by S G Read
The Team’s Return. Chapter 1
Page 1
Stuart Sellars saluted captain Torres then ran to catch up with his friends, who were following a hotel porter down the corridor. Stuart, with his brown eyes and brown hair, was smaller than average for his twelve years but he had proved during their journey through the jungle that he had a big heart. A plane crash had stranded them on the side of a mountain surrounded by jungle. They had lost their manager to a snake bite soon after they had landed and somehow Stuart had managed to unite the team, after a struggle, as they were not the easiest group to deal with and led them to safety. They had rescued a policeman, Captain Torres on the way through the jungle. Now he was on his way to hospital and Stuart was looking forward to a long hot bath his first in a long time. Too long a time for him!
‘Hold up you lot!’ He called.
‘First come first served!’ C.J called back.
He was taller than Stuart by a good two inches and big with it, with brown eyes and brown hair. The porter stopped, opened a door and held up two fingers to indicate two boys to go in. As he was Colombian and spoke only Spanish it was the best he could do. C.J walked in followed by Denis Barlow, Denis was smaller than C.J in height but not in build, although he was still taller than Stuart. He had curly red hair and brown eyes. Denis was C.J's next door neighbour back home. At the moment they were in a hotel on the coast of Colombia and without the intervention of the wounded captain Torres would have been thrown out as street urchins as soon as they arrived, mainly because that is what they looked like after their trek through the jungle. Denis had been shot in the arm by the drug traffickers, whose money had been on the plane when it crashed but he wanted a bath before the doctor, who was busy examining captain Torres, found the time to examine him. The others followed the porter to the next room, here Ben Davis, once trouble maker now a reformed character, who was taller than C.J but much thinner with blond hair and pale blue eyes, walked in followed by Sherman, a nickname that referred not only to his size but also to the way he tackled when he played football, he had brown hair and brown eyes. His real name was Steven Sherrington. Football was why they were there, not that they were meant to play football in Colombia, they were on their way to Florida when their plane was high jacked and subsequently crashed. The next two to leave the group were J.C and Simon. J.C with his fiery red hair and green eyes would have normally gone with Toby Carter but Toby had been shot in the leg and was waiting next to Captain Torres for the attention he needed. J.C had been the smallest and thinnest of the team before the crash, now he was even thinner. Dysentery had taken care of that. Simon, who's father was on the trip with him but was still missing, had been a tubby boy but now was slimmer and seemed to have grown taller during the trip, although his dark brown hair was matted and his eyes were bloodshot through crying. He had proved himself very proficient at climbing trees for food and had been called part monkey more than once. The next two were, Colin Stone, a short boy of normal build, he was in fact a miniature version of Stuart with his brown mousy hair and bright blue eyes. Normally Colin would have been with John Taylor but as John was wounded and waiting to see the doctor with Toby, he had to go with someone else. Colin was with Antony Sadler, Ant was tall and slender, with black hair and steely grey eyes, as tall as Ben but not as thin. Stuart opened the next door and was followed in by Stephen, leaving James Marriot the next room to himself. James was stocky, with fair hair, which was normally short and blue eyes.
Stuart looked round their room. It was as well furnished as the rest of the hotel. There was a bedroom to their right. The room they were standing in had a television in the left hand corner with a video recorder beneath it. A table stood in the middle of the room, it had a table cloth covering it, on top of the table cloth was an array of food. There were several different types of fruit, including figs. They had eaten a lot of figs on their journey.
‘Uggh, figs!’ Stuart cried, pretending to be sick.
There was a jug full of orange juice and two glasses, next to which was a plastic container, the contents were covered by a lid.
Stuart lifted the lid.
‘Ice cubes Stevey!’
Both boys poured orange juice into their glass then proceeded to make it overflow by adding too many ice cubes with the tongs provided.
‘This is more like it!’ Stevey said after he had emptied the glass for a second time, making sure he put the ice cubes in first the second time and poured the orange juice over them.
