Valley of Lost Time.

by Robert Turnbull Jr.

  “Damned arch is only three feet wide.” Will shouted as Jim walked around and tried a few tosses. Jim slowly shook his head and as Spider was about to try the steep arch free-style, Jim came up with a plan B. He ran back around to the other side and cut several of the twenty-foot high bamboo stalks, carried them back around to Will and using a short piece of rope, tied the stalks together. The rope was tied to one end and Jim laid the other end on the arch.

  Jim slid the joined poles up as high as he could, pulled back, and threw the two narrow poles as he heaved with all his might...

  The pole hit the top, slid over, and for a brief moment teetered, then with a quick whip of the rope, Jim flicked the pole over the top, and slowly it slid down the other side to the awaiting Spider who pulled the bamboo down the rest of the. Jim snickered to Will...

  “I always was better with the Javelin that the shot-put.”

  Spider quickly untied the pole and retied the rope around his waist. He and Jim on the other side of the arch flicked the rope until it was as close to the cliff face as possible.

  “Ok Spider, we have this end... but remember with all this slack, if you fall...”

  Spider smiled at his friends and shouted back. “I’ll be ok. Besides the higher I get, the less slack.” The three agreed and Spider began his slow climb. As he picked for handholds, the two men on the other side pulled up the slack and when Spider couldn’t find any grips, the two just pulled. As Spider got to the top third of the arch he found the angle much easier to climb and soon was standing atop the arch looking down at the men about thirty feet below. After a few high bounces to make sure the arch was steady, Spider waved the guys up.

  “Only one.” Jim shouted as Spider braced the rope and allowed Jim to climb up. Jim took one last short piece of rope and tied himself off to a vine embedded within the cliff face. Noting the vine was well anchored to the cliff, Jim also tied off the double length of rope so Will could climb up once Spider was at the top of the cliff.

  With Jim taking up the slack on Spider’s rope, Spider carefully made it up the last twenty feet or so, found a large tree and using that for a belay, signaled for Will to climb to Jim. Once Will made the arch top, Jim had him tie on to Spider’s rope and Spider helped him the rest of the way as Jim coiled the double rope and slung it over his shoulders. Soon Jim followed and all three stood on the cliff top looking back the way they had come.

  Over the trees they could see the remaining smoke wafting from the temple remains... The place where they had left three of their friends. To the south as the cliff wrapped around and soared to over two hundred feet in height, they could vaguely see the area where Rocky had lost his life.

  Without a word the three survivors turned eastward and moved toward the cliff that would lead them back to the cave they called home.

  It was late afternoon as they arrived at the waterfall near their cave. It was so high it fell through the clouds and fed the small creek that ran in front of the cave and the mist from it felt so good. The three paused just long enough to wash their exhausted bodies and then it was time for the final stretch home as Will smiled and admitted, “Wanted to make sure I smell clean for Marcy... Wouldn’t want her to take one sniff and kick me out of the cave.”

  Rounding the last bend in the cliffs, the men noticed one glaring difference...their huge aircraft was gone! As they got closer to the cave, all they could see was just one lone engine lying what appeared to be only a few yards from the ledge that dropped off back towards the real world and the frozen mountains below.

  “It had to be that rain we heard a few nights ago. Where we were, we probably just caught the edge of it and...” Jim looked back at the bend that hid the waterfall, “...another flashflood came roaring from back there.”

  Spider grinned, “It’s a damned good thing the swamps where we were have that gradual rise up from the waterfall to keep them from flooding. Christ the amount of water needed to move your plane Jim... Everything in the valley we just left would have been underwater.”

  “I doubt that Spider, but most likely the water would have made our trip much harder.”

  Will laughed, “Wow! Can you imagine all those waters from the flashflood going into the...” he looked up toward the cave. “...where’s the look out? Why isn’t someone keeping an eye out for danger... or us?”

