“Hardly,” throwing herself down on the flattened parking spot to drink water and study the road map.
“This jungle is full of dangerous animals, and they are far more densely populated than those in the African bush. Come on. We follow the tracks and hopefully we can catch up to whoever stole our vehicle. Something tells me we have some evil doers trying to sabotage our efforts. My gut tells me there’s more to finding this Urn than meets the eye.”
As quickly as she sat down, she got up again and walked off in the Cruiser’s tracks.
“Can I have a drink of water first, please? I know you dangled in the crisp waters of the waterfall, but I, on the other hand, haven’t quite recovered from that almost fatal ordeal.”
“Well, seeing as you saved me, how can I refuse?” clicking away on her Sat Nav.
“Hmm, that’s strange,” she let out after a couple of minutes of silence.
“What?”
“The Sat Nav brought us here, but it’s not picking up any roads ahead. Both the tracks and the road run dead here.”
She switched the gadget off then on again and rechecked the map.
“Surely they would have had to drive off somewhere. It’s bizarre,” Alex commented feeling puzzled.
“We don’t have much time until it’s dark, Alex. We need to get a move on. With any luck we’ll pick up fresh tracks.”
Night fell and, after hours in the treacherous jungle, there was still no sign of their vehicle, tracks or a road.
“That’s impossible,” Alex exclaims. “How could they have just disappeared into thin air?”
Sam giggled true to his nature trying to diffuse her obvious annoyance with the situation.
“They didn’t Alex. The vegetation changed, so the tires made no marks, that’s all.”
Alex looked around at the vines and small twigs that covered the ground. Perhaps a professional tracker would be able to trace them, but to their untrained eye it was nearly impossible to detect which direction they went into.
“Yes well, now what? This doesn’t help us much, does it? We’re lost. I haven’t the foggiest where in the hell we are.”
“You’re tired. Let’s take a break and try to make camp for the night. It’s going to be dark soon, and we won’t be able to see anything anyway.”
Sam knew her edginess was nothing personal. It was clear the waterfall incident came too close for comfort and that she needed to digest it properly. His years in the medical field taught him to look beyond what people revealed.
Sam scratched the back of his head as he plotted how to build a shelter of some sorts. Alex was still pacing up and down in annoyance.
“So I guess we’re in a bit of a fix here. The jungle is fraught with anything from venomous constrictors and panthers to tigers and even bears. We can’t be on the ground, and we can’t be in the trees either. Oh! And let’s not forget the wild elephants.”
Sam started unpacking his backpack. “Fire. We need a fire. Think you can put one together while I get a shelter going?”
Within minutes Alex had a fire going, and Sam’s apt survival skills slowly produced a floor of bamboo poles tied together with the leftover rope from the waterfall fiasco. Another three poles stood in a tripod shape over the spread floor which he had covered with large leaves. He stood back, hands on his hips and admired his creation.
“That should do it. Not too shabby for a first timer in the jungle. The machete certainly did the trick.”
“You’re right. Not too bad at all. Perhaps the jungle brings out a bit of Tarzan in you?”
“Yes well, ahem, Jane. What’s for dinner?”
“Shh! What’s that?” Alex froze stiff at a huffing sound coming from behind Sam.
“What? I don’t hear anything” he whispered back.
“Shhh!”
Moments later a massive black bear appeared out of nowhere.
“Bloody hell! Don’t move Sam.”
“Don’t move? Why? Tell me it’s not a giant tarantula on my back. I hate spiders.”
“Okay. It’s not a tarantula. It’s in fact a bear, and a large one at that. Just don’t run. Move toward me. Slowly! Whatever you do, DON’T RUN,” she added slowly with emphasis.
Alex’s eyes remained fixed on the bear who was about ten meters behind Sam. Sam moved slowly toward Alex until he past her and then cautiously turned around and faced the bear. Saliva dripped down his massive jaws. He’s obviously out for the kill tonight.
“Now what?” Sam whispered nervously with his hands in the air like someone was holding a gun to his face.
“Well, start by lowering your arms. He’s not holding a gun as far as I can see.”
