The Plan

"No thanks, I think I'll pass," Elaine muttered, sucking lightly on the cigarette held carelessly in her fingers and puffing out ring after ring of smoke. It was something she had only learned a year ago, shortly after she'd been introduced to the crazy addiction that was smoking. To her it was the only thing good, if any, that her ex had taught her in all those months they had been together.

"If I wanted to date another jerk, I would at least find one that's handsome," she continued now, taking another puff.

"Ouch," murmured Jared, the one the insult had been aimed at. His light brown eyes-which had a hint of green in the dim yellow light coming from the lamp resting at the center of the tent-simmered with obvious amusement.

Raven, the only other person present in the tent, rocked back as she gave a loud laugh. "You too really need to fuck sometime. I'm sure it would be interesting for you both, not to mention I, if I am allowed to watch."

"Now you are just being ridiculous, Rave. By now, you should have known me well enough to know that I don't like them small and bent," Elaine said.

"Ouch," Jared said again, just as Raven laughed harder. "But are you sure, though?" he continued after a moment. "To be honest, your past choices in men don't seem to support your words in the slightest. I mean from what I've heard, you were dating that Perry guy, right? Isn't that the little wimp I saw flash across my TV screens a while back, trying shit on a skateboard? Note how I said trying."

Elaine glared at him, and Raven continued howling in amusement.

"There was nothing wimpy about his package," she said matter-of-factly. "Personality, yes, but down there, he had something you could never dream of having."

"True, but only because people usually dream higher; never lower."

By this time Raven was close to choking, but neither of the other two seemed to notice her. They were way too deep in their tense bubble to notice anything not in it, and that included the loud fits of laughter being emitted by the strange woman they had only just met a few days ago.

"Fuck you," Elaine said to Jared.

"It is something I have been suggesting we do since I met you, if you remember well. Glad to know you are finally starting to agree with me."

"Fuck it, I am going outside," Elaine said angrily, rising to her feet.

"It's mighty chilly out there; sure you want to leave this warmth and shelter, and even more, my company?" Jared said with a mocking smile.

"Go to hell."

"Been there babe. Saved you a seat for when you're ready."

"Grr...!" Elaine screamed and stormed out of the tent, tossing her cigarette angrily into the distance. She would kill him in a heartbeat if she had the chance!, she thought furiously. The bastard! What sort of nightmare was this anyway-it was bad being stuck in a forest in the middle of nowhere, but to have a fucking asshole as part of company?! Fuck, if only she'd known. She wouldn't have been so down with taking a crazy trip with Ronald to wherever they'd been headed for before they'd had to make an emergency landing in this scare of a forest. Now she was starving so much that she felt she could eat a horse, her entire body ached from all the walking they'd been doing in an attempt to get to the nearest village as quickly as possible(without making any progress, she should mention, because according to the little map the bastard carried in his pocket, they were still at least fifty miles away), and worst of all, her brain felt like it would burst, solely out of anger for that little creep seated inside the tent. From the moment she'd met him, all she had wanted to do was stamp a foot into his crotch, and while wearing the spike shoes she had brought along with her! She had attempted it, but damn, the guy was quick! He had grabbed her leg that time and pulled her to him, so that she had basically straddled him while standing. Fuck, the guts! The best asshole out there, and that was saying something, as she had met many good assholes in the short time that she'd been on earth. Certainly, no man had made her swear in an entire year as much as he'd made her do in just three days! Three fucking days, and she was already going insane!

And he really was different from the other assholes she'd met before. An asshole, but of a different breed. A different breed that produced them as worse as they come, but with a contrasting style. He never threatened her; never outright called her names, like the others had done; never shouted or screamed at her, and that was something, because only heaven knew the things she'd said to him in those three days that they'd had to be close to each other. He was calm, but had the most biting sarcasm and humor that she had ever seen in anyone. And for some damn reason, that got her more than plain curses like bitch, whore, slut and all the other names she'd had the pleasure of being called countless times by the assholes she'd dated in the past. She seemed to be a magnet for assholes, and she wondered which expression between 'Birds of the same feather flock together' and 'Opposites attract' gave the better explanation. She didn't even know which she wanted to be the true answer.

And fuck, she had just discarded her last cigarette in her rage. What was she going to do now? She knew the jerk had some left in his pack, but cursed be her if she went in there to demand one. Or maybe she should. It would be a way of showing that his taunts didn't get to her, even if they very well did. But still, it would show she didn't care enough about him to let her hatred stop her from attaining a need... Somehow, it would...

She walked back into the tent.

"I told you it was chilly-"

"I need a cigarette, fuckface." And some warmth, but she'll be darned if she told him that.

"I've been told by many to have the most warming embrace," he said, reaching into his cigarette pack and handing her a stick, another mocking smile playing on his face. "Just saying, you know, in case you want to reconsider."

Elaine caught Raven stifling a chuckle.

"I wouldn't be reconsidering anytime soon, dipshit," she said to Jared as she lit her cigarette with the fire from the lamp, and then she headed towards the entrance of the tent, only to stop and turn around to face him again. "And speaking of those 'many' who liked your embrace, did they prefer to take it up their asses, or give it to you up yours?" And she went back outside, not missing Raven's loud laughter(and the bastard's short chuckle). Only Raven seemed to be having a good time in the trip so far. Not once did she think she'd seen the woman show even a slightest hint of worry. Damn impressive, if you asked her.

