“The Attack” – Part 1

by Jo and Stacey

Kate smiled as she sat on the grass and watched the little yellow and white tabby kitten bat at the annoying fly that had been buzzing around its fuzzy head. Now that the days were warmer she’d been spending a lot more time outdoors while Sid busied himself with his brother. She was nearing seven months into her pregnancy now and finding it increasingly difficult to find the energy to keep up with everyday activities, including those her husband enjoyed in bedroom with her.

Though she’d promised Sid she wouldn’t wander too far away from the house, she did like to take a walk to the edge of the property where a line of trees separated their property from that of their closest neighbors. Today, as the weather was so nice, she’d decided to pack a little picnic lunch with her and found a nice clearing to spread a blanket out on while she ate.

She took in a deep breath, letting the warm air fill her lungs and slowly let it out. The kitten, which she’d been secretly feeding for the past week since it first showed up outside her home, had now given up its pursuit of the fly and was now turning its attention towards attacking Kate’s sandal. She giggled as she picked it up and gave it a little cuddle.

“What to name you,” Kate mused, as she studied her little furry friend. The kitten let out a meow then began to softly purr as Kate stroked its back. “Percy, perhaps?” she asked it, cocking an eyebrow, then frowned. “No, perhaps not. I suppose I should know if you are a boy or a girl kitty before choosing a name then. How about just Kitty?” The kitten purred louder and Kate giggled. “Okay, Kitty it is then.”

Kate looked at the sky, noticing the sun was getting lower on the horizon. “Guess we’d better pack up and call it a day, Kitty, before my husband sends out a search party for me. C’mon, little one, time to get a move on then.”

She picked up the kitten in her hands and pushed herself awkwardly up onto her feet and sighed. Yet another thing that was becoming increasingly hard for her to do with her belly now so big and bulging – getting to her feet. As she bent down to pick up her blanket and belongings, the kitten’s fur immediately stood up on end and it began hissing wildly.

“What’s the matter, little one?” Kate asked, holding the kitten up to eye-level. Just then it let out a louder hiss and began snarling and struggling to get out of her hands, then clamped its sharp little teeth down into the flesh of her hands, causing her to scream out in both surprise and pain. She dropped the kitten and it immediately too off running and climbed high into the nearest tree.

Clutching her bleeding and throbbing hand, Kate followed after the kitten. “Kitty! Kitty!” she yelled after it, worried it might get itself stuck up there so high. That’s when she heard it – a low growl coming from just behind her. She turned quickly, horrified by the wild dog that she saw standing ten feet in front of her.

“Nice...dog,” she told it, as she slowly backed away. “Stay back, nice dog, good dog.”

The bite on Kate’s hand was quite deep and blood was dripping down onto the front of her sundress. The dog growled louder, smelling both Kate’s blood and her fear. She let out a gasp and decided she’d take her chances and run for it. The dog was right on her, snarling and snapping at her ankles as she ran as quickly as she could manage towards the other side of the woods. She let out a blood-curling scream, tears streaming down her horror-stricken face, as the dog knocked her to the ground and pounced on her back.

Maximus and Cort had been riding fence, chatting amiably as they rode, enjoying the pleasant day.

"You hear that?" Cort said, stiffening in his saddle. "Sounds like...."

But Maximus had already spurred Legion and was galloping into the woods. Gods, he thought, that was a woman's scream. Could Joimus be in the woods? All too clearly the memory of her trapped on the bank in the flood came, filling his mind, and he spurred still harder. He came into the small clearing just as the animal, dog, wolf, he couldn't tell, knocked the woman down.  He reined sharply, his rifle instantly in his hands, and the beast crumpled, its body lying across the prostrate
woman's back.

Cort was there now, too, and both men pounded across the ground, dropping to their knees.  Maximus pulled the animal away, then pushed it off to the side to make room for himself beside the woman.  Cort was touching her cheek and looked up. "It's Katherine Harbor," he said. "Sid's wife."

Kate let out a moan, her eyelids managing to flutter open briefly. Her vision was blurry but she could barely make out the outline of a man kneeling beside her. "Sid...," she said, weakly, trying to sit up. Pain shot through her bruised and bloodied body and she collapsed into unconsciousness.

Gently, they turned her over. "She is with child," Maximus said gravely."

"No way to get an ambulance down here," Cort observed. "We'll have to get her at least part way ourselves."

Maximus mounted Legion and as carefully as possible, Cort handed Katherine up into his arms.  Maximus cast a frowning look back at the dead animal. "It will have to be checked for rabies.  Pray for the sake of this lady and her child that not be the case." 

More slowly this time, the two riders made their way through the woods, across a wide pasture and up to the Meridius' home. Cort helped him again with Katherine, opened the gate, and Maximus carried her into his house where Joimus was just finishing sending off an e-mail back to the States.

"What...?" she gasped as she turned, seeing her husband with an unconscious woman in his arms.

