Amazon Roulette

by C. M. Gleason

  Then she saw something glinting on the floor near the entrance, just inside the door. “She must have dropped this,” Marina said, picking up a water bottle (still full), a knife, and a gun. “Whoa.”

  A flash of lightning lit Eli’s face as he looked up at her. “That might come”—compress—“in handy.”

  “I’ll say.”

  The crash of thunder was so close and loud Marina jolted, and she felt the earth move beneath her feet.

  Gaia is angry.

  The thought popped into her mind and she automatically took a step away from the entrance. What an odd thing to think. She frowned, looking around, and tried to dismiss the odd, unsettling sensation.

  Yet when she came to sit back on the ground near Eli and Cora, Marina placed her hand on the ground next to her…as if to feel for Gaia’s own heartbeat.

  “My turn,” she said, catching Eli’s eye.

  He sat back and let her take over, but surely he knew as well as she did that it was a lost cause. There was no saving Cora Allegan…and that meant yet another death was to be put at the feet of Roman Aleksandrov, Lev, and the other Skaladeskas.

  All in the name of Gaia.

  THIRTY-SIX

  By the time the Marina and Eli gave up on working on Cora Allegan, the storm had stopped. Light filtered through the soaking leaves and brush, and when Marina pulled out Hedron’s cell phone—which still had no bars—she saw the time was almost nine in the morning.

  “If the Skaladeskas haven’t figured out we’re missing yet, they will soon,” she said, giving one last look at Cora Allegan.

  They would have to leave her body here, but Marina and Eli covered the woman with their protective suits—which they wouldn’t need as long as they weren’t in the temple—and left her in a corner away from the entrance.

  “With any luck it’ll take them a while to find Hedron and realize we’ve come out this way,” said Eli. They’d already decided to close the outside door to the temple when they left. That would protect Cora’s body from wild animals until—if—they could somehow come back for it.

  “If they even know there is a way out through the temple,” Marina said. “I think Cora stumbled on it by accident. Look at how overgrown and hidden the entrance is. Those vines look as if they were just recently torn away—they’re still green and fresh, just wilting. And she obviously came from the outside—look at her shoes.”

  By now they stood in the thick, dim jungle. Rain dripped randomly from leaves and lianas, and the air was heavy with moisture. Sunlight dappled the ground, fighting its way through the heavy overbrush to mottle the area with illumination.

  Marina drew in a deep breath, suddenly acutely aware of the beauty, the depth, the lushness of Gaia’s world. She felt a shiver of sensation flutter through her as she closed her eyes and simply…felt.

  Whether Eli sensed her preoccupation or not, she wasn’t certain, but he didn’t speak. She didn’t know how long she stood there, one hand planted on the rough, stony exterior of the temple’s cavern, and the other touching a rain-spotted leaf. She felt the energy, the life, buzzing through her.

  At last, she opened her eyes. Eli was watching her, but silent. There was no judgment or surprise in his expression. He seemed, somehow, to understand.

  Nevertheless, Marina felt unusually self-conscious about her lapse of attention. She spoke brusquely. “Let’s try to find our way to the airstrip where the plane landed. I can fly us out of here if we can get there.”

  “And if the plane is still there,” Eli reminded her with a grim smile.

  “That would help.”

  Their situation was dire, but not as dire as Cora Allegan’s had been. Both Eli and Marina had spent time in the Amazon and knew more than basic survival skills. Still…if they got lost, the longer they spent in the jungle, the less likely they’d live to tell the tale.

  “I want to draw a map of the temple and how we came out of the building,” he said, “so we can orient ourselves.”

  “Good plan. If we can navigate our way back to where we came in to the compound, we should be able to follow the trail back to the airstrip.”

  Eli was able to use the tip of Cora Allegan’s knife to scratch a makeshift map in the soft copper floor of the temple’s antechamber. The soft spill of light through the opening helped illuminate his drawing.

  “No, we turned left there,” said Marina.

