by Russ Watts
It was going to be a very long day indeed.
CHAPTER 3
The helicopter drop was easy. The atoll was just a thin stretch of sand surrounded by coral and miles of flat ocean. A couple of palm trees at one end were the only vegetation on the island. The sun was just a blur of orange on the horizon and the early morning air was cool. The Sikorsky took off when they were all safely on the ground, sending sand flying around them. When it was finally gone, the stillness and silence descended over them like a warm blanket.
“Hoorah,” said Justin as he dropped his pack onto the sand and removed his cap. “And I’m getting paid for this?”
“Sure is sweet.” Alex looked around at the vast expanse of blue surrounding them. “What do you say, Squad Leader, shall we just camp here for the day?”
“Yeah, come on, it’s not every day you get paid to go to paradise.” Justin yawned. “I could knock up a hammock between those two trees. You guys catch up with me later when we have our targets in the bag.”
“No deal,” said Karl. “And pick your shit up, Private. Our ride’s here.”
A small boat that had been waiting fifty feet from shore was chugging slowly toward them. Phoenix thought that it looked like it would barely fit them all, and it was hardly seaworthy. There was no shelter and just a small outboard motor fixed to the rear. She saw a dark-skinned man steer the boat up close to the island and then cut the engine. The boat was no more than twenty feet long, and the man pulled up what looked like a ladder from the deck. He attached one end by two hooks to the aft and then dropped the other end in the ocean. It was about ten feet from the sand, although the water was shallow.
“Looks like we’re going to get our feet wet.” Karl ordered the men to get on board. “This guy’s on the level, right?”
Phoenix nodded. “He’s been checked out. He’ll get us to the island.”
“He was the last man to see them alive,” said Max as he began rolling up his pants around his ankles. “The island is about thirty minutes from here. I want to talk to him and find out what he knows. He might be able to—”
“I’ve got it covered, Doc,” said Karl. “I’ll talk to him with the staff sergeant. You sit in the back of the boat and try not to get in our way.”
“Thanks.” Phoenix nodded to Max that he should go. She watched him awkwardly walk up the ladder onto the boat where Justin and Darius helped him climb in.
“Keep an eye on him, Karl. I don’t think he’ll cause us any trouble, but we don’t want any tourists getting in our way. We’ve already got three civilians to find, I don’t want to make that four.”
“Not a problem.”
Karl clambered up the ladder skillfully, making light work of it, and Phoenix was the last aboard. As she looked around the small boat, she was reminded of the film Titanic. Her unit was on the deck looking like refugees from a sinking ship. The area of the Pacific Ocean they were in was desolate, and there was no help coming if they fucked up. She felt alone and worried that her men were too vulnerable. Of quite what she wasn’t sure, but she wanted to be cautious and find out as much about the island as she could. As Karl gave her a hand into the boat, she helped him pull up the ladder and slide it down out of the way. It was time to talk to their guide, Freddy, and find out what the hell they were getting themselves into.
“Thank you.” Karl took a seat on the lip of the boat next to the wheel and Phoenix sat opposite him. The driver was in between them, and he started the engine before pulling away from the atoll.
“Freddy, right?” Phoenix held out her hand and the man took it, shaking her hand with a strength she found surprising. He had an athletic physique and wore a thin cotton shirt that flapped open as they made their way to the island. He smiled as he shook her hand. There was a genuine warmth behind his sparkling blue eyes, and for a moment, Phoenix wondered what he looked like with his shirt off. Karl and her unit were all bulging muscles and XXXL shirts. Freddy was toned, slim, and handsome; even though it was completely inappropriate, she couldn’t help but imagine what they could get up to if she was stranded on a tropical island with him.
“Freddy. You must be Staff Sergeant Lethbridge.”
“Call me Phoenix.” She shoved the impure thoughts to the back of her mind and instantly was back in the zone. The mission, she thought, focus on the mission and not his biceps. “It’s beautiful out here. You think we’re in for a blue sky kind of day?”
