Bad Blood

All in the Blood

May 23rd 2034
Kelabit Highlands, Borneo

"Maggie, can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear Phoenix one," Dr. Magdelena Viotto yelled into her earpiece over the deafening roar of the helicopter prop. Balmy waves of heat filled the open cabin, bathing them in lush tropical humidity. Sweat beaded on her brow and snaked down her spine, her dark clothing clinging to her like a sticky second skin. Despite the intense heat Maggie tugged on her long sleeves, making sure she was covered to the wrists.

Former special forces Captain Rick Tanner stared at her from across the windy cabin. Sweat dripped from beneath his helmet, the roguish cleft of his chin pulled taught against the strap. Maggie tried and failed to ignore the worry in his warm brown eyes. She offered him a small smile. They had grown close over the past few weeks. Much closer than she would have normally allowed. Maggie turned her attention back to the exotic landscape. These were not normal times.

The helicopter banked sharply, their elevation dropping steadily as they approached a looming cliff. A long upshot of stone, choking in tangled vines, jutted over a turbulent river. The helicopter circled the promontory once before descending to touch down on the moss covered rock. Maggie's hands tightened painfully around her harness as the helicopter rocked precariously. Silence reigned in the cabin as they all held their breath, waiting to see if the cliff would hold. After several tense moments, Captain Tanner and his elite eight-man unit, swiftly dropped to the ground. Fanning out, they swept across the barren clifftop on sure, silent feet. Leaving her alone in the cabin with three wide-eyed inmates from death row. Dolohov's soulless black eyes had watched her constantly on the long, uncomfortable journey here. She steadfastly ignored them, confident in the chains that secured them to their bench.

The Captain returned after a few minutes, stretching his hands up to her. Unbuckling her harness, she slid to the edge of the cabin floor and dropped into his strong arms. He squeezed her tightly, his worried brown eyes asking a silent question. Maggie knew she had only to say one word, show the slightest hesitation and he would turn them around, no questions asked. She squeezed him back gently, shaking her head. The last spark of hope in his eyes guttered and died. It hurt to see it, to know she was the cause of his pain. Squeezing her once more, he brushed his lips against her forehead before stepping back. Half of her wished he hadn't let go.

The Captain turned away quickly, his eyes suspiciously bright and her heart squeezed painfully in her chest. They truly had no other choice. The prisoners were unloaded under careful supervision. Maggie risked a look over the edge of the cliff at the angry white water a hundred feet below, what would it feel like to just step off the edge? To let that angry white river swallow her whole? A scented breeze tousled her short chestnut curls, smelling of eucalyptus and jasmine, moist earth and overripe fruit. The high chitter of monkeys echoed across the valley below and she tracked the telltale sway of the trees in their playful wake. She could feel the watchful gaze of the group behind her. The swollen orange sun sank on the horizon, the sky blushing a dusky pink. Maggie inhaled deeply, it was time. Casting one last look at the glorious sunset, allowing herself one last windy caress, she turned on her heel and marched back the way she came.

Falling in line, the group tread cautiously over the rocky terrain, past the waiting helicopter and down the slope towards an enormous ruin. A solitary black peak stabbed into the sky, a tumbled down temple at its base. Glimmers of the structure's former glory peeked through the dense vines and shrub enshrouding it; giant cracked stone pillars and chipped azure frescoes. Slivers of red and yellow tiles glinted dully beneath the tangle of weeds, their color leaching in the dying sunlight.

Mounting the crumbling stairs as the sun finally slipped below the horizon, an eerie hush descended upon them. One by one they ventured into the recesses of the mighty temple, feeling like ants beneath its gargantuan pillars. The ceiling was hung with long green ropy vines as thick as tree trunks. Maggie clicked on her flashlight, jumping when a pair of glowing yellow eyes caught in the beam. A harsh screech echoed around the dank chamber as several tiny black monkeys skittered up the vines and out through a hole in the ceiling.