully changed the subject. ¡°I think we got a handle on this stuff now. You guys don¡¯t have to hang around if you don¡¯t want to. I can have someone bring you dinner.¡±


    ¡°Awesome,¡± I said. ¡°I just need to talk to Coli for a second before we go.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡± asked Peter.


    ¡°Girl stuff.¡±


    Kowi stepped back, giving me room to leave their presence and find his girlfriend. As I moved away, I heard Peter talking about his schedule again.


    I smiled, thinking about how seriously he took his job. I wasn¡¯t going to have to worry about a thing with the training, other than getting these noobs out of amateur status as quickly as possible.


    I found Coli standing on the fringe of a group of girls, all of them talking about weaving cloth for clothes and making shoes out of deer skin and gator hide.


    ¡°Coli, can I talk to you for a second?¡±


    She stepped back and faced me. ¡°Maybe.¡±


    I ignored her bratty retort since I was about to impose on her a little bit. ¡°I need to ask you for a favor.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Well, before I ask, I kind of need you to agree to keep it a secret.¡±


    Her eyes narrowed. ¡°I don¡¯t keep secrets from Kowi.¡±


    ¡°Yes you do.¡±


    ¡°No I don¡¯t,¡± she said, sounding pissed.


    ¡°Did you tell him how much you love him yet?¡±


    She started to say something, but no sound came out of her mouth. She looked like a fish out of water for a second before she found her voice again. ¡°Who says I love anyone?¡±


    ¡°I do. You do. Your face does. Whatever. Tell him when you¡¯re ready. But I need your help, and it¡¯s important. Just to me, though. It¡¯s not a big deal to anyone else.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t tell.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    I sighed, very frustrated. ¡°Jesus, Coli, why the chip on the shoulder all the time with me?¡± I turned to walk away, already regretting having come up with the stupid idea to follow Bodo with her help, when I felt her hand on my arm.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I said angrily.


    ¡°Listen. I¡¯m sorry. I have a habit of ¡­ I don¡¯t know. Always expecting the worst, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Well, it gets old, you know?¡± I said, not quite mollified.


    ¡°So I¡¯ve been told,¡± she said, looking over my shoulder.


    I followed her gaze and saw the object of her despair. Kowi.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just tell him how you feel? Stop acting angry all the time and get over whatever it is that makes you act so suspicious of everyone.¡±


    She half-choked, half-laughed. It was a bitter sound. ¡°Right. Like it¡¯s that easy. Not sure if you¡¯ve noticed, but the world ended. Everyone died and we live in the wreckage.¡±


    I stared at her. ¡°That¡¯s how you choose to see it. I see that we live in a new world. That there are unlimited futures for all of us. None of us is going to die from pollution, the effects of overcrowding, ozone layer depletion or any of those other things adults were always moaning about. Maybe you think this world sucks - and I agree, parts of it do - but the other parts? They aren¡¯t so bad. Especially now that the tribes are going to work together and build a nice community here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just more people to worry about as far as I¡¯m concerned,¡± she said, looking out over the crowd. She snapped her attention back to me. ¡°So. What did you want to talk about?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. You can¡¯t keep a secret, and I don¡¯t want the whole tribe knowing my business.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep it a secret, if you promise it won¡¯t hurt my people.¡±


    ¡°I promise. This is just my personal thing. It has nothing to do with you guys.¡±


    ¡°What then? What is it?¡±


    ¡°I need you to show me how to sneak around without being heard.¡±


    She laughed. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You heard me. I want to learn how to walk around and not sound like an elephant lumbering through the trees.¡±


    ¡°Why? So you can sneak up on us and listen to our conversations?¡±


    ¡°Please. Like you guys talk about anything worth listening to. No. I want to learn for practical reasons. Someday the canners are gonna show, and I want to know how to sneak up on them and snap their necks.¡± It sounded good to me. She didn¡¯t need to know my real reason was so I could follow Bodo and find out what he was up to.


    She thought about it for a second before agreeing. ¡°Fine. I can show you. It¡¯s not a big deal, really. I don¡¯t know why you had to go on and on about it.¡±


    ¡°Me? That was you!¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± she said, turning to join her friends again.


    ¡°When?¡± I asked.


    ¡°After our next session,¡± she said, without looking back.


    I left her to her weaving conversation and went back to get Peter. I dragged him away from a grateful-looking Kowi and brought him back to our hut, pleased that I had finally figured out the path to get there. I was tired of having to be escorted everywhere all the time.


    Halfway back I realized that I hadn¡¯t broached the subject of going after the canners with Trip and Kowi, when I had everyone together. That was stupid.


    ¡°What did you talk to Coli about?¡± asked Peter, distracting me from my thoughts.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± I tried to sound all casual about it, but I should have known Peter wouldn¡¯t go for it.

 Page 12

    ¡°You¡¯re planning something, aren¡¯t you?¡± He stepped over a log before continuing. ¡°I know what you¡¯re doing. It¡¯s that Bodo thing, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Shhhh, shut up. We¡¯re almost back to our hut.¡±


    ¡°Put me down as thinking this is a bad idea. Get that voting machine out of your butt again so I can make it official.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a machine, idiot, it¡¯s a system. And you don¡¯t get to cast a vote. I live in a dictatorship and I¡¯m the dictator. If you don¡¯t agree, just keep your thoughts to yourself.¡± I looked at the firm line of his lips and stubborn jaw and added, ¡°And don¡¯t you dare tell Bodo, or I¡¯ll give you the worst wedgie you¡¯ve ever had in your entire life.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll fight back.¡±


    ¡°No, you won¡¯t. Your nuts¡¯ll be too far up in your throat to do that.¡±


    ¡°Youch,¡± said Peter, respect in his voice. ¡°You don¡¯t mess around with your wedgies.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t. They¡¯re krav maga wedgies and a whole different animal.¡±


    We arrived at the edge of our hut to find Bodo lying on one of the mattresses.


    Chapter Two


    I STAYED IN THE LIVING area of our hut, refusing on principle to go talk to Bodo first. As far as I was concerned, he was the one who had stormed off and acted like a jerk, so it was his responsibility to make things right.


    He was talking to Peter. I tried to listen in and figure out what they were saying, but they were speaking in annoyingly low voices that made the individual words impossible to discern. I acted busy, messing up Peter¡¯s can arrangement on the shelves.


    My attempts at eavesdropping were interrupted by the arrival of Trip carrying a big basket filled with food. He was the last person I expected to be making a dinner delivery.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said, as he walked up and handed me the basket. All kinds of things were mixed together inside. I guess the boys and I will be sharing tonight.


    I dropped a hunk of bread on the ground for Buster to chew on while he waited for the real food to arrive. Buster was partial to the hunks of deer or gator meat we¡¯d been getting.


    ¡°Hey. Kowi asked me to drop this off on my way out.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. I¡¯m glad you stopped by, actually. I forgot to mention something at the meeting that¡¯s pretty important.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, what¡¯s that?¡± he asked, leaning on one of the poles that held up our hut, his arms crossed.


    ¡°The plan for going after those canners. The ones that are holding those kids.¡±


    ¡°No need to discuss it. We¡¯re not going anywhere.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I almost thought I had misunderstood. But his firm look told me he probably wasn¡¯t joking. ¡°Are you serious?¡± I couldn¡¯t believe he, of all people, was saying this.


    ¡°Yes, I am. Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡±


    ¡°Uh, because there are innocent kids being murdered? ¡­ But only after being dismembered while they¡¯re still alive, maybe?¡± I felt like I was being messed with. Does he really need this explained? I was starting to think Trip was thicker in the head than I had imagined.


    ¡°Kids are dying all over the world. It¡¯s not my problem. I¡¯m just going to worry about my people here in Kahayatle and that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°I ¡­ uh ¡­ shit, I guess I don¡¯t have anything to say to that - except you¡¯re an ignorant jerk.¡±


    He bristled at my evaluation. ¡°I don¡¯t do what I do here to impress you.¡±


    ¡°I would think you¡¯d at least want to impress your own people. Fight for their survival.¡±


    ¡°When and if the cannibals come to my world, then I¡¯ll deal with them.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a brilliant idea. The Sitting Duck Plan. I¡¯m sure the canners will love it. It¡¯ll make their job a lot easier.¡±


    Trip frowned at me. ¡°It¡¯s not being a sitting duck. It¡¯s being smart, lying low.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, it¡¯s being ignorant - trying to pretend things aren¡¯t happening when they are. But hey ¡­ if you¡¯re afraid and can¡¯t handle it, no big deal. I¡¯ll just do it without you.¡±


    He stood up, moving away from the pole to get closer to me. ¡°First of all, I¡¯m not afraid. Anyone who knows me, knows that. Second of all, you can¡¯t go out of the swamp without my permission, so you can forget your little plans for going after anyone while you live here.¡± He was close enough now that he was towering over me, once again trying to intimidate me with his attitude and strength.


    I heard someone behind me, first some footsteps and then a voice.


    ¡°You need to get back over dare, indian guy, becausse Bryn doesn¡¯t like it when people get at her face like dat. And neither do I.¡±


    I was still mad at Bodo for his earlier crap, but thankful as hell that he had my back right now. I was exhausted from all the training I¡¯d already done today and wasn¡¯t in the mood to fight anyone right now - particularly the one guy in the whole place who I knew could give me a run for my money.


    ¡°This has nothing to do with you, white boy.¡±


    ¡°White boy? I¡¯m not white. Maybe a little bit pink or maybe beige. But not white.¡±


    I turned halfway to look at Bodo, wondering if he was messing with Trip or just that confused over the vernacular. His expression gave nothing away.


    ¡°You¡¯re nuts, you know that?¡± said Trip.


    ¡°Whatever you want to say, I don¡¯t care. But you don¡¯t get to talk to Bryn like dat.¡±


    ¡°Says who?¡±


    ¡°Sayss me.¡±


    ¡°Right. And you¡¯re nothing to me or her, so back off.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m am, too. I am her boyfriend,¡± Bodo said boldly.


    I cringed at Trip¡¯s next words.


    ¡°Not according to her, you¡¯re not. So go back to your little mattress meeting over there with twig-boy, and let the grown-ups talk.¡±


    I was shoved out of the way before I had a second to think. One minute I was standing in between them, and the next I was on the floor looking up at a complete mess.


    Bodo had launched himself at Trip, putting him in a headlock. I wouldn¡¯t have believed it if I hadn¡¯t seen it happen myself. He landed a couple punches into Trip¡¯s face too, before they fell into the shelves, knocking the cans all over the place.


    I scrambled over to the opening between the two huts, joining Peter.


    ¡°What in the heck is going on?!¡± he shouted.


    ¡°Idiots are fighting,¡± I said, in a mostly calm voice.


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not exactly sure,¡± I said. My answer was pretty much true. From my perspective, they weren¡¯t fighting over the same thing.


    ¡°Guess,¡± said Peter, wryly.


    ¡°Well, I think Trip¡¯s fighting because Bodo challenged his manliness.¡±


    ¡°Oooh, that¡¯s bad.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. And I think Bodo¡¯s fighting because Trip told him I said Bodo isn¡¯t my boyfriend.¡±


    Peter winced. ¡°Ouch. That had to hurt.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°I guess.¡± I was actually surprised by Bodo¡¯s reaction. He always seemed so non-violent. The only time he¡¯d come after me was in a joking way, and I¡¯d never seen him fight anyone else. When he came after me, he did it so amateurishly and half-heartedly, I had assumed he didn¡¯t know how to fight at all.


    I watched him now, admiring his technique. He was a little sloppy, but he got points for creativity. ¡°Wow, he¡¯s really holding his own in there,¡± I said absently, watching him land a few punches into Trip¡¯s gut before being grabbed in a bear hug that sent them both flying across the hut and into the railing.


    Unfortunately for them, the railing had endured enough abuse already, what with me using it as a launching pad a few days earlier for Paci or Yokci when they were fighting me. It broke at the spot where Bodo¡¯s back hit it, sending both of them into the swamp.


    A big wall of water came up, soaking part of our hut¡¯s floor. Peter rushed over to move our mattresses out of the possible splash zone.


    I thought the cool swamp would cool the two idiots down, but all it seemed to do was make them madder. Punches were flying and attempts were made at drowning each other.


    Peter and I just watched in awed suspense. We were soon joined by Kowi, Paci, and Jeremy.


    ¡°What in the hell is going on here?¡± asked Kowi.


    ¡°Testosterone overload,¡± I said.


    ¡°Holy shit, that dude can fight,¡± said Jeremy, giving Bodo some respect.


    ¡°Yeah, who¡¯d a thought?¡± I said, still mystified as to how he was holding out so well against Trip. I had really underestimated Bodo and felt a little bad about it now. I should have been giving him private lessons all along - he could have been my star pupil. Maybe I could remedy that later if he wasn¡¯t too mad at me for being somewhat responsible for the black eye I knew he was going to have tomorrow.


    ¡°What¡¯d you say to get them fighting like this?¡± asked Paci, smiling at the scene in front of him.


    ¡°Why do you assume it was me?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± asked Jeremy, looking at me for a second and then back to the fight.


    Bodo plowed into Trip again, sending him down on his back into the water. Both of them disappeared for a few tense seconds before they came back up sputtering. Trip took the advantage and slammed Bodo in the jaw, knocking him sideways.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not obvious. What happened is that I was telling Trip we needed a plan for going after the canners, and he was telling me how it wasn¡¯t going to happen and how he wasn¡¯t allowing me out of the swamp. And then Bodo stepped in to defend me. That¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°I guess this is something we probably should have discussed earlier,¡± said Kowi, sighing. ¡°I meant to talk to you about changing your regular krav maga training sessions into something that can prepare us for more immediate stuff. Like going after those guys who messed with Celia.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can do that. Not sure how far I can get, though. It¡¯ll depend on how much time I have.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re getting tired,¡± said Jeremy. ¡°Should we stop them?¡±


    ¡°Nah. Let them work it out,¡± said Kowi. He turned to me, putting his back to the fight. ¡°So you think we should go after them, then? The canners?¡±


    ¡°Heck, yes. Otherwise we¡¯re just sitting here waiting for them to attack us. Let¡¯s go get those poor kids out of there and end the problem before it comes to us.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± said Paci. ¡°We can¡¯t let what happened to Celia go unpunished.¡±


    ¡°I agree, too,¡± said Jeremy.


    I looked over at the fighters. ¡°Well, maybe you can explain to your fearless leader then, because he seems to think it¡¯s a terrible idea.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t like the idea of us mixing with the outside world at all,¡± explained Jeremy. ¡°He thinks that¡¯s what got our people in trouble in the first place, a couple hundred years ago. He wants to try and avoid the mistakes of our past.


    I considered it for a second, trying to put myself in his shoes, but before I could speak my mind on the subject, Kowi put in his two cents.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t agree with him, and it¡¯s not just up to him anymore.¡±


    Jeremy shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s your funeral. Go ahead and tell him you don¡¯t agree.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± said Kowi, standing straighter. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go get these fools out of there before they call the gators over.¡±


    ¡°Call the gators?¡± I said in a weak voice.


    Paci looked back at me, smiling. ¡°Yeah. Gators like struggling animals, stuck in the muck. Easy dinner.¡±


    ¡°Oh, crap,¡± I said pretty much to myself. No one but Peter could hear me, now that the others were all out there trying to pull the two roosters apart.

 Page 13

    Neither of them seemed interested in ending the disagreement, though. Bodo made one last attempt to go after Trip, but they were both so tired, they ended up looking like they were just hugging, holding each other up in the water.


    ¡°Idiots,¡± I said, shaking my head.


    ¡°They don¡¯t fight as well as you,¡± said Peter, standing at my elbow.


    ¡°I know. All I can think about is how much work I have to get done before we can go get those kids out of there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll double your schedule,¡± said Peter, walking away and mumbling to himself as he went about the business of straightening our pantry once again.


    The guys managed to bring Bodo and Trip up out of the water, leaving them standing on the roots outside our huts. Kowi stayed between them, making sure they didn¡¯t start again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what got you two going, but this has to stop. We don¡¯t have enough medical supplies to treat people for non-essential injuries, and getting into a fist-fight is one of those non-essential situations. It¡¯d be pretty stupid to die from a cut you got from a friend¡¯s fist, don¡¯t you think?¡± He looked from Bodo to Trip, but neither of them looked ashamed.


    ¡°Fine. Do what you want. I have a feeling this would all be easily solved if Bryn would just be up front about who she wants to be with, but whatever. Let¡¯s move on and talk about the plans for going after those canners.¡±


    My mouth dropped open. I wanted to blurt out a retort, but nothing good was coming to mind. How had this suddenly become about me picking a boyfriend?


    ¡°I could give a crap who she wants to be with,¡± said Trip, ¡°and I¡¯m also not interested in her plans to attack those canners. That¡¯s what this fight is all about.¡±


    ¡°You lie,¡± said Bodo. ¡°I see how you look at her. And you are rude. You should not be rude to da girl who is helping all your family like dis.¡±


    ¡°Guys, get over it. Bryn will do whatever she wants. I¡¯m here to support her efforts, and so are you, Trip. So cut the crap.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not supporting a war.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not talking about a war,¡± Kowi said, looking at me for confirmation.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± I agreed. ¡°I just want to get those kids out of there and take care of that group of canners, that¡¯s all. They¡¯ve shown that they¡¯re stealing kids very, very close to the swamp. Celia lived in that shell shop that was, what? A mile or two from here? They¡¯re practically hunting in your backyard, Trip.¡±


    ¡°That ain¡¯t cool,¡± said Jeremy. ¡°Seriously, Trip. She¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°She says she can change the regular training for preparation training, starting right away,¡± said Kowi, looking to me for comfirmation.


    I nodded, looking to see Trip¡¯s reaction.


    Trip frowned, wiping his dripping face off with his wet hand, putting the back of it up to the cut on his cheek that had been re-opened in the fight. It was bleeding freely down his face and onto his chest.


    Peter came over with a small piece of cloth and tiptoed over to Trip, tentatively reaching up to dab his face with it. Trip tried to scowl him away, but Peter persisted, so he finally let him wipe some of the blood away before waving him off.


    I smiled at Peter¡¯s pleased look. He¡¯d been permitted to touch His Awesomeness. My little buddy gave me a look that said we¡¯d be talking about this later.


    Trip spoke. ¡°I guess I¡¯m the only one around here who sees the problem with mixing in the white man¡¯s world again. Seems I¡¯m the only one who remembers our history.¡±


    Kowi sighed. ¡°No, you¡¯re not. We all remember. We were all taught the same stuff. We¡¯re just trying to do the right thing. And to me, it¡¯s not the right thing to let kids murder other kids when we could do something to stop it.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s not just here, it¡¯s everywhere! What are you going to do? Build an army? Go take over the country that used to be the United States of America? I know! We can make it the United States of Kowi. How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°Shut up, dick. I¡¯m not talking about an army or conquering places or any of that crap. I¡¯m talking about protecting our home and our people. Period. Get over your friggin ego, man. It¡¯s getting really annoying having to work around it all the time.¡±


    The other guys in the circle were nodding.


    ¡°Well, fuck you too, Kowi,¡± Trip said, storming off.


    It went suddenly quiet, and the atmosphere was more than a little bit awkward. The rest of us just stood there, staring at Bodo who was walking over to stand by me.


    ¡°Do you haff any more of that cloth to wipe my face?¡± he asked Peter.


    Peter shoved some in Bodo¡¯s hand and then took off, running on tiptoes in the direction Trip had gone.


    ¡°Where are you going?!¡± I yelled, completely confused.


    ¡°B-R-B!¡± Peter yelled, not even looking back.


    BRB? Holy crap. How long has it been since I¡¯ve heard that? I smiled, thinking about my poor little friend getting his heart broken by Trip - the last guy on earth who¡¯d be inclined to give Peter the time of day. Oh well. I can¡¯t protect everyone from everything. Peter¡¯s just going to have to learn the hard way.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about him,¡± said Kowi, quietly.


    I looked at him curiously. ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    ¡°Trip had a little brother. He died.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that got to do with anything?¡±


    ¡°Maybe nothing. But I¡¯m just saying that I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll mind Peter talking to him or following him. You won¡¯t have to worry about Trip kicking his ass, basically.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know exactly what he was getting at, but I let it drop. Peter would figure out the connection if there was any to figure out at all.


    ¡°So getting back to our issue,¡± I said, as Bodo stepped closer to me. He smelled of swamp water, which wasn¡¯t the most pleasant scent in the world. I ignored both it and him. ¡°I plan to go after those kids. Soon. Are you guys going to be with me or not?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be with you. I¡¯ll talk to Trip, but you can plan on it. Who do you want to take?¡±


    ¡°Let me watch the groups in the training, and I¡¯ll let you know. I¡¯ll pick a core group and start their training right away. I need to talk to Celia, too. She said she¡¯d give me intel that will help me figure out how many we¡¯ll need on our side and what exactly we¡¯re up against.¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ve already talked to her some. I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ll need about ten guys, but we¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Peter and I will start evaluating tomorrow, and the rest of the tribes can hold off on their training until we get back.¡±


    ¡°And me,¡± added Bodo. ¡°I¡¯m gonna help, too.¡±


    ¡°And Bodo,¡± I said, not even looking at him. He was still a part of my family, even though I was pissed at him. I wasn¡¯t going to call him out in front of Kowi or anyone else.


    ¡°Okay, then. I¡¯ll come see you tomorrow at dinner. We can talk details then.¡±


    ¡°Cool.¡±


    Kowi and the rest of his group left me alone with Bodo. I looked around, at a loss for what to say, wondering what I could do to pass the rest of the time. It was too early to go to sleep, and I didn¡¯t want to organize the messed up cans because Peter would have a fit.


    Bodo walked over to our backpacks and pulled out a t-shirt and some shorts. ¡°I haff to take a shower. Do you want to walk with me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I feel a little dizzy. Maybe it¡¯s better if you go to help me. I could fall down and break my face or something.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure if I believed him, but I didn¡¯t want him wandering around the swamp if he¡¯d taken too many hits to the cranium. It had been a pretty tough fight, even if a little sloppy for my taste. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll escort you, but that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°No talking? I haff to walk all very quiet?¡±


    I sighed, frustrated with my inability to express my feelings. ¡°No, I¡¯ll talk. Come on.¡±


    I didn¡¯t wait for him, heading straight for the showers and trying to stay mad. But the memory of him defending my honor kept intruding on my mad thoughts, working to convince me to forgive him. I didn¡¯t want to do that, though; I wasn¡¯t ready. I was still upset over the secrets he was keeping, and I was pretty sure that even if Trip had loosened a few screws in Bodo¡¯s thick head, he still wasn¡¯t going to share them with me. It was enough to keep me angry and fuming all the way to our destination.


    Bodo stepped behind the screen and took his clothes off. I could hear the zipper going down on his pants and then a jingling bell sound. A couple seconds later, I heard him yelling.


    ¡°Aarrgh, no. Demmet!¡±


    I smiled at the attempt at a curse word. Bodo never did that.


    ¡°Bryn. I needt your helping in here,¡± he said, frustrated.


    ¡°Nice try, Bodo. Forget it.¡±


    ¡°No, really. I¡¯m very serious. I haff a problem with my shoulder.¡±


    ¡°What problem?¡±


    ¡°Da problem dat it won¡¯t work!¡± He sounded really frustrated.


    I sighed, quickly deciding that if he were just using this as a ruse to get me in there, I could easily throw him down on the ground. He was in no shape to fight me right now.


    I went around the corner and found myself faced with a half-naked German god. His back was to me, giving me a perfect view of his bare ass. This explains why he looks so damn good in a pair of jeans - pure muscle and nicely formed, too. Wowee wow wow. I gave myself a mental shake, trying to focus on my purpose for being there. Help him with his injury, Bryn. Don¡¯t look at his man-parts.


    ¡°I can¡¯t take my shirt off. My shoulder is bad.¡±


    I walked up closer and stood behind him, trying like heck not to look down at his bare butt. It was difficult, especially because he was so much taller than me, and I wouldn¡¯t have to look far to get an excellent view.


    ¡°Which one?¡± I asked.


    ¡°On da right.¡±


    I reached up and put my hand on it, feeling around for signs of abnormalcy but finding nothing. ¡°It¡¯s not out of joint.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s chust something is torn. Dis is not goodt.¡±


    ¡°Here ¡­ ¡± I lifted the edge of his shirt up from the bottom, pulling it with only a little difficulty over his left arm and then his head. He was able to help me with his left arm, but the other one stayed limp by his side. When he tried to lift it, he flinched and made sounds like he was feeling some pretty serious pain.


    I turned to leave so he could finish the rest of it alone, but his words stopped me in my tracks.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to help me?¡±


    ¡°I did already. You can do the rest.¡± My heart was racing. I knew if he turned around, I was going to see him entirely naked now, and my imagination didn¡¯t even have to be very good to know what I would see if that happened.


    He was incredibly well-built, tall, and gorgeous. There was just something about him, something special that made him uber attractive - probably more so than he should have seemed - and it was freaking me out.


    My brain kept telling me to keep walking and not look back, but some other part of me was telling me to turn around and to hurry up about it.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do da shower machine and da soap bottles or anything. I¡¯m like a big baby over here with only one arm.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not your momma.¡± Not even close, holy crap! I was seriously sweating now. I tried to make my voice steady but it wavered anyway, making me sound like a totally wimpy scaredy cat.


    ¡°I know dat. But you¡¯re da only one who can help me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get Peter.¡±


    ¡°No! No offense to our little friend, but no man-hand iss gonna touch Bodo¡¯s naked body. I¡¯m sorry about dat. You haff da girl-hands and dat¡¯s okay for me.¡±

 Page 14

    I turned around to tell him I knew what his little plan was, but the words froze in my mouth.


    Bodo had turned to face me without me hearing him do it. He stood there with his t-shirt mostly off, the rest of him completely naked. He pulled the shirt from his right side with his left, wincing with the pain and dropping it on the ground, now giving me an eyeful of the closest thing to male perfection that I was probably ever going to see.


    ¡°I promise, I will be a goodt boy. Just help me. One time. I will be better tomorrow.¡± He didn¡¯t make any funny faces or sound any different. He was completely comfortable in his own skin and not one bit shy about letting me see every inch of it.


    I closed my eyes, trying to think straight. But I couldn¡¯t do it when he was standing there in all his glory, looking at me. His image was burned into my mind, and even with my eyes shut, it was all I could see. Every time I tried to form a coherent thought in my head, it scattered around into pieces and the words stopped making sense.


    ¡°Fine. Just this one time and that¡¯s it.¡± I opened my eyes. ¡°And keep your hands to yourself.¡±


    ¡°Okay, dat¡¯s fine. I will do dat. It¡¯s not a problem.¡±


    I walked past him, keeping my eyes on the ground, searching for the soap bottles. I located them under the hoses and reached up to loosen the clips that held the water back.


    He took a couple steps over to stand next to me.


    ¡°Wait!¡± he said.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna get wet.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°So, you didn¡¯t bring any clothes. You can get sick walking aroundt in wet clothes all da time.¡±


    ¡°Are you making up some lame excuse of me catching a cold so that I¡¯ll take off my clothes? Because that is so not going to happen here.¡±


    ¡°No, dat¡¯s not my reason. I¡¯m chust trying to help you. I think maybe you can be naked and den haff dry clothes. Dat¡¯s a good idea for me.¡± He shrugged. ¡°But if you are afraid for me to see your body, I understand. Lots of American girlss are afraid of dare naked bodies.¡±


    I put my hands on my hips. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of my naked body, stupid. I have a nice body, for your information. I just don¡¯t plan on sharing it with you, is all.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess I will have to take your word for dat. About the nice body part. I wass thinking dat you were worried about your big butt, but maybe not.¡±


    ¡°Big ¡­ ? Did you just say I have a big butt?¡± I sputtered.


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t think I said dat. I think you said dat when we were riding da bikes. Remember? You choosed da big butt seat all dose times. So you haff a big butt, according to you.¡±


    ¡°I do not have a big butt, Bodo. I have a butt that is in proportion to the rest of me.¡±


    ¡°Okay, if you say so. I will not be able to agree since I can¡¯t see it, really.¡±


    My anger at him was starting to melt away, being replaced by something else entirely. I couldn¡¯t figure out how it was that he was able to turn a conversation about my fat ass around into something that was getting me all butterfly-ey inside.


    ¡°Shut up, Bodo. I¡¯m turning on the water now.¡±


    ¡°You are turning me on right now, and dat¡¯s a fact.¡± He chuckled at his own joke, looking down towards his waist.


    My heart felt like it had jumped into my throat and my stomach burned with excitement. I said the first thing that jumped into my head.


    ¡°You¡¯re turned on by girls with big butts?¡±


    ¡°Probably. I think maybe you must haff da perfect body, of all da girls in the whole world. But I cannot be sure until I see it.¡±


    I snorted. ¡°As if.¡± I refused to look down at what I knew was there in front of me. I focused on his shoulder instead.


    ¡°Please,¡± he nearly begged, all joking suddenly gone from his voice. ¡°Let me see, Bryn.¡±


    I shouldn¡¯t have looked at him, but I couldn¡¯t help it. He was staring at me, his whole body right there on display. Just a quick glance down confirmed he was seriously and very obviously turned on.


    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± I said, softly. I hadn¡¯t actually had sex with anyone before, but looking at his parts now and comparing them to my parts, I realized that I had no idea how the mechanics could possibly work. All I could think about was how painful it would probably be to actually be with him. For some reason, though, that thought didn¡¯t make me want to run. It made me want to stay.


    ¡°Please?¡± He walked closer.


    I just stood there, with my hand frozen on the clip affixed to the hose, unable to speak.


    He was close now, reaching out with his good hand, touching the edge of my pants. He tugged on them gently.


    ¡°Take dese off.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I whispered. There was absolutely no disagreement to my refusal, though, and he knew it.


    His fingers undid the button at my waist and then the zipper.


    ¡°Stop,¡± I said weakly.


    ¡°Make me.¡± He said in a dangerously low voice. ¡°You know dat you can.¡±


    I did nothing. I couldn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t want to.


    He put his hand under my shirt, pushing the edge of it up slowly. I could feel his cool fingers on my flushed skin. They tickled and burned at the same time.


    I got so freaked out as his fingers went higher and higher, that my hand accidentally squeezed the clip, sending a shower of cold water down on our heads.


    ¡°Aahhh!¡± I squealed, jumping back and severing our connection, automatically releasing the clip and putting it back in place to stop the water flow. ¡°Holy crap, that¡¯s cold!¡±


    Bodo just stood there, his face dripping, a smile dawning across his face. ¡°You are a very funny girl dare, Bryn. Always with da tricks.¡± He blew the water from his mouth, sending a spray out in front of him. He couldn¡¯t have looked more adorable with the moisture dripping down off his face and flying from his hair as he shook his head like a dog.


    I smiled, feeling incredibly embarrassed about what we had almost just done and grateful that some part of my brain had stopped me from going too far. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a trick, I swear. It was more of a ¡­ spasm.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± he said, smiling broader. ¡°So you like da idea of being naked with Bodo. Come on, den. Don¡¯t play any more gamess. Take off dose clothes and make a shower with me.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, perv.¡± The mood was broken so I was back on safer ground, able to joke with him again. ¡°I¡¯m not making a shower with you. Here ¡­ ¡± I stepped forward and turned the hose towards him, squeezing the clip again. ¡°Cool yourself off.¡±


    The water poured out and doused him again. I let it go, cutting off the stream and picking up the soap before he could protest. ¡°Soapy time!¡± I said cheerily, dumping some in my hand and stepping closer, all business-like. I scrubbed him all over as fast as I could, pushing him around roughly so I could get his back, making quick work of his awesome rear end. No way was I doing any deep cleaning either, hurt arm or no hurt arm.


    I brushed some soap down his legs and then stood on my tiptoes, quickly squeezing a blob onto his head, not even bothering with getting the shampoo. ¡°Scrub your hair,¡± I instructed, as I reached over to take the clip in hand again.


    Bodo surprised me by turning around and grabbing me around the waist with his good arm, pulling me up against him. ¡°You do it,¡± he said, before leaning down and kissing me firmly on the mouth.


    I tried to shove him away, but stopped after a few seconds of mostly feeble attempts. His kiss was warming me up, making the cold sensation of his wet skin a complete contradiction to the heat he was generating in my body. It made me shiver.


    I let go of the hose clip and wrapped my arms around his neck, slowly reaching up while we moved our lips and tangled our tongues together to run my fingers through his hair and soap it up. I massaged his scalp at first, but soon found myself just grabbing handfuls of his hair and rubbing up and down from to top of his head to his neck, reveling in the slipperiness of it.


    His erection pressed into my stomach, and I tried to ignore it. But his kisses became more urgent and the reality of my situation intruded on my bliss as I realized how bad of an idea this could be. We were out here in plain sight, standing in a public shower that everyone used, and we had no way of keeping the side effects of unprotected sex from becoming a very big issue in our lives.


    As badly as I wanted to keep going and just follow the sexy feelings that promised to take me temporarily from this world, I pulled away from him, looking the other way so I wouldn¡¯t be tempted by his gorgeousness.


    ¡°Stop. We can¡¯t.¡±


    He let out a moan of frustration. ¡°Bryn, you are making me crazy with diss stuff, really. I think I¡¯m gonna have a heart attack in da shower. Feel my heart running inside.¡± He grabbed my hand and put it on his chest, but I quickly pulled it away and put some distance between us.


    I walked back to the entrance of the shower enclosure, taking a couple deep breaths and trying to straighten my hair. ¡°You¡¯re going to be fine. Neither of us is going to die from sexual frustration.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty badt. I could die. It will be much more fun for da both of us if you just let me touch you and make you feel good.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, right. This is all for me. You¡¯re so generous.¡± He was starting to sound like a groping prom date with his not-so-smooth talking, which was about as effective as the cold shower had been in cooling my ardor. I was feeling less turned on by the second. This is good. This is what I want. And maybe if I say that to myself enough times, I¡¯ll start to feel like I don¡¯t want it too.


    ¡°No dat¡¯s not what I mean. Just wait for me. I haff to get out of diss soap.¡±


    I heard the shower water start to come down again behind me and then Bodo¡¯s voice as he talked to himself.


    ¡°Ooh, dat¡¯s cold. Yes, dat¡¯s good. Cool down da hot stuff. I¡¯m not gonna sleep tonight, dat¡¯s for sure. But dat¡¯s okay, dat¡¯s not a problem. I can lose all da sleep for da most beautiful girl in da world with da big butt.¡±


    I left him alone in the shower, making my way back to the hut without responding.


    ¡°I¡¯m chust kidding!¡± I heard him yell. ¡°Your butt iss only a little bit big!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile as I entered the trees again, wondering what the heck I was going to do with his gorgeous, willing body lying next to me, night after night. This not sleeping with Bodo was going to be one of the hardest things I had ever done. Why does mind power have to be so much harder to manage than physical power?


    I got back to the hut and stood at the entrance, taking advantage of the slight breeze to try and dry myself off. Peter joined me, coming out of the darkness from the direction of the ceremonial hut. We sat down together on the mattresses.


    ¡°So what happened with you and Trip?¡± I raised my eyebrows suggestively.


    ¡°Nothing. We just talked.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    Peter sighed. ¡°Well, I want to tell you, but you have to promise to keep it confidential. He didn¡¯t say it was a secret, but it kinda seemed private. Like, I don¡¯t think he shares it with everyone.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll keep it a secret. Who am I going to tell?¡±


    ¡°Bodo?¡±


    ¡°Pfft. He¡¯s a jerk. I¡¯m not telling him anything.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right.¡± Peter¡¯s tone made it obvious he didn¡¯t believe me, but I wasn¡¯t going to argue about it. Then it would seem like I was trying to convince myself of it. And I wasn¡¯t. Not really.


    ¡°We just talked about his brother. He had a little brother who was only seven when the virus came. He died after their parents did. I guess he was hoping his brother would survive, but then he didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°They were close?¡±


    ¡°Not at first. That¡¯s what part of the problem is for Trip, I think. When they had their parents and their lives before, he blew his little brother off all the time. Trip was always too busy with his friends and school. His brother would ask him to play catch or soccer or whatever, and Trip always told him to get lost. By the time he figured out he was going to lose him, it was too late. He¡¯d let all those chances to be together go by.¡±

 Page 15

    I didn¡¯t have any siblings, but I could totally see how that could tear a person apart. ¡°Wow. That really sucks.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Peter softly. ¡°I did that, too. With Lily sometimes. She was such a pest. She was always coming into my room, messing with my stuff.¡±


    ¡°I hear little sisters are like that.¡±


    Peter just nodded, and I could tell he was really upset, so I just sat there and rubbed his back while he continued.


    ¡°Trip really isn¡¯t a bad guy. I think he¡¯s way more emotional than people give him credit for. I mean, he shows his angry emotion just fine, but he hides the other ones. I guess it¡¯s a lot of pressure to be in charge and to try and keep your group of people happy and feeling safe when everything is so crazy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I only have to worry about us and this naked poodle here, and it¡¯s not easy.¡±


    Buster climbed over to my lap from Peter¡¯s at the sound of his name.


    ¡°Yeah. He has, like, fifty people to take care of. And they had all those issues with Kowi and his tribe going on too. So it hasn¡¯t been easy, is what I¡¯m saying. Don¡¯t take his anger personal. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s really angry at you.¡±


    ¡°Kowi was acting like Trip liked me or something, which is nuts.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, maybe not. You¡¯re cute, smart, and tough. All of those things are attractive, especially nowadays. But he didn¡¯t say anything if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking.¡±


    ¡°No, no, don¡¯t be silly. I¡¯m not asking at all. I¡¯m hoping he doesn¡¯t like me, actually. My life will be a lot less complicated if I only have to fend off Bodo.¡±


    ¡°Why are you fending him off at all?¡± Peter was looking at me with his head tilted to the side.


    ¡°Well, lots of reasons.¡±


    ¡°Name one.¡±


    ¡°First of all, he¡¯s hiding crap.¡±


    ¡°Well, at some point he won¡¯t be. Is there anything else bothering you?¡±


    ¡°Other than the fact that we can¡¯t get intimate without risking me getting pregnant? I don¡¯t know, maybe.¡±


    ¡°Ah-ha. So you do like him.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Of course I like him. What¡¯s not to like? He¡¯s smart, gorgeous - I mean really gorgeous, Peter. I saw him naked tonight. He doesn¡¯t have a single flaw. Not one.¡±


    Peter leaned in. ¡°Not a single one? I mean, you saw everything everything?¡±


    I answered in a conspiratorial tone. ¡°Yes. I saw everything everything. And he is flawless.¡±


    Peter put his hand on his chest and patted it gently a few times. ¡°Oh, my ¡­ be still my heart.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and let¡¯s not forget that he¡¯s funny, nice, and a gentlemen. He could have ¡­ well, let¡¯s just say he could have pushed me more than he did ¡­ in a ¡­ well, when we were in a compromising situation. But he didn¡¯t. He¡¯s big and strong, but gentle too, if you know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I do. I can imagine it, anyway,¡± said Peter, sighing. ¡°It sounds nice. And I get that you¡¯re worried about things getting heavy and the pregnancy thing and all. But I think I¡¯ve read somewhere that you don¡¯t actually have to do the deed to have some fun.¡±


    I shoved him over. ¡°Shut up. I¡¯m not having this conversation with you.¡±


    He ignored my reticence. ¡°I¡¯m just talking sense here. I mean, life must go on for all of us. You can¡¯t stay a virgin forever.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I should.¡±


    ¡°Why? Why deny yourself the ultimate expression of love?¡±


    ¡°Sex is the ultimate expression of love? I think you¡¯ve read too many romances.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m no expert. But I think it can be. Since we¡¯re both virgins, I guess we¡¯re just going to have to wait to find out. But I, for one, am not going to hold back, just because the rest of the world sucks right now. When the right guy comes along, I¡¯m going to go for it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say. You can¡¯t get pregnant.¡±


    ¡°True. But like I said, you can mess around without getting pregnant. And besides, maybe someday you¡¯ll want to have a baby.¡±


    ¡°Pfft. Yeah, right. Like I¡¯d want to bring a child into a world like this. Don¡¯t be stupid.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so stupid about letting the world go on? Letting life go on? Things aren¡¯t so bad for us now, are they? We have a place to live, a family, a pink poodle¡­¡±


    Buster seemed to know somehow that he was being talked about. He jumped up and danced around, his tail wagging so hard it wiggled his butt all over the place.


    I dragged him back over to me. ¡°Come here, Spazmo. Settle down before you pee yourself.¡± I played with his ears while I contemplated Peter¡¯s words.