And speaking of impressive, albeit in an annoying way, the ease with which the idiot inside had handed her the cigarette was that, and more. If it had been Perry after an argument, he would have told her something like "Go to hell, for fuck's sake. With all those flames there, there's got to be a damn good supply of cigarettes!" She wasn't even sure that made sense, but again, how often was Perry known to make sense? At least the jerk inside got one thing right about her-all the men she'd dated in the past were indeed wimps. Bad boys on the outside, but only because they were insecure of the wimpy kid stuck inside them.

But not the idiot, because from what she'd seen, he seemed to be the opposite. Super-nice, quiet(except when with her!) on the outside, but she'd noticed the air of danger that seemed to radiate around him. As much as she hated to say it, she didn't think she wanted to be on his opponent's side in a war. It all showed in those two-again, as much as she hated to say it-dazzling light-brown circles. She could see the strength through them, but nothing more. All else was a blanket of mystery locked in golden-brown. And what about his body-bulging with muscles. Not too much, but not small at all, and all in the right places. The lines, the valleys, all very evident even through his white shirt(well, originally white. It was funny just how much of a brown-dying effect walking through a forest could have. Even her boots were an eye-sore to her. And to think they'd once looked, to her, to be the best pair on earth, and even in hell, she'd have bet).

But back to the idiot, he really was delectable. Indeed, the first thing she'd imagined when she'd seen him for the first time was one of the wildest, most perverted visions she'd ever conjured up in her mind, and she'd had her fair share of those. She'd imagined doing very unladylike things to him then, but then again, who was she fooling. One thing she'd never been known to be was a lady. She looked like one, and quite well, too, but never had she acted accordingly.

But all that lust had evaporated as soon as he'd made his first sentence. She couldn't remember the exact words well, but it had been something along the lines of: "Ronald has always had a thing for troublesome feminine company". True, he hadn't said it to her, and true, she shouldn't have been eavesdropping on him anyway, but who could blame her? She had been pulled to him by an invisible string ever since she'd seen him getting on the plane, looking as mouth-watering as ever, and she'd merely succumbed to the directions the pull had led her, which coincidentally always led to where he was. But that string had snapped on hearing that single statement, and had been replaced by blinding hatred. Still though, he looked as delicious as ever. More so when he'd been sweating during the walk earlier on, trails of salty wetness sliding down the angular planes of his face, clinging to his dark, long lashes, rolling down his masculine neck, and down the hard bulges of his chest, and abs, and...

Fuck! Get a hold of your fucking head, Elaine!, she chided herself, at the same moment that a distant, blood-curdling scream pierced the night, causing her to jerk mechanically. What in God's name was that? But even as she wondered, the answer came to her: Marty...Paige...Ronald! The last name sent her into panic mode. She didn't give much of a darn about the other two.

"Who in hell was that?"

She hadn't noticed the jerk come behind her.

"Who the fuck do you think?" she replied before racing back into the tent. She grabbed her backpack(the only baggage she'd brought along for the journey) off the floor and from it retrieved her semi-automatic pistol. She detached the safety clip and cocked it ready, and then raced back out of the tent, barely hearing whatever it was Raven was saying.

"And where in hell do you think you are going?" Jared asked, grabbing her by her upper-arm.

"Get your hands off me, idiot. My friend is out there-"

"And so you think you and your lousy pistol are going to make much of a rescue alone?" He rolled his eyes in ridicule, though she could see the alarm in the brown circles. "Wait here...we'd all go together...Actually, on second thought, I don't trust you." And he dragged her easily back into the tent. His hand never let go of hers, even as he scrambled through the duffel bag and got out three rifles.

"What the fuck were those in there for?!" she asked. "We were supposed to be going on a journey, not on a fucking military expedition!"

"I'd rather have all these than a semi-automatic, that's for sure," he replied absently as he continued to scramble through his bag, "though I am pretty certain we brought them along for the same reasons. I know better than to go on a trip to an island in the middle of nowhere without the right gear...protection...whatever you want to call it..."

"Hold on a minute, you both are going to leave me here?" Raven asked, worry evident on her face.

"You aren't coming along?" Elaine asked, after unsuccessfully attempting to pull away from Jared's iron grip.

"Hello?" She stretched out her leg to show her bandaged foot. Only then did Elaine remember the woman's painful encounter, during their walk that afternoon, with a spike that had been protruding from the forest floor, and immediately, her heart caught in her chest. Had that been a booby-trap? Were there other people in the forest? Maybe not even people-creatures? The blood-curdling scream rang in her memory, and she froze at how possible the suggestion seemed.

"Know how to use one of these?" Jared asked, waving one of the rifles at Raven.

Immediately, all traces of worry left Raven's face. "You bet I do. Nothing can touch me when I have one of these." She took the gun from Jared. "Come to mama."

"Good," Jared said. "Anyone comes in here that you don't know, don't think twice. Fire the fuck away."

