Deadly Passion, an Epiphany (6 page)

Cassie couldn’t help but admire him. Leadership came naturally and the people listened to him. There were a few oriental people in the group and some African-Americans. She didn’t have a clue if they were tourists or Americans. Matter of fact, she didn’t know any who any of them were, except for Georgia. She recalled seeing some of them on the dance floor. A few men volunteered to go with Jonas.

“Honey, you try and get everyone settled. With no supplies, blankets, anything really, we’re going to have to make do. Maybe find big leaves to cover yourself with during the night. I don’t know how cold it will get. You’re my helper, so use your imagination.”

“Great. I don’t make a habit of sleeping in the wild, so why put me in charge of that? And how do we know if that water is safe?”

“It looks clear. Guess we’ll have to take a chance with the water, and right now I don’t know anyone else to give me a hand. Please, hon, help me out here?”

Cassie nodded, albeit reluctantly. She didn’t have a clue what to do. Jonas and his volunteers took off and she was left to deal with situating everyone. They were all confused, wandering, and she finally found her voice and shouted, “Listen up, everyone! We need to camp here for the night! Find anything you can to cover yourself with. We don’t know how cold it gets. Don’t venture beyond the edge of the jungle. Stay in pairs at all times. Does anyone know how to start a fire?”

“I do.”

A blond young man approached her. “I learned in Scouts. Name’s Michael, but everyone calls me Mik.”

“Rubbing two sticks together huh? Okay, Mik, get started. We need enough fires for everybody. Everyone, listen! Find dead wood, please, and bring it here!”

It didn’t take long and there was a huge pile of dead wood on the bank of the river. Cassie told everyone to form groups and to take enough from the pile for a fire of their own. Mik lit them all. Huge leaves served as blankets but no one was ready to crash for the night. They huddled together talking softly. Cassie didn’t know what else she could do so she sat near her own fire and waited for Jonas.

She’d chosen a spot a bit away from the other people. They’d formed their groups, but were camped very close to each other. It was quite dark now and she worried about Jonas. In the thick jungle there wouldn’t be any light at all. At least near the river, they had moonlight. She gazed up at the sky. “Strange, a clear sky yet not a star in sight,” she murmured.

It seemed to take forever before Jonas returned. Out of habit, she glanced at her watch every few minutes, but it had stopped working, the time still showing almost midnight. Just a minute before midnight, that was when the bomb had exploded, right after Mark had proposed to Megan. A rustling behind her made her turn around to peer at the jungle’s border. At first she thought it was Jonas, but when he didn’t appear she huddled closer to the fire even though it wasn’t really cold. An animal? Thoughts of ferocious tigers and lions flitted through her mind. Would the fire keep them at bay? Quickly she darted to the big pile of wood and grabbed enough to make her fire bigger and brighter. She sat again, gazing at the dark jungle, when she heard the rustling again and cracking of twigs, as if something was walking just beyond the border. She caught the shape of a shadow, a fleeting glimpse of something moving and she grabbed a burning stick from the fire. Holding it in front of her she tried to see what it was that was stalking them. Suddenly, a small head peeked from behind a tree.

A child
? There had to be other people if that was a kid.
What is a child doing alone in the jungle at night? She can’t be alone. There have to be adults nearby, surely
. The child peeked around the trunk again and smiled shyly. Cassie smiled back at her. “Little girl, who are you? Where are your parents?”
Little girl? It could be a boy.
The child stepped from behind the tree. It was a girl wearing a pretty mauve dress, a doll dangling from her hand. Cassie couldn’t see her properly because it was too dark. She beckoned. “Where is your mommy?” The little girl darted away when Jonas stepped out of the jungle.

“Jonas, I’m so glad you’re back. Did you see a little girl just now?”

“A little girl? You’re seeing things. We found some kind of fruit.”

Cassie noticed the bundle dangling from his hand. He’d taken off his shirt and used it to carry the fruit in. Gazing at his strong chest, the ebony skin glistening from the light of the fire, she sighed. All feelings, desire, love, surfaced in full force. Swallowing hard, trying to squash her feelings, she asked, “What kind of fruit?”

“I’ll be damned if I know. It tastes good. A mix between bananas and strawberries flavor.”

“You ate some?”

