Uncharted

by Robyn Nyx

  “We have to tell him why we’re here and warn him about Turner and Owen.” For a few hours, Chase had managed to put those two things to the back of her mind. While they kept a good pace, it seemed logical that they should easily reach the Golden Trinity before them. They had a head start and the map. And coming across this small tribe so early might be even more fortuitous if Chase’s theory about them all communicating proved to be correct.

  “What do you expect them to do? They’re being threatened by outsiders left and right,” Rayne whispered. “Why should anything you say make them live their lives any differently? Or be any more terrified than they already are?”

  Did Rayne want to hear this? “Because I’ve got a plan.” A very loose one, ambitious and extremely difficult to pull off. One that had only just dropped into her brain like a penny in a wishing well. But if they did find the Golden Trinity, Chase was certain that the lure of such a bounty would garner the necessary support and expertise.

  “Do tell.” Rayne stepped off to one side and waited for the big reveal.

  Rayne had shown Chase that she was capable of altruistic actions, but what was formulating in Chase’s mind was something far more widespread than helping one guy. What if they could help the whole nation? As far as Chase knew, Rayne’s heart was still set on claiming the Golden Trinity as her discovery and taking a portion of the riches. They hadn’t really discussed what they’d do if they found it, possibly because neither of them thought they would or, that if it was real, it wouldn’t be as extensive as folklore promised it was. What would Rayne think of using the treasure to broker a deal between the Brazilian government and all of the tribes in the rain forest? What if it was possible to use the gold to buy every inch of the Amazon and protect it from drug dealers, illegal loggers, gold prospectors, and animal traffickers? It was a formidable prospect, but the more Chase thought about it, the more excited she became.

  “I have a theory about all the tribes maintaining some sort of communication system. How else have so many of them managed to stay unconquered and away from the constant invasion of all kinds of people desperate to exploit them?” Chase paused to gauge Rayne’s reaction.

  “Makes sense. Go on…”

  “I think that the outliers, the tribes closest to the groups of non-indigenous people, have learned a degree of English so they can understand the ‘enemy.’ Maybe they pulled the short straw when they had a meeting. I don’t know, but they decided they needed to be able to understand what the hell these invaders were up to. With me so far?” Chase tapped on her thigh repeatedly, the energy of her ideas too much to contain and keep physically still.

  Rayne nodded. “You think that if you tell this tribe what’s coming, every Indian in the rain forest will be informed?” She rubbed her forehead. “That’s a long shot, Chase.”

  “If this was your home, and someone warned you that there was danger far worse than anything you’ve ever experienced, wouldn’t you listen? Could you take the chance not to?” Rain began to lash down hard enough for Chase to check the roof and hope the tribe had figured out waterproofing. Outside the hut, Chase could hear the unhurried footsteps of the tribe retreating into their huts.

  “I suppose you have the added respect after saving Mutapi. They might be more inclined to hear what you have to say.”

  Chase shrugged. “I didn’t save Mutapi, I—”

  “You did in his eyes.” Rayne motioned toward Jabuti, still holding his daughter tenderly. “If you’re right about outlier tribes being the eyes and ears for all tribes, these people will have seen their own die from bullet wounds before now. We have no idea about their understanding of biology; to them, a bullet anywhere might be seen as a death sentence. You also might be the first white person they’ve come across that hasn’t abused them in one way or another. Put those things together, and maybe it’ll be enough for them to heed your words… For them to go any farther on an actual jungle grapevine, I guess we just have to hope your theory is right.”

  Chase hooked her finger in Rayne’s belt and pulled her into a hug. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For trusting me.” Chase knew it was no small thing. Earning Rayne’s trust was virtually impossible. The walls she’d built around her heart and her head were all but impenetrable. Chase had seen plenty of people try and fail in the years they were friends. Her parents, the people every child should be able to trust implicitly without condition, had failed her in that regard and unknowingly fostered a self-imposed isolation in Rayne. They had a lot to answer for.

  Rayne held Chase a little tighter, then broke away. She looked toward Jabuti and Mutapi. “Do you think he’s the tribe leader?”

