Chapter 19CamilaBerus

Chapter 19

Camila

Cami couldn't believe their luck at the little nook they had found to park the transport. The wall and the thicket made a perfect wind blocker, and while she was still chilled to the bone—the temperature had dropped dramatically in the last few minutes—she was able to make it to the area Berus had indicated to do her business without getting blown away. He'd warned her again not to touch any of the plant life, and she took his words seriously.

Berus was currently prying some huge worm-like things off the transport. Each one was as big around as her calf, at least. The creatures looked straight out of a sci-fi horror movie and totally gave her Tremors -meets- Dune sandworm vibes…but thankfully much smaller.

She hadn't even noticed when those things had latched onto them. She'd been solely focused on the gargapods while in the river. Then, once they emerged, the storm had distracted her. This wasn't going to be just a little rain. The brewing storm would be deserving of a name back on Earth.

Even with the wall and thicket protecting them, Cami could tell it wouldn't be enough to protect them if the storm blew something huge, say an entire tree, at them. The transport had better be made as sturdily as Berus seemed to think it was.

As the first fat droplets of cold, nearly freezing rain hit her, she hurried up and finished her business, tossing the biodegradable cellulose wipes she'd brought with her into the thicket.

By the time she made her way back to the transport, the few droplets had grown into a veritable torrent. Sheets of ice-cold water pelted her from all sides, making it impossible to see or even move. It seemed like every step she took, the wind, which was now laughing at the wall and plant barrier, pushed her right back.

What the fuck? She'd been no more than a few yards away from the transport, and now it felt like she'd never make it back. Another gust of wind shoved her back, followed by a freezing wall of water.

Panic set in as she gasped for breath, genuinely wondering if it was possible to drown in rain. She searched wildly for Berus but couldn't see him anywhere. She struggled forward another step only to get pushed two steps back. What if she never made it back to the transport? It was right there!

When the wind still wouldn't let up, she dropped to her hands and knees, hoping it would give her more leverage as she continued toward the transport. It helped. She only had to struggle for a few feet before big arms scooped her up and carried her shaking form back to their vehicle.

"I'll be right in," Berus yelled over the howling wind. "I need to stake the transport down."

Even as Berus said the words, a torrent of water and wind rocked the vessel, blowing right into the transport. He closed the door quickly before the storm could flood the interior.

Cami wasn't sure how much help a few measly stakes would be until she saw the stakes in question. These weren't the silly eight-inch pins she'd use to peg down the tent when she'd gone camping with her family as a girl. No, these stakes were giant. How in the world was Berus going to drive those into the ground? The answer came in the form of a huge mallet. Cami was grateful this vessel came fully equipped with all the right tools.

Alone in the transport, Cami tucked herself into a ball, wondering if the transport also contained a warm, fluffy blanket. She was wet, shaking, and her teeth chattering so violently she couldn't hear herself think over the noise.

But she was alive. Thanks to Berus, she would Survive Another Day.

Berus

Berus found Cami huddled in a ball, still wet and shaking. Her skin was cold and pale, and her lips blue.

Fuck! He'd taken far too long to secure the vessel, and Cami's temperature had been steadily dropping while he took his sweet time. The vessel came with an emergency blanket, but that type of blanket only preserved whatever body heat the wearer already had.

He'd have to warm her up with his body, and fast. He entered through the driver's door and removed his wet clothes. The only positive about the rain was that any irritants or toxins that had gotten onto them earlier while he was clearing out the brush had probably been washed away.

He climbed into the passenger area and carefully removed her soaking wet clothes too, dumping them on top of his. As the transport heated up, the wet clothes would make everything unbearably humid, but there was nothing to be done about it. The seats and floors were wet too, from when they'd opened the door to get in.

If he'd been smarter and thought ahead, he would have had the transport in place already when the storm hit. Then they wouldn't have needed to open the door at all. They were wet and cold entirely because of his lapse in judgment. Perhaps the Dominion was right, and he should be nothing but a soldier who followed someone else's orders. Ulrek or Tuhror would never have let this happen.

At least they'd gotten Cami into the transport when they did: right after she stepped inside, the rain had turned to sleet. Then, as he was hammering in the last stake, hailstones the size of his fist had fallen from the sky.

The rock wall next to them had a slight overhang, so only a few had dinged the transport. They'd know the full extent of the damage tomorrow. Ulrek would not be happy, Berus thought glumly. They'd just recently overhauled these transports.

He tucked Cami's shaking form against his much bigger and still warm one. Her hair was still soaked, so with her pressed against him, he reached over to the internal storage for the extra set of clothing stored there. He used the top, with its soft, absorbent fabric, to dry her hair the best he could. Then he turned the climate control, and therefore the dehumidifier, of the transport to its highest setting.

He doubted the dehumidifier would do much in their situation. Not with the soaked interior. But it was worth a shot.

In his arms, Cami's tiny form stirred as she cuddled in closer to him, almost trying to burrow into his body heat.

"You're h-here now," she said in her still shaky voice. "Everything's g-going to be all r-right."

Tightness gripped his chest at her words, so constricted that he wondered how he managed to inhale at all.

Stars! Cami was so perfect. Even with all his failings, she credited him with keeping her safe. She trusted him with her life. It was Berus's intention never to disappoint her, even if he disappointed himself.

When he looked down again she was asleep, her breathing steady and strong. She was no longer shivering, but she still clung to his body.

Outside, the storm raged. Even with the transport staked down, the wind was rocking it. If the ground got too soft after being soaked, they'd still be in danger of getting blown away. But Berus had also tied them to the trunk of two of the closest trees with strong cables. It would be hell in here if the wind did pick them up despite all that, but he was ready to protect her with his body if he had to. Berus could handle being tossed around in here. Cami could not.

There was nothing left to do now but wait out the storm. He took the spare top and dried his hair the best he could as well, though by the end of it, the shirt was just as wet as his hair. At least the transport was warm, and the climate control had reduced the humidity to the point that it didn't feel like he was breathing in water. It was far from comfortable, but they'd live.

He had gone through much worse while working for the Dominion, and back then, he didn't have a female like Cami to encourage him to keep going. All he had was the promise of a meal when he finally got somewhere safe. When this was all over, Berus would ask her to share a meal with him.

From the humans on the ship he knew that sharing a meal was an acceptable "first date." Yet they'd skipped that and gone straight to shipboard sexual fraternization. In his culture that was perfectly fine, but Berus wanted to give a nod to human cultures and customs as well, to show that he cared.

Berus knew now for certain that he wouldn't be able to leave Cami on Reka 5 and forget about her. Maybe they could continue testing for compatibility. Humans had a similar process they called "dating"…hence the term "first date". Emil had called it "going steady," but Dex and Gavin had assured the older male that no one used that term anymore.

With happy thoughts of Cami and their future first date in his head, Berus closed his eyes and let exhaustion and the rhythmic rocking of the transport carry him off to sleep.