Chapter 13

In her sleep Valerie felt a sting to her neck. She opened her eyes for just a brief moment. She saw the pink dawn. Then she went into a deep darkness. Unknown to her the other three suffered the same fate. Quietly the small people set out a net while others climbed the tree and onto the branch where she was sleeping with Jackson. The dwarfs pushed her over the limb making her fall where they caught her with the net. The little people looked at the other three which were all knocked out from the drug shot into them with thin darts propelled by their blow guns.

They wrapped her in the net and with a long pole, they looped it over some rings on the device and carried her off. They were incredibly strong for their size and the waif was no trouble at. They travelled into the bush headed back to their village not five miles from the spot.

Jackson was the first to awaken at midmorning. Being so large and muscular, the drug had left his system sooner than Ura and Atlanta. He felt his neck being irritated by something. He reached up and pulled out the dart. He immediately knew what happened. Valerie had been taken from him.

It took a good half hour to arouse the other two. When they were awake and fully conscious, Jackson spoke.

"Someone has taken Valerie," he said half angry, half frightened by the thought that she had been kidnapped.

"We've got to find her," Atlanta was just as afraid as the rest. "I don't know about people in this area except for those who deal with the horses we have to buy."

"Lets eat something fast and track them down," Ura suggested, handing each two of the remaining plums.

"We'll eat on the way," Jackson ordered as he dropped to the ground to pick up the trail.

"Here's her ray gun," Atlanta picked it up. "She has that primitive gun that shoots missiles into others. She's a crack shot with it."

"I'll lead the way," Jackson said, heading into the disturbed brush. As long as they kept breaking branches from the shrubs, they'd be easy to follow.

The drug lasted longest on the tiny woman who was being carried. Valerie didn't awaken until midday. The small men lowered her to the ground to drink from a stream. Valerie was given a few sips from a gourd. It was the water that brought her around. She looked at them in terror. Some were black, some were white, some were half and half. They all worked together quietly going about their business. Each seemed to know what their job was and did it without saying a word. She noticed that they all had blue eyes. She thought it strange but didn't say anything.

Once they noticed she was fully awake, they got on their knees and bowed to her. Valerie had no clue to what they were doing. They remained quiet as each man paid homage to her. They all stood and those that were manning the poles, lifted her up to carry her further into the dense brush. She reached into the pocket of her boot and pulled out the two pills. She took the water one first followed by the nutrional one.

Jackson was impatient with the other two as he tracked the party that had taken his love with them. Atlanta was much more cautious and walked slowly with her heat ray at the ready in case these people had a rear guard to stall them. Ura was of the same mind. He had his bow strung and an arrow in the string as he looked from side to side and in back of them.

"They stopped here," Jackson pointed out all the muddy footprints by the stream. "Look at how small their feet are."

"I heard of the little people," Atlanta said. "My grandmother told me about them. They capture women from time to time to become their leader. They treat them like they are the most important persons in the world."

"She's important to me," Jackson said bitterly.

"She's important to all of us," Atlanta replied.

Jackson was furious the more he thought of Valerie being taken from him. Her dark hair was being bleached to dishwater blonde due to her exposure to the sun. She was so pretty that he couldn't allow himself that someone other than him to possess her. He had fallen for her hook, line, and sinker.

They continued through the thick brush that was turning into a forest of large trees. Fortunately those who had taken her made no effort to hide their tracks.

"We've got to start watching out for any men who might be guarding their village. I don't want another bee sting," Atlanta whispered just loud enough for the men to hear.

Once they had an idea the direction they were headed, the trio left the path and stalked them a good quarter of a mile from the damaged trail. The sun was beginning to set when they saw a large clearing on a rise from the flat ground they were trekking upon. At the edge there were huts and small wooden houses.