by Nick Thacker
Satisfied, Joshua returned to her side and explained the rest of the plan. When he’d finished, they walked along in silence for a few more minutes. Just when Joshua was about to ask if Julie was comfortable with their plan, she struck.
The force of the blow was harder than Joshua expected. It landed perfectly, her fist crushing the side of his head and nearly knocking him unconscious. He had little left to fake, as he stumbled sideways and fell to his knees. She attacked again, this time finding the underside of his chin with her knee.
He groaned and fell on his face. Joshua heard two of the men at the back cry out and start running forward.
“Go,” he whispered, barely able to speak.
The world around him was spinning, but he could see Julie grab Amanda’s arm and pull her along, the two of them disappearing into the woods as the rest of his men tried to make sense of the attack.
Alan and Riggs were at his side. They lifted him up and waited for him to catch his balance. Three of the others had already broken off to go after the girls, and Joshua gave the order to Alan to have them called back. Alan ran off to accomplish the task, and Riggs looked down at Joshua, waiting. His gigantic body swayed slightly in front of his boss.
“Round them up,” Joshua said. “Regroup, and have them continue forward. Our goal is to find the city. Let the women go.”
Riggs didn’t respond, but his eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
“Riggs, you hear me?”
“Boss, our mission —“
“I determine our mission, Riggs. Is that clear?”
Riggs stared, then finally answered, his voice low and menacing. “Yes, sir.”
Without another word, Riggs turned and ran off into the jungle.
50
BEN SAW THE GATE BETWEEN the trees just as Archie and Paulinho reached it. Both men stopped and stood in the light, waiting for the others to catch up.
The gate, nothing more than two huge trees twisted together and interconnected, was like the end of a tunnel they hadn’t realized they were walking through. The bright sun, normally dampened by the thick covering of canopy trees high above their heads, had now found an entrance to the denseness of the forest. It bled in, enshrining everything in front of Ben in light.
The silhouettes of Paulinho and Archie were like beacons, and Ben found himself hustling to reach their location. It was already hot, multiplied by the humidity of the jungle. He had been sweating profusely since they’d stepped foot in the rainforest, but the directness of the sunlight still felt warm and life-giving as Ben stepped out onto the platform with Archie and Paulinho. Carlo and Reggie, pushing Rhett along in front of him, joined them soon after, and the six men stood silently for a moment as they stared downward into the valley.
Ben knew from Archie’s descriptions of the area that the Amazon basin was mostly flat, by definition. Runoff and mountain rivers in the Andes joined together in a myriad of tributaries called the Amazon River. Over millennia of flooding, erosion, and the natural cycle of geological life, the entire basin had been flattened and pressed downward.
All except for the land directly in front of them. A huge, looming plateau stretched upward from the ground, raised high into the air and dwarfing the trees surrounding it. What was perhaps only a couple hundred feet of vertical height seemed massive compared to the elevation of the rest of the forest. The cliffs were solid rock walls, covered with luscious green blankets of mosses, small trees, and jungle shrubs. Weaving its way around the plateau, and forming the bottom — and base — of the valley they’d stumbled into, was a slow-moving, wide tributary river. Its water looked deep brown, with flecks of blue and green sparkling as the light hit it. Rocks and other landforms jutted out of it, giving it the appearance of being a relatively shallow body of water.
Archie explained that these sorts of “unknown” rivers were quite common in the Basin. The entire area was subjected to flooding for half the year during and immediately after the rainy season. Most of the larger tributaries, including the Amazon River itself, would swell up and cover a much larger area of land, but there were often low-lying sections of jungle that would become rivers for a few months of the year.
It was difficult to tell whether or not the river Ben was standing in front of now was unknown due to its nonexistence part of the year or because of its remoteness. There was a strong possibility it was a permanent fixture of the Amazon, just not one known to the outside world. They had reached an area of the world that was largely unexplored and undocumented, a completely remote section of the globe.
“I didn’t know there were mountains in the jungle,” Paulinho said.
“It’s not a mountain, technically,” Archie responded. “It’s rock, but it’s no more than a large formation. A plateau top, it appears, at least from this angle.”
Ben idled over closer to the conversation to overhear.
“Because the land surrounding the cliffs is lower than the rest of the Basin, satellite mapping of the region wouldn’t be able to accurately depict the shape of the raised area here. It is likely this small hill has gone completely unnoticed for the past few thousand years.”
“If we’re lucky,” Ben said, “that’s true.” He shuddered at the thought of running into more natives.
Reggie broke up the geography lesson. “Let’s get down into the valley, at least. We can decide whether or not to cross the river here or head upstream, but we need to get closer to it first.”
“Cross the river?” Paulinho asked. Ben noticed that the man was holding his side. He hadn’t spoken a word of complaint since they’d left the boat, but it had only been a couple days since he’d been injured. Ben hoped he was legitimately feeling better and not just acting courageous.
“Yes,” Reggie said. “The lines intersect less than a mile from here, according to the printouts and the map I put together.” He already had the map in his hands, and the others leaned in to examine it for themselves. Ben noticed that Reggie had scribbled in notes along the journey, in an attempt to keep track of their progress as they trekked forward. “Assuming the map is correct, and we’ve been diligent enough to be close,” he continued, “the final destination of the city is actually straight ahead.”