In another sealed plastic container on the table they found sandwiches.
‘Real food Stu!’
Stuart looked at his hands.
‘I think I'll wash my hands before I eat.’ He replied and walked into the only room they had not looked in, the one to their right, next to the bedroom, it had to be a bathroom.
‘Hey look Stevey; they've got a bath and a shower in here! Which do you want?’ Although Stuart wanted to relax in a nice hot bath, he did not really care if he had to have the shower as long as he could get clean!
Stevey walked into the bathroom. Stephen Brown had been Stuart's best friend before their trip, now they were even closer! With his blue eyes and blond hair he normally looked angelic but now his hair was matted with dirt, his face was as dirty as his clothes. He was taller than Stuart by two inches and nicely proportioned with it. He turned the shower on; it was a long time since he had had a shower. A motor hummed into life and the water shot out beating against the hand he held in the cubicle.
‘Wow! Feel that!’
Stuart put his hand in.
‘You wouldn't have any skin left if you went in there!’
‘Don't you believe it?’ Stevey cried and started to undress. ‘That's what I call a shower, which one do you want?’
‘I'll stick to the bath I think.’ Stuart replied.
Before Stuart could undress and get in the bath, Stephen was in the shower, the hot water hitting his body felt good. Over the noise of the shower he heard Stuart cry out. He stuck his head out of the shower.
‘Are you okay?’
‘Yes, the water's a bit hot at the moment.’ Stuart answered from the bath.
‘Put some cold in then!’
‘Nah, I'm in now it'll soon cool down!’
‘You Wally!’ Stephen called out and closed the shower door.
After a long shower Stephen emerged from the shower with a towel wrapped round the lower part of his body. He could see Stuart's head sticking out through the foam which covered the bath water.
‘Better now?’ Stuart asked.
‘Much. It's funny. I was going to spend hours in there but after a while I had to get out.’
‘I know what you mean; I might have to get out in half an hour!’ Stuart said with a large smile.
There was a knock on the door. The boys exchanged glances.
‘You're the one wearing the towel.’ Stuart pointed out.
Stephen looked down at his dirty clothes. The thought of putting them on reviled him. He hitched the towel up tighter then walked over and opened the door. A girl stood there holding a bundle of clothes, in a basket next to her Stephen could see Simon's clothes, including his coat with the bullet holes in it. Stephen took the bundle then collected their dirty clothes.
‘Who was it?’ Stuart asked, not having moved.
‘A girl, to collect our dirty clothes.’
‘What are we supposed to wear?’
‘She said she'd come back with some and wash your back for you.’ Stephen replied slyly.
‘Very funny.’
Stephen took the dirty clothes and put them in the basket.
‘Thank you.’ The girl said with a thick accent and w
alked off dragging the basket.
Stephen examined the bundle. There were large shorts and large tee-shirts. He put on a tee-shirt, it was like a skirt. He dropped the towel and tried on the shorts. Luckily they had drawstrings which he tied up leaving the tee-shirt overhanging.
‘This is what the jungle adventurer is wearing now!’ He said as he walked back in the bathroom.
Stuart turned his head.
‘At least they're clean!’ He replied and started to scrub his face with a sponge.
‘Are you planning to get out of that bath, your fingers are all wrinkly.’
‘No, not for a while anyway.’
‘I'm going to have something to eat then.’
‘Don't pig it all!’ Stuart retorted.
‘I'm not Simon you know!’
Stuart laughed.
‘Sorry.’ He added.
Stevey ate then walked back into the bathroom.
‘Still in there then?’
‘Yup!’
‘Any plans to get out?’
‘Nope!’
‘I'm going to have a look round then, I'll see you later.’ Stephen walked out of the bathroom then came straight back in. ‘You're not going to have another blackout and drown are you?’
He was referring to the fact that Stuart had blacked out several times in the jungle.
