Callista's bones shivered as she cut through the thick jungle deeper into the heart of the island. She shook her head, trying to clear her eyes of any visions of the past that lingered in her vision. They had more pressing matters to worry about. Some distance ahead, out of sight, was a ruthless, powerful woman hunting for a substance that would make her even more powerful. Callista imagined her ruthlessness would increase as well.

"We must pick up the pace." Elaine chirped next to her. Callista looked down at the stern-faced heiress huffing along beside her. She recognized the same look she saw in Danielle's eyes. Even after all those months on the ship, where Callista saw the inside of Elaine Redmond, the inner goodness lurking behind all the walls she'd spent building around herself, Callista couldn't help but wonder if she was trading one monster for another.

A howl in the distance cut short any more thinking. There were actual monsters to contend with on this island. They all stopped in their tracks, staring out at the source of the inhuman yelp. Paul winced as Ulster stopped short, lugging his wounded doctor over his shoulder. "Sorry, mate."

"Comes with the territory." Paul said, through gritted teeth.

"What was that?" Kelly spat, tensing up.

"Wildcats." Mari whispered. "We must have passed into their territory."

"Already?" Callista whispered back.

"We're making excellent time." Mari replied, rolling her eyes toward Elaine, who was at the moment trying to hide just how nervous she was.

"What do we do?" the heiress asked.

"Walk quietly." Mari answered. "And hope we make it to the falls before they get hungry."

They crept onward. Mari and Callista led them further through the thicket, showing care not to slash too loudly at the bramble before them. It would take precision to remain clandestine through the wildcat territory. Absolute quiet had become a necessity. Any conversation would have to boil down to the absolute essential.

"They're big, then?" Elaine asked.

Callista flinched at the sound of her voice. She nodded carefully in reply.

"I imagine they must be big. Given the nature of the island." They all tip toed ahead, not hazarding a retort. "Is everything on this island very big. do you suppose?"

"Elaine. They are big." Callista shot back, spinning around to glare at her. "They are the size of sumatran tigers and they will eat you whole just to tide themselves over for dinner. And they have excellent hearing. I will take your silence as the only reply."

Elaine nodded. She'd never seen Callista this nervous. It chilled her. Even Mari's back seemed to tense at the tiniest sound. This wasn't the sort of danger you could take yourself out of. It was a new experience for the heiress, and the cold splash of reality was beginning to strike her.

Everything on this island was big, Callista thought. Not monstrous, but enough to give any living person more than a hard time. Any person but one. Callista wondered if she was still alive. She had to be. What she'd done to herself was all in the purpose of staying alive, and keeping the rest of them alive. To ensure they would never return. And yet here she was. Callista wondered if Rebecca would be furious to see her again. A woman her size was not someone you would wish to arouse fury. But even with all that, Callista couldn't help but feel hopeful to see her again.

Paul wheezed, trying his past to keep quiet as his wound grew hotter and hotter in his gut. He could see the women growing further away from them as the captain lugged him along in the rear. He needed help. He wasn't willing to admit it, and he certainly wasn't going to ask them to stop in cat country, but he knew without proper stitching and cleaning he would go into shock within the hour. "Ulster," he whispered.

The captain grunted quietly next to him. 

"I want you to put me down gently, and keep walking." he whispered back.

Ulster shook his head, brusquely. Beads of sweat whipped off him as he did.

"We can't keep going like this. You know it. I'll patch up and catch up."

Ulster slowed. He considered it. Above anything else, the captain was a practical man. He'd been through more than one scrape and lived to tell the tales others weren't lucky enough to tell themselves. He wondered what he'd say about Paul as his hand slipped a little from his wounded doctor. Paul nodded in forgiving understanding.

He felt himself slip toward the ground, and his vision became blurry. Then he felt himself rise. Had a second wind come at last? Would he make it past the wildcat territory on his own power?

"I'll take the next shift, captain." Came a voice in his ear. He looked up to see Kelly grabbing him from under his shoulders. Ulster stepped away, taking a breath as the titaness pulled Paul from his grasp. She swept his legs up and carried him in her arms. Paul winced as his gut settled into this new position. Kelly carried him along with ease, her fierce eyes never looking away from the path ahead.

