by Jan Burchett
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1: WILD RIDE
CHAPTER 2: THE RESERVATION
CHAPTER 3: GRAND OPENING
CHAPTER 4: A PRIVATE TOUR
CHAPTER 5: SECRET MISSION
CHAPTER 6: KAWAN
CHAPTER 7: LOUD NOISES
CHAPTER 8: BREAKFAST
CHAPTER 9: PLANTATION PLOT
CHAPTER 10: SURPRISE
CHAPTER 11: CRASH LANDING
CHAPTER 12: HEAT
CHAPTER 13: RELIEF
Ben pointed at the huge wave rolling toward him and his twin sister, Zoe. “Ready?” he yelled.
Zoe grinned. “Ready!” Lying flat on her surfboard, she began to paddle with her hands. She built up speed as the swell approached. When they felt the wave lift them up, they took it. Together, they sailed toward the shore, arms outstretched. They were having a great week staying at Grandma’s cabin by the ocean.
“Awesome,” exclaimed Ben. “I felt like a killer shark out there!”
Zoe looked at Ben. He was wearing his shiny brown wetsuit, and his brown hair was sticking up in chaotic spikes. “More like a killer starfish!” she said.
A voice came from behind them. “Ben! Zoe!”
They looked up the beach. Grandma was waving at them and pointing out to sea. They turned to see a sleek speedboat slicing through the water toward them with a familiar blond woman at the helm.
Ben and Zoe watched the speedboat slide to a sudden stop, splashing water into the air. “It’s Erika!” Ben said. “Looks like we’re off on another WILD adventure!”
Ben and Zoe’s parents were international veterinarians. Wherever their work took them, Ben and Zoe usually went. But in a month the two would be starting school, so they had to stay with their grandma for the summer. They’d been expecting three boring months with their grandma until their uncle, Dr. Stephen Fisher, got in touch with them. He recruited them into WILD, his top-secret organization that was dedicated to saving endangered animals. Their grandma knew all about it — but almost no one else did.
After yelling goodbye to Grandma, Ben and Zoe swam out to the speedboat. Erika, Uncle Stephen’s second-in-command, stretched out a hand and helped them climb up the ladder.
“It’s good to see you again,” Erika said as they sped across the waves. “Your uncle is impressed by the work you’ve done so far with WILD.” Erika’s expression grew serious. “But this mission’s going to be a little different. He’s trusting you with a very difficult task. As usual, he wants to tell you the details himself.”
Erika handed Zoe an envelope. “Here,” she said.
Zoe opened the envelope and tipped it upside down. A glass eyeball fell into her hand. She showed it to Ben.
Ben inspected it closely. “It looks like a human eye,” he said. “But the outside part’s darker.”
Zoe peered at it. “Do you think it’s one of the apes?” she asked. “That would be so cool.”
Ben knew what to do next. He looked at the speedboat’s dashboard and found a small hole next to the radar screen. “Let’s find out,” he said, slipping the eyeball in.
A hologram of their uncle appeared before them. He wore a baseball cap over his thick red hair and his shirt was hanging out. “Greetings, children!” he said.
Zoe giggled. “He’s as weird as ever,” she said.
“Ready for an urgent WILD mission?” Stephen asked. Then he chuckled. “I don’t know why I’m even asking — of course you are! You two are always up for a challenge. There’s an orangutan in trouble in Borneo. I’ll tell you more when you get to HQ.”
Uncle Stephen gave a cheery wave. The hologram disappeared.
Zoe smiled. “An orangutan!” she said. “They’re such interesting, gentle creatures.”
“And endangered,” Ben added. “Did you know that —”
“Their habitat is threatened by logging?” Zoe asked, cutting her brother off.
“Actually, I was going to say —” Ben began.
“That they can use sign language?” Zoe said. “I knew that, too.”
“Let me finish,” Ben said, smirking. “I was about to say that they’re more intelligent than you are!” Ben ducked away to avoid a playful punch on the shoulder.
Zoe grinned. “Real funny,” she said.