“Someone had to test it.”

“Damn, Jonas. What if it’s poisonous?”

“Wouldn’t I be feeling it by now? It’s a while ago that I ate it.” He placed the bundle near the fire and undid the knot.

She looked at the pile of fruit and took one in her hand. It had the shape of a pear but was as red as a very ripe strawberry. Carefully, she took a bite. Juice dribbled down her chin. “Well, if it’s poisonous, we both die,” she quipped as she hungrily munched the rest of the fruit. After she finished a second and a third, she went to the river to wash her face and sticky hands. A fish darted by her hand and she startled. “Jonas, there are fish in the river!”

He’d been handing out fruit and turned to her. “Great. Wonder if anyone brought a fishing rod along to the club,” he answered sarcastically.

“Maybe we can make some kind of net. When it’s light tomorrow we can investigate the jungle and see if there are any vines. Perhaps I’ll see the little girl again. There have to be other people nearby, maybe a village? Surely a child wouldn’t be alone in the jungle at night?”

“You probably saw shadows, girl. If there was a child, what sane parent would take her along on a hunting trip and what would she be doing in the jungle by herself in the dark?”

“You’re probably right. Did you see any animals?”

“Nope. Heard some noises as if something was stalking us.” He walked back to join her and sat next to her.

“See. There are people.”

“Or animals, but maybe not ferocious ones? Maybe we should try and get some sleep. We can investigate tomorrow.”

She glanced at Georgia already lying down with a big leaf covering her. “I’m too scared to sleep.”

“With me to protect you? What’s wrong with you, girl? Come here.” He held his arms out.

She crawled to him and sat between his legs, leaning against his strong chest. His arms circled her and held her tight. The rhythm of his heartbeat against her ear and face was comforting, soothing. He rested his head on her hair. “This is how it always should have been, Cassie. I’ve never stopped loving you,” he said softly. “I wish I could hold you properly, make love to you right now. I’ve longed for you ever since—“

“It’s been about two years,” she said. “I’ve missed you, Jonas. I now realize how much.”

“Yet you dated other men. Each time we all hung out together, you were with a different guy.”

“I didn’t sleep with any of them. I was trying to forget about us.” Not only trying to forget him, but also the baby she’d had aborted. He could never know what she did.

“Do you realize how jealous I’ve been? Every time I saw you with someone else, I wanted to kill him.”

“Yet you continued to hang out with us.”

“Yes. We’re all friends, and it was the only way I could still see you even if we weren’t together. Do still have feelings for me, Cassie?”

“I’ve never stopped loving you, even if I tried to tell myself I did.”

“Then why—“

She moved up a little and kissed him to stop the question. “We can begin all over again,” she said softly against his lips. “Let’s pretend this is our first date.”

He lowered her to the sand and taking her in his arms, kissed her long and hard, his tongue exploring, searching. She felt his need, his desperate longing and her own rise in answer. How she’d missed this man. Did it have to take a horrible experience for her to realize it? He reached for the huge leaves and pulled them over their bodies until they were covered, hidden from prying eyes. Heat surged through her body and it wasn’t the fire causing it. His large hands cupped her buttocks and pulled her against him hard. His cock was hard, pressing against her belly. She wanted him inside her, needed him, but even if the leaves covered them, it would be too obvious. “We can’t…not here…”

“I know, baby, I know.”

He stroked her then, kneaded her breasts, and finally just hold her quietly in his arms, his lips against her cheek. The heat from the blazing fire finally caused drowsiness. “I wonder where Megan and Mark are,” she said drowsily. “I hope they’re okay.”

Jonas held her tight against him. She felt safe. She was exactly where she belonged, where she should have been all along.

Transfer to Midhaven
…

Megan had lost all sense of time. It seemed as if she’d been stuck in her hospital room forever. Depression attacked her daily. Not a word about Mark or her parents, though she begged the doctors and nurses constantly to find out how they were, where they were. She wasn’t allowed a telephone. The danger of infection was too great. But now her wounds were almost healed, the long process of her third degree burns healing was nearly over, and still she wasn’t allowed out of her room. It was as if she was in jail.

The nurse came into her room. “Good news, Megan. They’re transferring you today to another facility for intensive therapy.”

A spark of hope lit in her heart. “Really? I’m finally let loose?”

