Into the Darkness

by Margaret Daley

  “I’ll take that.” Slader pried her fingers loose from around the straps of her backpack that they had blessedly found intact at the bottom of the hill. He started for the water.

  “Wait! I should see to your head wound first.”

  He peered over his shoulder. “Let’s get across the river, then you can play nurse.”

  “But—”

  “Kate!”

  She tried to draw in a fortifying breath but only managed to fill her lungs a little. Inhaling again, deeper this time, she trailed him into the river, keeping her focus trained on the other side.

  “I’ll go first. I want you right behind me to the side so I can keep an eye on you.” He waded farther out until the water was up past his waist. “Ready.”

  “Sure,” she said in a shaky whisper that she was certain he hadn’t heard over the noise of the waterfall.

  He plunged in, swimming with the backpack held up out of the water, even though it was waterproof.

  God is with me.

  Her fear subsided. She followed suit, doing something that was a cross between the crawl and the dog paddle. She wouldn’t earn points on technique today, but she was determined to get to the other side. Fighting the current threw her against Slader on a couple of occasions as she tried to keep pace with him. Her lungs burned with the effort.

  Only a few more feet, she thought and shifted her focus to the side where a sandbar, littered with several logs, came up out of the water. One moved. A caiman, at least six feet long and dark brown, rose up on its short legs, in the middle of the sandbar. The reptile fixed its stare on them, sizing them up for a snack. The creature took a few steps toward the river.

  Kate screamed, “Get out of the water,” and propelled herself as fast as she could toward the curtain of green.

  She heard the splash behind her and to the left where the sandbar was, but she didn’t dare take her eyes off her destination, a tree trunk she thought she could climb near the bank. Slader scrambled out of the river a shade ahead of her, then turned and offered her his hand. He yanked her up and out of the water, shoving her toward the large tree a few feet away. She clambered its rough trunk, pulling herself up using the ladderlike branches to climb it.

  Below them, the caiman paused at the river’s edge, his dark eyes taking them both in as they clung to the tree for dear life. Slader’s chest rose and fell as rapidly as hers did. Slader never looked away from the beast until the animal decided they weren’t going to be its latest dinner. It sank into the murky water and vanished.

  With the caiman’s disappearance, Kate swiped her forearm across her brow and released a long breath between pursed lips. “At least I made it.”

  Slader’s chuckles peppered the air. “We’re even. That’s the second time you’ve come to my rescue. For such a novice, Kate, you’re a remarkable woman, especially since you can’t swim worth a—” he paused, searching for the right words, “plugged nickel.”

  She beamed with his praise. “That caiman probably uses that ploy on wayward animals all the time. He certainly is one tricky creature, lying in wait among the logs.”

  “He could be a she.”

  She laughed. “True. How long do you think we should stay up here?”

  Slader studied the river, especially where the caiman had sunk below the water. “I think it’s probably looking for easier prey. I’ll go down first.”

  “I’ll keep an eye out, just in case our friend decides to return.”

  Slader’s gaze caught hers and for a moment she thought she saw surprise in his eyes, as though he wasn’t used to someone looking out for him. That thought pricked her heart. She had grown up in a loving, warm family, but she didn’t think Slader had. His marriage to Renee had been his chance at a family and it had been snatched away from him before he had really experienced what a family meant.

  “It’s safe, Kate. Come on.” He reached up to help her scale down the trunk.

  The rough bark scraped her skin, especially her palms, as she descended. She turned her face and the bark cut into her cheek. By the time she landed with both feet on the wet ground, she felt battered and bruised but alive. She whirled around, exhilarated by her successful swim and the fact she had been the one to first spot the caiman.

  Slader’s intense look stole her words. As if in slow motion, he touched her cheek in a featherlight caress that curled her toes.

  “You’re hurt. Let’s get away from the river and see to your injury.”

