It was seat of the pants time.
He saw the glowing rope whip over his head. His eyes followed, tracking it like a target on a Heads Up Display, then at the last minute shoved the wand higher as he realized he had just dipped too low. His heart leapt into his throat then he felt the rope hit as he pushed forward on the wand as hard as he could. His head dipped under the water as he felt the rope slide up the pole, then suddenly there was a jerk, the rope hooked by the wand, and he felt himself tugged hard against the current, slowly sliding toward the shore, the boat placed as he had instructed slightly farther upstream so nature would bring them to shore.
Hands grabbed him and he let them do their work, he having taken a lungful of water. Suddenly he felt ground beneath him, someone hauling him to his feet.
“You okay?”
He recognized the deep voice immediately. Special Agent Hugh Reading.
He nodded. “Good. Forget about me.”
He unclipped his harnesses, shrugging himself out of his gear, his equipment bag already hauled out by Reading and a group of natives. Within a minute he was ready to assist, but the situation seemed well in hand. Two of his men were already hooked, one at the shoreline being pulled from the water, the other still sliding toward them. He looked downriver and could see the other four, barely. But one was too far to the right.
He’s going to either go right of the boat, or hit the bloody thing.
There was no point in yelling, no point in waving. He could see from here that the man knew he was out of position. He was trying to swim to the left, but the current was simply too swift. The smack was horrible, heard even from the shore as he slammed into the opposite side of the hull then dragged along it. He had no idea who it was, and wouldn’t until the last man was out of the water.
He began to ID his men when he heard Reading shout, “Kinti, no!”
Leather followed Reading’s horrified expression and saw a young native girl plunge into the water, disappearing below the surface then reemerging farther downriver, swimming expertly toward his wayward man. Reading began to run downstream along the shore, it clear that this girl meant something to him, which Leather found a bit odd.
As the last man who had successfully hooked the line was hauled ashore, he pointed at his second-in-command, Warren Reese. “Equipment check then set up camp, I’m going after Trent.”
Reese nodded, directing the men to follow some of the natives who were ushering them along the shoreline. The rope had been tossed free of the boat and it was turning around, apparently in an effort to recover his man and the native woman.
This wasn’t the plan, but with the civilians screwing with it, he had to pursue. Trent should simply make his way to shore, but with the impact he took, he might not be in any shape to swim. And now with the native girl involved, he had a duty to save her.
And it was too late to pursue his primary target regardless, their departure for the drop zone delayed by mechanical failure.
Things never go smooth.
Kinti wasn’t sure why she had jumped in the water after this stranger, but as she swam the swift river, closing the distance with the man, she realized it was for Hugh. He was supposed to have just been a fling, an experiment, a story to tell her children in the future of the great pale man she had met.
She had no idea it would be about the great pale man she had met and fallen in love with.
Her thoughts were consumed with him, consumed with the desire to please him, to make him happy, to make him proud. Perhaps that was why she had jumped. She knew he would be pleased if she saved this man. She also knew it was the right thing to do. He was a stranger, but he was a stranger here to help, not harm. She had heard many tales of the pale man hurting people like her, but they had been lucky. The stories were from far away, passed down from one tribe to the next, and she knew how those stories could become distorted over time.
She couldn’t imagine Hugh or his friends harming anyone.
The man was almost within reach. She called to him but there was no response, no movement. He appeared to be asleep, probably knocked out when he hit the boat. She had seen this before and wondered how he managed to stay above the water. Reaching forward, she grabbed his shoulder, getting a grip on his clothing, then began to kick toward the shore. He was heavy. Extremely heavy, easily the weight of two men. She knew these pale people were bigger than her people, but this heavy? It made no sense.
She struggled against the weight and the current, drifting farther and farther downstream. The shore was slowly getting closer, but she was getting tired. Her hand screamed for relief, her grip now beginning to cramp from the strain, but the man had still not woken. She thought of Hugh, of the night and day they had spent together, of how she had got him drunk and seduced the poor man, and how he had embraced her and treated her so well today when he was sober, not angry at all with her actions.
He loves me too.
It saddened her. She knew there was no way for them to be together, and as soon as his friend was found they’d be gone. Part of her wanted to let go of this man, just for an instant, in the hopes it might extend Hugh’s stay, but she knew that was wrong. She had morals, her people had morals, and it would be wrong to sacrifice this stranger for her own carnal pleasures, even if her heart risked being broken.
The shore was close now, almost within reach. She’d need to grab onto something strong enough to hold both her and this impossibly heavy man. She knew Hugh and some others were following them, she had seen them when she first jumped in the river, but they were far downriver now, and it could take almost half a day to reach them.
She grabbed at a root that jutted out into the water, getting a grip for a moment, but it slipped through her hand, scraping it slightly, causing her to wince and rethink her exit strategy. A low lying branch was ahead. She reached up, grabbing it, the leaves protecting her palm slightly, but also making it slippery. She knew she couldn’t hold long, but she took the opportunity to try and use her legs to push the man toward the shore.
That was when she saw a large bag attached to the man by a long flat rope.
