Hunted Pleasures Chapter Two

Chapter 2

 

 

Slap!

Phoebe Washington groaned, just missing the b*****d. Damn mosquitos, she thought, scratching the small, red patch of skin, slowly inflaming on the left side of her shoulder. They hadn’t even been at the lodge for an hour before a swarm of tiny blood sucking vampires attacked her�"only, her it seemed�"in waves.

“It’s your perfume.” Emma said for the fifth time since they’d gotten off the plane in Manaus, Brazil three hours ago. Only to hop back on to another, much smaller plane that took them to… God knows where. And finally by boat, up a long winding river till they entered the very lonely, very secluded Bungalow Jungle Resort. 

They were in the jungle, alright. Smack dab in the middle of the monkey swinging, toucan singing Amazon, which by the way was not where she had hoped to spend her vacation.

Yes, they were in a room that had beds. Yes, they had clean sheets. And yes, they even had a private bathroom and kitchen. But that wasn’t the point. For Phoebe, the whole point of having a vacation in Brazil, was to relax, bathe under the hot sun on a Rio beach, and sip martinis all while watching the local male tail walk by. 

She wouldn’t get that now.

Glancing down at the neatly fluffed, hotel-white pillow, she noticed a small bottle of bug repellent lotion, meant to take the place of what would have been the signature mint chocolate at any other welcoming resort. She grabbed the bottle of complimentary repellent. Half wanting to chunk it across the room or out the window somewhere, she instead, twisted off the cap and poured a little into her palm, messaging her arms and letting it absorbed into her skin. Bet the staff members at the Bungalow resort figured they’d get a few good laughs in about this one, she thought dryly, twisting the cap back on. American tourists would always need a bug repellent backup out here.

“Hey, did you hear me?” Emma Chuckled.

Pulled from thought, Phoebe rolled her eyes and looked over her shoulder, irritated by her sisters’ light hearted tone. “Yeah, I heard you for the umpteenth time Emms. Perfume. Check.”  It wasn’t like she’d taken dunked herself in her favorite orchid scent before they’d left, she’d just dabbed a bit on. But it seemed like every mosquito in the forest had traveled near and far just to get a bite out of Phoebe.  

She mumbled a curse under her breath shaking her head before placing the bottle on the bamboo nightstand next to the bed. So, she was irritable. And tired. And, well just plain old cranky but she had good reason.  Four weeks ago she’d won a local radio challenged. Of course that’s nothing to be cranky about. Right?

 Now Phoebe, the radio broadcaster had said, the big grand question of the week, what is the capital of Brazil? The caller before her had yelled something ridiculous like “Chile!” The broadcaster had let the woman down gently, informing her that Chile was actually a country of its own. So, Phoebe had decided to call in knowing exactly what it was.

            To her surprise, knowing the right answer had bought her two free, first class tickets and a four night stay in Rio de Janerio. Rio! Not the Bungalow. Four weeks, three days, two plane rides and a boat up a river and this is where she and her sister had landed. No one was able to explain to her what had happened, how it had happened or why.

            “You know,” Emma started, “this might not be so bad.”

            She sighed at that, pulling her remaining cloths from the suitcase. “I know.” The truth and her first admission since their arrival. She had wanted to remain mad, had secretly wanted it to ruin the vacation completely or at least enough to make her want to pack up and head back to Florida. But with her sister here, she was forced�"in a good way�"to make an effort.

“On our way up to the room, I saw a bulletin with all sorts of activities. Though, I didn’t get a good look at what kind. But after we unpack we can check it out.” A pause. “If you want.”

The sound of a dresser drawer opening could be heard from behind. She really didn’t want to do anything but take a nice cool shower to sooth her itchy skin and to wash the repugnant odor of repellent lingering at the surface.

Quit wallowing and cheer up. This was a free vacation. She told herself. Most people would jump for joy for even having a chance to travel, period. Granted this was in the Amazon but it was still free, and free should mean fun.

