by John Sneeden
The two walked in silence for a few minutes. Zane knew it was a man he’d followed. The gait, the way he’d carried himself. And yet, he didn’t want to play favorites either. If something popped back into his memory that suggested it might have been a woman, he’d be open to that. But for now, he’d stay focused on the men.
“Have you considered calling this whole thing off and going back?” Jorge asked.
Zane’s answer was immediate. “No, I haven’t considered that.”
“Why not?” Jorge asked after pulling the cigar from his mouth. “You don’t think it’s dangerous to go deep in the jungle with a traitor in our midst?”
“Wouldn’t it be just as dangerous to announce that we have a mole and we’re going back? That might trigger this person to act irrationally. There is no telling what they might do. Not to mention whoever it is they’re working with. That would be a trigger, not a solution.”
Jorge shrugged. “You could always come up with a—”
Suddenly Zane’s radio squawked, cutting the Brazilian off. “Sir, are you there?” It was Bennett.
“Go ahead, Sergeant.”
“Sir, I think you need to get up here.”
Bennett’s voice had a tone Zane hadn’t heard before. He looked at Jorge then said, “We’ll be right there.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
AFTER ROUNDING A bend in the trail, Amanda came to an abrupt halt. Two of the Green Berets were standing in the middle of the path just ahead. Sergeant Bennett was facing the other way with a radio pressed against his ear. Corporal Wilson, who was standing next to him, turned and held up a hand, indicating she should proceed slowly.
Amanda approached carefully. What were they looking at? Was it a jaguar? An anaconda? She couldn’t see anything yet, but she still couldn’t help but picture a giant serpent coiled in the middle of the trail.
As she drew within a few feet, Wilson nodded at something just ahead. Amanda stepped closer then stopped. A wave of shock washed over her. She could scarcely believe her own eyes. There, in the trail about fifty yards away, stood an indigenous boy. She figured he was likely a preteen, although it was hard to tell because his muscles seemed developed beyond his years.
Bennett put away his radio and whispered, “He was just standing there when we came around the turn. Hasn’t moved since.”
“He doesn’t seem dangerous,” Wilson said in a low tone.
The corporal was right. The boy’s demeanor was one of calm curiosity. As far as she could tell, there was no hint of aggression in his eyes.
“He’s well armed though,” Bennett said.
The boy held a bow in one hand, and a quiver of arrows was slung over his back. His hair was typical of the indigenous males, an inverted bowl with bangs as straight as a ruler. A sharp piece of wood stuck horizontally through his nose, and black lines were painted across each cheek. From a distance, they looked like whiskers.
“Oh my,” Katiya said as she eased up next to them.
Max arrived just behind her, his eyes wide in awe. “Very young, but still probably a seasoned hunter.”
“He’s beautiful,” Katiya whispered.
“He is,” Amanda replied. “It’s one thing to see them in photographs, but it’s another to see one of them in person.”
Zane and Jorge came running around the bend in the trail then slowed when they saw everyone gathered in silence.
Jorge pushed up to the front. When he saw the boy, a startled look crossed his face. After staring at him for a while, he said, “I recognize the tribe. Papaqua. The face painting is typical of their hunting males.”
Max nodded. “I was thinking the same thing.”
“He looks awfully young,” Zane said.
“They begin hunting at an early age,” Jorge said. “This one has probably been hunting on his own for some time.”
Katiya looked at Max. “Can you speak to him?”
“I don’t know the Papaqua language well,” Max said, “but I know enough to hold a basic conversation.”
“Why don’t you give it a shot?” Amanda asked. She was dying to know what was on the young boy’s mind. How fascinating to think that they might actually be able to talk to him.
“Let’s give him a little time to adjust.” Max stared at the foliage on both sides of the path. “I’m not so sure he doesn’t have more friends waiting out in the bush.”
Jorge’s gaze had already been fixed on the jungle. “For now, I think he’s the only one.”
