by Russ Watts
“He’s gone.”
Karl uttered the words in a monotone voice. There was no sympathy in those two words, and he kept his eyes on Darius when he spoke. He delivered Phoenix the bad news as if he were reading out the sports results.
“No,” Phoenix whispered as she looked at Darius. She didn’t want to accept it, didn’t want to believe Karl, yet she knew it was the truth. Blood seeped from Darius’ closed lips and his chest wasn’t moving. The dinosaur had claimed one last victim before succumbing to death itself. She straightened up and sighed. She had lost two of her men on this island. The operation was not just over but a complete failure. Two men. She hadn’t expected to lose anyone today. She had hoped she might be returning to base with three extra people, but she was going to have to explain how she had lost Justin and Darius.
Karl yanked the dog tags from Darius’ neck, shoved them in his pocket, and stood up. “It’s this island. This fucking island.” He turned to look at Phoenix. “How could Freddy not know about this place? How could anyone not know about this?” Karl kicked the dead dinosaur, his boot striking its leathery hide with a solid thud.
“You don’t know what you don’t know. Why would anyone have reason to think there was anything dangerous on this island?” Phoenix looked at Karl. His deep brown eyes were angry. He felt responsible too, she could tell, but this was on her. “I should’ve pushed for more information. I thought this was going to be easy. I thought this was going to be simple.”
“It’s not you.” Karl kicked the dinosaur again. “I’m sorry, I just… I’ve known Darius for years. It’s hard to accept that he and Justin aren’t coming back with us.”
Phoenix looked up at the sky. She twisted her neck away from the sun, but the heat was incessant. She felt a fly crawl across her crown and slapped it away. Another landed on her cheek and she angrily brushed it away with her hand. Had they found the dinosaur already? “We have to get back to Alex. Maybe he found the doctor. We’re leaving, Karl. It’s over. Quite honestly, we’re lucky that any of us are going home. Given the situation—” Phoenix shrugged.
“I know.” Karl looked at her. “Okay, let’s find the doc and get you seen to. Then we’ll get off this damn island.” He began to climb the beast, pulling himself up and over. “Let’s go. I have to tell Alex.”
Phoenix felt woozy. She put her hand to her throat. The skin was warm, and as she rubbed the back of her neck, she felt sweat run down her back. Karl had a way of switching off, of going into auto-pilot. He took all the emotion out of the situation; the only glimpse into his real thoughts was when he showed his anger. She wanted to cry for Darius but refused to. She had to get things back under control. Now that the dinosaur was dead, they could regroup, find the doctor, and find a way back to the beach. The heat was killing her though. It was even worse than on the Reagan. It was sapping her strength and she could feel her body wanting to give in. She wondered if she could jump back into the lagoon from here instead of following Karl. He was already halfway down, swinging across a large boulder on a vine, as if he were Tarzan.
Phoenix carefully stepped around Darius and went to the edge of the waterfall. The trees ringing the water were silent and she looked for Alex. There was no sign of him and she crept closer to the edge, listening to the water drip and flow around her.
“Alex?”
“How’s Darius? He coming back with Karl?”
Phoenix still couldn’t see Alex, but she could hear him. From her vantage point it was difficult to see the entire lagoon. She didn’t want to tell him about Darius like this. “Where’s the doctor? Where’s Max?” she asked.
“He’s okay. I found him. He’s waiting in the shade. I just wanted to cool off, try and get the smell of shit off me. It’s so hot I could—”
There was a sudden noise and Alex went silent. Phoenix crawled further forward to the very edge of the waterfall, praying that Alex was not in trouble. The lagoon was bubbling and foaming beneath the waterfall, and Phoenix looked down. She crawled forward carefully and looked at the water as it swirled around.
“Alex?”
The waterfall had become no more than a trickle so whatever was causing it had to be already in the lagoon. It hit Phoenix like a rocket. She remembered how Justin had died. Something in the water had gotten to him. There was something in the lagoon that had been hiding and waiting for someone to make a mistake. Phoenix scrambled to her feet and pointed to the jungle.