  “You’re right. And then came out here,” he said, correcting his sketch.

  “Exactly. And if we go nor—”

  They both froze, looking up. Marina felt a rush of unease prickling her shoulders, and they bolted to their feet at the same time.

  Neither of them needed to speak. They’d heard the same thing: voices.

  Voices coming from deep inside the temple.

  Still without words, they slipped from the antechamber and tried to muscle the door back into place. Rain from the leaves and vines pattered down on them as they struggled with the heavy stone door.

  “How did she get this open by herself?” Marina muttered.

  “Don’t know,” Eli said. “Maybe some sort of lever we can’t find?”

  But the voices were close now—distinct, echoing in the copper-plated corridor.

  Marina and Eli had no choice. They had to run, and the open exit and discarded suits would clearly indicate their path.

  Armed only with a single bottle of water, a knife, and the gun with one bullet, as well as Hedron’s non-working cell phone, Marina and Eli hurried off into the jungle, following the route they believed would take them back to the main compound entrance.

  They were still in earshot of the temple when she heard the voice calling after them: “Mariska! You cannot survive out there. Return, and we will release your companion.”

  “Right,” she muttered to Eli as they stepped over a fallen log, pushing through the wet leaves and bushes. “Notice he doesn’t say what they’ll do for me.” She stopped. “But they won’t hurt me. And I can make certain they’ll release you.” She turned, ready to go back, but Eli grabbed her arm. “I told you, they’ll negotiate with me—”

  “I don’t think so,” he said. “I’ll take my chances with you out here, rather than trusting them to let me go. Look what happened to Cora Allegan when they set her free.”

  She gave him a brief smile, and looked up at the sky. The path to the sun was blocked by the tall trees, and it was difficult to tell where it was and what direction they were going. North.

  “And if you think I’d actually leave you here with them, not only are you crazy, but you insult me. Let’s go,” he said. “This way.”

  Marina followed, still glancing up at the sky. She thought he was right.

  She hoped he was right.

  I hope to hell I’m doing the best thing.

  I hope we figure out where we are before nightfall.

  ***

  The sun was high overhead, filtering through the canopy, when Marina grabbed Eli’s arm and pointed. “There. That’s got to be part of the compound wall. See that through the trees?”

  “And so it is.”

  They looked at each other. They’d found it…now all they needed to do was make their way around to the entrance of the compound without being seen…then follow the dubious path to the airstrip.

  It sounded simple.

  The jungle was filled with sounds—but all of Gaia’s making. No voices or human noises filled the air. Birds sang, chirped, and warned. A breeze riffled through the trees above. The call from some mammal reverberated in the distance. Invisible creatures rustled in the grasses. A snake wound itself around a sapling. Heavy floral scents wafted through the humid air, and the smaller leaves were nearly dry by now. Insects buzzed and whirred.

  They’d been hiking, slowly and carefully, for more than two hours. Earlier there’d been plenty of water collected in large leaves from which to drink. They saved the water bottle. And Eli had snagged a few dried berries and shared them with her when they stopped
to listen for their pursuers.

  Marina still wore the boots from her protective suit—better for hiking than the sandals she’d had on. But her arms were bare in the short-sleeved tee, and she was scratched and cut in a variety of places. She was more than a little hungry, and beginning to tire.

  Yet the voices were long behind them. They may not have even followed them into the jungle.

  But now, as they drew near the front of the compound, the risk they’d be seen became greater. But perhaps…perhaps that wouldn’t be the worst thing. At least in the compound, they’d have food, plenty of water, and shelter.

  And the library.

  Marina paused. “Eli…”

  “What happened to all the formality of ‘Dr. Sanchez’?” he asked, then immediately shook his head. “Don’t even suggest it. I don’t trust them. I trust you—and me. Together. We made it this far.”

  “And if the plane isn’t there?”

  “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

  She nodded, and they set off once more, sticking as close to the compound wall as possible.

  “I see it,” he said.

  “The entrance?”