  Ten minutes later they were at the base of the cliff directly under the basket to haul them up. They shouted, waited, and then shouted again. Finally with no response, Jim walked twenty yards back, raised his crossbow, and fired at the very top of the cave entrance.

  Even standing below the guys could hear the bolt as it hit the metal wall and clattered to the solid rock ledge in front of the cave.

  Nearly a minute passed and Sam appeared at the edge and waved. Soon the sound of the dozer engine could be heard and the cage lowered and the three were slowly raised to the top.

  Sam and one other miner met the men as they climbed out of the cage.

  Will was the first out and asked, “Sam, Where’s the girls?” The sad look Sam gave them sent chills down their spines.

  Jim rushed over to Sam and grasped him by the arms.

  “Sam...What’s going on? Has something happened to either of the...”

  “The women are alive, guys... But while you all were gone, two of the men tried to rape Marti. They snuck in during the day when they thought she was alone. They didn’t know it, but Marcy was in the shower. She finished and came into the women’s cave just in time to stop the rape, even before they got Marti’s blouse all of the way off.” Sam looked at the floor...

  “During the struggle, one of the men pushed Marcy and she hit her head against the wall...” he looked at Will, “She’s been in a coma for nearly two days now. Marti’s been with her day and night.”

  Before another word could be said Will and Jim sprinted toward the cave with the rest of the men following. Rushing in to the girl’s cave Will stopped in his tracks as he saw Marti holding a damp cloth upon Marcy’s forehead. She looked over and with tears in her eyes told Will she hadn’t come out of her coma. Marti jumped up and ran over to Jim sobbing.

  With tears in his eyes Will dropped to his knees and gently grasped Marcy’s hand and began to whisper to her.

  Jim took the moment in and then snapped around to Sam. As he cradled Marti in his arms, Jim growled. “What the hell happed?”

  Sam shook his head slowly and Jim could see he blamed himself for the tragedy.

  “Marti wasn’t feeling well, probably the heat. Maybe it was worrying about you and the others, we don’t know...so she came in to lie down. Two of the new miners snuck in here while the others and I were working on leveling the ledge. We couldn’t hear over the sound of the dozer.

  Marti said the men held her down and...”

  The tearful Marti looked up, sniffed, and picked up where Sam stopped.

  “Baby, one man held me down, the other ripped my blouse open, I screamed, but only Marcy heard me... she was in the shower. She rushed in, with just the towel wrapped around her, and pulled one of the guys away from me. She hit and began scratching at the other. The one that fell to the floor grabbed her from behind and threw her against the wall...she hit her head...I saw her head hit and ...and, she hit it again when she fell to the floor. I started screaming again and the two took off and ran...there was so much blood coming from her ears and nose...”

  Sam looked at Jim sadly, “They ran out of the cave... They said Marti wanted them to go get something off the jet engine that was left after the flood. We lowered them down, but when they headed away from the engine, I knew something was wrong. They ran for the jungle and kept glancing back over their shoulders. So I came in to check on the girls...” he looked at Marcy, “...it’s all my fault... I...”

  Will slowly turned his head and smiled up at Sam.

  “No it’s not Sam! I know you would have killed them both, had you known. Why I’ll...” Will glanced at Jim’s face and froze.

&
nbsp; This caused Marti and the rest to look. Marti suddenly stopped crying as she looked into Jim’s eyes... “Oh baby, I’d ask you not to go, but I know better.”

  Jim without any expression on his face he kissed Marti on the top of her head as he released her from his loving embrace. He walked through the guys behind him as they parted. He walked into the cave and grasped one of the crossbows and then grasped a sharp machete from the table to replaced his duller one.

  Sam dashed out and started up the dozer. Will ran up to Jim and stared into his cold eyes.

  “You’re aren’t going alone, Marcy was going to be my wife.”

  Jim looked at Will and laid his hand on his shoulder.

  “My friend, Marcy will need you to be here when she wakes up, not worrying if you’re out there somewhere...injured, or dead.” Jim nodded to the jungle through the wide door.