    He continued. ¡°I think once you get a handle on the canner situation, we¡¯ll find that living here is pretty awesome. We have a place to sleep, clothes, shoes that don¡¯t stink like dead fish, food, and the constant entertainment of male egos gone wild. What more could we want?¡±


    ¡°Pizza?¡±


    Peter laughed. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll give you that.¡±


    Our heart-to-heart was interrupted by Bodo coming back, making no secret of the fact that he was injured. We both got up and went into the kitchen part of our hut.


    ¡°Oh, dat hurts,¡± Bodo said as he walked towards us. ¡°I bumped my arm on dat tree over dare. I think I need a doctor.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Just go lay down on your bed.¡±


    ¡°Are you coming? Becausse I have pain, you know. Bad pain.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like Mr. Perfection is in need of some nursing, Bryn. Why don¡¯t you go help him out?¡± teased Peter.


    I stuck my tongue out at him. ¡°Shush. And remember,¡± I whispered, ¡°no sharing our little secrets, right?¡±


    ¡°My lips are sealed,¡± said Peter, whispering back.


    ¡°I can hear you in dare,¡± said Bodo from the doorway. ¡°I¡¯m coming in, so you can stop talking about me now.¡±


    ¡°No one was talking about you,¡± I said, trying to deflate his ego just a little bit. I was pretty sure that letting Bodo¡¯s head get any bigger would create problems for me - making him that much bolder about coming after me. And I really didn¡¯t think I had the willpower to resist too much of an effort on his part.


    ¡°Oh, dat makes me sad. You didn¡¯t tell Peter about us being naked in da shower togedder?¡±


    I nearly choked. ¡°Gah! What?!¡±


    ¡°You guys were naked in the shower, Bryn? You kind of glossed over that part.¡±


    I glared at Peter. ¡°Hello? Secrets? Remember?¡± I turned to Bodo. ¡°I was not naked, Bodo, and you know it. You¡¯re the only one who was naked.¡±


    ¡°Well, that explains it,¡± said Peter.


    ¡°Explains what?¡± I asked, exasperated.


    ¡°How you know he¡¯s utter perfection in the body department.¡±


    ¡°Peter! Shut up!¡±


    Bodo laughed. ¡°She really said dat? Oh, dat¡¯s cool. I like dat. I am perfect. Dat has a nice sound.¡±


    ¡°I did not say you were perfect, idiot.¡±


    ¡°Peter said you did. He¡¯s not a liar, dat Peter. He tells da truth.¡±


    ¡°I said your body is perfect. That¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± he said, immediately sounding disappointed. ¡°But not my mind. Oh, dat¡¯s sad. Dat¡¯s very, very sad.¡±


    I felt bad. He really did sound depressed now. ¡°I didn¡¯t say your mind isn¡¯t attractive. I just happened to be talking about your body at the time.¡±


    ¡°So you are saying dat you do find my mind attractive, den?¡±


    I was being backed into a corner and didn¡¯t know what to say. Bodo¡¯s head was already big enough. ¡°No comment.¡±


    ¡°Dat¡¯s not a no!¡± said Bodo, back to being full of himself again. ¡°I can take dat, Bryn. Dat¡¯s not a problem. You like me, I know dat. Pretty soon you will say dat I can be Mr. Bryn. Dat will be my birthday present dis year.¡±


    He passed by us and went into the bedroom area, lying down on his back and putting his good arm behind his head. The other remained at his side. ¡°Somebodyyyyyy ¡­,¡± he called out. ¡°Bodo is hungryyyyyy.¡±


    I looked at Peter. ¡°You do it. I¡¯m liable to shove it up his nose if I have to wait on him.¡±


    Peter chuckled. ¡°Your wish is my command, Mrs. Bodo.¡±


    ¡°Ha, ha,¡± I said, refusing to rise to his bait. I didn¡¯t want to say anything else and have him analyzing my tone and deciding that I sounded as if I really kind of liked the idea of being officially attached to this German nutcase.


    My first order of business when I woke up was to go talk to Celia. I was happy to find Coli there with her when I arrived, after only getting lost twice on my way. When I¡¯d first come to the swamp a few days ago, everything looked the same to me, but now I was able to tell some of the trees apart and I was recognizing different patterns to their arrangement, making it easier to find my way around.


    ¡°Hey, Celia, what¡¯s up?¡± I asked as I walked past Coli and approached her bedside. She was sitting up and actually looked pretty good, all things considered. Coli stayed outside the hut, allowing us some privacy.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m still missing part of an arm,¡± Celia said sarcastically, not even looking at me.


    ¡°If that¡¯s supposed to make me feel bad for you, it¡¯s not working,¡± I said. Truth was, it did remind me how much crap she¡¯d been through, and I did feel bad for her about that; but I knew the last thing she needed right now was pity.


    ¡°You¡¯re too much of a hardass to feel bad for me.¡±


    ¡°Not true. I didn¡¯t mock your mom¡¯s shell art when I could have. That¡¯s my soft side keeping my mouth shut.¡±


    She finally acknowledged my presence enough to glare at me. ¡°I see your softer side has taken a vacation today, though.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, we can¡¯t be marshmallows all the time. I knew a girl one time who could swing a mean baseball bat. She taught me that.¡±


    Celia smiled absently and then went serious again. ¡°That girl is dead.¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± I said, refusing to give into her pity party, ¡°that girl is sitting right here in front of me and is about to help me lay plans to annihilate some bad guys.¡±


    I sat down next to her, cross-legged, searching her face. ¡°I¡¯m not going to play the poor Celia game with you every time I see you now. It¡¯s over. We¡¯re past it. If you want to cry about your terrible life, pick someone else other than me to whine to. My job is to get you back on your feet and kicking A. And I need your help with figuring out how to take these guys down.¡±


    ¡°You suck, Bryn.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. So I¡¯ve heard. So tell me ¡­ how many canners were in that group that was keeping you and the other kids?¡±


    She answered me in monotones. ¡°I saw eight.¡±


    ¡°How old are they?¡±


    ¡°The oldest was probably eighteen. The youngest about twelve. The meanest one was probably about seventeen.¡±


    ¡°So the oldest wasn¡¯t the leader?¡±


    ¡°No. The oldest one was kind of dumb or something. They called him Brick, as in brick-head. He mostly just did what he was told. He was the muscle. His job was to ¡­¡± She put her head down, unable to finish her sentence.


    I finished it for her. ¡°He was the one who took the kids and hurt them, right?¡±


    She nodded her head silently, a tear tracking down her face and dropping into her hands below.


    ¡°Okay, what about the others? What did they do?¡±


    She took a deep breath and said, ¡°Some of them just stayed quiet, doing whatever Loco told them to do. Others were really loud and wild. Like really wild. Like crazy.¡±

 Page 16

    ¡°The leader¡¯s name is Loco?¡± How appropriate.


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what his parents named him. I think it¡¯s a nickname the kids who were locked up made for him. His friends called him Dave.¡±


    ¡°You said they stay in a big house?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. A mansion by the ocean. It has a high wall around it and lots of trees. The house is huge with marble floors and stuff.¡±


    ¡°Where did you stay? And the other kids ¡­ were they with you or somewhere else?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a small house kind of, by the pool. We were all kept in there.¡±


    ¡°How did you get away?¡±


    ¡°There was a big fight one night, in the pool house. Some of the new kids tried to attack the canners. I slipped out in all the confusion and ran to the wall. I climbed a tree and went over it and kept going until I passed out in some bushes in some neighborhood. I woke up later, maybe the next day, and just kept walking until I got to my parents¡¯ house. I took our old canoe here and that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°You did all that with your arm ¡­ freshly ¡­ injured like that?¡± I glanced at her wrapped stump, noticing the bandage looked very clean.


    ¡°Yeah. They have a kid there who¡¯s like a doctor. His name is Sean. He makes sure everyone is treated after being cut up.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ¡­ uh ¡­ nice. I guess.¡±


    She tipped her head up at me, a truly malicious look in her eyes. ¡°No. It¡¯s not nice. It¡¯s not nice at all. He does it so we¡¯ll live longer and keep their meat fresh, Bryn. He¡¯s evil and awful and he needs to die. Slowly and painfully. I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s not the one calling the shots.¡±


    She said it with such conviction, I knew he was going to be at the top of her list for total annihilation, when and if she ever saw him again.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re right,¡± I agreed. ¡°He¡¯s a monster. But I¡¯m grateful he took care of your arm so you could escape and get back to your family here. So right before I kill him for you, I¡¯ll thank him for saving your life.¡±


    She snorted. ¡°Not if I get to him first.¡±


    I smiled. I liked her fighting spirit. ¡°Can you give us an address to that mansion?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I etched it into my brain, hoping someday I¡¯d be able to go back and end them.¡± She was staring off into the distance, as if playing out her retribution in her mind.


    ¡°Okay, good. Can you tell me what they have for weapons?¡±


    ¡°Rifles. Guns. A fucking flamethrower ¡­ ¡±


    ¡°A flamethrower?¡±


    ¡°No. A fucking flamethrower.¡±


    ¡°A fucking flamethrower. That¡¯s not good.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. But it sure makes for an interesting barbecue.¡±


    ¡°Oh, man. That¡¯s messed up.¡± It made my stomach turn just thinking about it.


    ¡°Yeah. I kept waiting for it to run out of fuel but it never seemed to.¡±


    ¡°Well, it will eventually. What else do they have?¡±


    ¡°The usual cannibal implements - machetes, knives, bolt cutters, saws ¡­¡±


    Bolt cutters? Saws? I didn¡¯t want to know any more about that, so I distracted her with another question. ¡°So other than over the wall, how do we get into this place?¡±


    ¡°Front gate is always locked. There¡¯s a tiny door in the wall on one of the sides of the property, for gardening I think, but it¡¯s locked too. I tried to use that before going to the tree. Climbing with one arm is a real bitch.¡±


    ¡°I can imagine. Good thing you built up your arm muscle with all that batting practice.¡±


    She half smiled before getting serious again. ¡°They have two big dogs too. Mean ones. They eat kids too.¡±


    ¡°Great. So we have to find some rat poison, I guess.¡±


    Celia smiled. ¡°I¡¯d like to serve that little meal, if you don¡¯t mind. I never hated an animal before, but these things aren¡¯t really animals - they¡¯re monsters. Just like Loco.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like they all are,¡± I said quietly.


    ¡°Maybe not all,¡± she said, shrugging. ¡°I got the impression that a few of them were too afraid to say anything, but that they didn¡¯t agree with what Loco was doing. Sean is one of them, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not going to kill him if I ever see his ugly face again.¡±


    ¡°They may not have agreed, but they didn¡¯t leave, did they?¡±


    ¡°No, they didn¡¯t. But maybe they felt like they couldn¡¯t, or they¡¯d end up being the next meal. I mean, first of all, the dogs were used sometimes for punishment purposes. And Loco¡¯s group wasn¡¯t the only one around. Some of the other kids I was with in the pool house told me about what they¡¯d seen. Jerry, a kid with only one leg left, he¡¯d been there for a week or more. When he was conscious, he told me about how they¡¯d taken him and a couple others from a nearby town and had almost gotten killed by another group of canners on their way back. It¡¯s like a canner war out there. Everyone¡¯s fighting over bodies now instead of beans and rice.¡±


    ¡°That is just so wrong.¡± I shook my head, frustrated with my vocabulary. ¡°That¡¯s not the right word. I can¡¯t think of how to say how wrong that is.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s evil is what it is,¡± said Celia. ¡°Pure evil.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I had nothing to add to that. It did seem to be the most apt description.


    Coli came over and joined us, saving me from hearing more. My gratitude made me feel a little bit ashamed of myself. A part of me was thinking that I should sit here and listen to every awful thing that Celia had to say, as a way of making things better for her. But then I wasn¡¯t really sure if talking about it and reliving the horrors was the best therapy. I decided that I¡¯d let her figure that out, and not feel bad about not wanting to hear the details of canner madness.


    ¡°Hey,¡± said Coli, sitting down next to us. ¡°How are you feeling, Cee?¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± she said, looking away.


    ¡°She¡¯s ready to kill a couple dogs and a canner or two. That¡¯s as much as I¡¯ve been able to figure out so far,¡± I said, trying to lighten the mood a little.


    ¡°A dog? That yappy poodle thing that Bryn brought?¡±


    I gave an exaggerated gasp. ¡°Who, Buster? How dare you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± answered Celia, again in monotones. ¡°The dogs that the canners had for protection.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I get it,¡± said Coli, looking at me as if seeking direction.


    I decided to just jump in and finish the conversation. ¡°So, okay, we¡¯re probably going to need about ten guys on our scouting mission. We¡¯ll get the map location from you, Celia, and then we¡¯ll make our plan. We¡¯ll get out there and do some recon. I don¡¯t know if we¡¯ll be able to actually do anything on our first trip out, but maybe.¡±


    ¡°Why not just go in there and blow them to smithereens and be done with it?¡± asked Coli.


    ¡°Well, we have some kids to rescue, first of all. We don¡¯t want to kill the innocent ones. And we have to get rid of all the other bad guys. I hate to say that ¡­ that we have to kill them. But if we don¡¯t, they¡¯ll just keep doing what they do and probably eventually follow us back to the swamp. Even if they don¡¯t see us and don¡¯t know where we came from, we won¡¯t be able to hide our existence forever. They¡¯ll come to the swamps when they run out of kids there.¡±


    ¡°That is just so wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong,¡± said Coli.


    ¡°Yeah. No kidding. If you have better ideas, I¡¯d love to hear them. I¡¯m no expert.¡±


    ¡°I wish we had an expert. Maybe we could go to the library and look up a book on war tactics.¡±


    I suddenly remembered George¡¯s journal that was still in my backpack. ¡°I have a small one. I¡¯ll get it out tonight and see if there¡¯s anything good in there that could help us.¡±


    ¡°You have a war book. In your backpack.¡± Celia said it like a statement.


    ¡°Yeah. A neighbor gave it to me.¡±


    ¡°What, was he like a fortuneteller?¡± asked Coli. ¡°Like he knew all of this was going to happen?¡±


    ¡°Kind of. I mean, he served in the war, so he was kind of experienced with how people can go nuts when there¡¯s not enough food and stuff.¡±


    Coli shook her head, like she was disappointed in humanity. I couldn¡¯t say as I disagreed with her. It got very quiet in the hut and we all just sat there for a while, listening to the hum of cicadas in the trees.


    ¡°So when is the covert operation going to happen?¡± asked Coli.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. In a week? Maybe two?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too long,¡± said Celia, grabbing my arm. ¡°The kids will all be dead by then.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but we¡¯re not ready.¡± I was feeling slightly panicked. ¡°I mean, physically ready, to do anything like take on a group of nutbags with weapons.¡±


    ¡°You have to get them ready, Bryn. You can¡¯t wait.¡± Celia was starting to sound unhinged again.


    I didn¡¯t know what to say to her. I didn¡¯t want to lie, but I knew it would be a mistake to go this soon.


    ¡°Talk to Kowi and Trip about it. They¡¯re in charge.¡±


    ¡°Talk to me about what?¡± said Trip from behind us. I whipped around to see him standing there, shirtless, a bright red shiner on his cheek and a black eye marring his beautiful face.


    ¡°Wow. You look like crap, Trip,¡± said Coli, smiling. ¡°Bryn kick your ass again?¡±


    ¡°No. She didn¡¯t. Her friggin boyfriend tried to, though.¡±


    I didn¡¯t argue the boyfriend point this time. It seemed like a waste of breath with these people anyway.


    ¡°Looks like he succeeded.¡±


    ¡°You should see what he looks like.¡± Trip turned his attention to me. ¡°What do you need to talk to me about?¡± He walked over and stood by his sister, Celia.


    She refused to meet his gaze, turning her head to stare off into the trees.


    ¡°We were talking about going after the canner and rescuing those kids. But I know you don¡¯t want to go, so I¡¯ll wait to talk about it when Kowi¡¯s there too.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ve been overruled. I¡¯m okay with going if everyone else wants to risk it.¡±


    I eyed him suspiciously. ¡°That just seems a little too simple, Trip. You don¡¯t strike me as the kind of guy who changes his mind so easily.¡±


    He lowered himself down to sit cross-legged on the other side of his sister, fixing me with a stare. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised what you don¡¯t know about me ¡­ one of those things being that I¡¯m not an unreasonable person.¡±


    Coli snorted and stood. ¡°Well, I can see it¡¯s time for me to leave. I don¡¯t have waders tall enough for this crap lake. See you guys later.¡±


    I watched her back disappear into the trees.


    ¡°Wait!¡± I yelled, jumping up to follow her. I turned to Celia and Trip on my way out. ¡°Be right back.¡±


    Coli stopped and waited for me to catch up.


    I reached her and said quietly, ¡°I need you to teach me that sneaking thing you do.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Come now.¡±


    ¡°Just give me a minute to say goodbye. To Celia.¡±


    ¡°Two minutes.¡±


    I ran back to Celia and Trip, noticing that she was still doing her best to ignore him and he was doing his best to try and not be offended by it.


    ¡°Hey guys, I have to run. I have a little training to do with Coli. Can we talk about this more later?¡±


    Celia shrugged, not looking at me.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll come get you,¡± said Trip. ¡°After lunch?¡±


    ¡°Perfect. Maybe see if Kowi wants to join us.¡±


    Trip scowled. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll see.¡±


    I left them without a backward glance. They had their issues, and I didn¡¯t need to be the one to fix everything for everyone. Not everything is even fixable in this world, anyway.

 Page 17

    I joined Coli and followed her silent form deeper into the trees.


    ¡°Remind me again why I¡¯m teaching you this?¡± said Coli as she led me deeper into the swamp.


    ¡°Attack planning. Canner attack.¡± I tried to sound casual so she wouldn¡¯t suspect any ulterior motives on my part.


    ¡°You think you¡¯re going to attack canners in the swamp?¡±


    ¡°It could happen. If any of them ever follow one of us back here or come looking for food.¡±


    ¡°I really think you¡¯re deluding yourself, but whatever.¡±


    We walked for a few minutes until we were well and truly in the middle of nowhere. If Coli decided to leave me there, I was pretty sure I¡¯d be lost for good. All the trees looked the same to me right now.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she said, stopping and turning to look at me. ¡°First thing you have to do is pay attention to the trees around you.¡±


    I looked down on the ground.


    ¡°Not on the ground, stupid. The trees. Look up.¡±


    I looked at her, confused. ¡°Why up? I¡¯m walking on the ground, not swinging through the trees like a monkey.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but the stuff up in the trees, falls down. And then you step on it. Right?¡±


    ¡°Yeeaaaah ¡­¡±


    ¡°So, you have to know what you¡¯re dealing with. See that tree over there?¡±


    I looked where she was pointing. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Dry leaves. Crackle like crazy when you step on them. Avoid walking around trees like that.¡± She pointed to a different tree. ¡°See that one?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Those leaves don¡¯t crackle so much, even when they¡¯re dry. They make less noise when you step on them.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± I said, looking at all the greenery around us. ¡°I had no idea. I never thought of it that way.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, that¡¯s why you sound like a herd of buffalo coming through when you walk.¡±


    ¡°Gee, thanks.¡±


    ¡°No problem. Okay, so now, look at the ground.¡±


    I was almost afraid to do it, like it was a trick.


    ¡°Do it, dummy. I¡¯m not going to mock you ¡­ much.¡±


    I laughed, looking down at the ground. I noticed some of those crackly leaves.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve got leaves there and some small twigs, a branch. What happens when you step on the branch? Less sound or more sound?¡±


    ¡°It makes less sound?¡± I guessed.


    ¡°Try it,¡± she urged, gesturing with her chin at one near my foot.


    I stepped on it and as soon as I put pressure on the wood, I realized my mistake. ¡°It makes more noise.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s bigger than your foot. That means it¡¯s putting downward pressure over a bigger space, over more leaves and more twigs. And branches fall on top of ¡­¡± she was waiting for me to finish her sentence.


    ¡°Dry leaves?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. So if you want to announce to the world you¡¯ve arrived, step on a branch.¡±


    ¡°I guess I should avoid twigs too?¡±


    ¡°Depends on the twig. Some are dry and snap easy. Some not so much. You can ignore the wet ones that won¡¯t break.¡±


    ¡°How will I know which are dry and which are wet?¡±


    ¡°Practice.¡±


    ¡°Eff me.¡± I sighed in frustration.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say it was easy or fast. What¡¯s your hurry?¡±


    ¡°No hurry,¡± I said, casually. ¡°I¡¯m not worried about it. I¡¯ll figure it out. But isn¡¯t there like, kind of a default will-work-in-most-situations method I could try?¡±


    ¡°Sure. It¡¯s called the shuffle.¡±


    ¡°It sounds noisy.¡±


    ¡°Well it is. But the idea is to mimic normal sounds of the woods or the swamp. Animals shuffle. Birds shuffle sometimes. People don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°So I need to sound like an animal?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°Show me.¡±


    Coli took a few steps, basically using her toes to toss dry leaves and twigs out of her way, and only stepping down where there was bare earth beneath her feet. When she went fast, she sounded like someone shuffling through the leaves. But when she went slow, it almost sounded like something natural - not human.


    ¡°Wow. That is bad ass.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it is.¡±


    ¡°Let me try,¡± I said, excited to give it a go. I took five steps before Coli started laughing.


    ¡°Yep. Still a buffalo. Where are my bow and arrows? I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± I said, trying not to smile. I was pretty pitiful in the sneaking department, that much was obvious. ¡°So this is it? This is the whole lesson?¡±


    ¡°Once you¡¯ve mastered this, come find me. Maybe I can teach you more, but until you can do this, it¡¯s just a waste of time for both of us.¡±


    ¡°How did you get so good at it?¡± I was busy pushing my feet through the leaves, trying to figure out how to shuffle less and step more, but it didn¡¯t seem to be working.


    ¡°My grandmother taught me. She was the best.¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re the best.¡±


    Coli shrugged. ¡°Not really. But I¡¯m good enough.¡±


    I looked up at her, but her expression revealed nothing. I wondered how many of my conversations she¡¯d overheard, being her sneaky self outside my hut.


    ¡°I¡¯ve gotta go. Do you know how to find your way back?¡±


    ¡°Hell no! Don¡¯t leave me out here.¡±


    She sighed. ¡°Well, come on then. Bus is leaving.¡±


    We made our way back to my hut where Coli left me and then disappeared. I listened for her footsteps as she walked away but didn¡¯t hear them. All I could detect was an occasional shuffling sound that reminded me of a small animal more than a person.


    I have to figure out how to do that.


    I walked around the hut for about ten minutes, trying to get a feel for the different leaves beneath my feet and the technique, before finally giving up. Lunch would be arriving soon, and I was tired of failing. It wasn¡¯t a familiar feeling for me, and I didn¡¯t like it one bit. I was going to have to defeat this sneaking thing, just so I didn¡¯t have to experience it anymore. I was getting a taste of how my dad felt, when he first started doing krav maga. He used to tell me it drove him to improve, when he realized how much he couldn¡¯t do. It never made sense to me before, but it sure did now.


    I laid down on my mattress and stared at the ceiling, thinking about my dad, wishing he were here with me. He¡¯d tried to teach me so many things, and I¡¯d blown him off over and over again. I would give anything to have him back with me, and the fact that there was nothing in the world I could do to make that happen just made me cry.


    I calmed myself by taking George¡¯s journal out of my backpack and reading it. Inside I found all kinds of stuff on ambushes and sneak attacks that seemed totally appropriate for what I had in mind for those canners. I turned down the corner of a couple pages to show to the guys later.


    Lunch came, delivered by none other than the two chiefs.


    ¡°Wow. I¡¯m honored. Lunch hand-delivered by the head honchos.¡±


    Kowi smiled but Trip gave me no reaction, his face remaining serious.


    ¡°It was faster. We figured we could get this scouting mission figured out while we ate.¡± Kowi looked around the hut and surrounding area. ¡°Where are Peter and Bodo?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea. Peter¡¯s probably off organizing the swamp and Bodo¡¯s ¡­ wherever.¡± I didn¡¯t want to alert them to the fact that he just disappears all the time, so I smiled really big. ¡°What¡¯s for lunch today?¡±


    ¡°Someone bagged a wild turkey, so turkey sandwiches if you can believe that,¡± said Trip.


    ¡°Holy crap, really?¡± I walked over and looked in the basket. Sure enough, there were thick sandwiches, full of meat. I grabbed one and took a big bite, unable to stop myself or even pretend to be polite about it. ¡°Forry,¡± I said through the food, shrugging a little.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± said Kowi. ¡°I went a little nuts when I saw them too.¡±


    I swallowed my first bite. ¡°Yeah, well you seem to be able to control yourself.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve already had two each.¡±


    ¡°Oh. That explains it.¡± I took another bite, watching them dig into their third helpings. They were like all the other guys I knew from the dojos where I trained - monster eaters. They finished their sandwiches off in about four bites.


    I took the basket from Kowi and put it on our shelves, keeping it there for when Peter and Bodo eventually showed up again.


    ¡°I think that Peter kid is over with my people. Working on making bread,¡± said Trip.


    ¡°That¡¯s cool,¡± I said. That was definitely a good skill to have here. ¡°Where do you guys get your flour? Costco?¡± My lame attempt at humor was met with zero smiles. ¡°Just kidding, geez.¡±


    ¡°We make our own,¡± said Trip.


    ¡°Whaaat? No way.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we grow our own crop and harvest it by hand. Just outside this area, actually,¡± said Kowi. ¡°That¡¯s one thing we¡¯ve always shared between us. Even when we stopped getting along, we kept that a team effort.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s too important to try and take from each other,¡± said Trip.


    ¡°Well,¡± I said, swallowing another bite, ¡°call me crazy, but I think that could be said about everything out here, not just wheat.¡±


    They both shrugged.


    I gave up trying to be political. ¡°So what¡¯s the deal? You guys want to discuss our plans?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Trip. ¡°We talked about it before coming. Celia told us everything she told you after you left with Coli.¡±


    Kowi joined in. ¡°We think we could go in the next few days, just check it out, figure out if it might be possible to sneak in while they sleep and just get the kids out first.¡±


    ¡°What would be the point in that?¡± I asked. ¡°First, you alert them that we¡¯re there, then you get them hungry so they go out looking for more food? That means we¡¯ll just have to go back and do it all over again, and have more handicapped kids here in the swamp.¡±


    They just looked at each other.


    ¡°Okay, I know that sounded bad, about the handicapped kids. What I mean is, every one of them who¡¯s missing a limb is going to need extra care. And out here, that makes them even more vulnerable. So it¡¯s a lot of work and whatever. Not to mention we need to stop crap like that from happening in the first place. I¡¯d prefer it if we kept the injuries to an absolute minimum.¡±


    ¡°So you have a better plan?¡± asked Trip.


    ¡°No. But George probably does.¡±


    ¡°Who the hell is George?¡± demanded Trip angrily.


    Kowi placed his hand on Trip¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Just relax, man. She¡¯s on the same side as us.¡± He had a bemused expression on his face.


    I frowned at Trip, not happy with him jumping at me again. ¡°George is my old neighbor. He gave me his war journal and it has a lot of good tips in it. I¡¯ll show you.¡± I got up and grabbed the book off my mattress, coming back to join them and sitting on the floor near our pantry. I motioned for them to join me.


    I opened up the book to the first page I had turned down. ¡°Let me read this to you, and you can decide if you think it will help us.¡±


    They sat down across from me, listening attentively.


    Prisoners of war are a problem you should expect to face in a wartime situation. Sometimes, there are special units utilized to identify where they are being kept and to secure their release. But other times, it falls to the shoulders of the originating unit to retrieve their comrades from behind enemy lines. Great care should be taken to ensure that the rescuers don¡¯t become prisoners themselves.


    ¡°Seems like pretty obvious stuff to me,¡± said Trip, sounding decidedly unimpressed.

 Page 18

    ¡°Let me finish.¡±


    The first step is to conduct reconnaissance. Determine when your enemy is sleeping and awake; how many people or dogs are used to guard both prisoners and entry points; find out where they store their weapons and food; see who is giving orders and who appears most likely to sway from them. The more disciplined the unit, the more regular their activities should be. You can use their routines to your advantage, striking when they are most vulnerable. In other words, you should strike when they are sleeping or have the least amount of manpower and gunpower at the ready.


    Kowi was nodding his head. ¡°Pretty decent.¡±


    ¡°It gets better,¡± I said, turning to another page I had marked.


    A very successful technique to be utilized when a completely undetected rescue cannot be done (and in most cases, that type of operation would be impossible to execute), is the distraction team set. At least, that¡¯s what my unit called it back in the day. The distraction team¡¯s job was not to rescue, but merely to cause a ruckus and not get killed in the process. While they keep the enemy busy in another part of their territory, the rescue team moves in and takes the prisoners, when it is likely that most of the enemy¡¯s manpower will be occupied with fighting off the distraction. I caution you in its use for many reasons. First, the distraction team members very much risk getting injured or killed. They will be calling the enemy directly to them, usually making no secret of their existence. One could use a distraction that does not risk as much, such as a fire, but these usually do not keep the enemy distracted long enough and often result in an unpleasant surprise visit upon the rescue unit. Second, they risk being ambushed from behind, as their enemy may well have planned for an attack from that location and have already set up contingency plans to manage it. This is why very close and comprehensive scouting and reconnaissance (recon) must be done in advance to find all of the locations the enemy might be familiar with and consider a part of its territory. Of course, there is never a line drawn around the area they consider their territory - but they do tend to frequent the places that they are comfortable fighting from and for.


    ¡°Wow. That¡¯s a lot of stuff. Is that just on that one page?¡± asked Kowi.


    ¡°Yeah. The whole book is full of this kind of thing. George was like a war commander or something.¡±


    ¡°Can I see it?¡± asked Kowi.


    I handed it over. ¡°Sure. Anytime. Just make sure it stays here in my hut, is all I ask.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± said Kowi, absently, paging through the book.


    ¡°So you think we should do a recon kinda thing first?¡± asked Trip. ¡°I just feel like we¡¯re going to see those kids in there and not be able to walk away, you know? Like if Celia were there, and I saw her ¡­¡± his voice cracked and he couldn¡¯t continue. He swallowed hard to keep his emotions under control. It was strange to see him go from so angry and strong to so vulnerable like that, but it made him seem more human so it was almost a relief.


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯m not sure what to say. Yes, I think we need to do recon. But if they know we¡¯re out there, and planning on coming back, they¡¯ll be ready for us and we¡¯ll lose a huge advantage.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we can compromise,¡± said Kowi.


    Trip and I focused our attention on him. I was anxious to have someone else coming up with the ideas. The responsibility of having people follow my plan was huge, and all I could think about was how I would be to blame if kids died. I was no hero, and my complete lack of desire to shoulder any blame was proof of that. I was much more comfortable being one of the ground troops than being the leader.


    ¡°We could plan a quick attack thing. Like do recon one day and the rescue attack the next. That way, very little could happen in between. No extra injuries for the prisoners there, hopefully, and no time for the canners to change anything about how they operate.¡±


    I nodded my head, considering the benefits.


    ¡°The question is, can Bryn train us fast enough to get us ready?¡± asked Trip, looking right at me.


    ¡°When do you want to do this?¡± I asked.


    ¡°A week. Is that enough time?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? You want me to cram a lifetime¡¯s worth of krav maga into a week? With time for muscle recovery? Uh ¡­ no. There¡¯s no way.¡±


    ¡°What can you do in a week?¡± asked Kowi.


    ¡°Teach you only the most basic moves, and maybe make you just one small level above amateur.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯ll have to do then. It¡¯s not like we have much of a choice, if we want to keep them from hurting any more kids or venturing out into our territory.¡±


    I shook my head. They were asking for miracles, and I was no miracle-worker. ¡°What about weapons? They have a lot of firepower and we have almost nothing.¡±


    ¡°We have the grenades,¡± said Trip.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure using grenades is the best idea. They¡¯re loud, they can injure us too. I think we¡¯re better off using stealth and ignoring those.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking we could use them as part of the distraction thing,¡± said Kowi.


    ¡°Good idea,¡± said Trip.


    I couldn¡¯t think of any reason to disagree, other than the reasons I had already given. I wasn¡¯t sure making a big ruckus was the best plan we could come up with, but I didn¡¯t have anything else better to contribute, so I kept my mouth shut.


    ¡°Alright, so you tell Peter about what we want. You can focus all of your lessons on the ten who are going on our mission. You¡¯ll let us know who those people are?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I want to see every able-bodied person tomorrow, for a short evaluation session. Peter will organize it. Tell everyone to come see him at some point tonight during dinner to get their slot. I¡¯ll probably run eight to ten of them.¡± I shook my head.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± asked Trip.


    ¡°I¡¯m just thinking about what a nightmare day I¡¯m going to have, running that many sessions and keeping track of that many people.¡±


    ¡°You can have Peter there to help you,¡± said Kowi.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to. There¡¯s no way I can keep it all straight in my head the way he can.¡±


    ¡°When will you tell us who you¡¯ve chosen?¡± asked Trip.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell each candidate I¡¯ve picked right at the session to come back the next day. Then I¡¯ll start training them three times a day for the next five days. The final two days will be just to rest, plan, and practice.¡±


    ¡°Works for me,¡± said Kowi.


    ¡°Good,¡± said Trip. ¡°I¡¯ve gotta go. Talk to you guys tonight.¡± He got up and walked off without another word.


    I watched him go, saying quietly to Kowi, ¡°He¡¯s not the warmest guy in the world, is he?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s alright. He just has a lot on his mind with his sister. I think he¡¯s lost too much already. If he lost her ¡­ well, I¡¯m not sure we¡¯d ever get him back completely, you know?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I get it.¡± I¡¯d only lost my dad. I guess I got off easy. The thought of losing Peter or Bodo made me feel sick, and I hadn¡¯t even known them for very long. It made me appreciate Trip¡¯s attitude a little more to think about him losing a little brother and having his sister in such bad shape. That must have really sucked, especially when there was regret to go along with the loss.


    ¡°So, I¡¯ll see you at dinner then?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. See ya. And thanks for the lunch.¡±


    ¡°No prob. It¡¯s the least we can do.¡±


    Kowi left me standing there on the edge of the hut.


    I spent the next half hour practicing my sneaking techniques before I was joined by Peter and then Bodo.


    I handed Peter the basket of food. ¡°Here. This is your lunch.¡±


    ¡°I already had some,¡± said Peter. ¡°I learned how they make bread here. It¡¯s pretty amazing, actually. They¡¯re using solar ovens and wood-fired brick ovens over near this kitchen hut thingy.¡±


    ¡°Cool. Here,¡± I said, handing the basket to Bodo.


    He reached in and grabbed a sandwich, taking a huge bite out of it. It was even bigger than the bites taken by Kowi and Trip, which I would have thought impossible if I hadn¡¯t seen it with my own eyes.


    ¡°Jesus, Bodo, you don¡¯t have to choke yourself with it,¡± said Peter, eyeing him with a bit of disgust.


    Bodo swallowed with effort. ¡°It¡¯s not a problem for me. It fills up my stomach to have a bigger food in dare.¡±


    ¡°You think if you take bigger bites, you¡¯ll have more in your stomach? How¡¯s that possible?¡± asked Peter, clearly doubting Bodo¡¯s logic.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m saying dat if da food is in bigger chunks in dare, it takes longer to break it into da small pieces in da stomach, so it feels more full a longer time. Dat¡¯s better for me when I am starvingk a lot.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    It actually made sense, now that he¡¯d explained it. Maybe I¡¯d try it at my next meal if no one was looking. With my luck I¡¯d choke myself, so I¡¯d have to do it with Peter nearby, ready to give me the Heimlich.


    ¡°So, what did you do today, Bryn?¡± asked Peter.


    ¡°I made some plans with Kowi and Trip for scouting out the canner place and getting those kids out of there. Oh, and I need your help.¡±


    I had all of Peter¡¯s attention now. ¡°Oh, yeah? To do what?¡±


    ¡°I need you to organize all the Meeks and Creeks into groups of ten or twenty. I¡¯m not sure how many bodies we have in total, but I want to see all of them tomorrow for half hour sessions, to evaluate who¡¯s going with me and who¡¯s staying behind.¡±


    ¡°How many are going?¡±


    ¡°Ten or so.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going,¡± said Bodo, matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m going.¡± I looked at him, confused. I had no idea what he was talking about. Maybe he misunderstood or something.


    ¡°No. You cannot risk it. You need to stay here in da swamp with da udder girls.¡±


    My jaw went out of whack as I stood there looking at him, getting angrier and angrier by the second. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be frigging kidding me,¡± I finally said, once I realized he wasn¡¯t joking.


    ¡°No. I am totally serious. You stay here and let da men take care of dis problem.¡±


    I put my hand up to block his face from my vision and looked at Peter. ¡°Get him away from me before I kill him.¡±


    Peter looked nervously from Bodo to me, his gaze finally resting on Bodo. ¡°Um, yeah. Bodo? I think maybe you should go, uh, doodle on something. Somewhere else. Right now.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said firmly. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna doodle on anything. I am saying da truth. Bryn is very smart and strong but she cannot go. Dat¡¯s how it is.¡±


    I dropped my hand and fixed him with my best evil eye. ¡°Let¡¯s get one thing straight, Bodo. You don¡¯t decide where I go or what I do. You don¡¯t put me back in a safe little box with all the other weak-ass girls. I go where I want. I do what I want. You have no right to even dream of giving me permission to do anything.¡±


    ¡°I just dit.¡±


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t!¡± I yelled. Talking to Bodo was like talking to a tree. His head was made of wood.


    ¡°I know you heardt me,¡± he insisted. ¡°I said it in Engklish. You want to hear it in Cherman too? Here you go: Du gehst nirgendwo hin. Du bleibst hier mit den anderen M?dchen, das ist mein letztes Wort. Mir geht es nicht darum, dich zu beleidigen; ich bin lediglich um deine Sicherheit besorgt!"


    I took two steps forward and pushed him hard on the chest, shoving him away from me. ¡°Blow it out your ass, Bodo!¡±


    He caught himself after stumbling back a few steps. ¡°Dat sounds interesting, but no thank you. Not today. Maybe anudder time.¡±


    I had a feeling he wasn¡¯t going to engage me in a fight no matter what I did, so I gave up physically intimidating him into leaving me alone, deciding that ignoring him was the better option instead.

 Page 19

    ¡°Peter, do me a favor and put together a list of all the indians and divide them into groups so that I can see everyone, guys and girls, over eight or ten sessions max. This is for tomorrow. Start at sun-up.¡±


    I heard him say, ¡°Okay, that¡¯s not a problem,¡± as I stomped off into the trees. I had to get away from Bodo before I kicked him in the nuts or worse.


    I eventually calmed down a few minutes later and changed over to a less obvious mode of travel. Time to practice. I looked up at the leaves on the trees and down at the ground around me, avoiding the areas that looked like they were full of the dry, crackling stuff. My progress through the swamp changed from sounding like that of a buffalo to that of a smallish bear. It felt like an improvement and made me a tiny bit happier than I had been back at the hut.


    Stupid Bodo. Thinking he can tell me what to do. Acting like this is all about men being men and girls being wimps. Idiot.


    I¡¯d been walking in pretty much a straight line through the trees, going in a direction I¡¯d never been before. An area off to my right appeared brighter than the spot I was currently in, so I made a detour to see what was over there. Hopefully, I¡¯d be able to find my way back without too much trouble. I had a plan though, in case I got lost. I called it the scream-my-head-off technique.


    I arrived at a clearing in the trees to find a beautiful, wild sanctuary-looking place. Patches of water were mixed in with areas of small mounds of grasses and plants, and the entire bay-like area was ringed with cypress islands held together by their tangled webs of roots.


    I sat down just inside the cover of the trees to keep the shade over my head, watching some birds hovering over the area, scanning the water below for prey. A few gators moved lazily through the algae, floating on the water and several others were up on the banks of the grassy mounds across from me.


    It probably should have sent me into a state of panic seeing all those man-eating, prehistoric-looking creatures out there, but they seemed really far away from my reality and totally unconcerned about my presence. It probably helped that they didn¡¯t look hungry to me. There was an abundance of food here for them, which made me think that going after a human might be more trouble than they were interested in.


    Maybe I was giving their intelligence too much credit, but the sun was warm, my belly was full again, and I was dead tired from all the training I had done. I soon fell asleep leaning against the tree behind me.


    I was having a dream about the mountains. I had taken a trip with my dad there once. We stopped outside an old fashioned general store in a small town, and there was a man sitting on the porch in a rocking chair. He was rocking back and forth, playing a harmonica. I remembered trying not to stare, but being mesmerized by his ability to make the thing sound like it was moaning and crying. It had freaked me out then, and in my dream now, it was happening all over again. It didn¡¯t frighten me; it just made me feel like I was being transported to a different time and place.


