as such, I proclaim this part of our little seminar a success.”

Dar got to her feet. ”I’ll vote for that,” she agreed. ”But then, we never had a cooperation issue between us anyway.”

Mariana sighed, and got up as well. ”All right, all right, so it was a bad idea.” She brushed herself off. ”Although, if this hadn’t happened, it might have been more valuable.”

”Yeah,” Kerry agreed softly as they trudged off down the path, as the late afternoon sun slanted through the trees. ”Well, maybe we can work out something on a smaller scale back there, like in a hotel, or something.”

”A comfortable hotel,” Mary Lou agreed.

”A comfortable hotel with beds, air conditioning, and televisions,”

Mark added.

”Don’t forget modem jacks.” Dar gave them a half grin. ”And room service.”

”Room service, oh yes,” Duks agreed.

They all laughed a little as they came to a bend in the path, walking around it almost abreast, stopping as they reached the overlook to the rope bridge.

They stopped, staring at the strands in puzzlement.

Clothing hung off the railing, and loud, angry, frustrated voices were heard below.

”Uh oh.” Mariana peeked over, then hid her eyes. ”I don’t think I have a personnel report to cover this, Dar.”

”What?” The executive peered over. ”Oh boy.”

Kerry balanced on her shoulder. ”Oh my god, they’re naked.”

”Throw the goddamn clothes down, you idiots!” Steven screamed, his head just poking out of the water.

Dar leaned against the railing. ”Say please,” she called out, tauntingly.

”Dar.” Kerry gave her a slap. ”C’mon now.” She picked up the shirts and pants and balled them up, then hesitated. ”If I throw them, they’ll fall in the water,” she yelled down.

”What in the heck are you people doing, anyway?” Mark leaned next to Dar. ”Lousy time to go swimming, you know?”

José stood up, the water draining off his belly. ”Some bastards came with guns and made us!”

Dar sighed. ”It was funny, right up till now.” She backed up and glanced around, then her eyes fell on the snake. ”Hold on.” She made her way along the bridge until she got to it, then she carefully untangled its length from the ropes and slung it around her neck. ”Here.” She edged back to where Kerry was waiting. ”Tie it on to its tail.” She turned to Mark. ”Keep an eye out for anyone coming. Musta been some hunters or someone who decided to play a joke on them.”

Mark backed up and looked around. ”What am I supposed to be looking for? Morons with rifles? My job description doesn’t cover this, Hurricane Watch

93

Dar,” he muttered.

Kerry finished tying the clothes to the snake’s tail, then watched as Dar lowered it down to where José was standing, having to crouch all the way down and extend her arm to get it low enough. Kerry kept one hand on the platform and the other hovering, in case her boss lost her balance, though if Dar did and she grabbed her, for sure they were both going creekward.

”Okay, you got it?” Dar yelled wincing as the strain pulled against her leg. She watched José reach up, then closed her eyes in reflex. ”Oh god. I didn’t need to see that,” she muttered, hearing Eleanor scream.

”Shut up, I’m getting the goddamn clothes,” José snapped, finally working

them

free.

”Here.”

He

released

the

snake’s

tail.

”Done...aiiieee!” he yelped as the snake, freed from Dar’s hand, dropped in rubbery coils around him. ”Jesu, Dar. I’m gonna kick your ass when I get up there.”

Dar straightened slowly, conscious of Kerry's hand on her elbow.

”You couldn’t kick my ass if I were a desk chair and you had brass boots,” she yelled back down.

”Would you two just shut up!” Eleanor screamed. ”Oh my god, I'm itching all over.”

”So am I,” Steven chattered, tugging his long sleeve shirt on. ”Oh shit. Augh!”

”On second thought, clothes were probably a bad idea,” Dar commented with mild interest to Kerry. ”That fabric rubbed up all over the poison ivy.”

”Ouch.” Kerry winced, looking at her hands. ”Thanks for telling me.”Dar smiled. ”I’m sure you’ll be fine.” She chuckled, then exhaled, as the four complaining, blotchy, muddy, wet, angry people closed in on them. ”All right, enough!” She raised her voice. ”Let’s just get the hell out of here and scream at each other later, all right?”

”That’s the smartest thing you’ve said since we’ve been here,”

Eleanor snapped. ”Get out of my way.” She shoved Dar aside and stomped across the rope bridge, seemingly oblivious of it’s height and unsteadiness, scratching frantically at her arm as she did so.