"Aye, aye, sarg," Raven said. "Don't worry about me; I can see pretty damn well here. Can't say the same for you both in the midst of all those trees."

"Don't worry about us," Jared said, throwing the strap of one of the remaining guns over his shoulder and holding the other in his hand. "We'd be fine."

And without warning, Elaine was practically dragged out of the tent and towards the wide stretch of trees a few meters ahead.

"You can at least let my hand free," she complained, not missing the way his eyes blazed with focus and concern.

"With the promise that you would remain as close to me as is possible, I might," he said, eyes staring straight ahead.

"Fine. I promise. Let me go already."
He released his grip immediately without saying a word, and Elaine instinctively massaged her the area of her skin his fingers had pressed upon.

"Sorry if I hurt you," he said callously. "You made it necessary."

"Luckily for you, I think that registered in my head as an apology," she muttered.

"Glad to know." Thick sarcasm. "Where did Ronald and the others say they were going?"

"The river. Should be about three-hundred meters east from here, according to the map."

"I wish they had listened to me when I said a swim wasn't worth the fucking risks they were taking by making such a trip at night." He had practically spoken to himself.

"Ronald has never been known to care about risks," she said pointedly.

"Trust me, I know."

At that moment, there was a loud rustling of leaves to their left, and immediately both aimed their guns towards the direction. Elaine's heart was beating so loudly she thought she would have pass out the next instant.

"Help!" someone screamed, and the next moment, a man came running out of the clusters of trees. Elaine was half-way gone with the trigger when she recognized the terrorized face in front of her as that of Marty, another friend of Ronald's. He collapsed to the forest floor.

"Marty!" she shouted, dropping her gun-hand and running to him. "Are you alright? What happened?"

"Paige..." was all Marty could manage as he gasped for air, eyes flowing with tears.

"Yeah? What happened to Paige?" Elaine encouraged.

"She...she's dead!" Marty cried. At the words, Elaine froze, eyes and mouth agape.

"What happened to her?" Jared asked beside her, continued the interrogation. "Come on, talk to me," he said impatiently when Marty didn't answer immediately.

"It got her...It...It got her..." And Marty began to sob harder. "I tried to hold on to her but she...she slipped away...I..."

"It? Who's it?" Jared said.

"I am not sure what it is..." Marty cried, "....some kind of...creature. I couldn't recognize it at all. It attached...it attacked us at the river...It got Paige and took her away. Ronald...oh, Ronald..."
"Is he alright?" Elaine asked, only coming back to reality. "Is Ronald alright?!"
"I don't know...we lost each other. The creature...whatever it was...it was chasing us, and, and..."

"This creature? What does it look like?" Jared cut in.

"I don't...fucking know," Marty cried, now almost inaudible due to his in-between sobs. "It just had the longest claws...yellow eyes, and it's got legs and all...I have never fucking seen anything like it in my whole fucking life. It was so...so fast. Ronald...he shouldn't have taken that other path...it's rocky and..."

"And was it behind you as you ran here?" Jared asked, eyes looking past Marty.

"It left me for Ronald; it was-"

A loud thwack filled the air, and Elaine noticed the quivering arrow lodged in the tree closest to Jared. The others must have immediately noticed it, because Jared shouted: "Quick, run!"

He rose Marty up to his feet and pulled him along as all three began to run.

"It's fucking armed?!" Elaine screamed as they ran, scaling boulders and low tree branches. Thank God for the moonlight, was all she could think, because if not for it, they would all have been even more screwed.

"It wasn't before!" Marty said.

"Fuck, we can't keep running like this!" Jared said. "It's bound to get us if we don't come up with a plan."

An arrow whizzed by Elaine's head and lodged itself into another tree. She screamed. Marty cried harder. Jared cursed. The thing behind them gave a loud growl. It rumbled in the darkness.

"Turn right!" Jared yelled, and all three did. To Elaine's fear, he stopped, turned, aimed and took a shot. And then he was running again.

"What the hell are you thinking?!" she yelled at him, surprise at how strong her concern for him was.

"Trying to save our necks. He won't miss a third time if I don't give him a need to be anxious."

"For all we fucking know, that thing is immortal!"
"Just run, Elaine! At times like this, it is necessary that you shut the hell up for once!"
Elaine said nothing, but only because she intended to conserve all the energy she could and use it for running instead.

"I don't know if this helps, but there is a wooden shack not too far from here," Marty managed between weary pants. "I can recognize this place; we passed here on our way to the river."

"Can you lead us there?!" Jared asked, half-turning and taking another shot into the darkness.

"I think-"

A sickening sound filled the air, and Marty fell to the forest floor, still.

"Marty!" Elaine screamed, starting to stop, but a hand grabbed her wrist in the darkness and pulled her along.

"Keep going," Jared ordered somberly. "There is nothing we can do for him now."

"Marty..." Elaine cried as she allowed Jared to pull her on.

"You're doing good, Elaine. Just stay calm." For the third time, he turned around and took another shot. And then another. Yet another. All aimed at different directions behind them. They continued to run, cutting through the forest like lightening. At least Jared did, and because he was towing Elaine along, she basically did, too. Three more arrows whizzed by them before they finally saw the shack a short distance ahead. Elaine had not been sure if they would come across it, as Marty hadn't got a chance to give specifics of its location, so it was with relief that she saw the wooden structure in the distance, partially illuminated by the pale moonlight. Her legs were burning by now, but she kept up with Jared's pace. With all the fear and adrenaline flowing in her, she would have run around the entire earth if she'd had to.