    A loud shriek jerked me out of my sleep and had me sitting bolt upright.


    What the hell was that? I looked around in a panic. The sun was still up, but it was lower in the sky. No gators were swimming around nearby anymore, but there were several more up on the banks across the water. None of them were near me, thank goodness. It crossed my mind that it was probably not the smartest thing in the world to fall asleep next to a pile of man-eaters like that.


    Something had woken me up, but I wasn¡¯t sure if it had come from my dream or the swamp. But then I heard the noise again and knew it was coming from here, not my mind. I looked up and saw a large bird circling above me, calling out, an unholy scream bursting from its throat.


    And then I heard that friggin harmonica sound again.


    What the hell? I looked out across the water, a little to my right, and saw a figure standing on a bank. I wasn¡¯t sure at first, but when I squinted to get a sharper view, I thought it might be Bodo. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and light-skinned, standing with an air of quiet confidence. Yeah, definitely Bodo.


    I scrambled back on my hands and knees until I was once again under the full cover of the trees. I stood when I was sure he couldn¡¯t see me. Time to test my sneaking skills in real time.


    I ran around through the trees, heading in the general direction of where I¡¯d seen him. I didn¡¯t bother trying to be quiet here, since even if I was sounding like a buffalo he¡¯d never hear it from so far away.


    Once I got close to where I thought I¡¯d seen him, I changed tactics, paying close attention to the leaves under my feet, shuffling them out of the way when I needed to. I paused between steps to make it less obvious that a two-legged creature was headed his way.


    I could still hear short, quick toots coming from the harmonica occasionally, and they helped me stay on track. I wondered why Bodo didn¡¯t just play the damn thing instead of honking on it like that. He sounded like a deranged goose.


    I eventually ended up in a spot just behind where Bodo was standing. A few more steps and I¡¯d have him in my sights.


    Another honk came from his harmonica, and I used the noise to cover the sound of my next two steps.


    I reached a large tree and stood behind it, climbing up a little on its knobby roots so I could get higher and look through a space in the trunk where a natural oval-shaped hole had formed. If my guesstimate were correct, I would be able to see the area behind Bodo easily without him being able to see anything of me. No way he¡¯d be expecting to see my face in the middle of a tree.


    I got to my spot and looked through the hole. Bodo was standing on the edge of the water, his feet submerged just a little and his arms dangling at his sides. In his left hand he held the harmonica, which I watched him lift up to his mouth, a short blast of sound coming from it before he dropped his arm down again. In his right hand he held something I couldn¡¯t see very clearly. It appeared to be a wide strap of leather, wrapped around his arm. It moved just a tiny bit, and I heard bells again.


    Bells? Where did I hear bells recently? And then it struck me. In the shower. When Bodo was getting undressed. My face screwed up in confusion. Why the hell does Bodo have bells with him?


    My thoughts were distracted by a movement again from Bodo. He was reaching his arm out towards the water, the one with the leather wrapped around it. He looked like a zombie guy, getting ready to walk forward right into the gator-infested swamp. I almost abandoned my post to go running after him when another flicker of movement caught my eye.


    A brown shape was coming towards him from off in the distance, up in the sky. It looked like missile headed straight for him.


    My mouth dropped open and my ears filled with the sound of my own blood pumping like mad with the rhythm of my freaking-out heart. What the ¡­?


    My brain would not compute what my eyes were seeing. Even when the high-pitched shriek of a large brown bird of prey came to my ears, and its huge wings were stretching out to land, I couldn¡¯t believe the vision before me.


    It was only when its razor sharp claws were reaching out and grasping onto Bodo¡¯s arm that I fully realized what was happening.


    Holy doodle on a stick. Bodo has a bird. And it wasn¡¯t any parrot or even a crow, either. This thing was like a friggin eagle it was so big.


    It landed on his arm and then stood there, gripping the leather on his wrist, stepping a bit from side to side as it bent down to take something from Bodo¡¯s other hand.


    Bodo¡¯s earlier injury from fighting Trip didn¡¯t seem to be bothering him at all anymore.


    ¡°You can come out now, Bryn. I know you¡¯re back dare.¡±


    I sighed. Dammit. How had he seen me?


    I stepped down from the tree and came walking out, moving to stand on the side of him that was opposite the bird, about ten feet away. ¡°How did you know I was there?¡±


    ¡°You are not very good at da sneaking.¡±


    ¡°I thought I was pretty awesome, actually.¡±


    ¡°Well if awesome is da same as loud, den yes, you are really, really, really awesome.¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± I said, trying not to smile. I looked at the bird, suddenly at a loss for words. It was more than beautiful - it was almost magical.


    ¡°You like my bird, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I ¡­ do. Actually, I really do. Even though it¡¯s completely freaking me out that you have it standing on your arm and I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s going to peck your eyeballs out any second.¡±


    ¡°Nina would never do dat. She is well-trained.¡±


    ¡°Nina? You named the bird Nina?¡± I don¡¯t know why that struck me as odd. He could have named it anything and I still would have thought this whole situation was outer-limits crazy.


    ¡°Yes. She looks like a Nina, don¡¯t you think?¡± He moved his arm to hold her up higher, and her wings opened part way, flaring out for a moment before slowly coming to rest down by her sides again.


    ¡°Wow. She¡¯s gorgeous.¡±


    ¡°Yes. And she knows it, so don¡¯t talk about it too much. She has already a too big headt.¡±


    Sounds like Bodo and his bird have something in common. ¡°So ¡­ um ¡­ what¡¯s the deal? I mean, you¡¯ve been sneaking off a lot since I met you. I guess now I know what you were doing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I am always going away, taking care of my babies.¡±


    ¡°Babies? As in plural? More than one?¡±


    ¡°Not anymore. Just Nina now.¡± He sounded sad.


    ¡°What happened to the others? How many were there?¡±


    ¡°I started with four. Dat¡¯s a lot. But it is my very favorite hobby to train da birds. You know, it¡¯s called in da United States and da U.K. falconry.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. So you¡¯re, like, a falconer?¡±


    ¡°Yah. You can say dat. I used to have four, which is too many in normal times. But I was alone a lot and hadt a lot of time becausse all da people¡¯s dat I knew died. And I trained dem to hunt togedder, so I got to eat a lot of meat with dem. But soon da canners found us.¡± His voice had gradually gotten lower and lower as the story went on. When he got to the canners part, I knew this story had a bad ending.


    ¡°What did they do?¡±


    ¡°Dey used to be my friends. Dey were guyss in my neighborhood who went to da same high school as me, when dare was a high school with classes and teachers. Dey tried to recruit me for dare crazy group later. Dey wanted me to come and eat da people. I said some bad words at dem, and dey came back and took my birds. All of dem.¡± His voice broke at the end. He reached up slowly and wiped his eyes with the back of it.


    Nina leaned over and plucked at his hand, giving me a small heart attack in the process. At first I thought his eyeballs were about to be a bird appetizer, but then I realized she wasn¡¯t being aggressive at all. She was being almost affectionate.


    Bodo took the top of her beak in his fingers for a second before dropping his hand and continuing his story with his eyes closed. Tears were coming down his cheeks slowly.


    ¡°Dey were my friends once, dose guyss. But dey killedt my birds and ate dem. Dey left da heads in dare mews - dat¡¯s where da birds were alwayss sleeping. I knew dat I was next, so I left. I found Nina a week later, when she wass just a baby, and worked with her for a while and den kept walking. She followss me where I go, but she stayss where no one can see her.¡±


    ¡°How long have you had her?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Several months, maybe. She is imprinted, but I worked really hard to do it da right way so she won¡¯t scream at me all da time. She¡¯s very smart - one of da smartest hawks I ever hadt.¡± He reached over and brushed the feathers of her chest. She ignored him, looking off into the distance.


    ¡°Why did you hide her from me?¡± I asked, trying not to sound hurt and pitiful. The emotions were rushing through me like wildwaters. I had just found out that Bodo has this amazing thing about him, this huge thing in his life, and he¡¯d kept it blocked off from me. I had kind of taken for granted the idea that he really liked me and was this big, joking all the time, up-front, simple guy; but now I knew he wasn¡¯t just those things. He was someone a lot deeper than that, and I¡¯d only found out about his secret life and his biggest passion because I¡¯d snuck up on him - not because he¡¯d shared it with me by choice. I¡¯d never felt more distance between us, and I was standing right there next to him.

 Page 20

    ¡°Da reason I hid her from everyone is becausse da last people I trusted killed my hawks. Dey took a piece of me dat day. I always feel a little bit afraid now, that someone iss going to hurt me through da things I luff. Dats why I stayed alone for a long time. But den I saw you. And Peter. And I didn¡¯t want to be alone anymore.¡±


    He¡¯d confessed so many things I almost didn¡¯t know where to start. ¡°Do you honestly think I would have hurt your birds?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure whether to be angry or sad about that thought.


    ¡°No, not you. And not Peter. But we were meeting new peoples and some of dem were a little crazy, so I decided it wass better to just wait until da time when we know it is safe.¡±


    I looked down at the ground. ¡°When is that time going to be, Bodo?¡±


    Bodo sighed. ¡°I knew you were dare, Bryn. I saw you sleepingk over dare across da water. I played my harmonica many times, and only two times it wass for Nina.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying you wanted me to find you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m saying dat.¡± He looked over at me finally, wiping the remnants of tears off his face and standing up straighter.


    Nina spread her wings again and let out a screech.


    ¡°Welcome to my worldt, Bryn,¡± he said, an awkward smile on his face. ¡°I really hope you like it.¡±


    Something happened in my heart in that moment that I saw him standing there, his hawk¡¯s wings spread wide and her mouth opened, a shriek coming out. The muscles in Bodo¡¯s arm were bulging with the effort of holding her up. He was beautiful and hopeful, as if he wanted nothing more than to have my acceptance.


    I took a big breath and decided to just go for it. What do I have to lose, other than my heart?


    I looked him in the eye and said, ¡°I want to come over there and kiss you, but I¡¯m afraid Nina will get jealous.¡±


    ¡°Just giff me one minute,¡± he said, pulling something out of his leather wrap that had been tucked inside. It was a small bell on a strip of leather. He attached it to something on her leg and then blew a note on his harmonica, throwing his wrapped arm up higher into the air.


    Nina opened her wings with a snap and took off, flying high above us to disappear over the trees in a matter of seconds.


    Bodo reached down and unwrapped the leather from his arm, folding it up and shoving it into the side of his pants.


    I stood in place, afraid to move. Bodo had become another person almost - bigger ¡­ tougher ¡­ more manly or something. I was suddenly shy.


    He put his harmonica in his pocket and finally looked up at me.


    ¡°Well? I¡¯m ready for dat kiss now.¡±


    I smiled, my feet refusing to move. ¡°Okay. Good.¡± I knew I sounded like a dork, but I seemed to have lost my ability to be cool or be even relatively intelligent.


    He half smiled. ¡°How much longer do you think I¡¯m gonna haff to wait?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Do you hate me now?¡± he asked, no longer smiling.


    ¡°No way. Not even close,¡± I said softly, embarrassed about what I was feeling and terribly afraid I was the only one feeling it.


    ¡°If I come over dare, are you gonna kick me in da nuts?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I half giggled.


    ¡°Poke me in da eyeballs?¡±


    ¡°No, Bodo, you idiot, I¡¯m not going to do any of that stuff. I don¡¯t want to hurt you right now, unlike before when I wanted to kill you.¡±


    He took four slow steps towards me until we were face-to-face, his feet crunching some twigs. ¡°Well dat¡¯s a good thing, den. I like it more when you want to kiss me den when you want to kill me.¡±


    I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him against me, loving the solid feel of his body as it bumped into mine and the scent of him coming up and surrounding me. ¡°Shut up, Bodo.¡±


    He smiled and dipped his head down to meet mine.


    Our lips came together in an urgent kiss, all the frustration, anger, surprise, attraction, and respect we had for each other converging into one messy, exciting emotion.


    It spilled over out of my heart and brain to overwhelm my senses. I wanted all of him and more. Every memory of every stupid thing he¡¯d done to annoy me disappeared and was replaced with the vision of him as he came walking out of the swamp that first day we were here, soaking wet, pulling off his shirt and acting like I¡¯d gotten him into the water on purpose so he¡¯d have to strip down. He was sexy, funny, gorgeous, and had trained hawks to hunt for him. What¡¯s not to love?


    Bodo wrapped his arm around my upper body and slowly lowered me to the ground.


    I didn¡¯t fight him at all. I just wanted to feel more of him, and he was apparently thinking the same thing.


    We laid together, running our hands all over each others¡¯ bodies, and I reveled not only in the sensations he was making me experience but also the feel of his muscles flexing and stretching beneath my hands.


    He was on top of me now, and I could feel his hardness pressing against me. I wrapped my legs around him without conscious thought, just trying to get our bodies closer and touching in the most intimate places.


    His kisses sent me reeling. I¡¯d never been kissed like this, ever.


    He only stopped to move his lips to my neck or chest, and I didn¡¯t know which I liked best. When he wasn¡¯t at my mouth, I longed for his tongue there. When he was tangling his tongue with mine, my neck and chest felt empty and needy. I wanted him everywhere, all at once.


    ¡°Bryn, I can¡¯t stop here,¡± he said with effort, in between kisses. ¡°I want to do dis with you. Do you know what I¡¯m saying?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I do, too. But we can¡¯t!¡± I was freaking out. My hormones were wrestling with my brain and my brain was losing. I could feel my resolve slipping away. The things I had talked to Peter about were dissolving in my memory to be replaced by the heat that was rising up to consume me.


    ¡°I have a way. Please, let me do dis.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Just do it. Whatever. I don¡¯t care.¡± I reached down to touch Bodo where I knew he¡¯d like it most.


    He sucked in a sharp breath and then moaned a little. ¡°Oh, God, Bryn, dat¡¯s not a good idea. Not yet. Just wait.¡± He pushed up my shirt and I released him to help take it off. He pushed my bra up too and took a few seconds to put his mouth to my breast. I nearly died at the shocks of sensation that flew up and down from there. I didn¡¯t know if he was sucking or biting, but whatever it was, I didn¡¯t want him to stop.


    His hand went down to my shorts, making quick work of the button and zipper. I pushed them and my panties down, stopping to undo his pants too while my hand was there. Neither of us bothered taking our clothes the rest of the way off, leaving everything at our ankles in our hurry to get back to the fun stuff.


    The next thing I felt was his hand in my most intimate spot. His fingers stroked me and instantly ratcheted up the sexy level to a place where I could no longer think straight. All I wanted was to feel more, and to ride this roller coaster car to the top of the peak and fly down the other side of the mountain. Something was building in me, making me move myself against him, guiding his fingers into doing something that I didn¡¯t even really understand.


    ¡°Something¡¯s happening,¡± I gasped, nearly crying with the sweet ache of it.


    ¡°Chust keep going. Don¡¯t wait for me.¡±


    I reached down and took his length in my hand, reveling in the sounds that came from his throat in response. I stroked it in rhythm with his hand, now moaning along with him, unable to stop myself. Our hands were smashed between us, not in the most comfortable of positions, but neither of us cared. We were kissing and moaning and grinding and stroking while something took both of us over. Something big.


    I felt the crescendo arrive a split second before it grabbed me and sent me into oblivion. First there was a tensing and then a pulsing between my legs that went on and on and on, as if my very essence were leaving my body while I gasped for breath, pushing against Bodo so I could feel every bit of it and make it never stop.


    His body tensed over mine and he shouted out something in German before going still for a second and then collapsing on top of me. There was a wetness in my hands and between my legs now.


    We both came down from our frenzied ecstasy and stopped moving at the same time, our hands trapped between us as we gasped for air. His stomach went in and out rapidly and his breath steamed up my neck.


    I felt dizzy and a little lost.


    ¡°Oh, Bryn. Dat was somesing. I can¡¯t say da words in English, I¡¯m sorry.¡± He sounded tired and out of breath. He dropped his head so it rested on the side of my face.


    I was embarrassed a little about what we¡¯d done, but I didn¡¯t want him to think I regretted it. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± I pulled my hand out from between us, resting it lightly on his ribs.


    He¡¯d fallen a little over onto his side and was now tipping his head, looking down at our bodies, still mostly naked and touching.


    I looked too and saw that we were covered in pieces of leaves and dirt. ¡°Wow. I¡¯m dirty,¡± I said, wondering how much of the swamp had ended up in my butt crack. It was not a comfortable thought.


    ¡°Maybe we can go take a shower togedder,¡± he said softly, reaching down to nuzzle my neck again.


    I tried to roll away, but Bodo held me fast. ¡°Where do you think you are going, little girl?¡±


    ¡°To get dressed?¡±


    ¡°Not until you kiss me again.¡± He licked and sucked my neck, moving his lips slowly up to my cheek, his light breath giving me chills everywhere.


    By the time he was at my mouth, I was yearning to feel his tongue there again and his hands on me too. I moaned.


    He kissed me slowly at first and then more passionately. I found myself being swept away again. I couldn¡¯t believe how turned-on Bodo made me feel, even with something so simple as a kiss.


    He pulled away all of a sudden, a look of frustration in his eyes. He ran his fingers through is hair, making it stand on end.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, searching his face, wondering if I¡¯d done something wrong.


    ¡°You! You are too beautiful. I can¡¯t stop touching you. If you want me to stop, you haff to chust slap me on da face. Go aheadt. Do it now.¡± He put his hand down on the other side of me, propping himself up and sticking his chin out with his eyes closed. ¡°Do it. Slap me.¡±


    ¡°You idiot,¡± I said, a smile in my voice, reaching down to take him in my hand again and begin stroking. ¡°I don¡¯t want to slap you. I want to ¡­¡±


    My words were cut off by his mouth, devouring me again.


    We started the whole game over again and spent the next hour, as the sun went down, rolling around on the ground and finding out exactly what kind of trouble two teenagers can get into without any adults or rules around to stop them.


    Somehow we managed to keep our wits about us enough to avoid doing the one thing that I knew for sure I¡¯d regret, but a piece of me wished we didn''t have to.


    An hour later we found our way to the shower and cleaned off, me spending the majority of the time fending Bodo off, worried someone was going to come along and find us there together. I didn¡¯t try too hard, but he didn¡¯t press me either. It was weird how comfortable I was feeling with him, all things considered.


    ¡°What happened to that sore arm of yours, anyway? Earlier you acted like you needed a sling or something.¡±


    ¡°I was faking a little maybe. It was pretty tricky, yah? You gave me a nice helping.¡± He smiled devilishly at me, and I threw a dirty sock into his face.


    We were getting dressed in our dirty clothes when Bodo broached the subject of us.


    ¡°You let me touch you today,¡± he said simply, looking at me.


    My face burned red. ¡°Yeah. I did.¡± I averted my eyes, pretending like I had to fix the zipper on my shorts.


    ¡°Dat means you like me. A lot.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it does.¡± Captain obvious.


    ¡°So dat means I¡¯m Mr. Bryn.¡±

 Page 21

    ¡°Whatever you say.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Whatever I say? You want me to be da boss? Because dat¡¯s not a problem at all. I like to be da boss of you.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said, putting on and zipping up my shorts, ¡°you are not the boss of me. I¡¯m the boss of me and you.¡±


    He frowned. ¡°Dat¡¯s not fair. I want to be da boss of something.¡±


    ¡°You can be the boss of Buster.¡±


    ¡°No, not da dog. Dat¡¯s not da boss of anything, really.¡±


    ¡°Fine. You can be the boss of ¡­ I don¡¯t know. Kissing.¡±


    Bodo stopped putting on his shirt, his eyes taking on a special gleam, making me almost regret I had said it. ¡°Oh, dat¡¯s good. I like dat a lot. I am da boss of da kissing. Dat means you haff to kiss me when I say do it.¡± He smiled, pulling his shirt over his head. ¡°Okay, dat¡¯s a goodt deal. You can be da boss of me, den. I agree to dis plan.¡±


    I didn¡¯t argue with his ridiculous deal. I was still too happily glowing to bother, and figured he couldn¡¯t get me into too much trouble with a few kisses. Besides, kissing Bodo was no chore. He was so damn good at it, I was kind of hoping he¡¯d demand one soon. I was too shy to ask for one, and I knew he didn¡¯t mind being forward about what he wanted. This is totally going to work out to my advantage. Kissing Bodo and bossing him around. A perfect relationship.


    Once we had our clothes on, we walked back to our hut. Halfway there he demanded his first kiss.


    ¡°Bryn, da boss of kissing says you have to do it now.¡±


    I sighed, acting all put-out, but secretly happy. ¡°Fine. Get it over with.¡±


    ¡°You are breaking my heart with dose mean wordts, but I don¡¯t care. You have to kiss me anyway.¡± He grabbed me around the waist and planted a heavy lip lock on me, getting us both breathless all over again.


    I pushed him from me before we could go too far. It was so easy to do with him, lose control like this. I was going to have to be very careful not to let him get under my skin too much or I¡¯d be a useless heap of worried girl, always wondering what he was thinking and feeling. I hated that.


    ¡°Come on, loverboy. We need to get back. Peter¡¯s probably wondering where we are.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s busy with da Creek. He doessn¡¯t care what we are doing.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he does. And I have work to do tomorrow. I have to get ready for it.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m picking candidates for the scouting and rescue.¡±


    ¡°I want to be da boss of you so I can say no. I don¡¯t like you to do dat dangerous stuff.¡±


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t, Bodo, but I have to.¡± I laced my fingers in his as we walked, silently thrilled at how big his hand was compared to mine, enjoying the warmth it brought. ¡°These people, those kids ¡­ they need me. What kind of person would I be if I just ignored that because I was worried about myself?¡±


    ¡°A livingk one.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I wouldn¡¯t do it if I thought I could die.¡±


    ¡°Well, den you are being foolish. Becausse you can die. Dat¡¯s a fact.¡±


    I squeezed his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this now. I don¡¯t want to fight.¡±


    ¡°Me neither. I will make anudder deal with you and den no more fighting.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°You promise dat I can go with you. Den I can make sure nothing happens to you. I can watching your back. No ¡­ I can watch your back.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I knew it wasn¡¯t fair, but I was thinking about how I didn¡¯t want to have him there, out of a sense of needing to keep him safe - which is exactly what he was trying to do with me. It seemed kind of hypocritical for me to tell him he couldn¡¯t go, so I stopped short of doing that.


    ¡°If you can pass the tests in the sessions tomorrow, then you can go.¡±


    ¡°What are da tests?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. Strength, agility, reflexes. Basic fighting skills.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. Dat¡¯s not a problem. I can do dat.¡±


    I was sad, thinking to myself that he probably could do all the things I would use as tests to qualify guys and girls for our team. Now I was going to have to figure out how to keep both of us alive and unscathed as we entered enemy territory and rescued our prisoners of war.


    I was going to be studying George¡¯s journal tonight as long as the firelight would let me.


    Chapter Three


    I FELL ASLEEP IN BETWEEN Peter and Bodo as usual, but got a much better goodnight kiss from Bodo than I did the last time; and at some point during the night, Bodo came over and joined me on my mattress.


    I woke up in his arms and laid there for a few minutes just enjoying the sensation of having someone hold me, making me feel safe and loved. I wondered if my dad were looking down on me and approving. I liked to think he was, and it made me smile.


    Buster saw my eyes open and the happy look on my face, and wiggled over to lick my chin, taking advantage of the fact that my arms were pinned down by Mr. Bryn.


    I pushed Bodo away and got up, wiping the dog drool off my face as I followed Buster out of the hut and headed over to the bathrooms.


    I was glad for the few minutes alone before the day started so I could get my head on straight and figure out finally what I wanted to do. I tried to think of all the situations we¡¯d be getting into and the skills we¡¯d need to execute our plans, designing physical tests around them that would highlight the candidates¡¯ strengths and weaknesses.


    Peter was outside the outhouse door when I finished, yawning and looking still half asleep.


    ¡°What are you doing up so early?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Gotta get you organized,¡± he said, stepping into the small room and leaving me alone outside.


    I gave him some space and waited for him to come out. He joined me a couple minutes later and we walked back to the hut together.


    ¡°I worked it all out.¡± Peter paused to yawn again. ¡°I have fifteen people per session. Sorry I couldn¡¯t make them smaller. You only gave me a day and there are lots of people to see.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. That¡¯s fine. How many sessions?¡±


    ¡°You have one hundred and thirteen indians and Bodo. I assumed you wanted to include him.¡±


    I didn¡¯t argue, even though the truth was I wanted to keep him out of it.


    ¡°You said thirty minute sessions and all in one day, so that makes almost eight sessions. And you need breaks in between and meals, so that¡¯s pretty much you working all day. I mixed guys and girls together, since I figured you¡¯d want to test them to find the strongest ones, and it didn¡¯t make sense to split the girls off by themselves. I hope that¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s fine. And I can manage that schedule. I thought it was going to be worse, actually. Thanks, Peter.¡±


    ¡°You are very welcome.¡± He smiled, proud of himself, I could tell.


    ¡°Did you write it down for me somewhere?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s in my head, though.¡±


    I looked at him askance. ¡°You have all of them? In your head?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Names and everything.¡± I said. No way did I believe that.


    ¡°Yes. Do you doubt me?¡±


    ¡°No. Yes. I don¡¯t know.¡±


    He rattled off a list of people I was going to see at 11:30, and I put my hand up to stop him.


    ¡°Fine. I get it. You memorized the entire schedule. How did you do that?¡±


    ¡°Discipline. I¡¯ve forced myself for years to remember all kinds of details. I can look at a scene and remember almost everything I saw, even months later.¡±


    ¡°Wow. That¡¯s kinda freaky, actually.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a skill, Bryn, not a handicap.¡±


    I was thinking about how it was a skill we could probably really use in our recon mission. I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted to share my thoughts out loud, though, because the idea of having little wimpy Peter out there anywhere near those canners made me feel sick to my stomach. I decided to wait and see what the day brought before I seriously considered it.


    ¡°So what happened with you and Bodo yesterday? I noticed him demanding kisses and you not arguing about it. Does that mean he¡¯s Mr. Bryn now?¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± I said, shoving Peter gently. ¡°Don¡¯t call him that. If friggin Paci or any of them hear it, I¡¯ll never live it down.¡± I sighed. ¡°But yeah, he¡¯s, like, my boyfriend I guess you could say.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nice.¡± Peter was smiling, so I knew he wasn¡¯t making fun of me.


    ¡°Yeah, it is. I think my dad would have liked him.¡±


    ¡°So his secrets don¡¯t bother you anymore?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Did you find out what they are?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°Well? Fess up! What¡¯d he say?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to let him tell you. Or show you. It¡¯s not my secret to share.¡±


    ¡°Party pooper,¡± said Peter, pouting. ¡°That is so not fair.¡±


    ¡°No, this one is not your regular secret kind of thing. It¡¯s something more than that.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± said Peter, more subdued now. ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll tell me?¡±


    ¡°I know he will. Just give him some time.¡±


    Peter sighed. ¡°Okay. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going anywhere.¡±


    Not if I have anything to say about it.


    I arrived at the session after everyone had already gathered in the clearing set up for our purposes.


    Fifteen kids stood in front of me, more guys than girls, all of them wearing indian garb in one form or another. It made me think that when we did our recon, we¡¯d want to be wearing regular street clothes and not something that identified us as coming from Kahayatle. We didn¡¯t need to give the canners any more clues than necessary about our origins and home.


    ¡°Thanks for coming, everyone. Please form three horizontal lines in front of me. Spread out so you don¡¯t hit each other your with kicks.¡± I waited for them to comply before continuing.


    ¡°The purpose of this exercise is to gauge whether you have the skills and strength to accompany me and the chiefs on a mission into a nearby town to rescue some kids who are being held like Celia was, by canners ¡­ cannibal kids. Obviously if you aren¡¯t interested in going on this mission, you should just step to the side. We don¡¯t need anyone with us who isn¡¯t dedicated to the task.¡±


    No one said anything or moved out of formation. They all just watched me, serious looks on their faces. Only the slight morning breeze caused any movement out in the group, lifting up some of their long dark hair and blowing strands across their faces.


    ¡°The eight who are chosen will go through some intense training over the next five days, so you can pretty much plan on not doing any of your regular chores during that time.¡±


    Again, there was no reaction from anyone. I hoped this meant that the ones left behind wouldn¡¯t mind picking up the slack, even though it really wasn¡¯t my problem. A part of me didn¡¯t want to be the one causing issues in this community, even if it were for a good cause.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to sugarcoat this for any of you. We are going after people with weapons, who murder and eat kids. They are animals. We¡¯d like to do this in a way that¡¯s safe, but to tell you it¡¯s going to be easy and that it¡¯s a no-risk proposition would be a lie. Some of us could get hurt or killed.¡± I surveyed the faces looking at me. ¡°So, last chance. If you are not interested - and no one is going to think anything bad of you if you¡¯re not - please step out.¡±


    Again, no one moved.


    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s get started then. Forward punches, begin!¡± I started doing my own, a combination of three, counting them out, watching as the kids all fell into the rhythm, some of them faster than others.

 Page 22

    ¡°Add this kick!¡± I ordered loudly, demonstrating a sharp kick to a kneecap. ¡°Punch! Punch! Punch! Kick! And again! ¡­¡±


    I walked down the rows vertically, watching them work. I could already see a few of them sweating. After five full minutes, I already had six who I knew wouldn¡¯t have the stamina to hang with me.


    ¡°Stop. If I walked by you and touched your shoulder at any point in that exercise, please step out.¡±


    The six heavy-breathers left the group, all of them with heads held down.


    ¡°You can leave or stay, but you lack the stamina necessary for the team. I hope I¡¯ll see you in my training sessions later so I can remedy that.¡± I didn¡¯t mean to be harsh, but I didn¡¯t have time to baby anybody through this. It was only my first session and I was already feeling the pressure. This was going to be harder than I thought, picking the best eight. Stamina was a good starting point, but there was so much more.


    The six I had pulled out stood off to the side, none of them leaving the area. I ignored them and continued with my evaluation.


    ¡°If you¡¯re taller than the person in front of you, tap him on the shoulder and move forward.¡±


    They all hesitated for a second, looking confused.


    ¡°Do it!¡± I said loudly.


    Feet shuffled and they moved to follow my instructions. The taller kids would now be in front.


    I was happy to see that they didn¡¯t question me. It was good in that they knew how to follow orders, but bad in that it didn¡¯t help me eliminate anyone who might cause us trouble on our mission. George had specifically said in his journal that troops who questioned orders all the time were the source of many casualties.


    ¡°Turn to your right!¡± I waited for all of them to be facing the same direction before continuing. ¡°If you¡¯re taller than the person in front of you, tap him on the shoulder and move forward!¡±


    They moved faster this time. Now all the tallest kids were on my left and close to the front. Once more and they¡¯d all be right where I wanted them.


    ¡°Turn to your left!¡± They were all facing me again. ¡°One more time. If you¡¯re taller than the person in front of you, tap him on the shoulder and move forward!¡±


    When they were finished, I now had the group in size order, from tallest to smallest, from the front left corner to the back right corner.


    ¡°Look around at the people on either side of you and behind you. These people are closest to you in size. You ¡­¡± I pointed to the largest one of the group standing in the front, the farthest on my left, ¡°¡­ step out. The rest of you, match yourselves up with one person of equal size and get ready to spar. Do it now!¡±


    They were moving faster now, giving each other a quick once-over and then nodding to indicate their partnership. I had four teams standing together, and one odd guy out, looking confused. He kept glancing at the teams and then at the group of kids who¡¯d already been asked to leave.


    I got his attention and motioned for him to join me. ¡°You¡¯re with me. The rest of you, get in one long line, one partner on one side of the clearing, the other partner on the other side. Like this ¡­¡±


    I walked up to my partner and grabbed him by the upper arms, pushing him back forcefully until he was at the edge of the clearing, his back to the group of rejected kids who had moved away until they were nearly in the trees. They were watching with rapt attention.


    I let him go and backed myself up until I was about twenty feet away, and then looked at the other teams. ¡°Spread out. Line up with me and ¡­¡± I looked at my partner. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Rob.¡±


    ¡°Other partners, line up with Rob.¡± In less than a minute I had two lines of kids, facing off against their teammate.


    ¡°The goal in this exercise is to overwhelm your partner. I¡¯m not looking for any special moves, just natural talent. I¡¯m going to demonstrate a possible scenario. Please do what you need to in order to show me your skills. I know we don¡¯t want anyone hurt, but if you hold back too much, I won¡¯t be able to accurately judge what you can do.¡±


    A couple of the girls looked at each other warily. Others seemed totally ready for the challenge. I could¡¯ve probably just eliminate candidates based on that, but decided to hold off until I actually saw them in action. George¡¯s journal suggested that people who love fighting too much were almost more trouble than they were worth. He said that rational, thinking warriors were the most valuable - the ones who didn¡¯t rush to violence, but used it when necessary, and only in the amounts needed to neutralize the threat.


    I looked at my partner. ¡°Rob, I need you to attack me.¡±


    He gave me a half-smile. ¡°Do you have a cup for me to wear? I¡¯ve heard about you.¡±


    That earned him a few laughs and smile back from me. ¡°Sorry, dude. Do what you can to protect yourself. Pretend I¡¯m a canner and I¡¯m going to eat you for dinner.¡±


    That wiped the smile off his face.


    He dropped into a crouched stance that instantly had my back up. I could see he had good balance already, the way he held himself before he moved.


    I got ready, shifting my weight back and forth between my two feet. He had me by at least eight inches and sixty pounds, maybe more.


    It was difficult for me to figure out what his plan was for attack. He was the kind of fighter who didn¡¯t broadcast much, which was good for him but not so much for me.


    I only had about a second to think before he charged me.


    I knew protecting his sensitive parts was his goal, since he¡¯d been stupid enough to tell me, so that meant he was going to be wasting a lot of time focusing on that and not enough on taking me down.


    A second before he was in range, I realized his plan. I was going to be his football tackle dummy, and his nuts weren¡¯t going to be anywhere near where my feet could reach. His tactical error was in lowering himself down to a point that could easily put him off balance.


    He hit me like a ton of bricks, but my plan was to let him. I used the opportunity of having his upper body bent over to grab him in a headlock and gouge his eyes, using the momentum of his own forward movement to bring him down to ground-level.


    I twisted my body around and went down with him, but ended up on top instead of under him like he¡¯d probably planned. I laid across him perpendicularly, using my superior position to slam him in the face a few times with my upper arm and elbow, before twisting around and hammering a fist down into his crotch.


    I pushed him away from me as I sat up, and he curled into himself, grabbing for his aching body parts. I stood up and brushed myself off, re-tightening my ponytail before speaking again.


    ¡°Okay, so that¡¯s what I¡¯m looking for. Who¡¯s first?¡±


    They all just stood there, staring at me. Then three girls walked away from the group and went over to stand with the rejects. I was happy to see they were the ones who¡¯d looked reticent about the exercise earlier. The one girl who was left without a partner glanced in my direction. I could tell she thought she was going to get stuck with me as her new partner, but she stood firm. That impressed me more than anything I¡¯d seen so far today.


    I looked at her. ¡°You can just wait. Let¡¯s see what happens with the others.¡±


    I picked the biggest guys first. ¡°You two, move this way a little. And go!¡±


    They stood there for a moment, looking unsure. But then the one nearest me took the bull by the horns and ran at the other. His partner wasn¡¯t totally ready, but he recovered quickly. They entered into a wrestling match of sorts before the guy who¡¯d charged got a good punch in. The injured kid jumped back up and went after his attacker, kicking his legs out from under him.


    ¡°Finish him!¡± I yelled, angry that he was stepping back, giving the other kid time to get up. ¡°No one gets up once he¡¯s down! Take him out!¡±


    The guy rushed in and jumped on him, no fear on his face whatsoever. He was sloppy, but he got the job done. He clearly overwhelmed the guy he was partnered with, even though he¡¯d initially been at a disadvantage. The other guy was aggressive, but he lacked any skills at all other than brute force. His partner had shown everyone that it wasn¡¯t enough.


    ¡°You, step out,¡± I said, ending the sparring and gesturing to the guy on the ground. ¡°Next!¡±


    And so it went, through all the partnered guys until it was just the girl left. I had eventually eliminated almost everyone.


    I looked at her and decided that I had to do it - either make her or break her with this one exercise. There was no point in keeping her in the mix if she wasn¡¯t up to it. I was actually surprised to see any girls still standing, knowing that without training, most of them were at a distinct disadvantage.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Winky.¡±


    ¡°Winky?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure I had heard her correctly.


    ¡°Yeah. Winky.¡± Her shoulders went back a fraction of an inch as she stood straighter. I could tell she¡¯d gotten some crap over her name before, the way she stared at me in challenge.


    ¡°Okay, Winky. Face off against ¡­ Rob.¡±


    Her eyes opened a little wider, but she moved into position across from him in the clearing.


    Rob had recovered from his earlier ball-racking by me and had been standing off to the side, laughing at his friends as they went down, one by one. He opened his mouth to protest, probably thinking it wasn¡¯t a very fair fight, but I cut him off.


    ¡°Rob meet Winky. She¡¯s about to have your heart for breakfast. Better take her down before she takes you down.¡±


    I looked at Winky. ¡°Winky, meet Rob. He kidnapped and attacked Celia. He¡¯s got a group of kids in his pool house he plans to eat later this week. Better do what you can to take him down or you¡¯re going to join them.¡±


    Her face took on an expression of grim determination, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Rob, and even I was a little intimidated by her at this point. She went from looking like a sweet, innocent fourteen-year-old to a cold-blooded killer.


    Rob made the first move, but Winky was ready for him. He came rushing at her, looking like he was going to choke her, but she ducked down and punched him hard in the thigh. I think she was aiming for his nuts, but he twisted to the side, causing her to miss.


    He turned and came at her again, but she faked him out a second time, sweeping her leg out to trip him up. He stumbled, and might have recovered, if she hadn¡¯t spun around and jumped on his back like a lunatic monkey.


    She grabbed a fistful of his hair, yanked his head back and bit his ear, hard.


    Rob screamed, reaching up to take her wrist, but she slipped out of his grasp, using her free hand to poke her fingers in his eyes.


    He went down on his knees, yelling, ¡°I give! I give! Shit, that hurts! Get off me, Winky, you crazy bitch!¡±


    Winky let go of his hair and jumped off his back, doing a couple quick hops on the balls of her feet before stepping over a few paces to join the group watching her. She almost looked like a dancer, the way she moved, with her feet turned out a little, bouncing as she walked.


    I watched as she morphed from a street fighter into a sweet, peaceful-looking teen again. The only thing that indicated she had just been in a fight was her heavy breathing and messed up hair, but she quickly put it back to rights, turning to smile at her partner who was slowly getting up from the ground.


    ¡°Sorry, Rob. I was just following the instructions.¡±


    He limped away, rubbing his head and his eyes. ¡°Yeah. Whatever.¡± He went over to join the rejected kids with stooped shoulders.


    ¡°Where are you going, Rob?¡± I asked loudly.


    He stopped and turned slowly. ¡°I thought ¡­¡±


    ¡°You thought wrong. Get your butt back over here.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to poke my eyes out again?¡±


    Everyone laughed.


    ¡°No,¡± I said, laughing along with them. ¡°You¡¯re safe for today.¡±

 Page 23

    He smiled and walked over to join the two guys that remained and Winky, giving them all high-fives.


    ¡°That¡¯s it for this session,¡± I announced, checking my watch. Twenty-five minutes to find three guys and one girl. Sweet. ¡°You guys who were told to step out can go. The rest of you, bring it in.¡±


    I moved over to meet them in a huddle, giving them the instructions to talk to Peter at dinner to get their training schedules. They all smiled and nodded, justifiably proud of themselves that they¡¯d made it this far.


    I looked around at the group and decided that I¡¯d probably have to go through a second cut tomorrow morning. I was going to end up with a lot more than eight candidates at this rate, and I couldn¡¯t afford to take anything but the best. This was going to be harder than I thought.


    I made it through the rest of the day with the seven other sessions, finally able to cut all but eleven guys and three girls. One of the eleven guys was Bodo. I really wanted to be able to cut him too, but he was bound and determined to be a part of the operation. When he both eye gouged and nut hammered his opponent, he¡¯d loudly given credit to his girlfriend and demanded a kiss right then and there. Even the worst dirty-look I could send his way didn¡¯t stop him from insisting on it, right in front of everyone. I had been afraid it would lower their opinion of me as a fighter in their eyes, but it didn¡¯t seem to have that effect at all. It almost made them seem more positive about the whole thing.


    Go figure. I¡¯d never been able to read anyone before except in the one way I¡¯d been trained to from the time I was practically a toddler. It was probanly unrealistic for me to expect to be able to do it now.


