Mark Stephens got up with the sun, he hadn’t slept too well. He was sore, tired and hung over. He can’t remember the last time he had been that drunk, and he still had the taste of sour tequila in his mouth, yuck.

As he brushed his teeth vigorously he heard a peculiar sound, and stopped all movement to perk his ears and listen. Nothing. Just the wind coming across the desert, a bird crying off in the distance, then suddenly, an awful snort.

Where was it coming from? He looked around, faintly hearing this growling, grinding snort. He had seen javelina running around on the drive up, and worried there might be a rogue running around. Though small, they were dangerous animals.

There it is again! He thought, getting a bearing on the noise.

His eyes followed the trail of the sound back to Drelica’s tent. Mark’s eyes widened as he realized it wasn’t a wild pig at all, but rather Drelica snoring! He burst into laughter.

Torrid woke up lying on the floor of Liz’s apartment in a puddle of her own drool, with a quarter stuck to her face. She was dead to the world until Lock Jaw appeared and licked her with his enormous tongue.

Torrid scrambled to the bathroom to look in the mirror and jump back at the reflection that awaited her. Holy shit. I need a shower. She brushed her teeth with Liz’s toothbrush, laughing to herself as she did so. She got me drunk, so she can deal. She turned on the shower and undressed, catching a whiff of her own ripeness and getting grossed out. Jesus, did I puke too? She laughed to herself. The soothing flow of water soon covered her and she clean lather of soap washed away her sins. Torrid already felt better.

Drelica woke up face down on her sleeping bag with her hand in her pants and her phone in her hand. She lifted her head, which began to imideately throb. Crap. She rolled over and sat up, fighting off the dizziness and the overwhelming urge to hurl. Bleh! Tequila.

She emmerged from her tent with a slight stagger, and the sun blinded her as she stepped out into it’s full ray. Hangover city population: me.
“How late did I sleep?” she asked, tuning her head to scan for Mark. “Mark?”

He was gone.

Torrid entered Liz’s Kitchen in nothing but a towel, and reached for the cup of coffee that awaited her.

“Oh god, thank you.” Torrid said in a gravely voice.

“Here--” Liz handed a bottle of analgesics to Torrid as well. “You’ll need this too. Some night, huh?”

“No shit.” Torrid said popping three of the pills. “How did I get here?”

“I’m stronger than I look,” Liz smiled.

“You went and got Lock Jaw?” Torrid asked.

“Yep. I knew he’d go nuts if you didn’t come home and piss all over everything. So..that’s how much I love you, you goon.” Liz said.

“I owe you one.” Torrid said, flopping down on the sofa. “You didn’t happen to grab any of my clothes did you?” Torrid asked wishfully.

“Yep, jeans, tshirt, boots are all in the bedroom. I couldn’t find any underwear, so--”

“Never wear it.” Torrid said wickedly.

“Ew. Too much information.” Liz smirked. “Okay, I gotta run in a few, let yourself out, okay? I got a Yoga class at one.”

“Yoga?” Torrid said turning her head and cocking her eyebrow. “You?”

“Shut up. There’s a hot girl that teaches the class. I might get lucky.” Liz winked, drinking her juice.

Liz was a long, lean woman with raven black hair and hazel eyes. She sported a Hindu style nose piercing and a gold tooth. She was a character in every sense of the word, but had a heart of gold and she had been Torrid’s friend since junior high school. Torrid loved Liz. Even when they weren’t speaking. But, that was a long time ago, and here they were now, the best of friends.

“Thanks Liz.” Torrid said, getting up to go dress. “For everything.”

“Hey no problem, I’ll just add it to my bill.”

Drelica searched one side of the gorge and then the other, she could find no sign of mark. The Jeep was still there, the camp was intact, there was no sign of a struggle....or was there?

Drelica splashed water from her dasani bottle on her face to clear her vision. Faint tracks were in the sand and gravel. And tire tracks that did not belong to her jeep. Fuck. She didn’t know the first thing about reading tracks. Who was she kidding?
Drelica went to her duffle and pulled out her holster & sidearm. Her heart started pounding. What if she actually had to use it?

She was kicking herself for drinking.
“Wait!” she said, slapping herself, “I got my phone!” She ran to her tent and picked up her satillite phone to call the base camp. Nothing. Shit!

“Alright, Dre,” she said to herself climbing into the jeep, “There’s nothing more we can do here, let’s get the fuck out of here and head back to base.”
She turned the key. Nothing. Crap!!