To her utmost relief, the door of the shack wasn't locked, and she and Jared raced in and shut it just in time. It quivered a second later, along with the arrow Elaine no doubt knew was protruding from its other side. Jared secured the lock quickly and, not satisfied, went ahead to block the door with the single workbench that was in the shack. To Elaine, the place looked like a carpenter's workshop. Wood shavings and numerous nuts, bolts and tools littered the floor and the bench, on which was also attached a vice and a clamp.

There was a loud slam on the door, and it shook visibly. Then came another, and another, until there was ceaseless pounding on it. Jared aimed his rifle squarely at the door, ready.

"Fuck, we're screwed," Elaine lamented to herself. "It's going to keep us in here till we starve."

"Pessimism is the last thing I need right now, Elaine. Think up something more cheerful."

How could he keep so calm?! Elaine screamed inwardly. Not once had he shown any fear in all of this. Yes, she had seen the apprehension in his eyes, but he had never lost his composure. She wondered if he had ever been in this kind of situation before...whether he was familiar with being hunted. Ronald hadn't told her much about his long-lost bud from high school, but from the number of guns Jared had brought along, and from his outward calm, she could guess that it was not the first time he was surrounded by danger. Had he served in a war? Maybe...maybe not...?

"We are not the only ones that need to eat, you know?"

Only then did she realize that he'd been waiting for her to say something. Or say something cheerful, to be exact. And he had apparently given up on her doing so.

She had no doubt that his words had been uttered with an intention to make her relax, but they were not successful, because they implied something else. Something that didn't settle well with her.

"Ronald is still out there," she murmured, more to herself than him. The poundings on the door still came incessantly.

"He might already be dead for all we know," Jared said bluntly.

"I think we should go out and find him. He is our friend, you know."

He gave her a disbelieving look. "For your sake, and for the sake of the estimate of your logical capacity in my mind, I will assume you didn't mean that."

"Well, at least I am willing to risk my life for my friends, unlike some fucking coward I know standing in front of me!"

"A thinking coward, at least. That's the only difference between us."

"I am no coward, asshole."

"Oh, you're not?" He walked up to her and held out his rifle. "Okay then, have a shot at it. Have a go if you want to."

Elaine mentally buckled. She hadn't been expecting the challenge, and neither was she ready for it. Not when the security she had felt up until that point seemed to evaporate completely with the prospect of her having to go out there alone. Without him. It was then she realized that she had only felt so safe because of him. The danger signals that radiated from him somehow made him seem invincible, and she had unconsciously assumed that under his care, that invincibility would extend to her. And what he was asking her to do now was give up that sense of invincibility.

"You didn't think I meant with that thing still attacking that door, did you?" she said, with an effort to hide her discomfort. "If you did, you are much dumber than I initially thought."
"Well, at the moment I have put no limits to your insanity, so you can't blame me for taking your words that way," he said bitingly.

"I will go as soon as it backs off. I'll take my chances."

"Just let me know when you're ready," he said. "You might not like your life but I love mine, and I intend to have that door open only long enough for you to go out to your death."

"You've almost got me wishing whatever it is out there would just break in. At least I wouldn't have to stand you for much longer."

"Anytime you are ready, babe, I'll let you out that door. It's a pity we never got to sleep together. That might have been your only chance to make your life one well spent."

Elaine ignored him, thinking instead of Ronald and Raven. She wondered if the other woman was still alive. How many of these things were there, anyway? Had another found her? And Ronald...her heart bled. He was the only friend she had...the only one who understood her...who knew enough of her past to know the reason behind her every act...and now she was going to lose him? And to this monster, or whatever it was out there? Had she lost him already? Would they find his body mangled and cut open if she managed to get out of here alive? Perhaps someone would find her body in that state? She went to the closest wall and sank to the floor against it. A long, sad sigh escaped her.

"I'm sorry," Jared said over her. "I didn't mean that."

"What makes you think I give a fuck?"

He gave a weak smile, and Elaine began to doubt he was sane himself. Was he fully aware of the situation they were in? How could he afford to smile?

"Doesn't matter if you do or not," he said, coming to sit beside her. She didn't mind it at all, but she wasn't going to let him think that, and so she scooted further right, and away from him.

"All I'm saying," he carried on as if not noticing her actions, "is that I went too far. I didn't mean it, and neither did I mean any of the negative things I've said since we got in here."

"Well, I hope you don't fucking mean that, because if I would have to shoot you to get out that door when," she drew inverted commas in the air, "I am ready, I sure fucking would."

"The hell you would," he said calmly, a corner of his lips raising in another weak smile. "I am not going to let you out of here. You would thank me at the end, I promise."

"No one stops me from doing what I want," she said, hating the way she sounded like the spoiled, slutty, glitzy girls Ronald liked to watch on TV. Ronald...she swallowed back a sigh; pushed back the tears stinging at her eyes.

