A lot was at stake. And now the future of this multi-billion-dollar project lay in the hands of two yahoos from New Jersey.
***
Jimmy Phillips found a good deer trail and followed it to a long, wide meadow, bisected by a tributary stream of cold rushing mountain water. As he moved quickly through the dense forest, the tall canopy shielding him from direct sunlight had obscured the tracks in the soft path until he was out in the open. Jimmy noticed that the tracks in the dry meadow mud showed that the animal tracks seemed neither to be hoof nor paw. They could be mistaken for human footprints, but they weren’t. Jimmy was certain of that. Too small and the shape was all wrong.
Jimmy was delighted with the mystery. Blackhurst had provided him with a new scoped military grade rifle that he was dying to try out on a hunt. Maybe he would bag some rare exotic animal and be credited with the kill. Get his face in a hunting magazine. That would be badass.
***
Jimmy was busy building a small fire under his compact cooking grate and did not notice the young woman approaching him from the forest at the edge of the clearing. She moved quietly and stealthily from behind and Jimmy was startled when he finally noticed her.
“Hey there pardner,” he said. “I didn’t see you comin’. Are you lost?”
The young woman did not smile or show any hint of emotion. “I was just about to ask you the same question. You’re on private property without permission to be here. I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to pack up and leave. Immediately. It isn’t safe for you here.”
“No more or less than for you, I suspect.” Jimmy continued uninterrupted, concerned only with bringing his small campfire to life. He was very hungry and his freeze-dried pasta meal would taste awfully good right about now.
The young woman continued in an unfriendly tone. “You need to pack up and leave. You are not welcome here and peculiar things can happen to uninvited strangers here in the Preserve. You need to get moving. Your time is almost up.”
“What are you yapping about, girl? What time is up? Have a seat and tell me more.” Jimmy thought ahead and didn’t mind his fantasy of a wild wilderness hookup. “Why not take a load off and smoke a jay with me. Relax. What’s your name? I’m Jimmy.”
She neither smiled nor moved. “My name is Maya. Just remember, you’ve been warned.”
“Why so testy miss Maya? I can take care of myself. Besides, you don’t look all that dangerous.”
“Looks can, and very often are, deceiving. My friends and I have been watching you since you entered the Preserve and you have disturbed our peace and quiet. We do not tolerate such disrespect from outsiders. Especially outsiders who have been warned. Twice.”
“Well, unless your friends are nearby, it looks like it’s just you and me. And I don’t see how that puts me in any danger.”
“My friends are here, which means that you’re more danger than you can possibly imagine. You and your friend will never leave this place alive if you don’t pack up and leave now.”
Jimmy was not feeling whatever the young woman was putting out there and was beginning to take her threats seriously. He turned to pull out his .45 caliber pistol, but his pack was gone. In fact, all his goods and gear were gone. It was just him, the young woman and a small fire in a clearing beside a gentle stream.
“What did you do with my stuff?” Jimmy demanded. “Give it back.”
Maya said, “My friends are deciding what exactly to do with you.”
“Let me know when they all get here. I’m all ears. And, hey my stuff is valuable. So, I want it back. All of it.”
“They’re already here, don’t you see them?”
“See who? There’s nobody here. You trippin’, girl?”
Jimmy sensed something was wrong and felt eyes on him. But still, he saw nothing. He thought he heard something, breathing or rustling but still no visual. When he did see them, it would be long past mattering. There were dozens of them, moving slowly, circling his camp, as if hunting prey.
They were strange and beautiful, standing upright and looking oddly catlike. Or was it more canine? He couldn’t make out their features, at least not in much detail but he saw them as they moved toward him. It suddenly occurred to him that they were not human even though they stood upright. He could not make out their razor-sharp teeth nor the long claws that retracted into a paw-like hand.
“What are they?” Jimmy asked of no one in particular. The young woman, Maya, was no longer present and her exit had also gone undetected.
The barely discernable creatures now surrounded Jimmy, their behavior not unlike a pack of hungry wolves closing in on prey. He was fascinated by their look and beauty and not at all in fear of imminently losing his life.
This was a grave mistake.
Jimmy stuck to the plan worked out at headquarters and began to explain. “Look, miss … I didn’t catch your full name. Miss Maya …?”
Silence as the young woman had already moved off, quietly.
“As I said, my partner and I are just here to camp and have a look around. We do wilderness surveys. Just have a peek at the outback and send some recordings to various government agencies. We’re here to help protect the wilderness.”
“I don’t believe you, Jimmy,” said Maya from a distance. “I don’t think my friends do either. I think you’re here for a bad reason; I just don’t know what it is. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be skulking around like you’re up to something. And your friend is sneaking around somewhere else, just north of here.”
“We’re just camping, that’s all. We camp and hike and take some samples for research, that’s it. You guys are getting all worked up over nothing. Seriously, man, chill.”
From the forest edge, a gentle voice said “Run! It’s your only chance.”
That was a lie.