‘No I feel fine.’
‘Make sure you don't or I'll kill you!’ Stevey warned.
Once outside of the room Stephen looked at the number. ‘87, I must remember that!’
He walked back to the lobby, it was deserted. To his right was the revolving door they came in, across the lobby on the right hand side, another corridor disappeared just as the corridor to their room did he had just come from. Stephen took the corridor on the other side of the lobby and explored. Half way along a familiar smell made him peer through the glazed top of a door. Through it he saw an indoor swimming pool with a flume. The door opened to his touch and the water was warm and inviting. He decided to tell the others before jumping in and continued his exploration. He passed the dining room with tables set out in a leisurely fashion, not regimented as they were at Stephen's school. At the end of the corridor he could only turn right, more rooms but here it was less luxurious. He walked to the end of that corridor; again he had to turn right, the first room had the number 99 on it, soon Stephen found himself outside number 87.
‘Ground floor explored!’ He reported but there was no reply.
Stephen walked into the bathroom, the water was still there but there was no sign of Stuart. Stephen rummaged in the water expecting to find Stuart but the bath was empty. Relieved Stephen dried his arms and felt for the chain to pull the plug out with. He could find no chain he plunged his hand in to where the plug was it was smooth with no way of pulling it out. He twisted and pulled things until he found the lever which lifted the plug. Once again he dried himself then went in search of Stuart and found him asleep on one of the twin beds, dressed in the outsized clothes. Stephen thought about waking the sleeping boy but decided against it; instead he lay down on the other bed and clasped his hands behind his head. He thought of the journey through the jungle, it was hard to believe it was all over.
Stuart was woken by the strong, insistent shaking of his shoulder. He looked up to see Sherman standing there.
‘The doctor wants to examine us Stu, come on.’ Sherman announced.
Stuart looked to his left where Stephen lay asleep.
‘You'd better wake him.’ He said, knowing how grumpy Stephen was when he woke.
Sherman walked round the bed and Stuart noticed what a good fit Sherman's clothes were.
‘It's not fair Sherman, your clothes fit you! Look at these!’ Stuart complained.
‘Don't worry; I've got better ones here.’ Sherman replied and pointed to a pile of clothes he had already laid on the dressing table.
‘Where did you get them?’
‘I didn't, Ben did but don't ask me how?’
Stephens’s eyes opened at the same strong shaking. He looked around.
‘So it wasn't a dream we are in a hotel!’ He said tiredly.
‘Yes and we've got decent clothes, thanks to Ben.’ Stuart said pulling on his new shorts.
‘Hi Sherman.’ Stephen greeted.
‘Hi. The doctor is waiting to examine us Stevey.’
Stephen dressed in the new clothes, using the large tee-shirt to save himself any embarrassment then the two boys followed Sherman.
‘They've got an indoor pool here as well as the one we saw outside!’ Stephen informed the other two as they walked.
‘Where is it?’ Sherman asked.
By now they had reached the other boys.
‘You go down to the end of this corridor, turn left. Left again at the other end, then follow your nose. It's on the left as you go up towards the lobby.’ He explained.
‘Let's meet there after the doctors done with us.’ Sherman suggested.
Everyone agreed.
‘Where's Toby?’ J.C asked.
‘He was still in the lobby when I was talking to Captain Torres-’
‘Don't you mean Capitain Torres?’ J.C asked, pronouncing the word as Captain Torres pronounced it.
Stuart ignored the interruption long enough to finish the sentence.
‘John was with him.’ Then he grabbed J.C.
The doctor chose that moment to open the door. His English was very bad and the boys could not understand what he meant, although by the loudness of his voice, they could tell that he was not a happy man. The door closed and the extent of his displeasure appeared in the form of a guard who was armed with a submachine gun. The guard manhandled the boys into a line.
‘Watch it you-’ C.J started but was cut of by the guard who said loudly. ‘Silenca!’