”Okay.” Dar leaned back against the ropes. ”Guess we’re going back to camp.” They all filed past her one at a time and she watched them cross, waiting for Kerry to get part of the way over before she brought up the rear, placing her feet carefully on the rope.

”Goddamn it all to hell. I’m going to sue until I’ve gotten every single cent out of this goddamned company.” José was stomping along.

”Irresponsible, danger to its customers—putas!”

Dar sighed and tried to filter his voice out, concentrating on the pain in her leg instead. That worked, but it got her preoccupied, so much so that she didn’t realize everyone stopped and she thumped into Kerry’s back with a jolt, knocking the breath out of both of them.


94

Melissa Good

”Wh...oh...sorry.” She steadied herself on Kerry’s shoulder and exhaled.

”What’s up?”

Silently, Mark pointed into the camp. Dar stepped up next to him and peered through the leaves to where she could see the main hall.

Their bus was parked off to one side and in front of the structure were two pickup trucks, with various camping style items in the back and prominent shotgun racks. Two men were sprawled in the back of one truck chugging beer and two others were on the porch, one of them pinning a hapless Skippy against the wall as he tried to kiss her. The guide was squirming frantically, trying to escape.

”It’s those bastards that made us strip,” Steven snarled. ”Let me at their ugly butts.” He scratched his arms frantically. ”Auggghghh.”

Dar felt a cold wave wash over her, leaching the color from the vibrant foliage and draining the exhaustion that had been plaguing her since the accident. She felt her attention focus on the men, and a faint, grim smile played about her lips. ”All right, that’s it. I’ve had enough,”

she said as she pushed her way past José and Steven, and stalked into the open clearing.

”Where in the hell do you think you’re going?” Steven hissed, grabbing at her arm.

She shook him off like his touch was nothing. ”I’m going to go work out some repressed frustration,” she growled, then started moving again. “Just be glad it’s on them and not you.”

”Dar!” Kerry's voice was low, but anxious. ”Wait—”

For a long moment she was alone, then she heard steps behind her and a hand grabbed the back of her shirt. She pulled free. ”Stay here.”

She told Kerry as she headed towards the two men on the porch. ”Hey!”

She was up on the platform before they could react, then one belched. ”Hey, you’re pretty!” He lurched towards her, reaching out a hand. ”C’mere, pretty lady.”

Dar felt the motion before it happened, a reaction buried deep in her body that twisted her shoulders and sent an elbow into his jaw, slamming him back against the wall with a startled yelp.

She turned as the other one came for her and nailed him with an overhand right, almost exulting in the sharp sting of impact that traveled up her arm and through her shoulders. He staggered back and she followed, grabbing him by the dirty fabric of his flannel shirt and lifting him up as she shoved him against the door of the main hall.

He opened his mouth, then looked into her eyes and fell silent, his lip quivering.

”You,” Dar sent her voice as low as it would go. ”Are between me—” She kneed him in the groin and watched his eyes roll up into his head. ”And Dairy Queen.”

She let him drop and he collapsed, grabbing his parts and making a low, whining sound. Dar turned and glared at the two beer guzzlers, who had picked up their rifles and started to hop over the side of the Hurricane Watch

95

truck. She leveled her gaze on them and stalked towards them, her hands flexing and unflexing into fists.

They stopped in mid motion, one falling over and landing on his head and the other falling back on his ass in the truck bed. The one who had fallen out of the truck scrambled to the driver’s side, pulled the door open and got inside, then hastily started the truck and threw it into gear. He stepped on the gas and it took off, its tires bumping in the dirt and tossing the man in back up and down like a frog on a hot car roof, his desperate yells following the truck’s engine sound out of the camp.

Dar turned and looked at the man she’d hit first. He crawled out of her sight and off the porch, rolling under it and startling the camp dog, who scooted out barking in outrage. Then her eyes slowly swept up and pinned themselves on Skippy. ”Where’s the bus driver?”

The girl opened her mouth and closed it several times before any sound came out. ”Oh, uh...I...he's...um...I...”

”Find him,” Dar growled.

”Yyyyes ma’am.” Skippy fled.

It was quiet then, only the sound of Kerry’s hiking boots scuffing across the sandy ground broke the silence as the blonde woman crossed the area and hopped up on the porch. ”Well,” she murmured, putting her hands on her hips.