Path of Ranger: Volume 1 (31 page)

Not losing a second, he ran as hard as he could to intercept the beast. But it was useless, Bridgers knew it. Those creatures were fast, strong and fierce. And a woman like that – a perfect prey. She was already dead.

***

Six hours later after leaving the camp...

The night had lost its dark shades, the sky was getting brighter and brighter. Most of the people didn’t even notice that. For a long time, they were wading blindly in the water. They had to follow the man, who was a stranger to most of them. JB was in the head of the group, he tried to choose the most reliable path along the bottom surface.

Since it was dark, and people weren’t able to keep visual track of each other, they took the ropes for tying themselves to it. In such way, each of them could be aware of his neighbor’s position. Whenever the rope was tightened up, it meant that someone lagged behind. The strongest of them, Skyman, Wash, Alex, and Vitaliy, were closing the group. Their mission was to look after everyone else and to pull the raft, with Vladimir inside. All three of the ropes were tied to JB’s belt so he could set up the speed. Tina and El walked right next to him.

At first the girls tried to get some information out of their leader. Even struggling under water hadn't stopped them from asking questions. They wondered about everything; the monsters, the island, where JB had been all that time… But not a single answer followed. Moreover, since the very first step into the ocean, the mutant didn’t say a single word, not even turning around once to check on the others. Occasionally, when some of the ropes tightened, he pulled it to make them speed up.

Of course, JB felt for them. It was hard wading there for so long, especially considering how much weaker they were. But it wasn’t the time for being soft, such an ignorance made them afraid. And they needed that fear to survive. The dawn had to come soon. With the first light, it would be much easier. The group might have a chance then to go out of the water and take a rest.

There were couple times that night when JB had noticed a movement around the coastal line. He wasn’t sure, but it seemed that a few of the beasts were following them. Despite Gibson’s mentions about the monsters not hunting during the daylight, JB had a bad feeling of getting on the land.

The horror which those people had to go through couldn’t stand in comparison with any other feeling that they had experienced. The fear before the hazard of death became an invisible glue that brought them together once. Things like that don't pass without scars. There’s nothing worse than helplessly watching as a friend dies.

The first sunlight brought a new hope to the group. The night was behind and all of the terrors had left in those nightmares. There wasn’t that much of distance left, just halfway more to go.

JB took off the blindfold. He looked back for the first time. There were all thirty-one survivors behind, not a single person lost. The mutant was a bit surprised by such an outcome. He untied the rope to pass it to El. Then he made a gesture with an open hand to tell others to stay. He went out of the water.

After getting out, JB took a good look at the nearby jungle. Mostly he was interested in the closest thicket. He checked that nothing was hiding there. It seemed clear.

Soon the mutant picked up a few rocks of average size. He glanced at the shrubs once more, before throwing the rocks. With the first one been launched, JB heard a knock on the tree that came from about fifty yards away. The next ones were thrown the same way, straight through the thicket, but in different directions. Bridgers wanted to check in such way if there were hiding any beasts. Nothing came of the jungle, just a few birds flew away. They were safe.

Others were allowed to come out now. They felt much better after getting on the dry land. JB looked at the timer: about nine hours left. They had to go just ten more miles along the coast. There was a bit of time for a break.

All of the passengers had left the water. The guys pulled out the raft. Ellison came closer to check on Vova’s health. He was still unconscious. Just laid there, on the raft, next to a stock of food and fresh water that people had managed to take from the camp. Ellison was surprised how the men carefully transported him, her patient hadn’t got wet much. The doctor tried to wake him up. She gently put a hand on his cheek to rub it with her thumb. Vladimir mumbled something with his eyes closed. Then Ellison took a bottle of water to pour some on his lips. The student woke up. The doctor lifted his head a bit and tipped the bottle for him to drink.

