Will’s jaw dropped, but he clamped it shut to cover up his mistake. “What are you talking about, Ella?”
“Dude, you can stop pretending. She figured it out. My scars gave it away,” I said.
Out of the blue, Ella burst into a fit of giggles. “Alyssa kissed Will!” She clutched at her sides, shaking. “My twenty-year-old sister kissed an ninth grader! Oh, my God. You’re jail bait!”
With that, Ella started laughing so hard tears sprang into her eyes.
Will kicked at the floor. “Please don’t tell her I’m only fifteen.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it. You have to know though, she has the biggest hero crush on you.” Ella wiped her eyes, still grinning. “She’s convinced you’re eighteen and she’s trying to find you.”
Will squirmed even more. “Aw, Ella, c’mon. I don’t want her to feel stupid or think I took advantage of her or anything. Just keep it a mystery. That’s better than the truth.”
“Your secrets, all of them, are safe with me.” She leaned against my side. “We better go see what Mamie wants.”
The three of us left the lockers, Ella holding my hand, and headed for the front. Mamie, who stood fidgeting just inside the doors, froze when she saw Ella. “Um, Matt, there’s an issue, uh, at home. Nothing serious, I just need you to come with me.”
“Mamie, it’s okay, she knows. Give me a minute.” I jerked my head at Will; he muttered something about ice cream and disappeared.
I dragged Ella over to a corner out of Mamie’s line of sight. “I don’t know what’s up, but they’ve never come to get me like this before. When I get back, you want to go to the movies? Or lunch?”
Funny how easy the question came out now.
“I’d love to.” She stood on her tiptoes and gave me a peck on the cheek. “Be careful, ‘kay? You need to come back in one piece. We have a date, and I want to hear all about this monster business. Especially why you’re working for the military.”
“I’ll be careful. Promise.” I paused. There was one thing I had to know before I left. “Ella…about tonight, did you kiss me because…um, I mean…”
She smiled. “Matt, I didn’t ask you to kiss me because of the monsters. I asked because I wanted you to. And I have for a long time.” Ella squeezed my hand and left for the bowling alley, looking back once to wave.
After that, I wanted to skip around, singing, but the colonel needed me. Love had to wait—duty called.
Chapter Twenty-Two
When I climbed into the back seat of the waiting black SUV, Mamie took a good look at me and rolled her eyes. “You have lip gloss all over your face.”
“Archer, what were you up to in there?” A low, rumbling voice asked from the driver’s seat, followed by a deep chuckle.
“Lieutenant Johnson?” I leaned over the console in between the front seats, shocked to see my fighting instructor in the parking lot outside the Bowl’n’Stuff.
“In the flesh, kid,” he said, shifting his huge shoulders around to flash me a wide grin. He stuck out a large, brown hand to shake mine.
“How’d you get back so fast? The major is still overseas.” Not that I wasn’t glad to see Johnson, but why didn’t Uncle Mike get to come home? Why was he stuck in Afghanistan?
“Major Tannen’s investigation is still ongoing, but they needed me back here. The colonel is sending me to Peru,” Johnson said, then he laughed again. “Enough changing the subject. What did we interrupt?”
Too dang proud of myself to lie, I announced, “I was making out with Ella Mitchell.”
“Well, it’s about time,” Mamie said. “You’ve been following her around for ages now.”
I hardly heard her. I’d spotted my backpack sitting on the floorboard. The front pocket glowed blue in the dark. “What’s going on? The colonel told me I got the night off.”
“You’re needed. We called the sat-phone and Mamie told us where you were,” Johnson answered.
Mamie huffed a little. “And told them I was coming to the briefing. I want to know what they’ll be asking you to do.”
I took a good look at my sister; she was dressed in mismatched sweats and still had her fuzzy slippers on. Mamie had left home in a hurry. Surprised, I asked, “You snuck out of the house?”
“So what if I did, Matt? You do it all the time.” She gave me a belligerent look. “One person in this family needs to know where you are and what you’re doing.”
I held up my hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. So what’s up?”
“We’re taking you to the airport,” Lieutenant Johnson said. “The colonel will explain more when we get there.”