“Yes, dear. With limitations though.”

“Limitations? I’m tired of being locked up, having no phone access. I’m also worried sick about my parents and my boyfriend, as you all know. I don’t understand why none of you have been able to tell me anything about them.”

“I understand. I’ll tell the doctor about your concerns. He’ll be in to see you soon. The new facility you’re going to is especially for burn victims and amputees. They have very advanced technology.”

“Where is it?”

“Quite far from here. You’ll be sent there by a special medical transport unit.”

“Where is far? Name of the town?”

“It’s not in a town or city. It’s located in the country, quite isolated from everywhere. Midhaven Level Five is the name of the facility.”

The nurse left her room and Megan didn’t feel any better. If it was that far removed from civilization, was there connection with the outside world? Telephone service? It seemed like she’d been in hospital for months, even more than a year. No one gave her straight answers. She didn’t know the date and had nothing to write with. She wasn’t allowed sharp utensils, so she couldn’t mark off the days. Her nails hadn’t grown long enough to make scratches anywhere. At times she was beside herself and even had a few screaming fits that only resulted in nurses rushing in and jabbing her with a needle that put her to sleep.

The doctor, followed by the nurse, came faster than she’d expected.

“Well, Megan, we’re going to lose you, but it’s good news for you. Midhaven has accepted you. You’ll be well cared for there.”

“You promised me news about my parents and Mark.” She knew she sounded snappy, but her patience had worn awfully thin.

“Yes. And I can tell you that they’re all fine. We’re keeping them updated as to your progress.”

“Really? And you only tell me this now? When can I see them?”

“Megan, you know we can’t risk infection. You’re still covered in bandages almost from head to toe. You know that. You’ve seen your arms, body, your legs, the ravaging damage caused by the fire.”

Yes, she’d seen it and had chosen not to look anymore. Each time they changed her dressings, she’d close her eyes. Where the thick scabs had started to come off, red puckered skin remained. It was ugly. She could only imagine what her face and scalp looked like. Did she even have lips, or a nose left? Eyelids? There were no mirrors in her bathroom and it was probably a good thing. Even the taps and showerhead were made from a thick white plastic material. Though she couldn’t shower, of course. She sighed. She’d never go out in public again and Mark would be horrified at the sight of her. She doubted that any plastic surgery could ever make her look normal again. “Can I at least have a pen and paper so I can write them?” she asked, almost begged.

“My dear, maybe in Midhaven they’ll give you a crayon. Due to your suicidal thoughts, you can’t have anything that’s sharp.”

Many a time she’d uttered the wish to die. They didn’t realize that even though she had turned into a monster, she’d never have the guts to take her own life. “I wouldn’t try anything,” she told the doctor.

“We can’t take that risk, Megan. Now, I wish you all the best. The paramedics will be here shortly to take you to the transport.”

After the nurse had said goodbye and left the room, Megan sat on the side of the bed and waited. Not for too long. Two paramedics clad in white and wearing masks arrived. They wheeled a gurney into the room.

“I don’t need to lie down. I can sit,” she protested when they asked her to get on it. They didn’t respond. One came toward her with a needle. “What’s that for?”

“Your daily vitamin. Turn on your side please.” He jabbed the needle into her buttock. Seconds later she felt her eyelids grow heavy. “Vitamin, my ass. It was a…” she started to say, but her words slurred and she blacked out.

Arriving in Midhaven
…

Struggling awake, Megan opened her eyes. “Damn, they knocked me out to bring me here. Wherever
here
is,” she muttered. She noticed it was dark out. Wherever they’d taken her had to be quite a long way from the hospital. Unless she’d slept for that long. It was morning, not long after breakfast, when the doctor and nurse were with her and had told her about her move to a new facility. She gazed at the tall windows, but she couldn’t really see anything. The room she was in wasn’t as sterile as the hospital room she’d spent such a long time in. There were some pictures on the walls of flowers and landscapes, a night table with a lamp on it, a comfortable chair, and in the corner a door probably leading to the bathroom. Her bed wasn’t like her hospital bed, either. The mattress was quite hard, but it resembled more of a normal bed, with a floral comforter and mauve sheets. She sat up, wincing. Her damaged skin pulled when she moved about.