Wild Rain

Chapter Eight

"WE can't leave any of those people with Tomas," Rio answered with a heavy sigh. "I don't think we have a choice in the matter."

"This isn't going to be like the other times," Drake cautioned. "We've always done the smash-and-grab and gotten them out of the country while we scatter into the forest. The reward money changes everything."

Rachael could feel four pair of eyes on her. She kept her face averted. She should have known the reward would be too large to ignore, especially in countries where people had very little. "Money talks. That's the motto in my family. El dinero pavimenta la manera."

"Money paves the way," Rio translated. He had heard the phrase before, but the origin eluded him. He glanced at Drake, arched an eyebrow in inquiry. "Interesting motto for a family."

Drake shrugged and shook his head. He thought he'd read the motto before, perhaps in the papers, but he couldn't remember anything about it.

"Yes, well, I have an interesting family. Sooner or later, they'll send a representative to bribe your government officials if they haven't already. I'll have to leave the country fast." She tightened her fingers around the waistband of Rio's pants. If he was going to lie across her and hold her down while Tama smeared his foul-looking concoction over her leg, he may as well be of use. Deliberately she brushed her fingertips over his skin, hoping it was a punishment.

"You can't leave the country now, Missy." Tama shook his head. "Tell her Rio. The bandits will close the borders. They have spies all up and down the river, along the borders, everywhere. Most of the people are afraid and just want the bandits to leave them alone. With the reward so high, they'll have more help than usual. It will be better to just hole up and wait until the storm blows over."

Kim nodded his agreement. "My brother speaks the truth, Miss Rachael. There are good people up and down the river, but that much money would bring prosperity to an entire village. It would be easy to justify such a small thing as passing information along. Better you stay unseen in the forest and wait until it is believed you perished in the river."

Rachael went very still beneath Rio. She studied the four men carefully. "I suppose you're right, Kim. It would bring prosperity to an entire village. The government would want the money. Any of you could probably use it too."

Rio's hand went to the nape of her neck, his fingers beginning a slow massage as if to comfort her when they both knew there could be no comfort. Not with the kind of money being offered to betray her.

"You have nothing to fear from my people, Miss Rachael," Kim said.

She smiled at him without really looking at him. "Keep telling yourself that, Kim, and sooner or later you'll be disappointed. People who love you will betray you for less. Money buys everything from food, medicine and education to freedom and power. People kill each other for fifty dollars. Even less than that. Anyone in this room might want that money, and who could blame them? I'm a stranger to all of you."

Rio sat up, adjusting her pillows into a more comfortable position. "No one in this room will betray you, Rachael. Drake and I have prices on our heads. If we tried to betray you to any of the bandits, they would kill us on sight. Kim and Tama have no need of money."

Rachael's dark eyes met Rio's gaze in challenge. "I'd be willing to bet you wouldn't have to deal with any of the bandits. If you give me up to a government official, you'd most likely get your reward."

Rio wasn't going to continue to argue with her. And he wasn't going to admit, even to himself, that her suspicion bothered him. He met her eyes steadily. "I'm sure you're right, Rachael, but for all you know I'm wanted by the government too. You said yourself I was running away from something or I wouldn't be here."

Rachael couldn't pull her gaze away from Rio's stare. He was always direct and focused. Always intense. She felt as if she were falling into the depths of his brilliant green eyes. He was sheer black magic, a product of voodoo and love potions. She was a grown woman with a price on her head. She didn't have flights of fancy and she didn't fall head over heels just because a man had a killer body.

Rio unexpectedly leaned very close to her, his lips against her ear. "You're doing it again. You can't look at me like that. It's going to get you into trouble someday."

Drake cleared his throat. "Why in the world would someone put up a million dollars to get you back?"

Rachael continued to look at Rio. She saw only Rio. His weathered face, the lines etched there from too many missions, too many decisions he didn't want to make. Eyes that held so much focused intensity. Eyes that could be as cold as ice or burning with such heat she caught fire. Eyes that were a vivid green instead of the yellow-green she'd seen so often.