* * *
“Peru? Um, wow,” I said.
Mamie sat next to me on a plastic chair in the airport conference room, looking like she’d been asked to eat live tarantulas. Her scowl alone would have burned the faces off most people.
I turned back to the colonel. “I’m guessing this isn’t just an overnighter. What’s the cover story?”
He took a seat at the little table, folding his six-five frame into the cramped space with some difficulty. “It’ll be a few days. I understand it’s spring break, so we don’t have to worry about school. Your mother, on the other hand…”
“No. Matt is not leaving the country without our mom knowing about it. No way,” Mamie growled. “If you don’t tell her, I will.”
Colonel Black must’ve heard about Mamie’s kryptonite, because he leaned forward, resting his forearms on the conference table. “Miss Archer, Major Ramirez called with some shocking news about the Gators, the monsters in Peru. Over the last few weeks, they’ve…well, they’ve developed a taste for children. The Gators are specifically hunting kids. A pack slipped through the cracks last night and abducted three-year-old twins. Based on the remains, the kills were far more brutal and messy than usual. We believe it was a warning.”
Mamie clamped her hand over her mouth and let out a squeak. Truth be told, I felt sick myself.
“So, you see, this is of the highest urgency,” the colonel said. “Ever since the team culled their numbers down significantly, these creatures have hunted in groups of three or more, to ward off attack. Major Ramirez can’t handle more than two at a time and some of the Gators escape, even with a large team in place to help corner them. We need another wielder in the field, as soon as possible.”
“What about the medicine man, uh, Jorge, right?” I asked. “He has a knife.” Not that I didn’t want to go to Peru–that sounded awesome, and those Gators needed rounding up. But, if Mamie was going to wig on us, we had to make her understand I was the only option.
“Jorge’s afield at the moment; we have no way of contacting him.” The colonel tapped his fingers against the table. “The other wielders have their hands full. The Pandas and Lions have been giving us significant trouble, and we haven’t even begun to address Australia’s Dingo problem yet. Montana is the only location under some semblance of control. So you’re up.”
I touched Mamie’s arm. “I need to go down there to keep the Gators from killing any more little kids. Don’t you see? I have to do this.”
Mamie sat very still. I could almost see her thoughts rumbling above her head. Send me into the jungle to face mortal danger and lie to Mom about it? Or let children die, torn to bits in the Amazon? Either way, her decision had consequences.
The little kids won.
“Okay. But if Matt gets hurt, I’m going to rat all of you out,” Mamie said as she pulled her glasses off to wipe the lenses free of tears. She put them back on and, with her steeliest glare, snapped, “He’s your highest priority. The soldiers protect him no matter what, got it?”
Lieutenant Johnson looked like he’d swallowed a frog. “Yes ma’am.” He glanced at me, his eyes full of amazement, and muttered, “Tough cookie, that one.”
“Good, it’s settled.” Colonel Black turned to me. “We’re in a hurry. Johnson’s taking the Black Hawk back to Fort Carson with me after he drives Mamie home. We’ve arrang
ed speedier transport for you.”
“But won’t Johnson be going to Peru, sir?” I asked, hoping I didn’t sound clingy. Excited or not, the thought of going into the jungle with a group of strange Green Berets made me anxious.
“Not yet, soldier. I’m going via cargo plane early Sunday morning, bringing down some supplies. Major Ramirez needs you sooner.” Johnson squeezed my shoulder. “Don’t worry, he’ll take good care of you.”
“Mamie, Matt’s going to text your mother, saying he’s going home with Will after the lock-in,” the colonel said. “Mr. and Mrs. Cruessan are skiing from what I understand. That will buy us time. Sometime later this afternoon, you’ll tell your mother he called again and wanted to stay at Will’s for a few days. I’m assuming you can convince her to say yes?”
“Probably, but she’ll get worried if he doesn’t call home.” Mamie gave them a panicked look. “What if she calls Will’s house?”
“We’re sending Will instructions to make sure that Matt is never available to take her call.” The flicker of a smile crossed Colonel Black’s face. “He’ll be in the bathroom a lot.”
My sister nodded slowly. “Just bring him home safe. That’s all I ask.”
