”Come on.” She said eventually. ”Get those off.” Her voice had dropped to a gravelly rasp, more through lack of water than anything else.

”Really Jane, here?” Maura was surprised that Jane would even ask, given their situation.

”Not like that. You need those wounds dressed.” She pulled the shorts from Maura’s legs and grimaced at the marks that had tainted her otherwise flawless skin. Maura considered resisting, but as Jane’s long fingers tended to the burning cuts, she couldn’t find the words.

”Some vacation.” Maura whispered as Jane worked carefully, cleaning each cut gently before wrapping the worst and moving to the next. Jane paused and looked up, holding Maura’s gaze with her own warm one.

”Oh yeah.” She agreed. ”How about next year, we stay in bed for a week?”

-/-

Steve crept through the jungle slowly, each step precise and meaningful. He had to stop this carnage; had to make them see sense. He had to find Walter. He knew his chances were remote, he had no passion for hunting and even less for hunting humans but if he were to stop the unabashed murders, he had to try. Despite the hour that had passed, he was determined to find Walter and put a stop to the madness.

”What are you doing?” Walter’s voice made Steve turn quickly. ”You’re stomping around like an elephant version of Riverdance. Not very stealthy Bro.”

Steve grinned at him. ”Walt, we have a problem.” The relief in his tone was evident.

”What? You ran out of ammo?” Walter laughed heartily at his own bad joke.

”This is serious!” Steve snapped suddenly.

Walter huffed loudly. ”OK Grandma, what’s wrong?” He sat on a felled tree and pulled at the surrounding greenery as he waited for Steve to speak.

”There are people.” Steve began, ”On the south side, not criminals though, innocent people.”

Walter looked up at him quizzically. ”Yeah, I know.”

The world fell away and Steve stood in silent amazement.

”You know?” he asked incredulously. ”And you’re not doing anything about it?”

Walter got up, a demonic grin dancing over his face. ”Now I didn’t say that!” Walter chuckled, ”I popped a couple of them myself.”

Steve backed away slowly. ”This needs to stop, Walt. This isn’t why we’re here.”