"Well, then, I guess my new name is No one. Ronald would hate me if I let you do what you intend to."

"From what I see, you don't give a shit about him," Elaine muttered.

"If that's what you think, so be it," he said, "but I will tell you this-from what I have learnt from experience, I know that when tragedy and danger come hand in hand, one should worry first about the danger and save the emotions for a better time, because if not, there is a tendency to think with the heart. Hear it from the horse's mouth, that almost never turns out well."

"Bullshit," Elaine muttered stubbornly, even though his words made perfect sense to her. "And you are not worrying about the danger yourself. Whatever it is out there is still trying to force its way in here, and here you are sitting, gun aimed anywhere but at the door."

"Maybe I trust my reflexes?" he suggested, giving a sheepish smile. Elaine rolled her eyes, but only to hide the effort she'd put into holding back a smile. What the fuck was she thinking, she questioned herself.

"In any case, I don't think there's much more we can do. These walls are strong enough, and so is the door, but if that bastard out there manages to break in here somehow, the best I can do is send it a few gifts from my rifle. If that doesn't work, nothing will, and it's bye-bye for us both, sweetie."

"Don't get me wrong, I still think you're a fucking coward, but you don't come off as really bothered by the prospects of it joining the party."

He smiled, tracing a finger idly on the wooden floor of the shack. "As are most things, death is subject to habituation. You come eye to eye with it so many damn times and you start to get used to the whole idea after a while."

And he'd come 'eye to eye' with death many times?

It was a question Elaine wanted badly to ask, but some questions were better left unspoken. Especially when the consequences entailed some jerk thinking she gave a rat's ass about his past, even when she actually did.

"What do you care anyway?" she asked after a quiet moment passed. "Why not let me go if I want to? It's one member of the 'troublesome female company' out of the way after all..."

"What do you-Fucking hell!"

"What?!" Elaine asked, eyes darting around for a cue.

"No, relax, it's nothing serious." He laughed, and Elaine relaxed immediately. "Well, actually it kind of is." He chuckled again. "You wouldn't have been mad at me all this while because you took a description of my pet dog back at home to mean a description of you, would you?"

He laughed again, and Elaine immediately felt stupid. Was he lying? Only saying that to make her stop hating him? But she'd seen the sincerity in his eyes, and his laughter sounded just as genuine as it was warming to her ears. And for the first time ever in his presence, she laughed.

"Fuck, I hate you," she muttered. "I really do. I fucking hate you."

He continued to laugh.

That same moment, the poundings on the door ceased for the first time since they'd begun. Elaine's heart stopped once again.

"Where do you think it went?" she asked Jared.

He got off the floor and went to put his ear to the door.

"I can hear it's breathing," he said after a moment. "It's still there. Maybe it's hoping someone in here would be stupid enough to think it gone and try to head outside. Thankfully, I am sure there is no one with a reasoning caliber as low as that within these four walls." He gave her a teasing glance as he came back to sit beside her, making sure to keep his distance. Elaine bit back the urge to chuckle at his words.

"You still haven't explained why you care if I leave here or not," she said instead, wondering why she was so eager to know his reason.

"Because I believe there is a hell, and know just enough about it to know that letting a fellow, fairly irrational human go so easily to their death-and just probably moments before yours-is one of the cheapest ways to book that one-way flight headed there."

This time, Elaine couldn't hold back her chuckle. Despite that, she felt a strange emotion within her. Was that disappointment?

"And, as much as I hate to admit it," he continued, "I find you to be quite interesting. Definitely not worth losing in such a silly manner."

The odd feeling within Elaine disappeared at once, and it suggested something repulsive to her entire being: Had she been wishing this man to confess that he enjoyed her company?!

Fucking impossible, she declared, dismissing the thought quickly. She'd never cared if anyone hated her or not. She'd even liked it when she knew she was hated. It strengthened her view of herself as a rebel-one not ready to be confined by the norms of society. That always came along with abhorrence, after all.

"You're actually not as bad as I thought you'd be," Jared continued beside her.

"I hope you are not expecting me to say the same thing for you," she said uncaringly. "You fit perfectly with the asshole I imagined when Ronald mentioned you."

"Pity. Remind me to cry if ever we get out of here," he scoffed. "You can do away with the toughness by the way; your little misconception of that my one comment three days before has done enough to reveal the insecurity beneath that hard shell you carry around."

"Or maybe my expectations were guiding my perception. I did tell you I'd thought you to be an asshole long before I met you."

"Could be, except that Ronald already told me about your many insecurities, so no, I am pretty sure my opinion is the true one."

"I should have known," Elaine muttered to herself. "That fucking Ronald. Now I am almost wishing he's dead."
"No, you're not, but hey, if that helps you keep the tears away, then by all means play along with the idea."

"Well, it doesn't," she murmured quietly, looking at the floor. Ronald couldn't be dead. What would life be without him? Sure he had a big mouth, but at least most of what came out of it was pleasurable to her ears.

"Ronald is stronger than he lets you in on," Jared said quietly to her. "I am pretty sure if there's anyone else out there that's alive right now, it would be him."

"If you are trying to console me, you aren't trying well enough."

