Riley's Journey (29 page)

“They wouldn’t be scared! They’d be jealous! Heck, I’m jealous just thinking about it.” His shaft moved against her, burgeoning up as his hands roved over her willing form.

“Jealous? Is this your definition of
jealous
? Does jealousy cause a hard-on?” Grinning in the dark, Riley stretched seductively, permitting him access to every inch of her being. This might be their last night together and she wasn’t going to pass up on one minute of it.

Nathan worked his way down her body, his tongue licking and seeking each delicate spot, his beard scratching an intriguing trail on the softness of her belly, until his mouth found and nuzzled the soft hair covering her feminine mound. Riley squeaked in surprise as he tasted her sensitive bud, his tongue swirling and enticing, overpowering her belated embarrassment, delighting as she rose up against him. Inserting two fingers, he continued his assault on her senses, taking his time and savoring every second. The earlier, heated joining was for him, this slower, more intense joining was for her. Riley’s hips thrashed convulsively, moving in unison with his clever tongue. Cupping her cheeks, he delved deeper into her feminine heat, his mouth unrelenting and lifting her to heights heretofore unknown. Unconsciously, her hands grasped fistfuls of his shaggy, unbound hair, tightening almost painfully as she writhed uncontrollably against him.

“Nathan! Take me now,” she wailed, whimpering with sexual need.

Acute gratification at her unreserved responses wafted through Nathan’s core. Never had a woman responded so fully to his demands. Mounting, he rode the waves of untamed desire, her sheath rippling with the onslaught of orgasm.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

T
he nightmare began in earnest at midnight. Screams echoed through the campsite. Confused team members ran wildly in every direction, attempting to locate the source of the attack. Firelight flickered across faces distorted by fear. Only the Black Ops members retained their composure, hurriedly forming a semi-circle near Jonas and bracing for battle. Another scream rent the air!

Frozen for a moment, the team gaped in horror as an unidentified woman staggered into view, blood dripping from a scalp torn halfway off and partially obscuring her ravaged face.

“There! Over there!” Jonas whirled in response, his bowels contracting at the sheer size of the massive bear stalking the mutilated woman, his hate-filled yellow eyes gleaming wickedly in the light of the campfire.

“
Jesus H. Christ!
” Geena gasped, backpedaling in an effort to gain some maneuverability.

The woman, weak from loss of blood, stumbled and fell as the great beast raked her with a giant claw. Steel jaws seized the woman’s nape, bones cracking audibly as the behemoth ground the neck bones to mush, mercifully ending her suffering. Roaring in rage, the bear began pulling the decimated woman from the campsite, aggressively defending his kill as the team rushed in. Spears shoved deep into the animal’s sides only served to further enrage the beast. Dropping his prize, the bear advanced on his attackers, his elongated canines dripping blood from jaws forged in the fires of hell. Bellowing his defiance, the rotten-flesh stench of his hot breath permeating the pristine air, vicious claws raking and lashing out, he was a creature from some demented fantasy.

Micah wrenched a burning brand from the fire pit, shoving it hard into the monster’s face, singeing fur and charring the fiend’s tender snout. Howling in pain and fury, the bear gave ground, backing off and retreating to the edge of the clearing.

“Behind us! There’s another one!” Allie’s shrill voice pierced the turmoil. From the corner of his eye, Jonas perceived movement. Another bear lumbered into view, fully as huge and terrifying as the first!

“And another one!” The team now faced not one, but three of the ferocious carnivores! Unless they did something quick, there would be no escape!

“Into the trees!” Jonas screamed. “Into the trees!”

Scrambling wildly, the team broke formation, running for the protection of the giant firs surrounding the camp. A man’s voice screamed in agony and then was abruptly silenced. Hesitating slightly, Jonas took a quick look. Two of the creatures were fighting over the fallen man’s body, blood spewing in rivulets as they ripped the body apart. Jonas backed off. Nothing could be done for the unfortunate victim. The animals’ total concentration on the kill gave the team the time needed to retreat to the safety of the trees.