* * *
Ben and Zoe saw a small island come into view. As they got closer, they saw a few buildings scattered around a ramshackle farm. Chickens pecked the scrubby land.
As they approached the shore, Erika brought down the sail and steered the speedboat toward a strange-looking dock. As they climbed the waiting ladder, Erika pressed a button on a remote and the boat glided forward into a shed hidden in the bank.
They walked to a nearby outhouse, Erika following them. Ben locked the door behind them and Zoe flushed the toilet. WHOOSH! The cubicle turned into an elevator and descended deep into the earth.
“Who needs an elevator when you have a turbo toilet!” Ben said, laughing.
Moments later, Zoe and Erika followed Ben along a brightly lit hall leading to the Control Room. They placed their fingertips on an ID scanner.
“Print identification complete,” announced an electronic voice.
They dashed into a bright room filled with flashing control panels and computer screens. A pair of sandaled feet were sticking out from under a console.
“Uncle Stephen!” Zoe said excitedly.
There was a thump and a muffled voice. Then the tall, thin figure of their uncle emerged, rubbing his head.
“Hello there,” he said cheerfully. “Just fixing the computer. I’ve got the whole place running on solar power now.” He looked at their wetsuits. “I know you’re going to the rainforest, but it won’t be that wet!”
“I picked up Ben and Zoe from the beach,” explained Erika.
Uncle Stephen grinned. “Let me tell you about your mission,” he said. He touched a screen, bringing up a satellite map of a large island. “Borneo,” he said, pointing. “There was once a huge rainforest there, but it’s shrunk a lot due to logging — both legal and illegal.”
“I’ve read all about that,” said Ben. “They’re clearing the land for oil palm plantations. Palm oil is used all over the world, in margarine, soap, candles, makeup — tons of stuff.”
“Mr. Know-it-all,” Zoe said, rolling her eyes. “But you’re right. The rainforest’s disappearing really fast. Is that something to do with the orangutan in danger?”
“Exactly, Zoe,” said Uncle Stephen. “We’ve had reports from one of our operatives about an orangutan named Kawan. Until recently, he was living safely on the Adilah Reservation. But then he suddenly disappeared.”
“Mat Ginting, who runs the reservation, had raised him since the ape was a baby,” Erika explained. “He reintroduced Kawan into the wild just last year.”
“Orangutans don’t become independent until they’re about seven or eight, do they?” said Ben. “No other animal in the world stays with its mother that long.”
“You’re correct, Ben,” said Uncle Stephen. “Kawan’s about eight now. He adapted well to living in the wild and had established his own territory. Male orangutans live alone and their territory is very important to them. The only time they come near other orangutans is for mating or to fight another male who trespassed into their space.”
“But just two weeks ago, there was some illegal logging in his area,” said Erika. “Some men came at night and cut down several trees before they were chased away. They intended to steal lumber and then sell it. One of the chopped-down trees had an orangutan nest made of leaves that must’ve been Kawan’s. He fled in terror and hasn’t been back since.”
“So he completely vanished?” asked Zoe.
“There have b
een a couple of sightings outside the reservation on a nearby oil palm plantation,” Uncle Stephen said. “But he hasn’t wanted to come back to his territory. Kawan is essential for Mr. Ginting’s dream of increasing the orangutan population. There are very few males on the reservation and he’s needed to mate with the females.”
“And orangutans breed very slowly, don’t they?” said Ben.
Uncle Stephen nodded. “A female may only have two or three babies in her whole lifetime.” He pressed a button on the screen again and a photo of a smiling young man with black hair appeared. “This is Mat Ginting. He set up the reservation ten years ago to help preserve the rainforest and its endangered inhabitants.”
“He must be very brave,” said Zoe. “I read that there are a lot of people who’ll do anything to get control of rainforest land.”
“Indeed, Zoe,” agreed Uncle Stephen. “Mat’s one in a million. He’s been running the reservation against all the odds, but money’s becoming increasingly tight, so he’s going to start taking paying visitors.”
