25 More foes, hiding in the shadows

There was a moment of silence, Quintin stood in shock, he couldn't do anything, even if he could he never had the chance, it happened too fast.

He looked at the remaining white wolves and hyenas, they all stood ears down, faces in disbelief.

"Who the fuck was that!?" He roared, making them all jump and look at him, but no one answered.

"Where did she take them!?" He yelled again, but still they shook their heads, he walked to the hyenas, they backed away from him "Who's second in charge!?"

"N... No one, we don't have a second in charge" One said. Quintin turned to the wolves "And you?"

"I am" A male said.

"Ok, so? What the fuck happened!?"

"I don't know, we never saw this woman before"

"Ok, where would she be taking them!?"

"I... I don't know!"

"Fuck! Then who would know!?"

Silence fell among them, then one hyena peeped with a sad voice "Naledi would"

"Naledi!?"

"Yes"

"Good!" Quintin bolted into the darkness, heading back to Ezbar's labs, hoping his speed would carry him all the way across Namibia before sunrise.

***

Piet was working all night on the Ratel, he had the hole cut to perfect size, but had to reinforce other areas inside the haul to reinitialize its overall stability. Then he took the turret turning track out of the other Ratel and fitted it to the new hole. At this moment he was bussy lifting the new turret with the ninety millimeter gun from the other Ratel up using a makeshift crane. It was originally designed to lift truck engines, so he had to build a high rise frame to clear the height of the Ratel, now on a climbing step, he had the turret hoisted halfway up the side of the Ratel, and holding it there with all the might he had, he braced and heaved, pushing the turret up with one hand then yanking on a chain with the other, the turret moved up again slightly but the crane he built broke and the whole turret came down on him, screaming he fell, Piet could already see Koos and Frits's faces when they find him crushed by this thing. He fell on his back and held his hands up but another arm came in front of him and caught the turret. Shocked he looked at the person "Naledi!?"

She grinned at him then grinded her teeth, hoisted the turret up pushing it all the way onto the Ratel, she jumped off the steps smiling at his stunned face.

"Oo la la" he smiled back taking her jaw in his palm and kissing her, she drew back and slapped him.

"Strong and fiecty, i like it" he said and kissed her again, she allowed for a longer kiss, but slapped him with a backhand when they parted again.

"Why do you keep kissing me!?"

"Well i figured you liked it? If you can lift a three hundred kilogram turret up by your self, your slap should have snapped my neck"

Naledi smiled "So you're not stupid after all hey? But I won't just snap your neck for a stupid reason like that, why i really slapped you was why would you kiss a damaged scarred dog like me?" She asked placing her hand on her hip. Piet smiled and headed to the steps behind her, passing her he flicked her crotch, making her bounce back "You! You mother fucker! How dare you!?"

"Stop breaking yourself down by calling yourself a damaged dog, scars tell us stories, it reminds us of the hardships we went through, that doesn't make you ugly, it only proves you've been through hell and back" He said and started climbing the steps, but she had him by his belt and yanked him back, he staggered to the wall and she pinned him there.

"Smooth talk for a shell shock victim"

He smiled "Yeees, so you found out about the shell shock hey?"

"I figured, is that why you forgot about me?"

"Yip, i forgot the wierdest things, like apples, i forgot those, i forgot what the colours purple and blue were called, a few names, but not faces. Even though i remembered your face, i couldn't remember where i met you, and what we did together..."

Naledi let him go, a seductive smile on her face.

"Was it fun?" He smiled back.

"It might have been"

"Oh! So what? You going to remind me?"

"Well, we had brandy" She started holding her chin in thought, looking at the roof "We talked, we ate some of that flavourless ratpacks you carry around"

"Yes...?"

"We might have found eachother naked at one point, especially after the alcohol kicked in"

"Might?" Piet asked thinking hard "I can't beleive i forgot that"

She giggled "Now, the reason im not going to elaborate on that topic, is i want to see if you have the guts to find out for yourself? Now that you know so much about me" Naledi said and went to stand waist to waist with him.

"Don't test me, you've seen im not afraid to try my luck" he said pushing her waist back with his.