“Alex, get out of the water,” Phoenix screamed. She glanced down and saw the bubbling had stopped. From atop the waterfall, she saw a shape in the water, no more than a shadow beneath the surface, but something big. There was no sign of Alex anywhere and Phoenix just hoped she wasn’t already too late. She jumped up, trying to spy him below. “Get out, Alex. Now!”
CHAPTER 12
His death was not like the others. When Alex disappeared beneath the water, he simply never came back up. He just slipped under the water without making a noise and never resurfaced. He never screamed or made a sound. There was no time for him to react or escape, only die.
“Alex.” Phoenix sank to her knees, ignoring the pain shooting up her leg. She scanned the water for him, but it was as if he had never been there. Whatever had taken him had done it quickly. She had seen a flash of silvery skin burst above the surface and then he was gone. She thought she had seen teeth, long and vicious, but it had all happened so quickly, she wasn’t sure of anything. The shape had resembled a crocodile yet its size was more than she could comprehend. There was no way it had just been a regular crocodile. It was another relic, a beast from a different time. It had to live in the lagoon, and yet when she and Karl had been there with Alex earlier, there was no sign of it. How could something so huge live in such a small area? It had to have a cave, perhaps behind the waterfall. All that was left of Alex was a red blood stain running down the water’s edge, across some rocks and into the lagoon. The mysterious creature had snatched him when he’d turned his back, and Alex had paid for his miscalculation with his life.
Phoenix looked for the creature, for what had taken him, but the shape disappeared rapidly once it had its prize, and with it so she had lost the third member of her unit. She watched and waited until she knew he wasn’t coming back. She thought of jumping in and looking for him, but there was no point. She wouldn’t find him, only kill herself in the process. Whatever had taken him would make certain of that.
Hopelessness embraced Phoenix as she stared at the water. What other secrets did this island hide? What else did they have to face? It wasn’t fair. This island had kept itself hidden from the world for so long that man wasn’t prepared for it or able to deal with what it offered. The creatures that lived here, the unusual vegetation, and the sapping heat were all designed by nature to keep humans away. They had strayed somewhere they shouldn’t have and were paying the price. Phoenix tried to think of who to blame. Space54? General Greene? God? Herself? It was too easy to apportion blame, and yet none of it sat right. There was nobody to blame. It was just unfortunate circumstances that had led her here. Was it her fault? How could she have known there were dinosaurs on the island? How could anyone have predicted this?
It wasn’t entirely fate that had led her here. She had chosen this path. She had chosen a life different to her sisters. Nobody had forced to do this job. Ultimately, she had nobody to blame but herself. She was on the island because she had let herself take this path. Would she be any happier sipping coffee over brunch at book-club? Maybe, but maybe not. She would at least have a better chance of a long life. As she stared at the empty lagoon, she began to doubt they would make the beach. All those doubts she harbored began to flood back in, joining the hopelessness that swam around her head. She had taken on more than she could handle. Karl should be in charge. She had held him back too long. If Karl was in charge, they would have turned around at the first sign of trouble and Darius, Justin, and Alex would still be alive.
“Phoenix? Come on down here,” shouted Kar
l.
He was already at the trees by the lagoon. She could see him scouring the area. Confusion spread over him.
“Where’s Alex?” he shouted.
Phoenix stood up and tried to wipe away the self-doubt. It wasn’t the first time someone had died under her watch. She knew the procedure. She knew what she had to do. Yet getting herself under control was more difficult than it had ever been before. She felt her hopelessness evaporate and then frustration set in. Three words kept repeating themselves over and over in her head.
It wasn’t fair.
People didn’t die on tropical islands. Her unit didn’t get killed without good reason. Yet both had happened here, today, and she was powerless to do anything about it. As she looked at Karl, she knew she had to tell him. She had to tell him they had lost another one. She had been backed into another corner by this island that looked so idyllic yet was a haven for death. Karl’s eyes reached the lagoon where the water had turned thick and red. Phoenix saw him holding Alex’ discarded shirt, and as she met his eyes, she knew he understood. She didn’t have to say a word. Karl’s shoulders slumped.