The others spread across the area. They were cold, exhausted, and it was hard to breathe. People were tired. The sun stayed hidden behind the clouds. There was no wind either, it was just like everything had stopped. Most of the people laid down to have some rest after a long trip. It was the first time they could appreciate such warm weather.

Meanwhile, JB had brought from the forest a few logs and firewood for building a campfire. He put the logs together into a cone shape and spread the smaller twigs around them. Next he took a plastic bag from his pocket. Others were watching him carefully. There was a lighter in the bag, which he used right away. The campfire was ready.

The mutant brought the big rock closer to the fire to sit on it. People watched him, but they still felt it odd to come closer. JB took off his wet t-shirt to squeeze water out of it, then he hung it on a stick not far from the heat source. After that he put the gumshoes and socks there to dry out as well. Seeing him finished, others started to get closer too.

In just a few minutes most of the group was sitting around the fire, next to the mutant. They couldn’t stop exploring him. Those huge muscles of his covered in ink magnetized the attention. The tattoos were partially cut off with the scars. They recognized in him another victim of one of the monsters.

When each of the survivors had been checked on, Skyman and Wash sat next to JB. One could tell how tired both of them were. Yet both of leading men tried to cover it by keeping their faces cheered and confident. It was necessary for them to keep the others calm. JB knew that the time would come for questions. So it came.

Josh kept a half full bottle of fresh water in his hand. He offered it to JB. The mutant took it and took a few sips. He turned back to fire.

“So, what’s the plan, JB?” the captain asked.

“We go along the shore until we see the wall. Then we get to the other side, where a mercenary camp is. They have some air transport there. That’s our way out,” JB responded still watching the fire.

“Mercenaries, right? So, this island isn’t deserted after all?” Wash wondered.

“That’s right. They guard local farmers.”

“How many of them? How do we fight them?” Skyman took back the initiative.

“Don’t you worry. They aren’t your problem. You just stay close to me and do everything I say.”

“Don’t they know that we’re here?”

“Sure, they do.”

“Then, why didn’t they show up for all that time?”

“They don’t care about you. Most likely, they were counting on those monsters to slaughter you all,” JB explained carelessly. “One thing, they did capture Mia after the crash.”

“What did you say? Are they keeping her as a prisoner?” Ellison got alerted.

JB stalled for a second.

“No, she’s with Gibson,” he said. “Haven’t I said that?”

Just then he noticed that he couldn’t recall clearly the events of the last night. The intoxication passed, but along with part of his memories.

“Who is this Gibson?” the woman asked.

“A friend. Mia’s fine. At least, she was when I saw her last time.”

Ellison seemed to have another question, but Skyman gave her that look, as he demanded his say back. Not making an argument there, the doctor gave it up and went to check on her patient.

“Why would those people give us their transport?” Steven asked.

“They won’t. They probably will try to kill us. As I’ve said, that is my concern, you just don’t jump under the bullets.”

“How are you going to counter a group of armed mercenaries?”

“I think I can handle it… According to our intel, most of them don’t have combat experience.”

“What about me? I can help you, I have a lot of experience,” Wash looked a bit upset that JB ignored his military rank. But JB didn’t do that on purpose, he just wasn’t aware of it.

“Really? Okay, we may use you then,” snapping out of his own thoughts, Jerry finally looked at the men next to him. “You two ask a lot of questions, but no one asked the right one yet.”

“What do we do?” Skyman said thoughtfully.

“Guess again.”

“Who’s going to fly the planes?”

“That is the right question,” the big guy smirked and turned back to the fire. “Skyman, you and I are flying those things. They are called swingers.”

“Never heard of such a machine,” the pilot admitted.

“Yeah, no sane person would call them that. But yet, there it is. A few stoned minds made that up,” JB explained. “Nothing unusual there. You’re gonna do fine. Just remember, soon as you’re getting into the air, fly away, don’t stop. You’re to take all of the passengers. Gibson and I will cover you. If we’re down, you use your chance.”