She was totally alone with no way out in the Big Bend wilderness. She had water and food for a day more, maybe two. She pulled out the phone and debated calling the museum. If David Temple found out about this, she’d be fired.

She couldn’t afford to start over yet again. Monica’s betrayal had cost her so much, and she was lucky to get the position she had.

She laid her forehead down on the steering wheel and sobbed. After a long moment she looked up, she heard something in the distance. An ATV. Shit! She ran to her pack and pulled out her field glasses, extra clips for her 45, and as much water and protein bars as she could shove into her cargo pockets.

She grabbed her phone and the spare battery and took off down the creek bed, her heart racing.

Hiding in a small dug out in the side of the hill, she pulled tumble weeds around the opening to cammoflage the opening. She tried to calm her breathing, and held back frightened tears. Holding her phone in her hands...she dialed.

Torrid got home and fell into her bed. At least she was clean. She could sleep off the hangover now. She thought about what a wonderful experience it had been the night before, listening to Drelica pleasure herself on the phone while she guided her. Fucking hot. I hope she calls me, Torrid thought, I’d love some more of that.

“Fuck!” Torrid said, reaching for her phone. “This better be good.” she said as she clicked it open.

“Torrid! It’s Drelica,” She said whispering into the phone.

“What? Babe, I can barely hear you--did you miss me?” Torrid smiled.

“I need your help! Something awful has happened!” Drelica said, obviously paniced

Torrid sat up and covered her other ear with her hand, “What is it?”

Drelica relayed the story to Torrid about Mark’s disappearance and the motor tracks and the ATVs coming toward their camp.

“Where are you?” Torrid asked, reaching for a paper and pen. “Tell me exactly where you are, Drelica. I am coming for you.”

“Torrid you can’t come out here, it’s the desert, how will you find your--”

“Drelica, listen. I can find you. I can help you. I have skills, okay. Trust me.”

“Oh Torrid I am scared!” Drelica said, weeping.

“I know babe--but I’ll be there soon. Can you stay out of site for a few hours?”

“Yes, I think so--a few hours? Torrid I am 23 hours away by car!”

“Trust me.”

“Okay--I do trust you. I do! Here’s my map coordinates--” Drelica said, offering her location to Torrid.

Torrid hung up her phone and sat for a long moment, thinking. She dialed her phone again, and waited for an answer.

“It’s me, Torrid Duncan, “ she said into the phone, “I am calling in a favor. I’ll be there in an hour.”

Torrid tucked her phone into her jeans, then went to her closet and pulled out a steel box. Inside were her guns, clips, ammo. She loaded the contents into a gear back, along with various knives, and stabbing weapons; throwing stars, smoke bombs and a dart gun with a case of tranquilizer darts. Night vision goggles, tender box, snake bite kit, boots, cargo fatigues in desert cammo pattern. Anything else she needed she’d get at the rendezvous. She changed into her fatigues, and called Liz.

“Torrid, I’m in class!” Liz complained.

“There’s an emergency, I’ll be gone for a few days, and I need you to take Lock Jaw.”

“What is it?” Liz asked, concerned.

“It’s the return of the tiger.” Torrid said.

“I’m on my way to get him, you be careful!” Liz said.

“Always.” Torrid said, closing her phone. She raced out the door to her truck, which Liz was kind enough to return, and threw her gear into the passenger seat. Backing out she slammed on the breaks, nearly hitting Lisa Brown.

“Fuck!” Torrid screamed.
“I wanna talk to you, Duncan.” Lisa said.

“Get the fuck out of my way, Brown. I don’t have time for this!” Torrid said, loudly.

“Where are you off to dressed like that? Or have you forgotten your rank test today?”

“Fuck!” Yep, she had forgotten.

“Lisa--a friend is in trouble. I have to go.” Torrid said, getting out of the truck. “My friend she’s stuck out in the desert, alone. She’s scared. I am going after her. She‘s in danger. Her coworker has already disappeared.”

“What are you talking about? Is this some made up crap?” Lisa asked suspiciously.

“Look I know you hate me, but for once in your life, fucking listen--I called the tiger.” Torrid said soberly.

Lisa’s face went white. Jesus Christ, she thought to herself.

“Go.” she said stepping out of Torrid‘s way, “I’ll talk to Jayce and reschedule your test.”

“Thanks.” Torrid said, getting into the truck.

Lisa leaned over to the window looking at Torrid. She saw Torrid’s gear in the seat next to her. She pulled out a card from her pocket.

