A change of scenery

The old and battered jeep rattled loudly as it rolled over the dry and dusty surface, the driver reaching up to wipe away some of the dust that continuously gathered on her goggles. With a sigh, she shifted uncomfortably in the hard seat, cursing the so called tradition that saw the newest ranger driving the crappier of the stations two vehicles, even though she probably had the most off-road experience out of the four at her station. With a loud revving the old jeep pulled itself sluggishly over a steep incline, the driver jumping as the radio crackled into life, blasting out a stream of static in which a faint voice could barely be heard over the clamor of the ancient engine.

Giving a frustrated sigh, the female ranger pulled the vehicle onto a mostly flat piece of ground, thankfully in the shadow of a towering pillar of red stone that sat in the middle of the wide valley, shutting the jeep off as she pulled her bandanna down from over her nose.

"Ranger four to ranger base, can you please repeat that, this piece of shit vehicle was screaming its guts out over you, and it doesn't help that this radio is older than I am," she growled into the handset, glaring at the flickering light on the dash.

"Ranger base to ranger four, don't talk about old faithful like that, you'll hurt her feelings. Anyway, you have a vehicle, what more could you want?" the radio crackled back, the voice barely distinguishable from the static.

"Air con would be nice," the ranger replied, shading her eyes as she gazed out beyond the shadow, squinting as something caught her eye, "Hold on, I'm seeing something weird here, looks metallic. Might be from our missing researcher."

"Copy that, rookie," the voice crackled back, "Just watch yourself, James found fresh evidence of poachers round those parts a few days ago and you're over six hours out, so help is far off."

"Copy that, ranger base, and call me rookie again and I'll feed you to the coyotes," she huffed back, slamming the old handset back into its holder as the voice on the other end chuckled.

"Dickhead," Samantha growled to herself as she walked to the edge of the shadow, taking a quick breath before stepping out into the sweltering heat, "Sweet fuck, it's hot."

Dejectedly, she walked over to what had caught her eye, picking up the dented metal water bottle, giving it a shake, surprised to find it was still half full. Apart from the massive dent in the side the bottle was much like the ones many rock climbers used, the young woman carefully inspecting it. Giving a small huff of victory, she reread the name painted around the base.

"Zachary, huh?" she murmured, "Hope you faired better than this thing."

"Maybe you should say that for yourself."

Samantha's blood ran cold as the voice rumbled behind her, her body shivering despite the heat at the touch of the barrel against the back of her head. Several other voices laughed behind her, leading Sam to believe that there were at least four of them, making it impossible for her to try and resist. If it had been only the one, or even just two, she may have had a chance at disarming them, but four would see her shot almost immediately. She slowly lifted her hands as the poacher behind her searched her for weapons, making a point of harshly gripping her rear, even going so far as to press his fingers roughly into her crotch. Giving a disappointed grunt when the young ranger didn't react, her grabbed her pistol from its holster on her hip and tossed it back, a soft whistle showing the men's admiration at her gun.

"Fancy piece for a little girl," a new voice cackled, the distinctive click of slider as he cocked the weapon making her cringe, the thought of someone like that touching it causing her stomach to boil, "Wonder how well it shoots?"

"Better than you on a double dose of Viagra, I'm sure," Samantha spat, surprised by the viciousness in her words.

"What was that you little slut?!" the man roared as his companions burst out laughing, Samantha feeling the barrel of the gun lift from the back of her head, "I'll blow your brains out!"

The shot echoed of the high walls of the valley, the laughs of the three men suddenly falling silent, a sudden change in the air confusing the female ranger.

"Shit, he's here!" one of the men yelled, the sounds of scuffling behind her made Samantha turn in surprise, staring at the shaft of wood that stuck out of the poachers head, the arrow having pierced his eye, the broad eagle feather that fletched it shining majestically in the near blinding sun.