by Tara Ellis
“My dad is dying,” Tyler said, his voice barely more than a whisper. Jess watched as he walked forward with Marty at his side. “That’s why I’m here. My mom already died, trying to get information out to help stop all of this. We were too late to make a difference with that, so then we had to come here, but…my dad got sick on the way.” Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Tyler locked eyes with Jess for a moment before continuing. “The doctors are keeping him alive, but he won’t make it much longer. Not unless I take the tea back to him. Please. Please let me save him.”
Jess moved directly in front of Maikel and placed both of her hands on the stone slab, leaning in close. “I don’t think your prophecy is that you’re supposed to save only yourselves.” She turned her head to include the other elders. “I think you’re meant to save the world.”
Chapter 10
TYLER
Tan Presi Rutu
Suriname, South America
“This is amazing!” Jess exclaimed, turning around in a circle with her arms outstretched.
They were standing in a vast clearing just outside the boundaries of Tan Presi Rutu, where a steaming river of warm, crystal-clear water emptied into a series of pools, after winding its way through the dense jungle. The filtered sun cast an orange-hued light through the trees and made the water sparkle with an unearthly quality. Unlike the hot springs at the Libi Nati resort, the vegetation there was undamaged and thriving, creating a lush tropical setting that made it easy to forget why they were there.
Tyler wrinkled his nose at the sulfur smell that was understandably stronger as they got closer to the springs, and it explained why both the odor and occasionally steam wafted through the stone city. It was literally all around it, and so was the Libi Prani. It covered the ground like a blanket and spilled over the edges of the water, forming a vine-like mass with small purple flowers scattered throughout.
“We’ve gotta bring Jason and Akuba out here later, after he wakes up,” Tyler said, smiling at Jess. It felt good to take a minute to enjoy something, after what they went through the night before.
“And Marty!” Jess laughed. “He’d love this.” They’d tried to convince the dog to go with them, but he wouldn’t leave Jason’s side. While Jason continued to improve with the second dose of tea, he was still really weak and needed to get some sleep. After Akuba took him back to rest at her mother’s hut where she also re-bandaged her leg, Marty had curled up next to Jason and then wouldn’t budge.
Peta set her empty duffle bag down on the ground and motioned to Devon and Slaider to do the same. “We can collect it right here. Engracia wasn’t kidding when she said it was all over the place. If there really are acres of it like this, supply isn’t going to be an issue.”
“Fine with me,” Devon answered while rubbing his hands together. He glanced around nervously at the surrounding jungle. They were outside the walls of the city and vulnerable to both the cats and Davies. “I’m all for the greatest gain with the least amount of risk.”
Peta chuckled and then looked sheepishly at Viresh. “Thank you for agreeing to bring us out here. We’ll be quick.”
Viresh glanced at the four Lokono guards with some hesitation. The elders had agreed to send the men for their protection, and Tyler could tell Viresh wasn’t totally comfortable talking openly in front of them. “I will help,” he said, seeming to have made up his mind. “I’d like to get back inside before we discover why Dr. Davies has also chosen to come to the Tan Presi Rutu.”
It had taken over an hour to give a detailed account to the elders of what had happened to them all over the past two weeks, including the last encounter with The Cured at the resort. The leaders then met for another hour by themselves. While they ultimately agreed to let Peta take back as much of the Libi Prani as their group could carry, they didn’t commit to any long-term arrangements. According to Akuba, it would take some time and work on her part as the new Captain to talk with her people and convince the tribe as a whole what their new role was. Meanwhile, there was only a select group that knew why they were really there, to avoid any protests, so it was understandable why Viresh was anxious about it.
“But we have to go to the Bergi-Olo,” Jess said earnestly, her smile faltering. “Akuba’s told me how important the caves are, and it’s the source of the hot spring. Didn’t Engracia say the plant grows there in the water? At the Libi Nati, those were the ones with the longest roots. Kind of like a water lily. Wouldn’t those be the best ones to get for growing it back at the lab?”
