Stranger in a strange land

“What can we do.” Asked Jack watching the horror still unfolding in the village below. Darin was silent for several moment, until she could no longer stand looking at the flames.

“Nothing, we can’t do anything.” She whispered whipping away tears that had formed in the corners of her eyes.

“Bullshit!” growled Jack “we have to do somethi-“

“What! Huh? What can we do? Their ALL dead Jack! All of them! The best thing and only thing we can do is think about ourselves.” Darin pointed past the village to the river running slowly beside it.

“There should be a Sea plane, red on black single engine. Do you see it.”

He heard the tears in her voice, she wanted yet all the same refused to. Jack wordless lifted the scope back to his eye following the edge of the bank until he came to the docks. Darins eyes snapped to Jack as he started to laugh.

“Well there’s good news and bad news.” He said bowing his head slowly.

“What?”

“One, your Sea plane is on fire. And Two those guys brought another .” Jack handed her the rifle she took it quickly finding what he was looking at. Darin bite her lip lowering the rifle letting Jack take it back.

“Twin engine Osprey…” She muttered slowly shaking her head.

“Can you fly it?” Jack asked watching the amred men and the Jackal faced man known as Franco continue to sweep the burning village.

“Yes, but time is the issue. The engines will need a minute to spin up it’ll be loud.” Darin nodded to men; Jack understood breathing out sharply through his nose.

“If you can get that plane started.” He said looking up to her “I’ll cover you, but you better be quick. After the first shot they’ll scatter then they will know exactly where I am.” Darin swallowed breathing in and out deeply giving him a nod of conformation.

Jack watched as moved in a crouch down the hill until she disappeared in the thick bushes. He put his eye back to the scope training the cross-hairs over the chest of Franco. The man was crouched beside the body of a woman, his hand was on her back moving back and forth slowly. Jack found himself shaking, either from rage or fear he could not tell.

Its one thing to kill a animal, something that isn’t…

“Human.” Jack muttered.

Inhale count to four, exhale repeat. He told himself as Franco stood pointing to the men around him.

Animal think he’s an animal.

Inhale count to four exhale repeat.

Jack closed his eyes counting to four then exhaled, he found his mark.

In the distance there was the roar of an engine, and the retort of a high powered rifle.

Motivation is the key to success, without motivation there can be no success. Franco took those words to serious heart when he was a young aspiring archeologist. When he used to go out each day rooting in the dirt of the Sanquies desert looking for remnants of lost ancient cities. When finding such artifacts and presenting them to the college was a time to break out the brandy and have an all-night party with the crew for doing such a good job.

Before finding out greed was an even greater motivator, and that there where those who would pay an barely payed young archeologist handsomely for making sure some artifacts. Never saw natural day light ever again. So many years ago it had been, when he had become what many would consider a “black market distributor” he considered himself an archeologist despite that.

A very well payed, well connected, archeologist which is more than what most people could say.

“Sir, there’s still no sign of her.” Said one of his, lackeys? That word was unfitting of the men surrounding him, all highly trained professional. Bodyguards? There entire purpose was to protect him amongst other things. Franco sighed hands on his hips watching as his bodyguards opened fire on one of the thatch buildings.

Several hours earlier he had arrived with his men in hopes of finding the esteemed Daring Do, only to find a weedy little man who thought himself an Archeologist. Telling him that Daring was already gone, and he would rather die before telling him where she went. A noble front one that Franco was all but willing to give him. Systematic slaughter later and still no sign of the esteemed woman, perhaps killing the man had been a bit much but what happened, happened. Franco paused beside the body of a prone woman, bullet holes littered his back, he crouched beside her laying a hand on her cold flesh. The business of killing had once seemed so…disgusting. Now like everything else it was just so dull and boring.

“Listen up men, I think I time here is over go and ready the plane. I have a bottle of whiskey with all our names on it!” Said Franco as he stood pointing to them all earning a hearty cheer. Hands now on his hips Franco smiled taking in a deep breath.

He let it out only to find he couldn’t.

Franco blinked hands limp at his side, he tried desperately tried to breathe. His eyes drifted upward, he saw black stars. He couldn’t breathe.

He couldn’t breathe.

Everything after that was complete darkness.

--

Darin wasn’t sure what scared her most, the fact she made it inside the plane and was able start it? Or the roar of gun fire afterword? She thought the later of the two made more sense, instinctively she ducked as the first shot were fired. Logic told her that they weren’t shooting at her.

Yet.

Darin sat down in the pilot’s seat quickly adjusting the flaps for take-off, the constant gunfire outside the plane assured her for the most part that perhaps Jack was still alive. For how long she could only guess. Steadily she increased the throttle the engines whining loudly at being pushed so hard while so cold. Gradually the plane began to move, twin engines roaring almost drowning out the gunfire.

Almost being the key word.

Bullets ripped through the side of the plane behind her, some ricocheted bouncing around the cabin going who knows where. Through the windshield she saw Jack running full tilt towards her, his rifle was gone as was his cap, but he was coming towards her hard. Behind him Franco’s men fired blindly as they chased after him she couldn’t see the man himself but guessed he was close behind. The plane had picked up speed now just as Jack’s pounding feet hit the dock, she lost him for a moment as he ran past the plane. More bullets struck the plane, one going through something over Darin’s head showering her in burning sparks.

