Hannah knew when it came time for them to come for her she would fight or die. She refused to become a hollow shell of a person. Her parents taught her how to fight, how to defend herself and she would. It was funny but she could feel it was time for her to do something. Hannah had spent the last two days working on loosening one of the wooden boards that was cracked. It broke off and one end made a sharp, jagged point. Using a piece of her dress, she tore some of the under skirt off and wrapped it around as a handle. Hannah looked through the cracks in the wall at the jungle surrounding the small camp they were in. She had always felt at home in the wilderness. Perhaps it was because of all the places they had lived and her love for exploring the wilderness and photographing it. She didn’t really know. Whatever the reason, Hannah would rather take her chances with the jungle animals than with the human ones.
Hannah felt the sweat drip down her back as the next wave of memories washed over her. Two men came this time. They called for one of the girls who were close to Hannah’s age and Hannah. The girl started crying softly as the man yelled at her again to get up and follow him. Hannah moved silently holding out her hand to the girl when the man took a threatening step towards her. The mother of the girl got up and started forward begging the men to let her go in her daughter’s place. One of the men, a short, heavy-set man stepped forward striking the woman across the face hard. Hannah looked on in horror as the woman flew back against the side of a small table and fell to the dirt floor, not moving. None of the other women, including her other daughter, moved to help her or see if she was alright.
Hannah could feel the rage building as the memories came. Her fists clenched into tight balls as if she was once again holding the broken piece of wood like a knife in the palm of her hand. Hannah’s eyes flashed to a shadow in the sky as several bats flew over the gulch. She forced her hands to relax and drew in a deep breath.
Hannah closed her eyes briefly allowing the sounds of the night to calm her as the images flashed through her mind. She remembered the hatred that swelled through her like a tsunami rushing toward shore. She remembered the men laughing as they pushed both of the girls out of the hut. Hannah walked with her head high glancing about as she moved looking for an escape route as the girl next to her cried softly. Hannah let her gaze slide to the men in the cage. Most of them didn’t move. There were a couple who followed Hannah and the other girl with their eyes but they didn’t say anything. Hannah cringed as one of the men touched her hair and said something. Hannah recognized the crude words and shuddered as revulsion swept through her. In that moment, she was no longer an innocent young girl but a woman determined to survive…even if it meant killing another human being to do it. She was about to become one of the predators of the jungle. Hannah could feel something inside her break free and knew it was time to trust in the feelings coursing through her body. As soon as the men pushed her into the small hut Hannah moved. She swung the sharp point up into the throat of the man closest to her, piercing his jugular. The only sound he made was a gurgling sound as he gripped his torn throat before he collapsed onto the dirt floor. The other man, intent on the young sobbing girl in front of him, never saw the sharp point that pierced his throat from the back. Hannah ignored the blood pouring down over her hands and arms as she pulled her make-shift knife from the man’s throat. She remembered quickly turning and shutting the thin wooden door of the hut so no one else could see what was going on inside.
Hannah glanced at the girl sitting on the ground rocking back and forth, no signs of awareness in her eyes. Hannah leaned down and tried whispering to the girl to get up and follow her…but the girl just curled up into a ball on the dirt floor whimpering. Hannah knew she had no choice but to leave her if she was to find help for the others or save herself. The girl would get them either captured or killed. Hannah whispered a soft apology as she ran her hand over her dirty hair but she doubted the girl even heard her.
Hannah moved to a low window in the hut saying a word of thanks the back bordered the dense jungle. Within moments, she had disappeared into the thick foliage. Hannah remembered the fear of being alone and lost for the first couple of nights before she began realizing being in the jungle was less frightening than being held captive by the rebels. It took her ten days before she came to a small village along the Rio Coco. By then, she looked more like a wild woman than the elegant young girl who two weeks before had attended a dance. Her hair was a tangled braid down her back and her dress was in pieces. She had used strips of it to bind around her shins for protection and had blended in dirt to hide the color of it as much as possible. The first two days she spent a good deal of her time hiding either in the trees or under the thick ferns and other undergrowth as the rebels searched for her. By the third day, they seemed to feel she was probably dead. She survived by drinking rainwater from the leaves of plants and eating what few pieces of fruit she could find. To help protect herself from the bugs, especially the mosquitoes, she applied thick coatings of mud to her skin. With a quiet resolve to survive so she could help the others, she began moving west towards the glimpse of river she was able to see from the top of one of the trees. She slept in the trees at night, tying herself to them with vines to keep from falling out. During the ten days it took to find her way back to civilization, Hannah realized one thing…she would never be the same.
Hannah gazed up at the stars and let out a series of deep breaths as she felt the same resolve that gave her the strength to survive the jungles flow through her now. She understood the world…the circle of life. In order to live, she had to kill. She would always regret the need to take a life, in her case two lives, but she understood the necessity of it. She saw it in every species she photographed. From the lions to the ants, there were always a predator and a prey. It was up to her to decide which she was going to be.