"Well, that is the question, isn't it?" Rachael murmured. "What have I done? What did I steal? Because no one would put up that kind of money without a just cause."

"You forgot the most important question. What do you know?" Rio amended.

Rachael took a deep breath, turned away from his all-seeing stare. "I thought you all had to go rescue the others."

"It isn't that easy. Tomas moves his camp and moves his prisoners all the time. They have tunnels in the fields they drop down into. The cane fields can cover a maze of tunnels that go for miles," Rio explained.

"Rat holes," Drake said. "They have so many bolt-holes it takes time to find them and pinpoint their location."

"And just about the time we have a fix on them, the prisoners are moved again," Rio added. "We have to move carefully, especially with Tomas. Drake and Tama were able to get Kim out because no one expected a rescue so soon. This series of storms are some of the worst we've experienced in years. The last thing anyone would think was that Kim's family would know something happened and go after him using one of our people to aid him."

Rachael was too exhausted to do anything but lie back on the pillows and think. She hated to admit it, but the strangely colored concoction Kim and Tama had smeared on her leg had definitely taken away much of the pain. She glanced down at her leg and nearly laughed. Her calf and ankle were still swollen nearly double the normal size and now appeared as if she were wearing a brownish-green sock. The two puncture wounds continually drained, which added to the entire effect. "Lovely," she murmured.

"I think so," Drake said, grinning at her with boyish charm.

Rio waited for the sudden surge of black jealousy that seemed to be a curse hanging over his species, but surprisingly it didn't come. He could feel the brush of Rachael's fingers along his back, the way she tugged absently on the waistband of his pants. It was such a small thing, but it was familiar and comforting. He felt confident and secure in his relationship. Rio smiled and shook his head. He had to keep reminding himself he didn't have a relationship with her. He reached behind him to capture her hand. "I swear, Rachael, I have flashbacks around you."

They stared at one another, completely in tune at that moment. Their smiles were slow and genuine, smiles of complete understanding, spreading warmth through them both.

Drake cleared his throat to draw Rio's attention. "And you always thought it was a myth. Rachael, my dear, I don't think you have to worry about anyone turning you in for money or for anything else. You've come home where you belong."

"Do you have any idea what he's talking about?" Rachael asked. But she could see it on Rio's face. He knew exactly what Drake was talking about. And she saw something else. Just for the briefest of moments she saw hope and happiness in Rio's eyes. It flickered there and was quickly covered up. "You do know."

"Drake has a thing about old legends. He believes in fairy tales. I don't," Rio answered gruffly.

Drake nudged him. "But you're beginning to. What about Maggie and Brandt? Are they a myth? You just don't want to admit when you're wrong." He turned his attention to Rachael. "Rio's stubborn. No one's ever been able to do a thing with him. Good luck is all I'm going to say."

Rio groaned. "Don't believe him, Rachael. He always has more to say. If we were lucky he'd shut up now, but it isn't going to happen."

Kim and Tama nodded in agreement, laughing aloud as they did so.

Rachael was very aware of Rio's thumb sliding intimately back and forth over her wrist. "Is that true, Drake?"

"Lies, all lies," he denied, clutching his heart. "And they call themselves my friends. I risk my life for them and this is how they repay me."

"Poor thing," she commiserated, trying not to laugh. Drake and Rio were such powerful, dominant-looking males, yet at that moment they looked like two boys laughing over a silly joke together. Rachael had all kinds of questions, but she put them aside until she could be alone with Rio.

"Rachael's tired," Rio said. "We should let her rest while we decide what we're going to do about finding this lost group of do-gooders." He saw her swift frown and hastily retracted. "Kidnap victims."

Drake laughed again. "I always wondered what could make you politically correct. It isn't a what, it's a who."

