Requiem for a Soldier (Requiem #1)

Chapter 34: Close Encounter

"It's getting cold out here," Ana says as she rubs her arms and pulls her jacket closer. "It's not supposed to be 50 degrees in August. This is unnatural."

"I thought it got cold in deserts at night," I say, trying to act much calmer than I feel.

She crosses her arms and gives me a frown, but her eyes are smiling as she says, "Don't you use your logic to poke holes in my complaints. That's just rude!"

I cross my arms and screw up my face in an exaggerated impression of her. She bursts out laughing, startling Casper. He stares up at her with his ears pricked. Ana rubs his head between his ears and he tries his best to lick her hands, which probably still smell like s'mores. Ana stands and gathers up the food.

"Come on, Casper, it's time for bed. We've got a big day tomorrow at the river."

She takes the dog inside while I stare at the glowing coals. This is getting out of hand. If I can't get a better grip on my emotions, she's going to notice something. I scrub my hand across my face. Why did I have to invite her to stay here in the first place? I should have known I'd fall for her - the first woman since Afghanistan to look me in the eyes without cringing.

"Can you take care of putting out the fire?" Ana asks.

I hadn't even noticed she'd come back outside. "Yeah."

I stand reluctantly and pour water on the fire, quickly extinguishing the flames. The yard is plunged into darkness, the only light coming from the cabin windows. While I'm stirring the ashes to uncover any remaining hot embers, Ana stops in her tracks and cocks her head.

"What's that noise?" she asks.

I listen for a moment and scan the surroundings, but between staring at hot coals and the dim lighting, I can't distinguish anything.

"I don't hear anything," I say.

"There it is again," Ana says, spinning. After a moment's pause, she lets out a horrified gasp and leaps back. She charges at me and hides behind me, her arms snaking around me and squeezing tight. She begins to drag me back toward the cabin.

"What is it?" I ask, feeling confused and disturbed by her heightened fear, but also distracted by her closeness.

"It's a bear. Ryan, there's a bear. It's right there. Oh my God, Ryan, there's a bear!"

Her voice is filled with panic. I loosen her grip on me and try to calm her down while keeping us moving toward the cabin.

"It's OK, we're going to be OK. We just need to go back inside now and we'll be fine."

We reach the porch and I lead her up the stairs. I look out across the yard one last time and finally see it: a very large grizzly bear. I've only been this close to one once before and I was nearly bear lunch that day. Ana's panic is suddenly quite understandable.

I pull us inside and close the cabin door. I take a moment to calm my own pounding heart from the bear encounter, then I turn to her. Here in the light, I can see she's completely pale and beginning to tremble slightly. She's also clinging to my damaged arm as though her life depends on it. Can she feel how misshapen my arm is? Any mushy thoughts I had in my head from her sudden display of devotion instantly disappear.

"What if it tries to get in here?" she asks, her eyes wide. "What if it tries to break through the door?"

"It won't. It's probably more interested in the fruit in the garden than the cabin."

"Can't you just shoot it?"

"What am I going to do with a half-ton bear carcass? Besides, it's not hurting us. It's just wandering through. It'll leave soon."