Heat | By : infinitehelix Category: M through R > Predator Views: 9993 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0 |
Disclaimer: I do not own Predator or any of its spin offs. I make no money from the writing of this story. |
Laila rolled over in bed, the sound of the morning announcements rousing the soldiers, startling the birds and setting the dogs barking.
No... she mumbled, pulling her pillow over her head, her hands tangled in her long bourbon coloured hair. The announcements continued on, ruthlessly pulling her from sleep. Slowly she sat up, glanced at the clock to her left and grumbled.
Five thirty should not exist from this side of the night... she rolled out of bed, slid on a pair of denim shorts and pulled a tee shirt on. She stared around her room blearily attempting to locate her shower shoes, spotting them she shuffled over to slip them on. Grabbing her basket of shower essentials and a towel, she shuffled out of her room, through her laboratory and in to the bustle of the base, the humid Guatemalan air already beginning to simmer with the sun rise. Veering off she came up to the lady's communal showers and stumbled in, shucking off her shorts, shirt and undergarments, she wandered toward the spigots, pawing sleepily at the dials on the wall.
Laila? a gentle voice prompted, quietly amused at the spectacle.
What? Laila grunted, not getting the joke.
You have to turn the knob the other way, a pale, slender hand appeared in Laila's field of vision, turning on the water, adjusting it to bearable temperatures honestly, you'd think you'd be used to getting up this early by now. Laila turned, facing a petite strawberry blond nurse.
Thank you. Laila said simply, quietly eyeing the other woman. What was your name, again? a delicate pink stained the other woman's cheeks as though she just realised her undressed state.
Sarah. Laila smiled and responded kindly, noting that Sarah came just below her shoulder. Laila sighed, at five ten, she supposed she was taller than most women but from time to time still marvelled at the difference.Laila washed quickly, drying and redressing herself before Sarah could tempt her with her milky skin and baby blue eyes too much. Much more awake, and slightly frustrated, she rushed back to her lab ignoring the appreciative stares the soldiers gave her still slightly damp form. Once back she pulled off her shower ensemble and dressed for field work. Opting against full length pants, she simply wore denim shorts, a tee and her hiking boots. Huffing irritably at her clinging hair, she pulled it back in to a bun, securing it with a long twisted piece of bronze wire and tying a bandanna to prevent strays from wandering on to her face while she worked.
Returning to the lab she stuffed her note book and field essentials in to a pack, slung it over her shoulder and headed toward the door, stopping momentarily to grab a compass in case of emergency. Stepping out again, she hissed at the sun, peaking over the canopy. A laugh caught her attention and she quickly glanced over to see First Sergeant Collins.
Hey there, Creature of the Night. Laila stiffened; he only ever used nick names with women he had slept with. She contained her dislike and responded politely,
Good morning. she quickly looked toward the forest on the edge of the camp ground, its verdant depths becoming more appealing by the second.
I heard you were a real bear this morning, did you stay up too late having fun that I don't know about? he was right next to her, a pale hand resting on her shoulder, a striking contrast to her bronzy tan. She deftly slipped out from under his grasp, starting toward the cover of the tress.
I don't have fun, you should know that. Us scientist types, we're too serious for anything other than dissertation. her tone brokered no argument, she heard him snort,I'll teach you how to have a good time one of these nights, just call on me.
Good day Sergeant. she tried to keep the disgust out of her voice and walked into the under brush. Laila sighed happily, taking in the rich scent of the forest, the dappled sunlight bathing her surroundings. She paused, listening intently for the sound of water, following it until she came to a small brook, no wider than a few feet wide and perhaps as deep, it babbled quietly. She smiled; this was a decent place to start her day. She dropped her bag and knelt beside it, digging out a digital voice recorder, her journal and a mechanical pencil. Standing again, she checked her wrist watch and compass, marking the time in her journal, the weather and the environment.
Okay, buggies, prepare for further cataloguing. She looked intently at the surrounding flora, before deciding to start with the red parrot flowers dotting the banks of the tiny brook. Shuffling over to them she sat and began to scrutinize every leaf, bud and bloom searching for insects. The sweet scent enveloped her, the lazy breeze barely stirred the delicate plants, and the warm sunlight was making her drowsy.
Coffee after bugs Laila admonished herself. Eyeing the plants she noticed a long thin leg appear over the edge of a flower petal, grinning in victory she watched a little jumping spider peek over the lip of the petal. Swiftly she scribbled notes about its appearance, the slender translucent legs, its pale green thorax and its brilliantly cream and fuchsia head crowned with glittering black and lime eyes. She inhaled happily.