She wanted him to open up to her, provide them with as much information as possible about the island and potential whereabouts of the three missing people. She felt stupid talking about the weather, but it was a simple way to start a conversation. She knew next to nothing about this man and it seemed like as good a place to start as any.
“Every day is a blue sky day out here,” said Freddy, grinning. He looked young, perhaps in his mid-twenties. Too young for me, thought Phoenix. Karl was closest in age to her, but he made it clear every day that he wasn’t interested in her.
“Try telling that to Ricardo, Tobias, and Jane,” said Karl. “I’m thinking they would rather not see another of your blue sky days. Assuming they still have the capability to think.”
Freddy instantly lost his gracious smile. “Of course. I feel so desperately sorry for them. I want to help you find your friends.”
Too blunt, thought Phoenix. He needed softening up. “Your English is good, Freddy. Where’d you go to school?”
“Suva. I was schooled on my home island of course like everyone else, but I went to college in Suva so I could learn engineering. Boats are more than just a means of getting around out here; they’re a way of life. We depend on them. I wanted to make sure I knew everything I could about the mechanics, the engines, everything.”
“Smart choice.”
“So how come you’re out here ferrying tourists around and not earning big bucks on the main island?” asked Karl bluntly.
Phoenix glared at him, but Freddy didn’t seem to mind the question.
“I had job offers in Suva and the boatyards, but that’s not what I want from life. My people are a poor people, financially. The Yasawa Islands do not have many opportunities to grow and make money except for tourism. I want to make sure that continues and grows. I run a company that needs all my expertise to keep going. I employ fifteen people and am very proud of my home. I want to show the Yasawas off to as many people as I can. This is a beautiful area, so why would I want to leave?”
“Beautiful or dangerous? What about this island you’re taking us to?” asked Karl. “Three people may have died in your so-called paradise.”
“It is not my island that is dangerous,” said Freddy looking at Karl’s gun. He looked at Phoenix and noticed that she was carrying too. “There is always danger with beauty.”
Phoenix felt Freddy’s eyes bore into hers. There was that thought again, of a tropical island paradise, of Freddy taking off his shirt as he slowly undressed her, the warm sun on her body. She guiltily glanced at Karl, but he didn’t seem to notice anything odd. Phoenix had to remind herself she was in charge here, of not just her own unit but finding three stranded civilians. “Go on, Freddy,” she said in as an assertive tone as she could manage as she wilted under Freddy’s eyes and the rising sun.
“It is nature.” Freddy’s eyes drifted back to the ocean and he continued. “A pufferfish looks beautiful, but if you eat it, you’ll almost certainly be dead in twenty minutes. The ocean looks beautiful, yet treat it with contempt, and she’ll kill you. I have a boat with six strangers on carrying guns. And yet you think my island is dangerous?”
“My squad leader didn’t mean any offence,” said Phoenix quickly. “Karl’s just worried about our people. We all are. They’re not used to it out here. Like you said, the ocean can be deadly if you don’t know what you’re doing. That’s why we’re so grateful you could help us, Freddy. We sure appreciate any help you can give us. Rest assured that we do not want to cause any trouble for you or your people. The sooner we find our
people, the sooner we will leave.” Part of her didn’t want to leave. Part of her wanted to go back to the atoll and let Justin put up that hammock. “Please, Freddy, we need your help. I need your help.”
Freddy clammed up and she saw him thinking it over. Karl had pushed him too far. She hoped it wouldn’t be too much.
“We’re in this together, Freddy,” she said. “Discretion is the name of the game. We’re not looking to get you into trouble and whatever you do or tell us stays between us. All we want to do is find our people.”