“We will,” Johnson said. “I’ll take that as my personal responsibility.”
In the end, Mamie needed a few minutes of hugs and hand-wringing before she let me go. Johnson stood patiently outside the conference room, waiting to drive her home in the SUV.
“Matt, take care of yourself. Promise me,” she said.
“I promise. You promise not to worry yourself sick the next few days.” I handed her my cell phone, so she and Will could fool Mom. “I’ll be back before you know it.”
“You better be. Oh—I put some eye drops in your backpack. I know how dehydrated you get when you fly. Shoot, I should’ve brought you a bottle of water to drink before the flight.” Mamie slapped her forehead, as if the missing water would be cause for disaster.
“Sis, chill. I’m gonna be fine,” I said. “But thanks for taking good care of me.”
She gave me one last bone-crunching hug. “Be careful.”
I watched her walk down the hall with Johnson, wiping her re-splotched glasses on her shirt as she went. Colonel Black shut the door behind them and held up a small metal box, like a pencil case.
“All right, soldier, roll up your left sleeve.”
“Why?” I asked, afraid to know.
“Shots. You’re going into dense jungle—Malaria, Typhoid and Yellow Fever aren’t fun. We’re a little late on all this, but we can’t wait for the vaccines to get to full strength. You’ll have oral meds to take while you’re there, too, so it’ll be enough.” Colonel Black removed a syringe from the box and flicked it with his finger. “Roll up that sleeve.”
“Um, sir, are you qualified to do that?” I asked. I’d never gotten a shot outside the doctor’s office. He’d probably strike bone or something.
Colonel Black pushed the needle through my skin. “Did I tell you I started my military career as a medic?” His voice was lispy—he had the needle cap in his mouth. He stuck me again. “All right, now for the one that goes in the hip.”
So far, my trip to Peru wasn’t starting off well.
After jabbing me one last time, the Colonel said, “That’s it. Let’s hit the road.”
I followed the colonel down the hall to the outside door, rubbing my arm as I went. Colonel Black led me to a small jeep. “We’re taking you to the far end of the airport.”
After we climbed aboard, a crewman drove us to the very end of the terminal. This late, the airport was deserted; even the luggage trams were still, parked next to darkened gates. When we rounded the corner, my eyes widened. A gray fighter-jet sat parked next to the last gate. I’d only ever seen pictures of these kinds of aircraft. Up close, it looked sleek and fast with its bullet-shaped body, high, pointed tail and triangular wings. U.S. Air Force was painted on its side, and the canopy stood open, ready to be boarded.
I stared at the Air Force captain wearing a flight suit. “I’m going to Peru in a fighter jet?”
“An F-15D—this is a ‘training exercise’, Matt. You’re just going along for the ride,” Colonel Black said with a sly smile. “The Air Force owes me a few favors. The control tower chief here in Billings was Air Force, too, and he graciously let us sneak this little plane in.”
The captain strolled over. He was a small guy, a couple inches shorter than me, with close-cut, light-brown hair and a square jaw. His eyes were really scary—they burned right through my skull like twin lasers. I had no doubt this guy could shoot a moving Volkswagen from the upper atmosphere.
“You ready to go?” he asked.
“Um, yes sir.” I stuck out my hand. “I’m…”
“Wait—no names, kid. I don’t know you and never saw you.” He gave me a serious nod. “I’m doing coastal training flights over the Pacific right now.”
Colonel Black handed me a bag and pointed to a service door on the side of the terminal building—a bathroom. “Flight suit. Go put it on so we can get you in the air.”
The suit was olive drab and zipped up the front, like my hunting coveralls, but fit snugly, even if the arms and legs were a little long. The pockets didn’t have any name or rank patches on them, just empty Velcro where the patches should’ve been. I was going incognito. Cool that I was important enough to take a covert flight to Peru. And the best part? I could tell Ella all about it.
I crammed my clothes into my backpack and checked for the knife one last time. Ready to go, I left the building feeling so full of myself in my new duds I’m sure I was strutting like a peacock. “Gentlemen, let’s do this.”
