Stephen Leather - The Hunting

‘Bruv, you might be a kafir but you’re the best chance I’ve got of getting out of here in one piece. Seriously, bruv, you’ve nothing to fear from me. We’re on the same side.’

Raj stared at him for several seconds and then nodded. ‘We need each other,’ he said. ‘No doubt about that.’

‘So we put our differences aside?’

Raj nodded. ‘Yeah.’

‘Thank fuck for that,’ said Sid. He began to scratch his stomach vigorously. ‘You’ve done survival stuff like this before? With the Marines?’

‘Not exactly like this, no. But then this is a one-off, isn’t it?’

Sid smiled ruefully. ‘Yeah, I guess. But you’ve been trained with weapons and stuff, obviously.’

‘Sure. I’m a doctor but I’m a commando, too. Or I was, anyway.’

‘So you shoot people and then you patch them up? How fucked up is that?’

‘That isn’t how it works,’ said Raj. ‘My job was to take care of our guys. I wasn’t usually used in an attacking role, I was there to take care of our casualties, and to deal with medical issues on base.’

‘And all this jungle stuff? You learnt it from the Rangers?’

Raj smiled thinly. ‘This isn’t jungle, mate. This is forest. But yeah, I did several survival courses in different parts of the world as part of my training.’

‘So why did you pack it in?’

‘Long story,’ said Raj. He pointed off to the left where there was a collection of shrubs, more than two metres tall. ‘There you go,’ he said. ‘Thimbleberries.’

‘You’re making that up,’ said Sid.

‘Nah, mate, they’re similar to raspberries.’ He went over and picked a bright red berry and tossed it to Sid, then picked a couple more and ate them.

Sid chewed his and flashed him a thumbs up. ‘Sweet,’ he said.

Raj pulled out his shirt and used it to hold the berries he picked. Sid copied him and after ten minutes of quick picking they each had more than a pound of berries. They carried them back to Jaffar who had gathered several handfuls of hazelnuts and placed them on a large leaf. They took the fruit and berries back to the others and divided them up. The men wolfed them down, but Raj ate his slowly, chewing each berry thoroughly before swallowing.

‘They taste better than that willow bark shit,’ laughed Mo.

‘How are you feeling?’ asked Raj.

‘A bit better. I’m sorry about this.’

‘It’s not your fault,’ said Raj. ‘They could have thrown any one of us out of the chopper. You were just unlucky.’ He looked around. ‘We should start moving,’ he said.

‘I need a leak,’ said Erol, and he hobbled off into the undergrowth.

‘I need a piss, too,’ said Mo. Sid helped him over to a tree, then walked away as Mo unzipped his trousers.

‘Hey, come and look at this!’ shouted Erol, off in the distance. Raj looked over, seized his gun and hurried towards Erol. Sid followed him. Raj moved cautiously, sweeping his eyes left and right as he pushed his way through the ferns and bushes.

Erol was standing at the base of a large redwood, more than four metres across. He pointed up at the branches above his head. ‘Look at that!’ he shouted.

Raj looked up. There were two black bear cubs in the tree; one clinging to the trunk, the other out in a branch.

‘Can you see them?’ shouted Erol, pointing at the cubs with his stick.

‘What is it? asked Jaffar, coming up behind them.

‘Get back,’ said Raj urgently. ‘You too, Sid.’ He waved at Erol. ‘Get over here, now!’

‘What’s wrong?’ asked Jaffar. ‘They’re only pups, they’re not gonna hurt anyone.’

‘They’re cubs, and that’s the problem,’ said Raj. ‘If they’re here the mother won’t be far away. She won’t be anywhere near as cute and cuddly. Just very quietly back away.’

Erol grinned and waved his stick. ‘You worry too much, bruv. They’re as happy as Larry.’

‘Yeah, but Mum might not see it that way,’ said Raj. He patted Sid on the shoulder. ‘Let’s go.’

‘What’s happening?” shouted Mo, who was hobbling across the clearing towards them.

‘Stay where you are, Mo,’ said Raj. ‘We’re coming out.’

Erol still hadn’t moved so Raj waved at him impatiently. Erol shook his head contemptuously and turned away from the tree. Together they pushed their way through the bushes. As they entered the clearing, Raj heard a growl and the thud of something heavy pounding on the grass. He took a step to the side and saw a fully grown black bear charging towards them. ‘Mo, get down!’ shouted Raj. Mo turned but the bear smashed into him. Mo fell back and the bear was immediately on him, clawing at the splint and ripping it off his leg. Mo screamed in pain and lashed out with his hands. The bear must have been three times Mo’s weight and when it batted him with one paw it moved him a couple of feet across the grass. ‘Help me!’ he screamed.

‘Play dead!’ shouted Raj.

Mo continued to scream in terror and the bear slashed his chest with his right paw, ripping his shirt.

Sid pulled his Glock from his belt and pointed it at the bear.

‘Don’t shoot, you’ll give away our position!’ shouted Raj. He grabbed his knife and ran towards the bear. Raj held the knife with both hands, raised it above his head, and brought it down into the back of the bear’s neck. It only went a couple of inches through the fur and the bear didn’t seem to notice. Raj pulled the blade out and raised it again. He roared as he brought it down with all his might and this time it went in deeper.

The bear released her grip on Mo’s head and shuffled backwards. ‘Leave him alone!’ shouted Raj, waving his arms frantically.

The bear turned to look at Raj, snarling.

‘Go on, fuck off!’ yelled Erol, prodding at the bear with his stick.

‘Careful, Erol!’ shouted Sid.

Erol ignored him. ‘Get the fuck away!’ he shouted, jabbing the stick at the bear’s jaws.

The bear was still snarling at Raj. Raj backed away, knowing there was little he could do with the knife to fend off a full frontal attack.

Erol prodded the bear again and this time the end of the stick caught the animal’s ear. The bear reared up on its hind legs and roared in anger. It was a good seven feet tall and its massive muscles rippled under its glossy black fur.

Raj lashed out with the knife, though he realised immediately that it was futile. The knife was tiny compared to the bear’s massive paws. Raj bent down and picked up a rock and threw it as hard as he could. It hit the bear in the ear but didn’t appear to do any damage. Raj bent down to grab another rock but as he did the bear dropped down onto all fours and charged towards him. Raj leapt to the side and hit the ground. The bear’s paws scrabbled on the grass as it tried to turn around. Raj was on his back and he kicked out with his legs. He was close enough to feel the warmth of the animal’s breath.

A rock thudded against the bear’s head, then another. Jaffar was throwing them at the animal, trying to take it down. The bear reared up onto her back legs again, then she dropped down and charged towards Jaffar. Jaffar screamed in terror and turned to run.

‘Don’t run!’ shouted Raj, but it was too late. The bear bounded across the grass and sideswiped Jaffar’s leg with its claws. Jaffar screamed in pain as he fell to the side, blood pouring from his wounds. He rolled onto his side and tried to get up.

Sid still had the Glock in his hands and he fired. The bullet hit the bear in the shoulder but it didn’t react. Sid pulled the trigger again, and this time caught the bear in the leg. The bear changed direction and began to charge at Sid. Sid held his ground and continued to pull the trigger. The bullets were having no effect on the bear, and it opened its jaws, ready to bite. Raj reached for his carbine and swung it up. Now that shots had been fired he might as well use the more powerful 5.56 rounds.