by Ellis, Tara
“Goldie did what?” Kavish demanded, his voice rising in pitch and betraying how upset he was.
Jess was seated in one of the lavish leather chairs in her father’s office, a room that used to bring her comfort. As she studied the ornate bookshelves that lined one wall, the grand mahogany desk, and imported area rug, Jess only felt an emptiness. Like there was a big hole inside that used to be filled up with feelings of safety, love, and an undeniable trust that her life would unfold in the same expected way every day. But that had all been a lie. Nothing was how it appeared. Not even her father’s office with its antique books that nobody cared about, the expensive desk that would soon be worth more as firewood, and even the exotic rug that came from a place where most of the people were dead, just like the rest of the world.
“Jess!” Kavish snapped, turning away from where he’d been staring out the window. “What did you mean when you said the monkey left you a trail of mango?”
“It was kinda like a game we…used to play,” she tried to explain. She’d been vague about it the night before. In the chaos and confusion of the aftermath of the attack, trying to describe the encounter with the golden monkey seemed unimportant.
“He led you away from the ambush,” Kavish said. He was acting all nervous and weird again, looking back at the window, the door, and then at her and Akuba. He rubbed absently at the fresh scratches on his face, and then tugged at the bandage wrapped around his left hand. There were spots of blood seeping through, and Jess wondered how bad the bite was.
“I think calling it an ambush is rather dramatic,” Akuba admonished. Her right forearm was also bandaged, and there were several long welts visible on her neck.
By the time Jess had reached them near the chicken coup, the monkeys that inflicted the wounds were already gone, along with half of the new chickens and one of Kamla’s fingers. The poor woman was so shocked, that she hadn’t even realized it’d been bitten off until Akuba rushed in to stop the bleeding.
Now, it was almost lunchtime. None of the chores were done, and she hadn’t even seen Amisha or Kamla. According to Kavish, they were both holed up at the Van’s house with Pikin, too afraid to go outside.
“Goldie led her away from it, Akuba!” Kavish insisted, turning back to the window. The view was of the front lawn and long gravel driveway, with the ever-present jungle surrounding it all. “And those monkeys—” he shuddered at the memory. “They were all golden lions and they knew what they were doing. It was like it was all coordinated.”
“It had to be a coincidence,” Akuba said, but Jess didn’t think she sounded as confident. Akuba went to stand next to her cousin at the window, placing a hand on his uninjured arm. “The monkeys aren’t that smart, are they?”
He shook his head, and looked at both Jess and Akuba as he spoke. “I don’t think it’s about intelligence. Most primates are smart enough to organize a hunt, or even plan something that requires several different components, and a comprehension of time. I believe that what we’re witnessing is similar to what the Kra Puru is doing to the human species. When you take away their natural inhibitions, their fear, they tap into a part of their brain and personality that is normally dormant in animals. They aren’t scared of us anymore,” he added for emphasis.
“It’s more than that,” Jess said. She squirmed under the scrutiny of the adults as they looked expectantly at her. “It’s like what Slaider said a couple of days ago, when he first got here. That the animals and the jungle are unbalanced. I don’t think it’s just that they aren’t scared of us anymore, I don’t think they’re scared of anything. The natural order of the animals is gone, and I’m pretty sure we fall somewhere in there, too. Right?”
“Yeah,” Kavish agreed, nodding. “You can feel it. At night, even the darkness looks different. It’s all wrong.” Shaking his head, he strode over to the desk and began rummaging through the drawers.
Akuba and Jess exchanged a confused look. When he made a sound of satisfaction and stood with a notepad and pen in his hands, he held them out toward Akuba. “I need you to write a letter.”
Jess wondered if the stress had finally made him crack. She’d fully expected to be the first one to cave, but the silent types were usually the most unstable.
“I don’t understand.” Akuba took the pad of paper from her cousin and sat it down on the desk. “You aren’t making any sense, and we still need to finish planning out a patrol schedule before we get started on the day’s chores.”