“Right - right. Of course.”
Sam lowering his arms somehow agitated the bear, and without notice, it stood up on its hind legs towering over them with a loud hissing to warn them off.
“Uhh, that’s not a good sign Alex.”
The surprise visit had them completely unprepared.
“We should shout and make ourselves look big,” Sam said.
“Aren’t we supposed to roll into a ball? I’m sure I read this somewhere.”
“I’ll shout, and you roll into a ball. Best of both worlds. What do you think?”
“I think you’re crazy, Sam Quinn, but let’s give it a try. Don’t see any other way out.”
Like an arrow from a bow, Alex rolled herself into a fetal position while Sam shouted and flapped his arms above his head. The bear growled and hissed back. His massive paws waved forward as he came closer and closer.
“I don’t think this is working, Alex! We should make a run for it.”
She had barely spoken her words when a single gunshot resounded through the air, and they watched as the bear fell flat on his face.
“What the —?” Sam exclaimed hands in the air again.
“Crikey Mate. Did you think those moves of yours would scare him away? By the looks of it, the only one to run would be your Sheila here.”
The stranger’s voice flung both Alex and Sam around in one quick motion. Behind Sam stood the likes of someone who looked like he was raised in the jungle. Tall and tanned from head to toe and dressed in khaki shorts and a broad-rimmed black hat decorated with animal fur and fangs. In his hands, he held the still smoking rifle he had just used to shoot the bear.
“G’day Mate; Sheila,“ tipping his hat at Alex.
“She’ll be right, no worries.”
Alex, who didn’t understand a word he said, glanced questioningly at Sam.
A still dumbstruck pair watched in silence as he walked over to his kill, lifting the gigantic paws and dropping it to the ground.
“It’s a real shame, ain’t it, Mate? Such a beauty. You had Buckley’s chance against it though. Ten more seconds and he’d have ripped you apart. They don’t eat humans but you must have disturbed his nocturnal hunt or something. Will make a ripper stew tonight nonetheless. The name’s Ollie, Mate. Short for Oliver,” wiping his hands on his pants as he walked over to Sam inviting a handshake.
“Quinn, Dr Sam Quinn and this is Alexandra Hunt.”
“Alex, actually. Only my parents call me by my full name.”
“Well, pleased to meet your acquaintance. Now, unless you want to face another Asian bear or a panther, we best be moving on.”
Alex and Sam watched as he untied the tripod structure and started fastening the bear’s paws to the pole.
“Okay, don’t get me wrong. I’m elated this bloke saved us from sure death, but he’s weird.” Sam whispered to Alex as they stood back allowing him to finish off.
“I think he’s Australian,” she whispers back.
“Good on ya, Alexandra. G’d ol’ Down Under. Now stop your pissing about, Mate and help me carry our dinner.”
“Dinner! Oh no, I don’t eat bear meat. I’m quite fine, thank you very much. And it’s Alex. Not Alexandra.”
“Yeah well, Alex. When you’ve lived here for as long as I have you make use of what th
e earth provides. And this old bear didn’t kick the bucket for nothing.”
The Aussie’s beady brown eyes were friendly and in perfect harmony to his upbeat, energetic personality.
“Well, I won’t say no. I’m famished,” Sam chimed in and started pulling alongside Ollie as they made their way through the lush jungle.
Chapter Two
It was another two-hour walk before they reached a narrow pathway that led to a medium-sized wooden house on stilts. Sam found it hard to hide his surprise and admiration. “Is this your house? It’s incredible! I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Alex, on the other hand, tried her best not to drop her guard and show her wonderment. “It’s quite something all right.”
The two men stopped to put the dead animal down in a small clearing next to the house. Sam, still in a state of astonishment, walked back to the front of the house to join Alex. Ollie didn’t answer. Instead, he searched the parameter of the house and walked up the stairs to the wraparound porch.
“Sam, look there,” Alex whispered beckoning toward the several surveillance cameras hidden in the trees around the house.
“All right, you two. The coast is clear.”
Clear from what? Alex thought but followed Sam up the stairs onto the deck and into the house where Ollie shoved a beer into each of their hands.