Phoenix took a look at her unit. The men were relaxing, all of them silent and staring at the endless ocean. Although each man had an automatic weapon over their shoulder, it appeared as if they thought they were on vacation. Their fatigues were neat and freshly laundered, and she wondered how long they would stay that way. The temperature was already rising as the sun broke over the blue horizon. Alex and Justin had pulled their caps down over their eyes for some rest while Darius was letting his hand dangle in the warm water. The doctor, Max, was sat cross-legged at the back of the boat, fidgeting with his pack. He was probably not used to carrying one, but he had to pull his weight. They all had their fair share to carry. He was the only one without a weapon, although she saw no reason why they would need them. It was purely a precaution. Max was a doctor and carried a medical kit, mostly for his three colleagues. The assumption was that they were hurt, unable to get off the island. She wasn’t sure what they would find: broken legs, arms, or worse?
“Keep your arms and hands inside the boat at all times.” Freddy turned around to look at Darius. “Please?”
“What’s the problem?” asked Darius. He splayed his fingers and let the saltwater splash up his arm. “You said it yourself, this place is beautiful. We’re not expecting company, and I don’t see any other ships or boats close by.”
“It’s not the ships you have to watch out for, it’s the sharks.”
Darius withdrew his hand quickly.
“See? Beautiful and dangerous,” said Karl chuckling.
“No one said there’d be sharks,” muttered Darius as he rolled up his sleeve.
“Freddy, what else can you tell me?” Phoenix tugged her cap down over her hair. The sun was blossoming now and they were heading almost directly into its path. She assumed that Freddy must know the ocean well as they were now so far from the atoll that there was no sight of land in any direction. He could be taking them anywhere. There was no computer or GPS to direct him, and he was evidently being guided by his own nose. “Is the island close?”
“Not far. We’ll see it soon.”
“And you can take us to where you dropped them?”
“Yes, I’ll get you to the same place. There’s a small cove on the eastern side that is sheltered and quiet. The coral is shallow, and I’ll be able to get you nice and close, although your feet will get wet.”
“What’s the island like?” asked Phoenix.
“I can’t tell you with one hundred percent certainty because I haven’t been on it. Nobody has. Sometimes we visit just to ensure it is still okay and our ancestors are not disturbed, but we remain on the water in the boat. It is their island. My tribe merely ensures it is protected. Their spirits roam freely among the trees and caves. If you could hear them, they would tell you everything you wanted to know.”
“Yo, Alex.” Justin shoved Alex in the ribs. “You still talk to dead people? We need your skills, man.”
“Fuck off.” Alex leant back in the boat and closed his eyes.
Phoenix ignored them and hoped Freddy hadn’t heard. “Can you tell me what sort of vegetation the island has? Is there a water source? What about animal life? Are there fish, mice, birds, anything at all?”
“You will see very soon. We are almost there. I’m not sure about the animal life. Birds, certainly. This whole area is a mecca for seabirds. But I have never ventured inland. The beach is as far as I have gone. It would be disrespectful for me to tread any further without being invited.”
“By your ancestors?” asked Karl. He snorted. “I don’t take orders from dead people.”
“No, by my chief,” replied Freddy brusquely. “He is the only one with the authority to allow you onto the island.” Freddy sighed. “There is a certain way of doing things out here that you might not understand or care for, but that is the way of it. We have rules and I am not comfortable with you being on our island. I understand why you want to go, but really, I am not sure about this. You have your guns and attitude that will upset the way of things. I do not wish for my people or land to be disrespected. Perhaps I should—”
“No, please.” Phoenix got to her feet. Karl was pushing Freddy’s buttons, none of them good. She could sense that Freddy was about to turn the boat around. He was their only way in, the only chance they had of accessing the island. She put a hand lightly on his arm. “There are three people depending on you, Freddy. They’re relying on us to save them. Please. We won’t cause any trouble. Give us the day and then we’ll be gone. You won’t even know we were here.”
Freddy pursed his lips. “Yes, okay, okay. I feel bad for those people. They were nice. All of them were very friendly to me and my tribe.”
“Yeah when they got their cheque-book out,” muttered Karl. “I always find people friendly when they’re paying for something.”