Peta looked approvingly at Jess and nodded. “Yeah, but I don’t want us to get too spread out. With Jason and Akuba still out of commission, we’re already short-handed. How far away is it?” she asked Viresh.
The older man gestured over his shoulder. “Not far at all. Most animals have been staying out of the caves, including the jaguars, and it’s on the far side of the city walls. We should be safe there, so I wouldn’t mind taking her.”
“I’ll go, too,” Tyler said quickly, picking his empty bag back up. “I can get some water and mud samples inside the cave. And if Jess takes plants from the water, wouldn’t it be good for me to collect some from the ground of the cave? You said before that we want an assortment, since we don’t know if there’s anything that’ll make the plants more or less potent.”
“You’re a quick study,” Devon said as he started plucking leaves and stuffing them in his bag. “You’ll make a good assistant for me someday.”
Peta rolled her eyes but didn’t shoot down Devon’s attempt at lightening the mood. “Okay,” she said simply. “Just don’t take too long. If Jason is up to it, I want to head back to the preserve before dark.” She looked pointedly at Tyler. “Every hour counts.”
The elders made it clear they didn’t need or want their help with fending off Davies, if it came to that. Peta and Jason were wise not to push it, since it was obvious to even Tyler that it would be an insult to suggest the five of them with empty guns would make any difference to all the Lokono warriors.
Tyler gave a curt nod of understanding before jogging up to where Jess stood, and then waited for Viresh. He waived the guards off when they started to follow him. “Two of you should stay here,” he directed. “They’ll need you more than we will.”
The trail leading to the Bergi-Olo was already worn down enough that it wouldn’t have been too difficult for Jess and Tyler to follow it without a guide. There were spots where Tyler noticed branches had been cleared and a couple of fallen logs had been cut and pushed out of the way. Though sections were boggy and their feet got wet, it was relatively level ground.
"The caves are a place of prayer and meditation for many,” Viresh explained. “Although the Lokono abandoned this place four-hundred years ago because of the Dutch, the stories about it are still very important to our people. Being here, at our origin, is an opportunity most of us never thought to see in our lifetime.”
“Then where is everyone?” Jess asked after they’d been walking for several minutes without passing another Lokono. “I thought there’d be a lot more people in the city, too.”
“It hasn’t been easy,” Viresh explained. “We left our village with very little, and after the first week, a small number left to either go back home or to attempt to find friends and family that had been living in other cities. Since most of the buildings in Tan Presi Rutu are beyond repair, most of the tribe has begun constructing new huts on the furthest edge of the city, where there was already some cleared space free of debris. We also have several groups that are gone either hunting, or searching for other sources of food.”
Stopping at a fork in the trail, Viresh rubbed at his face and Tyler recognized a deep weariness he’d seen too many times over the past two weeks. “There are over two-hundred-and-fifty of us left,” he continued. “Many of those numbers are either too old or young to be of much help, so it has placed a huge burden on those left to provide, and the jungle does not give up her resources so easily. This way,” he a
dded, stepping onto the path to the right.
“Maybe our government can help,” Tyler said. When Viresh looked at him skeptically, he rushed to explain. “Well, I guess I should say whatever’s left of it. But it would be the people we’ve been working with. I don’t know if you realize how important getting the Libi Prani is going to be. Not just now, but for a long time…until we’ve saved as many people as possible.”
“He’s right,” Jess agreed. “We could probably get tents, tools, food and medicine. You know, whatever you guys need to stay here and protect the plants.”
Viresh’s expression was hard for Tyler to read, but he guessed the older man was hopeful and also skeptical. While it ultimately wouldn’t be up to him, Tyler figured the guy must have some influence, so it didn’t hurt to try and convince him that partnering up with them would be a good thing.
“Here,” Viresh announced, before they could discuss it any further. “The entrance is up there.”