  The mesmerizing cadence of his voice melted her as if she were a block of ice in a desert. “Only after I fix your head. Remember you promised I could.”

  With a smile he grabbed the backpack he had dropped in his mad dash up the tree and slung it over his shoulder. “You don’t forget a thing, do you?”

  “Nope. I’m glad you’ve figured that out.”

  He scanned the dense undergrowth. “This isn’t going to be easy since we couldn’t find either one of the machetes. I’ll go first and try to make a path for you.”

  Her heart swelled at the protective ring to his words. “You know the good thing about swimming the river is that we’re no longer muddy from head to toe.”

  “No, we are wet instead.”

  “Isn’t that the usual mode here in the jungle, some form of wetness?”

  “Yeah, that’s why clothes don’t last long. They fall apart.”

  “Well, let’s hope our clothes last a little bit longer.”

  Two hours later Slader stopped in a section of the rainforest that was relatively clear of underbrush and shaded by the tall trees that formed the green canopy above them. Sitting on a log that was beginning to decompose, Kate rummaged through her backpack to find the first-aid kit and extra bottle of alcohol she had brought.

  “Ready,” she said, looking up. When she realized Slader wasn’t in front of her, she shot to her feet and spun around. Relief sagged her shoulders as she spied him several yards away, cutting down some palm nuts with his Swiss army knife.

  “Lunch and breakfast,” he announced when he had succeeded in his task.

  “Let’s don’t mention food. I’m way past hungry. Thankfully we have my canteen and the pills to treat the water.” She motioned him to her.

  Again, she sat on the log while he settled on the ground in front of her so she could clean the back of his head. “This will sting.” She poured some of the alcohol into his wound.

  Slader flinched but remained seated. “Will I live?”

  “Afraid so. It’s not too deep or long.” She finished cleansing the wound, then started to put everything back into her pack.

  “Hold it. It’s my turn to tend to your injuries. I’ve noticed your palms are cut up, too,” he said, rising.

  “I can take care of them.”

  “And your face.” He took the kit from her and removed the cotton pads and the alcohol. “It’s important to keep our sores and wounds as clean as possible. Infections are—” His voice came to abrupt halt.

  Standing, Kate placed her hands over his. She remembered what had killed Renee—an infection. The beating of her heart slowed to a painful throb as she watched him wrestle with his memories.

  “Slader, I’m so sorry for what happened to your wife, but it was not your fault. You’ve got to believe that. It was no one’s fault. You two made a choice together. Things happen that we have no control over. This was one of them. You need to forgive yourself for living when she didn’t.”

  He pulled his hands free. “What I need to do is clean up your wounds.”

  “Slader—”

  “Don’t, Kate. This isn’t the time nor the place to discuss my past.”

  “But I hate to see—”

  “You have your own demons to take care of, Kate.”

  His words, said in anger, found their mark. Kate stepped back, determined to tend to her own cuts. She reached for the kit. Slader wouldn’t give it to her, a determined expression on his face.

  “Let me know when you’re ready,” he sai
d in a cold voice.

  She brought her hands up to hug her shivering body. He fumbled with the alcohol, finally managing to open the plastic bottle and drenching the cotton pad. She stood her ground, her gaze burrowing into him as he patted her cheek in a gentle touch that contradicted his expression.

  When he was satisfied, he said, “Let me see your hands.”

  She held one out, upset that her fingers shook as he grasped them. He doused the cuts on her palms with alcohol, the burning sensation momentarily focusing her attention away from Slader. He lifted first one hand then the other and blew on her stinging flesh. The warmth of his breath rivaled the chill created by the quickly evaporating alcohol.

  Finished, he put the first-aid kit away, then shrugged into the backpack. He turned toward her, and their gazes locked. Not a word was spoken. The only sounds were the chattering noises from a band of monkeys above them and the clicking of various insects.

  “I’m sorry, Kate,” Slader finally said.

