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Chapter 6


Just as Buffy got back to the lecture room, she saw everyone stand – they were breaking for lunch.

“Hi!”

“Hi Kitten, how’d it go?”

“Oh, you know, six bulleyes, needed four – you know the story, the Prof or whatever he is thinks I’m a delicate little flower who couldn’t possibly walk, breathe and chew gum all at the same time, let alone carry and use his gun thingy…anyway, come on, quick sandwich for me………blood pack for you, and then the rest of the day is our own”

Is it now? – I thought I’d got to learn how to make you a tent or whatever?”

“We’ll muddle through, to be quite frank, I want to get in there, take out whatever it is, and get out – I don’t want to hang about for any longer than is necessary”

“Right with you there babe! – Oh, and I’ll be with you”

“Yeah, I know!”

“No, I mean RIGHT there with you – the sunlight doesn’t penetrate much passed the upper canopy, there will be plenty of undergrowth cover – so I can be with you every step of the way, I haven’t got to stay at base-camp”

Buffy smiled and cupped her husband’s cheek

“Oh baby is that so? – There’s nobody – nobody else I’d rather have with me!”

*******************


“Are you SURE about this Buffy – I mean you can have another 24 hours of training, and-“ Riley said, looked slightly concernedly at her

“Look, mate, she just said, didn’t she? Now if you don’t mind, we’d just rather get on, get in there, get the job in hand done and get the fuck out…”

“We, what’s this we?”

“I’m going in the jungle with her – AND – hear me out, there is nothing you can say that’ll make any difference” Spike said

Riley dropped his pen on top on his book and tented his fingers, taping them against his chin, deep in thought.

“Okay then…now my boys will take you as far as the first camp – after that, you’re on your own, but you’ll be in touch with us via satellite field radio. I’d also like you to wear this………here you go, I’ll just pin it on your top – it’s a locator – it’ll help us to help you if you get lost – “

Riley walked towards Buffy, to attach the locator to her top, Spike was having none of it, he didn’t want the overgrown hall-monitor leering at his Mrs…

“I’LL do that, thankyou VERY much!” Spike took the locator off Riley and pinned it to her top.

“Right, to the stores, get the equipment and then you can be off”

**********************


Buffy glanced at Spike, who was already frowning…

“Riley…we don’t need all this stuff, and besides, it’ll just slow us down – what is it anyway?”

“Stuff you’ll need” Spike shook his head and said,

“You mean stuff you THINK we’ll need…I’ll take the tarpaulin, the radio and two canteens for water, and four emergency rations for Buffy”

Buffy said she’d carry the weapon, a torch and they’d both have a machete knife to cut through the thick undergrowth.

“But you’ll – “ Riley began, but the look he got from both Buffy and Spike quietened him.

He shrugged and held out his palms upwards in a helpless gesture saying

“Well, on your own heads be it – you know best I suppose”

“Tell your team or whoever we’ll leave after lunch”

“Right, that’ll work out nicely, you should reach base-camp by nightfall” Riley said.

***********************


Having arrived at base-camp, the soldiers set about making things ready. They built a fire, got bedding set up and prepared a meal.

“Smells good…what is it?” Buffy asked

“Chicken curry with rice…just add water, boil it for twenty minutes…” a soldier said.

Giles helped set up a sleeping hammock, he was already sweating profusely.

“Are you alright Giles?”

“F-fine, fine thankyou…a tad warm maybe!”

“You don’t have to be here you know, I was wondering why you all did the jungle craft classes when you could be safe and sound back at HQ” Buffy said

“Well…thought I could least be here, know, well get some sort of idea what you might be going through”

Buffy smiled.

“Um, Miss Summers, can I show you this please?”

“Sure, what is it?” Buffy followed one of the soldiers to a small piece of equipment standing on the ground.

“We do this………and this, lift this up like so, and in heavily covered areas like this, we open out the mini-dish rather than use just the aerial, we get better reception like this…and then I punch in our co-ordinates, like this………(there was a beep and a tiny green light came on) and there, that means we’re now logged in and being monitored by the US Army Satellite Navigation System – they’ll know exactly were we are – and were you are, via that locator”

Buffy looked down at her top where the locator was pinned; it gave off a little pulsing beep.

“You can turn the beep down altogether if it gets on your nerves, but I find you get used to it, like a heartbeat”

She smiled and said,

“Great!”

A voice shouted,

“Chow’s ready!”

*****************



“That was great…so………we’ll rest up and take off at first light, okay Spike?”

“Sure baby”

Buffy sat with her back to Spike’s chest; they were all sat around the campfire talking.