Jimmy had no chance of surviving, but his flight might provide some modest sport for her companions. She had hunted several days ago and was now in a fully transformed state. She would hang around for a few days but then she would head home to LA. Her companions would complete this hunt and then they too would return with her to their jobs at the biotech firm and continue the work on the project they had been assigned some years ago after college. The breakthrough they had long sought was almost a reality, at least that’s what one of the chief scientists in charge of the project in Chicago had told them. Their hard work and dedication had paid off.
Vacationing at the Preserve was a reward of sorts for dedication on the job and many months of precise lab work that often had to be double and triple checked. Repetitive and often boring, but essential to fulfill their overall objective.
These trespassers, like all those who came before them, would all get what they deserve. And if the Great Council decided it was war, then they would all be ready. They had done their part so far; now others would step up to do theirs. They too would gladly take part in the Great Cull, as some of their Elders had begun to call it. That is, if their military folks would let them.
Strange sounds were now evident even to Jimmy, as the creatures seemed to be speaking among themselves, then talking to him. The sounds were like some odd vocalization and sounded like birds singing, buzzing, humming and purring in combination. No, it was more like that documentary he had seen on TV about whales, dolphins and porpoises communicating. Like singing. Or chirping. No words were heard; it was instead a steady chorus of voices that made no rational sense. To him.
Jimmy was knocked to the ground as he strained to see his adversaries. “Hey, fuckers, watch it. I haven’t done anything to you.”
“Run!” the voice from the clearing. “You still might survive this.” The sound of Maya’s voice was all he heard. He still saw nothing concrete.
Jimmy knew this was trouble now though he still was calm. The first strike came quickly and slashed his chest, causing blood to spurt from the gash. The next few strikes caught him unawares and connected close to major arterie
s. Jimmy instantly recognized that he was bleeding out as his new companions surrounded him, watching him die from exacting wounds inflicted with precision.
The woman Maya closed in on Jimmy. “Now, before you die, let’s talk a little about why you are here and who sent you.”
This had been a minor test in restraint; unfortunately, it had not been the success for which they had hoped. Fighting their primal urges to feed, to consume human prey was overwhelming. The smell of fresh blood was irresistible; the urge to kill colossal. If they could not restrain themselves, they would transform. Then what good would they be?
The end came quickly for Jimmy after his brief chat with Maya as the smell of blood became too much for the creatures to resist. Twenty or so of them attacked in unison and ripped Jimmy apart, limbs and torso dragged off in several directions as they stopped to consume most of him, bone and all. They had been forbidden to devour all of him; some parts were still needed elsewhere. Maya, the girl Jimmy spoke to, would pack up some of the remains, head included and travel north to meet up with Ezra.
In a short period of time, they would revert to an unnatural state but one to which they had long ago adapted. The young woman would remain with her friends and assist them through the transition. Then it was home to the grind and the research upon which all their fates now depended.
This was but prelude.
Chapter 22
The problem with assumptions is that they must be true to be of any value as the basis for action in the real world. Unfortunately for Alan, Jimmy was probably correct: splitting up was likely not a wise move although it would not have helped in any meaningful way for either of the boys. As they separated, multiple sets of eyes were on them and followed them every step of the way from daybreak until dusk.
Alan arrived at the designated location in early evening, a few daylight hours still to follow. Jimmy had not yet arrived, and Alan expected he would be several hours slower than him, as Jimmy had never completely understood the meaning of “brisk pace”. Although the small clearing would be easy enough for Jimmy to find, Alan decided to perch himself atop a large boulder, a few hundred feet up a small incline against possibility of accidental detection “just in case”. He had a panoramic view from his fixed and elevated location, so he felt safe from a stealthy approach by Ezra again.
As the hours passed by, Alan began to worry about Jimmy and what trouble he may have gotten himself into. Jimmy always seemed to be the weak link and sometimes despite their close friendship, he wondered whether he had picked the right partner. As daylight faded in the west, Alan decided it was now time to set his camp at the edge of the small clearing and wait for Jimmy to arrive there. Surely, he would see the small campfire, though the surrounding forest was dense with undergrowth.
Jimmy did not arrive by nightfall and once again Alan detected a noticeable lack of background chatter from birds and other nocturnal creatures. It was unusually quiet and worrisome as the only audible sound was the wind whispering through the trees.
A voice suddenly startled Alan, alone with his thoughts in the middle of nowhere. “Mr. Martin, I see you didn’t take our advice and leave this land. That is most unfortunate.”
“Where are you?” Alan asked, calmly scanning the perimeter of his campground, almost in total darkness but for the dim lantern and small campfire he had lit to help guide Jimmy to the little clearing. He saw a vague shadow approach from the edge of the clearing, but the man stayed back far enough for his features to remain obscured.
“How’s this?” the man asked cautiously. “One must be constantly vigilant in the presence of fully armed humans. Most dangerous and capricious predators on the planet. Did you know that humans are the only species on the planet that kills for sport? All other species kill for food, survival or self-preservation. But human folk, you kill for the pure thrill of killing. You invented torture. Ever stop to wonder why that is?”
Silence.