Rachael watched the four men go out onto the verandah, leaving her with Fritz. They closed the door, but she could hear the low sound of their voices. Somehow it was reassuring to hear them as she drifted between waking and sleeping. Rain was intermittent. There would be the murmur of the wind in the trees, the flutter of leaves and the continual sound of insects and birds, of troupes of monkeys chattering back and forth as they moved through branches. The sounds crept into her dreams, familiar and soothing. The humidity was never oppressive, but rather heightened her senses, making her aware of the curves of her body, of her nerve endings, of her sexuality. She felt drops of sweat running down the valley between her breasts.

Rachael closed her eyes and Rio was there, bending his dark head toward her body, his tongue swirling over the swell of her breast, sending a shiver down her spine. Her body tightened in anticipation. He looked at her and her breath caught in her throat. There was so much love there. So much devotion. She felt tears welling up. She knew him so well, every expression, every line. When he was tired or happy or angry. She wrapped her arms around him, held him to her while they listened to the wind and rain beating softly at the window.

Rio tapped at the window, wishing he'd thought to pull the blanket aside so he could see Rachael. He was certain she'll fall asleep fast. Her leg was healing, but very slowly. He counted them lucky that she hadn't lost it. "Tama, thank you for mixing up the herbs to heal Rachael's leg. I was worried I might not be able to save it. She was pretty sick for a while."

"You know most of the healing plants," Tama replied. "This is a mixture my father uses when we must heal quickly without much pain while traveling through the forest and rivers. The river can be dangerous to open wounds. This puts a sealant over it to prevent parasites or bacteria from getting under the skin."

"Don't worry, Rio, I made certain I left the puncture wounds open to drain," Kim added. "Are you going to tell us how that happened?"

"Not to mention, you look a little worse for wear yourself," Drake pointed out.

Rio put his hand on the window, spread his fingers as if he could touch her. He felt her calling to him. There was no sound, but he knew she was there in his mind, maybe in his skin, reaching for him, separated only by the thin walls. "I took a couple of minor hits, nothing big, getting, our last victim out. And I had the little run-in with the leopard. If you come across anyone with damage from a big cat, let me know. He's got to go for treatment somewhere."

"You think he was after you or after the woman?"

"I thought he was sent after me at first. He was definitely tracking, but now I think maybe it was Rachael all along."

"The reward?"

Rio's fingertips drummed on the window. "I don't think he meant to take her out of here. I think he was going to kill her."

Drake winced visibly. "One of ours? We don't kill women, Rio, especially one of our women and she is. You know she is."

"I don't know anything at this point." Rio leaned against the railing and looked at his friends. "Since she's been around I'm in a perpetual state of confusion." He grinned a little sheepishly.

"Who is she Rio? Where'd she come from?" Drake asked.

Rio shrugged. "I don't know. She doesn't talk about herself very much." He rubbed his hands together and looked out into the darkened interior of the forest. "I remember her. I remember everything about her. Sometimes when I'm with her, I can't tell the difference between the past and the present."

"Does she remember you?"

"I think she does sometimes. I see it in her eyes. And she admits to being just as confused as I am." Rio shoved both hands through his hair. "What have you heard, Kim? Did anyone in the camp give you any information on her?"

"I'm sorry, Rio. They want that money and they'll turn the forest inside out to get it. Whoever is offering the reward wants her badly."

"She said they wanted her dead," Rio admitted, "but nothing else. She didn't say why and she obviously believes they'll keep coming."

"Anyone offering a million dollars is serious," Drake concluded.

Kim shook his head. "Not dead, Rio. They are not to kill her. If she is harmed in any way, the reward will not be paid. I heard Tomas talking to his men. He repeated it several times. They are not to harm her."

The wind blew steadily through the leaves, turning them from dark to silver as the rays of diffused sunlight burst through the canopy. Rio straightened from where he was leaning against the railing, paced restlessly the length of the verandah before returning to stand in front of Kim. "You're certain of this?"