Colonel Black tried to hide his grin, but the pilot didn’t bother and laughed out loud. “Like the confidence,” he said. “Hope you haven’t eaten for a while.”
That didn’t sound good, but really, how bad could it be. “Except for some popcorn, not for hours.”
“Good,” the captain said. “I’m off to start pre-flight. We leave in ten.” He marched off to his plane.
Colonel Black tugged on my zipper and tightened the Velcro on my sleeves. “All set.”
He put his hands on my shoulders, more serious now than I’d ever seen him. “Ramirez thinks he’s down to the last pack. The team found what might be their lair yesterday morning. They hit it with explosives in the afternoon, flushing the remaining Gators out. Ramirez took out as many as he could, but a handful of them escaped. Then the twins disappeared last night.”
I watched the captain walk around the jet, touching the metal here and there, maybe checking for invisible cracks. “It’s time to finish the job, then.”
“Agreed.” He patted my shoulders hard and let me go. “Peru’s government gave us permission to fly you into Iquitos—primary airport for the Amazon. It’s going to take almost six hours to get you down there, even in the jet. But with the time change you should land just after six a.m., before the terminal gets too busy. A helicopter will be there to pick you up and fly you out to camp.”
Six hours in a fighter jet? Awesome! “Thank you, sir.” I saluted, feeling my hand shake with excitement—I was going on a real military op. “I’m ready to take out some Gators.”
Colonel Black gave me a tight smile. “Godspeed, then, and be careful. I think my days would be numbered if something happened to you and your sister found out.”
“Yes, sir. Mamie doesn’t give people a break on much.” I grinned. Who said Latin Club Princesses weren’t tough?
“Right. Well, let’s get you on your way. Captain said he wanted to be wheels up by oh-one-fifty,” he said.
Colonel Black led me to the plane, and the captain followed me up the little metal ladder to the cockpit, saying, “Back seat, kid. I’ll get you strapped in.”
Strapped in, nothing. Tied down in a five-point-harness that cut off blood flow to my legs was more like it. The captain helped me with my helmet and face mask, then swung into his own seat.
I gave Colonel Black a thumbs-up, ready to get going. The captain sealed the cockpit canopy and my stomach leapt as the jet engines fired.
This was going to be the most amazing ride of my life.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Thirty minutes later, when I hurled for the second time, I had to rethink the coolness of traveling at Mach speed.
“You need another bag?” the captain yelled over the headphone’s speakers. “There might be one tucked into the gap between your seat and the wall.”
“No,” I said. “Just try not to turn the plane upside down again.”
“What, you mean like this?” The captain laughed as the cockpit rolled over. “I thought a fifteen-year-old would think this was awesome!”
I swallowed some puke, wishing I could die. “Until they rode in one, sure. Now, please turn the plane right side up, sir!”
The captain rolled us back over. “Kidding aside, you don’t sound so good. In the pocket on the back of my seat there’s an anti-nausea pill; dissolves on the tongue and works fast. Little white blister-pack. It’ll knock you out, which is why I didn’t offer it earlier, but at least you won’t feel like your stomach’s coming out your nose.”
I found the six-pack of pills and poked one through the safety pouch. It tasted like peppermint. My head stopped spinning immediately. For a moment, I could appreciate the view. So much higher than a regular airplane, the city lights were barely pinpricks in a dark blanket. The stars above the canopy seemed closer, brighter.
They drifted closer, closer, until I thought I could grab one.
I sit on the jungle floor. Blood on my hands. Green blood. Red blood. Black dirt.
“Blood and light, bound by name.”
I jump up and turn. Nobody there.
“Kid, wake up, we’re landing,” the captain said over my headphones. “You slept through the refueling…I was all set to show off.”
“Sorry, sir.” I rubbed my eyes and watched the ground speed up to meet us.
The plane dropped onto the runway, the engines whining as the pilot hit the brakes to slow us to taxi speed. The airport in Iquitos wasn’t as small as I thought it’d be. It looked like Billings, actually, with a regular terminal and gates. The sun peeked from the edge of the horizon as the captain taxied the plane into a hangar across from the main airport building.
Matt Archer: Monster Hunter Page 19