  “Maybe.” Chase laughed, remembering the way he’d been greeted back into camp with her and Rayne in tow. “But after seeing those women in action when we got here, maybe this is a matriarchy.”

  Rayne made an approving sound. “Wouldn’t that be a refreshing change?”

  Jabuti rose and turned to them. “Sleep now. Talk tomorrow.”

  Chase looked around at the palm leaves three or four deep on the ground and weighed it against going out in the rain to put up her tarp and hammock. There was one other bed, which must have been Jabuti’s. She motioned toward an empty space at the rear of the hunt, close to where the embers of a fire remained. “Here?” she asked in Tupian.

  Jabuti shook his head and pointed at his cot. “There.”

  Chase held up her hands. “No, we couldn’t.”

  “You must.” He sank back to the ground and lay beside his daughter, turning his back to them and saying no more.

  Chase appraised the makeshift bed, about two foot wide and six foot long, just long enough for Rayne’s toes not to hang over its edge. “You take the bed. I’ll take the floor.”

  Rayne grinned and shook her head. “No. You heard the man. We both take the bed. You wouldn’t want to offend him now, would you?”

  Rayne squatted down and began to remove her boots.

  “There’s not enough room for both of us.” Chase tried again, but there was no conviction in her persistence.

  Rayne pulled back the thin gauze-like sheet and rolled onto the bed. She lay sideways and patted the empty space beside her. The tiny space was barely big enough for Chase’s ass.

  “Quit your whining, Stinsen, and get your beautifully shaped butt in here.”

  “Fine.” Chase unlaced her boots. She sat on the edge of the bed with her back to Rayne, kicked her boots off, and swung her legs onto the cot. She shifted onto her left butt cheek and lay down, trying to keep some distance between her ass and Rayne’s crotch.

  She felt Rayne’s hand on her hip before Rayne pulled her closer so they were spooning. Chase didn’t resist.

  “It’s gotten cold. We should share body heat.”

  Rayne’s warm breath caressed Chase’s neck, and it felt like her lips were hovering over Chase’s bare skin. Chase squeezed her eyes closed and willed herself to ignore the wonderful feeling of Rayne’s body pressed against hers, struggled against the part of her mind that would happily flip over and pick up where that kiss left off. She reminded herself that Jabuti and Mutapi were there too…a douse of cold water on her inflamed desire.

  Rayne draped her arm over Chase’s waist and sighed. “Night, Chase.”

  “Night, Rayne.” Chase concentrated on her sleep mantra. Black is black, white is white. But sleep seemed as likely as a Lotto win when Rayne was this close. Chase pulled the sheet over them and resigned herself to the fact that this was going to be the longest night of her life.

  * * *

  Chase woke to an empty cot and pushed away the immediate conflict of being both relieved and melancholic. At least Rayne wouldn’t have to endure Chase’s morning breath. Conscious of the taste of dry air and dirty teeth, Chase pulled a box of Altoids from her pocket and popped one in her mouth. Had Rayne been beside her, Chase might’ve been tempted to knock back the whole pack. She pushed the tin back into the si
de pocket of her cargo pants and stretched. She became aware of the smell of her armpits and reached for her backpack. No one else was in the hut. Should she be worried? She opened her shirt and swiftly applied the deodorant she kept in the side pocket of her pack. She sweated plenty on a regular day; a day in the jungle alongside Rayne was a test for any antiperspirant.

  Marginally concerned for Rayne’s safety, Chase was quick to check her boots for critters before pulling them on to head outside. In the light of day, the little camp was more impressive. She hadn’t really focused on taking much of it in last night. There were around ten huts, each capped with vegetation that looked naturally waterproof. At the head of the camp was a much larger hut that she thought might serve as a communal space. In the center of the bamboo shelters was a huge firepit surrounded by many small wooden seats, but only a few of them were currently occupied by tribespeople who looked like they were trying not to stare at the pale intruder in their inner sanctum.