Ben frowned, looking from the map in Reggie’s hands to the high cliffs on the other side of the river. He noticed that in front of the cliffs there were sections of water, separated from the larger river, that pooled around the bases of trees and rocks. The plants shot out of the murky depths, their roots sometimes poking from the surface as well.
A swamp.
They’d have to cross not only a river, but a swamp as well.
He told the others.
“Seems that way,” Reggie said. “But once we’re across, we can figure out how to get onto the plateau.”
Ben wasn’t sure what to make of Reggie’s statement. “Wait, on to the plateau?”
Reggie and the others looked at Ben as though he was delusional. “Ben,” Archie said, his voice calm, as if explaining the situation to a toddler. “We must get to the top of the plateau. You do understand that, no?”
Ben looked at each man, waiting for one of them to burst out in laughter. This is a joke, he thought. “You can’t be serious,” he said. “We can’t climb the cliffs. There’s got to be a way around, and —“
“Ben,” Paulinho said. “We’ll make it. I know we will.”
“There’s no other way, Ben,” Reggie said. “The destination is on top of that plateau, and the only way to get there…”
Ben looked at Carlo. He hadn’t spoken a word to the man, even when they were on the boat. He’d stayed with their party after the captain had been eaten, and he’d been helpful to the group whenever needed. As quiet as the man was, Ben hoped he’d still have a reasonable opinion about whether or not they should climb two hundred-foot cliffs.
Carlo shrugged.
Ben sighed. Maybe that’s Brazilian for ‘you’re right, Ben, and it’s a bad idea.’
“Lo
oks like the verdict’s been reached, then,” Reggie said. “Down to the river, cross it and then the swamp, then figure out how to get up the cliffs.”
Ben shook his head. This started out impossible. I can’t believe it’s getting more impossible every minute. He reached into his pocket and grabbed the second coca leaf he’d taken from Reggie, and popped it in his mouth. Let’s hope these things help with more than just hunger and fatigue.
51
BEN WAS SORE AND EXHAUSTED from the climb down the hill, and he was frustrated as well. They’d descended from the platform overlooking the expansive valley and raised plateau, and now the group was standing near the wide, shallow river. He wasn’t excited about crossing another body of water, but as Reggie and the others had explained, there was no other choice.
He felt as though his shoes and socks had only just dried from their first river excursion. The humidity of the jungle air was stifling, and it made drying off from soaking wet a rare feat. He considered removing his shoes and holding them above his head, to have something dry to wear on the opposite bank, but quickly decided against it. Dry shoes were a luxury he couldn’t afford at the expense of subjecting his feet to whatever tortures might lay underfoot on the river’s bottom.
He shuddered as he considered his options. Is there any chance I can wait here? he wondered. The girls would be with the mercenaries, and if Reggie was correct, they’d be dumped out into the valley as well, shortly behind his group. He might be able to stay behind, hidden, and use the element of surprise to attack…
With what? He had nothing but Reggie’s Sig Sauer handgun, and it was no match for the assault rifles he’d seen earlier. He might be able to get a few shots off before the enemy spotted him, but he was no deadeye. It was a long shot — literally.
Maybe they could all stay behind, save for one or two of them. It seemed Carlo was comfortable in the jungle, and he might not mind the trip. Archie, who obviously had a knack for the history of the tribes in the region, would be a good asset to send forward as well.
Ben shook his head, dismissing the absurd thoughts. They’d have to stay together — none of the others would agree to a plan that would split their group even further. They were already outnumbered, and with the girls missing as well, splitting into two smaller groups was a recipe for disaster.
The river, wide and a deep emerald color, loomed before him. He sighed. Reggie, still pulling Rhett along, and Paulinho all stepped in together, both men appearing undaunted by the task at hand. Their legs disappeared into the murky water, but only up to their knees. Ben watched on, waiting for one of them to fall off a shelf into deeper water.
The two men in the river continued forward, trudging onward unfazed, their knees barely covered. The current, if it existed, was weak and unfocused, and neither man had trouble navigating any underwater rocks or debris.
Carlo entered the water next, and Archie followed closely behind. Ben saw his opportunities for backing out of the endeavor drifting away with every passing second, and finally he made up his mind.
He stepped out and into the water. He stared down at his feet as the first, then the second, steps sank away into the mud. The water felt cool at first, but as his body acclimated to the temperature he reassessed, and determined the river here to feel about the same as an old, stale bath.
He cringed. I’m walking through a section of the Amazon River, for the second time in days. What is wrong with me?
He thought of Julie, and how he wished she was by his side instead of Carlo and Archibald Quinones. They were good men, and he appreciated both of them, both for their positive, optimistic attitudes, as well as their capabilities and experience. He wasn’t able to share their enthusiasm for the trip, but Ben also knew that it was his own stubbornness that had brought them to Brazil in the first place.
With that memory came the reminder of what he was here for. The throbbing heat of a rage he’d long since pushed back inside of him came rushing back upward, and Ben clenched his teeth as he remembered.
