Chapter 1 - Arrival

Jen:

I wake up with a pounding head, like the inside of my skull is a drum. I didn’t think I drank that much last night, but maybe I did. I also have to find my clothes.

Someone’s yelling, what the hell is a Ruskie doing here at our party spot? I sit up and look around, and don’t recognize anyone. A big, bear of a man is yelling and waving his arms around, he’s as nude as I am ... they all are. What is going on?

Five of the others are huddled together behind a tall, lean guy with silky black hair and good muscle definition ... yummy. He’s got a stern look but he’s keeping a level tone. I shake the last of the cobwebs from my brain and get to my feet.

“Look,” hunky-guy says. “I don’t know where we are but we need to work together.”

“You have kidnapped me for one of your silly Reality Shows. I insist you send me back,” the Russian-bear yells.

“Buddy, if I knew where we were I’d be heading home right now. This is a survival situation and we need to cooperate if we’re going to make it out of here.”

I move towards the group, hunky glances at me then back at the screamer who’s still ranting. Then I notice some movement in the brush behind him. “We got company,” I mutter loud enough for hunky to hear me. He looks at me and I nod towards the brush. Then there’s a wide-eyed look from him as it comes into view

“That is a damned big cougar,” I breathe.

“That ain’t no cougar,” he says. Then to Ruskie, “You need to calm down and come over here right now.”

“You will not tell me what to do,” the Russian yells back. “If you will not take me back, I will find the way out on my own.” He turns to find himself facing that cat which is only a few yards away from him. Still thinking it’s a Reality Show, he waves his arms at it and screams, “Go away you fake thing. I will not be frightened by animated puppets.”

He has time for a frightened scream as it leaps, but it becomes a gurgle as the cat rips his throat out. Two of the other gals scream and the big cat looks up at us and roars.

“Everyone back away slow,” hunky says. “Don’t run, it’ll catch you and you’ll end up like him.” He puts his arms out, herding us back. The cat gives another roar, then sinks six-inch fangs into the Ruskie’s chest with a crunch and starts dragging the body out.

Once it’s gone, even the sounds of it through the brush fading, hunky relaxes and turns to the rest of us. “Rule one, never stop thinking ... three seconds and you’re dead. Given what we’ve seen, you need to be paranoid about everything around you.”

“Hell of a way to live,” says one of the other men. He’s husky with a shock of red hair.

“We need to find food, water, a way out of here,” a Hispanic gal almost whines.

“Things in order,” hunky says. “Shelter first. We don’t know if kitty-cat has friends. We need to find someplace defensible.” He peers through the trees. “Looks like a cliff face that way,” he says, pointing. “With luck we’ll find a cave that isn’t already occupied.”

“Who put you in charge?” a tall, lanky black man asks.

“He seems to know what he is doing,” a curvy gal with an Indian accent says. “I would say that his suggestion is a good one.”

The black guy scoffs. “Tactical situation. As a Corporal in the National Guard, I got military training.”

“The only thing we have to worry about from a defense standpoint is the animals. Survival is our prime concern,” hunky says. “As someone who does experiential archeology, I’ve made stone tools, cordage and other things we need for that survival.”

“We still need a structure, some chain of command to organize,” the other one says. “I might have no more training than for a team, but what do you have to beat that?”

A sigh and eye-candy chuckles. “I was back in school at twenty-eight to get my masters. My bachelors was paid for by an ROTC scholarship. Work that out.”

The black guy blinks, then stares. “Officer?” he almost squeaks.

A touch to a puckered scar just below his collarbone then another on his left thigh. “Got these in Afghanistan during a firefight as I was leading my rifle company. That’s when I decided that career Army wasn’t my thing. I’m still in the reserves with the rank of Captain.”