Apocalypsis 02 - Warpaint

frowned, thinking about all the reasons that shouldn’t happen. “I think that’s a really, really bad idea, Bodo. They have guns.”
    “I know. But we are going to be gone for two days. Dat’s too long to be away from her. Don’t worry. I will be sure she is safe.”
    “I can’t believe you were able to work with her and keep her a secret from us this entire time. I should be mad at you.”
    “Are you? Mad at me?” Bodo looked worried.
    “No. I’m not sure why. Maybe because I know your motivations are pure.”
    “I luff her. Dat’s true. She is a very special bird.”
    I looked at him sideways. “Should I be jealous?”
    He squeezed my hand. “No. I can’t be away from you for longer dan one day either. Und I like you better.”
    I smiled. “Good. I like you a lot, too.”
    “Maybe some day you can luff me.”
    “Yeah. Maybe some day,” I said, finishing our trip in silence, thinking about all the things we would be risking on this mission and how one of them would be Bodo himself.

Chapter Four

    THE MORNING OF OUR CANNER recon mission dawned overcast and dark. The heavy-looking gray clouds booming with rolling thunder just off in the distance felt like a really bad omen, and made me wonder how long it would be before the rain began and we were completely soaked.
    “Do you think those five days of training helped?” asked Peter, standing next to me, looking up at the sky.
    “Maybe. Maybe not. It’s hard to say. I’d like to think so.”
    “You’re under a lot of pressure. It’s okay to admit that.”
    “Yeah, I know. I just don’t want to let anyone down.”
    “You’re not going to. Everyone knows you’ve done your best, and that’s all you can do. Even I learned some things.” Peter made some quick palm thrust motions with the heel of his hand, breaking into smiles when he was done.
    I grinned back. “Well, you do have good reflexes. Must be all that ping pong you’ve played.”
    “You mock what you don’t understand. I’ll take you on, any day of the week.”
    “Maybe someday we can do that,” I said wistfully, turning my attention to the backpacks in the doorway of the hut. Ping pong sounded so much more appealing then hunting canners right now. And hopefully, it always would.
    “Ready to go?” asked Bodo, coming out through the trees.
    “How’s Nina?” asked Peter.
    “Good. She’ss ready.”
    “Time to go,” said Peter, hiking his backpack up onto his shoulders, straightening the straps and making sure his shirt underneath wasn’t wrinkled.
    “She doesn’t like da rain, dough. Neither do I.”
    “Can she fly in it?” I asked.
    “Yes, but if it’s really bad, it’s dangerous for her. If it pours, I will wait with her somewhere close by. I’m sorry for dat.”
    I sighed. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll make do. At least we don’t have to try and make up excuses for you when you disappear. I’m glad you decided to tell the chiefs.”
    “Yes, well, his crazy girlfriend was gonna tell. Better dey hear it from me.”
    “You’re right,” said Peter, waiting for us to get our backpacks on. “But they’d be stupid to be upset over it. You’ve already brought them three rabbits and two snakes. That’s more than enough to cover the amount of food that we eat.”
    We left our hut carrying a minimum of supplies, wearing the jeans and t-shirts Winky’s friends had found for us, traipsing over the woven root ground with our new moccasins.
    “Man, I love these shoes,” I said, for the tenth time at least. “I can’t believe they keep all the pokey things out. I’m pretty sure I’m quieter with them on, too.”
    “Don’t bet on it,” said Peter. “Coli is only too happy to remind me how loud we are whenever we step foot anywhere in the swamp. Just yesterday, she and her friends were calling you a swamp elephant.”
    I curled my lip in distaste. “Yeah, well, I’m convinced she’s not a real person. She’s just an evil spirit that just floats over the ground without actually touching it. That’s why she’s so quiet all the time.”
    “Who’s an evil spirit?” asked Coli, coming out on my left from between two large trees, their roots all tangled together to form a net wall, rising up out of the ground.
    “Geez, Coli. Enough with the spying crap,” I said, not unkindly.
    “I’m not spying; I’m just coming to the send-off, along with everyone else.”
    I sighed. “They’re making a big deal out of this, aren’t they?”
    “Of