Kim nodded. "Tomas said she was not to be harmed or they wouldn't get the money. He was adamant."

"Rachael said they were trying to kill her. Could she be wrong? She said a cobra was put into her room right before they went upriver. And she left the States under false papers in order to disappear because someone wanted her dead."

"Do you think she's lying to you?" Drake asked.

Rio paced a second time, turning the idea over in his mind. Finally he shook his head. "I think she believes someone is trying to kill her. And she doesn't panic easily, so it isn't hysteria. If Rachael says someone wants her dead, I have to believe her. It's possible we're dealing with two separate factions. Someone is willing to pay a great deal of money to keep her alive. They're making a big fuss openly, going to the government demanding they find her, and someone else. Someone much quieter who is working to keep her silent. That person is hiring assassins to make certain she doesn't talk."

"That's a jump, Rio," Drake said.

"I know it is, but it's possible. I believe her when she says someone is trying to kill her. Why would a woman like Rachael try to disappear into the rain forest?"

"She's close to the Han Vol Dan, Rio. You felt it just as strongly as I did. She's very close. Maybe it draws our people back to the forest."

"Maybe. I asked her if she heard those words before and she couldn't remember. She said they weren't unfamiliar, yet she had no real knowledge of them."

"It complicates things," Drake said. "It's a dangerous time for everyone. I'm leaving here tonight. I don't dare stay around when she's so close."

"Did you feel it, Kim? Tama?" Rio asked curiously. "You've been around our people many years. I practically grew up with you."

"I've never been close to anyone during the time of the Han Vol Dan," Kim admitted. "I've heard of it, of course. Our elders speak of such things, but to my knowledge, no one other than your people have witnessed such an event." He looked to his brother for confirmation.

"I know of no one," Tama said, "But I did feel the pull of the woman. I thought it was the close proximity. She is very sensual."

Rio winced, but he was used to the open, direct nature of his friends. He felt the churning in his stomach, a sure sign of danger. "Yes she is, at least I find her so. It is best if you all leave until this time passes. Drake is right. It's dangerous to all of us."

"I'll leave the radio, Rio. We can scout around, pick up the trail, and when we have something, we'll let you know. You won't be able to leave her unless this time passes."

"We run the mission the way we always run it," Rio objected. "If we start changing things, someone is going to get killed. Let me know as soon as you have something and I'll be there."

Kim and Tama rose together as if in silent communication. Drake stepped off the verandah to the wide branch.

"Give my regards to your father, Kim," Rio said. "May all the magic of the forest be with you and may fortune be your companion as you travel."

"Good hunting to you always," Tama replied.

"Stay alert, Rio," Drake added as the two tribesmen descended carefully to the forest floor. "I'll put out the word about the leopard, but you know he'll be back if he took a contract. It is ingrained in us to never stop. You'll have to kill him."

"Damn it, Drake, don't you think I know that?"

"I know how you are. I just want you to watch your back."

Rio nodded. "You don't have to worry about me. Say hello to the others."

"You going to bring Rachael to meet everyone soon?"

"I want to give her time to adjust. Time for us to adjust." Rio hesitated. "I haven't been around anyone for more than a couple of hours at a time. Even within the unit, I work alone. I don't know if I can fit someone into my life and make it work."

Drake grinned, but there was no humor, touching his eyes. "I'd be the last man to tell you how it's done, but I wish you the best of luck." He started down the tree branch, then turned back. "Don't throw it away, Rio. Not when it's handed to you like this. Most of us will never have the opportunity."

Rio nodded and watched the three men disappear into the shadows of the forest. He stood for a long while breathing in the crisp, clean air, the fragrance of flowers and rain. From habit he raised his head and sniffed the air, scenting the wind. He relied on his own resources to give him advanced warnings of impending danger, but the animals in his territory always aided him.