It wasn’t fair.
Anger grew in her veins, spreading like a cancer until it racked her whole body. Phoenix got up and stormed over to the dinosaur. “How… many…more?” she screamed as she punched the beast. Her fists pummeled it until her fingers were bleeding, the skin red raw. The first tear finally fell down her cheek and she wiped it away, ashamed. As she stood back, her chest heaving as she took in deep breaths, she felt dizzy again and forced herself to unclench her fingers. Control. She had to regain control. She had to get back to the beach.
Phoenix jumped up onto the dead dinosaur and climbed back over it, back the way they had come until she reached Karl. He was still standing where she had last seen him, clutching Alex’s shirt.
“It took him before I had a chance,” said Phoenix weakly as she approached Karl. “I called out to him, but—”
“Damn fool. He didn’t listen.” Karl dropped Alex’s shirt on the ground. A line of ants immediately began to close in on it and the trail of blood leading to the water. “I can’t believe… I can’t… Let’s just get the doc and go home.”
Without speaking, Phoenix let Karl lead her to the jungle. There, sat on a rock as if nothing had happened, was Max. He had his hands clasped in front of him and his head lowered as if he were in prayer. She saw several cuts on his face and arms, and as he stood up to greet her, he held out a hand.
“I’m sorry about your men. Truly. It wasn’t meant to be like this.”
Phoenix waved away his hand. She didn’t care what the doctor thought. He wasn’t responsible for their deaths, but making small talk was the last thing on her mind. Max was acting as if they were at a wake and half-expecting prawn sandwiches to be offered around.
“Grab your gear, Doc, we’re leaving,” she said. “We need to get away from that lagoon and whatever monster lives in it.” Phoenix watched Karl pull a knife out from his boot. The blade was only a couple of inches long, and it would have no impact if they encountered another dinosaur. She caught Karl’s eyes, weary and bloodshot.
“It’s all we have left,” he offered and held the knife to her. “If you want it, it’s yours.”
Karl seemed quiet. His bravado was gone. It was as if he was defeated. She hadn’t seen him like this since they had lost Sawyer and Travers. Phoenix looked at the jungle. There was nothing she could say to bring him round. There was nothing she could do to make things right. They were going home a failure, the operation a complete disaster and her unit dead. The jungle appeared to be just as unwelcoming as when they had first travelled through it. The path would be quicker if they could retrace their steps, but it would still be a hard slog. The jungle had been given several hours to heat up and they had lost plenty of energy. The only fresh water available to them was from the lagoon, yet it was tainted with the blood of Alex, Justin, and the dinosaur. She wouldn’t drink it if it meant the difference between living and dying.
“Keep it.”
Karl tucked the knife back in his boot. “Hold on, Doc, there’s something we need to do before we set off back to the beach.”
“You mean we’re leaving, right now?” asked Max. “But what about Jane and Tobias and—?”
“Forget them,” said Phoenix calmly. “They’re dead. You’ve seen what we’ve dealt with today. You should be thinking along the same lines as us, about getting home. Your people are gone, Max.”
Max sighed. “You know, we still have a few hours of daylight, and the guide said he wouldn’t be back until sundown. I know the situation has taken a turn for the worse, but the monster’s dead now. We should take this opportunity to look for my colleagues while we can.” Max rifled a hand through his white hair. “Quite frankly, I had heard good things about you, Phoenix. I didn’t think you would give up quite so easily.”
Karl grabbed Max by the throat and thrust him back until he had him pressed up against the solid trunk of a tree.
“You want to try that again, Doc? You think we’re just giving up? We just lost three men. Your people are dead. Phoenix has done everything she could. If it wasn’t for her, I would’ve given up on this wild goose chase long ago. She’s the only reason why I haven’t knocked your teeth out already.”
“How very professional of you.” Max was scared. He tried not to show it, but it was obvious. “So, what now? We go home with our tail between our legs?”
