Predator Island

by Douglas Cameron

  “I’ll go up first, then (Axel) Martin. (Alejandro) Gonzalez and (Agustin) López continue down the tube. But be careful.”

  Teniente Zapatero slung his rifle over his shoulder grabbed the ladder and pulled on it. It was solid (or so it seemed). Then he started up. As he neared the top his sharp vision caught sight of the explosive in a small cutout behind the ladder.

  “Booby …,” was all he got out as the right side of the rope separated and the increased weight severed the left. The explosion killed Teniente Zapatero instantaneously, but he would have died from the rocks torn lose in the hole.

  The strangler fig, the oldest tree in the small rainforest, shuddered when the explosion occurred and then dropped a good ten feet into the earth as the hole collapsed. Amazingly, the old tree continued to grow in the hole.

  Alejandro and Agustin hadn’t gone very far and were knocked to the floor of the lava tube by the explosion. Picking themselves up, they eschewed caution and used their flashlights as they ran back to where they had left their amigo Axel. They found him in the middle of the tunnel unconscious, his legs covered with rubble but nothing was broken. He had not been looking forward to the climb because of his “full figure” and a severe case of claustrophobia that he had not told anyone about. Teniente Zapatero’s body and the ladder were buried in the rubble which would become their last resting place.

  Los Tres A-migos decided that it was proper to continue on through the tube and would turn back only when the way further was blocked. Hence they soon found themselves on the rocky shore. They made their way south until they found a path leading up (the same path that Gerallt had followed to get down). They made their way through the rainforest, across the Plain of Olympus to their encampment which they found deserted. Basically being good soldiers, they commandeered a pickup and drove up the mountain road to the tunnel. Finding the gates closed, there was nothing they could do (save going back to the lava tube and returning to the crater that way) but return to the encampment.

  Chapter 39

  As Monica and Gerallt neared the encampment they slowed down and moved cautiously but discovered no guards. Monica got a pickup used to transport guards to and from the sentry posts at the tunnel entrance and at Vulcan’s Roost and Gerallt opted for a flatbed. He led the way out of the encampment and up the road to the gate where Declercq and Gretel waited. At this point in time, Los Tres A-migos were just halfway through the rainforest on their way to the encampment.

  Gretel got up on the flat bed standing on the passenger side and Declercq got into the pickup with Monica. The drone flew above them with its infrared camera watching for Teniente Diego Alejandro Velazquez who had chosen to run when he saw the flatbed entering the tunnel.

  “There he is,” Issaack said from where he was watching on the big screen in the theater. “Running away.”

  Despite the quiet of the electric motors, the walls of the tunnel amplified the sound of the truck warning Teniente Velazquez of their approach. Horus turned the tunnel lights on illuminating the teniente who, being in the open, stood no chance. He dropped his weapon and raised his hands in surrender. Gretel got down and secured him with flexi-cuffs. Monica stopped the pickup truck beside the fallen invaders and Declercq got down to check their condition. “They’re dead.” Declercq said and he gathered their weapons and ammunition to add to their supply and put them in the pickup’s cab. He then made the tentiente get into the back of the pickup and secured him to it with flexi-cuffs. Then he got back into the pickup’s cab. The two trucks moved on through the tunnel and Gerallt and Monica stopped the trucks a hundred yards from the entrance to the crater to coordinate things with Horus.

  “Three men came out from the lava tube on the shore. It appears that they are trying to return to their encampment. They are just exiting the rainforest,” Horus reported. “There was one guard on each side of Vulcan’s Roost but Carmen killed the one on north side. Comandante Lopez and two others were marshalled with Esteves near the mouth of the tunnel and have been joined by the three who were on guard duty. It looks like they are planning an assault. We had our bombers ready. There are three, each with one grenade. We will fly two over and hit them. I imagine they will try for the tunnel for cover. If you arrive at that time, we will have them in a crossfire so to speak. You can stop at the front door and come in. We have made barricades on either side of the door and can get them as they enter if that is what they choose to do.”