“Cheers Mate,” he said, as he whacked his beer against theirs and downed half the bottle.
“Ah, nothing like an ice-cold stubby to quench the thirst, hey?” downing the other half before reaching inside his refrigerator for a another one.
The ice-cold beer in Alex’s hand was too tempting. So much so that even her stubborn pride couldn’t prevent her from taking several mouthfuls; ignoring Ollie’s sheepish grin in response.
“So what brings you two Brits out here in the middle of nowhere? The jungle isn’t a place to go walkabout, you know? You can count your lucky stars I bumped into you. That bamboo tent of yours wouldn’t have kept the fastest rat safe from the tigers and snakes.”
A very enthusiastic Sam took another gulp of his beer before replying, “We really appreciate it, Ollie, thanks. Not sure what we would have done if you hadn’t shown up. We were out at the waterfall, and our Cruiser seemed to have vanished into thin air.”
Ollie cracked open his second beer and handed another to Sam.
“Now that’s a bugger, Mate. You sure you went back to where you left it?”
“Oh, I don’t make mistakes with coordinates,” Alex snapped.
“Just saying, Sheila. For it to have disappeared like that it would have had to be stolen. Not unlikely, given the fact that this part of the jungle harbors many insurgent groups.”
Ollie put his beer down and opened his laptop. Two clicks later he slammed the lid shut and walked back over to Sam.
“So, Mate. What do you say we go cut up that dinner of ours before the cats come for it? I’m starving; the Mrs can freshen up so long.”
Alex just about choked on a mouthful of beer. “Mrs! Oh no, we’re not married or anything. Sam is my assistant.”
Ollie paused, looking Sam up and down. “Is that right, hey? Assistant. Like a secretary or something?”
Instantly regretting her bad choice of words, Alex sets off to redeem Sam’s honor, “No-no. We’re Archaeologists, and I head up the team. Sam is my very esteemed colleague.”
“Well, what do you know? Where I come from, the Sheilas assist the Blokes. Not the other way around. But, each Roo to its own.”
Sam didn’t seem to be too bothered by his prejudice remark, but Alex could feel her blood curdling. Partly by virtue of her own stupidity.
Ollie downs the last of his beer and adds. “Well, then you’ll be flipping a coin for the bed tonight. The loser will have to take the couch,” turning to Alex to continue. “The dunny is outside, and there’s a shower cubicle next to it. Spare towels are in the cupboard over there. There shouldn’t be any wild animals pestering you. They can’t come close without tripping the snares. You best take that lamp with you too. We’ll keep an eye out for you.“
Wild animals, snares, outside shower. Are you kidding me? Alex thought agonized by the mere notion of showering in the pitch black in the middle of a jungle. But she was sticky from the hike and desperate for a shower, so she turned and headed toward the cupboard for a towel; grateful to have a reason to leave them. Before the men reached the bottom of the stairs she flung around and shouted, “What’s a dunny?”
Ollie belted a laugh loud enough that it echoed through the trees and then carried on walking down the stairs without answering. When Sam turned to go back up the stairs to explain, Ollie grabbed his arm, “No worries, Mate. She’ll figure it out,” sporting another wave of laughter.
Alex soon found the ‘dunny’ to mean a toilet which was nothing but a deep hole in the ground with a neatly cut out camp chair positioned over it. It very nearly turned her stomach upside down forcing her to cover her nose with her T-shirt in an attempt to escape a stench so foul it alone was enough to keep any jungle creature away. Not that her assumption was enough to provide any safety from prowling animals at all. The front of the jungle bathroom was completely open and exposed, and the only privacy it provided was a cordoned off bamboo fence covering it on three sides.
A toilet roll hung from a wire off the bamboo fence, and a curled up car magazine sat wedged between two poles in front of it. To the right was a bucket of sand and a spade. Never in all the years of traveling with her parents had she ever seen anything like this. She’d rather duck behind a shrub, thank you very much.
A few meters away stood a similar bamboo cubicle with a large metal container and a saucepan on top of it.