He coughed, a series of grunts, sending out the word to be carried near and far, from the smallest creature on the forest floor to the honeybees building their giant combs high in the canopy. Wings fluttered overhead, an orangutan moved slowly through the branches looking for better-flavored leaves and butterflies swarmed over the masses of flowers on the tree trunks. Everyone went about their business, unafraid when there were no intruders in their realm.

Rio opened the door. At once the wind rushed into his house, swirling around, sending the mosquito netting dancing. Rachael lay asleep, her black hair spilling across the pillow. The wind tugged and teased at the silky strands so that her hair moved, beckoning to him. He pulled the door closed and resisted the temptation of lying down beside her. If he were going into action again so soon, he would have to clean all his weapons and make certain he had emergency kits stashed along every escape route.

RACHAEL ate very little and stayed quiet, stroking Fritz's fur while she watched Rio work. He had more guns and more knives than anyone she'd ever met, and she was familiar with weapons. He used the same care cleaning as he did fixing up wounds, meticulous and steady, not missing a single detail. She watched as he took several sets of clothes and small medical kits along with some of the guns and put them in weatherproof packs.

"What are you doing with those?" Curiosity finally got the better of her. Rachael was comfortable with silences and with being alone, but not like Rio. He seemed perfectly fine going hours without saying a single word.

Rio glanced up and blinked, as if he'd just noticed her. In truth he'd been aware of her every move. He was nearly hypnotized by the sight of her fingers stroking the cat's fur. "I stash the packs along my escape routes in case I'm out of ammo, weapons or need medical supplies. It can be very useful."

"And the clothes?"

"Comes in handy if I need a change," he answered glibly.

"I see. Are you going to tell me why your friend Drake acted so strangely around the cats and why it didn't bother you? I expected, just for a moment there, for him to suddenly erupt into violence. I think you expected it too."

"Drake has lived in the forest for most of his entire life. We're very primitive here. We react to things in nature; It sounds a little strange, but if you're here a long time, you'll understand." His hands stilled on the knife he was sharpening. "I want you to stay a long time, Rachael."

His gaze was direct as always. Rachael couldn't have looked away if her life depended on it. His voice was so low she almost didn't hear him. For a moment she couldn't breathe, her chest so tight from a mixture of hope and fear. She almost blurted out her first thought. She wanted to stay-needed to stay. Had never wanted a man the way she wanted him. But death was poised over her head and it didn't care who happened to be in the same vicinity.

"With me, Rachael. I want you to stay here with me."

"You know I can't, Rio. You know why." Her fingers curled so tightly in the clouded leopard's fur, Fritz lifted his head and looked at her with his lip curled.

"Then at least want to stay with me. If you could, would you want to be with me?" She belonged with him. He knew it with every breath he took. Knew it with every fiber of his being. How could she not know? Not feel it? It was so clear to him.

Rachael pulled her hand away from the cat and dragged the cover to her chin. A small protection, but it made her feel in control. Rio stood up in his lazy, languorous way, the one that always reminded her of a feline. Without hesitation he lay down beside her, fitting his body around hers, careful to keep from touching her leg.

The blanket was between them, but Rachael felt his body right through the thin weave. When she took a breath, she took him into her lungs. "You don't know me any more than I know you. We can't just pretend we don't have pasts, Rio, as much as we'd like. I'm not the woman you seem to remember in your dreams, and you can't be the man I remember. Things like that aren't real."

His fingers tangled in her hair. "How do you know they aren't real? How do you know we weren't together in a past life? Your hair felt just like this, but it was long, to your waist. When you braided it, the braid was nearly as thick as my forearm. I know the sound of your laughter, Rachael, but more importantly, I know what makes you laugh. I know what makes you sad. I know that you have an aversion to monkeys. How would I know that?" He wrapped her curls around his fingers and buried his face against the silken mass.

"I must have said something, maybe when I had such a high fever. I was probably rambling like crazy."

"Just the opposite. You were so closemouthed most of the time, it scared me. Sometimes you were barely breathing."

