The Hunters

Chapter Thirteen

I recovered while beneath additional warm blankets, my shivering still causing my sore muscles to clench uncomfortably. Larsen hadn't returned yet, but I could hear commotion outside: orders were being shouted and people were being rearranged by a heavy Spanish accent. General Rodriguez was cleaning up Fernsby's mess, and he wasn't happy with what he saw.

The nurse left to get herself breakfast, her stomach growling in the quiet room. I curled beneath the blankets as I shivered, clinging to the hand warmers in desperation. The door swung open and I sighed in relief, calling over my shoulder, "Took your sweet time."

The two sets of footsteps informed me that it wasn't Larsen entering the med bay. I rolled over, expecting to see Ghost and König coming to check on me. While they were both quiet and aloof, I'd gotten the impression that they were trustworthy, to a degree. That they were caring toward me.

I flinched when I realized that one of the men was Private Johnson, bringing with him a towering soldier of similar rank. "Heard you might need some company after being hurt," Johnson growled, and my eyes narrowed on the knife in his hand. "Maybe I can return the favor, you tranny bitch."

"Only a man could have done what that did to you," the other man announced, and I read his woven last name on his jacket: Sinclair. "If you want to be female so bad, we'll cut your dick off for you."

A smirk crossed my face as I rolled out of the cot, my anger reducing my shivers as I felt the boiling rage developing within. "Don't threaten me with a good time, Privates," I taunted them. "Besides, if I had a dick, it'd certainly be too large for you to handle."

"You bitch," Johnson cursed, lunging forward as he swung the knife at my wounded side. Knocking his wrist away, the knife flung to the floor, sliding across the tile for Sinclair to grab. Throwing my leg forward, I kicked my knee with full force between Johnson's legs, his responding scream silent and agonizing.

While Sinclair prepared to strike, I grabbed Johnson's head, smashing his face onto the lifted wall of the medical cot. Blood splattered across the white bed and the gray, itchy blankets and he fell limply onto the floor with a groan. Seeing the fear in Sinclair's eyes, my pride grew, and I positioned myself to strike while observing his fearful movements closely.

My mother was wrong; having power felt incredible. Sinclair regained control of his mind, striking with the knife before quickly twisting to punch me with his non-dominant hand. I dodged the knife by twisting my spine backward, kicking forward to slam my heavy boot into his chest. The air rushed from his lungs and I rushed forward, grabbing him by the jacket as I flung my weight forward.

I heard bones crack as I slammed him onto the tile floor, his body crumbling beneath my weight and force. While he wheezed and whimpered in agony, I looked in the nearby mirror, confirming that I hadn't pulled my stitches. The door swung open while I washed the blood off of my hands, peering over my shoulder to see Larsen's wide blue eyes surveying my work.

"Private no-dick brought a friend," she announced, and I chuckled while drying my hands. "Did they attack you with a knife?"

"Yup. Might need to get the nurse again, but no rush. Although bones were definitely broken."

Larsen giggled and handed me a fresh shirt, along with a pair of pants. I stepped behind a curtain, dressing while she observed their injuries. "Yup; they're broken. I'm sure General Rodriguez will send in new models."

"I was just trying to help him clean up Fernsby's mess," I teased, and we both chuckled over the limp, twisted bodies while the men groaned and soundlessly begged for help.

"I'll go find the nurse," she decided as I stepped out, adjusting my gaiter once more. "I guess we can't leave them to die."

"Nurse went to the mess hall. I'm starving," I informed her, buttoning my coat closed. She nodded and held the door open for me, walking with me to the mess hall. "Did you speak with the Admiral too?"

"Yup. We're due for Laksefjordbotn. I'm pumped." I agreed and we entered, seeing that the other members of the task force had lined up to get some food during the chaos outside. Ghost and König weren't here, and I wondered if they were eating in private. "Ah. There's the nurse. One sec."

While I joined Haugen and Andersen at the back of the line, they pulled me into a tight squeeze, patting my back firmly. Releasing me, Haugen looked up at my face, muttering, "You've got blood on your gaiter. Is it yours?"

"Could be. Or could be from the two Private punks who tried to jump me in med bay. It was a nice power trip breaking them."