  Monica replaced Gerallt as the driver of the flatbed, Declercq got in the cab because his shoulder made it difficult to shoot, and Gerallt joined Gretel and they lay flat on the bed of the truck. When Horus gave the word, Monica gunned the engine. As they neared the mouth of the tunnel they heard sounds of shots but the shots were not directed at them. Then sounds of the two explosions ripped the air just before the truck burst from the tunnel with Gerallt and Gretel firing almost blindly as they flew past what was left of the disorientated invaders. Monica pulled to a stop in front of the open door to Vulcan’s Roost, and the four dismounted from the truck and hurried inside. They were greeted warmly by Issaack, Siegfried, Phil, Waldo, Carmen and Gloria.

  “Did you see how those grenade bombers worked?” Phil was exuberant.

  “It was his design,” Waldo said. “I was doubtful…”

  “Because you thought I was with Esteves. That was only for the vote.”

  “Well, it worked and I misjudged you,” Waldo said extending his hand which Phil took.

  “What’s the status, Horus?” Gerallt asked.

  “There appear to be two of the invaders alive. That’s all I see moving. The others are most likely dead. Esteves ran into the tunnel after you flew by. No one standing,” Horus said.

  “Is Esteves armed?” Gerallt asked.

  “I don’t know,” Horus said. “He hasn’t shot at my drone.”

  Gerallt ran out and got into the cab of the flatbed and started the truck.

  “Wait, Gerallt. I’m coming with you,” Monica said as she ran around the front of the truck and opened the door.

  “Well, move your English arse,” Gerallt said as she climbed in.

  Gerallt turned the truck around and they drove into the tunnel while the rest headed for the invaders with guns in hand, taking no chances. It wasn’t long before Monica and Gerallt could see Ramiro running. He was looking over his shoulder at them. His running was labored. Obviously physical activity was not his forte. They caught up with Ramiro just short of where the pickup had been left. He had stopped and was facing them empty handed as they got out of the truck.

  “I am unarmed,” he said holding his arms out to show that.

  “I don’t believe you,” Gerallt said, a pistol in his hand.

  “It’z true,” Ramiro said, “Let’z do thiz mano a mano. I take off my jacket and then I fight you.”

  He started removing his jacket shrugging it off his left shoulder and when that arm was free, he grabbed the cuff of the right sleeve and started pulling it off. When his right hand was starting to show as it began to emerge from of the sleeve head, there was a shot. A blotch of red appeared on Ramiro’s white shirt just below his right shoulder. A look of surprise crossed his face, his left hand let go of the jacket which fell to the ground at his feet. As his right hand came completely out of the sleeve head, a small silver pistol was revealed held loosely in his hand. He looked at Monica who was holding her AK-47 pointed right at him.

  “I saw the gleam of silver,” she said. “He should have had a white one.”

  Ramiro looked at Gerallt. He seemed to be pleading.

  “I never trusted you,” Gerallt said and fired. The bullet hit Ramiro just above his nose and he fell to the ground lifeless.

  Gerallt picked up Esteves’ body and threw it into the back of the pickup truck like the trash it was. It bounced against the legs of The Teniente who kicked at it disdainfully. Gerallt got back into the flatbed and backed it out of the tunnel while Monica drove the pickup. Five Bundle members were just outside the
tunnel’s entrance working on three of the invaders. The other three invaders had been laid out side by side. Gloria was coming out of Vulcan’s Roost carrying some sheets.

  As Gerallt got out of the truck, Issaack said, “What happened?”

  “He tried to fool me with a pistol in his sleeve but Monica spotted it and shot him.”

  “Monica killed him?”

  “No, I did. She saved my life.”

  “I’m glad he’s dead,” one of the invaders said.

  “Who are you?” Gerallt said.

  “Comandante Pedro Lopez. I was second in command of this … I don’t know what to call us. We certainly weren’t soldiers. We were beaten by a handful of noncombatants and a computer.”