  Mutapi appeared between two huts, ran toward her, and threw herself into Chase’s arms. Chase picked her up and swung her into the air, careful not to touch the dressing on her arm. Mutapi smiled so widely that her eyes were barely open.

  “He-ro,” Mutapi said in what was clearly an early attempt to speak English.

  “Hero,” Rayne said slowly.

  Chase had been so enamored with Mutapi’s greeting that she didn’t register Rayne’s approach. “You’re teaching her English?”

  Rayne shook her head. “Not really. While you were sleeping like the dead, she pointed at you then touched her mouth. Then she pointed to herself, said ‘Mutapi,’ and touched her mouth again.”

  Chase waited for more explanation but none was forthcoming. “And you didn’t just tell her my name was Chase?”

  Rayne shrugged and looked up to the sky. “Hero seemed more appropriate.”

  Chase smothered a smile. She liked being thought of as a hero, even to a skinny kid she’d probably never see again. She placed Mutapi back on her feet and checked her watch for the first time that morning to see to it was past seven. “We need to talk to the elders or the leader, then we’ve got to get back before your tank twins ignore your order and come searching for you.”

  Rayne held up her radio. “Not to worry. Jabuti gave us our radios back. I’ve already spoken to Tonyck and told her about your plan.”

  Her heart rate fluttered a little higher. Chase blew out her breath, conscious she’d have to resume their ongoing confrontation soon. This had been a pleasant respite. “And how badly did she take that?”

  “Surprisingly well, actually. She thinks it’s a good idea if your theory turns out to be fact.”

  That was unexpected but not unwelcome. If she and Tonyck could find some common ground, maybe this expedition wouldn’t have to be a daily battle. “Excellent. Do you know where Jabuti is? Time to find out who runs the show.”

  “I think he’s gathered most people in the communal hut, ready for you.”

  Chase felt Mutapi’s hand slip into hers, and she began to tug Chase toward the large hut. “Looks like this little one is a quick study.”

  Rayne laughed and came up alongside Chase. “Did I already tell you how grateful I am that you agreed to come on this trip?”

  “Maybe you did yesterday, but you haven’t today.” Chase shoved Rayne’s shoulder gently, resisting the temptation to put her arm around her shoulders. Whatever was going on between them took a back seat to this right now. “And since I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve heard you use that word, I’d be happy to hear you tell me all over again.”

  “Well, now I’m now saying it.”

  They reached the hut to find the door open. Chase scanned the area and estimated twenty people assembled in a circle with the three women from last night their obvious focus. So it was a matriarchy. Each of the women held a staff with an orb of some description at their head. From the distance they were at, it was impossible for Chase to tell what the orbs contained or signified. She was struck by how strikingly similar the women looked, again something she missed last night. Jabuti sat close by, but it was clear he wasn’t a first-tier decision maker. Mutapi ran over and sat with him.

  The woman in the middle of the three leaders beckoned her and Rayne forward. Chase lowered her head in deference and entered their space. The central leader held up her hand to indicate when they were close enough and waved at them to join them on the floor.

  “Jabuti tells us you have a warning,” she said in a version of Tupi Chase was able to comprehend.

  Chase held her hands together to offer a thank you. In a mixture of Tupi and English for names, she explained that Turner was coming to raid the rain forest of the Golden Trinity. At the mention of their treasure, everyone in the room made a sound, some surprised, some angered.

  “We will not allow that,” the woman to the left said and struck her staff into the ground.

  The leader in the center placed her hand on the other woman’s staff and pushed it away, showing Chase she was the overall matriarch.

  “Turner will bring a well-armed force.” Chase pointed to Mutapi. “Every one of them will have bigger guns than the one that shot Mutapi. Your arrows won’t stop them, and they’ve sworn to kill anyone who stands in their way. With the FUNAI currently out of action, no one can stop their assault on your home.”

  “What do you propose?” the old woman asked.

  “That you send out your warriors to warn the other tribes. Spread the word as far and wide as possible. Tell them to keep a lookout and stay out of the way. Under no circumstances should they try to fight these people…or everyone will be massacred.” Chase waited for a response. She felt like she might’ve been a little over dramatic. The whole thing had begun to seem almost unreal, like she was auditioning for a part in a movie.