“Paul is working that out right now with Slaider’s cousin and Tufail, the other man that came back with him,” Kavish said. “But we both know it won’t be enough. Maybe it’ll work for today or tomorrow, but what about a week from now, when more animals start to see us and our livestock as the easiest prey? And what happens when Dr. Davies comes back and isn’t happy with how much food we have set aside for him?”
Akuba sighed and dropped her head, hands pressed against the top of the desk. Jess had rarely seen her act so defeated, and she wondered if she should leave and let them talk privately. Before she could decide, Akuba stood up and grabbed at the notepad, waving it at Kavish. “So, tell me, cousin. What am I supposed to write? Because I don’t know the answers to your questions. I’m afraid to go outside, just like everyone else. I’m afraid of dying, or worse…facing those touched by the Kra Puru. I don’t know what to do anymore, so I hope you aren’t as crazy as you sound.”
Jess was ready to run from the room, but paused with her feet halfway to the floor when Kavish began to chuckle. He might have been farther gone than she thought.
“It’s for your mother, Akuba,” Kavish said, moving around the desk to place the pen in her hand. “I think I can find the Tan Presi Rutu, based on an old map of my grandfather’s. It’s outdated and it will be difficult, but with Slaider’s help we will find our ancient village, and your mother.”
“And then what?” Akuba asked. She looked confused, and Jess imagined she was thinking the same thing Akuba was, that her cousin and Slaider were going to abandon them.
“You were meant to be our next Captain,” Kavish said. He leaned against the desk and crossed his arms over his chest, staring intensely at Akuba. “Your words will carry weight with not only your mother, but the elders, including my grandfather. Tell them what has happened here. Tell them how there are others that are immune and need refuge at the Tan Presi Rutu.”
“She won’t agree to it,” Akuba said, frowning. “You know how strongly she believes in the traditions. That only those blessed by Awa may enter our sacred village, or the bergi-olo. The caves and origin of the Libi Nati must be protected. Now, more than ever.”
Kavish didn’t waver in his confidence. “‘Only the chosen will endure’. Those are the words on the walls of the bergi-olo. Who are we to say that only Lokono are purposefully immune? We have seen with our own eyes that it isn’t true. According to my grandfather, the Tan Presi Rutu was once a community of thousands. It was meant for much greater things than hiding away a small select few. According to both our ancient and current beliefs, we must all come together to defeat the Kra Puru. Whether it be Awa, genetics, or other Gods or beliefs that have spared so many more from this affliction, it’s not up to us to shun them. Instead, I believe it’s our destiny to unite them.”
Jess watched as Akuba considered her cousin’s words. In another time, Jess would have taken Kavish’s speech as proof that he’d totally lost it. Talking about ancient texts, and Gods, and destiny as if it were all completely normal was usually not a sign of being well-grounded. Instead, she thought it made perfect sense. That realization made her stomach clench painfully, and caused her to think about Goldie again, and the bizarre world where animals were making strategic moves against humans.
The reminder that Akuba had already been through years of training to be the next Captain of their village had an effect. Her shoulders straightened, and she moved with more purpose as she went to sit at the desk. Arranging the notepad in front of her, she tap
ped at it with the pen for a moment before pointing it at Kavish. “Are you sure you can find them? My mother was to take me there on a pilgrimage before I became the next Captain, but we hadn’t gone yet. I can’t help you much with the navigation, other than what I remember from the stories. And we’ll be even more vulnerable with the two of you gone.”
Kavish smiled, obviously relieved. “I wouldn’t suggest going if I didn’t think we’d be successful. The most important part is your letter, cousin.”
Akuba grimaced, but began writing. “I’ll write the letter, but I think how you deliver it will bear more weight in the decision than you realize.” Looking up, she stared at Jess before focusing on Kavish. “You have to make them understand that everyone has suffered from the Kra Puru, and that we will only bring those who will respect the Tan Presi Rutu.”
