Chapter 20 Into The Woods

The smell of diesel fuel filled the airspace in the back of the truck as the large vehicle plundered onward. Gibbs eyes stayed steady on the task a head. The cab had remained quiet for most of the trip. It was finally broken by the soft voice of the curious scientist.

"Inquiring minds would like to know. Where are you taking them?" Asked delilah.

It was the first words spoken, since an hour ago from departure. Delilah, of course, was concerned for their well-being. Gibbs knew eventually that question would be asked.

"Not sure really, I keep hearing a voice saying to go beyond Rising Wolf Mountain. I don't know why, or where I'll drop them off, but I have a gut feeling the voice will tell me." He replied.

He was just as puzzled as his other two comrades were. At least delilah knew the location somewhat, and she knew it was a great distance away, from what was left of Nexus.

"What do you think the scientists and Severance facility will do when they discover the remains of Nexus?" Asked soldier Anderson.

Gibbs let out a short chortle. "Well, I hope they shove it up their hurrah. Anyway, they'll assume everyone was burned alive inside their cages. At least that's my wish. The explosion won't leave much evidence behind." He replied.

Delilah wasn't so certain on that assumption. She did hope that would be the outcome, but knowing hopkins it probably wouldn't be.

Hopkins had left abruptly from Nexus the day maleena died under her tortuous tests. She had packed up her belongings and transferred herself to Tonic labs in Canada. She had been planning this for weeks without anyone knowing.

She had left on a self-willed mission. Delilah, believed she left from her own guilt. News had gotten back to Severance, the weeks delilah was recovering, that hopkins was coming with a bigger army of mad scientists. Hopkins had vowed to wipe out every animal, if she couldn't find the cure within a specific time frame. Then the entire world would suffer as she does. Even those who knew her, had feared she was slowly going into insanity. It made visits with her fsther difficult.

Delilah didn't trust her, as far she could throw her. She was glad to be rid of hopkins and Nexus labs. It was going to be harder to let go of zarda, than letting go of her job. Her eyes welled up thinking over it. Her stomach was becoming queezy, and she began to dry heave. Gibbs slammed on the breaks swiftly, tossing a few animals in the back almost over the edge of the truck bed. Osborn luckily, had caught them just in time, before they met their terrible fate.

What was going on, zarda thought. Anderson evacuated the cab and allowed delilah to crawl out as she continued to dry heave to the side of the road. She went down on all fours, before puking up what she had eaten that morning. She felt miserable. Her nerves she assumed was causing her sudden sickness. Zarda and including all who sat in the back could hear the sounds of vomiting. Zarda stood up and jumped out the truck and proceeded up the side of the truck towards the soldiers. Gibbs was squinting up his face every time delilah gagged out a load of vomit.

"I didn't think someone that small had so much in them." Said soldier gibbs.

Zarda winked at him and patted his back for comfort.

"I'm accustomed to it, my queen had morning sickness for the first two weeks of her first trimester of pregnancy. She's past that stage now, at least she would be if I was there with her. It won't be long and my cub will be born." Zarda replied.

He did a double take on his words he had just spoken. Gibbs eyes him suspiciously.

"Wait a minute, it's been two weeks since delilah and I. This is too familiar with natia's symptoms." He said, out loud.

Zarda's eyes grew wide, he knew what was going on. He ran around to delilah who had finished vomiting, wiping the residue away with the sleeve of her jacket. She turned to face a majestic being glaring down before her. She jumped a little, not expecting him to be there.

"You're pregnant. You can't leave me now. Your with child. It all makes sense. Your sensitivity, erratic planning, second guessing, and now your abrupt sickness. How long has this been going on?" asked zarda.

Gibbs and anderson listened in closely from the side. The soldiers eyed one another's facial expressions. They had no idea the two had ever hooked up. Delilah shook her head no, furiously, up at zarda.

"I'm not pregnant. I took care of that the morning after. Besides, it's just my nerves." She replied.

Zarda didn't believe her, she was showing signs of moodiness like natia had displayed.