    Peter and I spent the evening working our way through the list of candidates that he¡¯d slimmed down to the final group as they arrived at dinner to check in with him as instructed. He set us up to meet the next morning at eight o¡¯clock so I could make the final cut.


    The mood at dinner was lively. Most of the ones who hadn¡¯t made it to the final level were offering their services as fighting partners; the few who didn¡¯t were at least laughing along with the conversation. The ones who had been chosen were getting a lot of attention, and all of them seemed to be enjoying it, with the exception of Winky. She just shrugged everyone off and kept mostly to herself.


    I went over and sat down next to her, balancing my plate of food over my crossed legs.


    ¡°Hey, Winky. What¡¯s up?¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem very happy about today.¡± I felt like I needed to give her an out if she wanted it. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to do this, it¡¯s no biggie. We have plenty of qualified guys to choose from.¡±


    ¡°No, I want to do it,¡± she said, not looking at me.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the problem then? You don¡¯t seem like you¡¯re too excited about it.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯m not. I mean, it¡¯s a good cause, and it needs to be done. And I want to help. But the idea of killing someone? It makes me uncomfortable.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I hear what you¡¯re saying. And it¡¯s gonna happen. If someone¡¯s coming after you, you¡¯re gonna have to make that choice.¡± It was time to be brutally honest with her. This trip wasn¡¯t about just self-defense and we all knew it. ¡°Honestly, if we leave those canners there, they¡¯re just going to go get more kids and kill them, too.¡± I sighed. It wasn¡¯t easy, what we were planning to do. ¡°I know you were raised like I was, to know that killing is wrong. But life isn¡¯t that simple anymore. It¡¯s like, kill or be killed with these guys. They don¡¯t have that human instinct that says life is precious.¡±


    ¡°And that people shouldn¡¯t be eating people,¡± she said with disgust in her voice.


    ¡°Yeah. Exactly. I mean, if we knew that after we took those kids away, they¡¯d go start eating vegetables instead, I¡¯d be all for letting them go on their merry way. But that¡¯s not realistic. They have a taste for it now and they have no ¡­ I don¡¯t know ¡­ moral brakes anymore.¡±


    She nodded her head. ¡°You¡¯re right. You¡¯re totally right.¡± She looked up at me, determined. ¡°I¡¯m ready to do this. Sometimes the hardest decisions are the right ones. I don¡¯t think I could live with myself if I didn¡¯t help.¡±


    ¡°You can help in other ways, you know. Not everyone has to go in and fight.¡± I said it softly so she wouldn¡¯t think I was challenging her or anything. I really wanted her to make her decision willingly without pressure from me.


    ¡°Yeah, I know. I¡¯m fine with this, really. I just needed to get my head in the right place, you know? Talking to you helped.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get it. I have to constantly remind myself of my reasons and the stuff that goes on in their compound or whatever. Going to talk to Celia helped me. She¡¯s ¡­ damaged. I mean, more than her arm. I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s ever going to come back from that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Winky, her voice so low I almost didn¡¯t hear it.


    We ate in silence for a while before we were joined by Bodo, insisting on a dinner kiss. I acted put-out, but secretly loved it. I needed his goofy, happy presence to lighten the mood for me. Winky smiled at his antics, so maybe it was working for her, too.


    ¡°Can we stop kissing now so I can eat?¡± I asked, pushing him away.


    He swayed a little, keeping a hold on his plate and smiling. ¡°Yes. For now. Maybe I will need more for dessert, dough. I will let you know.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, biting into a hunk of meat. I¡¯d stopped asking what I was eating. I didn¡¯t want to waste my time worrying about snakes or gators or any of the other more exotic foods that were making their way into my diet. So long as it wasn¡¯t human and it was keeping me nourished, I was okay with it.


    Coli came over to sat down with us, and I took the opportunity to ask her about street clothes.


    ¡°Hey, Coli ¡­ do you guys have any regular clothes and shoes we could wear when we go out?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I think it¡¯s better if they don¡¯t know who we are or where we¡¯re from when we go. Someone¡¯s bound to see us, and I¡¯d just prefer they not be able to trace us back here.¡±


    She and Winky both nodded their heads.


    ¡°Good point,¡± said Coli. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can find. Once you know who¡¯s going, tell me so I can get the right sizes. I¡¯m sure between all of us we can find something.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cool,¡± said Winky, ¡°that you¡¯re thinking about us like that, I mean. Watching out for our whole community the way you are.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I? I¡¯m a part of it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but ¡­ whatever. Never mind.¡± Winky went back to eating her food, obviously not wanting to talk about it anymore.


    I didn¡¯t know what she¡¯d been about to say, but I was guessing it had something to do with the fact that I wasn¡¯t technically a part of their tribe or whatever. But it made no difference to me. Family didn¡¯t fit any straight definition now, and I wasn¡¯t even sure it had before the world had gone crazy either. Home is where the heart is, and family were the ones who held your heart safe. So that meant Kahayatle was my home and Bodo and Peter were my family. These other kids were some sort of extension of that, and for now, I was willing to hold the door open for more if they were interested.


    Peter and Buster went to bed long before Bodo and I made it there. We took a walk after leaving Peter at the hut and stood under the moonlight kissing. At one point we ended up against a big tree, our hands in each others¡¯ pants, messing around like before, except skipping all the dirty stuff in the hair and butt crack parts. It wasn¡¯t the most comfortable way to get all hot and heavy, but until we had a hut of our own, this was the best we could do.


    After we¡¯d ridden the hot and sexy, exhilarating roller coaster together again, Bodo held me in his arms. His back was against the tree as he stroked my stomach and chest and nuzzled my neck.


    He spoke quietly in my ear. ¡°I want to tell you something, Bryn. It¡¯s a true thing.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°I say it in my own language: Ich liebe dich fur immer.¡±


    My heart stopped beating for a second. I was pretty sure I knew what it meant in English; the sounds were too similar to be anything else. Their roughness combined with their tender meaning made my pulse quicken in more than one way.


    ¡°You know, dat means in English dat I luff you for all times. It¡¯s a true thing.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to say. It was the first time anyone but my dad had ever said that to me. It scared me, thrilled me, and freaked me out, all at once.


    ¡°Bodo ¡­ I ¡­¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t haff to say it to me. Dat¡¯s not a problem if dat¡¯s not da truth for you. Da way I feel is not becausse you say dat to me. It¡¯s chust my heart talking to me, so I say it to you.¡±


    When he put it that way, it made it feel less stressful for some reason. I wasn¡¯t sure if I loved him, but I was sure about some things. ¡°I think you¡¯re awesome Bodo. You make me laugh, you make me feel safe, and you¡¯re the most gorgeous guy I¡¯ve ever known. And you¡¯re a decent fighter.¡±


    He kissed the top of my head. ¡°Dat¡¯s a good compliment from you ¡­ da fighting part. Do you think your dad would like me? Back before when he was alife?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, turning and squeezing him to me tightly, trying to keep from crying, ¡°my dad would have loved you a lot.¡±


    ¡°Well dat¡¯s good. Because I know you really respect him and so if he can luff me den so can you someday.¡±


    I smiled. His logic made sense. ¡°I just need more time, I think. To know how I really feel and stuff.¡± I looked up at him. ¡°I hope that doesn¡¯t make you mad. Or hurt your feelings.¡±


    He frowned at me. ¡°Who me? Dis is Bodo you are speaking to here. I don¡¯t run from da challenches. Dat¡¯s what I like about you, Bryn. You are a ferry difficult woman to know and to convince. I will eventually wear you down, dough. Dat¡¯s a fact for me. You will luff me before my life is over. I will be sure of dat.¡±


    I laughed. He was so goofy and serious at the same time, it was impossible not to smile. ¡°Okay, whatever you say, Mr. Bryn.¡±


    He squeezed me tighter. ¡°Dat¡¯s right. I am Mr. Bryn. And now I say dat you haff to giff me anudder kiss. Right now. Don¡¯t make me wait.¡±


    I reached up onto tiptoes to kiss him and drown a little more in the heat that he so easily brought up into my body, setting me on fire with need.


    I couldn¡¯t ever imagine getting enough of him, and that made me both excited and scared at the same time. It seemed like only a dangerous thing in this world, to be so weak and dependent on another person.


    I woke again the next morning in Bodo¡¯s arms, and this time I also had to contend with his heavy leg that had wrapped itself over me, pinning me down and making me sweat.


    Jesus, when winter comes I won¡¯t even need a blanket. I pushed him off with more than a little effort, bumping into and waking Peter in the process. Bodo kept up his gentle snoring after only a few-second pause.


    ¡°Ready for the big day?¡± Peter asked, yawning and scrubbing his face.


    ¡°Yeah. As ready as I¡¯ll ever be,¡± I said, standing and stretching. I was a little sore from yesterday¡¯s activities but probably a lot less sore than I was going to be over the next few days. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go. Maybe I can get some stretching and yoga in before everyone gets there.¡±


    ¡°Yoga? I didn¡¯t know you did that stuff.¡±


    We walked towards the outhouse together.


    ¡°Yeah, sometimes. It¡¯s good for flexibility. I just use it as a way to help me with the krav maga.¡±

 Page 24

    ¡°Well, whatever you¡¯re doing, it seems be working.¡±


    I changed the subject. ¡°So what have you been up to, other than organizing my life?¡± I hated that whenever we were together, all we seemed to do was talk about me. Peter probably thought I had a head bigger than our hut.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve been learning the art of bread-making. It¡¯s pretty cool, actually. All my work in chemistry class was apparently not wasted.¡± He seemed surprised.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. And biology class, too. Making bread includes all kinds of things about wild yeasts and sugars and the build-up of gases as everything interacts. They really know their stuff here.¡±


    ¡°How did they figure it all out? Do they have books like us?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But mostly their families prepared them before they died. There was this indian village thing out here somewhere, where they did all kinds of indian crafts and stuff for tourists; but once everyone knew they were going to die, I guess the parents all talked to the old-timers here, and on other reservations around the country, and put together a real indian village for their kids. One that totally functions without modern products.¡±


    I shook my head in amazement. It sounded as if a lot of their parents were like my dad, only even smarter maybe. ¡°That¡¯s so cool. We are so frigging lucky we found them, you know?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Every day I think that more and more. Today when you do your final cuts, I¡¯m going to be working with the Miccosukee in the weaving hut. Did you know they make their own cloth here? And thread and everything? It¡¯s crazy.¡±


    ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t know that. I just assumed they had cloth from before. Like stuff their parents had bought at the store.¡±


    ¡°They do have some of that, but they are making new stuff, too. And they have sewing machines that work on foot-pedal-power. They also sew by hand sometimes. They¡¯ve got supplies to last for the next twenty years, practically. Like needles and stuff. Really, it¡¯s like being around in pioneer days or something, but with some stuff from the future thrown in to make it easier.¡±


    We walked out of the trees surrounding our hut and went into our kitchen. There was some food in a basket but Bodo was gone.


    ¡°Where¡¯d he go?¡± asked Peter, mystified. ¡°We should have passed him on our way back.¡± He turned around and looked in the direction from where we¡¯d come.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure he didn¡¯t leave for the outhouse,¡± I said, digging through my backpack for a new shirt to wear. The one I¡¯d trained and slept in was getting pretty ripe.


    ¡°Where is he, then?¡±


    ¡°With his other girlfriend,¡± I said, standing up and taking off my dirty top.


    ¡°Whaaat?!¡± said Peter, his hand flying up to his chest. ¡°You¡¯re kidding me, right? Because that¡¯s not even funny, Bryn, you butthead. Don¡¯t scare me like that.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m dead serious. He has another love.¡± I pulled the new shirt on over my head, enjoying the smell of the fresh air that had dried it after I¡¯d washed it out by hand. It wasn¡¯t fresh-from-the-washer-smelling like my clothes used to be, but it wasn¡¯t totally terrible either.


    ¡°Other than you, you mean?¡± he asked, now with his hands on his hips, sounding pissed off.


    ¡°Yes. Just ask him. He¡¯ll tell you.¡± I smiled to myself, turning so he wouldn¡¯t see it.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to. As soon as I see him again, I¡¯m going to give him a piece of my mind. That¡¯s just not right, treating you like that.¡±


    ¡°I know, right?¡± I kept my back to him, secretly hugging myself for taking advantage of Peter¡¯s gullible nature like this. He was more than adorable when he was all mad at someone, and better he be mad at Bodo than me, even if it were a falsely-induced mad.


    Peter stomped over to the shelves and started straightening the already perfectly-straightened books.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯ve already alphabetized them and lined them up to the millimeter, Peter.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Bryn. I¡¯m upset. Organizing calms me down.¡±


    I felt a little bad now, seeing how seriously he was taking this, so I went over and grabbed his hands, making him stand up in front of me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m teasing you. Just a little.¡±


    Peter frowned at me, waiting for my explanation. He was super good at scolding with just a look.


    ¡°He does have another love, and she¡¯s female, but she¡¯s not human. Okay? Does that make it better?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no. Definitely not. Because right now I¡¯m thinking about forbidden canner love or something along those lines.¡±


    ¡°Ew, Peter, no. Do you honestly think I¡¯d be with him if he was messing around with a canner?¡±


    ¡°God, I hope not,¡± he said, sassily.


    ¡°No, dingaling. She¡¯s not human. She¡¯s an animal. But I really think he should be the one to tell you about her. It¡¯s kind of ¡­ well ¡­ like Lily and you in a way. I mean, it¡¯s not as serious, of course. But it¡¯s the same basic idea, only level five instead of, like, level one hundred. Do you get what I mean?¡±


    ¡°Kind of. And kind of not. But I trust you, so if you still love him despite his other love affair then I¡¯ll wait until he explains himself to me before I judge.¡± Peter paused, glancing down at our linked hands. ¡°You squeezed the bejesus out of my fingers when I said you loved him.¡± He looked back up at me, searching my eyes. ¡°Do you? Love him I mean?¡±


    I shrugged, trying to pull my hands away, but Peter wouldn¡¯t let go.


    ¡°No running away,¡± he said. ¡°Talk to Doctor Peter, psychoanalyst.¡±


    I smiled at his goofy but serious face and opened up enough to answer his question. ¡°I like him very, very much.¡± I broke away from Peter¡¯s gaze. ¡°But he told me last night that he loves me.¡± I felt guilty for some reason I didn¡¯t even understand.


    ¡°Wow. That¡¯s so sweet,¡± said Peter, his voice softening. ¡°You¡¯re happy about that, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I guess.¡±


    Peter let go of my hands and grabbed me into a hug. I tried just patting him on his boney back, but finally gave in to share a real hug when he didn¡¯t relent.


    ¡°This gives me hope, Bryn,¡± he said over my shoulder. ¡°If you can find someone to love you, then maybe I will, too.¡± He made two exaggerated sniffs.


    ¡°Hey!¡± I said, laughing and trying to pull away. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean, punk?¡±


    He giggled, still talking over my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m just saying. We¡¯re both one in a million. It¡¯s hard to find people who can appreciate such rare gems.¡±


    I quit trying to disengage myself and hugged him hard. ¡°Well, when you put it that way, how can I disagree?¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± said a voice. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell Bodo you¡¯re cheating on him,¡± said an amused Paci from off to my right.


    I released Peter and stood up straight. ¡°Go ahead,¡± I said cheerfully. ¡°He¡¯ll have to fight me to keep me off Peter¡¯s irresistible self.¡±


    Peter slapped me in the butt as I walked away to meet Paci.


    ¡°Ready to get your ass kicked?¡± I asked, bumping fists with him when I got close enough.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m ready to kick other people¡¯s asses. I plan on walking away unharmed.¡±


    I snorted. ¡°Good luck with that.¡±


    ¡°Hey! So long as I don¡¯t have you for a partner, I have a fighting chance.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said, noncommittally. Paci wasn¡¯t the best fighter of the group, but he sure wasn¡¯t the worst either. What he lacked in skill he made up for in enthusiasm. Even when he was knocked down pretty hard, he always came bouncing up for more. He¡¯d made it this far, and I was pretty sure he¡¯d make the final cut; but there was no way of knowing until we did the final tests.


    ¡°Come on,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll walk with you.¡±


    I looked over at Peter who was folding up our blankets. ¡°See you, Peter. Enjoy your weaving.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Enjoy your man-beating,¡± he said cheerfully.


    I laughed silently as I followed Paci out of our hut and through the trees.


    Paci and I arrived at the clearing to find everyone already there, including Bodo. He frowned at me as I walked up to say hello, leaving Paci to go join his friends.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I asked, noticing that his eyebrows were drawn together.


    ¡°Nothing. Chust watching dat Paci and wanting to be with him over dare.¡± Bodo was gesturing to the area where the test-fighting went on.


    ¡°Jealousy,¡± I said aloud, but mostly thinking it to myself. I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt about it. On one hand it was flattering, but on another, it was annoying.


    I quickly decided it irritated me more than anything else. I spoke so only Bodo would hear me. ¡°Bodo, just because you¡¯re my boyfriend or whatever, it doesn¡¯t mean you own me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know,¡± he said quietly. ¡°My brain knows dis, of course. But my heart wants to smash him on da head. Is dat wrong?¡± He looked almost confused.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s normal for a guy to feel that way, but to me, it¡¯s not cool. I don¡¯t like the idea that you consider me your territory or something.¡±


    ¡°Okay, den. I will try not to dream about the smashing of hiss face, den.¡± Bodo leaned over and kissed me right on the mouth.


    I didn¡¯t even have time to respond, and by the time I had a suitably annoyed retort worked out in my head, he had walked away to join the group of guys that didn¡¯t include Paci. I shook my head at his retreating form. Guys are so weird sometimes.


    I turned my attention to the groups of people scattered about the area, noticing for the first time that there were a lot more here than I had winnowed the group down to yesterday.


    ¡°So ¡­ uh ¡­ looks like we have too many people here.¡±


    ¡°Spectators,¡± said Kowi loudly from where he was standing at the edge of the trees. Trip was next to him, his arms crossed. His expression gave nothing away, but I could tell Kowi was happy about the turnout.


    ¡°Okaaay. I guess that¡¯s fine.¡± I shifted my attention to the remaining candidates who had gathered together in the center of the clearing. ¡°Three lines, divided evenly. Go. Now.¡± I clapped my hands together twice, startling them into movement. I loved seeing my father¡¯s old techniques working like that. It made me feel like he was with me, watching over my shoulder, urging me in the right direction.


    ¡°Two-on-one drills today, but first we¡¯re going to do some warm-ups. Punches. Go!¡± I watched as they jumped into position and got their muscles ready to work, all of them showing off their natural skills and balance that had marked them as easy candidates for this last session. It was going to be really hard picking the final group.


    Trip and Kowi wandered over and stood with me.


    ¡°They look good,¡± said Kowi. ¡°Like they¡¯ve been doing this longer than just a couple days.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yeah. These guys are naturals.¡± The group still included a few girls, but I wasn¡¯t sure if they were going to be able to hang to the end. ¡°They still need a lot of work, but at least I have something to start with.¡±


    ¡°You think you can get them ready in less than a week?¡± asked Trip, looking doubtful.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I think I can help them improve on what they already have, skill-wise. But to get them to the point that I¡¯d feel totally confident they could go out there and kick anybody¡¯s ass, armed or not, I¡¯d need months. I¡¯m only doing the best I can and that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all anyone expects of you,¡± said Kowi, frowning at Trip.


    Trip walked away, shaking his head slowly, casting glances over at the group still doing their punches.

 Page 25

    I couldn¡¯t let his disapproval and worry color my session. I needed to stay focused, so I stopped looking at him, instead watching each person doing the exercises individually for a few seconds. I wanted to try and identify anything that would tell me they weren¡¯t ready to leave the safety of the swamp and encounter people with guns and knives. I saw three possible suspects with weaknesses too easy to exploit - two of them girls - but needed to confirm my suspicions by watching some contact.


    ¡°Stop. Kicks now. One forward, one down, opposite leg. Go!¡± I watched as everyone kicked with one leg and then switched, using the heels of their opposite feet to stomp their imaginary adversaries.


    They moved in perfect formation, even without me counting it out. The ones in back followed the ones in front, and the ones in front seemed to be following the lead of the guy farthest to my left.


    Bodo.


    I narrowed my eyes at him, wondering if he¡¯d pre-planned this leadership role for himself. I wouldn¡¯t put it past him to try and figure out a way to ensure his inclusion in the final candidate group.


    ¡°Bodo! Step out! The rest of you continue.¡±


    Bodo¡¯s hands dropped from their defensive position and he stood in place for a few seconds before moving to join the group of spectators off to the side. He looked confused at first and then slightly mutinous.


    I turned my attention back to the group. They continued their maneuvers, but looked decidedly less organized. Several of them were casting glances over in Bodo¡¯s direction.


    That sneaky punk. He¡¯s gotten everyone to follow his direction somehow. He was going to get it from me later.


    ¡°Stop! Okay, Bodo, get back in line.¡± I waited for him to get there before continuing, addressing the entire group again.


    ¡°Find two partners. Every group should have a large, medium, and small person in it. Go!¡±


    I smiled to myself, thinking about what a mess they were about to make. My instructions were deliberately vague; I wanted to see how well they could organize themselves without any advance notice of my plans. I¡¯d read somewhere in George¡¯s journal that troops needed to be trained in developing immediate responses to unexpected contingencies. I figured there was no better time than the present to practice those skills.


    Surprisingly, they didn¡¯t mess it up as much as I had expected them to, but it was mainly because two people in the group kind of took charge and managed the formation of the partnerships: Bodo and Winky. I wasn¡¯t sure if my plans had actually worked out or not with them taking such a central role.


    I tried not to feel weird about Bodo and Winky standing so close together and smiling at each other as they found themselves agreeing on just about everything. I forced myself to look away, and my eyes inadvertently landed on Paci.


    He was staring at me, a funny look on his face. I looked quickly at the ground then, trying to get my head back in the game so I could focus on what I was trying to do. I could see now for the first time very clearly why my dad had avoided it, spending most of his free time at the dojo, with me at home, or outside doing athletic activities. This relationship stuff was not easy at all.


    Once the groups were all set thanks to Winky and Bodo, I pulled the first one out. It had Rob as the big guy and two others who were quite a bit smaller.


    ¡°The rest of you please move back. You, Rob, come over here. You, smaller guy, sorry I don¡¯t know your name, go with Rob.¡± I left the smallest one on his own. I figured the littlest guys and girls would be the least likely to do well against the canners, so my goal was to pull as many of them out as possible in this first round. ¡°Two on one. Little guy, you have to defend yourself as best you can. Last man standing stays on the final team.¡±


    ¡°Who are you calling little guy?¡± said the guy standing by himself, obviously offended.


    Before I had a chance to answer, the medium-sized kid standing with Rob attacked, running at his partner full-out, leaving him no time to prepare. One minute the small guy was standing there looking at me, all pissed off, and the next he was on the ground on his back.


    He shoved his opponent off of him, quickly using his arms behind him and his incredibly well-developed ab and back muscles to flip himself back up onto his feet.


    His friend hadn¡¯t been expecting that maneuver and was completely caught off-guard by the kick he received to his thigh that sent him to his knees in pain.


    ¡°Finish him!¡± I yelled, hoping the small guy knew I meant to end the fight but not to actually damage his partner. I watched as he grabbed the back of his friend¡¯s shirt, pulling him up and sending a few knee strikes into his chest before throwing his gasping form back to the ground. He¡¯d obviously paid attention to my fighting before. Knee strikes were some of my best moves, aside from the ball crusher and eye gouges.


    I signaled Rob to move in, and he didn¡¯t waste a second. I tried not to cringe at the picture of this big guy coming in after the little one. In the old, not-so-real-world of a qualified krav maga match, I wouldn¡¯t even worry about it. Little guys took down big ones all the time, since they often moved quicker and had the advantage of surprise paired with the anything goes krav maga mentality. But here, I knew these guys were amateurs, limited by their lack of skill and knowledge. Odds were, Rob was going to pummel him.


    Surprisingly, the little guy held his own. He darted in and out, getting jabs here and there on Rob, sending him spinning around as he tried to get his hands on him. It was only after suffering a couple of punishing blows to the back and head that Rob was finally able to grab the little guy and then essentially sit on him to keep from being taken down, bit by bit.


    I called it a draw and walked over, offering my hand to help the very dirty and sweaty smaller guy up.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name, little man?¡±


    He grabbed my hand, stood up, and then spit off to the side in the dirt. ¡°It¡¯s Fohi. And stop calling me little man.¡± He let go of my hand, practically pushing it away.


    ¡°What¡¯s that mean? ¡­ Fohi?¡± I asked, unable to stop smiling. He was a little badass and I loved it, almost the same size as Peter but more muscular by far.


    ¡°It means bee,¡± said Kowi coming up. He leaned in closer to my ear and said quietly, ¡°Floats like a butterfly stings like a Fohi.¡±


    I turned around so Little Bee wouldn¡¯t see me laughing. A few seconds later I collected myself and got back to business. Fohi left to stand with Rob off to the side of the clearing.


    The rest of the session finished with no other surprises. The smaller guys and girls in the other two groups went down as I¡¯d expected them to, and now we were left with only one more group: Bodo and Winky, who didn¡¯t have a third member with them. They moved to stand opposite one another in the clearing, both of them looking to me for instruction.


    ¡°We need a third,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± said Trip, walking over to stand at my side.


    I looked up at him to ask him a question, but all his attention was focused on Bodo. He looked like he wanted to wipe the clearing with Bodo¡¯s rear end.


    Oh boy. This isn¡¯t going to be pretty.


    ¡°Yeah, come on dare, pretty boy. Let me mess your face a little bit for you,¡± taunted Bodo.


    Trip moved out to stand next to Winky, rolling his head around and flexing his chest muscles, glaring at Bodo the entire time. It reminded me of our match, the battle for control of the swamp, and I knew firsthand how close I¡¯d come to losing that one. Bodo wouldn¡¯t have a chance if Trip was mad enough.


    I sighed resignedly. Even if I wanted to stop this match-up, I knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to at this point. The roosters were crowing and the only thing that was going to un-ruffle their feathers was to let them get it out of their systems and decide once and for all who had the right to the bigger head in the swamp.


    I could guess what Bodo was all about - he was jealous of Trip for some reason. Maybe because Trip and I had fought and he¡¯d ended up respecting me in the end.


    I knew it hadn¡¯t come easy for Trip to let people know that, but he had never indicated that he liked me in any kind of romantic way, so I couldn¡¯t figure out what he had against Bodo, unless it was just a guy thing that no one but another stupid guy could understand.


    I stepped back, motioning for everyone else to do the same. These two were going to need more space, both of them already pacing, their eyes measuring each other up and ignoring the rest of us.


    I gave Winky an apologetic look, but she just shrugged her shoulders, apparently not all that concerned about being caught up in the middle of this testosterone-fest. I could tell she was going to do the smart thing - let them beat the crap out of each other first and then jump in to deal with the leftovers.


    She eyed them both warily, occasionally flicking her gaze to the left and right, looking for escape routes that would keep her clean but still in the ring. She was a natural fighter, that much was obvious.


    ¡°Partners ready? Last man or woman standing goes with us. Begin!¡±


    Trip roared and rushed Bodo, head down like a bull.


    Bodo was ready, grabbing him in a headlock and traveling backwards with him upright for several steps until they both fell. They went down in a pile of arms and legs, Trip on top.


    Trip struggled to get free, his fists hitting Bodo in the ribs, but Bodo held on for dear life, using his legs to reach up and muscle Trip over onto his side and mashing his head in the dirt in the process. Bodo kicked him hard in the back of the thighs and calves with his heels, sure to leave some nasty bruises Trip would have to nurse tomorrow.


    Trip got tired of eating dirt fast and managed to wiggle his head free of Bodo¡¯s armpit. He came up swinging. He landed a hard right to Bodo¡¯s face, and I winced at the contact. I hated to think of my boyfriend¡¯s gorgeousness being messed up, but there was no way around it. These guys were serious.


    I thought for sure it was over for Bodo when Trip got up and sat on him, pummeling his face, but Winky had other plans.


    She ran across the open space and jumped on Trip¡¯s back, digging her fingers into his eyes and pulling back as hard as she could, using her whole body as leverage. The small muscles of her arms bulged with the effort.


    Trip let out a pained scream, letting her pull him back in an effort to ease the pressure from his sensitive eyeballs.


    Winky let go long enough to kick him in the side of the head when he fell back, scrambling out of the way so she wouldn¡¯t be trapped underneath him.


    But she didn¡¯t get enough distance between them. Trip reached out blindly, and caught her foot, gripping onto it and pulling hard.


    Her legs flew out from under her, and she landed on her backside, hard. Her head bobbed down hard at the impact as the jarring force went up into her spine.


    Winky kicked with both legs as fiercely as she could, trying to detach him, but he held on, pulling her closer and closer with several quick yanks.


    He got his hands on her thighs and for a split second just sat there, holding on, trying to see through his teary eyes. And then he lifted up an arm and backhanded her.


    She should have gone flying, but Trip held onto her thighs with his other arm, so she only whiplashed once before pulling herself back into a sitting position.


    Trip had murder in his eyes, and I didn¡¯t think he was even seeing her as a girl anymore.


    Several guys moved in as if to intervene, but I held up my arm and yelled sharply, ¡°No!¡± She was going to be hurt, that was for sure, but I knew she wasn¡¯t in danger of being killed. Not yet anyway. And if I saw anything like that going down, I was ready to jump in and end it along with everyone else. ¡°Let them play it out!¡± I added, watching the drama unfold. I wanted to see how far Winky could and would go to win this thing.


    Bodo had gained his legs and scrambled over almost gorilla-like to come to Winky¡¯s rescue. He threw himself bodily at Trip, giving his opponent a flying Superman punch. It slammed Trip onto his back, and Bodo landed nearly on top of him.


    Trip lost his grip on Winky, and she rolled away, stunned from the backhanding but still with-it enough to fight for her survival.

 Page 26

    I took that as an excellent sign. She wasn¡¯t giving up, even when she¡¯d had her butt nearly handed to her by a monster of a fighter.


    Winky got up on her knees, and then her feet, staring at Trip in a coldly calculating way, blood dripping down from her lip. She reminded me of a jungle cat, waiting for the moment to pounce. And she found it, right after Bodo rolled off.


    Trip was still on the ground shaking off Bodo¡¯s superhero punch when she made her move.


    Winky let out a serious warrior cry, the likes of which I¡¯d never heard from a human mouth before, and launched herself at Trip. Her nails were out, and she was not messing around.


    She reached him, slashing him on the face a few times before turning around and nailing him with her fist, coming down from two feet above in a terrifying hammer move to smash his balls.


    Trip froze, all of his energy now focused on the incredible pain that was shooting through his crotch, stomach, and legs. He was completely incapacitated.


    And Winky wasn¡¯t done yet.


    She jumped to her feet and crouched down low, her fingers trailing in the dirt between her legs. Her head was down but her eyes were looking up, locked on Bodo¡¯s prone form lying next to Trip¡¯s.


    ¡°Bodo, look out, man!¡± yelled Paci.


    Bodo looked up in time to see Winky growl and come after him.


    She was like a woman possessed. I thought I¡¯d seen it all, but even I was taken aback at her almost animalistic fierceness.


    Bodo moved faster than I would have thought possible, rolling away from the spot where she landed.


    It was clear that she was planning to be a winner-take-all kind of girl, and she didn¡¯t care one bit that I was yelling out, calling off the match.


    ¡°Game over! You win, Winky and Bodo! Get up!¡±


    Winky was pacing slowly sideways, never letting Bodo leave her sight.


    Bodo circled around the other side of the ring, casting quick glances at me and then back at her. ¡°Call off da crazy girl, Bryn. She¡¯ss gonna kill me.¡±


    Paci was hooting. ¡°Winky¡¯s kickin¡¯ everybody¡¯s ass today!¡±


    Winky was completely oblivious to it all. I could see from the look in her eye that she¡¯d gone completely off the range. I didn¡¯t know if it was the hit from Trip that had done it or the whole competition that had flipped the switch, but she was in assassin mode and Bodo was her target.


    She charged him and he ran, narrowly missing her clutches as she reached out to grab him. He arched his back and jumped aside, causing her to grip air instead of the shirt at his stomach.


    ¡°Okay, Winky, dat¡¯s okay now! We¡¯re partners, remember? Ahh!¡±


    She came at him again, this time not missing him entirely. She left three long scratches along his arm.


    While she was occupied with him, three guys including Kowi snuck in and dragged Trip out of the way. He was too out of it to protect himself from the crazy fighter still standing.


    ¡°Winky, shut it down!¡± I yelled.


    But she wouldn¡¯t listen. She was circling Bodo again, waiting for her moment.


    Bodo was confused as hell. He was alternatively laughing and looking worried. I could tell he just want to call it a draw and walk away, but his inner survivor told him not to turn his back on her. She was dangerous and we all knew it.


    I had to end this thing now, before it got too ridiculous. I took two steps forward, intending to grab her arm and snap her out of her trance.


    But she sensed me coming and spun around, lashing out at me with her nails, snarling at me like an animal. It was only my quick reflexes pulling my head back that kept me from having some ugly scratches across my cheek.


    ¡°Bodo, get out!¡± I shouted, not breaking my gaze away from her for even a millisecond. I crouched down, spreading my feet, stepping back and to the side so I could get in a better position.


    The adrenaline was pumping into my system, enhancing my instincts and getting my muscles ready for action. She was just trying to kill my boyfriend. The thought triggered a protective instinct in me that I didn¡¯t know existed. I suddenly stopped seeing her as student and started viewing her as a dangerous competitor.


    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± said Paci. ¡°I¡¯ve seen that look before.¡± Some others laughed around him, but I paid them no mind. ¡°You better run, Winky!¡± he yelled.


    Winky didn¡¯t give a crap what they were saying. Her eyes narrowed at me and she waved a little. ¡°Come on then. Bring it.¡±


    ¡°You bring it, twerp,¡± I responded. ¡°And you¡¯d better keep your nails to yourself or I¡¯ll fucking rip them out.¡±


    She charged me, but I was ready for her. She was planning to use those nails on me like she had on the guys, but I knew it as soon as I saw her fingers bending, before she even started moving her feet.


    I ended her plans with a side block across her forearms and then the heel of my hand into her chin.


    Her head snapped back, causing her step to falter.


    I didn¡¯t stop. I kept coming, delivering blow after punishing blow to her face and chest, pulling back only enough to make sure I didn¡¯t break anything.


    I¡¯d seen fighters go into frenzies like Winky before. It was rare and usually came along as a result of some other external trigger, but when it happened, the only way to shut it off was to power it down. I hated to hurt her, but she had it coming. Not only had she lost it, but she¡¯s lost it on Bodo.


    She tripped after my fifth blow to her upper body, landing in the dirt. I kicked dirt in her face to blind her and then used the bottom of my foot to smash her upper arms a couple times.


    ¡°I give! I give!¡± she yelled, in between choking and gasping for air in the cloud of dirt and dust that surrounded her.


    ¡°You¡¯re friggin right, you do,¡± I said, backing off, bouncing on the balls of my feet, shaking my head a little to get the emotions under control.


    I had felt myself slipping away a little, getting into machine attack mode. That was never a good place to be, especially when unevenly matched with a weaker opponent. It was how people got hurt, and I didn¡¯t want that for anyone here; it was completely contrary to our purposes and the things I was trying to create with my training - mainly establish camaraderie and esprit de corps.


    Everyone around the clearing was hollering now. Some of them were hooting like they were at a football game and others were just telling people to shut up or get out of the way.


    Kowi came over to me to put his hand on my shoulder, in what seemed to be a mark of approval over my actions. Winky probably had some friends and family in the crowd that needed to see that, so I was glad for it. I didn¡¯t need any vendetta on my butt, especially if any of her relatives were half as bloodthirsty as she was.


    The other girls who hadn¡¯t made the cut today, approached Winky cautiously. They looked like they wanted to help her but were afraid they were going to be her next victims.


    ¡°Get her up,¡± I said hoarsely. The dust had worked its way into my throat and dried it out along with the exertion. ¡°Winky, lay one finger on anyone and I¡¯ll kick your ass.¡±


    She shook her head, taking the hand of the nearest girl to stand. She got on her feet, thanking the one who helped her up. The rest of them surrounded her and walked her away from the center, one of them handing her a cloth to wipe her eyes with. They had to be stinging with all the dirt I had kicked into her face.


    ¡°Well, that was a hell of a show,¡± said Kowi, a smile in his voice.


    ¡°How¡¯s Trip?¡± I asked. I could see Bodo was okay, standing off to the side with some guys, a bemused smile on his face. I wasn¡¯t going to worry about him until later, since he was on his feet and seemed fine.


    ¡°He¡¯s okay. Nursing his sore rocks somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Poor guy.¡±


    ¡°Got what he deserved. Seems he¡¯s always underestimating people.¡±


    ¡°Fatal flaw,¡± I said, smiling.


    Coli came out of the trees with Peter behind her, walking over to join us. ¡°Looks like I missed all the fun,¡± said Coli, standing directly in front of her boyfriend, ignoring me.


    Kowi dropped his hand from my shoulder. ¡°Yeah. Trip got his ass kicked by Bodo and his little friend over there, Winky.¡±


    My heart squeezed a little at his characterization of Winky. Why can¡¯t she be his little friend without it making me feel ill? What is my problem? I had chastised Bodo for being jealous earlier, and now here I was being just as stupid. I shook my head and looked down at the ground, disappointed in myself.


    Peter came over and rubbed my back. ¡°Hey. Looks like you had a hard day,¡± he said softly.


    ¡°Yeah. You could say that.¡± I looked back up and tried to put on a cheery smile. ¡°But the good news is, we have our team.¡±


    ¡°Does it include Winky?¡± asked Kowi.


    ¡°You bet your ass it does,¡± I said. Hell yeah, I want a girl like that at my back. Even if she is Bodo¡¯s little friend.


    I was lying on my mattress thinking about getting a nap in before lunch when I heard footsteps outside the door.


    Peter was off making more bread and Bodo had disappeared, probably to go work with Nina, so I had no idea who it could be. I opened my eyes and tipped my head back to see Winky standing in the entrance of the other hut. Her face looked terrible. Not only was it bruised and swollen from my attack, but her eyes were cast down in what looked like shame.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she said, softly. ¡°Can I come in?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said, sitting up and spinning around. I motioned for her to sit in front of me. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    She sat down and cleared her throat. ¡°I just wanted to apologize.¡± She picked up a nearby leaf and used it to trace patterns onto the floor, not meeting my eyes.


    ¡°For what?¡± The only thing I thought I wanted an apology for was something totally ridiculous I had no right to be thinking about - like an apology for being so attractive to Bodo - so I waited to hear her tell me what she was all about.


    ¡°For losing it. For going ballistic on everyone.¡±


    I smiled, putting my hand on hers, stopping her distracted movements before letting her go again. ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize. I can appreciate a good killer instinct when I see it.¡±


    She laughed once, humorlessly. ¡°It didn¡¯t feel good. After.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Going into a rage never does after it¡¯s over. But at the time, it kind of feels good. At least, in my experience.¡±


    She looked up at me quickly. ¡°You¡¯ve had that happen before?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Sure. Anyone who fights on a regular basis does once in a while. It¡¯s bound to happen when you focus so much energy on being the last one standing. The key is to recognize when it¡¯s coming and not let it control you. You can use that power to enhance your talents and fight better. Harder.¡±


    ¡°Can you show me? Because I¡¯m almost afraid to try fighting again at this point.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t be afraid. Be proud. You¡¯re good. Someday I can help you become great, I think. If you want. You won¡¯t have to worry about people hurting you anymore.¡± I wondered if being hit in the past is what had triggered her anger at Trip¡¯s punch to her face.


    She smiled a little. ¡°That would be nice.¡±


    ¡°So are you okay with being on the team - to go after those canners who hurt Celia?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m in. Totally.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I mean, if I go bonkers on them, the least I could do is smash some nuts, right?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s awesome. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re going. I think you¡¯ll be a big help.¡±


    She laughed. ¡°Why? Because I can scratch their eyes out?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah. And the fact that you¡¯re fast and small. It could come in handy for us.¡±


    ¡°You have Fohi,¡± she said, smirking.


    ¡°Yeah, we have Fohi. But he doesn¡¯t have the nails.¡±


    ¡°True.¡±


    We sat there and smiled at each other for a couple seconds before I started thinking about her being with Bodo again and my happiness faltered.

 Page 27

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked, her eyebrows scrunching together.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I said, trying to brush off her concern, standing up and attempting to look interested at something in the distant trees.