"A bit undignified." Paul breathed.

"Shhh." Kelly whispered. She stepped hard on a twig as they passed over. The crunch echoed as the party stopped. They had only a split second to wonder before a cacophony of roars and screeches tore through the air. Elaine screamed, as Mari grabbed hold of her. Callista and Ulster spun about, waiting for the first sign of attack.

It never came. The screams grew more intense, but their sources never arrived. Gunfire began to respond, and they realized it was not their team that had disturbed the cats. Elaine felt a growing sense of justification as she thought of what could possibly be happening to Danielle and her crew up ahead.

"We have to help them." Callista spat, racing forward.

"Hell's horses, we do." Elaine snapped. "After what they did to Dr. Geiss?"

"She's right." Mari chimed in.

"Thank you." Elaine replied.

"No, Callista's right. They'll die if we don't scatter them." Mari dropped Elaine from her embrace and raced after her friend.

"Well isn't that so bold and brave. And what about the woman whose employ you are under? At least Miss Kelly understands the balance of-"

Kelly whizzed past her, Paul still tight in her grasp. Elaine's mouth went slack as she watched Ulster chase behind, with nothing but a tip of his cap.

"The amount this woman will owe me..." Elaine huffed as she stormed after the group.

----

Elaine passed through the thick leaves and branches, trying her best to keep Ulster in her sight as the longer-limbed group put greater distance between her and themselves. She felt her breath catch, wondering how much longer she could do this, and then she stopped.

She gazed out into the hellish scene before her. Bodies scattered everywhere, torn to shreds. Their once pristine white uniforms were now soaked in red and in pieces. Blood had spattered against the fat leaves in a clearing filled with death. Callista wandered around, checking for any signs of life as Mari scanned the area. The cats were long gone. Some of the men were missing, by Elaine's count. She wondered if they'd wandered off, or were taken back for another meal.

"They got their fill, I'd say." Mari sighed.

"Which means we're safe for now?" Elaine asked, swallowing her terror.

"Not quite." came a quivering voice from the brush. 

They all spun around. From the shadows came Danielle, her hair wild and her eyes even wilder. Her ill-fitting top was torn even more and a splash of blood streaked across her face. She pointed her gun at them in her trembling hand.

"Came upon some rough customers. We held our own for a time, but..." Danielle laughed joylessly. "It's so hard to find good help."

"You have to know where to look." Elaine replied, her eyes shooting toward her own team. 

"Ha! They'll let you down. This place is death. Not some lark." Danielle spat. "You led me to death, Elaine. You're going to get me out. But not before I get what I came for."

Kelly sighed.

"You!" Danielle shouted, turning the gun on Callista. "You're going to take me to the vein. I'll let your companions live, in return. And once I am a god, I will let you live for bringing me to it. That sounds like a fair trade, yes?"

"Bad trade." Mari replied. Kelly nodded.

"No deal." Callista agreed.

"There are 6 bullets in this gun. I have many more where they came from, but do know I'm an excellent shot. How much are you willing to risk?"

"I won't let you do this." Callista sighed.

"You people seem to be laboring under some disposition of choice. There is no choice. There is my gun. And there is the vein."

Kelly gently sat Paul down on the ground. He grimaced as his body shifted again. He'd gone pale white and his vision was pin-holed. He could only barely understand the danger they'd all fallen into. "Help stitch him up, Mari. We don't have any more time to waste."

Mari nodded, rushing over to him and pulling supplies from his pack. She'd learned just enough to patch herself up, but it would take some effort to take care of another. Especially one in such dire need.

Kelly walked up to Callista, staring into her eyes with a deep understanding. Callista felt tears on her cheeks. "I won't do it." she sputtered. "I made a promise. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry." Kelly replied. "Take good care of her. She means well." 

Callista's head cocked. She watched, confused, as Kelly walked toward Danielle. 

"What is this, you think I'm bluffing?" Danielle cried. "Don't think you can intimidate me, you behemoth. I mean business."