Jonas leapt to a low hanging branch of a centuries-old conifer, clambering up and grabbing for handholds, almost losing his grip as one of the creatures rammed the tree. The bear continued his attack until, discouraged, he left for easier pickings. Breathing heavily, Jonas watched the carnage below, stunned by the utter viciousness of the concerted attack—horrified by the loss of the two team members. Smaller predators gathered, scavengers drawn by the scent of blood, congregating in anticipation of some tidbit left behind.

Above him, Geena spoke softly, “They were hunting as a pack! Can you believe it? They were hunting as a pack!”

“I know,” he agreed. “They came from different directions, like they knew exactly what they were doing!”

“But bears don’t hunt as a pack—do they?”

“Not that I know of, but we’re in a different lifetime. Who knows what they do here.”

Throughout the remainder of the night, the bears continued their destruction of the campsite, ripping apart tents and equipment, eating their supplies and only departing when the first rays of dawn broke through.

Warily, Jonas descended from his lofty perch, followed closely by the rest of the team. Besides the loss of the two individuals, several others suffered injuries, most were relatively minor but a few more severe. A quick search revealed a small packet of medical supplies, untouched in the disaster. Allie rounded up the injured and busied herself tending to their wounds.

Dismally, they surveyed the devastation left by the marauding bears. Pools of blood darkened the earth, grim reminders of the earlier violence.

His voice harsh and demanding, Jonas focused on the watch. “What happened last night? How did they get through our defenses?”

Micah stepped up. “I never saw a thing until the woman screamed. It was like they materialized out of thin air. They weren’t there and then they were.”

“You mean to tell me something that big just walked in and none of you saw it?” Disbelief and anger warred on Jonas’ face.

“It was like Micah said,” another added, “they just came out of nowhere. I never saw or heard a thing until a second or so before the woman was attacked, and by then, it was too late.”

Chosen for their experience and expertise, Jonas saw no reason to believe it was otherwise than what they stated. “Well, we know what we’re up against. From now on, we sleep in the trees. This isn’t going to happen again!”

Jonas kicked a partially destroyed pack. “Gather up what you can and let’s move. We’re just sitting ducks here. They know we’re here and they’ll be back. We’re the dinner buffet if we stay!”

Staring dumbly at the chaos surrounding them, Bethany sobbed quietly. “Which ones died?”

“Mason and Lila—she was the potter and he was one of our best tanners. Her tent was on the far side of the camp and I’m guessing the first one hit. She probably didn’t even have time to know what happened.”

“She wasn’t dead when she staggered in,” Bethany cried angrily. “She knew she was dying!”

Moaning, she sank to the ground. “What have I done? How could Nathan have survived in this terrible place?” Sobbing uncontrollably, she rocked back and forth, anguish and despair marking her every move.

“He’s alive! We know that! Geena is the best tracker I’ve ever dealt with and she believes these are Nathan and the girl’s marks. If she’s correct, we’re only a day or so behind them.”

“All those years alone in this place! How did he live?”

A glint of respect gleamed in Jonas’ eyes. “Nathan is a survivor and, in an earlier lifetime, I suspect he was a mountain man. I’ve never known anyone who could live off the land like Nathan. He’s a natural and his instincts are amazing.”

Only a small portion of their supplies and equipment survived the attack. The food was largely gone and most of the tents and bedding were beyond repair. Thankfully, most of the team’s weapons had outlasted the attack and were in good condition, but if events continued in the same vein, more would be needed very soon. Hastily loading up what was salvageable, the tired and dispirited team moved out, Geena once again taking point, searching for signs of Nathan and the girl’s passing.