“Apparently there’s a grand opening in a few days,” Erika added, “which is perfect timing for us. Tourists will be able to stay there and see orangutans in their natural habitat.”
“So you want us to pose as visitors to the reservation, locate Kawan, and bring him back to his home?” asked Ben.
Uncle Stephen nodded. “Of course, Mat Ginting can’t know about our organization,” he said. “And that’s why you two are perfect for the job. He won’t suspect a couple of kids.”
“We’re pretending you’ve won a competition by writing about endangered wildlife,” said Erika.
“Erika’s idea,” Uncle Stephen said proudly. “And a very good one.”
“We’ve told Mr. Ginting that the prize was a trip to a sanctuary in Brunei,” Erika said, “but unfortunately the people there had to cancel at the last minute due to illness. We asked if he could take you instead. He was delighted. In fact, you’re going to be his very first guests.”
“So you need to be on your way,” said Uncle Stephen. “Right away!”
“What about our BUGs?” Ben reminded him.
“Of course!” Their uncle handed them what looked like two video game consoles. The Brilliant Undercover Gizmos performed many useful functions. They had communicators, scent dispersers, translators, and much more.
“I invented a new gadget especially for this mission,” said Uncle Stephen.
Their uncle handed Ben and Zoe two belts and two pairs of boots. “Inside the boots there is an EEL — the Electronic Escape Line,” Uncle Stephen said. “It’s a top-of-the-line bungee cord that might come in handy.”
“In other words, it will save your life if you’re falling from great heights!” said Erika. “You’ll be spending some time in the trees in Borneo. All you need to do to activate it is press the silver button on the belt.” She demonstrated how to use the device.
Uncle Stephen ducked under the console again. “Erika will take you where you need to go,” he called out. “Hope you get Kawan back!”
“You can count on us!” Ben said.
Erika drove a rental jeep through a pair of wooden gates. She parked in a dirt patch next to some new wooden buildings. “The Adilah Reservation,” she said. “We’re here!”
The buildings around them formed a big square courtyard. There were colorful flags and banners everywhere. Trees lined one side of the courtyard, as if the rainforest was trying to take back this little space. Ben and Zoe jumped out of the car and gasped as the humidity and heat hit them in the face.
After spending so much time in the cool of the car’s air-conditioning, the change in temperature was shocking. Insects buzzed overhead. They could hear exotic bird and animal cries coming from the forest.
Ben swiveled his head and looked around. He saw two workers fixing a banner over the entrance of one of the buildings. It read: “Grand Opening Today”.
One of the nearby men came over to greet them. He was carrying a hammer, nails, and a heavy sign. Ben and Zoe recognized him from the photo their uncle had shown them.
“Hello there! You must be Ben and Zoe!” He put down his tools and sign and shook their hands enthusiastically. “I’m Mat Ginting. Welcome to my reservation.”
“We’re so excited to be here,” said Zoe.
Erika took out their backpacks from the jeep’s trunk. “We’re so thankful you agreed to take on our winners,” she said to Mat. “I’ll pick them up later.” She waved goodbye. “Enjoy your prize, Ben and Zoe.”
“Thank you, Ms. Bohn,” they replied politely. The children knew they had to hide how well they knew her. It had to seem like she was simply the organizer of the competition — not heading north to check out reports of more illegal logging.
Zoe looked at the sign Mat had been carrying. It showed a huge O encircling a globe, supported by caring hands. On the way to the reservation, they’d passed field after field where the forest had been cleared for oil palm trees. Every one of them had the sign displayed.
“Whose logo is that?” asked Zoe. “We saw it several times on the way here.”
“Ostriander Industries,” Mat told her. “Peter Ostriander, the owner, has generously given us donations to help our work. The least we could do is put up his plantation logo in time for the ceremony. He’s promised to give a speech.”
“But isn’t his plantation threatening the rainforest?” asked Ben. “It’s taken over a huge area. We drove for several miles seeing nothing but his oil palms.”
“And they’re not even a native tree of Borneo,” added Zoe.
