by Dan Arnold
Shaking her head, Becky set to work in her own grid.
When the professor joined them there was still about an hour of daylight left.
“How goes the work my child?” He asked Becky. Whatever was wrong with him was much more evident now. He kept looking up at something only he could see. Each time he did this a sublime smile would spread across his face.
“We’ve gone through five of the grids. That leaves three to do. We’ve counted fourteen hundred and nine stones. They range in size from about the size of a hardback novel to the size of a bed pillow. We identified a pile of unused stones and found three objects which I would say were almost certainly hand tools. They’re the first objects on the mountain we can classify as artefacts.”
“Excellent. Show them to me.”
She led the way to the first one, bending down to point it out to the professor. He no longer seemed interested in the stone tools.
“Have you seen them?”
“Of course, we all have, and we photographed them from a variety of angles.”
“No, not the rocks, the winged serpents, do you see them?” He pointed at Tina. “She does.”
Tina Nguyen was walking away from them with her eyes closed, reaching up in an attempt to touch something unseen.
Too late, Becky realized Tina was approaching the steep edge of a canyon.
“Tina, stop.” She yelled, making a lunge toward the woman.
Before she could reach her, Tina stumbled and fell headlong over the edge. She slid face down on the sandstone slope for about sixty feet, gathering speed before hurtling down into the canyon nearly a hundred meters below.
Becky stood there, too stunned to move or speak.
“Now you see them, don’t you?” The professor said.
Beyond Professor Madison, Becky saw the astounded expression on Bob’s face. He looked over at his girlfriend Sarah. She was swaying as though moving to music only she could hear.
Without saying a word, Becky raced to the gully and began working her way down off the mountain.
Twenty
When Jake ran into the junction of canyons where their camp was set up, he found no one there. Realizing the others were still up on the mountain, he took a moment to drink from the last of his water bottles. He’d refill them before climbing up the gully on the mountainside. When he went to refill them from one of the jerry cans, he was startled to discover both cans had been opened and turned upside down. All of the water had drained out into the warm sand. Shocked, he paused to consider what it meant. Why would anyone waste water in the desert? It was another indicator of the developing pattern of disturbed behaviour. He didn’t have time to think about it. He had to find someone to help him rescue Todd.
As he turned to run toward the mountain, he was relieved to find Becky standing at the mouth of the canyon, watching him.
The look on her face perplexed him for a moment. It was a look of horror.
“What have you done?” She asked.
Wiping sweat from his eyes, Jake said. “What? Me? Oh, the jerry cans? I didn’t do it and I don’t have time to explain. Todd is hurt. We need to gather up some things and bring him back here. Where are the others?”
“Tina fell into one of the canyons.”
“Is she OK?”
“No, mate, she fell about a hundred meters into another canyon, off to the east. She must be dead. Everyone’s gone crazy. They’ll be coming here. We have to go. Something is horribly wrong with them, all of them except Bob.”
As if hearing his name, Bob rushed around the corner
“Jake, thank God. Did Becky tell you about Tina?”
“Yes, but…”
“The professor has lost his mind and Sarah’s not right. We’ve got to get out of here. Where is Todd?”
“Todd is hurt. I couldn’t carry him back by myself. I need both of you to help me. Grab that tarp and those two folding chairs. We’ll make a litter.”
“What happened? Where is he?”
Grabbing the roll of bandage tape out of the larger first aid kit, he answered the questions in order. “He’s a few hundred yards up in another canyon. He fell and hit his head. Let’s go.”
The gloom in the canyons increased as the sun slid toward the far horizon. The three of them raced to the scene of Todd’s encounter with the perentie.
Coming around a bend in the canyon, Jake stopped so suddenly, Becky and Todd ran into him.
What they saw made Becky scream out loud.
Two giant goannas were tearing Todd limb from limb, their maws smeared with Todd’s blood and bodily fluids.
Jake pushed Becky and Bob back around the bend in the canyon.
“There’s nothing we can do for him now. We’ll have to go back to camp.”
“We can’t go back there. They’ve all gone insane, talking about beautiful winged serpents only they can see. Tina just walked right off the edge of the mountain. ” Becky said.
“We can’t be certain she’s dead. We have to try to find her.” Jake said.
Bob quivered.
“Are you crazy too? Do you want to go stumbling through these canyons in the dark, with those things crawling around?”
“No, you’re right. I wasn’t thinking. It’s not safe here. We have to get to Yarramalong Station.”
Bob said, “Now you’re talking. Let’s grab a ute and go.”
“We have to retrace the way we came in. That means following the vehicle tracks. We can’t drive back in the dark. I hate to think where we might end up. No, we’ll go first thing in the morning.”
“We can’t spend the night here with those crazy people.” Becky said.
“I get that Tina and the professor went nuts. What about Sarah?”
Bob hung his head.
“She’s lost it, too, mate.”
“I’m sorry, Bob. OK, there’s three of us and only two of them. Did either of them try to hurt you?”