    ¡°Is it something I said?¡±


    ¡°No, no, not at all. It¡¯s nothing,¡± I said, looking back at her. ¡°Really. Just forget it.¡±


    ¡°You can tell me, you know. I won¡¯t tell anyone.¡±


    How can I tell her that she¡¯s the problem and only because she¡¯s cute and I¡¯m afraid Bodo will like her more than me? Or that I¡¯m just a stupid idiot who doesn¡¯t know how to act with a boyfriend?


    ¡°I promise. It¡¯s nothing. See?¡± I grinned as hard as I could, trying to show her how happy I was.


    ¡°That¡¯s kind of scary, actually,¡± she said, eyeing me warily.


    ¡°What? My smile?¡±


    ¡°Is that was that was?¡± She fake shuddered. ¡°I thought it was your death stare.¡±


    I reached down and slapped her arm. ¡°Screw you.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯ll see you at dinner?¡± she asked, standing up and backing through the entrance into the other hut before turning around.


    I smiled at the instincts that subconsciously told her not to turn her back on me. ¡°Yeah, sure. See you then.¡± I watched her walk away, thinking about how ridiculous it was that Winky was impossible to hate when I wanted to dislike her so much.


    I laid back down on the mattress, drifting off to sleep as I listened to the rhythmic vibrations of the cicadas¡¯ song. I dreamed about losing Bodo to a tiny nut crusher of a girl and being alone in the swamp with only Peter and Buster to keep me company.


    I woke to find both Peter and Bodo asleep beside me, each of them on their mattresses.


    Buster saw that I was awake and immediately came over to start licking my arm. I tried pushing him away but his twisted poodle brain saw that as an invitation to play. He kept diving back in for more attention, fully focused on his lick attack. It made me wish I could bring him with me on our mission to go after the canners. Maybe I could train him to bite ankles. He¡¯d be unstoppable.


    ¡°Quit, Buster!¡± I nudged Peter. ¡°Peter, get your pink weasel away from me. He smells.¡±


    Peter reached out with a sleepy arm to pull Buster in towards him, forcing him into a very close cuddle. Buster responded by turning his licking energies onto Peter¡¯s face.


    ¡°Ugh, Buster, what did you eat for breakfast? Anchovies?¡± came Peter¡¯s muffled voice.


    I looked over at the entrance to the hut, and before I could even form a coherent thought in my brain, I screamed.


    Bodo jumped up out of a sound sleep and rolled onto his knees, yelling,¡°Was zum Teufel?!¡±


    I didn¡¯t know whether to scream again or laugh at the ridiculous sounds that had just come out of Bodo¡¯s mouth. My brain was short-circuiting as I stared at the gross thing in front of me.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Peter, sitting up, sounding scared to death. ¡°Please tell me there aren¡¯t any dead people over there.¡± His back was to the entrance of the hut and he stayed that way, almost as if refusing to turn around and face reality.


    ¡°No. Not a person, anyway.¡± I got up slowly and went over to the body lying on the ground at the entrance. I kicked it a little with my foot, just to be sure it wasn¡¯t going anywhere.


    ¡°Be careful, Bryn,¡± warned Bodo. ¡°Iss it dead?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± yelled Peter.


    ¡°A snake,¡± explained Bodo. ¡°A bigk one.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that big,¡± said Coli, walking over from out of the trees. She reached down and picked it up, letting it dangle down by her side as she continued. ¡°You guys coming to lunch? We¡¯re having a planning meeting for the recon mission and stuff.¡±


    I eyed the snake in her hand. ¡°What happened to its head?¡± It looked like it had been put down an automatic garbage disposal, head first.


    Coli nodded at Buster. ¡°My guess is your dog happened to it.¡±


    I looked over in horror at Buster, whose mouth was open as he panted happily away, occasionally turning to lick Peter.


    ¡°Uh, Peter? Buster wasn¡¯t eating anchovies ¡­ he was eating a frigging anaconda.¡±


    ¡°Gah!!¡± said Peter, shoving Buster off of him and jumping up. He rushed over to our pantry, pulled a bottle of water off the shelf, and poured it on his face and neck where Buster had recently been giving him a tongue bath, scrubbing frantically while looking at the snake hanging by Coli¡¯s side. ¡°That is the most disgusting thing I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± He turned his ire on the dog. ¡°Buster, what is wrong with you? Why would you eat its head of all things?¡±


    ¡°I think dat¡¯s very smart.¡±


    ¡°Smart?¡± Peter turned on Bodo. ¡°Smart? Are you kidding me?¡±


    ¡°No, dat¡¯s not a joke. You don¡¯t prefer dat he eat da snake¡¯s butt do you? Dat wouldn¡¯t be good for me. It¡¯s da head dat does da biting.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not suggesting Buster eat the snake¡¯s butt. I¡¯m just saying ¡­ chewing off its head ¡­¡± He shuddered and didn¡¯t continue.


    ¡°What are you going to do with it?¡± I asked Coli, almost hoping she wouldn¡¯t answer me.


    ¡°We¡¯ll eat it.¡±


    ¡°I was afraid you were going to say that.¡± I sighed. It made sense not to waste meat, but I was starting to seriously consider the idea of not asking any more questions of the cooking crew. My meals would probably taste better if I didn¡¯t know exactly what I was eating.


    ¡°I¡¯m not eating that. No way, no how,¡± said Peter.


    ¡°You already have. I mean, not this snake, but other ones just like it.¡± She smirked, looking at Buster. ¡°Only they usually still have the head on them when I get them.¡±


    Peter went still, the expression melting away to leave a stone mask in its place. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a few minutes,¡± he said, before delicately walking away towards the outhouse with his head held high.


    ¡°Iss he gonna do a stress doodle or something?¡± asked Bodo, coming up to stand at my side.


    I laughed a little, not sure I understood. ¡°A stress doodle?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Dat¡¯s when you doodle becausse you are so freaking out.¡±


    Coli looked up at him. ¡°Do you have any idea how much you sound like Arnold Schwarzenegger sometimes?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I haff been told dat I sound like him. But I don¡¯t agree. He hass a very strong accent. Not like me.¡±


    Coli¡¯s expression told me she was wondering whether he was joking or not.


    I patted Bodo on the arm. ¡°Yep. Arnold had quite the accent, unlike our Bodo, who¡¯s practically American-sounding.¡±


    Bodo nodded his head and Coli rolled her eyes.


    Now that my initial panic had worn off, I remembered Bodo yelling when he woke up. ¡°What was that thing I heard you say when you got up?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. What was it?¡±


    ¡°It sounded like vahss zoom something.¡±


    ¡°Oh, dat¡¯s da Cherman way of saying what da fuck.¡±


    "Say it again.¡±


    ¡°Was zum Teufel.¡±


    I tried it out. ¡°Was zum Tohfel.¡±


    ¡°Hey, dat¡¯s pretty good.¡± He smiled big, his eyes practically sparkling. ¡°You only have a little accent. Maybe pretty soon you can speak Cherman with me.¡±


    I laughed. ¡°Maybe.¡±


    Coli shook her head. ¡°Whatever. Are you coming to lunch or what?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Can we wait for Peter?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No. I¡¯ll send someone for him in a few minutes. It¡¯s better if you come now so the planning can start.¡±


    I looked at Bodo and he shrugged, so we both followed an already retreating Coli through the trees to the ceremonial hut, eventually joining all the members of the team and a few extra people several minutes later. I wasn¡¯t sure if the extras were there out of curiosity or because they were serving a purpose, but my mind lost track of trying to figure it out when I saw Coli walk over and put the mangled snake in a basket near the collection of food.


    I leaned over and whispered near Bodo¡¯s ear, ¡°She¡¯s not expecting anyone to eat that thing now, is she?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± he said, eyeing her warily. ¡°She¡¯s a little bit crazy, dat one. I bet she bites da heads off snakes for fun.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Seriously.¡± I didn¡¯t think that Coli was crazy crazy - maybe just a little overly angry, which made her seem a bit unhinged. I could see her biting off the head of a snake that pissed her off.


    Kowi came over with Trip. ¡°Hey. Thanks for coming. What¡¯s up with the snake?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Did Coli bite the head off it, or what?¡± asked Trip, grinning devilishly.


    I smiled at how he¡¯d read my mind, and he winked at me in response.


    Kowi shoved him, but Trip barely moved with the force of it, his upper body swaying only slightly to the side.


    ¡°No. Buster did,¡± I explained.


    Kowi nodded his head slowly. ¡°Nice. You brought a hunting poodle with you.¡±


    I laughed. ¡°He¡¯s no hunting poodle. He probably found the thing dead.¡±


    ¡°Nah,¡± said Trip, shaking his head. ¡°It¡¯s a fresh kill.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡± I asked, doubting him instantly. He was like one of those know-it-alls I just wanted to be wrong sometimes.


    ¡°It¡¯s not stiff, and I didn¡¯t see any signs of decomp. No smell.¡±


    ¡°Pfft. You missed Buster¡¯s breath.¡±


    ¡°Your dog had that breath when he came here,¡± said Trip, moving away to join a group of guys standing off to the side.


    ¡°How would he know what Buster¡¯s breath smells like, anyway?¡± I said, almost feeling insulted for my poor, pink, spaz-attack of a dog.


    ¡°He plays with Buster all the time. Haven¡¯t you noticed?¡± asked Kowi.


    ¡°No.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure I believed him. I couldn¡¯t picture the big, tough Trip playing with little, goofy Buster. No way.


    ¡°Oh, yeah. He feeds Buster crap all the time. You didn¡¯t notice your dog goes right to Trip every time you guys come around?¡±


    I shook my head. That¡¯s weird. I should have seen that. It made me worry about all the other little things I might have missed that could be important. Who Buster spent his time with didn¡¯t matter to me one bit, but who other people spent time with did. Alliances and vendettas could spell big trouble for us in the future. I resolved to pay closer attention, beginning today at this meeting.


    Just as I thought that, Coli caught my eye, walking over to a girl and talk to her in low tones. The girl disappeared into the trees, heading off in the direction we had just come from. I hoped that meant Coli was following through on her promise to get Peter and bring him over.


    Bodo and I wandered over to the food to fill our plates. I eyed the meat suspiciously, but it didn¡¯t look like snake, so I took a piece.


    Once Bodo was finished filling his plate with about five pounds of food, we sat down next to each other over in a corner. Winky soon joined us, sitting on the other side of Bodo. He smiled and greeted her, making me feel instantly sick to my stomach.


    I looked down at my food and set it off to the side, my appetite suddenly gone. I caught myself glaring at Winky and forced myself to stop before anyone saw me. This is totally stupid. Winky is not after Bodo.


    I looked up and caught Paci staring at me curiously. Crap. All I need to do is start drama with these people. That¡¯d be the fastest way to get kicked out. Just relax, Bryn, relax. Bodo likes you. He¡¯s said it a million times.


    I kept talking to myself for about five minutes, but as much as I tried to convince myself I had nothing to worry about, I couldn¡¯t help but move away from Bodo the slightest bit. Maybe I should have moved closer, but I just kept thinking that if he preferred her over me, I wasn¡¯t going to do anything but walk away. I couldn¡¯t afford to get all girly emotional over the situation, not matter how much it would hurt.

 Page 28

    Bodo stopped talking to Winky when he sensed me moving away and looked at me sideways. A frown passed over his lips before he reached behind me, put his arm around my hips, and pulled me over until I was nearly stuck to his side. ¡°You stay by Bodo,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t want dat Paci guy getting any ideas.¡± He looked up and glared in Paci¡¯s general direction.


    Paci just raised an eyebrow and smirked.


    I looked at Bodo. ¡°Ideas about what?¡±


    ¡°About who¡¯ss gonna be Mr. Bryn.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile at his goofiness. I glanced over at Winky a second later to see her grinning too. Reaching down, I picked up my plate, my appetite fully restored.


    Peter came walking into the hut as Trip began his speech. He sat down next to me and picked at the food on my plate as we listened. I tried not to think about the snake while I chewed my mystery meat.


    ¡°We¡¯re all here to talk about our plans to go to find the animals who hurt Celia and who have some other people there being held as ¡­ prisoners.¡± Trip looked around at the group of us sitting in front of him, slowly, as if taking our measure. ¡°This is going to be dangerous and could result in injuries or maybe worse. No one has to go if they don¡¯t want to.¡± His voice went harsh. ¡°So if you¡¯re not interested, take your food and go.¡±


    Everyone there had to know from his tone that if they left, Trip was going to mark them forever as cowards in his mind. I was glad when Kowi walked over to stand next to him and add his two cents.


    ¡°No one who backs out is going to be thought less of. You all have your own things going on, and we understand if you can¡¯t take the risk.¡±


    Trip glared out at the group but said nothing.


    No one got up and left.


    I scanned the group, trying to read their body language and determine if anyone was having second thoughts. I didn¡¯t want people who weren¡¯t totally dedicated to go; they could turn tail and run, or freeze up at the worst possible time, jeopardizing us all. I saw only stoic faces and an occasional frown, but nothing that looked like fear. I wasn¡¯t sure whether to be happy or worried about that.


    I made a split-second decision and stood, going over to join Trip and Coli. ¡°Sorry guys, but I had a thought and wanted to just say it out loud.¡± I looked at the two chiefs for permission to speak and they both nodded.


    I turned to face the group in front of us. ¡°I know you all love Celia and want to do the right thing by her ¡­ revenge and all. And I totally get that. But I just want to be sure you know exactly what we¡¯re doing here before you agree to go.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to talk us out of it?¡± asked Fohi.


    ¡°No. But I can¡¯t afford - we can¡¯t afford - to have someone watching our backs who takes off running or freezes up at a bad time. It could cause someone to get killed.¡±


    Fohi scoffed loudly at me. ¡°Please. Like any of us would run.¡± He looked around at his friends nearby, and they all nodded, puffing out their chests.


    I shook my head. ¡°No, I¡¯m not calling anyone here a coward. I¡¯m just saying that some of the things we¡¯re going to see and do will be shocking. You¡¯re going to be asked to hurt or kill other kids, and none of us knows how we¡¯re going to react to that. It¡¯s fight or flight, you know? ¡­ Like an instinct you can¡¯t control sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know about anyone else, but I¡¯m not flying. I¡¯m fighting,¡± said Fohi, nodding his head firmly.


    I put my hands on my hips. He wasn¡¯t getting it, and it was frustrating. ¡°Fine. So when you walk into a room and you got ten canners sitting down to a dinner of human arms and legs with guns at their sides, you¡¯re going to be ready to crash the party?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°And when it¡¯s just you and one of your friends standing there, with three times as many canners pointing guns at you -and you have an escape route - you¡¯re not going to take it?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Well then, you¡¯re stupid.¡± I let it go at that and waited for the outcry. It came about a half second later.


    ¡°What the hell? That¡¯s not stupid! That¡¯s loyalty!¡± insisted Fohi.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying we should abandon each other?¡± yelled someone else in the crowd.


    There was a lot of grumbling and people were gesturing angrily. I glanced over at Trip and his eyebrows were raised, but he said nothing. Kowi looked at me questioningly.


    I held up my hands for quiet. Most of them calmed down enough to listen, but Fohi was practically foaming at the mouth with indignation.


    ¡°Let me explain. If you are outnumbered and outgunned, you have to get away to fight another way or another day. Otherwise, you¡¯re just going to be full of bullet holes and dead. You have to be willing to leave someone behind if it means winning the fight. That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about here. Difficult choices.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s bullshit,¡± said Fohi. ¡°The military never left anyone behind. At least, that was their motto.¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t the military. We¡¯re survivalists who sometimes have to make decisions about tough sacrifices. We¡¯re not going after these guys for revenge or to assert our power over them. We¡¯re going after them because eventually, they¡¯re going to come after us. And those kids they have might need us, but our primary reason for going in there is our own survival. I¡¯m sorry to sound so cold-blooded, but that¡¯s how I see it.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± said Trip loudly, taking a step forward, not looking at me.


    Everyone quieted down and listened.


    ¡°Like she said, if you¡¯re outnumbered and outgunned, and you have to choose between escaping and dying, choose escape. We can¡¯t afford to lose any one of you if we can help it.¡±


    ¡°But what about the brother or sister they leave behind?¡± asked Fohi, only slightly calmed down.


    Trip shrugged. ¡°Tough luck. Try not to get yourself into that situation and you won¡¯t have to worry about it.¡±


    ¡°Which is exactly why we¡¯re here right now,¡± said Kowi. ¡°Let¡¯s get down to business with the planning of this trip.¡± He looked at me. ¡°Bryn, do you have anything to share that you found in George¡¯s journals?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I think so. But we really need Celia to help with this part. She¡¯s the only one who knows what the place looks like.¡±


    ¡°No. I have this. Celia helped me with it,¡± said Trip, pulling out a folded up piece of thick paper. It looked like handmade stuff, kind of lumpy and stiff - a little bit like the toilet paper in the outhouse, but bigger.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I said, moving closer. I found my answer as soon as I drew near. It was a map of the canner compound. ¡°Nice,¡± I said, nodding my head in appreciation. ¡°This is good stuff.¡± I pointed to a dark black mark near what looked like a wall. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a door of some sort.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah. She mentioned some kind of door she couldn¡¯t get through.¡±


    Kowi joined us, looking over Trip¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I figured during our recon we¡¯d need to check out and kind of get ready any possible entry and exit points. Like break locks or whatever,¡± I said.


    Trip walked over to one of the posts that held up the hut, securing the map to it with something he pulled out of his boot. ¡°Come on over here, you guys. Take a look. We need to get some input on the best way to get in here and do our recon.¡±


    Everyone got up and moved closer. Soon there was a crowd around the map.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± asked Paci, pointing.


    ¡°That¡¯s some kind of tree she said is climbable.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡± asked someone from the back. ¡°I can¡¯t tell what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    Kowi motioned to Coli and said, ¡°Hand Trip one of those thin branches so he can point to stuff, would ya?¡±


    She turned and did as he asked, the crowd passing the stick until it reached Trip¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Here,¡± he said, pointing to the star-shaped thing on the left side of the map. ¡°That¡¯s the tree that Cee used to get out. And that is where they¡¯re keeping the other kids.¡± He pointed around at the various places he was talking about, tapping the map each time. ¡°This is the front door. It¡¯s on the east side of the building as you can see. It faces the ocean pretty much.¡±


    ¡°The sound of the ocean could mask some of our noises if it¡¯s close enough,¡± I said mostly to myself. I looked at Trip. ¡°Where exactly is the ocean in relation to this place?¡±


    ¡°Right across the street,¡± said Trip.


    Sweet. I was going to hope for a rough day at sea, then. Noisy waves means we can make a little noise ourselves and maybe get in and out without being heard.


    Kowi took over. ¡°Okay, so our plan is to just watch them for the first day. Get a feel for their comings and goings, their routines. Find and open all the entrances and exits, and figure out the best way to get those kids out of there.¡±


    ¡°But if we open the doors, they¡¯ll know we¡¯re there. How are we going to surprise them if we announce ourselves ahead of time like that?¡± asked Winky.


    Peter moved to stand next to me, joining in with his answer. ¡°You have to do it in a non-noticable way if you can. Just make sure the door will open when the time comes. If they notice an unlocked door or whatever, maybe they¡¯ll just assume someone was stupid and left it that way by accident.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± agreed Paci. ¡°I mean, who unlocks a door and then doesn¡¯t go in?¡±


    ¡°Crazy Meeks and Creeks, that¡¯s who,¡± I said, grinning.


    ¡°You got that right,¡± said Fohi, his arms crossed over his chest, a proud smile back on his face. I could almost picture him in yellow and black, wings on his back. Bee was the perfect name for him - fuzzy and cute-looking on the outside but able to deliver a painful sting when pissed off. I hoped the canners, if they even saw us at all, would underestimate him like I had.


    ¡°Bryn, I hope George had some ideas about where we should do this stuff from and how, with details. I have no experience in this,¡± admitted Kowi.


    ¡°He did mention some things. We need to find cover. We need to camouflage ourselves as much as possible. That might mean hiding or it could mean standing out, looking like others who live around the canners. I mean, we don¡¯t know if the streets are deserted or if people are out walking around.¡±


    ¡°I think we can assume no one walks around there since they¡¯re flesh eaters,¡± said Coli sarcastically.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I shrugged. I didn¡¯t feel comfortable assuming anything at this point.


    ¡°Let¡¯s plan on being camouflaged in the invisible way. Seems like that might be a good default option since we have no idea what their neighborhood is like. We can hide from the canners and any kids in the nearby area who might tip them off about us.¡±


    I nodded. It sounded as good as plan as any. It was more than a little unsettling to think that local kids might sell us out to the canners for points with them or something. That made our enemy base a lot broader.


    Trip¡¯s map included some other features outside the walls of the canner house.


    ¡°What¡¯s that other stuff around the edges of the map?¡± I asked.


    Trip pointed to the west side of the house. ¡°This stuff here is a high hedge wall. It¡¯s all overgrown now, so plenty of spots to hide in.¡±


    ¡°They have dogs, though,¡± said Coli. ¡°Anyone getting close to that wall is going to make them bark.¡±


    ¡°I might have an idea for that,¡± said Peter, his meek voice barely coming through the crowd of people.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Trip.


    ¡°Buster.¡±


    My eyes widened. I couldn¡¯t imagine he was suggesting we use Buster as bait, but it sure seemed like that¡¯s what he was saying.

 Page 29

    ¡°You want to feed your little bald dog to their big man-eating guard dogs?¡± asked Trip, sounding a little angry.


    ¡°No, of course not. Don¡¯t be silly. I¡¯m just saying, he could go to a part of the fence far from where you want to be and bark. Call them away. Then you could get in position and they wouldn¡¯t hear you.¡±


    Trip nodded slowly. ¡°Could work. But how do you keep from Buster getting seen or eaten?¡±


    ¡°Someone just puts Buster down on his leash, lets him bark his head off for a while, and then picks him up and runs away.¡±


    ¡°Depending on what time of day it is, that could work,¡± I said, nodding appreciatively at Peter¡¯s plan, feeling only a little guilty about putting Buster¡¯s fuzzy butt in danger. ¡°The only issue is getting him to stop barking. He¡¯ll bark as the person tries to run away, and they¡¯d be totally out in the open and vulnerable.¡±


    ¡°Not if you used some meat,¡± said Trip.


    ¡°Meat?¡± I asked, totally confused.


    ¡°Buster likes snake meat more than anything. If you shove a piece of that stuff in his face, he¡¯ll stop barking to eat it. He even quits licking to eat snake.¡±


    Everyone laughed.


    ¡°Well, that must be some pretty powerful stuff,¡± I said, trying not to be too shocked over the fact that Trip knew my dog-partner better than I did. I really hadn¡¯t been paying enough attention to either one of them.


    ¡°Okay, so anyone have any other ideas about dog distraction?¡±


    ¡°Poison,¡± said Winky, matter-of-factly.


    I shook my head at her, smiling slightly. ¡°Damn, Winky.¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°What? It¡¯s us or them, right? I pick us. Besides, they have the taste for human meat themselves. Canner dogs can¡¯t be allowed to live any more than their canner owners.¡±


    ¡°If we kill their dogs, we might as well hang up a sign that says we¡¯re coming. We can¡¯t be that obvious,¡± said Coli, her tone making it clear she thought Winky was an idiot.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m poisoning them when we go in for the search and destroy part of the mission,¡± said Winky, her chin jutting out.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said, using my best peacemaking voice, "so Winky¡¯s going to off the killer dogs when it¡¯s go-time. Who¡¯s going to carry Buster to safety, with a pocketful of juicy snake meat?¡± I scanned the crowd, but no one responded. Eyes darted around, everyone looking to the other for an answer.


    Peter sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. But I¡¯m not putting any snake meat in my pocket. Someone will have to give me a baggie or something.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No. No way. You¡¯re not going.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± he said indignantly. ¡°Are you saying I can¡¯t help rescue those kids? Because you aren¡¯t the boss of me, Bryn. I do what I want.¡±


    I tried not to smile. He looked so cute when he was mad, his hair sticking out in all directions, his twiggy arms jutting out at his sides as he rested his hands on his hips.


    ¡°I know you want to go, but you didn¡¯t even enter the fight competition. And we all know it¡¯s because you would have lost. Badly.¡± I didn¡¯t mean to insult him, but even he knew it was the truth. There was no point in dancing around the issue.


    ¡°I¡¯m not planning on fighting. I¡¯m planning on causing a distraction and sprinting my butt off. I¡¯m fully capable of running scared. I¡¯ve done it many times in my life.¡±


    That earned him a few laughs.


    I looked at Kowi and Trip. ¡°What do you guys think?¡±


    Trip shrugged. ¡°If he wants to put his ass on the line, let him. We are.¡±


    Peter nodded his approval, refusing to look at me.


    ¡°I think we need to consider how anyone might slow us down or make us more vulnerable,¡± said Kowi in a low tone. It seemed like he was trying not to insult Peter.


    ¡°I can take care of myself,¡± said Peter. ¡°And if you need to, you can leave me behind.¡±


    I could practically see up his nose into his brain, his chin was so high in the air. ¡°Okay, fine. Go with us if you want. But don¡¯t call me to come in and save your scrawny butt if you get into trouble,¡± I said, a little irritated that he was going. I could see the value in it, but I also knew how easy he¡¯d be to kill.


    ¡°I know you say that out of love, Bryn, so I¡¯m going to let it go,¡± said Peter, now looking down his nose at me. He¡¯d gone from miffed martyr to scolding librarian in a flash.


    I stuck my tongue out at him and then looked away. I caught Bodo¡¯s eye and he winked at me. Knowing Bodo would probably stay behind to save Peter if he were in trouble made me feel better about letting him go. With Bodo watching over him, he had a much better chance of making it back to the swamp, and I could hardly block him from going out of concern for his safety and not do the same for everyone else. We were all going to be in danger, because no matter how good we were at fighting, none of it could stop a well-aimed bullet. I made a mental note to be sure Peter had his .357 with him on the day we left.


    ¡°So what time do we go? And what day?¡± asked Winky.


    ¡°They tend to sleep in until nearly lunchtime in our experience,¡± said Peter.


    ¡°Yeah. Dey like to party at night,¡± said Bodo.


    ¡°Did Celia have anything to say about that?¡± I asked Trip. I couldn¡¯t remember her mentioning it to me.


    ¡°Kind of. She said they drank a lot and had lots of late night ¡­ uh ¡­ barbecues.¡± He cleared his throat and looked up at the ceiling. All of us remained quiet for a few seconds before Winky broke the silence.


    ¡°So do we go in the morning then?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± I said, remembering George¡¯s wisdom. ¡°We have to watch them do their thing, so we need to go for a full day and night. And if we could do it for more than one day, that would be better - to see what their routines are.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just plan on one day and if we can do more, we will,¡± said Trip. ¡°We¡¯re not going to be able to plan everything. Some things will just have to be done on the fly.¡±


    ¡°When are we leaving?¡± asked Winky. ¡°I have to get our stuff ready. Clothes and paint.¡±


    ¡°Clothes and paint?¡± I asked. I had no idea what she was talking about.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The others kept talking as if she made complete sense.


    ¡°Coli and some of the others can help you. I¡¯d like to leave in five days,¡± said Kowi. ¡°We can get a little training done with Bryn first and then go. Plan to have us gone for three days max.¡±


    ¡°Fine. No problem,¡± said Winky, moving away from us to go talk to some girls who were standing on the outskirts.


    ¡°What is she talking about? Paint?¡± All I could picture was the group of us throwing buckets of color on things. Or spraying graffiti - Canners Be Gone!


    ¡°Camouflage and warpaint,¡± said Trip, looking away from me to address the guys behind him. ¡°You guys get our weapons and any stuff we can use for distractions.¡±


    ¡°Like what kind of distractions?¡± asked Paci.


    ¡°Noisy ones. Exploding ones,¡± I said absently, still struggling with the whole paint idea.


    Paci smiled devilishly. ¡°Well allll riiiight. Now that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about.¡± He rubbed his hands together.


    ¡°So we¡¯ve got some teams,¡± said Kowi. ¡°Peter¡¯s on the distraction team. What about you, Bodo? Where will you be?¡±


    Bodo shifted from one foot to the other. He glanced nervously at me and then Peter a couple times before answering. ¡°I will be with Peter. Doing da distracting with animals.¡±


    I squinted my eyes at Bodo, trying to figure out if his choice of words was intentionally vague or if it was just his crazy German thing coming out again. His body language gave nothing away, save for the fact that he appeared to be avoiding my eyes, looking anywhere else but in my direction.


    I had a feeling he was thinking about Nina, but I didn¡¯t know if that meant he was afraid to leave her behind or what. He can run but he can¡¯t hide. I¡¯ll make him tell me later. I relaxed knowing that he¡¯d be lying next to me in less than eight hours and I¡¯d get my answers.


    ¡°Okay,¡± said Kowi, ¡°so that¡¯s Peter and Bodo with Paci and whoever he takes on the distraction team - I assume that¡¯ll include at least Fohi, right?¡±


    Paci nodded.


    ¡°The rest of us will position ourselves to gather info,¡± said Trip. ¡°And get ready to kick ass if needed.¡±


    ¡°All of us need to be ready to do that,¡± I said. ¡°Workouts at eight o¡¯clock tomorrow. Same place as this morning.¡± I turned my back to go to our hut. ¡°No bystanders this time,¡± I shouted over my shoulder. I was freaking out enough over the huge obstacles to our success already, and I didn¡¯t need any more distractions to add on top of it.


    Peter and Bodo fell into step next to me, one on either side, and we trudged back through the trees and roots to our little hut over the swamp.


    We got back to the hut, Peter going right to his pantry organizing and Bodo, Buster, and I going to the mattresses to hang out. I immediately made it my mission to figure out what Bodo had planned for his part in the canner recon.


    ¡°So, fess up. What are you going to do when we get to that house?¡±


    Bodo shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Help Peter. Make sure he doesn¡¯t get eaten.¡±


    ¡°What else? I saw you not looking at me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t look at you all da time, Bryn.¡±


    ¡°No, but certain times you do and you didn¡¯t this certain time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being like one of dose girls who does dat crazy talk now, aren¡¯t you? Trying to trick me into saying da wrong thing.¡± He held up his finger and shook it at me. ¡°Nice try dare, Bryn. But I am too smart for dat.¡±


    I grabbed his finger and squeezed it hard, bending it back a little as a threat. ¡°Don¡¯t shake your finger in my face, first of all. And second, don¡¯t play that guy game where you act like I¡¯m being all crazy girly and doing crap that doesn¡¯t make sense. You know what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    ¡°Bryn, I think maybe I want to have my finger back still attached to my hand. And maybe we should just take a nap because you look very tired to me.¡± He tried to pull his hand back, but I held on. It forced me forward and up onto my knees in front of him.


    ¡°Stop pulling me,¡± I insisted.


    ¡°Stop squeezing my defenseless finger.¡± He was smiling, obviously not appreciating how serious I was.


    ¡°Your bird is going to have a problem landing on your hand if you have a messed up finger in the way,¡± I warned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you mean he¡¯s going to have a hard time making a bird if his finger is messed up?¡± asked Peter, joining us, completely non-plussed over the tension in the room.


    ¡°No!¡± we both said.


    ¡°Hey, feisty, watch it,¡± said Peter, motioning for Buster to join him and sit in his lap.


    I turned my attention back to Bodo, staring him down with as serious a face as I could manage. ¡°Stop. Pulling. On. Me.¡±


    ¡°Stop. Pulling. On. Me,¡± he said, leaning over quickly to kiss me on the mouth.


    I let go of his finger and pushed him hard. He fell backwards, his head going over the edge of the hut¡¯s floor to dangle over the swamp.


    I couldn¡¯t help myself. I seized the opportunity, jumping on top of him, belly to belly, and pushing his head farther back. ¡°Admit it!¡± I demanded. ¡°You¡¯re planning something with that bird!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± he grunted out. ¡°Never!¡± He reached up trying to dislodge me, pulling me higher in the process and causing me to end up with my upper body partway over the edge.


    ¡°Let go of me you big oaf!¡± I yelled after I felt his arms go around me.

 Page 30

    ¡°You started it!¡± he said, pushing his heels into the floor and moving us both closer to the water.


    ¡°Stop it, you idiot! We¡¯re both going to fall in!¡±


    ¡°Dat¡¯s okay by me!¡± he yelled gleefully as he gave us both another shove.


    I tried to pull back, but my earlier concentration on manhandling his stupid, big head made me lose my balance; I had no leverage to get away from him. I felt the exact moment that we both shifted past the point of no return.


    ¡°Ahhhh!¡± he yelled, almost like a person would who was doing a cannonball into a pool, his legs coming up above us.


    ¡°You jerk!¡± I got out before the first splash of water hit my side.


    We rolled in together, a tangle of arms and legs, sinking quickly to the bottom. Luckily, it was only a few feet down.


    My hair came out of its loose ponytail and swirled around my head like tangled seaweed.


    I could feel Bodo grabbing for me, so I tried to kick him away, but he was very persistent. I wasn¡¯t in my element, trying to fight in murky water. The thought of it made me instantly panic, as I remembered that disgusting snake Buster had found somewhere around us.


    My feet touched the ground and I stood up, bursting through the surface of the water. ¡°Jesus, Bodo! What the hell is your problem?!¡±


    The first thing I heard other than my own voice was Peter laughing and Buster barking his ass off.


    ¡°Stop laughing!¡± I yelled, which only made him do it more. I looked over, flipping my wet, stinking, lanky hair out of my face, to see Peter holding his stomach and pointing at me.


    ¡°You have ¡­ you have ¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t get the words out, he was laughing so hard.


    Bodo came up out of the water in front of me a couple feet away and shook his head like a dog, sending spray out everywhere.


    I slowly wiped my eyes clear of the dirty water and glared at him. I was trying to decide which I wanted to do more: attack him or get out of the snake and gator-infested swamp.


    ¡°What¡¯s da matter? You get a little wet, dare, Bryn?¡± He was smiling so hard his teeth were practically glowing at me.


    ¡°Bodo, you do not want to mess with me right now. I¡¯m trying to decide whether to let you live or not.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you wanna go? Come on, den. It¡¯s not a problem for me.¡± He waved me over casually, as if he were going to show me something. ¡°Come on, silly girl. I will show you who is da boss of da swamp. I gotta hint for you, dough ¡­ it¡¯s not you.¡±


    He winked at me and that¡¯s what sent me over the edge.


    I dove at him, yelling my best war cry as I went. ¡°Ahhhhhh yaaahhhhhh!¡±


    The water slowed me down and gave him the few extra seconds he needed to move. He grabbed me around the arms and pinned them to my sides, taking me and himself down backwards into the water.


    I felt the tepid swamp close in over my head again, filling my eyes and ears with its muck again. If I hadn¡¯t been so mad I would have been disgusted, but right now, all I wanted to do was give him the biggest nut crusher of all time.


    But Bodo had learned fast and well from his time with me in the fighting ring and watching me go head to head with other guys. He closed his legs and turned them to the side, blocking my access. My hands were useless, only able to scratch him a little on his sides, which was totally unfulfilling.


    I did the only thing left to me: I head-butted him underwater. I could hear his muffled yell of surprise and then the loosening of his arms around me.


    As soon as I could slip a hand out, I used it to grab him by the neck, pulling him up out of the water by his head.


    ¡°Gahhhh!¡± he sputtered, water flying out of his mouth, a giant red blotch on his forehead.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky I don¡¯t gouge your stupid eyes out right now, you fucktard,¡± I growled at him.


    ¡°What is dat?¡± he said weakly, just letting his body float and be suspended by his head in my hands. ¡°Dat word. Fucktart. Dat¡¯s a new one for me.¡±


    ¡°Shut up. You deserved it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure dat I did, since I don¡¯t know da word. But I know fuck, so it can¡¯t be good. I thought you liked me.¡± He rolled his eyes over to me and smiled. It came out as more of a grimace, but I couldn¡¯t stay mad at him. Even when I¡¯d gone after him like that, he still didn¡¯t try to kill me. I would have, had I been in his shoes.


    ¡°Come on, you idiot, let¡¯s get out of this gator toilet.¡±


    ¡°Toilet? I never thought of dat.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well maybe you should have before you caused us both to swim in it.¡±


    ¡°Dare¡¯s gator doodles in here,¡± said Bodo, sounding fascinated as he looked around us. ¡°I wonder what dey look like.¡±


    ¡°You are a complete moron. I¡¯m outta here.¡± I slogged over to the edge of the hut.


    ¡°Well, I think you haff to decide if I am dat fucktart or a moron. I think it¡¯s one or da udder.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a fucktart, you ¡­ stupid German guy. It¡¯s tard, as in retard.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Well. Dat¡¯s not very nice, is it? To make fun of people who have dat problem.¡±


    I instantly felt ashamed. ¡°It¡¯s just a word, Bodo. I¡¯m not making fun of special needs kids.¡±


    ¡°Okay. If you say so.¡±


    I sighed heavily as I pulled myself up onto the floor of the hut, lamenting the fact that me very smelly shoes had just been notched up to stink level ten on a scale of ten. There was no way I was going to be able to sneak up on the canners when they could smell me from a mile away.


    ¡°I need new shoes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you some. What size?¡± asked Peter, standing next to me.


    I looked up at him frowning. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re going to hop on over to Walmart and get me a pair?¡±


    ¡°No, stupid. I¡¯m going over to the supply hut to get you some new Miccosukee shoes. They¡¯re awesome.¡±


    I frowned at him as I wrung my hair out. ¡°How come you¡¯re not wearing them?¡±


    He sniffed delicately. ¡°I¡¯m waiting on my custom pair to be finished. But I know you don¡¯t care about fashion, so you can wear the kind they keep on the shelves.¡±


    ¡°Uh, thanks,¡± I said, quite sure it wasn¡¯t a compliment. ¡°Fine. I wear a seven.¡±


    ¡°Size seven moccasins, coming right up.¡± Peter tapped his leg so Buster would follow him and disappeared into the trees.


    ¡°Size fourteen for me!¡± shouted Bodo at his back.


    ¡°Okay!¡± we heard back. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure they make Sasquatch size!¡±


    Bodo put his hands on the edge of the hut floor and boosted himself up out of the water, flipping himself around to land on his butt at the edge, his legs dangling over.


    ¡°Well. Dat was refreshing.¡± He grinned at me.


    I shook my head. ¡°Are all Germans insane?¡±


    ¡°If insane means fun, den yes. We are all da life at da party.¡±


    ¡°No, insane means nuts. Crazy. Annoying¡­¡±


    ¡°Cute?¡±


    ¡°No. Not cute.¡±


    He leaned a little towards me, fixing me with his eyes. ¡°Come on now, Bryn. You can¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t think I¡¯m cute.¡± He winked at me.


    I tried to stay serious and mad, but it was nearly impossible. ¡°No. You¡¯re not cute at all when you¡¯re dunking me in the swamp.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t blame dat on me. You attacked me first. I wass chust doing da evasiff maneuvers dat you taught me.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t teach you that crap.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you dit. You are a very good teacher. Maybe now you can let me teach you a few things.¡± He reached over and pulled me up against him.


    ¡°You must seriously have a death wish,¡± I said leaning away to look at him.


    ¡°No. You don¡¯t scare me. I like mean girlss.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not mean,¡± I insisted. ¡°I¡¯m just a little forceful sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Well, I like forceful girls, den. Give da moron a kiss, forceful girl.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Kiss me,¡± he said, puckering up and closing his eyes, leaning forward.


    He had to know that he was putting himself in a very vulnerable position like that, but I just didn¡¯t have the heart to take advantage of it, even though I was still a little tempted to knock him on in the kisser - if for no other reason than to slap that cocky look off his face.


    I leaned over and kissed him quickly. ¡°There. Now go away. You smell like gator doodles.¡±


    ¡°You do too.¡± He inhaled deeply. ¡°Oh, da smell of my love. I will never forget it.¡±


    I pushed him away and stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower. Stay away.¡±


    He pouted. ¡°I need one too. Let¡¯s save da water and go togedder.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said firmly.


    ¡°You are afraid of me, I think.¡±


    ¡°I might be afraid of what you¡¯ll try to do, yes. But I¡¯m not afraid of you like you think.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Well, at least you admit it.¡± He stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going to go see Nina. You should come.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of Nina ¡­ are you going to tell Peter?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Eventually.¡±


    ¡°I think you should tell him soon. If he finds out otherwise, he¡¯ll be hurt you didn¡¯t tell him.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Maybe tomorrow. I can take him dare. And you too, if you want.¡± He sounded suddenly shy.


    I shrugged. ¡°Sure. Sounds fun.¡±


    We parted ways, him going to see his hawk and me going to get the muck off. I couldn¡¯t wait to feel the cool water rinsing off the smelly gator doodle. Hopefully my new moccasins would be waiting for me when I got back.