  “Don’t forget the man who killed Esteves,” Issaack said pointing at Gerallt. “He certainly isn’t a noncombatant. We have a medical evac helicopter on the way which will take you and the other wounded to Belém.”

  Gerallt and Phil removed Esteves body from the pickup and then they drove through the tunnel and down the volcano road to the encampment. Gerallt carried a white flag and they walked into the encampment. Even though they were coming in peace, both were armed and Phil hung back. Los Tres A-migos welcomed them peacefully but they were also armed. Gerallt heard a buzzing and looked up to see a bomber drone about fifty feet in the air behind Los Tres A-migos.

  “The rest of your force has been defeated. There are only five alive.”

  Without further words, Los Tres A-migos dropped their weapons and utility belts on the ground and stepped back.

  “We surrender,” Alejandro said.

  Gerallt told them to stay put until the rest of the survivors were brought down.

  “No problemo,” Los Tres A-migos said.

  Gerallt and Phil picked up the weapons, put them in the pickup and returned to Vulcan’s Roost. Horus thoughtfully closed the gates behind them just in case.

  Chapter 40

  The five surviving unwounded invaders departed the island by helicopter by midafternoon of the following day having disinterred the bodies of their compadres who had been killed in this experiment gone haywire because of the misguided desires of one man. Coffins had been brought in the helicopter and the body bags were placed in them and they were loaded aboard. Early afternoon of the same day another helicopter landed in the crater bringing a sufficient quantity of raw meat to feed the remaining animals for several days. Issaack, Waldo, Gloria and Harvey Gladstone rode in a pickup with a day’s supply of meat dropping where the animals could get it. With them sated, quiet returned to the island except for the “Come Hither” roaring of the Cleopatra the white tiger and the answering roar of always interested Simba. Gladstone was glad that he got to witness such an encounter in person.

  However, for the first feeding at least the caracal received special treatment. Declercq drove the pickup the Bundle had used to get down to the B.B. São Rochelle when she arrived with the animals. He stopped the truck near the spot where the parachutist had been found and Gerallt and Monica got out. Gerallt got a big plastic bag out of the truck’s bed and the two entered the rainforest followed at a discrete distance by Declercq who had an automatic in a holster on his belt, his hand on the butt ready to pull it if needed. Monica and Gerallt walked slowly through the rainforest looking for the caracal. Once Monica said, “Here, Hyma. Here, kitty kitty.” She looked at Gerallt and smiled a “that was foolish” smile. Gerallt returned a “maybe” smile. After half an hour with no response and no sighting of the caracal, Gerallt stopped at the base of the strangler fig where he had spent the first night in the rainforest, opened the plastic bag and dumped it on the ground – five pounds of prime, red Argentinian beef. Then he turned around and the two of them walked back toward Declercq who suddenly pointed behind them, his hand observably tightening on the pistol’s butt. Gerallt stopped and turned slowly around.

  Visible in the undergrowth about five feet from the beef was Hyma who – unbeknownst to any of them – had been trailing them for twenty minutes, which was approximately how long it had been since Monica had called to her. Gerallt slowly walked back to the pile of meat, squatted down and picked up a piece, holding it out toward Hyma, who looked at the meat, Gerallt, Monica, and Declercq in that order and remained fixated on the last.

  “Declercq, turn around and slowly walk away. You are not needed,” Gerallt said and Declercq did so, first removing his right hand from the pistol butt and holding in the air as he walked away. Hyma watched him until – at least that was Gerallt’s impression – she felt safe and then her eyes returned to the beef. She looked at it and then at Gerallt and the two remained stationary, eyes locked as though in a stare down contest. Then Hyma took two slow, careful steps toward Gerallt, looking at the beef, sniffed at the beef, and then grabbed it as Gerallt released it. Hyma chewed at the beef and began purring.