She smiled as she watched a meteorite flash across the star-lit sky. Hannah chuckled softly as she made a ridiculous wish. It would seem even she still had childish dreams. Hannah’s eyes jerked down as she heard the distant sound of an engine. Sounds could be deceptive out in the open like this. The vehicle could be twenty miles away or two. Hannah listened carefully but it soon faded. It was crazy to be driving at night under any conditions in this region. Lights could be seen for miles and the roads were treacherous enough during the daylight. Hannah suspected it must be some of the rebel forces from across the border, more than likely smuggling guns or drugs. Either way, she was glad they were well hidden.
As she settled back down she let her mind finish taking her down memory lane. Hannah grimaced at that description of a very bad time in her life. Well, it wasn’t too bad. Hannah had to admit. She did meet Jacq and Maria. Hannah had tumbled out of the jungle near the cantina they owned on the river. Maria was throwing out some dirty wash water when she spied Hannah standing just outside the thick growth of the jungle. She had taken one look at Hannah and let loose a long line of Spanish curses. Hannah would have been afraid if it hadn’t been the look in her eyes and the feeling telling her the curses weren’t directed at her. The next thing Hannah knew she was being guided into a small room in the back while Maria yelled for Jacq. Hannah mumbled out her story about the other captives while Maria carefully washed and cleaned the numerous small cuts on Hannah. Jacq used a satellite phone to contact the local authorities with the information Hannah was able to give them.
The next week was a bit blurred. Hannah remembered Jacq taking her up river to a larger town where her parents tearfully met her along with Tink and Tansy. Hannah later learned most of the hostages were rescued. Four were killed including the mother and the one daughter who remained behind in the hut. It took over a year for Hannah to come to terms with the knowledge there was nothing she could have done to save the girl but that still did not stop the guilt from overwhelming her at times. At first, Hannah battled depression and anxiety. She didn’t want to be around other people and preferred spending her time either out exploring the different places her parents stopp
ed at or just hanging with her sisters in the motor home they lived in. Her parents talked about setting down roots and buying a house but realized Hannah’s photography and need for space was the only thing that seemed to help her. Instead, they spent more time visiting the National forests around the United States and Canada or taking scenic excursions in Europe.
It was one of their trips to South Africa that had really gotten Hannah to come out of her shell. She was eighteen and her mom had an offer to come consultant on a new power plant under construction. They almost didn’t but Hannah wanted to see some of the wildlife there. After several heated discussions on safety, the decision was made to go. Hannah fell in love with the open plains, rugged mountains, and even the people who seemed to thrive there. When her parents returned to the United States, Hannah decided stay. Hannah’s father was nervous but her mom seemed to understand Hannah had finally found her way back to the living. And so, with a kiss and a promise to call frequently Hannah began using the contacts she made over the years with her photographs and writing and began a career as a freelance photographer/writer.
She met Abasi almost two years ago during one of her many excursions into the far reaches of the plains. He had lost his wife and infant son to disease and was on a journey to join them. Instead, he found Hannah or she found him. They still argued that point. She was taking photos of a black rhino in Kenya when they stumbled upon each other. Hannah had learned Swahili and was about to give him holy heck for ruining one of her shots when she recognized the look in his eyes as the same one she had after her kidnapping. One thing led to another and they began talking. Abasi told Hannah about the journey he was making to the other life and Hannah told him about her journey back to the living.
Hannah looked at her hands and smiled. The black rhino in the meantime was not impressed with their new found friendship. Both of them ended up in a tree. Through the course of a night, they became friends. Abasi was determined to help Hannah learn to trust again and Hannah was determined her friend would discover he still had much to live for. Hannah chuckled when she thought back over the past two years. She still didn’t trust humans. She had two new scars to prove why she shouldn’t and Abasi had decided his goal in life was to find the perfect mate for Hannah. One who would overcome her distrusts and protect her, even if that meant from herself. Hannah shook her head as she gazed back up at the stars. That was what her stupid wish had been…to find a warrior who was strong enough and brave enough and honest enough for her to trust. Personally, Hannah didn’t believe any such man existed on Earth who could do that.
Late the next morning, Hannah and Abasi reached another village almost fifty miles inland. Hannah waited impatiently again as the phone rang. If Tink didn’t answer this time, Hannah would be on the next plane to Maine. She was just about to hang up when Tink’s breathless voice came on the line.
“Hi Hannah.” Tink’s husky voice said.
Hannah immediately recognized the sound of I-really-don’t-want-to-talk-to-you in it. Well, too bad. Tink was going to explain why it took her so long to answer the phone and why the hell was Hannah getting bad vibes.
“Why didn’t you call me back? What is going on?” Hannah demanded in frustration. She rolled her eyes at Abasi when he raised his eyebrows. Okay, maybe demanding wasn’t the best idea but Hannah was slowly going nuts with worry.
“I’m fine, thanks for asking!” Tink replied with a grin. “I had to work today and had a bunch of errands. I was just about to call you.”
“Okay.” Hannah replied in frustration trying not to grind her teeth. Tink was just like their mom! Irritating and exasperating all at the same time. Hannah knew Tink was just pushing her buttons. Tink knew she wouldn’t have called and left a message with RITA unless she was worried about something. “Hi Tink. How are you? I’m glad you are fine. Now, tell me what is going on. I had one of my feelings and you know they always come true.”