CHAPTER FORTY

T
he newcomers had not made any attempt to cover their tracks, believing, no doubt, that they had nothing to fear from attack. Their arrogance only proved their contempt for what they considered as lesser beings. Since the newcomers had never actually seen Nathan or Riley near at hand, they were probably proceeding on the assumption that they followed a group of escaping Neanderthals. That they had not left a guard behind to keep watch over the cave gave credence to Nathan’s theory that they believed Nathan and Riley could be easily overtaken. Nathan backtracked and found the newcomers’ encampment a few short clicks away.

The encampment was largely quiet, most of the newcomers were still sleeping and only a few bored souls kept a halfhearted watch. They were not expecting company and had made no particular efforts with regard to security. Throat constricting in alarm, Nathan hustled back to the cave, careful not to draw any unwanted attention. Riley waited at the mouth of the cave, the horse already laden with equipment and supplies, and the dog standing watch at her side. Wasting no time on explanation, Riley handed him the smaller pack, grabbed the horse’s halter and started away from the clearing.

“I could tell they had been near here, too,” she explained as they hurried away. “Pretty easy to read and I sort of figured they were what Demon sensed last night.” Her voice echoing with regret, she continued. “I left the sheep.”

Agreeing with her solid assessment, Nathan rushed them along as fast as possible, trying to put as much ground behind them as he could before the newcomers advanced again. Almost running, they kept up the pace well into the afternoon, only stopping briefly for short rests. Their headlong flight took them further down into the valley below, away from everything they knew, into new vistas of uncharted ground. In the distance, herds of bison roamed the open grasslands along with huge elk and deer, testaments to panoramas untouched by human hands. The pristine beauty of the landscape saddened Riley, few such places remained in the far distant future.

By late afternoon, Nathan was convinced that they had made good their escape, at least satisfied that the newcomers were some distance behind. They had opted to bypass the second cavern, deciding instead to keep moving and perhaps frustrate the newcomers to the point they gave up the hunt. Not wanting to spend the night in the open, they chanced upon a small cave, easily large enough for the little party to fit in, and providing good protection from the elements. Though still light out, dusk was not long in coming.

Demon paced nervously around the small clearing, whining in agitation, his attention focused on the direction from which they just came.

“What’s wrong with him?”

Nathan eyed the dog, concern evident in his demeanor. “I’m not sure, but something has him spooked.”

“Do you think they followed us?”

Not wanting to alarm her unnecessarily, but deciding the truth was best, he responded as gently as he could. “I’m pretty sure of it. I just have this itchy feeling between my shoulder blades that they kept pace with us—at least some of them did.”

Eyes widening as she searched the horizon, Riley’s face dropped. “Do you think they’ll attack tonight?”

“Maybe not tonight. If I’m right, they’ll probably wait for the rest to catch up before they do.”

“Then we need to keep moving.” Riley began packing.

“We need to rest. We can’t go any further until we do.”

Tears welled up in Riley’s soulful eyes. “Then there’s nothing we can do, is there? We just have to sit here and wait for the end.”

Nathan began unpacking his weapons, readying them for use. “I’m not going to just sit here. I’m going to prepare a few surprises for our visitors, some that just might give us an edge.”

“Like what?” Hope leapt into her tear-drenched eyes.

“Besides the grenades, I have a few other tricks up my sleeve. If the grenades don’t scare the be-jesus out of them, these might.” His eyes glinting mysteriously, Nathan opened a skin-wrapped parcel, extracting numerous small clay pots, each with a piece of felt hanging out the mouth. “Ever used a Molotov cocktail?”

Amazed at his ingenuity, a small grin split Riley’s lips. “Not recently, but I’m willing to give it a try! How did you make these?”

“Besides my other talents, I am, to my knowledge, this continent’s only known moon shiner.”

“Moonshine? You made moonshine?”

“I did indeed! I had at one time decided to drink myself into oblivion or become an alcoholic or something like that. But, unfortunately, this stuff tastes like cleaning fluid so I decided to keep it for other purposes.”

“And making Molotov cocktails just happened to be one of them?” Riley hefted one of the pots, testing its weight.