All the people they killed. All the waste. Destruction.
He remembered the people he’d left behind at Yellowstone, his friends and fellow park staff. Julie had given everything to follow him, allowing him to dictate the course of their lives as they were intertwined together, tighter and tighter over the last few months.
She brought out the best in him, and he loved her for it, but it didn’t change the fact that they were together now because they once shared a common enemy. That enemy was the reason their lives had been entangled with each other’s, and that reason was now chasing him through the most remote jungle on Earth.
He plowed forward, quickly catching up with Archie, then to Carlo only steps ahead. A hot-tempered vigor pushed him onward, and he was surprised at the rapid change of heart he suddenly felt. He felt energized; he felt as though he’d been luxuriously rested and pampered for the past few days, not trekking through the rainforest. He charged toward the opposite side of the river, longing for dry land nearly as much as he longed for revenge. He’d find the killers, the company behind it all, and he’d start with the mercenaries behind them.
Ben had silently restated his mission to himself a few times, and the opposite bank was now closer than the one they’d started from, when he felt the bite.
It was quick, small, and subsided as rapidly as it arrived. He shook his leg, assuming his ankle had been caught by a sharp tree branch or stick.
The second bite stopped him in the middle of the river. He looked down at the river, his legs two feet beneath the surface. The rippling nearby was unnatural, not repetitive enough or rhythmic enough to be caused by the current flowing over some permanent obstruction.
The rippling became more intense, and he looked up to see Archie and Carlo nearby, both wide-eyed and breathing rapidly. He frowned, trying to understand the commotion. Paulinho and Reggie, dragging Rhett behind them, were already nearing the riverbank, but Ben had stopped and was waiting for someone to explain —
“Piranha!” Archie shouted. “Get out of the water!”
Ben felt a surge of sheer terror that launched him forward with a vigor that even his anger from before couldn’t match. He half-swam, half-crawled toward Reggie, Rhett, and Paulinho, silently praying he was making progress, but feeling as though he was running in place. He felt stuck, mired by the soft muddy bottom of the river, waiting in horror for the inevitable strike of the carnivorous fish. It was like a dream he used to have as a child, in which he’d try as hard as possible to run forward, only finding that his legs and body were unresponsive and he struggled in place until he woke himself up.
This time, he didn’t wake up to find it was only a bad dream. This nightmare was real, and he was very much alive and awake. He didn’t feel any more bites, but he heard Carlo scream from somewhere behind him and to his right. He wanted to continue, to get to the edge of the river and escape the man-eating fish, but something inside him made him turn around. He reached out to Carlo instinctively, but Carlo wasn’t paying attention.
In fact, Carlo wasn’t even looking his direction. The man had fallen to his waist, and the dark color of the water around him was now stained an even deeper crimson. Carlo was batting at the surface of the water with his palms, trying to force the attacking predators away, but it was in vain. His mouth was open in a silent scream, and before Ben could react, he lunged forward and face-first into the water, and disappeared from view.
The whitewater frothed and churned from the thousand tiny splashes. The fish didn’t let up, even as Carlo’s body sank away. The fish continued their assault, pushing Carlo’s body still deeper into the mud. Ben had walked nearly the same path as Carlo, so he knew the water where Carlo lay was the same depth — not deep enough to be fully submerged.
Ben knew what it meant. The only way to sink a body in shallow water was to make the body smaller, and that’s exactly what he’d just witnessed. In less than a minute, the fish dispersed and Carlo was completely gone, the stain
of an oil slick on the surface the only evidence remaining of the brutal attack.
52
JOSHUA NEEDED A PLAN, AND quickly. Amanda and Julie had run off as he’d hoped, but he needed to find them before his men did. He knew there was a mutiny playing out, but he wasn’t sure if all of his men were involved or just a few.
Riggs was a good soldier, someone Joshua could count on to get the job done no matter the cost. He had assumed this integrity was a sign of loyalty, but he had assumed wrong. Riggs was clearly planning to oust Joshua from his position leading these men. Whether he would take over that role or not was of no concern to Joshua. If Riggs had his way, Joshua would be dead by then.
He was running after Riggs now. The man had taken off in the direction they’d seen the women run, hoping to intercept them, subdue them, and likely make them pay for their insubordination. Joshua hoped Julie would be able to stay ahead of Riggs long enough.
Joshua was not an expert tracker, but Riggs — and the girls before him — had done a fantastic job leaving a trail behind them. He saw the broken sticks, crushed leaves and grasses, and footprints in the ground below his feet as he charged forward. As he ran he tried to listen for any sign of a skirmish, but the jungle around him was feverishly excited about the intruders chasing each other through it. He heard the hoots and howls of monkeys, the incessant buzz of millions of insects, and a thousand other unidentifiable noises that created the backdrop drone of the rainforest.
He turned left and nearly stumbled into Riggs. There was a river, wide and slow-moving, just in front of him. Riggs was standing on the bank just at the edge of it, preparing to cross.
“Riggs,” Joshua said.
Riggs turned around, and in that instant Joshua knew the truth. One of us will die here today.
“Riggs, where are the girls? Did they already cross?”