What is that?
She let go, sending them along the slightly slower edge of the river, the eddies and currents created by the shore disrupting the swift flow they had been in, but still moving them along too quickly. She reached forward with her free hand, gripping his shirt, then released her grip on his shoulder, her hand crying in thanks as she clenched and unclenched it, trying to work out the kinks. Reaching once more, she grabbed the rope that was attached to the bag and pulled. The bag was heavy, as heavy as a man, and she suddenly realized why she was having so much trouble. She tugged at her end but the rope wouldn’t come loose, and it didn’t appear to have any knot that she could untie, instead some sort of loop made of something shiny and smooth had it attached to a loop that encircled his waist.
She smiled. She had seen Hugh take this loop off several times, and she had even helped him the last time. She pulled one end of the loop with her free hand, it popping loose, exposing a small shiny stick. She yanked on the loop and the stick popped free. She let go then pulled at the side of the loop, it coming loose. She grabbed the other end and tugged, yanking at it, it slowly slipping bit by bit, the free end inching toward the shiny loop holding the rope.
Suddenly the force of the bag tugging whipped the loop free and the rope flew loose, immediately lost in the water, the weight she was trying to rescue dropping significantly. She again made for shore, much more easily this time, though she knew she was nearing exhaustion. She spotted a small dip into the forest just ahead, the water digging into the shore line far enough for the current to be killed. As they rushed toward it she switched to his side, opposite the shoreline, gripping his clothing at the shoulder and waist, then kicked with all her might, shoving him into the small oasis of calm.
As his body slipped in she let go, continuing down the river then grabbing the first branch she could. She came to a halt quickly, and with b
oth hands now free and no extra weight to support, she pulled herself ashore then collapsed on the ground, her chest heaving in protest. But she knew there was no time to rest. She forced herself to her feet, running back upriver, toward where she hoped the man would still be lying, and as she burst from the trees she found him just about to slip back into the current again.
“No!” she cried as she dove into the water and grabbed his body, pulling him back to safety just in time. She struggled to get him out of the water, and by the time she did, he was moaning slightly as he began to come to. Breathing a sigh of relief that he was still alive and her efforts hadn’t been in vain, she looked about her to take stock of her situation.
That was when she heard a curious sound that took her a moment to recognize, then she smiled.
“Hugh!”
Hugh Reading stood at the prow of the boat, scanning the shoreline, calling Kinti’s name repeatedly. The boat had several lights trained on the shore and scanning the water, and they were travelling faster than the current, the engine adding to their speed. Which meant even if Kinti and the rescue team member couldn’t get to shore, they should eventually catch up to them.
As long as they didn’t miss them.
And they haven’t drowned.
He and Leather had been taken aboard as soon as the boat had turned around, precious time wasted. He was happy to be aboard however, as his own efforts were useless. If he had continued on foot, he’d still be miles back, the fires of the village probably still in sight.
“There!” yelled Leather, pointing to the shore. Reading looked and nearly collapsed in relief as he saw Kinti in the light, waving at them and calling his name. It sounded like the singing of angels.
You’ve got it really bad.
He couldn’t hide his grin as Fabricio swung the boat around, pushing the engine hard to battle the current and bring them back upstream to where Kinti was. As they neared he could see she also had Leather’s man with her, and his admiration for this young woman grew several fold. She had proven herself resourceful with the idea for making the rope glow, and selfless in risking her life to save this man.
If she were from anywhere else, she would make a perfect wife.
And the thought broke his heart.
She was intelligent, and probably would have excelled if she had been born elsewhere. She was friendly, beautiful, sexy. She was everything everyman looked for.
But she was untouchable.
Not in the carnal sense as had been shown the past twenty-four hours, but in the relationship sense. He could never stay here with her, and she could never come with him. She would be completely lost in modern society, and he would be completely miserable in hers.
If ever there were star-crossed lovers, they were them.
Leather jumped ashore, tending to his man as Reading leaned over and pulled Kinti aboard. She embraced him, hard, repeating his name several times as he held her tight. Several of the crew helped Leather and his man aboard, the rescued man now conscious and talking.
Leather emerged from below as the boat plowed through the waters, slowly returning them to the village inlet. He walked up to Kinti and Reading. “Does she speak English?”
“Only a few words.”
He looked at her and held out his hand. “Thank you,” he said, holding his free hand over his heart. “Thank you for saving my man.”
She smiled, taking his hand and shaking it, saying something in her language. Leather looked at Reading.
“Sorry, mate, no idea. But rest assured she understands.”
Leather smiled at her again, then returned below. Reading joined Milton at the rear of the boat, Kinti sitting on his lap, her head on his shoulder as she hummed a simple tune over and over.
Once again Reading didn’t want this day to ever end.
He looked at Milton, who had a slight smile on his face, the grins having grown old. “I’m in trouble.”
Milton chuckled. “No shit, brother. Let’s just hope she understands the reality of the situation.”
Kinti looked up at Reading and kissed underneath his chin.
“I think she’s far smarter than what you think.”
