Bolt

7

BOLT

Bolt sat at their campsite on his own, ruminating over his interaction with Elle. He had no idea she was going to be there, or he would have had something planned to say — something better than what had come out.

It was a riveting situation to be put in, finding your long-lost sister who was convinced of your death. All on a f*****g mission that had his entire freedom at stake.

Everyone in the camp was getting ready to move forward, gathering up tents and materials. Bolt saw Elle walking by, carrying a few sleeping bags that she struggled with. Bolt jumped up and joined her.

“Need a hand?” he asked softly.

Elle turned to him, her eyes shining with rage.

“When would I ever need help from you?” she snarled.

She hastily stepped away from him, and Bolt followed.

“Elle, I think we should talk,” he said.

Elle continued stomping forward, and although she was struggling, she did not miss a step.

“I don’t want to talk to a liar, Bolt,” she replied. “Especially not one who made me think he was dead.”

Bolt stopped walking, then watched as Elle dragged the sleeping bags through the mud. He was at a loss of how to reach her. He turned away and went to a tent, taking it down while brooding on ways they could re-connect.

Once he, Elle, Kara, and the rest of the group had gathered up their materials, Bolt stood beside Kara, who was looking up the mountain they stood at the base of.

“We going up?” he asked.

“Yup. All the way up and over.”

“What happened to the two locals guiding you?” he asked, looking around the camp area.

She shrugged. “Guess they never came back after the attack.” She started up the trail. “We don’t need them. I know where we’re going.”

Yeah, Bolt wasn’t sure he believed that fully, but he followed with the rest of the group behind him. Elle completely avoided him, intentionally hiking at the back of the line. Kara slowed to climb next to him, observing his every move.

“Can I help you with something?” Bolt asked.

Kara held her backpack with two hands and tried to keep up with Bolt’s long stride. She was small, but he figured that never held her back.

“I need you to keep me updated on your plan. It better not interfere with mine,” she said.

Bolt could feel her eyes on him, like a sniper in the distance. He looked down and watched as her watery orbs assessed him.

“I’m here to save you. What else do you need to know?” Bolt snapped.

But Kara did not budge.

“That would be fine if I was Ann Darrow in King Kong, but alas,” Kara growled back.

Bolt breathed in deeply. He kept his eyes on their trail ahead, with the increase in the roughness and incline with every step they took. He needed to focus on whether or not all of their team members could make the journey with minimal breaks.

He realized that Kara was still at his side, and he replied with reverence.

“That’s all the information I can give you right now. I’m sorry if that doesn’t fit with your narrative,” Bolt said, trying to be firm but gentle.

Just as Kara opened her mouth to say something, a deafening screech halted their steps. Bolt slid a hand to the small of Kara’s back.

“What …” Kara tried to speak.

“Shh, hold on,” Bolt replied.

He held up a hand to get the rest of the team to remain quiet. They were frozen in their spots, eyes widened with fear.

Bolt knew where the sound was coming from and what exactly was producing it. He bent over to Kara and whispered into her ear. “Stay here. Give me fifteen minutes. Don’t move until I return,” he ordered.

Kara nodded but was not happy being ordered to do anything. Bolt tried to ignore this and went around the corner to conceal himself.

Once he thought he was out of eyesight, he undressed and placed his clothes and backpack in a bush nearby. He shifted into his tiger form, feeling relief similar to an orgasm. He padded along the pathway where the sound had echoed, and lo and behold, he saw the tracks of a snow leopard.

Bolt tapped his claws against the ground. Snow leopards were endangered, so killing them wasn’t an option. He decided that the best idea would be to divert it away from their path. He had been prepared for this as the briefing from the General mentioned the group was in the mountains of Afghanistan. There was a variety of wild animals they could run into, including large cats.

Bolt moved through the snowy mountainside, sure that his orange and black stripes stood out like a fire in the moonlight. He killed a rabbit, then dragged it along the ground, leaving a trail going away from the caravan. He spread the blood out to be sure that the leopard would detect it, then seek out the meal.

Bolt shifted into his human form, then put his clothes on. He walked back to the group, who were gathering around the corner with anticipatory looks.

“Good to go,” Bolt said, shouldering his pack.

Elle shuffled forward from the back of the group then stood next to Kara. She had her arms crossed and watched as Bolt tried to re-direct everyone forward.

“Whoa, Whoa,” Elle said. “What the hell is that on your cheek?”

Bolt touched his face, feeling dampness. He looked at his fingers, not realizing that he had spots of blood remaining from when he killed the rabbit.

“It’s nothing,” he asserted. “I found a way to prevent further interference. That’s all you need to know.” He studied Elle, and she glared back at him. Did everyone know what Elle was? Was the secret out?

Kara sighed sharply.

“That is getting old, you know that, right?” Kara said.

Bolt shrugged. He couldn’t risk telling them he was a shifter — not until he found out if Elle had shared her identity. Many people had a prejudice against shifters, or at least, some kind of misconception. He needed to determine where their values lay before he told them anything about himself in that way.

“I’m here to protect you and get you home,” Bolt reiterated. “That’s all that matters right now. Let’s get moving.”