Phoebe straightened herself. She would have fun. Even if it killed her to admit that the forest was beautiful and mysteriously exciting. Outside of the annoying buzzing sound of mosquitos and other insects she probably had never seen before, she would have fun.  “Sure, I’ll come with you.” She said on a turn, watching Emma place the last of her cloths from her suitcase into the chest of drawer space provided for them.

“Great!” An eager smile stretched across her sisters’ face. Almond shaped eyes gleamed with satisfaction, light brown contacts hiding a natural mystery behind.

In her mid-twenties Emma was the oldest sister of three siblings, Phoebe being the youngest and then their brother Greg in the middle. She was also very beautiful, especially when she didn’t wear her contacts.

There was a dark violet ring around Emma’s deep brown eye, a partial tell-tell sign that Emma carried Mage blood in her, Mage meaning witch. Compliments of their mother who apparently had natural violet colored eyes. The eye color of all Mage. Their grandfather Jake had told them that there were more Mage out in the world but that most were far too dangerous to associate with. Neither Phoebe nor Emma had ever seen them.

 “After we check out the activities, maybe we can swing by the lake and take a quick dip; seems pretty clean.”  She shrugged, pulling out her black bathing suit from the drawer.

Sounded like a good idea. She though. Something would have to be done to dag herself out of her loathing state of mind.

 Glancing to the digital clock at her nightstand, the time read well after ten P.M. God knows what would be lurking in the lake in the dark. “Do you really think it‘s going to be safe at this hour?” Have fun. She reminded herself. “You know what, never mind.” She added quickly. “Let’s just do it.” 

“Sweet.”

After they finished unpacking and donning their bathing suits, they headed towards the main office where Emma said she’d seen the bulletin board. There they were able to pick out and sign up for couple of activities to indulge in while at the lodge. First; a six mile hike in the morning and then canoeing lessons later that evening.

They asked for direction to the lake-front and fifteen minutes later, flip-flopped their way down a path from the lodge, towels in hand. It was starting to look like they were actually going to have some real fun.

 

                       ***

 

“I’m telling you the damn thing… retreated.” Casimiro tossed his hands up, not knowing any other way to put it. “I know what I saw and I know what happened.” He told him, exasperated. He unclipped the holster from around his waist and tossed it to the bed before running a frustrated hand through his dark curls, glancing back to his partner. The man was on his stomach, still sprawled out on his bed flipping through channels. “Regis!”

            “I heard you.” He growled, gunning an annoyed glance over his shoulder. He flipped off the TV and set up, sweeping his legs to the side and placing the remote on the bamboo nightstand that separated his bed from Cass’s. “It just…well, it just doesn’t make any since to me.”

            “And you think I understand it any better?”

            “I didn’t say that.” There was bite in his tone. “But you should have waited for back up. You could have gotten yourself killed out there.”

            True, he couldn’t deny that. He knew damn well he should have waited for the others. But if he’d lost the trail, hell, the only trail they’ve had in three days, due to rain, they would be right back at square one. This probably wouldn’t have been a bad place to be, considering what had happened tonight.

He plopped himself on the edge of his bed and took in a deep breath. Think, think. He rubbed at his temples. “Maybe they’re learning to evolve further than they already have.” He offered. “You know, learning to work together to accomplish a common goal.”

It was a long shot. A very long shot. The Demen were the monsters of the Valarian race, the put-them-down-they-all-have-rabies kind. They were un-socialized, uncontrollable killing machine out for blood, flesh, bones and marrow. Human, Valarian or animal, its taste for blood held no lines.

Yet, they had clearly demonstrated some kind of new hunting technique. Nothing that Cass, or any other hunter he knew, had seen before. What if some were able to tap into their animal spirit and shift or even worse tap into their ability to persuade people by thought.

Merda!

            Regis glanced up, “Evolution is a b***h, a lot could happen.” That didn’t reassure his last thoughts at all. “But I highly doubt evolution has anything to do with what you saw tonight, especially when it’s completely unheard of.”

            He had a point. If evolution were any part of what he’d seen tonight, someone somewhere would have seen it as well. There were a lot of Valarian hunters around the world doing exactly what they did for a living. If someone had seen or experienced what he had tonight, the Hunters Divisions would have been all over it. “So, if not evolution, then what?” he shrugged.