  “Come here, Monica,” Gerallt said. “Move slowly.”

  She complied and when she was standing beside Gerallt, she squatted.

  “Her eyes never left me,” Monica said.

  “I know.”

  Gerallt picked up another piece of beef and handed it to Monica, Hyma’s eyes tracking it all the way. Then Monica held it out to Hyma who looked at it, then Gerallt, then Monica, then the beef and, when Monica dropped it, snatched it out of the air. Hyma ate one more piece with them watching, then took the last one and disappeared into the undergrowth. The next day at approximately the same time, the two of them walked into the rainforest without Declercq and walked the same path as the day before and when they approached the spot where they had fed Hyma the previous day, she was sitting there waiting for them. She had seen them entered the rainforest and had raced ahead. They squatted down and dumped out the bag of beef. Hyma looked at the beef and then at Gerallt. Then at the beef, and then again at Gerallt, who picked up a piece and held it out to Hyma who snatched it and gobbled it down. Then she looked at Monica who picked up a piece and held it out to her and Hyma snatched it as Monica let it go.

  “She’s been purring the whole time,” Monica said. “I’d love to pet her.”

  “Give it a go,” Gerallt said.

  Monica slowing reached out toward Hyma’s head. Hyma stopped eating and raised her head slightly, eyes looking at Monica’s hand which had stopped. Monica looked at Gerallt who nodded and so, looking back at Hyma, she moved her hand to the top of her head and scratched it. Hyma cocked her head and Monica scratched some more, Hyma purring the entire time. Then Hyma shook her head, grabbed the last piece of beef and disappeared into the undergrowth.

  “Wow,” Monica said. “I never thought...”

  The two stood and started back the way they had come. As they walked, Gerallt reached out his right hand and took Monica’s left. She looked up at him and smiled.

  That night, Gerallt was awoken at 1:07 a.m. by Horus. “You have received an invitation to visit Ms. Bartlett.”

  “Now?”

  “That’s what she said.”

  “What’ll I wear?”

  “She said ‘A robe would be sufficient.’”

  Gerallt put on his white terry cloth bathroom which came standard in all Vulcan’s Forge bedrooms and opened the door. On the floor tile in front of him was
  “Well,” Monica said, “Are you going to stand there all night or get your Welsh arse in here?”

  Gerallt closed the door behind him.

  It took two days for the B.B. São Rochelle to reach the island. On board the ship were the veterinarians who had been waiting as requested because Issaack suspected that the experiment would encounter problems. Once the veterinarians were on the island, the black bear that had been wounded in the confrontation at the plateau tunnel entrance was of primary importance and he was found, sedated and taken to the ship. Once there, his wounds were tended to and his recovery
was complete.

  Under the expert guidance of the veterinarians, meat was filled with tranquilizers and given to the proper animals and as they were sedated, they were picked up, put in their cages and installed in the ship.

  The pack was first, the lion and tiger the next day, the snow leopard and the caracal the third day. The snow leopard had retreated high on Vulcan’s Forge after the attack at the plateau tunnel entrance and had to be lured down close enough to the road to make his retrieval less difficult. This was done by moving the daily feedings further down the mountain until the drugged feeding was close enough he could be carried by two men without much difficulty. In the case of the caracal, Monica fed her the drugged piece and Gerallt carried her through the rainforest to the truck. After she was awake and back to normal, they visited her before the ship left for Belém.

  Homes for the animals were found in the best locations and funds were provided for their care. The black bear went to Zoo Knoxville (Tennessee). The wolf and two coyotes went to the Akron Zoo (Akron, Ohio), a non-profit zoo which made special enclosures for them side-by-side. The lion and tiger were donated to the Wildlife Zoo & Aquarium in Phoenix, Arizona which specializes in breeding endangered animals. The first result of this coupling was a male liger that was named Clemba. Monica provided funds for a befitting display area be built in the London Zoo for the caracal and she and Gerallt visited her every week they were in England or Wales.