Alex thought she had seen it all. She lifted the lid off to find it filled with what she had hoped would be fresh water. It wasn’t. Instead, a trapped frog jumped out as soon as the lid came off. Again, the cubicle had been covered only on three sides, and her back was left completely exposed to the pitch black jungle behind her. The lamp offered very little light, but it would have to do. She was desperate for a wash, albeit butt naked in the middle of the jungle with a saucepan or three of stale water.
Much to her surprise the jungle bathing was better than she had expected. Primal to say the least, but there was something so pure and natural about being naked in the outdoors.
Deep in thought, her eye caught the blinking red light of a surveillance camera attached to a tree with the lens aimed directly at the shower. And then it dawned on her.
“Oh, the bloody pervert! Son of a bitch! Wait till I get my hands around your throat Ollie or Oliver or whoever the hell you say you are!” She exclaimed while throwing her clothes on and stomping up the path toward where the two of them were gathering their slaughter.
“Just what the hell do you think you’re doing? How dare you?”
A surprised Sam flung around mere seconds before an equally surprised Ollie followed suit.
“It’s just a bear Sheila. Relax. You’ll probably find you’ll enj —“
“I’m not talking about the damn bear, you pervert!” she cut in. “Is this what you do out here in the jungle, huh? Make porn. You probably lure women —“
“Whoa, Sheila! Calm down. You’re chasing the wrong bone here,” Ollie replied in a futile attempt to calm her down.
“Like hell, I am. Where’s the recording?” She stormed off up the stairs and snatched his laptop from the table. Bastard! That’s what he was typing away on his computer earlier!
Sam came running up behind her, “Alex, what the hell’s the matter with you? It’s hardly a polite way to talk to someone taking us in for the night.”
“Ha! Polite talk? Do you think our host is polite by recording me taking a shower? Polite, my ass!” She shouted as she flipped the laptop’s lid open.
“What are you talking about? He was with me the entire time.”
“The bloody cameras, Sam! They’re all over the freaking place. And the bastard knew there wa
s one facing the shower. That’s what he was switching on with his computer earlier. He got it all on tape.”
“No, I didn’t.” Ollie interrupted, exceptionally calm for a man who just got busted. “They’re not cameras. They’re motion sensors. The red light means it’s off. Green is on.”
Ollie nonchalantly walked over to the basin, washed his hands and started preparing the meat. On the other side of the treehouse, Alex sat staring in silence at Ollie’s blank computer screen on her lap. Sam wiped his hands on a cloth, bent down and whispered to her.
“You are imagining things, Alex. For reasons not quite understood by me, I sense you don’t like the man, but he’s nothing but a decent guy seeking solitude in the jungle. A guy who saved us from being mauled by a bear and who is putting us up for the night when he didn’t have to. Not everyone is evil, you know.”
Sam kneeled on one knee in front of her and went quiet for a bit before he spoke again. “Perhaps you need to take your meds tonight, Alex.”
“No way! I don’t need the pills. I haven’t taken them since, Rhapta. I’m not overreacting, Sam.”
Sam’s raised eyebrow in response challenged her last comment.
“Fine. So I was perhaps wrong to assume those were cameras, but why the hell would he need motion sensors in the middle of the jungle, huh? And pretty sophisticated looking ones at that. I’m telling you. He’s hiding something.”
She slammed the laptop closed and walked out onto the porch with Sam following a few steps behind her. Her eyes focussed on each device nailed to the trees all around the cabin. All the lights were green except for the one above the shower. Bugger. Looks like he was telling the truth.
Sam didn’t have to rub it in, so he kept quiet. It was good for her to be suspicious in these circumstances considering what had happened back in Tanzania. It had only been two years, and the Uni made sure her expedition workload was not too taxing for her to handle. She had been off the pills all this time, so she has more than proven herself capable of coping with the challenges at hand. But perhaps the fact that she almost died at the waterfall earlier that day and the discovery of their stolen Cruiser, triggered something inside her. None of the expeditions over the last couple of years were dangerous or threatening in any way. This one, not so much.
ALEX HUNT and The Golden Urn_An Archaeological Adventure Thriller Page 2