“So, how come you got involved with something like this?” One of the soldiers asked Buffy

“I’m afraid that’s top secret, we’re not allowed to reveal the specialist skills of either Miss Summers or Spike!” Giles interrupted. This made Buffy grin

“Sorry, we’re top secret, aren’t we babe?” She turned her head and Spike gave her a light kiss, grinning

“We sure are!”

The radio crackled into life and everyone heard Riley’s voice.

“This is Hotel Quebec 405 calling base-camp 1, come in base-camp 1, over”

“Base-camp 1 to Hotel Quebec 405, this is Sgt. Martino receiving you loud and clear, sir, over”

“Good, Martino, we have received your co-ordinations and will be tracking and monitoring the progress of the Laser-Blazer’s, will give you a wake-up call at 6.30am, come back, over”

“Thankyou Hotel Quebec, message received and understood, goodnight from all of us here at base-camp 1, sweet dreams – over and out” The radio went back to giving off the same tiny little pulsing beep as the locator.

**************************


“Hmm – huh – oh Spike…SPIKE!”

Spike came to with Buffy clutching his arm tightly

“Wha-what, what is it baby?”

“I don’t…I don’t know, something pulled my hair and EW – IT’S ALL SLIMY- oh god what is it, get it out!!!!”

It was pitch black, Spike had to turn game-face to see what was troubling his wife.

“Hold still…there, got it!”

“Ow, ouch…Ew! What was it – NO! Don’t tell me I –“

“Some sort of half eaten fruit by the look of it…sweet anyway …monkey or something must have dropped it”

“I thought that this tarp thingie supposed to stop things falling on you…why can’t they use tents like everybody else!”

“Miss Summers…hello, Miss Summers, do you have problem?”

A torch beam was shone in their general direction, a soldier walked towards them.

“S’okay…just a monkey using me as target practice, sorry to disturb you”

“You didn’t, I’m on first watch…here, the corner of the tarp is caught on this vine here………there, that should cover you both now…goodnight”

“Night, thanks”

Buffy lay down again. The jungle seemed to come alive, crickets or cicadas, birds, animals – everything began to make a noise.

“Never bloody sleep now…ew, my hairs all sticky…it’s going to get SO matted!”

“Hmm…babe…you’re beginning to sound like Cordy…”

“You take that back!”

Spike chuckled

“Okay, I’ll take it back if you stop mo-“ He was cut short by Buffy sitting up quickly

“Ow, Ow, OW!”

She heard the dull clunk, then the soft rasp of Spike’s Zippo lighter, he held it up. Buffy went to reach for the offending thing, but much to her surprise, it took off………

“Oh, sorry…It’s only a twig – oh god – it’s a twig on legs!”

“It’s a stick insect…can we go back to sleep now please?”

Spike let the lighter go out

“THAT, was not a stick insect…stick insects were little bitty things that we used to have in glasses cages at school…that was a stick ANIMAL”

“Buffy…lie down love………try and rest”

Suddenly a voice out of nowhere made them jump.

“You forgot your mosquito net, that should solve your problems”

A white gauzy film of net was draped around them and Buffy felt she could relax at last.


**********

“Babe…Sweetie…Princess-Kitten…wakey-wakey!”

“Hmm, what – but I only just closed my eyes…can’t be morning!”

Buffy sat up, yawned and blinked; she suddenly became wide-awake at the sight of Spike in a pair of khaki camouflage army trousers, and a khaki tee-shirt.

“Hoo woo, look at you!”

Spike grinned and handed her a steaming tin mug

“Here you go, drink up – Lieutenant Price lent them to me, he said best not to have too much flesh on show, the creepy-crawlies take it as an invite to dinner – you being the main course”

Buffy wrinkled her nose

“What about Sgt Thingy’s don’t bother it, and it won’t bother you mantra?”

“Ah, that…seems nobody told the creepy-crawlies!”

“Ew…what does my hair look like?”

“Um…like you’ve had an argument with an over-ripe peach…and lost! – Don’t worry, you’ll soon sweat it all out”

“Gonna need a shower!”

“That’s all ready for you ma’am!” A soldier said walking towards them.

“They’ve set up a ground-sheet on four poles, I can pour several buckets of water over you, I knew you’d want to be clean before we set off” Spike said, grinning

Buffy smiled, leaned forward and gave her hubby a kiss

“ I love you…”

“Love you too kitten, now come on!”

Buffy gasped as Spike poured the cold water over her, but she managed to get the goo out of her hair and feel reasonably fresh.





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