She laughed softly. "I was afraid you were giving me truth serum."

"So I could conduct my interrogation." He lifted his head, his green eyes blazing at her. "Are you afraid of me, Rachael? Are you afraid I'll betray you for the money?"

She studied his face feature by feature and found she was shaking her head before she could stop herself. "No, I'm not afraid of that."

"Then talk to me. Tell me who you are."

She lifted her hand to his face, traced the tiny lines around his mouth. "You tell me who you are, Rio. Let me know you before you ask questions of me. I see suffering in your face. You've seen betrayal, you know what it is. And you came here for a reason. Tell me what it is. Why do you have to live in this place?"

"I choose to live here, Rachael, I don't have to live here. There is a difference."

"You've been here for some time. Do Kim and Tama live far away from other people? Does Drake?"

"No, Kim and Tama live in the village. Most of the time if their people move, the entire village moves. They still have longhouses when they're traveling. Drake lives near a village for our people."

"Who are your people, Rio? Why don't you want to be close to them?"

"I've always been happier on my own. I don't mind a solitary life."

Rachael smiled and snuggled deeper into her pillow. "You aren't willing to tell me anything at all about yourself. Even in friendship there has to be give-and-take, trust between two people. We don't have that between us."

"Then what do we have?" Rio knew she was right, but he didn't want to hear her say it. He wanted things to be different, but if he told her the things she wanted to know there was no chance for them.

"I'm so tired, Rio," Rachael said softly. "Can we do this tomorrow? I can't seem to stay awake no matter how hard I try. I think you keep putting something into that drink you're always telling me is so healthy."

She wanted to drop it. He recognized the signs. He was adept at avoiding topics he didn't want to discuss. And what was the point?

Rio lay listening to her breathing, his body so hard he felt that just one more brush against her skin might be the last straw. He would shatter into a million pieces. Sleeping on the floor away from her wouldn't stop it. Cold showers didn't help. The house was too small for the two of them to share unless they were together, and sleeping in the bed next to her and not touching her was just plain impossible.

Intellectually he knew it was because she was close to the Han Vol Dan and she was affecting him with her ripe scent. He wanted to blame it on that, the age-old call of female to male, but in truth, he wanted her in so many other ways. She made him happy and he didn't even know why. He didn't care why. He wanted her in his home. At his side. With him. It was fairly simple as he saw it.

Women. They always managed to complicate the simplest issue. He sat up, careful not to disturb her. He would get no sleep if he didn't slip out into the night and run. The farther and faster the better.

Rachael hoped she was dreaming. It wasn't a frightening nightmare, but it was disturbing. Not so much the images, but the idea of it all. She could see herself, stretching her body, arching her back, in the throes of sexual need. Not just a wanting-a craving, an obsession. The need was so strong she could think of nothing but finding Rio. Being with Rio. Rio's hands touching her, stroking her body, driving into her with wild abandon. There was heat and fire and still she wasn't satisfied. She could see her body rippling with pleasure, her body sleek and moist. Rio rolled over, pulling her on top of him, and Rachael threw back her head, thrust her breasts in invitation as she rode him frantically. She turned her head to look back at the sleeping Rachael, her face contorting as fur rippled over her body.

Rachael shook her head, stirred drowsily, wriggled a little to find the warmth and reassurance of Rio's body. He wasn't there. She turned over, careful of her injured leg. She was definitely alone in the bed. The house was dark, not unusual, Rio never lit a lamp, preferring to pad around the house barefoot, in the nude. He seemed to have such an affinity with the night, preferring that time to any other. Nothing in the shadows affected him or frightened him. He never really seemed to sleep deeply. The few times she woke in the dark, he was already alert, the change in her breathing enough to awaken him.