“When are you going to leave?” Jess asked. Standing, she went to the nearest bookcase and ran her hand along a row of spines, the way she’d used to do as a child.
“Slaider is packing our things as we speak,” Kavish said. “We’ll leave after lunch. If we’re fortunate, we could reach the village in a couple of days.”
“I can get lunch ready while you work on that,” Jess offered. While she hated the idea of Kavish leaving, just the thought of having something to hope for was a tremendous relief. Her stomach already felt better, and she suddenly had an appetite.
Kavish smiled at her as he left, and his step looked lighter as he practically ran from the room.
“Thank you,” Akuba said, already bent over the paper. “The meat is thawing in the sink, and the washed vegetables are on the cutting board.”
Glad to have something to do, Jess went to walk away from the second bookcase, but her hand trailed along the edge and bumped into the world globe. The same one her father had taken down to show her where the initial eruption and other catastrophes had taken place. She stood staring at it, transfixed by the memory that felt like months ago, but was barely two weeks old.
The globe had been a prized centerpiece for as long as Jess could remember, though she had no idea where it came from, or why it had been important to her dad. Her eyes shifted from the globe and to a small framed picture of Jess and her father when she was a little girl of maybe five or six years old. They were standing in the backyard, holding hands, both of them smiling with the sun overhead and the vivid jungle in the background.
Her dad was carrying the leather satchel he always had with him, and she had either a mango or some other sort of fruit in her free hand. They were happy, the same as they were on most days during their life at the Libi Nati Preserve.
Picking up the photo, Jess held it to her chest and wished she felt like sobbing. She desperately wanted to cry about even the mere suggestion that they leave. To feel outrage that Kavish or Akuba would take for granted that she’d be okay with going, without even asking her opinion.
But as Jess stood there and held on to the past, she was still rooted in the present. There was no more denying that it had all changed, and for the first time in her life, the thought of leaving the Libi Nati didn’t fill her with dread, but relief.
Chapter 22
PETA
Northern Suriname, South America
Three hours. That was how long they’d been walking in the ninety-plus heat of the humid rainforest, with nothing more than what they could carry. Peta considered herself to be in fairly good shape and acclimated to a tropical setting, and she didn’t know how much longer she could keep pushing herself so hard.
Devon had sacrificed the camp stove after the first mile. She’d been impressed he’d held out for that long. After insisting on bringing it when the few cars they’d found were already drained of gas, he probably felt he had something to prove.
Jason believed the ferry terminal on the Suriname side must have been evacuated early on during the spread of The Kuru. The lack of running vehicles and bodies seemed to prove him right, but it left them without any options other than to walk it out.
They already knew the map was useless when it came to showing smaller villages. They had to hope that trend held out, because the nearest charted stop was at least fifty miles away. Peta was pretty sure they’d run out of water and whatever precious time they still had left long before they ever reached that destination.
The sound of an approaching vehicle made them all stop and stare at each other, maybe to confirm that everyone else was hearing it, too. She didn’t know whether to be excited or alarmed, and ended up feeling an odd mixture of both. By the way Devon began dancing around and dodging back and forth between the middle of the road and the edge of the jungle, he was just as conflicted.
Jason threw an arm out and gestured for everyone but himself and Eddy to get back. “Get out of view!” he ordered.
As Peta moved to comply, she tried to ignore the flash of annoyance at being so easily dismissed. Jason, she got. He clearly had not only the military experience, but also the sort of training and instincts it took to navigate the sort of dangerous waters they kept finding themselves in. But Eddy? As far as she knew, he was nothing more than a neurologist, and the fact that he didn’t have any fear didn’t automatically make him the next-best candidate for Jason’s backup. Since they were the two holding the rifles at the moment, Peta ducked behind a palm tree and accepted her current role as a liability. However, at some point soon, she’d have a conversation with Jason about it. She’d never be okay with only being seen as a damsel-in-distress who needed saving.