“What’s he wearing?” Bennett said, pointing with his rifle. “A puma hide?”
Amanda glanced at the garment he was referring to. At first it appeared to be a cloth tucked into the boy’s belt, but she quickly realized it was some sort of animal hide.
“O gato grande… jaguar,” Jorge replied. “Likely his first kill. They wear it as a source of pride.”
“Amazing that one so young could kill one of those stealthy jungle cats,” Zane said.
Katiya looked at Jorge. “And the necklace… is there any meaning to those teeth?”
“Likely another display of his skills as a hunter. I’m not entirely sure, but each tooth may represent a large kill.”
“It’s just like helmets in college football,” Bennett said. “You put a little sticker on the back each time you make a big tackle or a hit.”
Jorge nodded. “We may not like to admit it, but we are all much the same. Somewhere deep within, all men want to be known as warriors.”
“The more kills he makes, the higher his standing in the tribe,” Max said. “And the higher his standing, the better his choice of wife.”
The boy squatted down, his gaze still fixed on all the strange people in front of him. Amanda thought he seemed more relaxed, although it was hard to know for sure.
“I think it’s time.” Max looked at Amanda and Katiya. “I want the two of you to come with me.”
Zane looked at him. “I’m not so sure—”
“He’s right,” Jorge said. “Many of the tribes are dominated by males, so they don’t see females as a threat. I believe the two ladies will have a calming influence on him.”
Amanda saw Zane and Bennett exchange a knowing glance. It was obvious Zane was letting him know that they needed to be ready to take action if necessary.
Max looked at Amanda and Katiya then nodded toward the boy. As he stepped forward, they followed close behind. Amanda noticed that he moved slowly, with both hands at his side, palms facing forward. He’d obviously spent enough time with tribesmen to know what put them at ease, so she followed suit.
About halfway there, he turned his head slightly and whispered, “We’re going to be fine. Just don’t make any sudden moves. And please don’t do anything unless I say so.”
“I can’t get over how beautiful he is,” Katiya whispered as they drew closer. “I’ve been to the rainforest on many occasions, but I’ve never experienced anything like this.”
“He’s probably thinking the same thing,” Amanda said with a low chuckle.
When they approached within about ten yards, the boy stiffened slightly. Max stopped and got down on one knee. Amanda and Katiya did likewise.
Max smiled at the boy and then spoke in a strange, almost guttural tongue. Amanda marveled that the linguist could even make his mouth and voice box work like that.
The boy’s eyes widened at the sound of his own language. A smile spread over his face as he made a quick reply.
Moving slowly, Max reached into a pocket and pulled something out. Amanda shifted slightly, trying to get a look. It was a stick of beef jerky. After removing the wrapper, the linguist held the snack up in the air and said something. The boy nodded, and Max tossed it toward him. Without taking his eyes off them, the boy reached down and picked up the jerky. He lifted it to his nose and sniffed it for a few seconds before taking a bite. After chewing and swallowing, he nodded and smiled.
Max turned his head slightly. “That’s good news. He received my gift.”
Not to be out
done, the boy reached into an animal skin pouch that was hanging at his side. A few seconds later, he pulled out what appeared to be two nuts and tossed them toward the linguist, who gathered them up and ate them slowly. The two exchanged a few words, then the boy stood once again.
“We can approach now,” Max said softly.
Amanda rose and followed. The boy’s big brown eyes watched them closely, but she didn’t sense any distrust in his gaze.
When they drew within a few feet, Max stopped, and the two began to speak back and forth. Their exchange lasted for several minutes. At one point, Max gestured toward Amanda and Katiya and said something. Amanda presumed he was making a brief introduction. Katiya smiled and nodded, so Amanda did likewise. The boy spoke and then bowed his head slightly.
“We’re quite fortunate,” Max said. His face with beaming with excitement. “He’s very friendly and very trusting. Perhaps too trusting.”