She lifted her head and studied the room. The mosquito net hanging over the door swayed like a dancing ghost in the wind. The door was open. Rio had gone on one of his many midnight adventures. He always came back more relaxed, the tension gone from his body. He was usually covered in sweat and would walk softly over to the basin to wash. Rachael loved watching him. She should have felt guilty, a voyeur, but she didn't. She simply feasted her eyes on his body, watched the ripple of his roped muscles and appreciated the fact that he was so intensely male.

Something shoved at the mosquito netting. A large dark head thrust its way into the house. Rachael froze, her heart in her mouth. Fritz snarled, hissed and rose to back unsteadily toward Rachael. She reached put her hand to the little clouded leopard, touched the fur as he slunk beneath the bed, still hissing. Rachael didn't take her gaze from the huge, heavily muscled animal pushing his way through the flimsy mosquito net into the house.

The leopard was the largest wild animal she'd ever encountered. It was a male, weighing close to two hundred pounds, pure muscle, exotic black fur from its head to the tip of its tail, its eyes a vivid yellow-green. The leopard swung its head this way and that, peering around the room, ignoring the small snarling cat as if it was beneath its dignity. It stepped fully into the house, the tail switching from side to side. It rubbed its shoulder against the chair and sink, all the while staring at Rachael with far too much intelligence in its eyes.

She moved her hand very slowly, bringing it into the bed, sliding it under the pillow to find the reassuring metal of the gun. Curling her fingers around the grip she pulled it in slow motion toward her. Beneath the bed, Fritz snarled loudly. "Hush," she whispered, trying to keep her voice low so she didn't trigger the leopard into an attack.

To her amazement, the little cat went silent. The black leopard continued rubbing its body along the furniture, all the while staring at her. She lay still, unable to look away. As the animal approached her, Rachael forgot to bring the weapon up to aim. The animal didn't use a slow stalk, it simply padded over to her, rubbing the length of its body along the bed. It rubbed its head along her arm, the fur soft and unbelievably luxurious. Her breath caught in her throat. She had to fight an impulse to bury her fingers in the fur, to rub her face in the neck and shoulder of the animal.

The leopard began a slow systematic rub of her body with its head, chin and cheeks, rubbing down her shoulder and across her breasts. It stretched across the bed to rub her stomach and the junction between her legs, took its time rubbing over her good leg and, after sniffing her wounded leg, was careful as it rubbed its way back up her leg to her head.

The leopard's breath was warm against her skin as it nudged her shoulder, giving her the impression the animal wanted her to scratch it. The gun slipped from her hand to rest on the blanket and she sank her fingers into the thick fur. It was daring and nearly overwhelming, a wild and crazy impulse she couldn't control. She traced the darker shadow of rosettes buried in the dense black fur with her fingertips. Tentatively, she began to scratch the leopard's ears and neck, became bold enough to scratch along its broad chest. She could see several scars in the fur, indicating the cat had been in more than one fight, but the animal was a magnificent specimen of its kind. Muscles ran like steel beneath the fur, wrapped around the body in every direction. She should have been terrified at being in such close proximity, but the night took on a surreal quality.

Up so close she could see the whiskers were very long, and were on the upper lips, cheeks, chin, over the eyes and even on the inside of the leopard's forelegs. The hairs were embedded in the tissue with nerve endings that transmitted continual tangible information much like a radar system. During an attack, the leopard could extend the whiskers much like a net in front of the mouth to help it assess the prey's body position in order to administer a lethal bite. Rachael hoped the continual rubbing against her was a signal for her to scratch harder and not that the animal was becoming aggressive.

Fritz stuck his nose out from under the bed and her heart pounded in fear for the small wounded cat. The larger leopard merely touched noses, rubbed the top of the clouded leopard's head with his own. Then it stretched languidly, scraped the floor around the bed and repeated its rubbing over Rachael's body with its head before padding across the room to the kitchen area. It stood on its hind feet and raked its claws continually down the wall, leaving long, deep grooves in the wood. Exactly like the other grooves. It dropped back to the floor, turned its head to look at her once more with its focused stare, then, unhurried, padded out of the house into the darkness.