  “She’s my love and those bastards are going to pay... I’m going!” Will stepped toward Jim, but Jim reached out and placed a hand on Will’s chest.

  Will looked into Jim’s cold emotionless eyes.

  “Yes they will... No you’re not!” and with that he turned and vanished through the door.

  Will started after Jim, but Marti gently grasped his shirttail and pulled him around.

  “Marcy will need you to be here for her Will. Marcy was the only family either of them had, and they’ve flown together for almost two decades. They drank together and fought together. Hell, they even fought the company they worked for to have that huge modified 777 made to increase profits.” Marti paused as they could hear the dozer begin to lower the cage.

  “Jim will hunt them down and kill them both... or die trying.” She choked back a sob in her throat and as her eyes once again filled with tears, she lowered her eyes and whispered.

  “Please baby be careful.”

  Jim reached the other side of the rocky floodplain of the creek and began looking for any sign that might indicate where the two men had entered the jungle.

  “You dumb fuck, you just walked right by where they went in at.”

  In Jim’s heightened state, he nearly jumped a foot in the air as he spun to see Spider standing there grinning at him.

  Jim frowned, “And your mother let’s you talk with a mouth like that? Whatever happened to that Latin American politeness?”

  “When I stick my machete up their asses, I’ll say please!”

  Jim actually snarled, “Yeah, but don’t expect me to.”

  Spider laughed and stepped in front of Jim and pointed to several small broken palm leaves.

  “This way my friend, see? They make a trail a blind man can follow.”

  “That explains why I couldn’t see it.” Jim snorted as he followed Spider into the lush green jungle.

  Soon they were deep into the jungle, however this time the sounds were much different.

  The heat was stifling even in the late afternoon. Drenched in sweat the two stopped and leaned against a fallen tree that even laying flat, it was still a good three feet higher than their heads.

  “I’m really beginning to hate this fucking place.” Jim muttered as he wiped his brow as he sat on the ground. Spider could see Jim’s demeanor had changed...as well as his language. Spider silently agreed, it was time to take a breather and sat next to Jim.

  “Si Jim, I do too. But we must be careful this is not a good place.” Spider grinned nervously.

  “As opposed to the other places in the swamp?”

  Spider laughed again but softer. “Jim this is the place where Rex lives. Even the sounds are different. Instead of bellowing, there are roars...” he looked around nervously as a distant roar echoed through the valley, “...this is definitely not a good place to be. Let’s go find those bastards, end their miserable lives and...”

  Jim grasped Spider’s collar and jerked him back down as he tried to stand. No sooner had Spider’s rear hit the mushy jungle floor, Jim clasped his hand over Spider’s mouth and with his other hand put a finger to his lips. Spider nodded he understood as Jim leaned in to Spider’s ear and as softly as possible whispered.

  “That smell...just like that thing that got Rocky.”

  Spider softly sniffed and shrugged his shoulders as Jim added, “I smell it...it’s like dead meat, but different than rotting flesh... Got to be a carnivore around here somewhere.”

  Spider motioned for Jim to sit still and got to his feet. Taking no chances, he hugged the fallen tree. There was a broken branch and plenty of leaves, so Spider slowly stood on the limb, raised himself to the height of the fallen tree. Staying within the leaves, he gently parted them so he could see beyond the tree’s height.

  Through the dense vegetation on the far side of the small clearing was the huge head of Rex. Rex was staring directly at the tree they were sitting behind. It sniffed the air several times, as it looked from the huge root mass at one end, to the broken leafy branches at the other end. It acted as if it couldn’t decide which way to go... or where, what it smelled was at. Spider prayed that it wasn’t them, that it smelled.

  Rex gave a horrifying roar and charged the fallen tree directly where Spider was peeking out from. He dropped back down and pulled Jim lower.

  “Get under the tree...or as far under as you can!” he shouted.