The trail had been following the small river upstream, and it abruptly ended in a large pool at the bottom of a thirty-foot waterfall. The dense foliage of the jungle retreated to reveal the base of a mountain, and a natural rock staircase wound its way up and above the waterfall to a large opening in the side of the cliff that the water flowed from.
“Wow,” Tyler breathed, staring up at the unexpected sight.
“The Bergi-Olo,” Jess whispered. Turning to Tyler, her eyes were wide with excitement. “Akuba said the legend was painted on the walls around two thousand years ago, but some of the paintings in that cave are from when the Lokono first came here over five thousand years ago!”
“Wow,” Tyler said again, feeling a bit stupid. He didn’t know what else to say. It was hard to even comprehend something so old, and it gave him a better appreciation for how important all of it was to the indigenous people. Tan Presi Rutu meant Place of Origin. He hadn’t really thought about how literal the name was, but standing there under the waterfall with the three Lokono men, he could only guess at how they felt about it. He turned to look at Viresh and the two guards. “Thank you for letting us come here. It can help save both of our dads.”
Viresh smiled and silently placed a hand on his shoulder. “We understand,” was all he said, and the two guards nodded in agreement.
“We’ll wait down here,” one of them said in broken English, hefting his rifle off his shoulder. “If we hear or see anything, we’ll shoot once.”
The climb to the top wasn’t as impossible as it first looked, and it didn’t take very long before they were standing in the opening of the massive cave system. Tyler felt small, looking up at the rock ceiling some forty or so feet overhead. Stalactites and stalagmites sprouted from the roof and floor toward each other, and further in, Tyler thought he saw a few that had actually grown together to form solid columns. There was a natural opening in the very top that allowed daylight in, so that the cascading pools were visible far into the cavern before being swallowed up by the dark.
Their footsteps echoed as Tyler followed Jess and Viresh inside, before being muffled by the sound of running water, as they worked their way in between the first few gurgling pools. The smell of sulfur became increasingly stronger, and the steam thickened, until Tyler felt like he was on an alien planet. The Libi Prani and several other flowering plants grew directly in the hot springs, spilling over onto the floor of the cave. He’d never seen anything like it, and he’d always thought he’d experienced some pretty cool things with all the traveling he did because of his mom’s job in the military.
“This is incredible!” Jess called out, her voice reverberating so many times that it sounded like several people were shouting at once.
Tyler turned around in a circle, straining to see into the furthest corners of the main cavern. It looked like they were alone, though there were several seating areas with mats and wooden cups, which he assumed were for drinking the tea while in prayer or mediation. “How far back does it go?” he asked Viresh.
“All the way through the mountain,” Viresh replied, gesturing to where an impenetrable darkness pooled.
“So Slaider was right,” Tyler muttered, remembering the discussion three days earlier, while pouring over the maps.
“Look at the walls,” Jess breathed as she walked back to stand next to Tyler. “It’s exactly how Akuba described it.”
There was a mixture of pictures and writing covering the walls. Some of the drawings were faded and crude, while others were amazing works of art, showing a tapestry of vivid scenes involving people, animals, and always the jungle. Tyler immediately wished he had a working cell phone so he could take a bunch of pictures. If he ever made it back to the Tan Presi Rutu, he knew he could easily spend days there, exploring and trying to guess at deciphering the various images.
“Where’s the legend?” Jess asked, looking at Viresh. “Do you know?”
Viresh walked to a section of wall that was under the natural skylight and well lit. There were several rows of text in large, bold letters that meant nothing to Tyler. “Can you read that?” he whispered to Jess.
She shook her head. “No. It’s in the Lokonos ancient language. There aren’t very many people left who can, but it was part of the training for Akuba to become the next Captain.”
“The elders know it,” Viresh confirmed. “And those of us who are in line to become elders.” He cleared his throat. “In the time of a great unrest, oceans will drain, lands will move, and a plague will be set free upon the earth. As it has happened before, it will happen again, and only the chosen will endure.”