“I see your point,” Katiya said. “Not everyone is as friendly as we are. Who did you say we are?”
“I told him that we’re a friendly tribe of people who are simply passing through. I told him we respect their boundaries and that we mean his people no harm. I also told him that we’d be happy to help him in any way we could.”
“And what did he say?” Amanda asked.
Max looked at her. “Something very exciting… he said that he would be willing to help us as well.”
Katiya’s face beamed. “Maybe he’d be willing to accompany us. Did you get his name?”
“Osak.”
Upon hearing his name, the boy’s eyes widened. Amanda smiled at him.
“As I told you before, they are generally much more comfortable around females, which is why I brought the two of you with me. I think they can sense that you’re much less prone to aggression. I’ve seen it time and time again.”
“Is he good with that bow?” Amanda asked.
Max nodded. “You wouldn’t want to be on the other end of one of those arrows. He could probably impale a lizard on a tree trunk at fifty feet.”
Suddenly the boy began to speak and gesture with his hands.
Katiya’s brow furrowed. “Uh-oh. What did he say?”
“I’m not completely sure, something about a chieftain.”
“Maybe he’s asking who our leader is,” Katiya said. “Shall we call Zane forward?”
Max first frowned at the mention of the operative’s name then shrugged. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt.”
Katiya turned and waved at Zane while Max continued speaking to the boy.
“You were right,” Max said. “He does want to speak to our leader.”
Zane approached slowly. When he drew even with the others, he said, “I see you made a new friend.”
Osak fixed his gaze on him. After studying the operative for a few seconds, he said a few words that sounded like a short statement of some kind.
Zane patted his own chest. “Zane.”
“Zane,” Osak repeated.
Osak’s expression suddenly changed. Amanda could tell he was upset about something. He pointed at the sky and spoke in an excited tone.
“He doesn’t seem happy,” Katiya said.
Max listened for a moment then translated what the boy had said. “He’s telling Zane that a bad storm is approaching, and that he should help his people find cover. He mentioned something about fire from the sky.”
Zane looked up. “It’s been clear all—”
Suddenly there was a clap of thunder in the distance. Amanda looked toward a distant break in the trees. The previously blue sky was now steel gray. Seconds later, the trees began to sway, blown by the approaching winds.
As Zane turned to the others and barked orders for everyone to set up their tents, Katiya turned to Amanda. “Osak needs to come with us. Can you imagine how much help he’d be?”
Amanda had to agree. It was as though the little boy had been sent by God.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
ZANE STUCK HIS head out from underneath the tarp they’d set up between four trees. The wind had died, and the rain had lightened to a steady drizzle. The worst of the storm appeared to be over, giving him hope that they could be moving again soon.
Hearing a gasp of delight, Zane turned around. Jorge was sitting a few feet away, lighting the tip of a cigar. Osak stared at the flame, his eyes widening with wonder. Then he said something in an excited tone.
Amanda looked at Max. “What did he say?”
“He said he’s heard of fire makers, but it’s the first time he’s ever seen one,” Max said.
Jorge held his lighter out in front of the boy. He flicked the thumbwheel, causing the flame to leap out of the steel hood. Unable to control himself, Osak reached out and took the lighter from Jorge. He flicked the thumbwheel a couple of times, to no avail.
Jorge looked at Max. “Tell him to keep his thumb down.”
The linguist pointed at the lighter and said something to the boy. Osak tried again, this time keeping his thumb in place. The flame flickered to life, and the boy to jump with excitement. He stared at it for a moment before finally bursting into laughter.
“I could just eat him up,” Katiya said. “His reaction is priceless.”
Zane bent over and patted Osak on the back. “We can also thank him for dry gear.”
“Sometimes I think they understand the jungle better than scientists,” Jorge said from a cloud of smoke. “It’s one thing to visit this place for a week or two, studying this or that. It’s another thing to have to survive out here from the moment you’re born.”