“No. They barely noticed me when I left them on the mountain. What happened when you left, Bob?”
“They didn’t try to stop me or anything.”
“I think our chances are better if we spend the night in camp. We’ll look out for each other, and leave at first light. Agreed?”
The response was a reluctant and slow nodding of heads.
“I wish we had some way to arm ourselves.” Becky said.
“I have my bowie knife in my pack. When we get back to camp, grab a hammer or another tool, even a tent stake. It doesn’t sound like we’ll need them, but I agree with you. Let’s be prepared to do whatever we have to do to stay alive.”
Twenty-One
The gloom in the canyons gave way to complete darkness as the sun dropped below the far horizon. Other than the sounds of their own movement, the canyons were silent. Knowing danger lurked somewhere both behind and in front of them as they hiked, the walls and floor of the canyons seen only by the light of their torches, left each of them with a sense of deep foreboding.
At the campsite, not a single lantern was lit. They waited, watching and listening for any sign someone was there.
After a time, Jake quietly spoke up.
“I don’t think they ever came back here. The camp is abandoned. Let’s get some lanterns lit and set them at the mouth of each canyon. If anyone or anything approaches we’ll be able to see them before they see us. We need to find water, food and weapons for both of you. When we’ve done that, we’ll take turns keeping watch.”
There being no dissent, they set about following Jake’s directions.
After about twenty minutes of effort, they were as prepared as they were going to get. The lanterns gave life to the painted images on the walls. These images no longer seemed beautiful, but had become sinister and threatening.
The only water they found was in the bottom of one of the eskies that hadn’t been drained. It wasn’t much water, less than a half litre, and it wasn’t clean, but they shared it and drank every drop with gratitude.
Jake ins
isted they eat because it was important to keep up their strength and there was some moisture in the MRE’s. When they were done, he gave further instructions.
“Let’s get some rest. It’s half past nine o’clock. Sunrise will be at about six o’clock. We’ll each take a three hour watch. The most dangerous time will be the third watch, three to six. I’ll take that time. Bob, you take midnight to three, and then wake me. Becky, you have this watch. I don’t anticipate trouble, but stay alert. If you see or hear anything at all, wake us, OK?
Becky nodded her understanding, but she had a question.
“What’s happening here? Why is everyone going mad?”
“I don’t know for sure. Maybe we’ve been exposed to some agent or chemical. The heat may play a role. I just don’t know.
“Will we all go insane?”
“No, we’re leaving this place. We’re sane now and there’s no reason to think we won’t remain so.”
Todd said, “It creeps me out, thinking about them wandering around out there somewhere in the canyons. If those giant goannas don’t get them, there’s no telling what they’ll do.”
Becky shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself.
Jake put both hands on her shoulders, looking her in the eye.
“Don’t be afraid. We’re ready for anything, and tomorrow at first light we’ll be on our way to Yarramalong Station.”
“It won’t be soon enough for me.” She said.
Twenty-Two
The sky was just glowing pink, as Jake, Becky and Bob moved quietly down the canyon toward the open plain where the vehicles were parked. Each had hopes of escaping the death and depravity they’d found in these mountains and canyons. Jake’s bowie knife was hanging against his thigh in its sheath. Becky held a hammer, while Bob carried a pick axe.
As they rushed out of the mouth of the canyon, they found Professor Madison standing in the first light of sunrise flooding across the desert plain. It was as if he were waiting for them. He was standing straight and tall with both hands behind his back.
“What are you doing out here? I didn’t give you permission to leave the dig site.”
Bob stepped forward.
“Professor, there’s something happening to you and the others. You saw what Tina did. Todd’s dead, too. We have to leave this place.”
“Mr. Overlander, didn’t I tell you I wouldn’t allow anyone to fail me or expose this site to outside scrutiny?”
“Yes, but…”
Before he could complete his statement, Professor Madison thrust the prying end of a tire iron up through his belly and into his chest.
Jake was moving even as Bob fell.
Professor Madison was surprisingly fast, bringing the tire iron up just in time to block Jake’s lunge at his throat.
The two men grappled for control of the tool. Jake’s training, age, and general level of fitness gave him an advantage over the other man. Jake turned suddenly, slamming his shoulder into the professor as he reversed from pulling to shoving the tire iron away from them. Jake’s arms were longer and stronger, tearing the weapon free from the professor’s grasp.
As Jake whirled around with the steel bar raised above his head, the professor ploughed into him, knocking him off his feet and back against the fender of one of the utility vehicles. The tire iron flew free as the two men rolled off the front of the vehicle.
Becky missed most of the action because she was on her knees beside Bob, trying to stem the flow of blood. It was an insufficient measure as the tire iron had torn through several organs and major vessels. Bob gasped and gurgled, drowning in his own blood.
Jake tore free of the older man, drawing his bowie knife. Professor Madison leapt to his feet, sprinting for the mouth of the nearest canyon. Jake started after him, but stopped at Becky’s anguished cry for help.