    Following our afternoon naps, where we tried to sleep through the hottest part of the day and were only minimally successful, we brought our early dinner back to the hut and ate. It was just the four of us this time, Buster included.


    Buster had looked wistfully at Trip as we left the ceremonial hut with our plates, but finally decided he¡¯d throw his lot in with us. Peter helped sway him in our favor by handing him a hunk of his favorite snake meat.


    We sat down in the kitchen area and chatted about the upcoming plans while we munched on our food.


    ¡°Are you ready for full-on recon training?¡± asked Peter.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess. I don¡¯t plan on doing anything different than normal. Just maybe to emphasize more of the harsher moves. We don¡¯t have time to play around.¡±


    ¡°What I don¡¯t understand is how it¡¯s going to help against the weapons they have,¡± said Peter, nibbling on the edge of a hunk of dry bread.


    ¡°Well, if they come at us using guns from a distance, it won¡¯t. But hand-to-hand combat, yes. Even if they have weapons, I can usually deal with it. I¡¯m not sure that I¡¯ll be able to get anyone else ready for that, but I¡¯m going to try.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to have some guns and knives for you at the training?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That would be great, actually. Thanks, Peter.¡± I smiled at my little manager. He was so organized. ¡°Get some dull knives to start with if they have any.¡±


    ¡°Will do.¡±


    ¡°Peter, I want to tell you something,¡± said Bodo, sounding very formal. There was no mistaking how important this announcement was to him.


    Peter put his plate down. ¡°Okaaaay ¡­ shoot.¡±


    ¡°Well, dare¡¯s dis thing. Maybe a little secret.¡±


    ¡°About who?¡±


    ¡°About me.¡±


    Peter narrowed his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not going to tell me you¡¯re gay, are you? Because I totally do not buy that.¡±


    Bodo looked confused. ¡°Gay? No. Dat¡¯s not ¡­ no. I¡¯m not gay. I like Bryn. I¡¯m sorry if dat hurts your feelings, dough.¡±


    ¡°No. Not at all. You¡¯re not my type. Go ahead, then. Tell me your big secret.¡±

 Page 31

    ¡°I¡¯m not your type? What¡¯s dat mean?¡± Bodo sounded offended now.


    ¡°You¡¯re too ¡­ I don¡¯t know. Big. And loud.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. But big is sexy. Just ask Bryn.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Whatever. Tell him your secret, big guy.¡±


    Bodo put his plate down and gave us a double bicep flex. ¡°Try to tell me dat¡¯s not da good stuff right dare.¡± He looked at one arm and then the other, smiling to himself. ¡°I do one hundred pushups every day for dat.¡± He dropped his arms down in front, crossed them over his abdomen, and flexed again, looking like one of those professional wrestler guys trying to get the crowds screaming at his awesomeness.


    ¡°Like I said. Too big,¡± said Peter in a carelessly casual tone, designed to make Bodo crazy.


    Bodo¡¯s face fell and his arms sagged down, so I patted him on the shoulder. ¡°I think they¡¯re really nice, Bodo. Keep doing the pushups.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like telling my secret now.¡± He picked up his plate and shoved a hunk of meat in his mouth.


    ¡°Fine,¡± sighed Peter. ¡°Your muscles are deliciously awesome. Can you tell me now?¡±


    ¡°You really like dem?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± said Peter, totally deadpan. ¡°Best I¡¯ve ever seen. I nearly swoon every time you come near me with them. No. Stop. Don¡¯t flex again. I might pass out.¡±


    Bodo sat there, frozen. I could see he was trying to figure out if he were being mocked, so I did what I had to do to stop the nonsense.


    I burst out with, ¡°Bodo has a big bird.¡±


    Peter raised an eyebrow. ¡°Is that what we¡¯re calling it these days? A bird?¡± he turned to Bodo. ¡°I¡¯m so happy for you both.¡±


    I slapped Peter on the arm. ¡°No, idiot. Not his ¡­ well, his ¡­ whatever. I¡¯m talking about a real bird. Like a big ass bird.¡±


    ¡°Dat¡¯s my secret, Bryn. You are not supposed to tell.¡±


    ¡°You were just about to. I just helped. I¡¯m allowed to do that, since I¡¯m ¡­ we¡¯re ¡­ god, this is stupid.¡± I shook my head, at a loss for what to call us.


    ¡°When you say bird, do you mean the animal that has wings and flies over our heads?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s exactly what I mean.¡± I nodded, grateful to Peter for moving us past what was quickly becoming an uncomfortable moment for me.


    ¡°So what ¡­ ? Bodo has a parrot or something?¡±


    I giggled. ¡°Not exactly.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not a parrot. Don¡¯t be ridiculous. My hawk can eat a parrot in da middle of da sky.¡±


    ¡°You have a hawk?¡± Peter sat back a little bit before shaking his head. ¡°No sir. Huh-uh. No way. You do not have a hawk as a pet.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do. But not really a pet. More like a partner.¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡±


    Bodo frowned. ¡°Yes, I do. Tell him, Bryn.¡±


    ¡°He does. I¡¯ve seen it.¡±


    Peter shook his head. ¡°No. You two are messing with me, I know it. I¡¯m not that gullible.¡±


    Bodo stood up, putting his plate on the top of the shelves. ¡°Come on, den. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Peter looked up at him. ¡°Go where? Into the swamp like you did with Bryn earlier? No thanks.¡±


    Peter had no time to react before Bodo had grabbed him under the arms and lifted him like a toddler, standing him on his feet.


    ¡°Ack!¡± Peter squeaked, slapping at Bodo¡¯s hands. ¡°Get off me, you neanderthal! Unhand my person!¡±


    I laughed uncontrollably. ¡°Unhand my person?¡± I gasped out. ¡°Who says that outside of a high school theater play?¡± I took some deep breaths to try and calm myself while Bodo stepped back and Peter brushed imaginary cooties off his shoulders, arms, and chest.


    ¡°People who are being manhandled by cavemen, that¡¯s who.¡±


    ¡°Come on,¡± said Bodo, leaving the hut. ¡°Time to meet Nina.¡±


    I followed closely behind, yelling over my shoulder. ¡°Come on, Peter. He¡¯s not kidding. You really have to see this. Bring Buster and his leash.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if havingk Buster dare is a good idea. My hawk might be hungry.¡±


    I looked at him askance. ¡°You¡¯d better make sure your hawk doesn¡¯t touch a single piece of fuzz on Buster¡¯s little body or I¡¯ll pull her stupid wings off.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even choke like dat, Bryn.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking. I will vote your hawk off the island before I vote Buster off.¡±


    ¡°Dare¡¯s no need to vote anybody off. She and Buster can work togedder.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s that?¡± I asked, noticing that Peter was following us. He was normally one of the noisiest walkers in the entire swamp, but it definitely didn¡¯t help that he was mumbling cuss words and slapping himself every five seconds as the mosquitoes descended. They loved his tender skin.


    ¡°Lots of falconers use ferrets with da hawks to hunt. Maybe Buster can be my ferret.¡±


    ¡°How does that work? Seems like ferrets would be on the menu for a hawk like yours.¡±


    ¡°Da hawk learns dat with the ferret going into holes and scaring out da little furry animals for hiss dinner, he can chust be friends. If he eats da ferret, dat¡¯s chust one meal. If he doesn¡¯t eat da ferret, it¡¯s lots of mealss. It¡¯s a very easy math for her.¡±


    ¡°Hawks that do math. And I thought I was stupid before.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Many people underestimate da value of da hawk. I triedt to explain to my old friends, dat dey didn¡¯t need to hunt for anything. We could do it all with da hawks. But dey didn¡¯t listen. Dey chust saw a big tanksgiving turkey on my arm.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so sad,¡± I said. And I meant it. ¡°People can be so short-sighted sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Dey can. But not me. I see da long vision. Dat¡¯s why I¡¯m with you.¡±


    That one had me flummoxed. I couldn¡¯t figure out what the heck he was talking about. Peter had caught up to us, and before I could ask for clarification, he chimed in.


    ¡°Smart move. Me too.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± I asked.


    Peter shrugged, talking without emotion. ¡°You¡¯re strong, fit, positive, mentally healthy. Beautiful. Bodo would be stupid to let you go. Girls like you will be the beginning of a new human race. I would be stupid to let you go because you can protect me and make sure I stay fed and sheltered. You¡¯re a nice person like that. You feel responsible for those weaker than you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not weak, Peter.¡±


    ¡°Not emotionally. Not all the time. But physically, yes, I am. Let¡¯s not lie to each other.¡±


    I looked his twiggy arms that were about as big around as my wrists. ¡°Okay, so you¡¯re a little on the puny side. But that¡¯s not the only strength that counts out here in this wacky world.¡±


    ¡°I know. That¡¯s another reason we need to stick together. I can help you keep your head on straight and so can Bodo.¡±


    ¡°You guys afraid I¡¯m going to go crazy on you?¡±


    ¡°Well, you could. Sometimes you¡¯re wound as tight as a spring. But Bodo¡¯s pretty good at picking fights with you when you¡¯re too wound up, and when that doesn¡¯t work I shame you into being fair. It¡¯s a little sad, admittedly, but it works for us.¡±


    I shook my head, realizing that pretty much everything he said was true, even if I didn¡¯t agree with the me being beautiful part. ¡°We are the epitome of a dysfunctional family.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure whether to be proud or sad.


    ¡°Nah,¡± disagreed Peter. ¡°We are the new definition of family. And we function just fine as far as I¡¯m concerned.¡±


    I thought about it for a second before saying, ¡°Me too.¡± I slung my arm over Peter¡¯s shoulders in easy friendship, deciding not to let my weirdness ruin what I thought was meant to be a happy time for us. His bones pressed into my flesh. ¡°Wow, you are boney.¡±


    He shrugged me off. ¡°Shut up. Where¡¯s this bird, anyway?¡± he said louder, trying to catch Bodo¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Chust a little farther. Keep your shoes on.¡±


    Peter whispered to me. ¡°Where does he get this stuff, anyway? Isn¡¯t it pants? Aren¡¯t we supposed to keep our pants on?¡±


    ¡°Maybe for Bodo shoes are more important. Maybe it¡¯s a German thing.¡±


    ¡°You know, Chermans can hear very good. You are talking about me not very nice, I know it.¡±


    ¡°We were just talking about your creative colloquialisms,¡± said Peter.


    I had no idea what that word meant, but it was fun to mess with Bodo, which is exactly what Peter was trying to do.


    ¡°Is dat like a fucktart?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± asked Peter, half choking.


    ¡°Fucktart. Dat¡¯s a new word I learned today. Isn¡¯t it a good one?¡±


    ¡°I told you before, Bodo,¡± I said, ¡°it¡¯s not fucktart. It¡¯s fucktard. And you were right before. It¡¯s not a nice word, so stop saying it.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say fucktart. Dat was you. You are the lady saying all the fucktart words today. Or moron. She likes dat one, too. I think it means boy I luff.¡±


    ¡°Wow. You guys have one of the most messed up relationships I have ever seen,¡± said Peter, shaking his head. ¡°Seriously. You fight to lighten the mood. You call each other names ¡­¡±


    ¡°And we take showers togedder sometimes. Don¡¯t forget dat.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Bodo!¡±


    ¡°You do? Ew. That¡¯s a public shower, you know.¡±


    ¡°We do not take showers together.¡±


    ¡°Yesss weeee doooo ¡­ ¡±


    ¡°One time! Okay? One time. And it¡¯ll never happen again, I can promise you that.¡±


    ¡°I can promise you different!¡± said Bodo in a singsong voice.


    ¡°Pfft. Over my dead body,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°Challenge issued, Bodo,¡± said Peter.


    ¡°Challenge accepted!¡± said Bodo, laughing loudly.


    Jerks.


    We reached the clearing where I¡¯d found Bodo before, and he pulled his harmonica from his pocket, blowing out a few notes before I had time to dispute his challenge accepted nonsense.


    I heard the screech before I saw it.


    Peter grabbed my arm and his eyes grew wide. ¡°What the hell was that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Nina,¡± I said, bemused by his obvious fear.


    ¡°What is it? A friggin pterodactyl?¡±


    I laughed. ¡°Just look.¡± I pointed to the small, brown dot in the sky that was getting bigger and bigger every second.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± said Peter in a breathy voice.


    ¡°Yeah. Pretty amazing, right?¡±


    I looked over at Bodo. He¡¯d pulled the leather strap out of his pants and was busy wrapping it around his hand and forearm.


    ¡°What¡¯s he doing?¡± whispered Peter.


    ¡°Getting read to make a landing pad for the hawk.¡±


    Bodo held up his arm, blowing once more on the harmonica before putting it back in his pocket. He took something else out and held it in his hand.


    ¡°What¡¯s he holding?¡±


    ¡°A hunk of meat. Better grab Buster before he gets eaten.¡± I was only half kidding.


    Peter moved with a flash, bending down and scooping the poodle up into his arms. ¡°Shhhh, Buster. Do not bark. I don¡¯t want that beast pecking Bodo¡¯s eyes out and then coming after us.¡±


    I hated to admit that even though I trusted Bodo¡¯s expertise, I also worried about the eye-pecking thing. I would think from a hawk¡¯s perspective that they looked really appetizing - so juicy and all.


    ¡°Stay back for chust a minute,¡± said Bodo. ¡°Let me settle her first.¡±


    The hawk came swooping down, her wings spread wide and tipped up at the ends. Her body rocked slightly back and forth, just before her talons reached out and gripped Bodo¡¯s arm. She folded her wings back in and took a couple of small steps left and right, flexing her talons and flicking her head left and right quickly.

 Page 32

    She dipped her beak down and accepted the hunk of meat that Bodo offered, lifting her head up and jerking it back several times to move the food down her throat. She finished and looked at him expectantly, but he just talked to her instead of feeding her again. It was all in German so I had no idea what he was saying, but it sure sounded like endearments to me.


    ¡°Jealous?¡± asked Peter, whispering in my ear.


    I shoved him gently, trying not to bother the bird. ¡°Hush, freak.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to watch her hunt?¡± asked Bodo.


    ¡°Yeeah,¡± said Peter hesitantly. He leaned over and whispered in my ear. ¡°Do I want to see her hunt?¡±


    ¡°I think so, yeah.¡± I whispered back. ¡°So long as it¡¯s not our eyeballs she¡¯s after.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right,¡± he agreed, moving one of his hands up slowly over his eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯m ready!¡± he called out.


    Bodo launched the hawk into the air and she rose up with a great beating of wings to fly some lazy circles above us. She stayed gliding on a current of air for what seemed like too long. I half expected her to just fall out of the sky for lack of effort.


    When she finally did change trajectory, she nearly gave me a heart attack. She went from being a diamond-shaped feather in the air, to an arrow, rocketing down to the earth, aiming for something on the ground that I was just glad wasn¡¯t me.


    I moved closer to Peter and stroked Buster¡¯s fuzzy back as he sat innocently in Peter¡¯s arms, oblivious to the murderous predator above him.


    ¡°Are you as glad as I am that Buster¡¯s not wandering around out there?¡± asked Peter.


    ¡°Yes, definitely.¡±


    The hawk landed on something and looked like she was stomping around on the ground a little bit, her wings flaring out a few times before folding in again. Then she bent down and tore at something beneath her feet. I could see some of its flesh hanging from her beak.


    Bodo tooted on his harmonica twice, and Nina lifted her head, immediately hunching down for a second before launching herself powerfully into the sky again. Her wings beat with hard thrusts, her amazing strength evident with each stroke. When she was high enough up, separated fully from the ground and the trees and grasses serving as her backdrop, I could see she had a snake in her claws. The thing was flopping around all over the place as she moved closer and closer to Bodo.


    I put my hand up to my mouth, speechless, thinking, holy shit, I hope that thing is dead and not poisonous.


    The hawk landed on Bodo¡¯s arm and allowed him to take the snake from her, opening her sharp-looking talons and letting it drop into his hand. He lowered it slowly, letting it hang limply at his side.


    I tried not to gag when he casually stuck the tail of it in the back of his waistband. He pulled out some more meat from his pocket and fed her, stroking her feathers as she gobbled it down like before.


    I shook my head. I had seen her before, but I was still blown away by her now. She was almost magical. I was reminded of movies I had seen before the world had changed so much, with knights riding around on horses wearing chain metal and cloaks, living in castles and fighting battles against armies of men in kilts. I sighed, imagining Bodo dressed like that. He¡¯d totally fit in.


    ¡°Swoon-worthy,¡± said Peter. ¡°I have to admit. He goes from goofy to hot just like that.¡± He snapped his fingers.


    ¡°I know, right?¡± I looked at the snake hanging down over his backside. ¡°Except for the whole snake in the pants thing. Not so swoon-worthy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right. Gah, that¡¯s disgusting. Why¡¯d you make me look at it?¡± He turned with Buster in his arms to slap me, but lost his grip when Buster wiggled at just the wrong time.


    ¡°Buster, no!¡± yelled Peter.


    But Buster had other plans that didn¡¯t include being coddled in Peter¡¯s arms. He took off running, his leash trailing behind him, heading out into the grasses in the distance.


    The hawk took one look at him and shrieked, throwing her wings out at her sides and flapping them frantically.


    Bodo leaned back to get out of their way, hanging on to the leather straps that were wrapped around her ankles, yelling the whole time.


    ¡°Get him, Peter! Schnell! Quickly!¡±


    Peter took off running daintily through the grass, yelling, ¡°Buster, come back!¡± He went faster than I would have thought possible, quickly putting distance between us.


    The hawk shrieked again, breaking free of her tresses and taking to the air.


    I didn¡¯t have to be a hawk expert to see that she had locked in on her target and she was going to go for it. It was Team Hawk against Team Fuzzy Pink Poodle, and I was absolutely sure who was going to win. It was no contest.


    I took off sprinting after Buster. I had no plan in mind, other than to just tackle him and hope my back didn¡¯t get too torn up from those talons. For a brief second I wondered if she would be able to rip out my spine. Her feet looked like they had knives on the ends of them, even from far away.


    Her shrieks echoed around us.


    I was closing in on Buster, but not as fast as winged death was.


    I was just about to give up hope when I saw Buster stop.


    His head disappeared for a second underground and then a rabbit jumped up out of nowhere, sending Buster out of the hole and into a barking frenzy.


    The hawk swooped down, nearly taking Peter¡¯s head off, causing him to scream like a girl on fire and drop to the ground.


    The hawk continued on, gliding just over Buster¡¯s back to grab the rabbit and tackle it to the ground.


    Buster came up short, standing just two feet away from the hawk, dropping down into a prone position.


    We all froze in place, watching the imminent tragedy playing out in front of us.


    Buster whined, his butt wiggling with the effort of his tail. He clearly wanted to share the kill with the hawk, but was smart enough to ask permission first.


    Peter gained his feet again and tiptoed over, talking in a quavering, high-pitched voice.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good boy. Come on, Buster, come with me now. Leave the vicious, poodle-eating pterodactyl alone. Let her eat her fuzzy rabbit. Look! I have some snake for you!¡±


    Peter reached into his pocket and pulled out a hunk of his dinner.


    The hawk took one look at him and threw her wings out to the sides, opening her beak in a silent scream, no sound coming out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do dat! Put dat away!¡± shouted Bodo.


    Peter quickly threw it at the bird in a panic.


    Buster saw it leave Peter¡¯s hand and followed its trajectory over his head, watching it land a couple feet on the other side of the hawk. Buster crouched down even lower and army-crawled around her.


    I couldn¡¯t frigging believe it. That stupid dog was going to try and take that snake meat away from her.


    ¡°Buster, no!¡± I growled out, but he ignored me. ¡°Peter! Get him!¡± I whisper-yelled.


    Peter took a step forward, and the hawk shrieked menacingly at him, fluffing her wings a little as she did.


    ¡°Oh, crap,¡± said Peter, now frozen in place. ¡°I just peed a little.¡±


    ¡°Oh for shit¡¯s sake, you people make me crazy,¡± said a voice from the trees. And out strode Coli, plain as day, marching over and picking Buster up in one hand and then walking over to grab the snake meat too and shove it in the dog¡¯s mouth.


    The hawk just watched her go, doing nothing.


    Buster rode happily in her arms over to Bodo.


    ¡°Here. Take your stupid dog,¡± she said grumpily, dumping him unceremoniously into Bodo¡¯s waiting hands.


    She was walking back to the woods before my voice started working again. ¡°Coli!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± she said, stopping and turning around.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± I couldn¡¯t think of anything more intelligent to say, my brain still misfiring over all the unexpected action and barely avoided tragedy.


    She shrugged.


    ¡°How did you know we were here?¡±


    She laughed. ¡°Are you kidding me? You¡¯re like a herd of buffalo. Then you¡¯ve got goofball over there blowing on that damn harmonica all the time.¡±


    ¡°How long haff you known about Nina?¡± asked Bodo, coming over to stand by me.


    ¡°Since the first day you came,¡± she said, less sarcastically.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything? Sell Bodo out?¡± I was so confused right now. Coli was impossible to figure out. Just when I thought I knew exactly what she was going to do, she threw me a curveball and did the opposite. She made no sense at all.


    She shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It didn¡¯t seem to be hurting anyone. Plus Bodo gave me his snakes and stuff for our dinners.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t belief dat I found dem?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not. Not when I saw your hawk bring them down.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯f been watching me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You got a problem with that?¡±


    ¡°No. Dat¡¯s nice. I hope you like her. Becauss if anyone here tries to hurt her, I will leaf and you will never ever see us again.¡±


    Coli¡¯s face took on an angry expression. ¡°No one¡¯s going to hurt her. She¡¯s beautiful. And she¡¯s completely safe with us, I can promise you that. We respect the hawk.¡± She pulled something out of her back pocket and spoke more calmly. ¡°I found this.¡± She held up a feather, brown with some white parts. It looked familiar.


    ¡°Dat is from my hawk.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she said softly, staring at it. ¡°I saw it fall one day when you were working with her. I came back and found it.¡±


    Bodo looked at her carefully before saying, ¡°You can haff it if you want. She won¡¯t mind.¡±


    Coli smiled genuinely, the joy lighting up her face with a stunning beauty. I was struck speechless when I saw it; it was so unexpected and weird on her.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± She turned and walked noiselessly away, leaving us standing there in the field.


    Once she was gone, Peter turned to me and said, ¡°Have I died and gone to some alternate dimension, or did Coli just smile?¡±


    ¡°No. Or yes, and we¡¯re both there. Wow. She¡¯s really pretty when she does that,¡± I said.


    ¡°She¡¯ss very sneaky, dat girl. I never saw her. Not one time.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if she¡¯s told anyone,¡± I said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯ve never gotten any indication of anything going on with Bodo from anyone I¡¯ve worked with,¡± said Peter.


    Bodo pulled his harmonica out of his pocket and blew out a short set of notes. The hawk looked at him and then bent down to her rabbit, tearing it apart. I had to look away to keep from feeling sick at the savagery of it. I knew it was all a part of nature, but it was a little too raw and real for me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the hut. I need to go calm my head before I have a stroke,¡± said Peter, taking Buster from Bodo. He talked to him softly, walking into the trees, murmuring scoldings and concerns for his future welfare as he went.


    ¡°That was mind blowing,¡± I said, making my way through the swamp next to Bodo, following Peter on the path.


    ¡°Yeah. You can repeat dat.¡±


    ¡°You can say that again, you mean.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Dat¡¯s what I said.¡±


    I tried to work on my silent walking, but quickly gave up. Coli was right. We were like buffalo.


    ¡°I like your hawk¡¯s name. Nina. It¡¯s like bold and kind of badass, too.¡±


    ¡°Like Bryn.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°You think so?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I like dat you like her,¡± said Bodo, taking my hand.


    ¡°What¡¯s not to like? She kills snakes and didn¡¯t eat Buster. She¡¯s my kind of girl.¡±


    ¡°Good. Because she is going with us to get dose canners.¡±


    I frowned, thinking about all the reasons that shouldn¡¯t happen. ¡°I think that¡¯s a really, really bad idea, Bodo. They have guns.¡±


    ¡°I know. But we are going to be gone for two days. Dat¡¯s too long to be away from her. Don¡¯t worry. I will be sure she is safe.¡±

 Page 33

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you were able to work with her and keep her a secret from us this entire time. I should be mad at you.¡±


    ¡°Are you? Mad at me?¡± Bodo looked worried.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m not sure why. Maybe because I know your motivations are pure.¡±


    ¡°I luff her. Dat¡¯s true. She is a very special bird.¡±


    I looked at him sideways. ¡°Should I be jealous?¡±


    He squeezed my hand. ¡°No. I can¡¯t be away from you for longer dan one day either. Und I like you better.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Good. I like you a lot, too.¡±


    ¡°Maybe some day you can luff me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Maybe some day,¡± I said, finishing our trip in silence, thinking about all the things we would be risking on this mission and how one of them would be Bodo himself.


    Chapter Four


    THE MORNING OF OUR CANNER recon mission dawned overcast and dark. The heavy-looking gray clouds booming with rolling thunder just off in the distance felt like a really bad omen, and made me wonder how long it would be before the rain began to fall and completely soaked us.


    ¡°Do you think those five days of training helped?¡± asked Peter, standing next to me, looking up at the sky.


    ¡°Maybe. Maybe not. It¡¯s hard to say. I¡¯d like to think so.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re under a lot of pressure. It¡¯s okay to admit that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know. I just don¡¯t want to let anyone down.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to. Everyone knows you¡¯ve done your best, and that¡¯s all you can do. Even I learned some things.¡± Peter made some quick palm thrust motions with the heel of his hand, breaking into smiles when he was done.


    I grinned back. ¡°Well, you do have good reflexes. Must be all that ping pong you¡¯ve played.¡±


    ¡°You mock what you don¡¯t understand. I¡¯ll take you on, any day of the week.¡±


    ¡°Maybe someday we can do that,¡± I said wistfully, turning my attention to the backpacks in the doorway of the hut. Ping pong sounded so much more appealing than hunting canners right now. Hopefully, it always would.


    ¡°Ready to go?¡± asked Bodo, coming through the trees.


    ¡°How¡¯s Nina?¡± asked Peter.


    ¡°Good. She¡¯ss ready.¡±


    ¡°Time to go,¡± said Peter, hiking his backpack up onto his shoulders, straightening the straps and making sure his shirt underneath wasn¡¯t wrinkled.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t like da rain, dough. Neither do I.¡±


    ¡°Can she fly in it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, but if it¡¯s really bad, it¡¯s dangerous for her. If it pours, I will wait with her somewhere close by. I¡¯m sorry for dat.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. We¡¯ll make do. At least we don¡¯t have to try and make up excuses for you when you disappear. I¡¯m glad you decided to tell the chiefs.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, his crazy girlfriend was gonna tell. Better dey hear it from me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± said Peter, waiting for us to get our backpacks on. ¡°But they¡¯d be stupid to be upset over it. You¡¯ve already brought them three rabbits and two snakes. That¡¯s more than enough to cover the amount of food that we eat.¡±


    We left our hut carrying a minimum of supplies, wearing the jeans and t-shirts Winky¡¯s friends had found for us, traipsing over the woven root ground with our new moccasins.


    ¡°Man, I love these shoes,¡± I said, for the tenth time at least. ¡°I can¡¯t believe they keep all the pokey things out. I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m quieter with them on, too.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bet on it,¡± said Peter. ¡°Coli is only too happy to remind me how loud we are whenever we step foot anywhere in the swamp. Just yesterday, she and her friends were calling you a swamp elephant.¡±


    I curled my lip in distaste. ¡°Yeah, well, I¡¯m convinced she¡¯s not a real person. She¡¯s an evil spirit that just floats over the ground without actually touching it. That¡¯s why she¡¯s so quiet all the time.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s an evil spirit?¡± asked Coli, coming out on my left from between two large trees, their roots all tangled together to form a net wall, rising up out of the ground.


    ¡°Geez, Coli. Enough with the spying crap,¡± I said, not unkindly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not spying. I¡¯m just coming to the send-off, along with everyone else.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°They¡¯re making a big deal out of this, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Of course they are. Wouldn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°No. I wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, you¡¯re different than we are.¡±


    You¡¯re not kidding. Before I could get my next thought out, we¡¯d arrived at the ceremonial hut. A large crowd had gathered to say goodbye, and at the center of it all was Celia.


    My eyes were drawn to her arm wrapped in its bandages, and I had to swallow the lump in my throat. Her half-limb hung at her side, a testament to the seriousness and danger present in our mission. Seeing it really brought home the fact that my entire family was going to be at risk for the next few days - even our pets. The ridiculously awfulness of it was hitting me hard. I battled tears that threatened to come and embarrass me with their presence in the face of all these bold warriors. I was glad we had decided to put our warpaint on later.


    Bodo and Peter moved in closer, both of them stuck close to my sides. Normally, I¡¯d just shove them away, but today I was glad for their nearness. It gave me a sense of security - probably a false sense - but I¡¯d take that over feeling alone and vulnerable any day.


    ¡°Looks like everybody¡¯s here,¡± said Peter softly.


    The faces were all turned towards us. I didn¡¯t see anything negative or that looked like judgment, but still, it made me uncomfortable. I focused on looking for my team. One person wasn¡¯t there. ¡°Everyone but Trip, actually,¡± I said.


    ¡°Wow, how could I have missed him?¡± said Peter under his breath, looking from left to right.


    I scanned the crowd and the trees around us to be sure. Nope. No Trip. ¡°Well, we can¡¯t wait for him. Let¡¯s go. Maybe he¡¯ll catch up.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t we wait?¡± asked Peter. ¡°He¡¯s important, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Of course he is. But we¡¯re about to get rained on, and I¡¯d like to be in place before the noise from the storm wakes up those canners and the rain gets so hard Nina and Bodo can¡¯t keep up.¡±


    I separated myself from my roommates and went to stand by Kowi.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up? Ready to go?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Where¡¯s Trip?¡±


    ¡°Getting some things for us to take.¡±


    ¡°What things?¡± I looked at him suspiciously, not liking his evasive tone. We had already very carefully planned what we were taking and everyone had packed as lightly as possible. We couldn¡¯t afford to be weighed down with extra stuff.


    ¡°Things that will help us.¡± He looked up, his eyes catching something in the distance. ¡°Ah. There he is. Right on time.¡±


    I looked over to see Trip entering the hut carrying the case holding the grenades I had brought with us when we arrived.


    ¡°Oh, crap, are you kidding me?¡±


    ¡°No. We discussed it and decided it was a good idea.¡±


    ¡°Well, we weren¡¯t in on that discussion,¡± said Peter, indignantly. ¡°They¡¯re our grenades, so I¡¯m pretty sure we should have been included.¡±


    Trip stepped up and gave Peter a death stare. ¡°You were asleep. And we figured you wouldn¡¯t mind giving them to us to help. But maybe we have you all wrong.¡± He put the case down and puffed his chest out a little.


    ¡°I¡¯m easily wakened, and it has nothing to do with wanting to help, obviously, or I wouldn¡¯t be standing here,¡± said Peter, his hands on his hips, staring Trip down with the meanest look I knew he was capable of making.


    ¡°Well, next time I¡¯ll come in and interrupt your little love fest in there and get your permission to do what I want in my swamp!¡±


    ¡°Love fest? Love fest?! ¡­¡± Peter took two steps forward, moving closer to Trip and letting his arms drop at his sides. He adjusted his feet to get better balanced, a move I¡¯d taught him recently. Peter was ready to fight.


    Kowi snapped out of his daze and jumped in between them. ¡°Whoa, whoa, guys, chill. What the heck is this all about?¡± He looked back and forth from Trip to Peter, like all the rest of us were doing, his face screwed up in confusion.


    I was just as lost as Kowi looked. Peter and Trip sounded like me and Bodo arguing - like a couple. And neither of them seemed to realize it or notice that the rest of us were stunned into silence over it.


    Bodo leaned over and whispered, ¡°Dey chust need to cuddle I think.¡±


    I elbowed him, telling him silently to shut up.


    Trip finally broke the stare between the two, stalking away. ¡°Just forget it,¡± he said, without looking back. He left in the direction of the boats, through the trees. They were docked a few minutes away.


    ¡°He¡¯s right. Never mind,¡± said Peter, now more in control of his emotions. He almost looked hurt, in a way.


    I moved closer to him and put my hand on his upper arm, trying to get him to look at me. ¡°You okay?¡±


    He put a big, fake smile on his face and said brightly, ¡°Yep! Let¡¯s get this show on the road.¡± He looked over at the grenade case. ¡°Are we bringing those or not?¡±


    I looked at Kowi. ¡°Want to discuss this real quick?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Sure. We just thought it¡¯d be a good idea to have a little more firepower.¡±


    ¡°I just worry we¡¯ll need it later, if they ever come here,¡± I said.


    Kowi nodded. ¡°Yeah, but what if we need some firepower there? You wanted a distraction. It seems like the easiest way to make one that will be hard to ignore.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just take a couple, how¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Sounds fair. I agree with you. I don¡¯t like the idea of being out here and so vulnerable. I mean, what the hell. They could roll in with tanks someday.¡± He was smiling, but what he said wasn¡¯t funny at all.


    ¡°Yes. They could.¡± I fixed him with a hard stare, which erased all the humor from his face.


    ¡°You know, sometimes you scare the crap out of me, Bryn Mathis.¡±


    I tried to smile, but it came out more like a grimace. ¡°Yeah, well, sometimes I scare myself.¡±


    ¡°I think it is a good compromising,¡± said Bodo, breaking the freaky mood that had started to develop. ¡°Who iss going to carry da grenades?¡±


    Kowi answered, ¡°Trip and Paci. They¡¯re in charge of creating the distraction.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Fine with me. Just be sure they have padding around them. I think they can go off if they¡¯re tossed around too much, even with the pins still inside.¡±


    ¡°None of us know for sure, so we¡¯ll just be extra careful.¡±


    ¡°In the movies they always throw them a special way. I think that¡¯s to keep them from blowing up in your hand,¡± said Peter.


    ¡°Please be sure to show Paci and Trip the technique,¡± said Kowi, before motioning to everyone to start walking to the boats. Three canoes were bringing us and our backpacks to the dock where we left the bodies of William and Rachel Coleman, the former kid owners of a canoe and boat rental place.


    There were too many people to gather around the boat launch, so they lined the path leading the way. We gave out high fives to almost everyone and a few hugs to others. Peter seemed to have made friends with most of the girls from both tribes.


    A few people were crying, and it did nothing to help my nervousness. When I got to the boat and saw that Celia had gotten there first and was waiting for us to get in, I felt sick to my stomach. It wasn¡¯t because of her injury; it was because I didn¡¯t want to let her down. We were going after the people who had taken something very precious from her. A limb, yes, but it was more than that. She¡¯d lost some of her faith in the decentness of humans the day those animals had taken her arm. I felt like today, it was our job to restore it somehow; and I wasn¡¯t sure we were up to the task.

 Page 34

    Trip and I were the last ones to get in. We both stood in front of Kowi, Celia, and Coli just a couple feet behind her.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Celia said quietly.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I responded.


    Trip just nodded.


    ¡°I just wanted to wish you luck.¡± Her eyes filled with tears but she blinked rapidly to make them go away.


    ¡°Thanks. We¡¯re going to do our best,¡± I said. I probably should have said something more poetic or quotable, but I was in a panic. I couldn¡¯t promise her anything, much as I wanted to.


    ¡°I know you will. I wanted to tell you too that if you aren¡¯t able to do everything you want, it¡¯s going to be okay. For me. I¡¯m going to be okay.¡± A tear escaped her eye.


    I reached out and put my hand on her shoulder, just above her bandages. ¡°I know you are. I absolutely know that.¡±


    She continued, raising her chin a little. ¡°But it would be a lot easier and a lot faster if you killed those bastards for me and brought those poor kids back here.¡±


    Tears came to my eyes too now, a couple of them slipping past my defenses to drip down my cheeks. I gave her a weak smile. ¡°Consider it done.¡±


    It was the best I could do for promises, and it made me want to panic and run the other direction, away from all these kids who were counting on me to make things right, away from this swamp with its false sense of security making everyone believe they couldn¡¯t be touched by the ugliness, and away from even the two boys I now loved - because I was so afraid they were going to die today and it would be all my fault.


    The paddles and poles the indians used to move their canoes dipped in and out of the water. It was just before dawn, and the sky should have been alight with the beautiful pinks, yellows, and oranges that I was used to seeing here in the morning; but instead it was dark gray, giving a spooky atmosphere to the swamp.


    Hopefully, the canners would decide to sleep in today on this dreary morning and give us time to get into position around their house. No one said a word out loud. The danger of our mission was weighing heavily on everyone, much like it was on me.


    Nina¡¯s shriek startled me out of my depressing reverie. A few of the others giggled. I looked up and saw some sheepish grins, apologies almost, for being startled.


    Bodo had his harmonica to his lips and gave one short blow on it. I heard and saw nothing of his bird from then on.


    We arrived at the rental place where we had taken our canoes from not that long ago, dragging them up on the beach and chaining them together and to the canoe rack, using the chains and locks we had taken from there before.


    ¡°Good thing we kept these,¡± said Peter, lugging an end over to Fohi to connect with his part.


    ¡°Yeah. I guess I thought we wouldn¡¯t be coming back so soon,¡± I said, getting out of the boat and stepping onto the wet sand. I lifted up a foot and looked at the bottom of my moccasin which was now covered in clumps of the wet stuff.


    ¡°They¡¯re treated to be waterproof,¡± said Winky. ¡°Just don¡¯t go swimming in them and you should be fine.¡± She walked past me to climb the bank towards the rental shack.


    ¡°Thanks for the tip,¡± I said, putting my foot back down and following her.


    She reached her hand down once she was at the top of the hill, pulling me the rest of the way up. We watched the guys finish the canoe-securing from the top of the bank.


    Bodo stood apart from them, staring up into a nearby tree, sliding his harmonica into his pocket.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty cool ¡­ Bodo and his hawk,¡± said Winky, watching him.


    ¡°Yeah. It is.¡± I tried not to look at her face, but I was drawn to it. I wished I could read her mind and know if she was lusting after Bodo. I didn¡¯t want to feel competitive with her over him. I liked them both too much.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky,¡± she said, wistfully.


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°He loves you.¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I guess I just don¡¯t see it that often anymore. I miss it ¡­ being in love.¡±


    ¡°Did you have a boyfriend before?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said, looking down. ¡°He was older.¡±


    Oh, crap. I knew what that meant. But I couldn¡¯t just not say something. ¡°He died?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Along with my parents and everyone else.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I reached over and rubbed her back a couple times before letting my hand drop to my side.


    ¡°Thanks. But anyway, I have hope that I¡¯ll find someone again,¡± she said, turning to me and smiling. ¡°And don¡¯t worry. I know it¡¯s not going to be Bodo.¡±


    I was taken aback by her bluntness. ¡°I ¡­ uh ¡­ didn¡¯t think it was. But that¡¯s good to know.¡±


    ¡°I thought I saw you looking worried a few times. I don¡¯t blame you.¡±


    We both watched as Fohi and Rob got tangled in the chains they¡¯d been using to tie the boats and fell into the sand. ¡°The options are kind of slim around here.¡±


    We both laughed at the spectacle being provided courtesy of the crack team of indian warriors.


    ¡°Holy crap, what are we getting ourselves into?¡± I said under my breath.


    Winky punched my arm lightly. ¡°We¡¯re not getting ourselves into anything except that canner house to rescue those kids and to kick a little ass. They started this, not us. We¡¯re just going to finish it.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s go finish this.¡±


    We walked over to the shack, joining the rest our team who¡¯d finally made it up the bank to assemble there. Fohi and Rob took off running into the trees.


    ¡°Where are dey going?¡± asked Bodo.


    ¡°Getting our transportation,¡± said Kowi. He looked out over the small group. ¡°Is everyone here, now?¡±


    I scanned the immediate area. Everyone was present and accounted for, even a struggling Buster who Peter was trying valiantly to contain.


    ¡°Better let him run around and pee or something so he can get that energy out of his system. We don¡¯t need him spazzing out before it¡¯s time,¡± I said.


    ¡°Did you bring something to muzzle him?¡± asked Kowi.


    Peter pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket. It was pink. ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯d you get that?¡± I asked, trying not to laugh.


    ¡°Coli. She gave it to me right before we left.¡±


    I shook my head in wonder. I hadn¡¯t taken her for a girl who wore pink. But then again, I hadn¡¯t known her before when she was a girl who walked the halls of a high school, putting books into a locker and wondering who was going to ask her to prom.


    Fohi and Rob returned, both of them wheeling bikes next to them. They were the ones Bodo and Peter had ridden to get here.


    ¡°Hey! That¡¯s my bike!¡± said Peter. I couldn¡¯t tell if he was pleasantly surprised or mad they were using them without permission.