  “No, the trail we walked. From the airstrip. There. I might have been in a fog, but I remember that banyan with the large red bromeliad. See how it’s cupped by that large root—like a hand?”

  Gaia’s hand. “Yes. Let’s go.”

  They ducked beneath a group of low-hanging lianas, watching the ground for dangerous reptiles and insects as they made their way more quickly and confidently.

  The trail was fairly well marked, and Marina’s pulse began to race as they hurried along. They kept just off the pathway, skirting palms and bushes, fallen trunks, and crossing small ditches. She avoided a snake, and nearly grabbed a small, bright-colored frog once when she reached out to steady herself. She thought it was a flower…

  When they caught sight of the metal hangar—hangar being an optimistic word for the decrepit metal structure that would hardly be large enough to hold the plane—Marina drew in a deep, slow breath. Disappointment and something like fear settled over her.

  The airstrip was nothing to write home about—only a long, narrow patch of short grass with a few iffy tire tracks—but it would work. The entire area was silent and still, but, to her dismay, the RV-5 was nowhere in sight. If she didn’t know better, hadn’t landed there two days ago, Marina wouldn’t have believed it.

  “Maybe the plane’s inside,” she whispered, uncertain why she felt the urge to keep her voice low.

  They stepped out from the cover of the brush and began to skirt their way along the edge of the clearing. At the very least, they could find shelter in the hangar.

  Just as they approached, the large door in the building rolled open.

  “I thought you’d come here,” said Roman, stepping out into the clearing. Two others flanked him.

  Marina spun, but Eli grabbed her arm—and she saw.

  They were holding guns.

  Well, that was new.

  THIRTY-SEVEN

  “We’re leaving,” Marina said, holding her father’s gaze from across the clearing. “Cora Allegan is dead, thanks to you. I want nothing to do with you and your Skaladeskas—or your library.”

  Roman shook his head and stepped out of the hangar. His companions followed, still holding their weapons. “Gaia makes Her judgments. We merely facilitate delivering the offenders to Her.”

  Marina didn’t bother to disguise her sneer. “That’s not the way I work. This is new.” She gestured to the firearms, irony in her movement and tone. For the first time, she noticed one of the people flanking him was Nora. The man was someone she didn’t recognize.

  Roman shrugged. “One must adjust one’s tactics and strategy as necessary. What did you think you were going to do, Mariska? Fly away? Did you truly think we’d allow you to leave?”

  By now he was very near, and Marina could see the glint in his eyes. In apparent deference, his two companions held back.

  “And what about Dr. Sanchez?”

  There was a flare of hope, perhaps, in Roman’s expression. “If you stay, I will personally see to it that he is safely delivered to a neutral location. A safe neutral location.”

  “You will guarantee his safety. You’ll provide me proof of it. If I remain.”

  “You must remain. But to prove we wish you and your companion no harm, as I say, I will ensure his safe departure and return. With proof.”

  “Why should I believe that? You and I both know the moment Dr. Sanchez is free, he’ll contact the authorities with information about where you are and how to find you. I know you dare not risk that. So, I’d take my chances in the arms of Gaia rather than in your presence. After all I am her Heir, am I not—Father Mine?”

  Roman blanched and his breath caught. But he recovered immediately. “How long have you known?”

  “Since Victor died, five years ago. On a river in Siberia, in my presence. Those were his dying words. The more pertinent question, however, is whether my grandfather knows the truth.”

  His expression told her everything.

  Marina lifted her chin. “I can only imagine why you and Victor would have kept such a secret.”

  “It no longer matters, if what you say is true—that my brother is dead. I suspected he was gone, but didn’t know for certain.” Roman regained his composure. “Now, if you please, let us return to the compound. There is no escape for you here, and you will not survive in the jungle—Heir to Gaia or no. Of course I was not so foolish as to leave you a mode of transport. But I will make the arrangements for Dr. Sanchez’s safe return. And never fear, Mariska darling—he’ll never be able to accurately describe this location to anyone. Thanks to the great accumulation of copper in our Gaia’s belly here, electronics, radar, and any other tracking devices, we are—what do you say?—off the grid.”

