TO SERVE AND OBEY

Chapter 2

Scott is panting as they negotiate the steep ascent through a deep incline in the rain forest. Aleska can hear his heavy breathing behind her. She looks over her shoulder when she hears something drop to the ground.

'Do not litter!' She narrows icy blue eyes at Scott. 'Plastic is not biodegradable.'

And I thought she could not speak English!

'I'm tired,' Scott mumbles. 'I am trying to get rid of my excess baggage.'

'And you wanted to bring two bags!' She glowers at him.

'Can we rest --- please?'

There are beads of perspiration on his face. He is out of breath. Perhaps they can rest. They have been walking rather briskly for close on two hours.

'You can rest for one minute,' Aleska scoops Scott's bottle from the ground and dumps it in to her backpack.

'Didn't peg you for a nature lover,' Scott states breathlessly.

'You should conserve your energy!'

'I'm not used to so much physical stuff' Scott complains. 'I'm the electronics guy. I get dropped, rig my stuff, then get picked up again.'

Aleska leans against one of the trees. She folds her arms across her chest. 'You are also the topographer and land surveyor, and the reconnaissance detachment frontman.'

'You remember the colonel mentioning that?'

'She ignores his question. 'You are trained in counter-terrorism; mountainous; amphibious; parachute and motorized activities. In order to qualify for special force duty, you had to run 5km cross country; swim 300m and walk 25km in full combat gear in specified times!'

She knows. She conducted those training programs back in Russia.

Scott is red-faced. He shuffles embarrassedly. 'Who taught you to speak English.'

She steps away from the tree and begins walking again. 'Your one minute is over.'

'No doubt before you arrived you were thoroughly briefed on each of our expertise and given our psychological profiles.'

'The Russian Military does not send its soldiers into a battlefield, unprepared.'

He runs to keep up with her long strides...so unusual for a lady. 'You love your country, don't you?'

She turns around, 'Don't you?'

Much as Scott finds her icy blue eyes frightening. He is fascinated by her unending strengths... not to mention she is one hot sexy babe. But she will probably kill him if he speaks his thoughts aloud. He looks down, begins walking again.

'How much longer?' Scott pants, after they had been walking for another thirty five minutes.

'We're here.' Aleska tosses her backpack on the ground. She retrieves a folded map from her pocket. She studies it for a few moments while Scott throws himself on the floor and rests his arms under his head.

'Set up your gear,' she instructs. 'Access to the Brazilian side is from the river mouth, there,' she points. 'I want three sensors high up on each tree right there.'

'Already?' He groans softly, not relishing the idea of tree climbing.

'Are the transmitters solar powered?' She asks.

'Yes ma'am.'

'Good. Get to work.' She retrieves a bottle of water from her backpack and takes a sip. She sees Scott drooling for some of her water. 'You can have a sip when you finish,' she offers.