“Let go of him, Karl. I can’t be bothered to fight with him, not now.”
Karl lowered his hands leaving Max rubbing his neck.
“You can stay here or come with us. Honestly, Max, I don’t give a shit anymore.” Phoenix rolled her shoulders. She refused to let him wind her up. “But one more word out of you the wrong way, and I will let Karl tear you apart.”
“Fine.” Max grabbed his backpack and tossed it over one shoulder. “I guess we’re off then.”
“Wait a second.” Karl grabbed the doctor’s pack off him and threw it to the ground. “Phoenix sit down. As much as I can’t stand this asshole, he does have one thing going for him. He’s a doctor, and you need attention. You can’t walk through that jungle for the next couple of hours with your leg bleeding like that.”
Phoenix looked down at her right thigh where the tooth was still protruding through her khakis. The lower half of her pants was soaked with blood. The pain was just a dull throb, but Karl was right. She would slow them down and be no good to anyone if she ended up passing out in the middle of a steamy jungle.
“Fine,” she said reluctantly. “Patch me up, Doc, but make it quick. I want out of here.”
Phoenix sat down on a rock and stretched out her leg. It was only now, as she took her weight off it, that it began to hurt more. There had been so much else to do, so much else to occupy her mind that her brain had blocked out the pain.
Max nervously approached Karl. “Give me my bag.”
“Sure. Just patch her up,” said Karl, holding out the doctor’s pack.
Max reached for it. “Look, it’s not that easy. The tooth in her leg might’ve struck an artery. If I pull it out now, we could do more harm than good. I think we’re best to wait, get back to the boat and look at it there.”
As Max’s hand fumbled for his pack, Karl pulled it away. “No. You’re a doctor, right? Do what you came here for and look at her leg.”
“As I said, it’s not that simple. I really don’t have the right equipment with me. Just hand me my pack and I promise that I will look at it when—”
“Back the fuck up,” said Karl as he pushed Max away. He held the pack out of arm’s reach, seeing the annoyance on the doctor’s face. “Just explain to me why you don’t have the necessary equipment. Hm? You should have bandages, sutures, everything you need. You did earlier, so you should have a whole ton of it left.”
“He’s stalling.” Phoenix saw Max glance at her. His eyes betrayed him. “I doubt he’s even a doctor.”
“Now hold on, I haven’t done anything to you. I told you everything I could. Space54 wanted—”
“Yeah, I heard it before, Doc.” Karl tossed his pack to Phoenix. “Open it.”
“Wait!” Max lunged for his pack, but Karl grabbed him in a bear hug. The doctor struggled, but it was futile. Karl was too strong.
Phoenix felt around inside Max’s bag for a bandage, for anything to stop the bleeding. Her hand brushed over something sharp, and for a moment, she worried she had found a needle. Yet as she looked inside the pack, she realized Karl was right. He wasn’t even a doctor.
“Doc, what the hell is this?” Phoenix pulled a small rock out of the bag and held it up. It looked completely ordinary, just small and brown with a reddish tinge. She tossed it to the ground and pulled out another one.
“Please, stop. You don’t know what you’re doing,” said Max as he struggled with Karl.
Phoenix tossed the second piece of rock aside and shoved her hand back into the doctor’s bag. All she found were more rocks and what felt like gravel. She pulled a handful of the dirt out and let it trickle through her fingers.
“Stop!”
Max burst free of Karl and sank to the ground. He began to collect the dirt in his hands and gather the rocks that Phoenix had tossed away.
Phoenix and Karl looked at each other, bemused.
“You want to explain now?” asked Phoenix, watching the doctor scramble around in the dirt. She shoved her hand back into the doctor’s bag. There was nothing. Just more rocks. “This mission was never about the lives of those scientists, was it? This was just a fucking ruse, a play to get you here so you could find your damn satellite.”
Max rocked back on his haunches and looked up at Phoenix. He might have been afraid of Karl, but when he looked at her, she saw nothing but contempt.