"Answer my question, delilah. How long has this sickness gone on?" Zarda asked, with a more stern voice.

Delilah walked over to the truck door, about to climb up, when zarda pulled her back down, spinning her around to face him. She looked down to the ground to avoid eye contact. Knowing zarda wasn't going to let her go, until she gave him what he wanted.

"I've only gotten sick once or twice, but it was because something I ate the smell upset me. It's not because." She said, stopping immediately.

"Oh my god, I'm pregnant!" She said, out of shock.

She began to cry in her hands. Zarda wrapped his warm arms around delilah to comfort her. It seemed he would become a dad once again. This heir would not claim the throne like it's sibling, unless the cub natia carries is born a female, and the one delilah holds within her is a male. This changed everything she had planned. Gibbs walked around to face them both.

"I hate to break this party up, but we need to go. A voice within, is pressing an urgency upon me. One more thing. Zarda don't you think, for the safety of your child, delilah should still go live with her family? She and the baby will need medical attention." Stated gibbs.

Zarda didn't like it, but he trusted his friend's concerns. Zarda looked down at delilah.

"Go stay and be safe with your family. Take care of the little one within you. You must promise me one thing, that when they are born, you two will return to me, so I may hold my child and name them." He said, gently placing his face upon her cheek.

Delilah agreed to do that for zarda. She was glad the bad tension was broken between them. She was also glad zarda was understanding to her needs. He cupped her chin and gave her one last long kiss, before heading back to jump in the bed of the truck. All bodies were back inside and ready to head out. Gibbs put the gear shaft back into drive, and sped off. Leaving pebbles and dust flying up behind them. They rode for what seemed for another hour or two, until gibbs crossed over the ridge pass of Rising Wolf Mountain.

It was all downhill, or down mountain at this point. Another good hour's journey down, until they hit solid ground again. The voice spoke to gibbs and directed him to go off onto an abandoned dirt road to his right. It had the looks of an old game trail that was in need of trimming. Weeds were tire high and fallen tree limbs were scattered along the sides. Low-hanging branches beat the outer shell of the deuce. Gibbs was relieved to hear the voice tell him to slow to a stop, and so he did, turning off the engine he looked at delilah and anderson in surprise.

"Let's say our goodbyes. I hope you've been charting our coordinates for the future return visit private anderson. We're going to need them." Said gibbs.

As he climbed down from the cab. He turned to help delilah down as well. Anderson set his map and pen down in his seat and climbed down to the grassy road. Gibbs moved towards the back and tapped the truck bed. Osborn popped his head over.

"We there mate?" He asked.

Gibbs nodded yes and stood ready to help down the animals. One by one, just as they had climbed up inside, they climbed back down to solid ground.

Zarda was last to get out making sure, him and osborn helped everyone out safely first. The gang of animals stood close by squinting their eyes, looking around at their new surroundings. The forest was so green and full of protective covering.

Zarda walked over to his two soldier friends, grabbing them both up into a tight embrace.

"Who would have ever thought I'd make friends with the likes of you two fellas? I'm going to miss you both. Take care of yourselves you two. Tske care of my girl, and baby alsi." Said zarda smiling.

Gibbs placed a hand on zarda's shoulder and shook his head yes. Anderson nodded, wiping away a few escaped tears.

"We'll be back before no time." Replied private anderson.

Zarda departed from them and walked over to give delilah one more embrace. He lifted her tiny body up from the ground. Zarda hung tight onto delilah, while she cried in his chest. He kissed the top of her head and turned back to face the animals. They had all quietly observed, waving their goodbyes over to delilah and the soldiers for all their help. It was time they needed to move off into woods. Before they disappeared gibbs mentioned one last thing.

"Hey zarda, the voice told me you are to seek sanctuary at Havardr. I don't know what that is, but he said you all would know. Good luck friend. I'll see you soon." He said, climbing back up into the truck.

The sound of the loud engine fired up and the smell of diesel filled the air. Zarda listened and watched as the truck back up, then faded away into the distance.