Kelly did not stop. She moved closer and closer to the startled Danielle. "Back, I said!"

And she fired. Kelly buckled as the bullet hit her in the shoulder. But she pressed on toward Danielle. 

Danielle's eyes grew more manic. She fired again, and again, emptying the gun into the 7 foot bodyguard now only a foot away from her and closing the gap fast. Kelly wheezed, bleeding from the 6 perfect shots in her body as she put her hands on Danielle's shoulders. She looked down at the crazed socialite with the wisdom of the dead.

"We're not gods." she sighed. "We're just people."

Danielle choked out a sob as she felt Kelly's hands close around her face. In an instant, Kelly snapped her neck and watched her body fall to the floor. Elaine cried out, startled and horrified. 

Kelly collapsed next to her victim, feeling all her strength leave her. Mari worked furiously to stitch up Paul as she watched the others crowd around Kelly.

Ulster took her in his arms, staring down at her with an affection that surprised even himself. "Why'd you go and do that?"

"She needed to be stopped. Some people can't learn. What that stuff did to me, it would have done us all wrong if it got to her." Kelly wheezed.

Callista sat down next to her as Elaine sobbed beside them. She took Kelly's hand and gripped it tight. "I could have found a way."

"There are worse reasons to die than saving a life." Kelly told her.

"She means well." Kelly continued, shooting one last glance at her employer before she stared intently at Callista. "You'll make sure she gets what she needs?"

Callista nodded as she felt Kelly's grip grow loose. Ulster bent down and kissed her as they let her slip into her great reward.

They all stood. over her, watching as death stole the vibrance from her once powerful, animated form. Ulster sniffled as Mari approached them. Callista stared at her, concerned. "He's done losing blood." she said, her hands caked in red.

"If he comes to, he should make it long enough until we can get back to the ship." she added.

Callista strode over to him, leaving the dead for the dying as she looked into his unconscious face. "We'll take him with us?"

"Of course." Mari replied, slinging him over her shoulders.

"We should say something." Ulster stated.

Mari and Callista turned back to see the captain trying his best to bury Kelly alone. Callista joined him, patiently giving their true friend a decent place to rest. "I don't think anything we say can follow her last words." she said, patting the old captain on the back as he let out a few more sobs.

He nodded, and stood. He took one last swig from his flask and dumped the rest onto Kelly's grave. He placed the flask on top of their makeshift headstone and sighed. "When do we press on, young Miss Redmond?"

They turned, and only then realized Elaine was long gone. Their eyes darted back and forth. 

"Think she went back to the ship?" Mari asked.

"Absolutely not." Callista replied, storming off deeper into the jungle.

----

It didn't take long to find Elaine, struggling through the deep maze of weeds on her own. Callista caught her in her grasp and spun her around. Elaine yelped in shock. "What's the point of frightening me?" she shouted.

"We were burying Kelly. You didn't wish to pay your respects?" Callista asked.

"I've paid that woman much more than respect for quite some time." Elaine shot back. "There's no use lingering. There is danger here, yes? And if Dr. Geiss over there was conscious, I think he'd appreciate us not dallying."

Callista turned around to see Mari carrying Paul behind her. Ulster joined as well, hiding his rage quite poorly.

"She gave you everything." he spat.

"And I still have nothing to show for it." Elaine replied. Ulster raised his hands, ready to strike when Elaine began to cry. It made him stop, startled. He watched as she broke down, cradling her knees to her chest. As the sobs grew more desperate, it was hard for anyone to imagine she was putting on an act for sympathy. "I can't do this." she sobbed.

"The only way I know how to keep going is to keep going." Elaine continued. "If I wallow even for a moment, I'll stop forever. This journey has had so many wonders. My life is changed forever and enriched by all of you. But the danger was so impossible to understand until it takes hold of you. Kelly meant the world to me. She would..." She couldn't bring herself to say it.

"She would want us to press on." Callista finished for her, with a defeated sigh.

Elaine was right, no matter how wrong it felt. And Callista couldn't help but feel the electric mix of fear and excitement when she realized she could smell the water in the air. The falls were close. Beyond them, the vein.