"I am not trying to console you; I am merely giving you another reason why I am this relaxed. If I hadn't known that about Ronald, who knows, I might have been having a wrestle with whatever it is out there right now."

"So you're saying he will be fine?" she asked hopefully.

"I am not saying that, but there is a good chance that he will."

Elaine looked away from him so he didn't see her tears. But she must have done it a tad bit too late, because she felt an arm come around her shoulder. Felt him right next to her in the semi-darkness of the shack.

"Everything would be okay, Elaine," he said.

"You are not sure of that," she muttered quietly.

"Well, neither are you sure that I'm wrong."

She gave a low sigh and, before she could stop herself, rested her head on his shoulder. It was unbelievable how secure she felt with his arm around her. Almost as if she was certain that everything would indeed turn out well, despite the fact that she'd just watched someone have their life snuffed out of them, and by the same thing that was waiting for them outside. She'd never once thought the impromptu call she'd gotten from Ronald less than a week ago would lead to such a disastrous situation. It had never even crossed her mind. Just as it never had a few hours before that she would find herself resting in the embrace of the same man she'd hated so much just a few minutes ago. And not just that, but that she actually greatly enjoyed being in his embrace...

"Wait, this isn't some kind of strategy, right?" she asked, yet not pulling away from him. "You aren't trying to get me to like you, are you?"

She heard his chuckle above her. "And if I am, is it working?"

"I can't be sure," she said with a shrug. "I am not all too familiar with the concept of liking."
"But you like Ronald."

"I wouldn't say like," she murmured. "I like to think of it as some kind of mutual symbolism. We've just depended on each other from day one; it was...programmed that way."

"Hmm..." Jared muttered. "Well, from the little I know about like, I think my strategy is working perfectly well."

"Did I mention how much I hate you?"

"My, if only you knew just how many times..."

They both chuckled in the darkness, and Elaine instinctively pulled closer to him. She didn't care if he was playing out a strategy or not; all she knew was that her action was the most natural thing to do. Actually, there was something else she knew, and it was that from the little she'd heard about the state of liking, she could guess that she was starting to like the man beside her.

"Why did you come along for this trip, anyway?" she asked to distract herself from the embarrassing realization. "You don't seem like the kind of guy who would...you know, takes short, pointless trips."

He laughed. "And you are right there, although I wouldn't call this trip pointless. It hadn't seemed so to Ronald at least. He called me a week ago to tell me he wanted to test a plan and needed my help, and I did owe him a favor or two, hence the only reason why I am stuck in a jungle in the middle of nowhere, being stalked by an alien creature and having someone who despises me as if I am the devil himself as my only company." He spared her a small smile. "It's a pity he was so darn secretive about whatever he intended to do. I might have declined this trip if I'd known. But then again, I am starting to feel less regretful with each single moment that passes."

Elaine smiled, aware of the deeper meaning of his words. And then something crossed her mind.

"Do you think Ronald knew about..." She broke off. It was a ridiculous thought.

"About that thing at the other side of the door?" Jared asked. "No." He shook his head confidently. "Ronald is a psychologist, not some nutcase zoologist who puts his life at risk for the sake of new findings. This isn't Jurassic Park 5, babe. I know it sure seems like it, but trust me, it's not."

Elaine had nothing to say, and so she remained quiet, only noting how pleasing the word 'babe' sounded to her ears when it came from him.

"You don't happen to be married, are you?" she asked without thinking. "Some kind of relationship, maybe?"

He puffed. "Married? No, thank you. Some say it is fun, but then again, some say prison is fun."

Elaine laughed.

"I agree," she said. "Personally, I think it is some kind of mutated, reciprocal occurrence of Stockholm syndrome, you know. Each one of the two people involved is both the victim and the captor, As the victim, one starts to warm up to the other person. As the captor, the other person starts to warm up to him or her."

"Wow, I've never heard it put that way before," Jared chuckled, "but thinking about it now, I can't say your theory isn't spot on."

Elaine chuckled.

"And by the way, I haven't dated since my last year of college," he continued. "That was seven years ago. Pardon me, but women are lunatics. Good thing you don't act like one, or I might have let you go out that door as happily as I would have if you'd been going to the mall or something."

"See, I knew you were sexist!" Elaine accused. "I was being guided by my expectations that day after all!"

Jared smiled. "Let's negotiate-how about fifty-fifty. Insecurities and expectations, in equal amount."
Elaine smiled in the darkness. "Guess I can live with that."

She heard him laugh, and then a long moment passed.

"What do you think it's doing right now?" she finally asked.

"Might be looking for a way in here," he said after a moment. "Don't think about it. If it gets in here, we would give our all for a shot at the next day, but until then, there is so much to talk about that's more interesting."

"Like how much I am hoping you aren't gay?"

The loud roar of laughter from Jared sent Elaine laughing too.

"This is the second time you have suggested me to be gay in the last hour! Careful now, woman, you are crossing treacherous waters!"

Elaine laughed again.

"Perhaps I should show you just how good I am right here and now," he joked. "I said I haven't dated since high school; that doesn't mean I haven't slept with a woman since high school. Quite the contrary, actually."

"A playboy, eh?"

"A man's gotta be what he's gotta be. I want no strings attached, and I make it clear to every woman I meet before we get down to the only interesting thing about them."