Phoenix turned to face the boat. “Squad Leader Walker, ready your men. I want a full weapons check. We are approaching unknown terrain, possibly hostile. This isn’t a vacation and your thoughts are not required at this time. Quite frankly, your unit looks like they’re on a fishing trip, not a rescue mission. Pull your men together, or you’ll soon find that this day is going to get a lot worse for you. I would hate to have to tell General Greene about how my squad leader’s lack of cooperation jeopardized the mission.”
Karl slowly stood up and looked at Phoenix. “Ma’am.”
As he ordered the rest of the unit to attend to the weapons and get their gear in order, Phoenix turned back to Freddy. “My unit is under a lot of pressure. Please ignore them. We’re on your side on this. We just want to get our people out of there as fast as we can. You can appreciate that going into the unknown like this is a little unnerving for my men.”
“Of course.” Freddy steered the boat away from the sun and throttled down the engine. “I take responsibility for them. I left them there, and when they didn’t return, I was unsure what to do. I hope you can find them.”
“You’re not coming on the island with us?” Phoenix had to admit she wanted Freddy with them. He would know more about the island than anyone.
“No, I will return to my home after I’ve dropped you off. I’m sorry, but I have work to do. It would be wrong for me to go onto the island without my chief giving me the proper authority. There are certain protocols to follow. I want to help you find those three people, but it is best if I wait for you. I understand you will be back before evening?”
“Yes. As soon as the sun goes down, we’ll head back. This is not an overnight operation. We’ll find them before then.”
As Freddy slowly turned the boat to the west, suddenly the island came into view. Phoenix had imagined it to be little bigger than the atoll they had landed on earlier, yet the island was huge. How could something so large be uncharted or uninhabited? She estimated that it was a couple of miles across and at least the same in depth. There were low-lying rocks and cliff faces scattered across the lower edges of the island and white sand dotting the coastline. Small coves and bays where the blue ocean lazily drifted across the coral looked inviting, like postcards from paradise. In the center of the island rose a sharp cliff, lush vegetation growing all over it. She guessed it might be an extinct volcano. If so, then the soil would be full of minerals which would explain the rich plant-life and trees that seemed to cover almost all of the island. The ocean surrounding it was a rich, dark blue and yet the sky above it much lighter. There was no hint of a cloud forming, just endless azure blue that lifted her moo
d. She was worried about the mission, about what state they were going to find the three people in, about Karl’s attitude rubbing off on the men, and yet as she looked at the island, she felt a peace settle over her.
“Beautiful, right?” Freddy grinned. “This place is sacred. It is the home of our forefathers. They lived here once, many years ago, before moving across the oceans and colonizing the other islands of the Yasawas. This was where it all started. They left this place to explore, to tell the world of its beauty.”
“Ready, Staff Sergeant.”
Phoenix looked at Karl. All of the men were ready, and despite Karl’s growing irritation, he was ready too. The doctor was still at the back of the boat fanning himself with a cap. He looked pale and sweat ringed his armpits.
“When we get to the island, make sure Max is okay. He looks a little seasick.”
“Ma’am.”
The little boat began to slow down, and Freddy drew them closer to the island. Up close it looked formidable, its central peak dark and harsh against the blue sky. The white sand beaches were pleasant to look at, but Phoenix sensed they weren’t as inviting as they looked. There were jagged rocks surrounding many of the inlets, and the thick vegetation sprang up quickly once the sand gave way to volcanic soil.
“Karl, you brought the machetes, right? I think we’ll need them.”
“Justin? Show ‘em to me,” ordered Karl.
“I assume you don’t mean my tighty-whities.” Justin pointed out two wooden handles beside him, the long blades covered in a flimsy cloth. “I would prefer a flame-thrower, but I guess these will do.”
“Shotgun,” said Alex as he picked up one of the machetes. He ran a hand over his shaved head and held up the machete. The sun splintered as it flashed over the blade. “It’s blunt as fuck, but I can handle it.”
