"I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm about to pull the shoot.  If you could stop screaming, I would love to not be something's lunch if you don't mind." A familiar voice yelled near my ear.  I couldn't believe I could hear him past the wind bashing my ears and nose.  My eyes were tearing from the pressure. Air shoved down my throat. 

Click. Click. Suddenly we jerked up then leveled from freefall to slow lingering float.  I shut my mouth.

"Okay, I am going to make it a bit more comfortable for both of us. I'm going to release a clip. It will feel like you are being released, but you will only fall a few inches down closer to my legs rather than so high on my chest.  I've done this a bunch of times, so please don't scream. Okay?"  I frantically nodded my head.  I wasn't ready though.  When he released it, I felt like I was in freefall again, but he was right. It was only for a moment.  I wasn't so tightly attached to him.

The calm I felt surprised me.  It was as if I were swinging from a Ferris Wheel and not falling from the sky. I mean, I did notice we were still languidly drifting closer to the ground, especially as we got closer, but I felt a smile on my face.  The field below filled with green, and I wondered where we were going to land.  If we landed in the trees, we could end up being something's snack.  Regardless, it was out of my hands.  I was forced to trust whoever was behind me as the wind took us closer to the mountains.

"We are going to land soon.  I need you to try to hold your legs up if you can so we can lean back and land on our buns and not your face.  I know you don't have a lot of strength, but I have to steer. I can't help you.  Just relax until I say 'Legs' and then hold on to your legs as close to your stomach as you can. We have some time, but I just want you to mentally prepare.  Got it?"

I nodded. I tried not to pay attention to how close we were to the trees now. I can do this. I tried to find some strength. But my stomach felt like it was in my throat.

"Get ready." He shouted. "Legs."

Perhaps it was the leftover adrenaline, but I found the energy to pull my knees and wrap my arms around my legs just before they hit the treetops. My arms and legs were shaking as sharp pains splintered down my spine.

"Good girl." He grunted out. He yanked a cord; we slid to a stop in an empty meadow at the base of the mountain. He landed on his feet, but then slid back to his butt.

I gasped for breath. I can't believe it. I didn't die!

And I'm actually outside. My fingers grasped a clump of long grass. I hadn't seen it in so long. Real green grass. It smelled as if it had just rained, earthy, and fresh. But the sun was warm and heated my face. Real sun not trapped by glass of a window.

The man didn't wait. He removed our straps, lifted me into his arms, causing another sharp paint down my limbs and for me to drop my prize. I wanted to cry, but I didn't.  He ran towards a trail.  I listened to his steady breath as he twisted, keeping me close. My pockmarks felt like they were on fire.  I couldn't really see anything, but the greens, browns, and yellows of the forest, the disappearing meadow, and the man's determined face.

That's when I remembered him from earlier. He was the person tending to my IV. Scott? He had beautiful dark reddish-brown skin, short buzz-cut brown-black hair, and kind, but weary amber eyes.  His were the type of eyes that saw too much too soon.  He looked young-near my age, but he had to be in his early twenties if he was a nurse.

He must have felt my staring. He looked down for a moment.  "We are almost there." He whispered. I was impressed by his stamina. He never wavered nor stopped running until we made it to the destination he was looking for.  When we did make it to the stopping place, he laid me down gently. That's when I noticed we were alone. Where were the rest of the people- from the helicopter? I watched him as he looked between two rocks scanning from left to right.

I may have made a noise at the burning pain driving down my arms like driving nails in my shoulder and clavicle before making its way to my biceps. He came back to me and whispered. "I know you are scared, but I just need you to be quiet for a bit longer.  We are less than a hundred yards from the base, but I don't see a safe path.  The helo already radioed ahead to let them know I am bringing you in." He looked at his watch.  "In two minutes, they will cause a distraction on the other side of the base to draw attention there. As soon as we hear it, we have to run no matter what we see.  Can you run?"

I tried moving my legs, but they felt like jelly. I shook my head and furrowed my brow.

He nodded. "I understand.  The poison is wreaking havoc on your body. Don't worry, it's not the first time I have had to do this carrying a patient, and you are light as a feather. I'm going to put you on my chest again, so our center of gravity is higher."  He grabbed a zip tie from one of his pockets.  "I know this will be scary, but I need you to hold on to me like a monkey.  I you can't, I can zip tie your legs and arms together around me.  Would you be okay with that?  I don't want to freak you out, but it will help me hold you and free up my arms.  We only have a minute left; I need you to nod or shake your head now."

I nodded. Scott put my hands together as if I were praying. The zip tie went around my wrists. He placed my arms over his head like I was hugging him. The scent of him was shocking. I expected him to smell musky like my Dad when he worked out, but he smelled like the forest. He swung me around with little effort and then zip-tied my crossed ankles. I found enough strength to hold on for dear life.

I jumped at the first explosion. Scott whispered. "It's okay." He stood and snuck over to the rock to look.  I felt weird being on his back like this. But I saw the mass of trees, a single road that lead past a blockade and fences that were laying down.  The building was cut into the hill. 

"Don't make a noise. Shut your eyes if it helps." He shifted me so that I was back to hugging him. My legs around his waist.  I held on as tight as I could.  He took off running. His breath was surprisingly quiet as he found purchase. The ties dug at my skin.  I made the mistake of looking back. Six oversized silver and black beasts look over, spot us, and take off running after us.  I sucked in air. 

Scott jerked back as the closest slashed his back.  He grunted but kept running. A red widening gash opened, spilling blood in a trail. Another Yecan fought the closest creature, trying to get to us.  This caused three and four to collide into them. Two smaller brutes, five and siz, leaped over the pile. One snarled and closed the gap quickly. This was the moment of my death. Definately. How could I ever survive this moment.