"Fuck, you really are a sexist. Not that I am complaining..."
"I am not a sexist," he said. "This is what being fucked up by one bitch does to a man. It makes you generalize all others like them as bitches."

"You were fucked up by a woman?"

"It was many years ago. It's not important right now, but it sure left its mark."

"I still want to know what happened."

He sighed with hesitation, but then said, "It's the usual. Loved her so much...thought she loved me the same way...lived and breathed for her...gave her all she wanted...caught her riding another man. Acted like a true bitch, she did. I can't believe my head was screwed around with so easily; I felt like a fucking dumbshit for as long as it took me to get over her."

"So it's more of a pride thing, then?"

"That and the fact that I actually liked her so much...Fuck, I felt pathetic. Still do anytime I think about it."

"It sure is amusing when you feel pathetic, then," Elaine said. "Perhaps it would make you feel better if you knew that most women learn to do that from experience with men. Men are just as fucked up in my eyes as women are in yours. If not for the few like Ronald, I'd have long since gone on a male-hunting spree, armed with a shotgun and a butcher's knife."

"Ronald did tell me what your father did," Jared said, his tone suddenly serious.

"Fuck, he did, didn't he? Well, that's one man less from the good, abnormal few. That leaves about ten more to go. Seems like I'd still be going on my killing spree, after all."

Jared chuckled. "I was the one who pressed him on, so don't scratch him off your list. If this makes me more convincing, I have been referred to by many as a skillful, ruthless manipulator who does not give a shit about his victims."

"Sounds like your typical male," Elaine muttered, much to his amusement. "But no one beats my dad at that; good thing he got crushed by that truck three years ago, or he would have faced the worst possible way there is to check out of this world."

"It's terrible what he did to your mother," Jared muttered quietly beside her. "Sorry about her."

"She was a little of an idiot, anyway," Elaine said. "Letting him beat her up and yet clinging to him like flies to shit after all he did. It still fucks me in the head to think that she actually killed herself when he died. You find fucking liberation for the first time since you had that ugly ring put on your finger and then you wipe out your own map because you can't stand it. Fucking pathetic."

"I guess we are pathetic ourselves, too. Using one bad experience to guide all our thoughts and actions. Way more pathetic, if you ask me."

"I know, but at least it's understandable," Elaine muttered.

"Is it?"

"Well, I don't fucking know. How about we quit the regrets and continue talking about interesting things?" If he thought it was just one bad experience she'd had, then Ronald definitely hadn't rambled as much as she'd thought he had. And there was no way she would do the rambling herself. Those were waters no one besides her and Ronald were allowed to tread.

"Sorry," came the simple apology.

"It's alright. I just..." Shit, was she going to start explaining her outburst now? And why had she even felt that she had to explain? But she knew why-deep down inside, she did.

"I understand," Jared said quickly. "There is way more to it than you are letting in on, and that's fine. I was wrong to have brought your past up anyway."

Elaine sighed. "Do you always do this?"

"Do what?"

"Make people feel so confused? Perhaps, part of your manipulative skills?"

Jared chuckled. "I mostly don't do it on purpose, if that's what you're asking. I guess that's what makes the difference between me and conmen."

"Good, because I was starting to think you are one. That would explain why Ronald said nothing about your job when I asked. Not to mention that conmen usually have your kind of looks."

"My 'kind of looks'...hmm...would you care to explain?"

She caught his half-smile. "If you think I am going to boost your ego by straightforwardly admitting that I find you to be quite attractive, then you are waiting on the wrong woman."

"Don't worry, a half-confession is just as good to me," he said with a sly grin.

"Good for you," Elaine muttered. She still couldn't believe she'd actually admitted that to him. It was the first time she'd actually said that to a man. Her usual routine when she saw a good-looking guy was to go up in his ear and talk the dirtiest things. Then it was steaming sex, and then complete indifference to him afterwards. There would still be sex, but nothing more. Men were nothing but tools to her-tools with which she satisfied one of her greatest needs, without any strings attached. Sure enough she'd broken a few hearts along the way, but to her, they were always well-deserved. Maybe excluding just one-a guy called Damian whom she'd met a short while after college-but her guilt hadn't even been great enough to cost her a single hour's worth of sleep.

Right then, the expression 'Birds of the same feather flock together' came to her mind, and she couldn't believe she'd ever wondered why she always got the assholes. How easily she could have been the bitch who had turned the mind of the man next to her against women. Wow, how fucking late the epiphany had come...

Before she could say anything else, a buzzing sound of some kind of machine filled the air, and Elaine shot up to her feet, Jared doing the same beside her.

"Is that-?"

"A saw?" Jared said. "Yes, it is."

For some very strange, unknown reason, she wasn't as scared as she was before. She only felt light...free. There might have been a little apprehension, but it was more for the unknown than the idea of death itself. But there certainly was some regret. If only she'd met the man beside her sooner, then maybe...Just...maybe...

"Would you care for this?" he asked her, stretching out his second rifle to her.

"You bet I fucking do," she said with a small smile, taking it from him and cocking it.

"If only I had known, I would have brought my M16 along for the ride," he said.