Milton nodded. “I have no doubt. People think these natives are primitive, savages, but that’s only by way of technology. They are fully developed, emotional human beings, with a way of life and a belief system as intricate as any other. To think of them as anything less than us is an insult to them, and an arrogant assumption on our part. Take away our technology, and they’ll be the ones that inherit the Earth, not us.”
“But there’s no way she can come with us,” murmured Reading under his breath.
“No, there isn’t,” agreed Milton, Reading a little shocked he had heard him. “You would destroy her. Better to leave her here, heartbroken, with her own people who will comfort her, and eventually she will move on and take a mate, start a family, and be happy, telling the story of you for years to come—which is what I think she intended as well.”
“I was just a challenge, a curiosity.”
“As she was to you.”
“Not much of a challenge, I’m afraid.”
Milton grinned. “I didn’t hear you protest too much.”
“No I guess not.” Reading sighed.
But who mends my broken heart?
Manaus, Brazil
“Is that a satellite phone?”
Terrence Mitchell looked up from his fish, Jenny doing the same. A white man, slightly disheveled, stood next to their table. He looked like he had been through hell, and by the way he was eyeing their food, hungry as well.
Mitchell glanced at the phone, wondering if it were about to be stolen. “Yes it is.”
“Any chance I can use it to make a call. I promise, I won’t be long, and when my friends get here, I’ll pay you for it.”
Mitchell shook his head. “I’m sorry, but we’re waiting for an extremely important call.”
Jenny jumped in, sensing the man’s distress. “But as soon as we get that call, you’re welcome to use it.”
The tears of disappointment that were nearly about to pour from the man’s eyes turned into tears of joy, and erupted down his cheeks. “Oh thank God, thank you so much.”
Jenny pointed at a free chair. “Why don’t you join us until then?”
His head bobbed in elation, dropping into the chair. That was when Mitchell noticed the stench coming off the man. It was as if he had been in the jungle for days with no access to any facilities.
In fact, his clothes were filthy, torn to shreds in places. His shoes were still in decent shape though filthy. He had at least a week’s growth if not more and his hair was a knotted mess. His fingernails were filled with grime and his teeth were yellow, unbrushed for some time.
Which meant body odor, foul breath and smells better left to the latrine.
And others were beginning to notice.
“Are you okay?” asked Mitchell.
The man shook his head. “No. My team and I were doing some research near the tip of the Rio Negro, cataloguing species, when we were ambushed and taken prisoner.”
Jenny gasped. “By natives?”
The man shook his head. “No, by what looked like soldiers. Special Ops types if you ask me. I managed to escape. They hunted me for a few hours but I was able to hide. They destroyed our boat so I was forced to walk along the shoreline for several days before I found a native canoe. I don’t know if it was abandoned or not, but the owner wasn’t there, so I took it. It took me almost a week to get here.” He grabbed at his threadbare shirt. “And the authorities won’t help me. They said we were there without a permit so they won’t help.”
“You’re American?” asked Mitchell, noting that the restaurant owner was starting to take notice of the new arrival.
“Yes.”
“What about your embassy?”
“I haven’t been able to call anyone. I have no money, no passport, nothing. It was all on the boat they sank.”
Mitchell nodded, standing and waving the man off. “We’re just leaving.” He threw some bills on the table, grabbed the satphone then motioned to their guest. “Come with us, we’ll help you out.”
They quickly made their way back to their hotel, rushing their guest, whose name they learned was Bob Turnbull, through the lobby and up the stairs to their room on the third floor, no elevator available here.
“We’re still waiting for that call, Bob, so why don’t you get out of those clothes, have a nice long shower and I’ll see about getting you some extra toiletries.”
Turnbull’s shoulders slumped as the pressure began to lift. “Thank you, you two have been just—well, awesome!”
“Think nothing of it,” replied Jenny. “Now go clean up and I’ll find some of Terrence’s clothes for you to wear.”
Turnbull nodded then disappeared into the washroom. Mitchell called the front desk and had a toiletry bag brought up, adding it to their bill, then took the liberty of ordering dinner for all three of them, they barely having touched their meals earlier, and it clear Turnbull hadn’t eaten in days.
And lots of bottled water.
“What do you make of his story?”
Mitchell shrugged, looking at his wife from the bed he was lying on. “It sounds pretty farfetched, but look at him.”
“But Special Forces in the jungle? Taking researchers into custody?”
“That’s the part that sounds fishy,” agreed Mitchell.
There was a knock at the door and Jenny answered. A young boy handed over a toiletry bag and Jenny slipped him a few coins, eliciting a grin. She tossed it to her husband. “You put it in there.”
Mitchell jumped from the bed, knocking on the door.
“Yes?”
“I’ve got your toiletries here!”
“Great, just put them on the counter, thanks!”
Mitchell complied as Jenny handed him some clothes. Mitchell put them beside the toiletry bag and closed the door. Returning to the bed, he lay back down. “He said tip of the Rio Negro, didn’t he?”
Amazon Burning (A James Acton Thriller, #10) Page 11