Hello there, little guy. the spider's head swivelled around to look at her, regarding her curiously, its little legs twitching in seeming indecision. Laila tilted her head slightly forward, imitating the petite spider, smiling to herself. Suddenly the spider's attention shifted over her shoulder as a hot spicy scent dancing across her nose as the gentle breeze stirred. She noted the behaviour, and sighed in frustration as the spider leapt away, upset over something. Rocking back on her heels, she inhaled deeply taking in the new scent, humming softly to herself as it dominated her sense of smell. Looking back over her shoulder, she caught a shimmer in the air.Trying to shake the drowsiness off, she walked over to her pack dropping her journal on the ground next to it, tucking her pencil and DVR into her pockets. She flopped down, fetching out a bottle of water and a packet of instant coffee; she mixed herself a helping of the terrible tasting brew. She shifted slightly catching the shimmer out of the corner of her eye again. Grumbling she took a sip of her coffee, and started thumbing through her notes, carefully trying to watch for the shimmer and look for insects wandering by.
"Jesus Christ!" she jerked back, startled by a huge male elephant beetle brushing against the back of her hand. Laila sighed, capped her coffee and pulled her pencil out to note him in her journal. She greeted the beetle as he bumbled around curiously inspecting her boot and sock before deciding to climb over her leg toward the brightness of her journal.
"Oh no you don't. You are not eating this." she carefully lifted him off her thigh, and placed him back on the ground. "And what are you doing up at this hour anyway?" she frowned. "You're supposed to be nocturnal..." she made a quick note, and watched curiously as the beetle about faced, lumbering away from the little brook, away from an abundant food source.
"Well that's no good..." Laila reached into her packed, and pulled out a little plastic tank, tossed some leaves and soil in it before lifting the elephant beetle and placing him gently in it and snapping the lid closed. "Sorry buddy, but you're coming in for further analysis." she pulled out a phial, standing as she uncorked it; she caught the shimmer just across the bank, much lower to the ground than she remembered seeing it the first couple times. Frowning slightly Laila eked closer to the water, looking under her lashes at the apparition, she stooped and quickly collected a water sample. The spicy scent rolled through her senses again, almost making her light-headed in its intensity. Re-corking the sample she observed the bank she was on critically, searching the water for fish, the rot for larvae, the grass for spiders or millipedes.
"Nothing?" her worry evident. "No army ants, I hope..." she checked over her shoulder, spying the little plastic terrarium with the elephant beetle in it, while not pleased, he wasn't being eaten alive by ants. She sighed and straightened, listening intently for the calls of ant birds.
"Nothing" she said again. Laila sighed. This wasn't going well. Slipping the water sample in to a long thin upright pouch, she tucked her journal and her coffee into the main compartment, slung the bag over her shoulder and picked up the terrarium, flipping up the little handle she held on to it like a lunch box.
"You need a name my megasoma elephas friend." she lifted the case to her eyes, regarding her newly acquired friend. "How about Bes? Will you bring me joy?" the beetle bumbled around, bumping into the plastic, confused. "Poor guy... I'm sorry." Laila sighed again, lowering the case to her side, she looked up, the spicy scent pushing against her again, almost violent. Glancing around catching the glimmer again she huffed in annoyance.
"Go screw a local hooker, Sarge." she sniffed irritably and started back toward camp, having managed to wile away a decent part of the morning. Laila stopped once, seizing on the opportunity to investigate a promising looking decaying log. Setting Bes down gently she plopped her pack on the ground, pulled out a couple of sample phials and quickly loosened the corks, and snapping on a set of nitrile gloves she stuffed a few bits of rotted wood into one of the phials. Delicately she pulled apart the bark she looked for larvae. Finding a few promising leads she collected them, still concerned by the lack of fully mature insects.
Sighing, she placed all the samples securely in her pack and scribbled a few quick notes in her journal. Rising as she donned her pack, she stooped to pick up Bes, her hair coming uncoiled from its bun. Laila sighed; rolling her eyes heavenward she gave her head a determined jerk that yanked her hair back over her shoulder.
"Oh baby, don't tease me." Sergeant Collin's voice grated over her already worked nerves. Laila shot a dark look at him looking around for her hair pin and snatching it up after she had located it. Holding the piece of metal in her hand almost like a knife, she glared at the Sergeant again before storming back toward the camp.
"This is what I love about you, you're a tempest." he chuckled and followed after her, oblivious to the spicy scent that suddenly swept around him.
"Shut up. Jesus Christ, you'll scare off any insects that haven't already vacated the premises." She was getting terribly annoyed with him; the heat became more oppressive as she neared the camp, its smooth surfaces and metals soaking up heat like a sponge. She growled when the Sergeant grabbed her by the arm and swung her around.
"That is no way to talk to a superior officer!" He looked angry, she noted. Laila narrowed her grey eyes.
"You are not my commanding officer. I am not under your command; I will never be under your command. In any sense. I am here as a civilian contractor, I owe you no respect and I sure as hell don't have to put up with your bullshit, because you can't discharge me." She wrenched her arm out of his grasp, turned and marched off. She could hear him breathing deep and furious, even as she increased the distance between them.
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