"And if only I had known, I'd have let you make love to me right there in the restroom of that damned plane."

Jared smiled. "At least you learned your lesson. If at all we don't make it out of here, and if at all there is an afterlife, be sure to obey the words of any man called Jared you meet there."

She laughed. "Perhaps, we could at least do a part of it right now." She came closer to him and tilted her chin. "How about a quick kiss?"

"You know," he said, "that might just be the best thing you suggested all night."

And he crushed his lips to hers, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her to him until her body crushed against his. To Elaine, it was hands-down the best kiss she'd ever had. Maybe it was the adrenaline rushing through her, or maybe he was just so damned good, but whatever it was, it made her really regret having not done this three days ago, and maybe up through till now. He tasted of everything nice, and she found herself straddling him with one leg in an effort to be even closer to him. He grabbed her leg, deepened the kiss, and then suddenly pulled away.

"The last thing we want is to be caught so unprepared," he muttered next to her ear before planting a kiss on her neck. And then he turned back towards the door and aimed.

"I hate you," Elaine said, but this time, with a smile on her face.

Jared only smiled. "Are you ready?"

"I sure am," she said, taking aim at the door. By now, the square being cut around the lock was almost complete. She put her finger to the trigger and took a deep breath.

"One more thing," she said, not taking her eyes off her aim.

"What's that?"

"Fuck it, but I think I like you."

He glanced sharply at her, almost as if he was sure he had heard wrong.

"Well, miss, that sure came early!" he said when he seemed to realize his ears hadn't failed him. She didn't know if he was sarcastic or not, and she didn't get a chance to think more about it, because at that moment there was a loud growl, and the door broke open, followed by a long series of loud, similar growls.

"You didn't see that one coming, did you?" Elaine murmured, at the same time that the first of the creatures sauntered into the room. Two simultaneous rifle bangs filled the air, and immediately, the creature dropped to the ground.

"Must say I fucking didn't," Jared muttered, his aim still at the door, waiting for the next creature. "Oops," he added humorously.

Elaine smiled, wondering how she could be so happy at the face of death.

"Is it me or is it kind of silent around here?" Jared asked, interrupting her brooding.

"No, it's not just you. What do you think they are waiting for?"

Before Jared could speak, a new voice filled the air. "Cut the cameras!" it said. Elaine immediately recognized the voice. It sounded like Ronald's.

And sure enough, Ronald walked into the room the next second, a lantern in his hand, and a bright grin on his face. "How splendid! To know that I was a hundred percent certain you both would come to like each other if the circumstances were right. Or should I say... wrong?"

Elaine's face was a mask of shock. "What do you m-"

"Marty, please replay the tape, will you?"

"Aye, aye captain," someone called from outside; it did sound like Marty.

Immediately, a loud growl resounded in the silent forest, and after some seconds came the same sound, but this time a chorus of it. The same one Elaine and Jared had heard just moments before.

"You can come in now, boys and girls," Ronald continued when the growls had ceased, and as Jared and Elaine watched with open mouths, Paige, Marty and Raven came into the room, each smiling from ear to ear. A controller was visible in Paige's hand, and she pressed a button on it. To Elaine's utter shock, the hand of the creature on the floor moved, but only slightly.

"Fuck, that's three month's hard work raped completely by a couple of shot gun rounds," Paige muttered disappointedly.

"And no, I am not a ghost, in case you both are wondering," Marty said with a grin, exchanging glances between Elaine and Jared. "Next time, at least check for the cause of death before assuming me to be dead. I had no arrows sticking out my back, you would have noticed if you'd looked."

"Are you telling me," Jared said, only just seeming to find his voice, "that this was all an act?"

"We have the tapes, just in case you both try to deny all that was said and done between yourselves in the last hour and a half," Ronald said. "We all knew you were perfect for each other; you just needed a little guidance if you were to see it. My, the things perceived danger can do...But anyway," his smile broadened, "tell me, what do you think of my plan?"

Only then did Elaine remember Ronald's initial mention of a plan. She didn't know which between her rage and her relief was stronger within her, but what she did know was that she didn't want to waste another second before being alone with the man she'd just spent the last hour of her life basically baring her soul to, and that she intended to screw him all the way back to loving women again, because for the first time in her life since the day she'd been born, she found herself wanting to love a man, and not just that, but wanting him to love her back.

She walked up to Jared and brought her lips over his right ear. "What do you say about us getting lost right away?" she murmured breathily.

"I need a minute; I intend to teach these people a hard lesson," he said, turning his gaze to Ronald and his crew towards the end of his statement. Ronald beamed; the others, not so much.

"I honestly don't think I can wait one minute," Elaine murmured further, sliding one hand down his body until she found what she wanted. She closed her grip around him, not giving a darn about the others in the room. Like it had been back at the tent with Raven, Jared was the only one else in her little bubble, but unlike it had been at the tent, this bubble was not a tense one. Euphoric, if anything.

"You know," Jared said, his voice suddenly hoarse, "I am pretty darn sure you just spoke for the both of us."

And he grinned as he swept her off the ground and into his arms. Not saying a word more, he carried her out of the shack.

As for Ronald, he might not have gotten a response, but he didn't need one.

It had indeed been a good plan.