    ¡°Yeah. We needed ¡®em,¡± said Fohi. ¡°We¡¯ll see you guys in a few.¡± They jumped onto their seats and took off.


    ¡°Where are they going?¡± I asked, completely mystified.


    ¡°Getting our ride,¡± said Trip, not even looking at me.


    ¡°Are we gonna walk? Cuz dat¡¯s a long way,¡± said Bodo, coming up to stand next to me.


    ¡°No. We have a truck. We keep it hidden and only use it in emergencies,¡± said Kowi.


    About twenty minutes later, as the rain was drizzling down, a huge black SUV pulled into the area surrounding the shack. It had an extended back end and could easily hold all of us.


    ¡°With the extra kids I hope we can save at the house, it¡¯ll be a tight squeeze, but I think it¡¯s do-able,¡± said Kowi.


    ¡°Hell, yeah,¡± I said, thrilled with the idea of not having to walk all the way there and back. I had been imagining the tremendous amount of luck we¡¯d need to get in and out undetected, especially with injured kids on our hands. The fewer people who knew there were kids living out here, the better.


    The passenger door flew open and Fohi stood on the running board. ¡°Come on, y¡¯all, this ship is heading out!¡± He disappeared inside again before any of us had taken a single step.


    ¡°I guess Fohi¡¯s riding shotgun,¡± I said, moving towards the truck.


    ¡°That¡¯s what he thinks,¡± said Trip, standing in front of the vehicle¡¯s grill, sticking his thumb out and jerking it to the side.


    Fohi¡¯s excited look fizzled to be replaced with a mutinous frown. But then all we could see was his backside as he climbed into the second row of seats, diving in head first, his legs hitting Rob in the side of the head.


    Rob turned around and punched him several times. The truck rocked back and forth with their antics.


    We all climbed in once things settled down, Rob driving with Trip and Kowi in the front seat, three across. Trip sat on the cupholders in the center. He looked comical, hunched over to fit his frame in under the low roof.


    Once we were all in, Rob pulled out, making his way onto the main road and then turning right to head east. We drove for a couple minutes in silence, everyone lost in thought.


    ¡°Where are we going to park this bad boy?¡± I asked no one in particular, about five minutes later.


    ¡°A few blocks away from the canner place,¡± said Kowi, looking at a map he¡¯d pulled from the glove compartment. He put it over Trip¡¯s lap and pointed to something. ¡°Right here, Rob. Take that right near the shell shop and then left into this neighborhood area.¡±


    The place I met Celia for the first time. Her mother¡¯s shell shop business. I hadn¡¯t realized she lived so close to where the canners were hiding out. Man, that is some seriously crappy luck.


    The truck reached what should have been civilization and cruised slowly through the streets. At first it was all businesses, but then after turning near the shop, we saw houses too. It was like a ghost town, not a single person out, and no signs of any living beings anywhere. Every house looked abandoned.


    ¡°This place is freakin¡¯ creepy,¡± said Fohi from behind me. He¡¯d been relegated to the way-back and was hanging over the back seat, embracing the headrest in front of him.


    ¡°You ain¡¯t kiddin¡¯,¡± said Rob, turning the wheel slowly as we entered an intersection.


    ¡°We need to park this in a garage,¡± said Peter. ¡°If we leave it out, it¡¯ll get stolen or destroyed. I know this place looks empty, but there has to be kids here somewhere.¡±


    He was right. ¡°Are we close?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Search for a house that looks empty with a garage,¡± said Kowi


    ¡°Right there,¡± said Bodo. ¡°Dat one. All da glass is broken. No one would liff dare.¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Rob asked Kowi, glancing to his right and slowing down, waiting for a response before he committed.


    ¡°Looks good. Back in.¡±


    We all waited breathlessly as Rob pulled up a little past the driveway and then reversed in. I was halfway expecting a bullet to come flying into the car.


    As if reading my mind, Peter ducked down, putting Buster on the floor so he wouldn¡¯t squish him.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Fohi, sounding disgusted. ¡°You¡¯d better not be barfing, dude. I don¡¯t wanna ride around in no barf mobile.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not vomiting, you idiot. I¡¯m trying to keep from getting my head blown off by some kid who might be hiding in there with a gun.¡±


    ¡°Ain¡¯t gonna happen in this thing,¡± said Fohi cheerfully. ¡°This is a genuine VIP car. Bulletproof glass.¡±


    ¡°No freakin¡¯ way,¡± I said, looking at the side windows, trying to detect their strength somehow with my stare.


    ¡°Yeah. We had a few of them on the reservation for special guest visits. Paid for by the white man¡¯s gambling money.¡± Fohi was obviously proud of his tribe¡¯s accomplishment.

 Page 35

    And I had to admit, while I might have looked at it as an unnecessary extravagance two years ago, today I was blessing the forethought of his tribal leaders. ¡°What about the tires?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Can¡¯t pop ¡®em.¡±


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t go nuts, Fohi,¡± said Rob. ¡°They can withstand some stuff, but not a bazooka or anything.¡±


    The car jolted to a stop and Rob put it in park. It was backed up all the way to the garage door. He turned around and looked at us in the back seat. ¡°Fohi, go open it.¡±


    ¡°Oh hell no. I ain¡¯t gonna be the dumbass that gets out of the car first and gets shot. You go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the driver. You¡¯re in the wayback. Go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the driver, my ass,¡± growled Fohi, jumping from the back, halfway to the front to grab Rob¡¯s shoulder.


    I didn¡¯t know what Fohi had planned to do, but it was an utter failure. He ended up head first, upside down by Peter¡¯s feet. Buster took advantage of the situation and lick-attacked his face.


    ¡°Oh, gah! Get this friggin dog off me! His breath smells like fish! Sick!¡±


    Rob reached over and pushed Fohi down farther. ¡°What¡¯s a matter, Little Bee? Can¡¯t get up? Rather make out with the dog?¡±


    ¡°Fuck you, Rob, you knob!¡±


    Rob kept pushing Fohi¡¯s struggling form, leaning back away from the mostly helplessly flailing arms that occasionally made contact with his face. ¡°Let us know when you¡¯re done french kissing Buster.¡±


    Fohi gave himself a mighty shove and balanced his stomach on the back of my seat. He was knocking everyone around him, including the three other people in the way-back with him.


    ¡°Cut it out, Fohi!¡± yelled one of them.


    ¡°Fohi, what the hell is your problem?!¡±


    ¡°Fohi!¡± yelled Kowi, ¡°Get the hell out of the truck and open the goddamn garage door!¡±


    The car got totally silent, except for the sounds of Fohi¡¯s struggles to right himself and his heavy breathing.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he said, when he was righted again. ¡°But if I get shot, it¡¯s on your shoulders. And for your information, I bleed more than a normal person. And I don¡¯t deal with pain well either, so if I get shot and don¡¯t die, I¡¯m going to complain a lot.¡±


    ¡°I accept. Now get out.¡±


    I should have offered to go with him, but at this point, it would have felt like defying Kowi in a way, and I didn¡¯t want to be the one to do that.


    Apparently neither did anyone else, because Fohi slipped out of the back alone. The tailgate was like a giant swinging door. He opened it enough to get his small body through and closed it quietly behind him. Rob moved quickly to lock it after him with the automatic button.


    We watched in tense silence as Fohi snuck over to the garage door and tried to turn the handle on it. It didn¡¯t budge. He hunched over and crept around to Kowi¡¯s window.


    Kowi rolled it down a few inches. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s locked.¡±


    Several people giggled.


    Kowi sighed heavily. ¡°Just go inside and unlock it, Fohi.¡±


    Fohi got a panicked expression on his face and his voice came out a couple notches higher than normal as he whined. ¡°But what if someone¡¯s in there?¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯d better kick their asses,¡± said Kowi, before rolling up the window.


    I leaned over and rolled the window down that was next to Peter. ¡°Fohi!¡± I whisper yelled as he passed by.


    He stopped and turned, mouthing, ¡°What?¡± at me.


    ¡°Take this.¡± I reached into my bag and pulled out my handgun, passing it through the window. ¡°Do not use any bullets unless you absolutely have to.¡±


    He nodded his head. ¡°Thanks, Bryn.¡±


    I didn¡¯t answer. I just rolled up the window.


    ¡°I hope you know what you¡¯re doing,¡± said Rob. ¡°Fohi is always an accident just waiting to happen. He¡¯ll probably just shoot himself with the stupid thing.¡±


    ¡°Then he¡¯ll put us all out of our misery,¡± said Trip, getting everyone to laugh.


    We waited for a couple tense minutes. The car was getting hot, Kowi having told Rob not to run the air conditioning so we could save gas. We weren¡¯t idling anymore either, but Rob kept the battery on, his hands resting on the key and the steering wheel. Raindrops were obscuring the view out of the front windshield.


    Just when I thought we¡¯d hear the sound of a garage door going up, the crack of a gun startled the bejesus out of me.


    Rob abandoned his post as the driver, throwing his door open and running to the front of the house before any of us could absorb what was happening.


    ¡°Rob!¡± yelled Kowi, but it was too late. He was already inside.


    ¡°Shit!¡± yelled Trip, struggling to unfold himself from his cupholder seat and get into the one vacated by Rob. He turned the key sitting in the ignition and then pulled the door shut. His foot hit the accelerator, but the car was still in park, so the engine roared but didn¡¯t take us anywhere. Everyone screamed at once.


    ¡°Wait!¡± yelled Kowi. ¡°We have to get them out of there!¡±


    Before any of us could weigh in on that idea, the garage door flew up. My head whipped around at the sound, and Buster started barking like crazy.


    I was expecting to see a line of canners standing there with rocket launchers over their shoulders, but instead, all I saw were Rob and Fohi - Fohi with a distinctively sheepish look on his face.


    ¡°Sorry ¡®bout that!¡± he said.


    Rob just shook his head, walking backwards and waving us in. Trip took a deep breath and moved his foot to the brake, pressing it in while he downshifted into reverse.


    The SUV slowly backed up, getting closer and closer to Fohi¡¯s and Rob¡¯s retreating forms. Once we were nearly all the way in, they jumped to the sides and banged on the windows.


    ¡°You¡¯re all good,¡± said Rob. ¡°Shut her down.¡±


    Trip didn¡¯t even have the engine off before we were all piling out of the car. I stood off to the side, waiting for Bodo to get out, watching the chaos around Fohi.


    ¡°What the hell, dude? What did you shoot? Was there somebody in there?¡±


    ¡°Uh ¡­ no. Not exactly,¡± he said, separating himself to come over and hand me my gun. ¡°Thanks, Bryn. Appreciate it. Sorry about the bullet.¡±


    I looked at him, confused. ¡°Who¡¯d you shoot?¡±


    ¡°Myself.¡±


    I looked him over from head to toe. ¡°Where? Did you miss?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± he said almost proudly. ¡°Got myself right between the eyes.¡±


    I was starting to wonder if he¡¯d lost his marbles when Rob reappeared from inside the house, carrying a full length mirror frame with a giant bullet hole in it. The glass was gone, but the frame and some backing material remained.


    ¡°The dumbass shot his own reflection,¡± he deadpanned.


    Everyone in the garage started laughing their butts off. Even Trip, who¡¯s usually too cool for that kind of release.


    ¡°Hey! I saw a guy, so I shot him and asked questions later,¡± said Fohi, only making us laugh harder.


    I looked at Kowi. ¡°And you gave this guy a grenade?¡± Someone had decided that Fohi should join the distraction group and had given him one of the weapons.


    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯ve got a point there.¡± He looked at Fohi and held his hand out. ¡°Hand it over, Bee.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me Bee, first of all. And why? I can handle it. I¡¯m not going to throw it at a mirror, I promise.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, I don¡¯t want to risk it.¡± Trip grabbed Fohi¡¯s backpack off his shoulder, unzipping it and pulling the heavily wrapped explosive from inside. ¡°Here,¡± he said, handing it to Kowi before shoving the backpack into Fohi¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to zip it back up at least?¡± asked Fohi, frowning at Trip.


    Trip just shook his head and walked away.


    ¡°Okay, so who¡¯s on Rob¡¯s team?¡±


    Bodo, Peter, Paci, and a few others raised their hands. Kowi walked over and handed the bundle to Bodo. ¡°Put this in your bag. Use it when we tell you and not before, got it?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I got it.¡± He looked worriedly at the wrapped shirt and then reached down, rubbing the edge of his harmonica that I knew was in his pocket.


    ¡°She won¡¯t get hurt,¡± I said quietly, walking up to help him get it in his bag. ¡°Not by this thing, anyway.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to keep her away so she won¡¯t get near dis stuff.¡±


    ¡°Where is she now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I will go out and see. I don¡¯t want to call her down or it will cause too much attention to come to us.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t do that. Just tell me if you need me to do anything, okay?¡±


    ¡°I will. You do da same. I got your back, Bryn.¡± He leaned down and kissed me on the forehead.


    ¡°I got yours too,¡± I said, reaching up to stroke his arm once. I didn¡¯t want to make a scene, but I had to feel his skin one time before we started this thing. It was warm and muscled underneath. Its strength gave me a little hope that we¡¯d get out alive somehow.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s next?¡± asked Peter in a slightly trembling voice. He cleared his throat and smiled tremulously at me.


    I gave him a big grin in return to try and lighten his mood a little. He looked like he was about to wet his pants.


    ¡°We go in groups of two to the canner house. Last ones out close the garage door, lock it, and leave through the back door of this house. Lock the front door and secure this place as best you can first.¡± Kowi stepped out of the garage for a second and returned. ¡°Memorize the address of this place: 4247 Magnolia Drive.¡±


    Fohi reached into his backpack and took out a pen, poising it above his hand.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing, Fohi?¡± asked Rob


    ¡°Writing it down,¡± he said innocently. ¡°I don¡¯t want to forget it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s just friggin brilliant. Why don¡¯t you just print out some fliers and hand them out to the canners as we arrive. Here you go, guys. This is where we¡¯ll be staying in case you want to visit.¡±


    Fohi slowly put the pen away without writing anything down, mumbling under his breath. ¡°Asshole.¡±


    Kowi rolled his eyes and took a moment before continuing. ¡°Like I said ¡­ memorize the address. It¡¯s 4247 Magnolia. If anything goes bad or when we finish, come back here and wait in the car in the garage. Do not leave until everyone is back. The keys will be in the magnetic case clipped under the tire well. Rob, put it there now.¡±


    Rob did as he was told. We all watched him secure it in the tire well behind the passenger-side wheel. A loud clunk told us it was well-attached.


    ¡°So who¡¯s going where?¡± I asked, moving closer to Kowi who¡¯d opened up the map Celia had helped make, spreading it out on the hood of the car.


    ¡°We are somewhere over here,¡± he said, pointing to a spot off the edge of the map. ¡°We need to walk due east, down to the end of this road, go one block north, and then go east again. That road will go all the way up and dead-end into the road that the canner place is on. I¡¯m pretty sure it will be at the end of the street and a little to the left.¡± He pointed to the edge of the canner place that had the wall of bushes. ¡°Here¡¯s where we¡¯ll be coming in.¡±


    Everyone who could get close enough studied the map while he continued.


    ¡°Distraction team goes here, on the east side of the house by the front doors. The front gate is kept open - the lock is broken, or so Celia said. Bryn¡¯s team goes over by the tree Celia used to escape on the north side. My team goes to the south side by this other little door.¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m on Bryn¡¯s team, what am I supposed to do?¡± asked Winky.


    ¡°You guys will be observing the house from up that tree if possible. Peter and Bodo will distract the dogs with some barking, giving you time to get up inside it. If the dogs start barking at you once you¡¯re up there, give someone on your team on the ground a hand signal to pass to us so we can send Peter back in.¡±

 Page 36

    ¡°Who¡¯s going to pass our signal to you?¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± said a guy whose name I couldn¡¯t remember. ¡°I¡¯ll stay on the northwest corner of the wall, in the bushes. I¡¯ll watch for signals from Bryn¡¯s team. If I get one, I¡¯ll run to the southwest corner and signal you at that garden door.¡±


    Kowi nodded. ¡°That¡¯ll work. Peter ¡­ Bodo ¡­ you guys keep one eye on your job and one eye on us. One of you is going to have to stand at this southeast corner, watching for signals we might send.¡±


    ¡°I can do dat,¡± said Bodo.


    ¡°But you have to watch out for Peter, too,¡± I said, imagining little Peter standing all by himself out there in the front of that house with a gang of canners coming after him.


    ¡°Bryn, chillax, I¡¯m going to be fine.¡± Peter rolled his eyes at me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there too, don¡¯t forget,¡± said Fohi.


    I gritted my teeth together to keep myself from saying what I was thinking. Somehow the thought of a guy who had just shot his own reflection didn¡¯t fill me with a huge sense of calm.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there too,¡± said Paci. ¡°Nothings gonna happen to Peter.¡± He looked at me intensely.


    ¡°I can look after myself,¡± said Peter, leaving us to go stand at the front of the car. A few seconds later he said, ¡°It¡¯s getting really dark out here, guys. We should probably go before it pours.¡±


    ¡°We will in a minute. I just want to be sure everyone knows what we¡¯re doing here,¡± I said as Kowi folded up the map and put it in his back pocket. ¡°Today is recon day only. We are not supposed to engage with them at all or let anyone know we¡¯re there. We watch them until it¡¯s dark and they go to sleep, then we regroup over here.¡± I searched their faces, looking for any signs of disagreement but seeing none. ¡°We¡¯ll discuss what we found, make a plan, and go in for rescue probably tomorrow morning. Right?¡±


    Everyone nodded except Trip.


    ¡°You don¡¯t agree?¡± I asked, slightly irritated.


    ¡°Yeah, I agree. But I also think we need to stay open to the idea that we might have to engage today. If they see us, then your plan to do nothing kind of goes into the wind, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± said Bodo. ¡°We gotta be ready to make da big explosion and den get dose kids out.¡±


    ¡°And end those canners,¡± said Fohi, cracking his knuckles.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready for the dogs,¡± said Winky, without emotion, patting her pocket.


    ¡°You scare me, Winky. You really do,¡± I said, unable to stop smiling.


    She shrugged. ¡°We are the indigenous people of this place. We do what we have to do to survive. I¡¯m not going to apologize for it.¡±


    ¡°And no one expects you to,¡± I said, putting my arm across her shoulders. ¡°Come on, guys. Let¡¯s go do some recon.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± said Winky, unzipping her backpack and pulling a leather pouch out.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked, as everyone gathered around her.


    ¡°Warpaint,¡± she said, dipping her finger into the opened pouch and bringing it out. She reached over to the closest person next to her and put her finger under his eye, pressing her fingertip to his skin. Then she spoke solemnly.


    ¡°Fohi, member of my tribe, I send you off to war, to do what must be done to protect our people. Go with strength and purpose.¡± She drew her finger from his eye, down to his jaw, leaving a trail of black paint behind.


    Each person stepped up in turn, receiving the black line and words of inspiration. Kowi took the pouch from Winky to do hers, and then I was the only one still remaining.


    Kowi retrieved some paint from the pouch and walked over to stand in front of me, placing his fingertip under my right eye. He stared at me for a few seconds, and no one said a word.


    My heart was pounding and my breath came rapidly. I didn¡¯t know why, but this suddenly felt more than just ceremonial to me. As if the exercise and the paint carried some form of supernatural powers of protection that might make it possible for me to survive this ordeal.


    Kowi spoke in a deep, reverent tone as he drew his finger down my cheek. ¡°Bryn. Nokosi. Member of my tribe. I send you off to war, to do what must be done to protect our people. Go with strength and purpose. You will not fail us. And we will not fail you.¡±


    I swallowed hard and willed the tears to stay away.


    The first ones out were Rob and Fohi. I didn¡¯t know about anyone else, but I was sending some crazy prayers up to any gods or angels who might be listening. Please, please, please don¡¯t let anything happen to them. I stood at the entrance to the garage, watching them make their way up the street. They stayed close to the houses, crouching down when they got near windows.


    ¡°Bryn, you¡¯re next. You and Winky. Go,¡± said Kowi, nodding his head at us.


    I gave Bodo and Peter a quick hug before moving off, getting a good luck lick from Buster that for once didn¡¯t gross me out.


    Winky and I followed in the trail of Fohi, who I could see a couple blocks ahead of us for a few seconds before he and Rob turned the corner and disappeared out of sight.


    Winky and I moved as silently as we could, the soft, animal hide of our moccasins making it easier. All I could hear was the soft rustling of the tall weeds and grasses that rose up to our knees, and in some places, thighs. The homeowners who used to live here would have been very upset to see their lawns now. They looked nothing like the perfectly manicured, half-million-dollar homes and yards of the past.


    I looked back and saw two of our group following us several houses back. We¡¯d all be at the canners¡¯ house within fifteen minutes max at this rate. I thanked our good fortune that was keeping the day dark and the rain at only a light drizzle.


    We turned the corner once to the left and then at the second one to the right, as instructed. I could see the seaside mansions at the end of the road now, looking small from here but probably at least ten thousand square feet each. These canners sure had decided to live in style. I wondered at their boldness, living so out in the open and in such an obvious place. They sure weren¡¯t worried about anyone knowing they were there. It made me sick with nervousness, because I knew it was their complete confidence in their viciousness that made this attitude possible for them.


    Winky and I finally made it to the wall of bushes at the far east side of the canners¡¯ house, burying ourselves in their leaves and branches, hiding from sight. We were both breathing heavily and sweating.


    Now that we were here, I felt myself slipping into a state of almost surreal panic. A heart attack seemed imminent and my pulse was racing super fast. I had to take several calming breaths to chill myself out. I pictured my dad with his hands on my shoulders, looking into my eyes, telling me I just needed to focus and remember my training. I closed my eyes and relived the moments before matches, when he would get me centered and ready for the fight that was to come. There was no point in wishing he was here, but that didn¡¯t stop me from praying. Dad, if you¡¯re out there, please watch over me and my friends. Don¡¯t let anything happen to us. I almost asked for him to send me a sign that he¡¯d heard my plea, but I didn¡¯t want to suffer the painful disappointment when nothing came, so I didn¡¯t bother. At least this way, I¡¯d still have hope he was out there somewhere.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± whispered Winky.


    I opened my eyes, my heart not beating nearly as fast as it had been. I was almost peaceful now. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was from the prayer or the acceptance that I was really doing this thing that had made it happen, but I wasn¡¯t going to over-analyze it. ¡°I¡¯m good. You?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m fine. Look! Here come Bodo and Peter.¡±


    I got nervous looking at Peter carrying Buster¡¯s struggling form. Buster wanted to bark really bad, and we just could not afford that right now. There were still two more teams behind them that needed to be here before we¡¯d be ready.


    ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s move over to the other side of the wall, near the tree.¡±


    Winky and I stepped out of the bushes so we could move faster and slunk around the side of the wall, running as fast as we could to the corner.


    I glanced over my shoulder and saw Bodo and Peter split away, headed in the other direction. They were going to get to the opposite side of the place as soon as possible, which was probably a good thing, even though I really wanted to see them one more time before our plans went down.


    The last thing I saw was Peter¡¯s skinny back turning the far corner behind us, before I turned right and followed the north wall to the east.


    Winky and I stopped beneath the tree whose branches hung over the north wall. I looked up at it and nearly freaked. How in the hell had Celia climbed this thing with one arm and the other one bleeding? She must have been flying on adrenaline. The drop from the wall alone was at least fifteen feet. The tree was completely on the other side, so there would be no climbing it from here.


    ¡°How are we going to get up there?¡± asked Winky in a tiny, quiet voice.


    I heard some rustling on the other side of the stucco wall, and put my finger to my lips. A muffled woof came from the other side. I shook my head so Winky would get my message: Do not move an inch! A dog stood on the other side from us.


    She nodded her head.


    We waited for what seemed like forever before the sounds ceased and moved away. I leaned in close to Winky¡¯s ear and whispered as quietly as I could. ¡°When we hear Buster barking, I¡¯ll get up using your back as a step, and then I¡¯ll lean over and pull you up to the top of the wall. Then we¡¯ll get into the tree together.¡±


    She nodded her head again, giving me a thumbs-up.


    We didn¡¯t have to wait long. A few seconds later, I heard Buster barking. It was faint but unmistakable, coming from the east side of the house, near the front corner of the yard by the ocean. Several barks responded from the backyard, and we could hear them disappearing in the distance as they ran towards Buster.


    ¡°Now!¡± I said, pushing on her back, getting her to bend over. I jumped up on it, landing on my knees, intending to stand up and use it as a step. But Winky had other ideas.


    ¡°Stand on my shoulders,¡± she grunted out, waving her hands so I¡¯d sit on her shoulders first and then stand on them, instead of kneeling and standing on her bent over back.


    ¡°Step closer to the wall a little,¡± I said in a panic. I hadn¡¯t planned on doing it this way, so I was unprepared for a couple precious seconds.


    I used my hands on the stucco surface for leverage and lifted one foot up to put it near her shoulder, skipping the whole sitting down thing to save time.


    She offered her hand to help me and I grabbed it, praying she could handle the force of me pushing into her like this with my feet.


    She staggered a little as she went from a bent-over position to a standing one, but didn¡¯t go down.


    The muscles in my thigh burned as I used my left leg alone to push myself up a little, until I could get my other foot under me and onto her other shoulder.


    Once my second foot was secured, I let go of her hand and stood, putting both hands on the wall again. I was standing fully erect on her shoulders now, but was still about eight inches too short. Even if I jumped, I wouldn¡¯t make it.


    ¡°Here,¡± said a voice from below. ¡°Let me help.¡± It was the guy who was supposed to be acting as our lookout at the corner; and he was a good six inches taller than Winky.


    ¡°Thanks, Jason,¡± Winky said.


    He put his hand under my right heel. ¡°Push on my hand. I¡¯m going to press you up.¡±


    I looked down to see him gritting his teeth, straining as he did a slow bench-type press of my foot, his second hand joining the first to give me all the power he had.


    I felt myself being elevated, inch by inch. I walked my hands up the wall until they reached the top, while still balanced on one foot. His arms were shaking like crazy.

 Page 37

    ¡°Can you throw me up just two inches?¡± I whispered desperately, looking down again at his beet-red face.


    He nodded, unable to speak.


    ¡°I¡¯ll count it out,¡± said Winky, nervously watching Jason¡¯s face. ¡°Ready? One, two, push!¡±


    Jason crouched down a few inches and then surged suddenly upward, throwing me towards the top of the wall and giving me just the distance I needed to hook one arm over the top of it.


    I pulled my head up and then the rest of my upper body, getting my second arm over in a single jerking motion. I hung there in place for a few seconds, getting a quick look at the back yard while I caught my breath.


    I was high up near the leafy part of the tree, hopefully invisible from inside the house. There were no dogs below, but I could hear a big ruckus off in another corner of the yard that was probably the one caused by Buster.


    I pulled myself the rest of the way up, grunting with the effort of trying to do it quietly. Once I was lying across the top horizontally, I spun myself around so I could flip my legs over to the other side and my torso down towards Winky.


    Jason already had her sitting on his shoulders and she was getting up on her feet. I grabbed her outstretched hand and pulled on it so she could get up faster. Jason put his hands under the soles of her moccasins and said, ¡°Get out of the way, Bryn. I¡¯m throwing her up!¡±


    I let her go and scootched over to the side, ignoring the abrasive and pointed stucco bits digging into the flesh of my stomach.


    I¡¯d just cleared the spot above Winky¡¯s head when she came flying up to the top of the wall. Winky and Jason looked almost like a circus act, they way they executed it so well. She must be lighter than me. She got a lot more air than I did.


    She hit the wall and grabbed the edge with both arms, her elbows and forearms digging into the top of it; it had to be painful.


    I reached over and put my hand around the back of her head, encouraging her to lean into it and use it as leverage to get the rest of her body up.


    Jason kept pushing her feet from underneath, and with the two of us helping, Winky eventually got on the wall by throwing her leg over it and dragging herself up to lie horizontally across the top of it like I had done.


    ¡°Thanks, Jason,¡± I whispered, before getting myself into a sitting position. ¡°Come on, Winky. Let¡¯s get up in that frigging tree.¡±


    She went up on her hands and knees, breathing heavily, and crawled across the top of the wall behind me. It was too narrow for me to feel comfortable doing that, but Winky was smaller than me, so she did it well and with excellent balance. It was impressive as hell, but I didn¡¯t have time to comment or fully appreciate the skill it took. I was too worried we were going to be seen.


    As soon as we got to one of the huge tree branches that overhung the wall, I grabbed it and stood up, using the branch to keep myself steady as I moved towards the tree¡¯s trunk.


    ¡°You first,¡± I whispered once we were there, leaning back a bit to give Winky more room to climb. She stepped up on the first branch, using the others just above as ladder rungs.


    ¡°How high?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°High enough that they won¡¯t see you but so that you can still spy on them,¡± I said. I silently urged her to hurry up, fluttering my hands, sure the dogs would be back soon.


    As soon as her legs were out of my way, I started climbing too. I was three branches into my ascent when I heard one of the sliding glass doors at the back of the house opening.


    I froze in place except to grab Winky¡¯s ankle to keep her from moving. She looked down at me, her eyes as big as saucers, nodding slightly.


    The next thing we heard was a big, juicy burp.


    It made my lip curl in distaste, reminding me of the canners I¡¯d had close encounters with before. They were all disgusting pigs as far as I was concerned. The next sound we heard was a loud fart and a groan of relief.


    ¡°Jesus, Dave, that was fucking disgusting. Warn me next time, asshole, so I don¡¯t have to walk through your goddamn fart smoke.¡±


    Another fart came, this time followed by the laughter of someone else - presumably the guy with the gas problems.


    ¡°Fuck you, Dave,¡± said the original voice. His expletives disappeared behind the sound of the sliding door opening and closing again.


    Then we heard a knocking on the glass and the growling second voice. ¡°Open the door, dickweed.¡± After a pause we heard the voice again, only this time it sounded angry. Really angry. ¡°Open it, faggot, or I¡¯ll smash it in and slice your throat open with the glass.¡±


    The door slid open and closed again, leaving the backyard in silence. Just before the door closed, though, I heard some yelling and furniture being shoved around.


    Winky looked down at me as if she were going to say something, but I shook my head, motioning upwards with my finger. We were too low right now. I was afraid they were going to see us. This guy Dave was definitely not someone I wanted to tangle with. I had a feeling he was the famous Loco that Celia had warned me about.


    Once we were high enough up that I felt shielded from the view of anyone below, I got up close to Winky. There were still no dogs in sight, but Buster had gone quiet. Please, please, let Buster and Peter and Bodo be okay.


    Winky leaned in to my ear. ¡°That was close.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Tell me about it,¡± I whispered back. ¡°Can you see anything from up here?¡± I looked through the leaves, but much of my view was blocked by the thick foliage. I caught glimpses of the sliding glass door and an area around the pool. Part of the building next to the pool was visible too, but that was it.


    ¡°Not much,¡± she said. ¡°If I can get over there, it would be better.¡± She gestured to an area out on a limb.


    The thought of her being way out there made me too nervous. ¡°If someone sees you up there you¡¯ll have nowhere to hide or escape to in time. Stay by the trunk so you can hide behind it and jump over the wall if you need to.¡±


    ¡°What about there?¡± she asked, pointing to another limb, this one closer to the edge of the wall.


    I thought about it for a second and then nodded. ¡°Go for it. But if you think anyone sees you, drop over the wall and run. Don¡¯t break an ankle and don¡¯t wait for me. Go a few houses down and hide behind some bushes for at least fifteen minutes before coming back. If you see any canners out, signal the others.¡±


    We¡¯d practiced hand signals as part of our workouts, and everyone but Peter, Bodo, and I was really good at birdcalls. They already had rudimentary communication figured out using them from before. I didn¡¯t bother to try and learn the calls, though. I can¡¯t sing worth a dang, so they were totally out of my range of capabilities. Luckily, Rob was a big war movie buff, so he¡¯d picked up some wartime hand signals that he taught us. We just made the rest up on our own.


    Winky moved into place and settled in, just as the dogs appeared again below us.


    The dogs searched around on the ground near the tree and looked up a few times, sniffing the air. Winky and I didn¡¯t move a muscle. I closed my eyes for fear they¡¯d see them moving around and start barking.


    A minute or so later, they padded away, their progress easy to follow by the sounds of the long weeds swishing around.


    I opened my eyes. The dogs were now lying by the murky pool - a rottweiler and a pitbull.


    Oh shit, they have a pitbull. Those dogs scared the doodles out of me. I could only picture what one of them would do if it got a hold of me. I closed my eyes again and took a deep breath to clear the horrible visions that were crowding my mind. I needed to stay alert and focused, not freaking out about a potential dog attack in my future.


    Winky and I stayed put for what seemed like hours, seeing and hearing nothing except the occasional movement from the dogs who often went to press their noses against the glass door of the house and presumably the door to the pool house, too. I could see them going in that direction and stopping, but I couldn¡¯t see exactly what was there. My legs were going numb and my feet were tingling. I¡¯d found a limb I could sit on while resting my back against the trunk, but it wasn¡¯t comfortable enough to make it a good spot for longer than a couple hours, max.


    My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the sliding glass door opening again. I couldn¡¯t see who it was, so I looked up at Winky. She was staring through the leaves, concentrating very hard.


    I heard some footsteps around the pool deck and then some rattling chains, followed by another door opening; and this time, it was closer. Whoever it is, must be going into the pool house. He entered where the dogs had been standing on several occasions while we watched.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid,¡± his voice said. ¡°Just come out here where I can see you better.¡± He sounded tired. It was the same guy who had yelled at the Dave person. It was surprising to hear his voice sounding so different, almost caring. Earlier he¡¯d sounded like a real jerk.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go in! I don¡¯t want to go in there!¡± came a girl¡¯s pleading voice. She was crying and clearly in a panic.


    ¡°I¡¯m not taking you in there, I already told you that. I¡¯m not the frigging butcher, okay. I¡¯m the one trying to help you.¡±


    She sniffed, clearing her throat. ¡°You¡¯re with them. That¡¯s all I need to know.¡± She didn¡¯t sound as frail now - more like pissed.


    ¡°Yeah, well, just like you, I don¡¯t have a lot of choices in my life right now.¡±


    ¡°We all have choices.¡±


    Yeah. Definitely angry.


    ¡°Okay, well explain it to me,¡± he said in a slightly hushed but irritated voice. ¡°Tell me how it is you think I have a choice here.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be all up in here bein¡¯ their nazi doctor and shit. You could get out. Leave here. Let the rest of us out too, on your way.¡±


    I heard a chair scrape on the pool deck. ¡°Sit down so I can look at your arm, would you?¡±


    Another chair scraped the surface. ¡°You got nothin¡¯ to say, do you, Mengele? You know I¡¯m right. You¡¯re just a chicken shit white boy, just like all the rest of them. Doin¡¯ whatever Dave says, kissing his behind all the time.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, LaShay. It¡¯s not like that. And stop calling me that name. It¡¯s Sean.¡±


    ¡°Sure it is. It¡¯s exactly like that. And I¡¯ll call you what I want. I don¡¯t see no sweet little Irish boy sittin¡¯ here in front of me. I see a monster, jus¡¯ like Hitler¡¯s doctor Mengele.¡±


    ¡°Listen ¡­ what would be the point of leaving? I¡¯ll just get caught again and brought back. Probably punished. It¡¯s already happened once, in case you haven¡¯t noticed. And you know how much they like to punish people here. Besides, if I go, who¡¯s going to take care of all of you guys, huh?¡±


    ¡°You call this taking care of us?¡± She made a disgusted noise. ¡°All you do is keep us alive so they can eat us later.¡±


    ¡°Whatever, LaShay. Just sit still so I can change this bandage. Your arm¡¯s going to get infected.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother,¡± she said, pushing her chair. ¡°Take me back to the meat locker.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t call it that,¡± he said, sounding tired again.


    ¡°I call it like I see it. Maybe someday you¡¯ll join us in there, Mengele. Then we¡¯ll see what you think about changing bandages and puttin¡¯ stumps in slings.¡±


    The sound of the sliding door from the pool house reached my ears again and then LaShay¡¯s voice echoed out across the pool. ¡°Come on, then Mengele. Lock me in like a good nazi.¡±


    ¡°Screw you, LaShay.¡±


    ¡°No. Screw you, Mengele.¡±


    The door slid shut and some chains rattled. Then another door opened - the one leading into the house.


    ¡°Hey, fairy boy!¡± yelled a voice I didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°Breakfast!¡±


    ¡°No thanks. I¡¯m not hungry,¡± said Sean.

 Page 38

    ¡°I got some of those noodles you like.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not eating.¡±


    ¡°Listen, asshole, I¡¯m not going to make you eat any meat. Just get in here. The rest of the guys wanna have a meeting before we go out hunting again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be in, in a minute. I have something to do first. A bandage.¡±


    ¡°You got two minutes before I send Duke after you.¡±


    ¡°Keep that fucking dog away from me, Brick. I told you already, if he touches me, I¡¯m done here.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re done here when Dave says you¡¯re done here, fruitcake.¡±


    And then he was gone.


    Okay, so there¡¯s Dave, Sean the fruitcake, Dave¡¯s buddy Brick, and at least a few more guys so far. That¡¯s ¡­ six at a minimum. I wanted to think that based on his comments, Sean could possibly be counted on to not fight us if the time came that the canners actually discovered us here, but there was no guarantee of that.


    Winky looked down at me and shrugged. If she was thinking what I was thinking, she was wondering what the heck we were supposed to do now. I was in the middle of processing our options when the back door opened again and the sounds of a struggle reached my ears.


    ¡°Stop moving around, you little fuck!¡±


    ¡°Let me go, you canner beast!¡± came a desperate screech.


    My heart froze in my chest as I recognized the voice.


    Peter!


    ¡°Who the hell is that?¡± asked Sean.


    ¡°Keep fighting me and see what happens,¡± threatened Brick. Then I heard, ¡°Ah!! Shit!!¡±


    ¡°Palm thrust, asshole!¡± yelled Peter, just before I heard a loud slap and the sound of pool chairs falling over.


    ¡°Right hook, dick! Now get the hell up and get into the meat locker.¡± Dogs were barking and then Brick was yelling at them. ¡°Shut the hell up, Duke! Dracula! Shut up!¡±


    I swallowed several times quickly in a row, trying to keep from barfing. They have Peter!


    I wanted to drop down to the ground and go after that evil monster who was beating him up, but one severe look from Winky stopped me in my tracks. She signaled me to stay still and watch, and since my self-preservation instincts seemed to have abandoned me temporarily in favor of getting to Peter, I listened to her silent voice of reason. This was exactly the situation I had challenged Fohi about - the ability to walk away instead of saving someone for the greater good. I wasn¡¯t sure if I had it in me to leave Peter behind.


    ¡°Get this piece of shit up, Sean. Lock him in with the rest of ¡®em.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯d he come from? Did you go hunting already?¡±


    ¡°No. Found him and his little dog out front, messing with Duke.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯d you do with the dog?¡±


    ¡°He ran off. Got this little turd, though. Doesn¡¯t look like much. Maybe we¡¯ll just let Duke and Dracula practice on him.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re fucking sick, you know that? Just go to breakfast. I¡¯ll take care of this idiot.¡±


    ¡°You better. And hurry up. The meeting¡¯s starting and Dave wants you there.¡±


    The door shut and Sean said, ¡°Asshole.¡± I heard more furniture moving and then, ¡°Hey man, get up. I have to lock you inside.¡±


    ¡°With your other prisoners?¡± said Peter, sassily.


    ¡°What are you talking about? How do you know we have others here?¡±


    Oh, shit, Peter, don¡¯t tell him you know about them! Don¡¯t give us away!


    ¡°I heard that guy talking inside. You have other people here. How many of you cannibals are there here, anyway? I saw seven inside. You make eight. Are there any more monsters I should know about?¡±


    Winky beamed down at me, giving me a thumbs-up sign. I prayed both for Peter¡¯s safety and an answer from this canner doctor.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got nine, actually. Not that it matters. You¡¯re not going anywhere. I¡¯m not going anywhere. No one is. We¡¯re all stuck here. Lucky for you, you¡¯re skinny. They¡¯ll probably just use you for sex and bone dump.¡±


    ¡°What?! Sex and bone, what?!¡±


    ¡°Never mind. Come on. You gotta go inside this pool house. If I don¡¯t get in the house soon they¡¯ll let the dogs bite me.¡±


    ¡°Is that what happened to your arm?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and my leg. See?¡±


    ¡°Oooh, crap. That¡¯s awful.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, that¡¯s life out here in the badlands.¡±


    I could hear them walking around the pool.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to stay here, you know,¡± said Peter. He was talking a little too loudly, so I knew it was for our benefit.