As he dropped to his knees beside his friends in the early morning light, he knew there was nothing to be done. Bob was dead.
Becky searched his face for some sign of hope. Seeing none, she burst into tears. The rising sun was greeted with the scream of her utter agony.
Jake pulled Becky to her feet.
“We’ve got to go. We’ll take this ute and drive to the station. Come on get in.”
Jake was only a little surprised to find the keys missing. He tore some wires loose from the dash behind the steering wheel. A full two minutes elapsed before he realized he wouldn’t be able to start the vehicle.
“Let’s try the other one.”
This vehicle was as disabled as the first.
“What are we going to do?” Becky asked.
“We’ll have to take the water truck.”
As they approached the tanker, they found all six tires were flat. The big truck was sitting on its rims, mostly sunk into the dirt
“We’re trapped out here, aren’t we?” Becky moaned.
“No. We’ve still got our feet. We’ll walk to the station.”
“That’s more than sixty kilometres. It’s desert all the way. How much water do we have?”
“I don’t have any, how about you?”
Becky shook her head.
“I’ve got two empty water bottles in my pack. What have you got?”
“The same as you.”
“We’ll refill them from the tanker. Four bottles will have to be enough.”
Walking around the back side of the tanker, they could both feel the relative humidity change. The valve had been left open. The water had run out onto the ground, absorbed by the sandy soil.
Jake stopped, staring down at the dampened ground.
“My God, what was he thinking? None of us can live without water.”
“Wait,” Becky said. “There’s still a trickle. Give me your water bottles.”
It took nearly ten minutes to get one bottle half full, and then the trickle gave way to a drip. A half hour’s effort only half filled the first bottle.
Even this early in the morning, the heat of the sun was already noticeable, wringing the sweat out of both of them.
They squatted in the shade of the truck.
“What will we do now?” Becky voiced what both of them were thinking.
Jake shrugged.
“We have to get away from here. The only hope we have is Yarramalong Station.”
“We’ll never make it.”
“Sure, we will. Like you said, it’s only about sixty clicks. We can walk that far in a single day.”
“Not in this heat.”
Jake stood up, offering Becky his hand.
“We don’t have a choice. The key to survival is not giving up. We’re alive and sane. There’s a reason for that. Let’s put our trust in God.”
Becky looked doubtful, but accepted his hand. Jake smiled as he helped her up.
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” He quoted.
Becky chuckled.
“Is that supposed to be a word of encouragement, Confucius?”
Jake grinned.
“It’s all I have at the moment.”
As they began walking, Becky glanced toward the rising sun.
“It won’t be enough,” She mumbled. “Not by half.”
Twenty-Three
Jake estimated they were averaging about four clicks per hour, but now they were approaching the escarpment.
As they crossed the plain, they’d been in and out of the shade of trees and brush. Even so, the sun beat down with unrelenting force, sapping them of energy. The escarpment was in direct sunlight. They would have to walk about another kilometre to the slope they’d driven down, and then start hiking up in the full glare of the sun. The heat was becoming nearly unbearable. Climbing the slope would be challenging, so they stopped to rest in the shade of some gum trees among the rocks scattered at the base of the cliff face.
Both Jake and Becky were sweating profusely now. The sweat evaporated so fast they never felt damp. Jake knew the perspiration was keeping them alive, but also depleting them of
vital moisture. Every cell in their bodies depended on water to stay alive.
He was aware of the rule of threes. Generally, a person can live for three minutes without air, three days without water, and three weeks without food. That rule was applicable under less stressful conditions. Without water, in this desert heat, even resting, they couldn’t expect to live for more than a day or so. They were already nearly half way into that day, with a steep climb ahead of them, followed by more than forty kilometres of broken desert landscape without hope of water. They would be hiking most of that distance in the heat of the day.
“Best not to dwell on it.” Jake thought.
“What did you say?” Becky asked.
“Nothing, I guess I was just thinking out loud.”
“I was thinking about how thirsty I am.” She said, scratching her legs.
Jake watched her fingers moving up and down. There were little welts forming here and there. He spoke to her without showing the alarm he felt.
“Let’s keep moving.”
“Can’t we just rest here until the cool of the evening? I’ll bet we’re far enough away from those mountains to be safe now. We can climb the hill at dusk and then rest for the night at the top. We could get an early start in the morning.”
Jake waved a fly away from his eyes. He wanted to rest as much as she did, but the itching suggested Becky was probably infected with whatever had driven the others insane.
“No, we have to get to water as quickly as possible. If we lay around for hours in this heat, we’ll die of thirst for sure.”
He knew it was imperative to get Becky emergency medical attention. He prayed it would be in time.
“Then we’d better drink our water now.” She said.
Jake was planning to give it all to Becky, but not until it was critical for her survival. They were both in need now, but not yet in any real danger of dehydration or heat stroke. That time would come in the afternoon.
“Not now. Come on, we’ve got a hill to climb.”