Hannah listened as Tink drew in a shaky breath over the line. “Okay, but you aren’t going to believe me.” Tink said softly.
Hannah waited impatiently as Tink began telling her a story that if it had come from anyone else she would have immediately dismissed it as being ludicrous. Instead, Hannah drew in a deep breath as she realized that not only had her weird sensor been correct…the magnitude of the situation was much worse than she could ever imagine.
Tink explained how her roommate and best friend, Cosmos Raines, a resident genius on any level of the imagination had developed some type of portal…a portal that took Tink to another world. Tink explained how she had used her hammer on some type of alien creature to save a boy. The boy turned out to be another alien, only Tink didn’t realize it at first. Tink described in minute detail the spaceship she found herself on, the men she met, and how she couldn’t seem to stop crying since Cosmos brought her back. Hannah listened as Tink told her about one man, a man named J’kar, who seemed to have affected her baby sister in ways neither of them understood. It took a minute for Hannah to realize Tink wasn’t talking any more.
“Hannah?” Tink asked hesitantly.
“I’m trying to decide whether I should kill Cosmos or give him a kiss for saving you.” Hannah replied softly.
Hannah knew how smart Cosmos was but she never dreamed he could create something like this. The danger such a device could do to their world was unbelievable. Surely, Cosmos thought of that. As smart as he was he should have made a list of all the things that could go wrong and had some type of safety net in place…and, what about the government? Wouldn’t their government know if such a thing was possible? Hannah would have thought Cosmos should have seen enough alien horror films growing up to know how dangerous a portal to an advance civilization could be to their planet, not to mention the reaction if people knew life existed outside of their galaxy. Hannah believed everything Tink told her. Their father might be a science fiction writer but Tink wasn’t and she wouldn’t make something like this up. If Tink said she was on a spaceship in another galaxy through a portal Cosmos built, then she was.
“I’m coming home. I’ll be there as soon as I can make the arrangements.” Hannah said in a voice that meant there would be no arguments. She might go ahead and kiss Cosmos while she was strangling him! Hannah thought as she began making plans in her head.
“You aren’t going to tell mom, dad, or Tansy are you?” Tink asked hesitantly.
Hannah could hear the tinge of fear in Tink’s voice. It wasn’t that she was afraid of the others knowing…no, there was something else going on and Hannah was going to find out what it was. Besides, if Tansy found out god only knew what would happen! She would charge in guns blazing if she suspected Tink was in the remotest danger. Then, they really would have an intergalactic battle on their hands! Now, if her folks found out that was another story! Hannah almost felt sorry for the poor aliens! Her dad would question them to death and her mom would be reinventing everything or driving them insane! Oh, lord, thought Hannah in dismay, it would also mean another place for her parents to get it on! Hannah couldn’t quite suppress the shudder that escaped. That seemed to be her parent’s main reason for living! Hannah groaned as she thought of all the places her parents have probably made love at or on. She had never met two hornier people in her life! Not even the animals she photographed seemed to like it as much as her parents. Oh, God! Hannah groaned again softly. This is so NOT what she wanted to focus on right now! Hannah took a deep breath. No, her parents and Tansy were not going to be informed if she could help it.
“No, at least not until I see you and determine if I need to involve them.” Hannah replied gruffly. “I’ll make the arrangements now and email them to you later this afternoon. Oh, it’s night there, isn’t it? I love you, kid. Stay safe until I get there.” Hannah added distractedly. She had a lot to do if she was going to fly to Maine.
Chapter 2
Borj ‘Tag Krell Manok looked at the image in his hand again. The image contained the picture of three Earth women. One was his bro
ther, J’kar’s, bond mate. The other two were her sisters. Borj had to fight off his younger brother, Mak’s, efforts to steal it from him. They had finally compromised on creating a duplicate image. It took everything inside him not to howl out in rage at the procrastination of his father and the council. He was ready to defy them all and use the portal to go find his bond mate. Borj shook his head in disbelief. Out of all four brothers, he had always considered himself the calmest, most rationale of the group. He was careful to think out every detail before executing any plan of attack. He weighed each strategy, each outcome, measuring which would benefit their people the most. That was why he was their ambassador. But right at that moment, he was anything but calm. His eyes were drawn again to the image to the left of Tink.
The female was slightly taller than the other two and had twin golden-brown braids on each side of her head hanging to her waist. She was wearing very short, tan pants ending mid-thigh, two small triangular pieces of fabric barely covered her breasts, and boots. The image was slightly wrinkled from being with Borj at all times and the corners were beginning to fray from him running his finger along the edge as if he could actually touch her delicate skin. He knew deep down this female was his bond mate. There was no other explanation for his reaction to just the image. His brother and his bond mate, Tink, had been planet side for several days now and he was just waiting to hear of the decision as to whether he would be allowed to go and retrieve the female.
Borj glanced up when he heard his name called out. Turning, he watched as one of his father’s men hurried towards him. The elderly man was breathless by the time he reached Borj. Borj waited impatiently for the man to catch his breath so he could give him the missive from his father.