Alan said somewhat more calmly than he felt, “No I can’t say I have ever thought much about that, Ezra.” Alan looked around furtively, realizing just how quickly he had lost sight of Ezra and could now only hear his voice.
“I am not Ezra,” the man said. “My name is Ezekiel. But you may call me Ezra if you wish. But please, do continue.”
Alan continued, “I guess the answer is that we are at the top of the food chain and pretty much get to do as we please. The benefits, I was once told in school, of the opposable thumb.”
“Quite so. Amazing how capriciously nature picks winners and losers. A tiny bit of fragmented DNA here or there a million years ago and talking elephants might now rule the world. Or when your kind was on its evolutionary upswing, a nice volcanic disaster in Africa would have spared the world of your infestation. But nope, Mother Nature picked the species most temperamentally unfit to reign in harmony with the balance of planetary life. You fundamentally fail in your stewardship of the planet because you lack the sense of connection to the land, the natural world and the tiniest bit of compassion for other living things. You so often ascribe such wonderful notions of benevolence and benign accomplishment to yourselves because you love your dog or cat. But you do not, in fact, possess either a benign attitude or a benevolent nature. A cruel Nature put you in charge. Useful genetics and incredibly good luck are the only possible explanations. Nature can be really fucked up sometimes, wouldn’t you agree?”
“I would,” replied Alan. “People all like to talk about the beauty of nature as if nature was a kindly old lady handing out chocolates to children. Nature is more like an unruly, brutish child that must be reined in and curbed lest it levels all creatures evenly to some constant and irreducible struggle for mere survival. I would say we adapted best and the rest of the natural world is getting what God intended for it: dominance by mankind. Says so in the Bible and I have never found much to argue with there. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“I would not. In fact, the whimsy of nature and the hypocrisy of mankind has always distressed me to no end. Of the many species on the planet that are, or have been, I would not have picked humans as the most likely to become dominant in the end. I think humans are a fortunate evolutionary anomaly that was never meant to be as successful as you have become. Let’s face it, Alan, you humans have punched above your weight. Good on you. While it lasts, of course.”
Silence.
Alan, now completely confused and freaked out shouted at the figure, “Who are you, man? And why are you here harassing me? I mean are you part of some crazy fucked up religious cult?”
“Who I am doesn’t matter. You’ll be dead soon enough, so answering that question has no real value to you now or, for that matter, any relevance for your likelihood of survival. I am harassing you because you are on my property and have refused to leave. I gave you fair warning and asked nicely. I think you are here for very bad reasons and are now trying to pretend you are something you are not. And no, I am not part of a religious cult. There. All your questions answered. Feel better?”
The voice continued, “Now, since I’ve answered your questions it seems only fair that you should answer a few of mine.”
“Such as?” Alan was close to full-fledged panic mode and his calm demeanor was not indicative of his mental state. He was a quarter of an inch from full bore “flight” and “get the hell outta here” mode.
“Such as, why are you really here? Your partner, Jimmy Phillips was less than cooperative and quite fanciful in his ridiculous claims about his reasons for visiting us here at the Preserve. We suspect he was not only lying but was in fact working with some outside agency to spy on us. I don’t know why but we’d like you to clear that up for us. Can you do that?”
“And, assuming I’m going to die very soon, why would I do that?”
“Because you have choices, albeit not great ones. You may exit this lifetime quickly, an option with which I can and will assist you. Or you can end up like Jimmy which will be far less quick and a lot more p
ainful - for you. However, you will provide some sport and hopefully some thrills for my brethren. Up to you really. I’m not inclined either way.”
Alan was now in full, unvarnished melt down and screamed at the man in the shadows, “What the fuck have you done to Jimmy! C’mon you fucking coward, step out of the shadows and take me on, mano a mano.”
Alan glanced around looking for one of his weapons which was no longer within easy reach. In fact, all his weapons were gone.
“Your weapons are gone, Alan. We relieved you of them hours ago while you were sunning yourself on that boulder like a lizard. We find you humans to be over armed to the point of absurdity but then you humans are the targets of every other species on the planet. Mostly your own species, I hasten to point out, but then that’s a conversation for another day. Another day, you, unfortunately, do not have. I guess in that case I might arm myself to the gills too. Oh well. Such is life.”
“How did you even do that? My weapons were never out of my sight or more than a few feet away.”
“Yeah it will surprise you when we reveal ourselves but as I said, if you cooperate and tell us what we want to know. In that case I promise I’ll make your demise quick and as you folks like to say, humane. Then you’ll never have to meet the family. My family, that is.”
“So, I suppose your mates are hiding nearby or are you just bluffing? You’re the only one I hear anywhere around here, so are your buddies parachuting in or are they demon spirits?”
“Demons, for sure. But spirits, no. But in a way, probably the closest thing you’d recognize to a demon spirit, just before they’d rip you apart. My brethren feel quite piqued with humanity at present, so they tend to go slightly overboard when we provide them an opportunity to refine their skills for human predation. Great practical value historically but we normally now discourage hunting homo sapiens, at least for the present time. That may change soon, however.”
Discovery Page 45