Elsa lay on the couch beside Jacob, her hand gently tracing the features of his face, and as she found the scar that marred his right eyebrow, her thoughts travelled back to three years ago when they had first met...
The rain was coming down hard, and the darkness of the night was split by flashes from automatic rifles firing at Elsa and her DFA team. The foothills of the Andes had been beautiful and peaceful only hours before, as the sun dipped below the mountains. But now, Elsa found herself ducking behind a jeep as bullets tore through the air around her. Her white shirt was completely soaked, and the cold air had made her nipples so hard that they poked out against the near transparent fabric. While the other doctors and their guides cried out in terror and fear, Elsa's veins coursed with adrenaline. She poked her head above the jeep's heavy metal frame, and started counting the muzzle flashes.
Four... No, five men were set up in the bushes across the road. Elsa's team had been warned when they arrived of the local criminals who were becoming bolder and more aggressive. A recent outbreak of K2Ba Flu was sweeping through this region and, with children the most likely to perish from this virus, Elsa had elected to lead the Doctors For Aid team sent to provide much needed medical aid. But now it seemed that these supplies were destined for the local black market. Still, Elsa knew if she stayed calm, she could shepherd her peers to safety.
Elsa waited till her attackers stopped to reload, and used the moment to sprint to the other DFA jeep. Her powerful muscled legs propelled her across the distance - her well worn black leather boots splashing in the mud. The ground was slippery and uneven, but Elsa managed to stay on her feet as she sprinted in the darkness.
Crouching again when she reached the protective cover of the second jeep, she studied the others, making sure they were alright. The heavy rain had plastered Elsa's blonde-brunette layered hair to her face and shoulders, and her soft, youthful face was drawn tight from the cold and severity of their situation. Elsa had too-soft cheeks, and too-pink full lips that belied her fierce and firm attitude. Her round eyes normally sparkled with a mischievous light that drove men crazy, but now, they were set with a take-charge edge, that brooked no argument.
Behind the jeep were the other two doctors and their driver. The local man was frantically trying to connect with help on the radio -- seemingly with no success -- as the two doctors crouched low, heads almost between their legs. Elsa could sympathize with their panic and fear, but pushed away any such thoughts. Instead, she crept towards the back of the jeep, waiting for the fresh round of gunfire splattering into the mud around her to subside. Their attackers were shooting without precision or training, and instead of taking turns reloading, they were lumping their shots together. This left a small window when it was safe to move without fear of taking a bullet.
Elsa paused, and when the crack of the guns stopped, she moved quickly. Opening the trunk of the jeep, she tossed aside food rations, camping gear and backpacks, till her hands found the shotgun that their guide had brought to keep animals away at night. Jamming as many shells as her fingers could find into her jean pockets, she threw herself back around the side of the jeep as bullets started to strike the vehicle.
The shotgun couldn't do much at this range, but Elsa knew that waiting timidly for their attackers to steal the medical supplies and leave wasn't a viable option. Elsa shouted to the guide above the din of gunfire and ricocheting bullets, trying to tell him to lead the doctors to safety. But judging by the driver's terrified expression, Elsa knew she would have to stall the gunmen to give her team time to make their escape.
When the gunmen paused to reload next, Elsa sprinted back over to her jeep and quickly shared her plan with the guide and remaining doctor. Then Elsa darted out from the protection of the heavy steel frame of the jeep and started moving down along the edge of the road. As the attackers resumed firing, she took refuge in the low-lying bushes that lined the muddy dirt track they had been travelling along. It wasn't until Elsa had crashed to the ground that she realized she was now covered in mud, which was seeping over the top of her shirt, and sliding down the front of her chest. Wiping an errant lock of hair out of her eyes, she smudged her nose and cheeks, and she could barely suppress a chuckle at how she must look in her camouflage.
Elsa's friends in New York often whined that they never got to go on exciting adventures -- travelling the world, eating exotic food, and meeting new, interesting people. Yet somehow, Elsa couldn't see these same friends being jealous of her right now. Flat on her stomach, mud squishing against her skin, rain pelting against her back, and bullets whizzing overhead... and this wasn't the worst assignment she had been on by far.
Sensing her next opening, Elsa coiled her muscles, and preparing to make the dangerous rush across the road. Counting to three after the last gun had stopped firing; Elsa sprung from her cover, and ran as fast as she could. The road was now a deep mess of mud, and she had to slow her stride so as not to slip, but Elsa closed the distance quickly, and dropped to a baseball slide as she entered the underbrush the gunmen had been firing from. Cold, wet, mud-covered, and burning with anger, Elsa took her bearings. Immediately spotting one of the bandits, Elsa realized that he was already taking aim at her! He brought his rifle to bear, and Elsa's body tensed with fear as his finger pulled back on the trigger.
Nothing happened.
Elsa and the man stared at each other -- both dumbfounded. The local criminal glanced down at his AK, and saw that in his rush to shoot Elsa, he hadn't finished reloading properly.
Elsa fired.
The kickback was tremendous, and the noise nearly left her deaf, but Elsa had used a shotgun before, and was prepared for the blast and recoil. The man before her spun to his side and collapsed in the mud. Seeing that he was finished, Elsa didn't pause for long, knowing that the other gunmen would soon be upon her -- and she wouldn't get so lucky twice.
As Elsa moved deeper into the underbrush, hoping to flank her opponents, she could hear them shouting to one another, trying to figure out what had happened. Their voices helped Elsa pinpoint them in the darkness, and the heavy layer of mud that now covered Elsa head to toe made her virtually invisible as she moved towards them. Elsa saw another of the criminals emerge from his firing position, attempting to check on his fallen companion, and after taking a moment to steady her stance, Elsa fired.
The gun's kick and thunder was no less stunning this time. But at this range, all she had to do was aim it in the general direction of her target, and the blast of buckshot took care of the rest.
The man clutched his stomach, fell to his knees, and tried unsuccessfully to call out a warning to his allies, before slumping into the mud. Elsa shuddered for a moment. Though this situation was life and death for Elsa and her fellow doctors, she still hated having to defend herself like this.
On the road, the jeeps engine's suddenly roared to life, and their lights shone brightly in the darkness. Two of the gunmen slung their rifles over their shoulders and returned into the night, while the last remaining gunman opened fire at the fleeing jeeps. The vehicle's tires spun in the thick mud, and the sound of bullets smashing into their metal frames set Elsa's heart racing even faster. Abandoning all caution now, she raced through the bushes and tree roots that littered the ground, and in her haste, her left foot caught on something hard. Elsa's world spun sideways as she came crashing down. A blinding flash filled her vision as her head smacked into the mud, and by the time Elsa had managed to struggle to her knees, the rifle had stopped barking in the darkness.