“Here--” she said handing the card to Torrid. “If you need backup. Call me.”

Meanwhile back in the west Texas desert, Drelica had huddled in fear til she was bored with it. Now she was just really pissed off. She wanted to know what the fuck was going on, so she crawled quietly to the edge of the creek ridge and peeked up through the brush to see if the mysterious ATV riders were still there.

Yep. They were ransacking her camp, destroying everything. Fuckers! She tried to listen in on their conversations, to see who they were and what they wanted. Suddenly she lost her footing when the rock she was standing on decided to dislodge itself from the soft gravel and she slid down into the gully landing with a thud. Crap. Her head was throbbing and the wind had been thouroughly knocked out of her.

Suddenly the sun was blocked from her eyes by the siloette of a figure standing on top of the ridge looking down at her. Her heart lept to her throat and she froze, remembering her tools, weapons and phone still in the fox hole. Damn.

“I found her!” said the voice of the man who wore a mask to obscure his features.

Suddenly three armed men were standing at the top of the gully. The trained their weapons on her.

“Dr. Truman, I wouldn’t make any sudden moves if I were you.” said a familiar voice.

Drelica’s jaw dropped. She reckognized the voice! But she decided to play dumb, and see what would happen next.

“Who are you? What do you want?” She shouted.

“That’s not important Dr. Truman,” the man said, “Are you injured?”

Drelica had to think, fuck. Yep. Her ankle was hurt. Twisted it in the fall. She couldn’t get away now if she wanted to. She’d have to bide her time til Torrid arrived and pray she could warn her and send her for help. I hope she isn’t coming out here alone! Drelica fretted. She gritted her teeth.

“My ankle is hurt!” She said begrudgingly to the masked man. “Get me out of here!” she demanded.

The masked leader motioned for two of the armed men to retreive her. They skidded their way down the gully and approached her with caution.

“It’s my ankle,” She said, motioning to her right foot. “I think I broke it in the fall.”
“Hang onto me, “ the one man said, putting his arm around her waist and pulling her arm around his shoulders. He carefully lifted her up, then put his other arm under her legs and scooped her up, carrying her to the edge of the gully. The other man had sent down a litter on a wench cable.

“We gotta hoist you up from here, hang on to the litter, okay?”

“Sure--” she said, “Thanks, your bedside manner is pretty good for a terrorist.” She mocked, as he laid her down in the litter. The other men at the top of the gully hoisted her up, and carried her to an awaiting camp chair.

The masked man stood waiting with a first aid kit.

“Service with a smile?” she asked as he removed her boot. “Okay what the hell’s going on, who are you thugs, and where is Mark Stephens?” She demanded.

“All in good time, Dr. Truman. You assistant is unharmed. Whether he remains that way for very much longer is up to you.” the masked man said as he bandaged her ankle and put a cold pack on it. “Hold this pack”.

“What do you want?” She asked as she let out a sigh of defeat.

“We are looking for something. We think you found it, we want it, or to know where it is.”

“What is it?” She asked, innocently.

“An artifact.” The man answered. “Stop playing games with me, Dr. Truman. Where is it?”

“What the fuck are you talking about? The only thing we took out of here are fossils!” She exclaimed.

“It’s a pity that you are so stubborn.” said the man, “You are a very beautiful woman.”

“Good grief!” Drelica groaned, “You sound like some film noir villain! Look pal, I don’t know who you are, or what it is you think I took, but I didn’t take jack shit from here!” she was pissed now.

“I am sorry that you are choosing to be so uncooperative. You force me to behave in an uncivilized manner.” He said, motioning for other armed thugs to bring Mark from the bushes, his hands tied behind his back. “Now Doctor, I will ask you one last time...Where is it?”

“Where’s what?” She shouted.

The man motioned for the beating to begin. Mark took one to the gut, then the face, and fell to the ground where the men began to kick him repeatedly. Drelica screamed, “STOP!!” but the men did not stop. Mark rolled over unconscience, blood running from his face and mouth. Drelica sobbed uncontrollably.

On the hilltop, Torrid watched the scene play out in the camp below. She gritted her teeth, as she watched the bound man get beaten by three armed thugs. She turned and rolled up her chute and shoved it back into its pouch. She stashed it in the brush. Soon it would be dark, then she could make her move.

“Hang in there babe,” Torrid muttered, watching Drelica through her field glasses. “I’ll be there soon.”