“We have to keep a balance,” said Mat. “The plantation gives jobs to the locals, but we also have to preserve the forest. That’s why I bought this land and why I’ll keep it safe. When Peter first bought the plantation a few years ago, he approached me and asked if I would sell him my reservation.”
Mat smiled warmly. “When I told Mr. Ostriander what I was doing, he became very supportive,” Mat said. “In fact, I recently had some trouble with illegal logging in the eastern part of my land. Peter lent me some men to patrol the area and the loggers haven’t been back since. Peter has been a good friend to our cause.”
“Greetings!” called a voice.
A smiling young woman emerged from one of the buildings. A baby orangutan clung to her neck, its head resting against her shoulder. It had soft orange hair and a round, fuzzy belly. It smiled at the children.
“My name is Yasmin,” said the woman. She pushed her long, dark bangs out of her eyes. “I am Mat’s wife. You must be the competition winners. Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” Ben said with a grin.
“Who’s this?” asked Zoe. She stroked the soft fur of the baby orangutan. It grabbed her finger and held it like a baby might. Zoe let out a happy sigh.
“His name is Biza,” said Yasmin. “He is an orphan we are taking care of. They go back into the wild when they are old enough.”
“But they do come back to see us,” added Mat. “Orangutans make a bond with their primary caregivers. Some of the females show us their babies as if we were their grandparents!”
“And we are just as proud,” said Yasmin, smiling. “Come with me. Biza and I will show you your bedroom so you can unpack. Our opening ceremony is one hour from now.”
Ben and Zoe followed her through a kitchen with a huge table and into a hallway lined with bedrooms.
“These are the guest rooms,” Yasmin said. “Mat will be waiting for you in his office across the courtyard. When you’re ready, head on over.” She smiled, waved, and quickly left.
The room was cool and comfortable. It had two beds and a bathroom. Ben and Zoe quickly emptied their backpacks, leaving only their important WILD gear.
Zoe detached the translator earpiece from her BUG and stuck it into her ear. “Don’t forget yours, Ben,” she said, pointing to her ear. “We have to understand everything that people are saying when they speak Malay.”
The children f
ound Mat sitting in an office, working at an old-fashioned computer. “I’m updating my records while I have a chance,” he told them as they entered. “I make daily entries about all our orangutans … well, all of them but one.”
“Why not all?” Zoe said, acting as if she had no idea who Kawan was.
Ben grinned. His sister wasn’t wasting time getting some intel for their mission.
“One of our orangutans has left the reservation,” Mat told them. He frowned. “He’s a young male called Kawan and he was with us since he was tiny. Some poachers took him from his mother and were going to sell him as a pet to some rich collector!”
“That’s awful!” said Zoe.
“Luckily, they were arrested, and Kawan was brought to me,” Mat said. “I couldn’t find his mother, so I had to raise him myself. He was the first orangutan I took in.”
Mat sighed. He was obviously sad. “I released him into the wild last year,” he said, “but he still visited me every morning for a snack. That is, until two weeks ago, when the logging scared him away.”
“Maybe he’s scared of humans because of what happened when he was little,” Ben said.
“It seems that way,” Mat said sadly. “At least I know he’s alive. One of my staff, Daud, saw him on Mr. Ostriander’s oil palm plantation at the edge of the reservation a little while ago.”
Mat’s smile returened. “Say, would you like to see some footage of Kawan doing his jungle training?” he asked. “It’s me showing him how to look after himself. I’m sure we have time before the ceremony.”
“Yes, please!” said Ben and Zoe together.
Mat took them into a large room where log benches faced a screen. He gestured for them to sit. “You’re the first guests to see this,” he said. “Daud filmed it. He’s very fond of Kawan, too.”
The screen flashed to life. The words “Adilah Reservation” appeared. Mat fast-forwarded to a scene where he was teaching a tiny orangutan how to climb a tree. The solemn little ape had an adorable tuft of hair sticking up on one side of his head. He was diligently copying every move until Mat made a strange chirping noise.