“YOU BETTER BE ON! WE ARE LEAVING!” She screamed grabbing the throttle handle and putting it to the floor. The plane lurched forward sending Darin to the back of the seat and emitting a startled shout from somewhere in the back of the plane. Darin, smartly having held unto the steering wheel, pulled back on it hard as they reached the center of the river. More bullets hit the plane though hitting nothing but the wings and tail. After a long minute the plane was over the canopy of the trees they rose faster and faster finally the jungle disappeared, and eventually so did the smoldering village.

--

Jack rubbed his head wincing as he touched spot where his head had contacted with a low hanging beam. He crawled to the open door of the plane grabbed the handle and slammed it shut. He slumped against the door taking in deep breaths his lungs burned, his legs burned, everything burned. Jack touched the side of his head, blood coated his hand, he traced a shaking hand down the right side of his head. A stray bullet had grazed him; a centimeter closer and he’d been a dead man. Jack heaved himself up barely keeping his balance as the plane hit turbulence.

“Darin!” He yelled making his way towards the cockpit. There was no reply as he unsteadily wade his way through cargo and seats. Jack reached the open door finding it open, he saw the bullet holes lacing the cockpit.

“Darin?” He called out again entering the cockpit. Her hand was on what he guessed the throttle which was to the floor the other hand had the wheel pulled almost to her chest. She stared blankly through the windshield. Jake approached holding onto the sides of the plane for dear life as it shook, rattled ,at threated to break in two.

“Hey uh Houston problem here!” He managed nearly falling as the plane hit a nasty piece of turbulence, Darin didn’t even blink. Jack gritting his teeth grabbed her shoulder shaking it violently until she came out her stupor.

“Jack! Oh tarturous! Your-“ She started seeing his bleeding head, the plane lurched again this time Jack lost his balance tumbling backwards. Darin finally snapped out of her daze eased up on the throttle and slowly leveled the plane out. Gradually the shaking stopped, Darin adjusted what she could, some of the dials and adjusters had been blown away. Only when she felt that the plane wouldn’t rip itself apart did she flip on the “auto pilot” which was nothing more than a labeled switch that kept the flaps from moving up and down.

“Jack? Are you dead?” she asked with a shaking voice as she stood up from the pilot’s chair. Jack was in the doorway holding a hand to his head, Darin winced seeing the long bloody cut that would likely scar.

“Barely, You?” He asked digging a big handkerchief out of his back pocket. then, proceeded to wrap is around his head. Darin pated herself down relived to find no new holes anywhere on her person.

“Yeah I’m good. Your bleeding pretty bad there, give me a sec maybe there’s a first aid kit somewhere.” Darin brushed passed Jack who began to sit down in the radio operators’ bench. The plane seemed to be in order for the most part, Darin quickly found that many of the bullet holes that littered the aircraft were superficial but judging from the amount of water pooled in various areas. They wouldn’t be making a water landing anytime soon. She eventually made it to the back of the plane finding a very old, unkept first aid kit, it’s contents were even more despairing then the shape of the metal container.

“Jack this is all..” She started, holding nothing but medical tape and semi clean bandages. Coming back to the front of the plane finding him with one had on his head the other resting on his knee. For a moment he looked like he was asleep, head to the floor as it was. His upward glance with pained blue eyes said otherwise. Wordlessly she knelt beside him, grabbed his hand and pulled it way from his head. The wound track was nasty, any closer to his temple and he’d been dead that was for certain. She unwound the bandages applying it to his head , he didn’t flinch not a twitch or sound out of him.

“I killed him.” He said as she finished with the tape. Darin stayed still for a moment, then stood and went back to the pilot’s seat.

“Franco is dead.” He repeated as she sat down. Darin didn’t say a word just flicked off the auto pilot adjusting dials and engine speed as she saw fit. She heard him stand and walk to her side, Darin knew if she looked up she’d see those blue eyes boring into her soul.

“You’re not at all bothered by this.” It wasn’t a question, rather said in a tone of observation.

“Should I be?” Was her nearly shaking reply. In the long silence that followed Darin realized two things, one being that she just realized how sincical her words were and two that had been a mistake.

“You’ve just met me, and I you. We know nothing of one other except our names and occupation. A village was burned, its inhabits slaughter because of you I’m guessing. And I killed a fucking man and feel pretty fucking bothered by it! And to top it all off I nearly got my head blown off helping you! I call bull shit about you taking this in stride.” She stared at him as his tirade came to an end.

“You finished?” Darin asked looking back to the window. Jack breathed in and out blinking rapidly and headed back to the radio operators seat.

“Yeah just needed to let that out, not sorry.”

“Its okay…I get it.”

“…Where are we going?” He finally asked after calming down a degree.

“Most of the navigation is fried so I’m mostly eye balling it. But if we keep following the sun as it sets we’ll reach Equestria by moon rise maybe.” Dari explained angling the wheel to bank the plane just enough to go in the direction the sun would be setting in. Jack looked behind to see the radio that was filled with as much holes as a cheese grater. If something happened between where they were and Equestria they would be on their own.

“This Equestria place, you been their before?”

“Born and raised actually, have a town house on the outskirts of Canterlot has a fairly decent view of the horseshoe basin though it’s been a while since I’ve seen it.” She said happily thinking of the fond memories of her home.

“Please for the love of god tell me this place doesn’t have ridiculous names for places and people.” Groaned Jack from his seat, Darin smirked then began to laugh to herself.

“Think that’s bad? Try Mainhattine or even better Ponyville!”

“Okay now. Your fucking with me.”

The cabin after that was filled with his scowls and more often then not laughter at the odd and fairly ridiculous names of people and places in the land known as Equestria.