  The old woman looked at Chase without words for a moment. “And what are you going to do?”

  Chase glanced at Rayne. Knowing she didn’t understand the language made it easy to keep Chase’s end game to herself. “We’re going to get there before them.” Chase focused her attention on the central leader. What she was about to say probably wouldn’t be well received by the staff-shaker on the left. “We want to use the Golden Trinity to help you, to keep you and all your people safe…forever.”

  The leader smiled. “A grand gesture. But the Golden Trinity already keeps everyone safe.”

  Chase hadn’t anticipated this, but she should’ve seen it coming. Christ, if she was that tired that she wasn’t considering all the options already, it didn’t bode well for the rest of the trip. The uncontacted and non-Western civilizations often believed there were spiritual connections between their people and the treasures their land held and how those spirits protected the treasure. “The men coming won’t stop until they have the Golden Trinity. If they need more people to conquer this land, more will follow. They will take it away.”

  “Many have tried before. Many have failed.”

  The old woman must have been referring to the small groups of adventurers, like Percy Harrison Fawcett, who’d set off into the jungle in 1925 and was never seen again. But they didn’t have the weapons to wipe out a whole tribe in thirty seconds. Turner was well financed. Owen was an animal. The only way it ended for them was glory or death. Chase would settle for them rotting in jail forever, though how they were supposed to achieve that, she had no idea. Something else they hadn’t considered before setting off on this expedition.

  “These people don’t know what failure is.” Chase clasped her hands together, imploring the leader to understand the magnitude of what was coming. “They’re killers. They’ll cut you down. And yes, you might kill a few of them, but for every arrow you let fly, their guns shoot sixty bullets.” That seemed to get the message across. They had no immediate response, so Chase pressed on. “They’ll slaughter anyone and everyone who stands in their way.”

  The central leader inclined her head and narrowed her eyes. She stood, with the h
elp of the other two, and made her way to Chase. Last night Chase had thought she was maybe in her forties, but now she looked much older, and her progress toward Chase was slow.

  She came to stand in front of Chase. “You are standing in their way.”

  Chase looked up at her and nodded. The leader placed her hands on Chase’s head and pressed quite hard, to the point of some discomfort. Sensing this could be an important part of their decision, Chase remained still. She closed her eyes and waited. The leader removed her hands and put them on Chase’s shoulders to steady herself as she squatted to the ground. Chase opened her eyes to meet the leader’s gaze. She was clearly searching for something. Without words, she pushed aside Chase’s shirt to put her hand on Chase’s skin, over her heart. The leader stayed that way and closed her eyes, as if she was shutting every other stimulus from her mind to concentrate purely on the sound of Chase’s heart. What was the old woman trying to discover from her heartbeat? Chase waited. She closed her mind to the room and concentrated on the woman’s hand on her heart. Whatever she was trying to find, Chase wanted to help her do so.

  She didn’t count how many minutes the two of them were in that position, but the woman finally removed her hand. She used Chase as a leaning post to get back to her feet, then put a finger under Chase’s chin to raise her head. Once again, the woman looked as though she was scouring Chase’s eyes for some deeper motivation for her actions. Or maybe she was just looking into Chase’s soul. The leader had a kind of aura that made Chase think that it might actually be possible.

  “We will warn our people of this impending threat.”

  “You’re able to warn everyone?” Chase wanted confirmation her theory was correct.

  She nodded. “You are intuitive, Chase Stinsen. We are able to warn everyone.”

  Chase smiled at the leader’s use of English for her name, then the implications of what she’d just said began to sink in. If she hadn’t already been sitting down, she would’ve sunk to the floor. All of the tribes across the whole of the rain forest, crossing the arbitrary borders of nine nations, were linked and quite possibly factions of one much larger people. The ramifications for anthropological study were huge and blew away all previous understanding of the indigenous communities scattered across over two million square miles of the Amazon.