“That was written two-thousand-years ago?” Tyler asked, feeling chilled.
Viresh turned to them, looking solemn. “Yes, and I’ve been studying some of the drawings that date back much further. I believe that whatever has happened, has occurred in the past multiple times. If we have an opportunity to finally put an end to all of this suffering, we must try.”
Jess reached out and took Tyler’s hand. Surprised, he glanced over and saw her eyes were brimming with tears. She always acted so tough that he forgot how young she was. She should be home working on some dreaded math assignment and arguing with her dad about doing extra chores around the preserve, not running away from him through the jungle while trying to find the answer to something killing off the world’s population.
But as Jess squeezed his hand and then turned to smile at him, Tyler realized he was underestimating her. Just like so many people had done to him. It was easy to think that strength was equal to your age. It wasn’t, and they were going to finish what they’d gone there to do.
Tyler smiled back, his eyes stinging from either tears or sulfur. Maybe both. After thousands of miles, several catastrophes and the loss of people he loved, he was going to bring the cure back to his dad.
It took less than an hour to stuff their four bags and take several different samples. They’d brought an assortment of ten empty bags with them from the preserve, thinking they’d be lucky if they found enough Libi Prani to fill them. It would be a good start to at least medicate everyone left alive inside the CDC lab in California.
The sun was still high overhead when they emerged back outside at the top of the waterfall, so they would have plenty of time to eat before they left later that night. Tyler’s attitude had been improving since arriving at the city that morning, and he felt lighter as they descended the stairs, in spite of the weight of the water-logged plants in his packs. But as they reached the bottom, he noticed the two guards were ignoring them and were instead focused on the trees on the other side of the river.
Jess grabbed at his arm, pulling him to a stop. “Howlers,” she whispered, pointing.
Trying desperately to hold on to his optimism, Tyler studied the tree line. It took him a moment, but he gasped when the camouflaged monkeys finally came into view. There had to be at least twenty or thirty of them, spread out on several branches of a huge tree. They weren’t very big, but the way the primates sat, silently staring
at them, was enough to make the hairs rise on the back of his neck.
“What are they doing?” he whispered back. “Is this, uh…normal?”
Jess shook her head vehemently, pulling Tyler toward the trail at the same time.
“Come!” Viresh ordered.
Tyler was happy to leave, especially since the trail was in the opposite direction of the weird display by the monkeys. As they were swallowed up by the Amazon, one of the howlers let out a long, ear-piercing screech.
Tyler had heard them before, so he knew the ungodly wail wasn’t unusual. But when a second, and a third, and then a fourth monkey added its call to the first, they all began walking faster.
Within minutes, the jungle exploded with the howling, demon-like sounds, as what had to be hundreds of monkeys from all around them joined in.
The Amazon wasn’t done with them yet, and Tyler covered his ears as they ran the rest of the way back.
Chapter 11
PETA
Tan Presi Rutu
Suriname, South America
“How are you feeling?” Peta hovered over Jason, studying his face for any signs of a lingering fever or other symptoms. He’d fallen into a deep sleep for over six hours, and not knowing what sort of effect the plant had on the prions, it was impossible to predict what was going on inside of him.
It took a moment for his eyes to clear as he blinked slowly before pushing himself up into a seated position. Looking around at the dim interior of the hut, he rubbed at his forehead and then cleared his throat. “What time is it?”
“Close to four in the afternoon,” Peta answered, watching him and gauging his reactions.
“I can remember Akuba bringing me here to her mom’s place,” he said, scooting so he could rest against the stone wall. Jason rubbed at his temple and his shoulders sagged with some relief. “The headache is almost gone.” Flexing his right hand, he stared at his fingers and then held his arm out between them. There was a slight tremor, but he was able to hold it up. Smiling, he lowered it and nodded. “Yeah, some lingering symptoms but I’d say I’m definitely doing better. What do you think, one or two more doses?”