  She knew that he didn’t apologize often, and the fact that he had was a step forward in the precarious relationship developing between them. Ever since the night before, on the ledge, there was a bond between them that was growing stronger with each step deeper into the jungle. It should have frightened her, and back in Red Creek it would have. But right now, it didn’t.

  A crashing sound riveted their attention and through the trees came a herd of stampeding peccaries. Paralyzed, Kate tried to count the hordes of pigs, squealing as they headed toward them.

  “Run!” Slader grabbed her hand and tugged her into action.

  She hurried with him as the squeals grew louder. One peccary shot past them. Slader threw Kate behind a large tree, plastering her against its bark with his body as her only protection.

  The frenzy of noise intensified. The pounding of her heart kept pace with the pigs that had invaded the jungle around them. With the deafening sound in her ears, she prayed to the Lord to spare them and if possible, to leave one behind for their dinner.

  She felt Slader’s heart beat rapidly against her back, his warm breath washing over her neck and sending tingles down her spine. A few seconds before, she had been frightened for their safety, but suddenly a calm descended and she let her fear go. With God and Slader on her side, nothing was going to harm her.

  As quickly as the peccary herd had descended on them, it was gone, their loud squealing still audible in the distance. Slader moved away from the large tree trunk that had protected them from the wild pigs gone crazy.

  He breathed deeply. “That was close. I knew a guy last year who was killed in one of those stampedes by a herd of peccaries. Something must have frightened them. Maybe a jaguar.”

  Kate glanced past Slader’s shoulder, and her world came to a standstill. “I don’t think it was a jaguar.”

  Chapter Ten

  Slader and Kate were surrounded by men no more than five feet tall, all painted red, black and white with long spears raised and pointed at them. Kate automatically took a step toward Slader, her breath trapped in her lungs until they burned. These Indians had to belong to the Quentas tribe. This was their territory, and she and Slader had trespassed, something the warriors didn’t like, if their fierce expressions were any indication.

  “What do we do?” Kate whispered, noting one particular Indian dressed in more brightly colored feathers than the others. Was he the leader?

  “Good question,” Slader said.

  Just as Slader answered her, the group of Indians ran toward them, spears still pointed at them. Kate froze.

  The men came to an abrupt stop a few feet from her and Slader. The Quentas stabbed their spears in the air while yelling at them.

  Dear Heavenly Father, Slader is here because of me. I should have let him turn back. Please protect him. The prayer had barely formed in her mind when Slader stepped in front of her and shielded her with his body, using the tree trunk to cover her back.

  Over the yelling, Slader spoke in a language she couldn’t understand, and she didn’t think was Portuguese or Spanish but most likely one of the Indian dialects he knew. Looking at the sea of men crowding in on them, Kate knew there was no way she and Slader could fight their way out of this predicament even if they’d had their machetes, which they didn’t. Was this how Zach had been greeted with when he’d made contact?

  But before any doubts could manifest themselves in her mind, the Indians became suddenly quiet and a strong baritone voice sounded from behind them in a strange language. She would know that voice anywhere. Zach.

  Elation sent her flying forward, but Slader grabbed her before she headed into the mob of warriors. “Zach!”

  “I should have known you would come looking for me, Kate.”

  The Indians parted, and she saw her twin brother for the first time in months. Shrugging off Slader’s hand, she shouted her joy and rushed forward, throwing herself into his arms. “I knew you were alive! You’re too mean to die.”

  “Hey, is that any kind of greeting after I saved your pretty little neck?” Her brother laughed.

  “What’s going on, Zach?” Kate scanned the Indians with spears still pointed at them.

  “I’ve known you were coming for several days—or rather, they did.” He nodded toward the crowd about them. “They’ve been tracking your movements. This is their way of greeting someone special to me.”

  “What did you do to make them so mad?”

  “Nothing, sis. That demonstration was a good welcome.” Zach smiled.

  “I’d hate to see a bad one.”

