Children of the Mark

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The only sound that disturbed the night was Genna retching against a tree.

Cisco swiftly donned the man's uniform. Counting off ten minutes, he sauntered from the woods buckling his belt and jerked a finger toward the group at the fire. Giving them berth, he ambled toward the hut where men slept. Genna knew that none of the sleeping men would see another morning. Killing the rebels had not been an easy option for the UN soldiers. Tying the rebels up would sentence them to a slow death by starvation or open to an attack from an animal. The choice came down to the lives of kidnappers, and hundreds of innocent Brazilian peasants. They also had to get Joseph back to the mediation table before his escape was discovered.

A second man hurried into the woods calling, 'Isabella?'

'Here, a little farther in,' Genna called.

Saleh appeared behind the man and he went down. A few minutes later, Carlos drifted from the woods dressed in the dead man's uniform. He headed for the hut where Joseph waited.

'You do well with your weapons, Woman,' Saleh whispered from behind Genna.

'Up yours, Saudi,' Genna hissed with a sob. 'Those men are no different than you are except poverty and greed destroyed them before they were weaned from their mother' s breast.'

Within twenty minutes of the Tigers' arrival, the men by the fire were all dead. Tarig and Adnan helped Joseph out of the hut while the Tigers dragged the bodies from the woods and placed those in Joseph's hut. Even as the huts burst into flames, the rescue team congregated at the edge of the clearing. The fire flickered over grim faces, while smoke stung their lungs.

'Unless you changed the time, we're due at the conference table in eleven hours,' Joseph said to Tarig.

'I leaked word that you are in New York conferring with the Secretary-General,' Tarig replied. 'Thought that would cover.'

'Tarig, we've got to get away from here fast,' Cisco said. 'We set the fire to draw any rebels in the forest. It took seven hours to make it here from Mendez. We've got to get to the Humvees so we can head back at first light. Now that we've got a couple of Housch's uniforms, we should get through the patrols a lot faster. Joseph, how fast can you move? Can you walk?'

'Pins and needles are down to a couple of million.' Winking grimly at Genna, Joseph said, 'Want to massage my feet again?'

'Nope. You're off limits.' She managed to return his grin. She saw Tarig's face cloud with jealousy.

Saleh snapped sharply, 'Cisco's right. These huts are on a plateau. Curiosity about the flames should draw every rebel within fifty miles leaving our way clear. Move out, now.'

As the Namers moved off silently into the woods, Tarig took off the expensive suede jacket he wore and put it about Genna's shoulders. 'You'll need this. Where's your jacket?'

'I donated it to Isabella,' she snapped, realizing how cold it had gotten. 'I needed her cloths to make my act good.'

'Yes, When this is over,' Tarig snapped. 'You and I are going to have a long talk. You gambled far to much tonight.'

As Tarig stalked away, Genna met Joseph's curious gaze.

'What's that all about?' Big Jose asked.

'I'm not a very good soldier. I don't take orders.'

'His?' Joseph murmured. Genna nodded. 'That's all?'

When Genna shrugged, Adnan lifted his brother's arm and placed it around his shoulders.

The Apache, who hadn't said a dozen words to Genna since being introduced, handed her a couple of tee shirts and a pair of army issue boots two sizes too large. He grinned. 'Snakes like pretty toes. Couldn't find socks. Wrap your feet tightly in those tee shirts. It's a long walk even for Wonder Woman.'

She glanced down at her feet. She wore Isabella's straw sandals. Not only had she sacrificed her favorite old leather jacket, she had also given away the hiking boots. Worth that and the blisters these boots would surely cause.

Big Jose was alive and well. His gait increased gradually during the march. He finally shrugged off his brother's arm to hobble on his own.

When the group paused to rest, Genna slid down beside her friend's husband. His face was a white blur in the dark. She didn't have much choice of who to trust now.

'Jose, I've tried to tell Tarig about my--you know--about Thing. He doesn't believe me. When this is over, you and Jody will have to make him understand. Tell Jody to explain everything to him. Joseph, I'll destroy his life, everything he's worked for. It will hurt less if I go now.'

'You're sure, Genna?' His big hand covered both of hers.

'Yes.'

'Do you love him? The truth, good buddy.'

Genna leaned her head against his shoulder and he held her tightly. 'I think I could in time, yes,' she whispered after a while. 'Help Tarig, Joseph. Help him to forget me.'

'Who will help you forget him, Genna?'

Joseph felt Genna's silent sob, felt his shirt sleeve grow wet with her tears. He understood, at last, the irony of what Jody had tried to make him see the night Genna explained her telepathic abilities. Genna's incomparable gift demanded an impossible price of her, not only separation from her own species but separation from intimacy and love.

But he saw something that Jody hadn't. Genna Mather was standing on a precipice. She could use her extraordinary gift for good, or turn it inward and eventually destroy herself. He also saw clearly that he and Jody were the only ones she trusted, the only ones who could help her, and they owed her whatever she needed. Joseph gave a sigh of frustration.

For twenty years, he had bargained and negotiated in impossible situations. This was the first time he had felt helpless. He could think of no way to convince Genna to take their help short of tying her to a bed. Considering her extraordinary supernatural skill, the repercussions of doing that were terrifying. He had seven hours to come up with an answer.