A noisy, rattling old truck rolled into view, moving slowly across the narrow, paved road full of cracks and pot holes. There was a lone man behind the driver’s wheel and…a cow in the back. Peta blinked, not fully trusting her eyes. The thin, bony cow let out a mournful bellow as Jason stepped into the middle of the road and forced the truck to stop.
Peta relaxed and stepped out for a better view, as the terrified farmer stared wide-eyed between Jason and Eddy. So far as she could see, they were the only ones acting like looters.
Devon was already jogging toward them as the old man began pleading with them in Spanish, and Jason looked over his shoulder for help. “I understood ‘please’, and probably something about not killing his cow,” he said to Devon. “Just reassure him, and ask him for a ride to the nearest town.”
“It might help if you put the guns away,” Peta suggested, as Marty began to bark excitedly and run circles around the truck.
“Marty!” Tyler chased after him, and eventually caught the dog by the collar. Meanwhile, Devon was heavily engaged in a flamboyant discussion with the farmer, that involved a bunch of hand-waving.
“The truck,” Eddy said flatly, as Devon stepped back and the man gunned the engine back to life. “We’ll need the truck.”
Devon shook his head and looked sheepishly at Jason. “He’s totally freaked out. Says almost everyone is dead and he’s on his way to his daughter’s house. I tried to tell him about the ferry, but he won’t listen. Says there’s a village less than five miles up the road, though.”
As the truck began to roll forward with a sputter, Eddy raised his rifle. “Then we take it.”
Before Peta had a chance to even think about reacting, Jason’s hand flew out and slapped at Eddy’s weapon, forcing the muzzle down to point at his own feet. “I don’t know why we need to keep having this same dialog,” Jason growled, stepping in close to the other man, his hand still on the rifle. “Our primary objective here is to save what’s left of the human race, not kill the survivors.”
Looking non-plussed, Eddy made no attempt to pull away. Instead, he released the rifle, allowing it to hang from its strap, and put his hands out to his sides, fingers splayed. “I wasn’t suggesting we kill anyone, Jason. And the use of that truck could ultimately result in achieving our objective. Your lack of understanding and refusal to accept that truth is somewhat puzzling.”
“Uh, that um...that truck was a piece of junk, anyway,” Tyler said nervously as he edged closer to the
two men. “And the bed was full of cow crap. We can walk a few more miles, right?”
Marty broke loose of Tyler’s grip on his collar and bounded up to Jason. Bumping into his legs, he caused Jason to step back, dissipating the growing tension. Turning away from Eddy, he glanced at Peta as he ran a hand over his sweaty face. She could tell he was rattled, and that concerned her more than anything else that had just happened.
“Then let’s start walking.” Devon already had his pack settled onto his back and was pointing down the road, the direction the truck had come from. “He called it a village, so I doubt it’d be on the map. Pretty sure he was telling the truth.”
“Only one way to find out,” Jason said, falling in beside Devon. Squinting up at the sun, he wiped at his face again. “We’re almost out of water, so I hope they at least have a working well.”
As Tyler ran ahead with Marty, Peta hung back so she could walk alongside Eddy. When he paused and looked at her questioningly, she smiled at him. “Why don’t I carry the rifle for a while? Pretty sure it’s my turn.”
Unslinging the weapon from his shoulder, Eddy cocked his head at her in the irritating, inquisitive manner he had. “Your attempt to control my behavior is misguided.”
“Perhaps,” Peta said, not bothering to try and deny it. “But I can live with that.”
About an hour later, they saw the first signs of the upcoming town. A burned-out car was off to the side of the road, and even to Peta’s untrained eye, she could see that it was riddled with bullet holes. Another truck that looked military was a couple hundred feet away. All of its tires were flat, and the driver’s side door was open. What looked like bloated arms were hanging out.
Then, the smell hit them.
“Oh, man!” Devon gasped, covering his face with his shirt.
“What do you think happened here?” Peta asked, looking to Jason. He was already approaching the truck cautiously, and disappeared on the other side without answering her.