  “You wouldn’t. You’d be dead,” Zach gestured toward one of the spears. “They would be dipped in poison.”

  Kate shuddered. “A few minutes ago, I thought we were dead.” As she said we, she turned toward Slader and motioned him to her. “I want to introduce you to my guide, Slader.”

  He sauntered toward Kate and Zach, keeping a wary eye on the Indians staring at him. “I take it you’re Zach.” He shook her brother’s outstretched hand.

  The man whom Kate was sure was the chief said something to Zach. Her brother replied, then turned to them. “We came to get you since it appears you’ve lost your supplies. They’ll be setting a fast pace back to their village. We’re pretty far from it. We can talk more when we get there.”

  “Why are we going back to their village?” Kate asked, not sure about the Quentas Indians even if they had taken her brother in. Fierce expressions still graced their faces, she realized, partially due to the paint they wore, but still, the effect caused her to pause.

  “Sis, you’re going because they have asked you to. They have befriended me, and I wouldn’t turn down their hospitality if I were you. It isn’t extended often.”

  “And that’s supposed to reassure me?”

  This time Slader laughed. “I’m so glad it isn’t just me who brings out that sharp, inquisitive tongue of hers.”

  “Try being her brother and growing up with her.”

  “My condolences.”

  “You two,” Kate said with her hands on her hips. “I’m standing right here, listening to every word.”

  “She always stuck her nose in my business.” Zach fell into step, leading the way.

  “And you should be glad I did. I found you when no one else could.”

  Zach threw her a glance over his shoulder. “It looks like we found you. Besides, I wasn’t lost. I knew where I was. I figured the authorities would have given up the search after a month.”

  “Then why didn’t you return to Mandras?” Kate asked, unable to keep her exasperation from her voice.

  Zach waved his hand in the air, dismissing the question. “Can’t answer right now, sis. We’ll talk later, and I’ll explain everything.”

  “But I’ve come…” Her words faded as the Indians set a hard pace through the rainforest, making it impossible to talk because she was trying to keep up and not fall flat on her face.

  The Quentas moved at a trot with one foot planted directly in f
ront of the other, not one wasted motion, on a narrow path through the now thick vegetation. Even as resolved as she was, Kate found herself lagging farther behind the main body of Indians. Sweat flowed off her as though it were raining again and her breathing quickly became labored. She peered behind her at Slader who was trying his best not to step on her heels.

  She dug into her well of determination and came up dry. Lord, I’m not going to make it. Help me.

  Fifteen minutes later, Slader called out to Zach, “Can they slow the pace any? After my tumble down that hill, I’m not in the best of condition.”

  Kate chanced a look at him. Worry about him nibbled at her. He wasn’t sweating much, and his breathing was normal. He seemed all right. His motive dawned on her at the same time he winked at her. She twisted back around and nearly collided into her brother’s back.

  Zach grabbed her to steady her while Slader did, too. Sandwiched between the two men, she saw the Quentas stopped on the path ahead, crowding in on them.

  One said something to Zach who answered him, then her brother faced her. “It’ll be dark when we get to the village, but they will slow down for you…two.” He looked from Kate to Slader, who quirked a brow, something shared silently between Slader and Zach.

  No doubt some kind of male bonding, Kate thought irritably.

  The Indians resumed their trek through the rainforest, but at least this time it was at a fast walk. Remembering the silent exchange between Slader and Zach, Kate bolstered her determination not to ask for a single other thing.

  Two hours later, the Quentas stopped for a brief respite, which Kate knew was because of her. After looking back at her, Zach had said something to the man in front of him. Not ten minutes had passed before they had come to a river. Several warriors went into the jungle and brought back a strange-looking vine, which they sliced and gave to Kate and Slader.

  “Drink from it, Kate.” Zach took a vine from an Indian. “It’ll help you. I’m not sure how, but it has a restorative power that I want to explore more thoroughly in a lab.”