By that time JB hadn’t shown any of his personal qualities but enormous strength and cold-bloodedness. So hearing such selfless words from him seemed strange to others. Skyman realized that he couldn’t match as a leader to JB.

“And that Gibson guy, who is he exactly?” Steve wondered.

“An ally, you’ll meet him soon. Your job is to watch over the others, they need to follow the instructions precisely.”

JB was done talking. He lifted a bottle from the ground to drink up. His gaze went deep into the fire.

Both men, the group leader and his second in command, saw in the mutant’s face that he wouldn’t say anything more to them. Nevertheless, the main topics were discussed, and they really needed a rest. Plus, the most important reason of JB’s credibility was that he hadn’t failed them once yet.

After the conversation, Skyman and Wash went to check on Vladimir. Meanwhile, El and Tina came to take over their seats next to the mutant. JB didn’t move. Tina sat on the rock that was further, leaving the closest one to El. But El stayed behind him. She put a hand over his shoulder and drew lower with her fingers tickling his bare skin. The big guy looked at her, she seemed worried.

“Jerry, where did this come from?” she held her hand around his ribs area, where a few deep cuts were.

The cold she felt in her fingers after some time of touching him made her remove the hand. JB wriggled to see what she was pointing at. Because of the cuts were made over ‘blood stain’ tattoo, he hadn’t noticed then earlier. But he could feel it with his hand. Then Bridgers recalled as last night one of the creatures hit him during the fight. No wonder that spot was itching for the last several hours. Yet, he thought all that time that he had got away just with the sliced t-shirt.

“I fought in the jungle last night.”

“OMG! He speaks!” Tina sarcastically pointed at his rude ignorance.

In return JB just gave her emotionless glance. Then he looked aside to see how a few people gathered near the wounded young man. The mutant picked up a small twig from a pile of firewood to clear it from the bark.

“Stop it,” El said to her friend. Then she took that empty seat. “Do you need help with those cuts? I can bring Ellison, she’s a doctor.”

“No, I’m cool. He needs her more,” JB nodded at Vladimir.

Along with that, he silently thought about such ‘useful’ help that the girl had offered, meaning to outsource it to someone else.

“It was very brave of you to come back for us,” the blond continued.

No response followed.

“Hey, are you going to tell us what happened to you there?” Tina asked.

“I don’t think you wanna know that…”

“Why did you wear that blindfold; don’t you get blinded by it or something?”

“You ask too many questions,” JB had a feeling of déjà vu. “You better get some rest. This trip ain’t over yet.”

He put a stripped twig into his pocket and hid the knife away.

“Fine, if you don’t want to talk, you don’t have to. But we aren’t going anywhere,” Tina said and then she moved the rock closer to her friend.

The girls sat tight next to each other and kept sitting there enjoying the fire. JB checked his things, they had dried out enough by that time. So he got up, put on a shirt, then – the shoes. He looked at the timer, there still was a bit of time.

He looked at people every now and then, and they were checking out him too. They seemed scared, but not as much as the night before. Ten hours earlier their faces were exposing a deadly terror, it had changed. They looked more worried about the unknown now, not an unavoidable death. They believed the hunter would protect them against the monsters, the mercenaries, and any danger there was. Just like a guardian angel he had appeared in the right moment to save them. JB could see those hopes in their looks. Only, he wasn’t sure if he could suffice.

After gibsonium had become a part of him, his mind changed. The world around him changed, it looked different. A black hole emerged in his soul. The mutant gained the unique ability to consume the surrounding energy, to feel a life around him. He had never been tied to this world in such way before. Yet, he felt lonelier than ever. JB couldn't see the things in an ordinary manner anymore, people seemed different to him. He didn’t feel himself as one of them. They were strangers. Deep inside he knew that Jerry Bridgers had died that night when he was attacked by the monster for the first time. Two hours of clinical death wasn’t enough to take away his life, but it sure had taken his personality. He became a different thing – half human, half something else…