"Katherine Harbor," he said. "She was attacked in the woods by a large dog." He shifted her slightly in his arms. "I killed it."

"Oh, my goodness!" Joimus cried, rising quickly. "Here, lay her on the couch. Have you called Sid?"

"Not yet."  He jerked his head briefly toward the end table where his cell phone lay.

"Ok, I will. You get her settled." She picked up the land line, frowned, not knowing Sid's number as she'd never called the man, never intended to call him. Punching in the numbers for information, she got his number, sighed, and entered them into her phone.

"Sid?" she said, when he answered.

"Who is this?"

"It's me, Sid. Joimus Meridius?"

"Pardon me while I go look out a window and see if hell has frozen over."

"There may be a few flying pigs, Sid, but this is serious. I need to tell...."

"What can the likes of you possibly need to tell me?"

"Your wife, Sid, she's here."  She turned to look toward where Cort was gently wiping Katherine's face while Maximus was cleaning the wound on her hand.

"Katherine! Why would she be at your house?" His voice level was steadily rising.

"She's hurt, Sid, and she's...."

"If Maximus has harmed a hair on her head I'll....!"

"You've got it all wrong, Sid...as usual. She was evidently by herself in the woods at the edge of our property and a large dog attacked her."

 "Dog?"  He found himself at a strange loss for words. "Dog?" he repeated.

"Yes, and you'd better hope it wasn't rabid.  If Maximus and Cort hadn't gotten to her when they did, it would have killed her."

"She's...she's...?"

"She's lying on our couch. She passed out. But Maximus shot the dog."

"Maximus...?" The phone was silent a moment. "I'll be right over!"

With another sigh, Joimus hung up the phone. "He's on his way."  Her eyes locked on her husband's and she shook her head mutely.

Maximus pressed his lips together and continued working on Katherine's hand.

It seemed like mere seconds before a great roar was heard outside. Joimus rolled her eyes. "I hope he didn't take out the garden gate."

Without knocking, Sid burst through the front door demanding, "Where is she? Where's my wife?"

Maximus stepped back as Sid dashed up beside the couch, dropping to one knee, his hands moving over Katherine's face. "Katherine?" he murmured over and over. "Katherine, open your eyes. I'm here."

Kate had the vague awareness of people surrounding her but their voices sounded garbled and so far away that she was unable to make out who they all were. She heard her name whispered in her ear, felt the familiar touch. Sid. He had come. He was there with her now. Still lost in a fog, she tried desperately to reach him, to open her eyes and call out to him, but the fog was too heavy and she only managed to let a slight whisper of his name, "Sid."

Sid looked truly stricken. "Oh, Katherine! Please be all right."  His eyes moved then down her form to her rounded middle. SJ.  His hand followed his eyes and he cupped it over her.  He was unsure of himself and it confounded him entirely. He'd never cared before...ever...if something else lived or died. 

Maximus and Joimus exchanged looks again.  Sid was acting practically like a human being.  He really seemed to care about his wife and the child she carried.  Maximus licked his lips, cleared his throat, and replied.  "I am sure she will be fine.  She...."  But Sid didn't seem to hear him.

Joimus almost touched Sid's arm, but pulled her hand back.  "She should probably be checked by a doctor, Sid."

"The dog was on her back," Cort offered. "Clawed her shoulders some. Don't know if it bit her there or not. There's blood...."

Sid was running the backs of his fingers back and forth across her cheek, noticing the tracks her tears had made there. Something was terribly wrong about all this.  Nothing should happen to Katherine, not to his wife.  He lived above this sort of thing.  He was the one who created circumstance, manipulated events, managed details to his liking. This was not to his liking, not at all. And how had the damn General got himself involved in it?  He didn't want the General part of anything to do with Katherine or SJ.  He needed to think...to plan, but some of his gears seemed not to be meshing quite properly.  "Katherine," he said again, her name being all that seemed to want to form on his lips. "Katherine." 

Kate fought through the thick fog holding her mind captive with all her might until finally she was able to open her eyes slightly, focusing in on the man holding her close. Sid. She cleared her throat, her voice hoarse from screaming when the beast of a dog had attacked. "You found me," she told him, her voice barely audible. "I knew you'd save me." She smiled, and tried to lift her head, but pain shot through her neck and shoulders and she cried out and lay back on the couch.

"I'll always save you," Sid murmured, completely ignoring the fact he hadn't even been there in the woods.

"Would you like me to call the local medics?" Maximus said rather stiffly. 

"No!" Sid snapped. "I'll take care of my wife myself."  He began to slide his arms under her, which made her moan aloud. "Shhh," he whispered. "I've got you. I'm taking you in to Coffs."

"But...," Joimus protested.

Sid turned, narrowing his eyes at her.  "Your opinion is not required."  He stood, Katherine in his arms, and walked toward the door, which he'd left open.  In fact, the engine of his Bugatti was still running. 

TBC...