No one spoke again. One by one they were taken in to see the doctor, the doctor then spoke to the guard and after they had been examined the guard led them away only to return alone a few seconds later.
‘Do you think it's a full examination?’ Ben asked after the guard had led James Marriot away.
‘Probably.’ Stuart replied. ‘We have been wandering round a jungle for a while!’
‘It's probably a cough job as well.’ Sherman added. ‘I hope he doesn't want to give any injections, you know what I feel about injections!’
‘No we all had our injections before we left England.’ Stuart answered trying to reassure Sherman.
The guard returned and silence fell until he escorted J.C away.
‘We'll still meet in the swimming pool afterwards, right. We can discuss it without big ears being-’ Stuart stopped in mid sentence as the guard returned. With him was another guard from then on the boys were silent until they were returned to their rooms. Stuart expected Stephen to be there waiting for him but there was no sign of him.
‘He must have gone to the swimming pool already.’ Stuart muttered. ‘He could have waited for me!’ He checked the hallway.
The guard stood watching the remaining two boys, C.J and Sherman.
-Sherman was in for a surprise- Stuart thought. The doctor wanted a blood sample!
Once the guard had gone the boys drifted round to the swimming pool, one by one. The pile of tee-shirts grew as more boys arrived and either jumped or climbed in. When Stuart arrived, C.J, Sherman, James and Denis were there. He peeled off his tee-shirt and dived in, the water was very warm.
‘It's warmer than that river was!’ He said when he surfaced.
‘You must like water.’ Denis noted. ‘What with trying to get across the waterfall, then going down that super flume!’
The super flume he referred to was a watercourse which had suddenly flooded with a wall of water, which carried Stuart away.
‘What was it like going down that hill?’ Sherman asked.
‘Pretty horrible, I was thrown about like a-’ He thought for a moment trying to think of a good example.
Simon walked in with Ant and Ben while he wa
s thinking and he did not finish the sentence.
‘Where are the rest?’ Ben asked as he climbed into the water.
‘They're not here yet!’ Sherman answered.
‘We checked all the rooms!’ Simon replied. ‘What do you think has happened to them? Do you think the Druggies have got them?’
‘Who's missing?’ Stuart asked.
‘Toby, Colin, John, J.C and Stevey!’ Simon replied holding up a finger for each name. Stephen being the thumb.
‘Toby's probably been taken to hospital.’ Stuart said holding up a finger. ‘That leg wound needed looking at.’
‘John was shot in the head!’ C.J pointed out. ‘So he might have gone there too.’
‘Colin was shot in the arm.’ Sherman added.
‘J.C had the shits!’ Ant said from the top of the flume.
‘Yes, he'd lost a lot of weight.’ Stuart agreed. ‘And Stephen must have mentioned his snake bite! So they've all been sent to hospital.’
Having satisfied themselves that no one else was coming they played in the water, until the noise they were making was heard by the guard and they were escorted back to their rooms. They were taken back to different rooms though, they had been moved. Gone were the ensuite bathrooms, there were two extra beds in each of the two rooms they now occupied.
‘What a swizz!’ Simon complained. ‘What happened to the bathrooms?’
‘You don't like having baths!’ Ben argued.
‘That's not the point! I'd still like to be able to choose not to!’ Simon retorted.
The others laughed but Simon was not a happy bunny.
‘I'm going to find someone to have ago at, it's not right. I bet it's because the captain's been taken to hospital!’
Simon opened the door, a man stood there, dressed in a different police uniform.
‘I suppose were banned from leaving the room now!’ Simon asked loudly.
‘On the contrary; I have just come to tell you that sergeant Ruiz Torres is now in charge of the case and we will like you to come to an informal meeting tomorrow morning to discuss your time in the jungle and what really went on!’ He turned on his heal and walked away.
‘When can I ring my parents?’ C.J shouted after the retreating policeman.