    ¡°Yes, I do. Trust me, I¡¯ve tried to get away. Twice. They keep finding me and bringing me back.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible?¡±


    ¡°They have friends everywhere ¡­ all over this neighborhood. No one comes in or goes out without them finding out.¡±


    My blood stopped flowing for a few seconds, my heart in total seizure. I looked up at Winky and she appeared as freaked out as I was. They¡¯re going to find out we¡¯re here! We can¡¯t wait until tomorrow to do this thing! We have to let the others know!


    I motioned for Winky to come over to where I was. As she moved down from her perch, taking a few seconds to shake the feeling back into her legs, I watched for Peter. I could barely make him out in flashes between the leaves.


    ¡°Well, I got all the way to your house before anyone saw me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you think,¡± Sean said bitterly. ¡°When they go out later today they¡¯ll stop and talk to all their contacts and find out what and who was around this house while they slept. Then they¡¯ll start tracking. They¡¯re worse than the frigging dogs.¡±


    The chains rattled and the pool house door opened. ¡°In you go.¡±


    ¡°What is this place?¡± asked Peter, tentatively.


    ¡°They call it the meat locker.¡±


    A few moments later, the door slid shut again and the chains rattled, locking my friend Peter inside and very possibly sealing his fate if I didn¡¯t find a way to get in there and get him out before the canners or their dogs tore us to pieces.


    We took advantage of the fact that the dogs were temporarily elsewhere. I prayed they weren¡¯t making a meal out of Buster as we climbed down to the top of the wall, hiding behind the trunk of the tree.


    ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± asked Winky, breathlessly.


    ¡°I need you to go and let everyone know that we can¡¯t wait. We have to go in today. That guy Sean said something about them going out hunting.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but he also said they check with their contacts to see what¡¯s been going on around here first.¡±


    ¡°So we can¡¯t wait for them to do that,¡± I said. ¡°We have to move in now, before they finish their breakfast.¡±


    I looked across the yard at the spot where I knew the small door in the wall was. ¡°Do you think they got that door opened?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. We can blow it open if we have to.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but we need to do this quietly if we can. The more kids we can move out before those guys figure out what we¡¯re doing, the better off we¡¯ll all be.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay. You¡¯re right. So what¡¯s the plan?¡±


    ¡°You go down and tell everyone about the spies they have. Someone needs to go get the truck and move it close before they make contact. Hopefully our truck is still there and in one piece. Rob and Paci need to get ready to set off that bomb out front and blow the front door off or whatever. While they go in the front and pick off the canners, I¡¯ll drop down here by the tree, inside the wall, and meet Trip, Kowi, and the others in the backyard. We¡¯ll get all those kids out through that door over there in the wall. No way are they all going to be able to climb this frigging tree. I have no idea how Celia did that.¡±


    ¡°Girl¡¯s got skills.¡±


    ¡°No shit. Okay, so are we good then?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. And Bryn?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Thanks. For doing this. For teaching us the krav maga. I have a feeling we¡¯re going to be using it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± I said, reaching out to give her a quick hug. ¡°Thanks for giving my family and me a home. If I don¡¯t make it out of here, I just want you to tell everyone that. It meant a lot to me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s our pleasure,¡± she said, before getting down on her stomach on the wall and then sliding over the outside of it to hang for a few seconds before dropping to the ground. She fell back onto her butt, but was up in a flash. I watched as she ran next to the wall, headed towards Jason who had stepped out to meet her. They disappeared after a few seconds of whispering and gesturing.


    I wished more than anything I could tell Peter I was coming for him. I sent him telepathic messages, letting him know that he was never going to be a meal or dog¡¯s chew toy as long as I had breath left in my body.


    What seemed like ages later, I saw a movement over on the other side of the yard. I tiptoed over the top of the wall, balancing as if on a beam since I no longer had any branches to hang onto.


    Trip was sneaking across the lawn, going towards the back of the pool house.


    I ran back to the tree and climbed down, dropping to the ground on the inside of the wall when I was still about five feet up. I accidentally bit my tongue as I landed on my feet, the salty blood leaking into my mouth instantly. It had the weird side-effect of keeping my brain anchored in reality, to feel the hurt in such a weird place, so I considered it a blessing in disguise.


    I stayed hidden behind the tree trunk that was effectively keeping me out of the view of anyone near the back door of the house. The kids in the pool house could probably see me easily, but I couldn¡¯t see them. The sliding glass door was so black with sunscreening tint, there could have been two or a hundred kids in there and I¡¯d never know.


    Trip motioned for me to join him.


    I peeked out from behind the tree towards the house, taking a few precious seconds to scan all the windows and the several doors of glass that lined the entire back end of the house. Luckily, the tinting there was not as dark and I could see inside to the interior of the house.


    As soon as I was sure there was no one there, I ran.


    I was next to Trip¡¯s side in an instant, breathing heavily. My breathlessness wasn¡¯t so much from the short run as the stress that was getting me up to level-ten panic very quickly. Battles and wars were for stronger people than me.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he whispered, ¡°where¡¯s Peter?¡±


    ¡°In this building,¡± I said, gesturing to the wall we were hiding behind. ¡°This is the pool house. They call it the meat locker.¡±


    ¡°I heard. I¡¯m gonna destroy this place and the assholes who live in it.¡±


    ¡°Be my guest. But let¡¯s get the kids out first.¡±


    ¡°I wish we¡¯d brought the whole damn suitcase.¡±


    I knew exactly what he was talking about, and right now I didn¡¯t really disagree. But I had to focus on the important stuff and not dreams of blowing them to smithereens.


    ¡°The canners are eating breakfast and having a meeting right now. We need to get in there before they leave, otherwise we lose the element of surprise. They have spies that are going to rat us out.¡±


    ¡°Fohi went to get the truck. He¡¯s going to park it a couple blocks away and keep the engine running. All we gotta do is get there.¡±


    ¡°And what about the canners?¡±


    ¡°As soon as you and I get these kids out, we¡¯re going in. You¡¯re welcome to join us or not. It¡¯s up to you.¡±


    I looked in his eyes and didn¡¯t see any condemnation there at all. I truly believed in that moment that he wouldn¡¯t hold it against me if I ran away back to the swamp and left them to the killing of canners.


    ¡°What kind of girl do you take me for?¡± I asked, acting offended.

 Page 39

    He gave me a half smile. ¡°An American white girl.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, this girl went American white girl all over your ass one time, if I remember correctly, and you didn¡¯t do so well, either.¡±


    ¡°Yeah well ¡­,¡± he said, looking around the corner of the pool house towards the back door, ¡°¡­ I was having an off day. You wouldn¡¯t get the drop on me a second time.¡± He turned back and gave me a truly devilish smile this time. He was almost beautiful with it.


    ¡°Challenge accepted. For another time. We¡¯ve got some canners to waste first.¡±


    ¡°Right. I¡¯m going to go get that door open,¡± he said, before disappearing around the corner.


    I heard chains rattling and decided I was better off standing by Trip¡¯s side helping him rather than watching out for canners from behind the shelter of the building. I got there in seconds and immediately saw the frustration on his face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I whispered.


    ¡°These chains have a key lock on them!¡±


    A tapping came at the glass, and the pressed flesh of a finger was visible through the tinted film on the surface. It was pointing to our right.


    I looked over and saw a nail with a dirty string hanging from it. At the end of the string was a small key.


    I grabbed it and shoved it into the lock while Trip grabbed the chains and got ready to unwrap them from the two handles that were holding the two parts of the door together. Someone had bolted in some weird rings of metal to keep the two sliding doors together, when normally there¡¯d be no lock at all on this side of it.


    As soon as I got the lock off, Trip took the chains out and threw them into the yard. I cringed at the sound of the metal clanking as it landed in the tall weeds, but it was too late to suggest a less obvious form of removal.


    The door slid open and the first thing that hit me was the smell.


    My stomach rolled with it - the unmistakable stench of rotting human flesh. I¡¯d smelled it before from a distance, as my neighbors had died inside their homes to be forever forgotten and neglected by the authorities who no longer did their jobs, overwhelmed with the task of delivering the dead to the places where they were supposed to rest in peace.


    I had thought those days were behind me and that I had forgotten what death smells like. But I was wrong. Here it was again, hitting me in the face with its sorrowful odor, making me want to vomit up the food that I¡¯d not so long ago eaten with a smile on my face, obviously not fully appreciating what I would be dealing with on this day.


    There were kids on the floor, some of them sitting, some lying down. Peter and a black girl I assumed was LaShay were the only ones standing. Everyone but Peter was missing at least one limb; some of them were missing several.


    Tears stung my eyes as my stomach burned to turn itself inside out. I shoved it all away in favor of survival, gritting my teeth in determination and facing Peter.


    ¡°I told you they would come,¡± said Peter proudly. He grabbed me by the arm, shaking me gently. ¡°Bryn! I¡¯ve done a triage. We have seven kids who can go, including me. The rest are too far gone to save.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit! You can¡¯t leave anyone here!¡± said LaShay, her shoulders telling me that even though she was missing half an arm, she was ready to fight anyway.


    ¡°We have to,¡± said Peter calmly. ¡°We don¡¯t have enough room for everyone, and we can¡¯t waste our time taking people who are going to die soon anyway. I¡¯m sorry if that¡¯s harsh, but that¡¯s the way it is.¡±


    I was taken aback by Peter¡¯s matter-of-factness. He was absolutely right, but I had expected him to be a puddle of loose doodles right now instead of piss and vinegar.


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± agreed Trip. ¡°Get the ones who can go up, right now. We¡¯re going in less than a minute.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way out, though,¡± said LaShay, now sounding more panicked than angry. ¡°We¡¯ve tried. All the doors are locked or the dogs are there. And we can¡¯t go through the house, they have tons of guys with guns in there.¡±


    ¡°We got a wall door open. Our truck is waiting for you. Let¡¯s go.¡± Trip grabbed her by the shoulder and pushed her towards the door. ¡°Line up! Whoever¡¯s going, get up and move it!¡±


    He didn¡¯t have to say it twice. Five kids got up, some of them quicker than others, and lined up at the door behind LaShay. One of them had to hop because he was missing his leg below the knee.


    Peter got busy helping them, lending a hand when needed for support and then covering the ones who were left with whatever blankets or sheets there were. I watched one of them speaking to Peter in low tones. He had no arms left and only one leg.


    Peter stood up suddenly and came over to me, his face white.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, almost afraid to know what he was going to say.


    Peter leaned in and whispered in my ear. ¡°He wants us to shoot him before we leave. He wants us to end the misery now.¡±


    ¡°Can he make it out?¡± I asked.


    Peter shook his head.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Peter nodded. ¡°His wounds are green. He has a really high fever. He¡¯s not going to live no matter what we do.¡±


    I turned to Trip. ¡°Give me the grenade from your bag.¡±


    ¡°What? No!¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Trip growled at me, but shook his bag off, reaching inside to get the wrapped weapon out and hand it to me.


    ¡°Tell him, if he and the others want, I¡¯ll blow this place to heaven when we go.¡±


    Peter nodded once and left us to go back to the kid who I soon saw nodding weakly. Peter went to the other kids each in turn, either receiving a nod or nothing because the kid was unconscious and unable to respond.


    He came back and said solemnly, ¡°They all agree to your plan. And they also said thank you.¡±


    The tears would not stay away anymore. I sobbed once and turned away, unable to ignore the fact that I was being given the difficult task of killing innocent children and that they were thanking me for doing it. The cruelty of this world was too overwhelming.


    ¡°Give it back to me, Bryn. I¡¯ll do it,¡± said Trip in a roughened voice, tears streaming down his face too.


    I cleared the goo out of my throat and stood straighter. ¡°No, it¡¯s on me. I¡¯ll do it. Just get these kids out of here. I¡¯ll stick around until you¡¯re out. Send me the hawk screech when it¡¯s time to throw it in. I¡¯ll get to the truck on my own. Where is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s parked two blocks southwest of here. Go down that street out back and take your first right. Do you know where I mean?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I got it. Just go.¡± I swiped the back of my hand across my face. ¡°Peter, you too.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m staying with you.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit. Get the hell out of here,¡± I said dismissively.


    ¡°No.¡±


    I traded my sadness in for anger. It was the only way to make sure he¡¯d be safe. ¡°Peter, I¡¯m only going to say this once more. Get. The hell. Out. I don¡¯t have the time or the energy to take care of your skinny ass when those canners come, so beat it.¡±


    ¡°Nicely said. Now come on,¡± said Trip, grabbing Peter by the arm and dragging him to the door. ¡°I need your help moving these kids.¡±


    One of them swayed just in time, causing Peter to have to grab him behind the back so he wouldn¡¯t fall. Peter looked over and glared at me. ¡°We will discuss this at home,¡± he said firmly.


    I grimaced back. ¡°If we¡¯re lucky. Now, go.¡±


    I turned away from him, carefully unwrapping the grenade, letting the cloth that had secured it fall to the sides.


    Trip opened the door cautiously, looked out, and then led all the kids out of it in a single-file line.


    LaShay was the last one out, and she hesitated, looking back at me. ¡°I don¡¯t know who the hell you are, but whatever. Thanks. Do me a favor would you? If you have another one of those? Pull the pin and put it in that guy Dave¡¯s pants. No one deserves to have his dick blown sky high more than that guy does.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°It will be my pleasure to serve him his dick on a platter.¡±


    She smiled. ¡°You and I are gonna be friends. If you live.¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± I said, trying to smile back. I was afraid it came out as more of a frown, but she was gone before I could fix it.


    I turned back to the kids, moving cautiously over to the one who had talked to Peter about the grenade. I didn¡¯t really want to, but it seemed wrong to be planning to do a mercy killing without at least saying goodbye to the person first.


    He was the only one awake now, his head towards the door and his lower body facing the opposite wall. I wasn¡¯t sure if the others had just fallen asleep or died, but they were still, their eyes closed.


    ¡°Hi,¡± I said as I approached, crouching down by his head.


    ¡°Hi,¡± he whispered back. His face was a grayish-white, a sheen of sweat glistening on his upper lip and forehead.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Julio.¡±


    ¡°Hey. Nice to meet you, Julio. I¡¯m Bryn.¡±


    ¡°You from around here?¡± he asked, a pitiful chuckle making its way out of his throat. ¡°I¡¯m trying to pick you up. That¡¯s my best line.¡±


    The tears were going down my cheeks again, but I smiled through them. ¡°Nah. I¡¯m from up near Orlando. Maitland. And your line¡¯s pretty good. I¡¯ll bet when the world was a different place, you were quite the charmer.¡±


    He smiled weakly. ¡°Yeah, I was. I played soccer on our school team. Center forward. I had a girlfriend, and she was the prettiest girl in our school. She helped the soccer coach, that¡¯s how we met. She said she liked being with the guy who had the highest scoring average in the district. Her name was Yasmine. She was beautiful. Like you.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t think of anything to say except thank you.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna see her again, when you drop that grenade in here. So thank you for that. I¡¯ve been looking forward to seeing her for weeks now.¡± He looked down towards his lower body. ¡°Only thing they haven¡¯t taken from me yet is my kicking leg. I guess I still have that going for me.¡± He lifted it up and wiggled his foot, laughing a little, I think at the ridiculousness of it all, before he started to choke.


    We both sat there waiting for the spasms to subside. He had a lot of fluid in his lungs. I ignored the difficulties he was having in favor of admiring the leg he was proud to still have. It was still muscled and strong-looking. It had to be some kind of miracle.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I whispered, now doubting Peter¡¯s triage and wondering if we could maybe save one more kid - the soccer star with his kicking leg and heart still intact.


    He nodded just barely. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m done here with this life. You¡¯re doing the right thing, putting us all out of our misery. We¡¯ve been tortured enough. Just let us go.¡±


    I nodded, now no longer able to speak. He was so much braver than I would have been in his situation. I took some hiccuping breaths to try and get myself under control, resting my hand on his chest.


    He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, in and out. I felt his body rise and fall with the effort.


    He opened his eyes again and said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself up about this, okay? You¡¯re a good person, I can tell. The world is a different place than it was before. You gotta do what you can to survive.¡±


    ¡°Not like these guys did,¡± I said.


    ¡°No. Not like these guys did. Never lose track of your humanity. That¡¯s their problem. They¡¯re not human anymore, they¡¯re animals. They¡¯ve just gone bad. Rabid. They need to be put down.¡±


    The sound of the door opening felt like my signal to go, so I drew my hand back and moved to stand. But the look in Julio¡¯s eyes as he tipped his head back caused me to freeze in a half-crouched position, the grenade held down near my lower belly.

 Page 40

    ¡°Oh, no,¡± he whispered.


    And then the last bits of his strength went into the scream that I knew I¡¯d hear in my nightmares for the rest of my life, if I even lived to sleep again.


    ¡°He¡¯s here! Throw it now! Pull the pin and throw it!¡±


    I turned, moving the grenade behind my back so the canner wouldn¡¯t see it.


    My eyes rose from the ground and made contact with Julio¡¯s nemesis. The infamous Dave. Loco. King of the canners.


    He was big. He could have played linebacker for my school¡¯s football team, his shoulders were so broad. He wore a blood and dirt-stained jersey, and his hair was long and greasy, kept away from his face in a ponytail behind his head. He smiled, and I could tell immediately that dental hygiene had not followed him into this world any more than personal hygiene had.


    ¡°Well, well, well. What do we have here? Another dinner guest maybe?¡± He tilted his head to the side, looking me up and down with his eyes only. ¡°Or maybe not. Maybe you¡¯ve just come to join me. I¡¯m getting tired of the little boys. Maybe I¡¯ll try you on for size instead.¡±


    He took a step forward.


    My finger itched to pull the pin out of that grenade and throw it in his face. But I wanted to live, and if I threw it standing so close to him, I¡¯d be gone too.


    My eyes scanned the dimensions and makeup of the room we were in.


    Dave stood between me and the door.


    All the bodies that I could trip on were behind me.


    I had a knife in my moccasin and the grenade at my back.


    Chances were that Dave had at least a knife and probably a gun in his pants somewhere. But he was stupid enough to think right now that he didn¡¯t need them, and I had to let him delude himself for as long as possible. I had to close the distance between us and get him down before he brought either weapon out to use on me.


    I sucked in my gut as hard as I could to make my pants looser, using one hand to pull the back of my waistband out and the other to tuck the grenade inside. I prayed it would stay there, half in and half out, until I exited the building.


    ¡°Get your hands out from behind your back where I can see them,¡± he said in a menacing tone.


    I pulled them away quickly and put them out to my sides. ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing. Just tucking my pants in. They fall down sometimes because they¡¯re so loose,¡± I said, smiling shyly. I was pulling on every single scene I¡¯d ever watched in a movie where a girl acts innocent, trying to channel those actresses¡¯ facial expressions and body language into my own through sheer willpower. ¡°I¡¯m hungry. Do you guys have any food?¡±


    The monster looked at me mockingly. ¡°I might believe your horrendously awful acting if you hadn¡¯t somehow managed to get all of my meat out of here before I arrived. So I know you ain¡¯t hungry. You¡¯re here to cause trouble.¡± He smiled menacingly. ¡°And guess what, bitch? You¡¯ve found it.¡± He held out his arms and made a couple pelvic thrusts in my direction. ¡°Now come over here and get your medicine.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go,¡± whispered Julio. ¡°Please don¡¯t go.¡±


    The monster¡¯s face went beet red and spittle flew out of his mouth when he yelled. ¡°Don¡¯t talk, meat! No one hears you!¡±


    ¡°You hear me, demon,¡± said Julio, in a voice that surprised me with its strength. ¡°You can¡¯t hurt me anymore, either. You take nothing from me that I won¡¯t give.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m warning you ¡­,¡± said the monster.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to burn in hell,¡± said Julio, interrupting him, laughing now and choking a little, too.


    I could see his body convulsing out of the corner of my eye, but I couldn¡¯t risk looking down at him or touching him like I wanted to. I wished I could rest my hand on his chest and somehow give him some of my strength. It wasn¡¯t right that he was going to die like this. What had been done here was nothing less than pure evil, and I had to stop it, not matter what. Even if it meant killing us all.


    Dave advanced on us both, so I took a step forward to meet him, stopping to spread my feet shoulders-width apart.


    ¡°Come easy and it won¡¯t hurt as much,¡± he said. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll even let you sleep in my bed tonight.¡± He reached out to take my arm.


    ¡°Never gonna happen,¡± I said, slapping his hand away. I wanted him closer. I was hoping he would try to choke me. I¡¯d practiced getting out of that move thousands of times.


    He disappointed me, though, surging forward and grabbing the top of my head by taking a fistful of hair and pulling it hard towards him.


    The grenade began slipping down my shorts, and it distracted me from making the move that could have ended the fight right there. Loco¡¯s balls were dangling out in the open, just begging for a nut crusher, but instead of kicking him, I grabbed for my butt, stopping the bomb¡¯s downward progression to the floor in the nick of time.


    ¡°Come on, bitch. Let¡¯s see if I can help you change your mind.¡± He tried to drag me out of the room by my hair, but I dug my heels in, trying not to pass out from the pain shooting down through my skull.


    A few hairs ripped out of my scalp, and I wondered for one ridiculous split-second how hideous I¡¯d look with a giant patch of hair missing at the top of my head.


    Dave stopped walking and took a step towards me, letting go of my hair to slap me hard across the face.


    The force of it flung me sideways, and I lost my grip on the grenade. It fell the rest of the way down my shorts and out the bottom.


    I lifted my leg up in a desperate bid to stop the bomb from hitting the ground, but all I did was provide a ramp for it to roll down and shoot off of. It landed on the floor behind me and rolled a few feet, stopping against the side of Julio¡¯s head. I took two steps backwards, trying to get nearer to it.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± said Dave, staring at it with a shocked expression. ¡°Is that a ¡­?¡± He looked up at me, fury in his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s a goddamn grenade! You were gonna blow up my fucking meat locker!¡±


    He rushed me with both hands out, planning to wring the life out of me or snap my neck, I wasn¡¯t sure which.


    I waited for him to come, my hands twitching at my sides, readying themselves for the moves they would have to make, and make quickly if I were going to get out of this alive.


    His big, thick fingers closed around my neck at the same time he hit into me like a human bulldozer.


    My head whipped backwards and my breath was cut off in an instant.


    I brought my hands up and over his wrists, using the technique my dad insisted I memorize to slam them apart and off of my windpipe.


    Before he could reposition them or do anything else to disable me, I took the monster¡¯s wrist and twisted it out and down, forcing his shoulder to the side.


    I slid my other hand down to execute a move I¡¯d used over and over, every day for more than ten years, twisting his arm up behind his back.


    My right knee came up into his face next and smashed it a couple times, stunning him in the process.


    I loosened the grip I had on his arm so he could stand, giving him the false hope that he¡¯d soon be able to come after me.


    As soon as his knee was no longer bent and in the way, I delivered a hard kick to his nuts.


    He groaned and doubled over, but he didn¡¯t go down.


    I¡¯d let go of his left arm and realized my mistake when he reached around behind his back and came out with a knife.


    Before I had time to move out of range, he slashed me with it, catching me in the arm.


    I danced away, the stinging and wetness I felt dripping down telling me he¡¯d gotten me good. My arm still worked, but it felt numb all of a sudden.


    The monster took two stumbling steps back, his knife held out in front of him, dripping with my blood. He held this other hand on his thigh, as if trying to push the pain out of his balls by pressing on his quadriceps.


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna pay for that, you bitch,¡± he growled, panting after.


    ¡°Come on over here and make me pay, then, wuss. Letting a girl my size beat you. I wonder if all those guys know how much you actually suck at fighting.¡±


    He moved the knife until it was eye level for him, pointing it at me while squinting his eyes, sighting down the blade as he moved it, drawing patterns in the air.


    ¡°First I¡¯m going to cut out your eyes. Then your nose will come off - Duke likes to eat noses.¡± He smiled, giving me an up front and personal view of his deeply yellow teeth. ¡°Then your lips and ears. You won¡¯t be so pretty then, will you? But I¡¯ll let you live. You¡¯re going to be my personal slave. I¡¯ll take the fingers off one of your hands, of course. I don¡¯t want you getting too frisky. But we need to keep the fingers on one hand, so you can put them on my ¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to hear the rest. I couldn¡¯t hear it. He was wandering around in an insane landscape that I couldn¡¯t allow to become my reality. I strode towards him, my eyes never leaving the knife.


    He lashed out at me as soon as I was within range, but I arched my body backwards, letting the blade whistle past through the air above me.


    As his arm continued its backward motion, I stepped up right in front of him, punching him one, two, three times hard in the face, destroying his nose and sending his head snapping back with each strike.


    I kicked him again in the crotch, but he was twisted sideways from my punches so my foot landed just shy of his nuts, hitting him high on the thigh instead.


    Before I had time to disengage my foot from his leg, he snatched my ankle with this free hand and threw it up, forcing me backwards and onto my ass on the floor.


    I landed right next to Julio, our faces coming together, the grenade between us.


    ¡°Pull the pin and put it on my foot,¡± whispered Julio, desperation tainting his voice. ¡°Do it now, before he comes after you again!¡±


    Dave had staggered back and was feeling his nose cautiously with his knifeless hand, acting stunned.


    I didn¡¯t question Julio¡¯s logic at all; I just followed his instructions, pulling the silver pin out of the heavy, metal, lumpy body of the grenade before scrambling over on my hands and knees to his foot. I placed it gently in the pocket he had created, bending his knee and tilting his foot up. The bomb now rested in the spot where his foot met his ankle, cradled on the top of it.


    ¡°I used to do this with hacky sacks and tennis balls all the time. Just get the hell out of here. I¡¯ll kick it into his face as soon as you¡¯re safe. Now go!¡±


    I backed up on my hands and knees still and leaned down to kiss Julio right on the lips. ¡°Tell Yasmine I said hi.¡± Tears were streaming down my face. ¡°Tell her she¡¯s a lucky girl.¡±


    ¡°I will. Please go before it¡¯s too late,¡± he begged.


    I patted him on the cheek once and then turned around, getting up on my feet and measuring the distance between where I stood and the door. I had about twenty feet to go and a monster in my way. The door was open, so all I had to do was make it to the exit.


    I reached down and pulled my knife out of my boot. Moving forward, I stepped first to one side and then the other, looking for a way out.


    The monster rushed me before I could make my move. One minute he was across the room and the next he was on me, grabbing me in a bear hug and tackling me to the ground. It was the worst possible position for me to be in - he was three times my size.


    I stuck my knife into his back, but it didn¡¯t slow him down a bit. He sat up and pulled his fist back, punching me in the face.


    I was stunned for a moment, unable to think straight. But when he reached down and squeezed my boob hard enough to bruise it, I came to my senses immediately. It was either that or his heinous breath, nearly bad enough to bring the dead back to life, that did it.


    I still had a hold on my knife, so I stabbed him again, drawing the knife over his side a little so he¡¯d feel it more.


    He growled, his body leaning down as he reached around to take it from my hand.


    I used the opportunity to sit up and head butt him.

 Page 41

    Blood from his nose poured down onto my face, making me gag. I spit it back up at him and hit him in the eye, blinding him for a moment.


    He roared, letting go of my boob to wipe his face.


    With both hands free now, I pushed him up off of me just a bit. It was all I could manage, but it was all I needed. It moved his body enough to expose his crotch area and give me room to maneuver my leg.


    I drew my left shin up under him and kicked with everything I had, sending my hard leg bone soundly up into his nuts. I used every ounce of strength I had left in my body to bring the pain, hoping to paralyze him enough to give me time to get away.


    He grunted with the impact, his breath wheezing out in one long gasp. His muscles went stiff as his body curled inward.


    I pushed him away with my knifeless hand, rolling his body over enough to wiggle out from under him and move away.


    I was nearly free when I felt his hand close around my wrist.


    I was on my back, and the small knife I had used to poke his side was now imprisoned and useless. Flipping over to my side, I jabbed the fingers of my free hand into his eyes as hard as a I could.


    He screamed and let me go, throwing his hand up to his face.


    I sat up and was making a move to stand when his hand came back again, waving blindly, trying to grab onto some part of me.


    I didn¡¯t think about it, I just did it. Escape was my only hope of survival. It was him or me. Survival of the fittest. Of the most brutal.


    I closed my hand firmly around the handle of the knife and held it out point down as I fell towards him. I was off balance in my hurry and desperation, and not in control of where I was going to land, but I wanted more than anything to stop him from moving ¡­ to stop him from holding me back from my freedom and my friends.


    A vision of his evil, bloody face flashed before me just before the knife made contact. I felt the blade sink into his neck, only stopping when it reached his spine. Warm blood spurted out, covering both of us.


    I let the knife go at the same time that his hand came up to try and grab it. I shoved myself off of him and crab-walked on my hands and feet away from him until I ran into the stinking corpse of a kid with both legs missing.


    I screamed and flipped over, running a few steps like a dog on four legs as I tried to get away from him and the carnage. I tripped over the kid¡¯s head and went down on my stomach again. I crawled forward desperately, becoming almost unhinged at the idea of a canner¡¯s blood all over me and being trapped inside this building with the dead and dying.


    ¡°Go!¡± yelled Julio. ¡°Get out!¡±


    The sound of a hawk¡¯s shriek came through the open door and filled my ears, and for the life of me, I couldn¡¯t tell if it was human-made or Nina.


    I scrambled on hands and knees to the door. I heard a noise behind me and turned, getting up on my feet. I screamed when I saw the hideous creature coming for me.


    The monster Dave was standing, the knife sticking out of his neck, his entire jersey soaked in his dark red blood. He took two steps towards me, sounds gurgling out of his mouth, blood squirting to the side with every beat and pulse of his heart.


    In all the madness, I heard a voice rising above it - above the sounds of my own ragged breath in my ears and above the gross sounds of Dave¡¯s life leaving his body with every second.


    It was the sound of Julio, dictating the last soccer play of his life.


    ¡°The crowd is on its feet,¡± he yelled, his voice stronger than mine ever could have been. ¡°He¡¯s lining himself up with the goal. There¡¯s no one in his way. Nothing can stop him now ¡­¡±


    I ran to the doorway, drawn by the vision I saw there - Trip with his arms out to grab me. The war paint on his face made him look fierce. He was my warrior savior, there to deliver me from hell.


    Trip reached in and pulled me out of the pool house, dragging me through the tall crab grasses that used to be a well-manicured lawn, towards the small door almost hidden in the side of the wall.


    I stumbled and tripped my way there, and he caught me as I fell over and over. My arm was still bleeding, and the red from my wound mixed with the monster¡¯s crimson gore that was splattered all over my body.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if I imagined it or not, but I swear as I passed around the back of the pool house, I heard Julio agaon.


    ¡°He shoots! He scores! Gooooaaaallllllll!¡± The building exploded from the inside, showering the pool deck with glass and body parts. The percussion knocked Trip and me down into the weeds.


    We scrambled to our feet and finally made it the last few yards to the wall and though the door. Peter was standing outside it next to Winky.


    I started to say something, but then stumbled. My vision quickly narrowed to a gray tunnel, and I fainted on my way down to the hard, weed-covered ground.


    I woke up at the truck which was now pulled over on the west side of the canner house, just next to the wall of shrubs Winky, Jason, and I had hidden in earlier.


    Peter had slapped me in the face and was apologizing profusely. My scattered brain disregarded him, registering instead the booming sounds coming from what was probably the front part of the canner place, judging from their volume and the smoke I saw rising up over the rooftop. They reminded me of the fourth of July with their sporadic percussions.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry I had to do that, but you have to wake up,¡± Peter said, obviously stressed out.


    I held my hand up, unable to do it for longer than a few seconds because I felt so weak. ¡°I¡¯m up, I¡¯m up. What the hell? What are those explosions?¡± I got slowly to my feet, using Peter¡¯s strong grip for support.


    ¡°We need to go. You have to get on the top of the truck and hold on.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I said, wondering if I was still in la-la land and not completely understanding.


    Peter sighed heavily. ¡°We don¡¯t have room in the truck with all the injured people. Able-bodied kids on top. Hold onto the luggage rack. Go! Scoot!¡±


    I ignored his orders and squinted at some movement I saw in the distance, at the far southeast section of the canner house.


    It was Paci. He was running around the corner of the yard, coming from the oceanside entrance of the mansion, yelling as he went. ¡°Go! Go! Get out of here!¡±


    A shot rang out, and he stumbled, falling into the high weeds at his feet.


    I gasped and Winky screamed. She jumped off the roof of the truck, and both of us took off sprinting in his direction, heedless of the source of the gunfire. My lungs were burning with the effort as the distance seemed to stretch out in front of me. I had lost a lot of blood and my energy was at an all-time low.


    Paci got up, glancing back over his shoulder, his hand gripping his right thigh while blood ran down the side of his pants. He looked towards us again and yelled, ¡°No! Get back! They¡¯re coming!¡± He half-limped, half-ran his way to the truck.


    Winky reached him first, throwing her shoulder under his armpit to help him along. I kept going, stopping once I was at their backs, facing the direction of the corner from where he¡¯d come. A split second later, a gun came into view, in advance of the person holding it.


    ¡°Get down!¡± I yelled.


    Winky and Paci dove to the ground.


    I crouched down, waiting for the canner to approach. I knew I didn¡¯t have enough time to get there and confront him in hand-to-hand combat, so chances were I was going to be shot any second. All I could think about was how I wished my dad had been able to teach me how to dodge a speeding bullet.


    The canner came flying out into the open, tackled from behind by someone he obviously hadn¡¯t been expecting. The gun left his hands, launched into the air by the unanticipated attack, quickly coming down to earth to be lost in the weeds.


    I ran again towards the canner, realizing as I got closer it was Rob who had done the tackling and was now facing off against him. I was still too far away to get there to help, and the loss of blood and earlier fight with Dave had made it hard for me to go as fast as I wanted. My vision blurred and I saw two of each of them. I fell to the ground and tripped around in the weeds, trying to get back on my feet.


    I saw Rob being choked and then nearly burst with pride when his hands come up and blasted the canner¡¯s grip away. He smashed the guy with palm thrusts and then an elbow to the face, blasting him over and over.


    The guy bent in half to try and duck the blows, and Rob took easy advantage of it, kneeing him in the chest four times before kicking him in the balls. He finished him off with an upper cut and then stomped him mercilessly into the ground with the heel of his foot.


    I jogged over and was soon close enough to see that Rob had kicked the animal into unconsciousness. I recognized this one from his battered, slack-jawed profile - it was Brick, the butcher of children. I wished I had a gun with me right then to end his miserable existence on this earth, but I didn¡¯t; and we had no time to try and find the one in the weeds nearby. I grabbed Rob¡¯s arm and pulled on it. ¡°Come on, Rob. We have to go.¡±


    He spun around, his hands up in ready fighting stance. It took him a couple seconds to recognize me and realize I wasn¡¯t a threat. He dropped his hands and his eyes fell on my arm. ¡°Nokosi, you¡¯re hurt.¡± He took a step towards me with his hand out, as if to take my arm for me.


    ¡°Yeah. But we¡¯re going to be worse if we don¡¯t get the hell out of here.¡± I turned westward, back towards our vehicle. ¡°Truck¡¯s waiting. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Another explosion came from the front of the house, not far from where we were standing, causing me to duck involuntarily. Fire was coming from the former front entrance of the mansion, and black smoke was billowing out and rising up into the sky. Even the heavy rain that was falling now wasn¡¯t going to be enough to stop this inferno.


    Rob and I held hands and ran back to the truck together, Rob holding me up under my shoulder the last ten yards or so when I started to lose my balance. I was too exhausted to go much farther; my body wanted to shut down.


    I got to the truck and looked inside, noticing both Kowi and Trip in seats along with several other kids from the swamp and of course the ones from the pool house. Some of them were lying in the back with their eyes closed.


    ¡°How come they get to ride inside?¡± I asked Peter, referring to our indian friends.


    ¡°Like I said, injured people in the truck. You¡¯re not injured enough. Please, Bryn.¡± Peter pushed me towards Winky¡¯s hands that were reaching down to help me up at the back. ¡°Go on top, and we¡¯ll talk about it later.¡±


    The car was too crowded for me to pick out all the faces, but I didn¡¯t see one of them that I was specifically searching for - Bodo¡¯s.


    I was holding up the show trying to find him and process all of this nonsense, so I went to the back of the truck and accepted Winky¡¯s help, climbing up to sit next to her, Jason, and Fohi. Peter came up behind me and the truck tipped to the side a little as Rob got into the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°I think we¡¯d better lie down,¡± said Peter, ¡°just in case any of the canners¡¯ spies are still feeling loyal and decide to take a shot at us.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Bodo?¡± I asked, craning my neck to look back towards the canner place. Rob was driving away, and we had to focus all of our attention on holding onto the racks that were bolted to the roof so we wouldn¡¯t fall off onto the street, so I had to stop searching. No one answered my question.


    We laid down for the rest of the trip home and did our best not to slam our faces on the top of the car every time Rob drove over a bump in the road. None of us spoke on the way back to the swamp. All I could do was worry about Bodo and hope I¡¯d just missed seeing him in the truck.


    We reached the turnoff to the canoe rental place, and I banged on the roof to be let off.


    Rob stopped, and Winky and I got down from the roof, using the rear bumper as our step-ladder to the ground. I waved when we were both down, and the rest of them continued on, the truck tires crunching over the gravel and sending up clouds of dry dust into the air around us.

 Page 42

    ¡°Sorry, Winky, I just couldn¡¯t do any more bumps,¡± I said, holding my injured forearm in front of me with my other hand.


    ¡°I understand. Anything I can do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to jump in the swamp and get this shit off me. You could make sure no gators eat me in the process.¡± We walked down the dirt road, my feet dragging.


    ¡°No problem. Just call me your friendly neighborhood gator wrestler.¡±


    I tried to smile, but it was too painful. It felt too wrong to find humor in our world right now.


    ¡°What happened back there? Is everyone okay?¡± I asked.


    Winky shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not exactly sure what happened with everyone. Fohi and Rob blew up the front of the house and got a few of the canners inside with it. The canners had a lot of gas and stuff stored in there, so the place just started exploding once the grenade went off. The place is going up in flames right now.¡± She reached up, twisting her hair into a bun and then letting it drop, keeping her eyes on the ground as we walked. ¡°I poisoned those dogs, but only after I saw them rip into some kid. I think it was that Sean guy. They left him for the poisoned meat, and he ran off. I don¡¯t know where he went, but he¡¯s not with us.¡±


    ¡°What about Bodo?¡± I was almost afraid to hear her answer, but I had to know. My heart was spasming in pain.


    ¡°I saw Bodo fighting with another guy, but I had to leave because two others were chasing me and Jason. Kowi got into it too and took a slice to the gut. Everyone has knife wounds except Paci, who you saw get shot in the leg. I think he¡¯s going to be okay if he doesn¡¯t get an infection. It didn¡¯t hit an artery or anything.¡±


    ¡°So Bodo¡¯s not in the truck?¡±


    Winky looked at me sadly. ¡°No. He¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°Is he ¡­ ?¡±


    She looked back down at the ground and shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. He didn¡¯t show up at the truck. We couldn¡¯t wait for him anymore. Some of the canners got away and they have those spies ¡­ ¡±


    I shook my head, dismissing her unspoken apologies. ¡°I know, I know ¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t even wrap my head around the idea that Bodo wasn¡¯t with us. He had to be okay. He just has to be. I refused to accept the idea that he could be dead.


    ¡°Did anyone look for him? Maybe he¡¯s injured and that¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t get back.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We looked where we last saw him. He wasn¡¯t there. If he ran back into the house, well ¡­¡± She didn¡¯t finish her sentence, but her meaning was becoming all too clear to me.


    ¡°When did they blow the place up?¡± I asked, praying she¡¯d say it was before she saw Bodo fighting.


    She answered me in a quiet voice. ¡°After the last time anyone saw Bodo.¡± She reached into her pocket and held something out to me.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I said, knowing exactly what it was when I saw the shiny silver surface but not wanting to believe it.


    ¡°It¡¯s Bodo¡¯s harmonica. I found it in the grass when I went back to look for him. It must have fallen out of his pocket when he was fighting the canners.¡±


    I started to cry, almost not wanting to touch it. I stopped walking. ¡°Was he winning? When you saw him? Was he winning the fight?¡±


    Winky stopped too, turning to look at me. ¡°He was doing okay. Yeah, he was doing pretty well.¡±


    I reached out and took the harmonica from her, running my fingers over the etched scrolls on the side that had faded in places from being handled so much. I put it up to my lips but then quickly took it away again. No way in hell was I going to blow on it. It was Bodo¡¯s, and he was going to come back and blow it himself. He just has to.


    I shoved it in my back pocket and strode away wiping tears angrily from my face, leaving Winky behind.