“There is so much we can learn from them,” Katiya said.
“Right now I’d like to know where the nearest bar is,” Zane said.
“Three days, and you already have the shakes?” Katiya asked with a wink.
Zane smiled at her then sat down. “On a more serious note, we need to ask him if he knows anything about the crater.”
“We do know how to get there, don’t we?” Katiya asked.
“I know how to get to the crater rim,” Jorge said, “although I’ve never actually been there.” He leaned forward and used the palm of his hand to clear away a few leaves, exposing the soil. Then he picked up a nearby stick and drew a line in the dirt. “This is the trail we’re on now. Eventually we’ll come to a place where you can either keep going straight or turn off to the right.” He drew another line, this one perpendicular to the first. “If you turn right, it will take you in a big loop back to where we crossed the stream yesterday.”
“That’s the route that everybody takes,” Zane said. “Ecotourists, birdwatchers, adrenaline junkies.”
“But instead of turning right, we’ll keep going straight,” Jorge continued. “That’s where… how do you say in English… the going gets tough. The trail will be narrower. We may even have to hack our way through in a couple of spots.” He used the stick to extend the first line a few more inches then drew a circle at the end. “My contacts tell me that if we continue in that direction, we’ll eventually arrive at the crater rim.”
“The slope is fairly steep,” Zane said as he touched the edge of the circle, “but Jorge was told it shouldn’t be too difficult to get to the bottom.”
“And after that?” Katiya asked.
“Once we reach the valley floor, we’ll officially be inside our target zone. Where we go after that depends on what we find. If there are trails, then obviously we’ll use those as much as possible. That’s where I was hoping our friend could help us.” He nodded at Osak.
Katiya looked at Max. “Can you ask him if he knows anything about the crater?”
Max turned and addressed Osak. On several occasions, the linguist reached out and touched the lines drawn in the dirt. After speaking for a couple of minutes, he stopped and allowed everything to sink in.
At first Osak didn’t seem to understand. He simply stared at the lines without expression. Was he even familiar with the concept of a map? Surely he was.
Sud
denly a look of recognition spread across the boy’s face. He tapped the circle with a finger, repeating the same phrase over and over.
Max nodded. “He knows about the crater.”
Osak spoke again, this time in a lower tone.
“Apparently the Papaqua see it as a forbidden region, a dark place of myth and legend. He seems shocked that we’d even want to go.”
Osak tapped the circle and uttered a short phrase.
“He said many have gone in, but only a few have come out,” Max said.
“The ones that made it out… what did they say?” Zane asked.
Max posed the question to Osak, who spoke for several minutes. When he was finished, Max said, “He says that he’s never spoken to any of them himself, but that his tribe has passed down the stories. Apparently the ones who made it out were reluctant to say much about their time there. In fact, some refused to talk at all. The ones who did share spoke about seeing spirits and strange creatures.”
Amanda let out a little gasp.
The last thing Zane wanted was for his group to have an unreasonable fear of their destination. It was imperative that they not give in to irrational fear. “Look, we know the crater is in a dark corner of the jungle. My guess is that some of these legends are true, but the likeliest explanation is that many of the people who entered either got lost or were killed by predators.”
“What about the ones who did make it out?” Amanda asked. “They saw spirits and strange creatures. That doesn’t sound like jaguars and ocelots.”
Zane shrugged. “As I said, it’s a dark place… but I believe that’s only in a biological sense. I’d guess their imaginations ran wild.”
“I’m just not sure it’s that simple, Zane,” Katiya said.
“Did you ever get lost out in the woods as a kid?” Zane asked. “Well, I did. And once you realized you didn’t know the way home, things began to change. All of a sudden the trees got bigger and nothing looked familiar. Panic set in and gave you brain fog. That’s a recipe for hallucinations. It’s also how legends are started.”
“These were probably grown men, that’s the difference,” Katiya said. “These aren’t children wandering around in the woods at dusk.”