            Regis was silent for a long moment, thinking. Then said, “Could be Mage.”

            Cass closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose with a hand, hard. Could very well be Mage.

He hadn’t wanted to think about it, hadn’t wanted to even consider it as an option. This was his home damnit and he would protect it�"no, had to protect it. They wouldn’t take it from him again. He wouldn’t allow them the chance to strip him bare as they’d done once before and he wouldn’t allow them to destroy the people who called this forest their home.  He would kill every last one of them. Slice their throat and make them bleed for days. Then laugh about it. 

A slight smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Yes, he’d laugh while cutting their beating hearts out of their chest, laugh he while�".

“Cass!”

The sound of Regis’ voice sliced through his imagery and he stiffened, eyes popping open to meet his friends gaze.

“Did you hear me?”

He hadn’t heard the man speak a single word. Not after the hazy fog of rage had settled, whisking him back to a time when everything and everyone he had ever loved had been taken from him in a single night. No, he hadn’t heard a word. “What?”

A calm breath. “I said we’ll contact Jude and fill him in on what happened in the morning.” Regis got up to stretched, then walked towards the small kitchen area. “Right now we can’t do anything about it.”

Cass nodded, eyes following Regis before noticing a duffle bag sitting on the counter that hadn’t been there when he’d left that afternoon. He knew the Jude, head of the hunters division, had sent out another hunter to their location to help out, but he hadn’t found out who’d he’d sent. Nodding toward the bag, “Whose is that?” he asked.

Regis followed his gaze. “Jax’s. He got here not soon after you le�".”

Cass let out audible breath.

Regis frowned. “What’s that about?”

“Nothing.” He lied. 

Cass and Jax hadn’t gotten along since meeting for the first time in Rio. A couple of years back there had been a Demen horde clogging up the sewer tunnels and Jax had nearly gotten Cass killed twice. He claimed that Cass’s near death experience had been because he lacked suitable hunting skills. Then, Jax had proceeded to insult Cass further claiming his lack of skills in the field probably reflected as badly in the bed room as well. That had seriously pissed him off. They’d gotten into a few fist fights until Jax finally got transferred to the North American division, somewhere in Alaska. Now, Jude had apparently transferred his a*s back.

Regis, being from the European division didn’t know anything about the guy, except for what every other hunter knew about him. Jax was an a*****e who only looked out for himself; someone you would never want on your team. It was probably why Jax bounced around so much. There was only so much him you could take, without wanting to deal death to jax yourself.

“Well, Jax and Shiloh are at the lake-front if you want to hang and sing kumbaya or whatever. I’m going to make some calls, see if any other hunters have heard or seen anything different in Demen behavior.”

Again Cass nodded, watching Regis disappear through the kitchen and around the corner into the smaller attached bedroom they used as a makeshift office.

There was too much on Cass’s mind to try and be social especially around Jax. Shiloh he could deal with, but not Jax. What he truly needed was a good run to get his mind off the events of the night. A run, which would allow him to get lost in the adrenaline, speed and freedom of what he truly was.

Ten minutes later Cass was climbing over the lofty fencing that separated the guest at the Bungalow resort from the true natural habitat of the Amazon. He landed quietly with a light “thud” on all fours, hands digging into dirt, before slowly rising.

 The night was just as he had left it. Just as it had been a few hours ago. Only this time, the enchanting sound of night dwelling creatures, that too called this forest home, were not threatened by the unnerving sound of the Demen. Their echoed chants were able to roam free and ran undisturbed deep into the jungle. 

 He stripped from his black T-shirt as he walked in long eager strides through tall, thick vegetation and a lush damp soil. Only stopping to unzip his jeans, take his boots, socks then trousers off, tossing them aside in a pile behind a tree. 

Breathing in damp heat and the sweet floral scents surrounding him, he closed his eyes and pulled the animal that lurked deep inside him. A “purr”, a soft nuzzle against his mind signaled that his beast was stirring for the first time all night.