  Both men laid as flat as they could, pushed themselves against the tree and the mushy ground tightly as possible. Rex was now so close to the hundred foot long, eight foot in diameter tree, that it actually began to shake from his weight as he stomped in their direction.

  Spider crossed himself silently as a huge clawed foot stepped over the tree and landed a foot from his head. There was an ear-splitting roar and the other foot slammed to the ground so hard both men bounced. One more much louder roar and the huge T-rex dashed off into the jungle with a tree-crashing gait and soon was out of sight.

  Before the crashing stopped there was a beastly scream from a less fortunate dinosaur, the sounds of a brief thrashing, then silence...

  Within a few minutes the jungle came alive once more and the men knew Rex had found dinner...and this time, it wasn’t them!

  Chapter 14.

  Spider noticed while they were in the small clearing, that there was one tree, that seemed to be much taller than the rest. It was about a mile ahead of them, so they changed direction slightly to use that for their night camp.

  Upon reaching the tree, Spider began climbing to the first branch using the many vines that had overgrown the tree. After that the men climbed fairly, easily from limb to limb using the vines when needed. Now and then there was a big space between limbs and they’d throw a rope over so the other could belay the other.

  Now over one hundred and fifty feet above the jungle and nearly twenty feet higher than most of the other trees, they settled in for the night. Just as the shadows fell across the valley, Spider noticed a wisp of smoke and pointed it out to Jim.

  “Well unless the God damned dinosaurs have learned to rub two sticks together, that should be them.” Jim gritted his teeth, “They have to be at least two days away and probably heading toward those mountains that separate this part of the valley from the swamp areas. Looks like they’re still headed south.”

  “South? Christ they should be at the southern end of the valley by now if they’re moving along the cliffs that separate the two valleys.”

  Spider grinned, “Do not worry my friend, we will get them and they will pay.” Spider looked back to the north, “We’re nearly out of range of the radios, and perhaps you’d better call Senorita Marti and check in.

  Jim nodded and pulled out the radio after several tries the radio crackled. It was Marti, and her words pierced their hearts...

  “Baby... Marcy died!”

  The color drained from Jim’s face, his best friend and confidante was gone! Jim tried to call again, but after several tries he only got one weak acknowledgment that they could barely hear him. Jim let the radio fall from his hand. As it crashed through the trees to the awaiting jungle b
elow, Jim stared out to the nearly night sky.

  “Batteries gone, no way to recharge it.”

  “I’m sorry about Senorita Marcy, Jim...I...” Jim tied himself off to the wide limb and laid upon it. He laid with his back to Spider, who was on an adjoining limb and Spider knew there was no more to say. It did worry him his friend had shut him out so quickly. Even with Jim so quiet, Spider could feel the silent rage burning within his friend, he was radiating pure hatred!

  Jim laid on his side and stared out at the now black void. No moon, no stars, and just the sounds of the hated jungle. If he could burn the entire place down, at this moment, he would have gladly. He’d burn it, bulldoze it, nuke it ...whatever. In his mind this godless place should never have existed... It had killed too many and now he blamed it in part, for Marcy’s death. And perhaps he blamed himself, if he hadn’t crashed here...

  Tears silently rolled from the corners of his eyes as they closed... Marcy was gone...

  The next morning neither man said much, as there really wasn’t a whole lot on their minds, other than making those two bastards pay for their crimes.

  Methodically they made their way down the tree and headed out in the direction of the smoke they had seen the night before. The area they were in was separated by mountains from the swamp they had explored. However, now dawn had come, from their lofty perch, they could see that the valley was much longer than they had imagined. The southern mountains were not the end of the jungle valley, but like the swamp valley, they closed in and formed another gap about a mile wide. Beyond they could see nothing but openness.

  “Jim? Perhaps a way down?” Spider asked as he began the preparation to descend.

  “Who knows Spider? There’s no telling what lies beyond that gap. Whatever it is, it’s lower than this valley.” And with that Jim slid off his limb and down the tree he climbed. Spider nodded, it was time to go about their deadly task.