  Marina had purposely avoided looking at Eli during the negotiation—for she was certain he’d never go for it. But she’d come to the conclusion, made the proper decision, that this time there would be no going back for anyone…that in order to save him, she would have to send him away.

  She’d be the one left behind.

  She would speak with Lev, make certain Eli was released safely, as Roman had promised. And perhaps she’d even use the knowledge of her father’s lies about her paternity as leverage to ensure Dr. Sanchez’s safety.

  Eli, for his part, had made no sound or movement during the entire conversation. Now, she flickered a glance over him and was surprised to see him staring off to the side. There was an arrested expression on his face.

  “Don’t…move,” he murmured from between stiff lips.

  Marina froze.

  “What is it?” Roman demanded—but he too became still.

  “Over there,” muttered Eli. “Behind—dammit, don’t move!”

  It wasn’t Marina who’d turned to look, but Roman and his companions. They stopped.

  “I don’t see anything,” said Roman. “There’s nothing there.”

  Eli reached for Marina’s arm, carefully, his eyes still trained just beyond Roman’s head. “You’re looking in the wrong place. The hive of a vasilijech coleopteron, a rare species of the regilorum suborder. It’s above you—just above your head—don’t move. My God, I’ve never seen—but we don’t want to…disturb…it. Jee-sus…Marina, whatever you do—don’t move. But…I really need to—”

  “What the hell are you talking about? There’s nothing there,” Roman said. Yet tension strained his voice.

  “Dr. Sanchez is a renowned entomologist,” Marina said, her own heart racing. “He knows what he’s talking about.”

  “The most deadly coleop in the Amazon,” Eli said, edging away as if drawn by the sight. “And the most rare. One sting…Holy Mother of God…I’d really like to take a look,” he said, moving a little more. “But they’re very—”

  “Are you insane?” Marina said.

  “No,” said Eli
, still staring. “Just dedicated. Could you imagine? Two papers in one year…”

  Marina looked in the direction he was staring. She saw nothing. Wait…was that a hive? Up high—yes, oh, yes, he was right. She grabbed his wrist. “Is that it?”

  “What in the hell is going on?” Roman said, and was no longer able to keep from looking up and over his shoulder.

  Eli moved quickly. He spun Marina by the arm, sending her whipping toward Nora as he body-slammed the man holding the gun. All three of the Skaladeskas tumbled roughly into each other, but Eli kept hold of Marina to keep her from joining them.

  Then, just as he spun out of the melee, he raised Cora Allegan’s gun and fired up above them.

  “Yes,” Eli muttered as something hurtled down from above.

  Marina didn’t see what it was, for he yanked her by the arm and bolted into the jungle as Roman and the others were scrambling to their feet. But she heard a dull thud, then the sounds of shouts, then terrified cries.

  And then, the distinct sound of furious buzzing.

  ***

  Eli released Marina as soon as they got into the thick part of the jungle. She was right on his heels as he tore through a patch of underbrush.

  A bullet whizzed through the air and thudded into a tree. She could hear the sounds of their pursuers—beetles or bees or whatever had been in that hive notwithstanding—and Marina realized they couldn’t continue to evade them.

  Not without food, water, and rest—all of which they were sorely lacking. Not to mention the fact that they didn’t know the area well, and presumably the Skalas had a better orientation. And that they had no more bullets.

  Still, she kept up with Eli, wondering if he had any further plans. And wondering how much of what he’d said about the beetles in the hive—did that even make sense? did beetles have hives?—was true.

  When he tripped over a hidden root and took a hard spill, she just missed tumbling into him herself. But she quickly pulled upright and turned to see Eli, pain wrenching his face.

  “I twisted it—maybe even sprained it,” he said, scrambling to his feet with the help of a dangling liana. “Damn.” He tried to put some weight on his right foot, but Marina saw immediately how painful it was.