Evans sat against a large rock. Sun Li set at his side, trying her best to stop the blood oozing from a burnt hole on his side.

Higgins dropped to his side, across from Sun Li. Evans stirred, but didn’t open his eyes.

“Is he going to be—”

Sun Li shook her head before he could finish speaking.

“What can I do?”

Sun Li nodded. She looked down at her hand across Evans’s wound. “When I pull my hand away, I want you to apply as much pressure to the wound as possible. I need to gather together some plants for a poultice to staunch the wound.”

“Okay.” Higgins leaned over his friend. Sun Li moved her hands away and he immediately clamped his own hands down in their place. Sun Li jumped to her feet and ran back towards the trees.

Evans moaned and Higgins turned his attention back to his friend. He said a silent prayer. Please keep him safe, God. Please.

Higgins looked back up, but Sun Li had vanished back in to the heavy rain forest. He tried to find her, but to no avail. He turned back towards the clearing.

Ahni walked towards him. She held one of the marep’s stun batons at her side. As he came near, she raised the baton and aimed it towards Evans.

“No!” Higgins said. “Ahni, don’t—”

Ahni continued towards them. She trained the weapon directly on Evans’s injured abdomen. Higgins came to his feet. He looked from the injured wound to the approaching threat back to the wound. He jumped to his feet and lunged towards her. Ahni’s eyes went wide as he came near, but before Higgins could get a hold of her, she stepped off to the side.

Higgins stumbled forward and past her. Ahni leaned down towards Evans. She drove the baton in to the wound.

Higgins heard the snap-hiss as the baton activated. He smelled Evans’s flesh as it burned. He dove in to Ahni. He caught her in the side, and they both tumbled to the ground beside Evans.

Higgins yanked the baton away from Ahni. She flailed beneath him as he fought to hold her down. Her naked bosom rose up and pressed in to his face.

“Stop struggling,” he said.

Ahni came to a stop beneath him. She looked up in to his eyes, smiled, and licked her lips. “Should we not worry more about your friend than our own recreation?”

“What?” Higgins said. “No, no. Why? Why did you do that to Evans?”

“Private Evans would have bled out quite soon. The wound needing to be cauterized or he would have died.”

Higgins looked back towards Evans. His friend’s chest rose and fell normally. The wound at his side, though darkened, no longer seeped out blood.

“Why didn’t you say anything before you did it?”

“I thought you understand what was needed, Vance Higgins. Is that not why you sent Sun Li to the forest?”

“Well, yeah. She did go after some medicine poultice, but I sure as hell didn’t know the baton could do that.”

“The kriisza has many uses. Attack is only one of its purposes. We should be grateful this one still held its charge. With its owner dead, the kriisza will quickly lose its power.”

Higgins looked down at Ahni again. His eyes hovered a moment too long over her naked chest. He quickly pulled himself to his feet, embarrassed. He tried his best to look away from her. He focused on Evans instead.

“We really should find somewhere better to take him,” Higgins said. “Who knows what could emerge from this jungle while he’s out.”

Ahni nodded. “The long-tooths are rare here, but the egg-pickers are not. They would love a defenseless meal as large as Evans.”

Higgins grimaced.

Ahni continued. “The mareps will most certainly search for their lost comrades as well. We should take him to the shade of the trees on the far side of the clearing. It will provide more protection.”

“Okay. Can you help me carry him?”

“Yes, Vance Higgins.” She walked down to Evans’s feet and grabbed them by the ankles. “I am ready when you are.”

Higgins grabbed Evans by each arm. “On three,” he said.

Ahni lifted Evans’s leg immediately. Higgins scrambled to lift his own even before she started to move. He started to correct Ahni’s mistake but he stopped himself before he loosed a word. No reason to confuse the girl over such a simple miscommunication.

They carried Evans across the clearing, avoiding the underbrush as well as possible. The covered about thirty yards before Ahni nodded towards a suitable shade tree. Together this time, they put Evans down as gently as they could manage.

Higgins stared down at the limp form of his friend. Ahni walked around Evans to stand beside Higgins. She reached out and weaved her fingers between his own. He started for a moment before he turned towards her. He just stood there a moment and looked at her. He could not believe how beautiful this woman was.

“What are you thinking about?” she said with a smile.

Higgins paused for a moment and tried to think of a good lie. “Uh… I’m just worried about Teddy. You think he’ll be okay?”

“Yes,” she said. “I have faith in his survival, just as I faith that my people will one day be free.”

Higgins sat down in the grass and continued to look at his friend. Ahni sat down next to him and leaned her head on this shoulder. Higgins wrapped one arm around her. They sat together and just watched the rise and fall of their injured friend’s chest.

A rustling in the jungle behind them brought Higgins shooting back to his feet. He rushed in to the middle of the clearing and began franticly searching for a weapon. A glint of light flashed across a bright with object amongst the grass. He rushed over to it and reached down. He pulled up the hilt of one of the marep leader’s strange energy swords. He slid a small switch just under the thumb guard. He gasped as the blade of pure energy blazed to life. He held it up and ready for whatever should emerge.

Sun Li stumbled out from the trees and fell to her knees in the clearing. Her face and legs were covered with bruises. She caught Higgins’s eyes for just a moment before she collapsed forward.

Ahni leapt to her feet and ran towards Sun Li, but before she could reach the Chinese woman, the first tan uniform emerged from the trees.

Higgins gasped as soldier after soldier, all in full German uniform, all with rifles raised, emerged from the jungle.