"You sure? There will be consequences" She said not giving way. Piet brought his hand up and took hold of the top of her shirt, purposefully squeezing his fingers into her clevage, Naledi only watched him with a slight smile, he halted after drawing the shirt down slightly "You know im not going to do this just to see you naked right?"

"Oh, so you are having doubt's?"

Piet drew her shirt hard making the buttons rip off, she responded by hooking her arm around his neck and hoisting herself up, closing her legs around his waist, they started kissing deeply and passionately, Piet walked over and pinned her to the side of the Ratel, she lifted her hand and got hold of a latch, with her now holding herself up his hands explored her toned body, his mouth in her neck, she tried kicking his pants down, but his belt prevented her. When his hands came up to her face she turned her scarred side away but he braught it back, placing his hand over it, Naledi opened her mouth, then through the hole in her cheek bit his fingers hard.

"Oow! Fok! De fok woman!?" He yelled shaking his fingers.

"Listen, i get it, you don't care about my scars, but feeling your fingers on my teeth and gums is annoying, so touch me there again, and i swear, like the hyena i am, i will bite your fucking fingers off!"

Piet stuck his throbbing fingers into his mouth, he was caught completely by surprize, but she gave a soft laugh, then pushed her waist into his again "What's wrong? I told you there would be consequences?"

Piet smiled and slowly approached her, kissing her again, he was impressed by the fact that even though she spread her legs rather quickly, she still had her boundaries, and therefore respected her as a woman, not some whore.

"Oh just fucking undo your stupid belt already" She said in his mouth making him laugh.

***

Claire and Nina coughed as the sand set them down, they were in a large room made of yellowish grey stone, in its centre an altar, behind the altar none other than Cleopatra stood with a wodden bowl in her hands, a big black tomb to the far end of the room.

"Ah, you made it" Cleopatra said comming over to them. The woman who brought them there went to stand one side.

"What do you want from us Cleopatra!?" Claire yelled.

"By us, it should actually only have been you, the hyena Queen was just a bonus" She smirked holding the bowl to her "Want some?"

Claire smelled it, the rusty copper scent had a sweetness to it, the pungent sweet smell of cerebro-spinal fluid.

"Who's brain is that?"

"Its Naomi's"

"What!?"

"Im not going to explain, all you're here for is to answer my questions" Cleopatra said taking a spoon full and eating it.

"You! You're eating the brain of your own kin!" Claire yelled in disgust.

"Wheres Luna?" Cleopatra bluntly askes ignoring the snarls.

"Why do you want her?"

"So she can tell me where Alice is"

Claire laughed "Oh, now i see what you're up to, I'd rather die than tell you"

Cleopatra mockingly made a sad face "Oh, you don't want me to be reunited with my dear Alice, she is your wolf mother after all?"

"Alice is the most evil of Del Carchetore's even me as her descendant would rather have her remain lost"

Cleopatra laughed "You have it wrong Claire, she's the only evil Del Carchetore, and the most powerfull water elemental, if i can have her by my side again, my task will become a lot easier, especially since my pack is now dwindling"

"Hmf, serves you right"

Cleopatra gave her an eerie smile, then looked at Nina, who responded exposing her fangs "I have nothing to say to you bitch"

"Neither do i" Cleopatra said and lifted her hand "But, i am going to make an example of you, maybe that could get sweet little Claire here to talk" She flicked her fingers, that same back onyx shimmering sand engulfed both Nina and Claire. Claire was drawn to the nearest wall and pinned there, whilst Nina was brought face to face with Cleopatra.

"You bitch! What are you going to do to her!?" Claire screamed tugging hard to free herself.

"I have two methods of mummifying someone, one is the mummifying hibernation, the second is one i recently worked on, and needs testing" Cleopatra said holding an open hand to Nina, she growled softly, still standig her ground "Anubis mummification hibernation" Cleopatra spoke and Nina started closing her eyes, but she shook herself awake.

"I wont succumb to your witchcraft!" She said fighting the tiredness that now gripped her.

"Nina stay awake! Dont go to sleep!"

"I, im trying"

Cleopatra laughed loudly "It wont be long now, this technique intensifies the more you struggle, your body is trying to go into hibernation after all"

"Fight it Nina!"

"I... I... Can't..."