An Elloras Cave Romantica Publication www.ellorascave.com Naked Prey ISBN 9781419918469 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Naked Prey Copyright 2009 Myla Jackson Edited by Shannon Combs. Photography and cover art by Les Byerley. Electronic book Publication March 2009 The terms Romantica and Quickies are registered trademarks of Elloras Cave Publishing. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Elloras Cave Publishing, Inc. 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publishers permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the authors rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors imagination and used fictitiously. NAKED PREY Myla Jackson Chapter One Florida 2020 Ramon Osceola blended with the shadows of the bald cypress towering over his head. The tree stood tall on the large hummock of land surrounded by swamp in the only place left he could call home. He stared out across the wide expanse of open water, the hair on the back of his neck standing at attention. The roar of an airboat propeller disturbed the usual stillness of the swamp, growing louder as the vehicle skimmed the surface of the algae-covered waters. The sound was headed his direction. Access to his place was limited to water or air with no roads or bridges venturing this deep into the Big Cypress Swamp of Florida. Which suited him just fine. His special issues required space from other humans and the island in the swamp afforded a place where he could guard his solitude, as well as his life. Thank the gods the conservationists had saved the swamps from encroaching growth and development. They had even reestablished flow of waters to encourage the return of natural plants and animals to the area. Making his utter seclusion possible. He lived off the land and water, his sustenance that of his Seminole ancestorsfish from the water, plants and roots from the land. Hed inherited the tiny island from his father and rebuilt it to be habitable after his discharge from the Army Special Forces. Hed distanced himself as much as any man could into total solitude. The occasional swamp tour guide ventured in looking for fresh routes to sell to eager tourists searching for the giant alligators and exceptional wildlife found nowhere else in the United States. Inhaling the musty scent of decayed leaves and stagnant water, he much preferred the natural odors of death and rebirth of vegetation than the stench of sewage and trash of the city life. Especially the acrid smell of alcohol and disinfectant prevalent in hospitals and clinical laboratories like the one in which hed been held captive for who knew how long. Even the thought of that place set his heart racing and he needed to take several deep breaths before regaining control. But the airboat hadnt changed direction and the noise grew closer. The operator ran it at full throttletoo fast for the twisting waterways leading to his remote house and too fast for swamp tourists. A whop-whop-whop sound joined the whine of the fan- powered boat. Instinctively, Ramon tensed. The sound of helicoptershed heard them often enough when hed been deployed as a Special Forces soldier to the war in Syria. Before his capture. Before his alteration. Before his life had changed forever. The helicopter appeared over the tops of the tallest bald cypress trees at the same time as the airboat rounded the corner of the jut of land blocking the view into his little hideaway. The back end of the craft slipped sideways before it straightened and shot forward. From his vantage point beneath the cypress tree two hundred yards from his house, the animal in Ramon sensed danger and fought to unleash. The aircraft lean and black, an exact copy of hundreds of others in the military arsenal. The only difference being, this chopper didnt have the usual markings and it was operating in attack mode on the home front. Clamping down hard on his back teeth, Ramon struggled to maintain his humanity in the face of a relentless metamorphosis. Hed tried on numerous occasions to control the transformation only to fail, waking up naked in the oddest places. Thus his retreat to the Big Cypress Swamp. If he were to change out here, who would notice? He needed to remain human to face this kind of danger and he concentrated on the airboat and its occupant. The drivers long blonde hair whipped around in the wind. A woman? Not the norm for the swamp, and she was hell-bent on escape but she was going to wreck if she didnt slow down soon. For that matter, she headed straight for the house hed built on the little island. As the airboat plowed through the lagoons open water, its speed climbing to insane levels, the helicopter dropped low and a side door slid open, the snout of a machine gun pointing out. Ramon pushed away from the tree trunk, and almost stepped out into the open to shout a warning to the driver, until he realized the sound wouldnt carry over the blast of the propeller shooting the watercraft closer. All he could do was watch as the gunner unloaded a rapid burst of bullets at the boat. The woman at the helm cried out and jerked the steering grip away from the chopper, the rudder responding a little too well. The boat leaned on its side in the water and then straightened, moving in a zigzagging motion to avoid being peppered by the gunner overhead. When the helicopter crowded closer, the woman wrenched her steering grip too hard. The front of the airboat lifted from the surface of the lagoon and the entire craft launched into the air, spiraling three hundred sixty degrees. The womans body was thrown from her seat on the boat, landing hard on the algae-covered surface and sliding beneath low-hanging foliage, out of full view of the gunner. Heart hammering against his chest, Ramon watched helplessly as the empty craft hit the water upside down, the back cage and propeller separating from the boat, flying through the air in pieces. When the prop hit the water, it broke in two and finally sank beneath the murky depths. Skin stretched and changed, hairs springing from follicles covering his body in a thick black pelt. Pain shot through every nerve ending as his bones shifted and contracted. Within seconds, he couldnt stand on two feet and dropped to all fours, fighting to retain his human thoughts and reasoning, a challenge he met through each transition. Anger pushed the transformation through his blood. Anger at the relentless and merciless pursuit of the woman fighting to stay alive on the airboat, only to be thrown violently from her vehicle. The helicopter pilot didnt demand she stop over a loudspeaker, the crew didnt fire warning shots to get her attention. They obviously wanted to kill her. Cops, judge and jury all wrapped in one package. What the hell was going on? Who was she? And why was the military helicopter chasing her? Was she a drug runner or a convicted felon? No matter what shed done, she deserved a chance to defend herself. As his transformation neared completion, he shook free of his clothing. Then his haunches bunched, and he leaped through the underbrush, following the lay of the land until he was as close as he could get to rescue the woman without going into the water. Overhead, the helicopter circled the airboat and finally flew off toward the house another hundred yards away. A missile left the underbelly of the aircraft and flew straight into the house hed spent the past two months remodeling. When the weapon touched the cedar exterior, it exploded in a blast large enough to rock the earth beneath Ramons paws. The sound echoed against the tall stands of cypress. Apparently the guys flying the chopper didnt think a rocket explosion was enough, they pumped several hundred rounds into the remains of Ramons home. Had anyone been inside, they would have been dead by the time the helicopter took to the sky and made a wide, sweeping turn, as if searching for driver of the airboat. Instinct propelled him into action. Ramon leaped into the lagoon and dog-paddled to the woman facedown in the water. He slid his head under her until she rested across his back, her face rising above the surface. Then he applied his paws to swimming with all his might to the shore farthest away from the destruction. He wanted to move her farther from the airboat before the crew of the helicopter had a chance to find her and finish her off. And if he didnt resuscitate her soon it wouldnt matter, shed suffer irreparable brain damage and die. As he struggled to balance her body on his back and paddle to shore, the rage that somehow seemed to control him burned inside. The house in the swamp had been his sanctuary, his escape from the harsh world. And now that was gone too...
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