Michael turned back and looked into her eyes, before he said weakly, “ok.”
“Tell me why you think it was partly you’re fault” she asked.
“If I didn’t ask her to go for a swim at the waterfall, she wouldn’t have been kidnapped; it’s as simple as that” he said.
“I told Sally about the waterfall and gave her some soap so the both of you could have a bath. It’s really my fault more than anyone’s” she said, reassuring me. “You must have been terrified when the two of you were tied up in the room.”
“Yea, we were both worried, but she knew the person that came in later as her ex-husband. He said that he wasn’t going to hurt her; only use her as a pawn against the British government. I only became really stressed when they left me there by myself; ready for Mad Wayne to turn up. I felt I had to get free and try and find her quickly, because Marcus and Snake were trying to get her back to the Vega and leave on the high tide” he said, before realizing what he had just said. “Wait a minute – the Vega – That is the name of the schooner next to us. Could Sally be on the ship or around here?”
“That’s a distinct possibility. We have to get back to the Mabuhay and ask James to help us” she admitted.
The two of them left the water and dressed quickly, hoping to get back to their schooner and request their Captain’s help. Michael pushed out the small craft, jumped in and began rowing frantically.
“Slow down Michael, a few more minutes aren’t going to make any difference” she suggested.
He heeded her words of advice and returned to his normal style of rowing. The sea had become choppy in the short time the two of them had spent ashore, but the tide had turned and the current was with them. When they reached the boarding platform, Connie jumped out and rushed off to find Vijendra while he tethered the dinghy.
* * *
The Vega was a two-mast gaff-rigged schooner with a length of 135 feet and a twenty-eight foot beam.
“She looks heavily built and she would be slow; I would say she would weigh about 150 tons. I wonder what she is doing here?” Vijendra said, not expecting an answer.
Dayang, Vijendra, Connie and Michael gazed over the vessel as the longboat came along its side. After tying the line from the longboat securely the four of them climbed up and stepped aboard to search it. There wasn’t any sign of life on board and it looked like it had been vacated several weeks ago. It was like it was a ghost ship. Vijendra had left his first mate in charge until they returned.
“Maybe they left some indication of where everyone went on that map” Michael suggested, pointing to the partly unrolled chart.
“It looks like one of your treasure maps, my boy. They may have been gullible enough to try and look for the treasure before they returned to India. There’s a place marked on the eastern side of this island and I think that’s where we should start looking” he suggested, gathering up the hand drawn chart. The two of you didn’t see any sign of a longboat when you went ashore?” he asked.
“There is a small stream on the starboard side of the first bay; it’s hidden by the rocks. It’s only about four feet deep, but it does disappear under the canopy of thick bushes. Someone could have hidden a longboat there” Connie suggested.
“The tide is outgoing already” added Dayang. “We will have to rush before it becomes too shallow.”
“It’s time we were on our way then” he admitted. “And hope the storm is delayed.”
They returned to the Mabuhay to collect some weapons and equipment.
“I want the two of you to stay here” he ordered. “The two of us will go on alone.”
“We’re not staying here. We’re the only ones that know what Sally looks like and we could be helpful” she argued.
“All right then, I get you both a cutlass each” he said. “Dayang, collect the two extra weapons and meet us at the longboat.”
Chapter 13
The four of them fought through the thick mangroves, following the stream as it meandered to the north-east and around the side of the first mountain. They startled the occasional group of wild goats and several varieties of birds scattered out of their way, but the peaceful sounds of the forest echoed around them as they continued their trek. They were caught in a sudden downpour and took shelter under an overhanging rock. The rain splashed all around them and they kept reasonably dry until it began to bucket down.
“Is it ever going to stop?” Connie complained.
“Storms come and go fairly quickly, so I daresay it will stop soon” Vijendra admitted as they stood there looking forlorn.
Monkeys screeched all around them as they fought for the best and tastiest fruit and blossom.
Ten minutes later the rain stopped, just as quickly as it started.
“We’ll keep moving” he urged.
The terrain was becoming more and more rugged, but the group followed the map and eased towards the north, around the side of the mountain.
`“How far is it to the ‘X’ on the map?” Michael asked.
“The total distance appears to be about 22 miles and we’ve only travelled about four of them. I explained to George, before I left, that we’ll probably be away for 2 days or possibly 3” he admitted. “So we need to keep moving.”
They rounded the mountain, trekked down the gradual slope on the other side and came across a mud flat.
“We’ll have to go around” our leader announced.
The four of them trudged around the edge of the swampy mud and found a dry stream on the other side, leading up a gently sloped valley.
“There’s several villages marked on the map, so we’ll try and avoid them” he said.
The four of them crested the rise and gazed down on the valley below. The entire floor and some of the sides were under cultivation and the crops looked like they were rice and other grains; too large an area for them to walk around.
“We’ll have to go along the edge of the paddy fields” he said, pointing out the best direction. “That looks like a path through them.”
According to the compass, they were heading in the general direction of 150 degrees and the early afternoon sun was hot and the weather, humid. There were a few local people attending to their crops, but they didn’t pay the four of them any heed as they walked by. Everyone could see the volcano in the distance and Michael hoped the team would make it there by nightfall.
* * *
“This appears to be an extinct volcano and we should be able to see a crater when we reach the summit. It’s marked down as Kelimutu volcano and it is capped by three crater lakes. We’ll be approaching the middle lake from the west” Vijendra mentioned as they wearily trudged behind him.
The Three crater lakes were located on the eastern summit of Keli Mutu and each of the lakes had a distinctive physical structure.
“If my memory serves me well, Tiwu Ata Polo is called the ‘enchanted lake’, lies on the southeastern side of the volcanic peak. Tiwu Nua Muri Koohi Fah is called the ‘lake of young men and maidens’ and it is adjacent to first lake and is the deepest lake. Tiwu Ata Mbupu is the ‘lake of elders’ and it is the western-most lake. It is structurally different from the other two in that the pit crater it is in is itself located in the center of a larger crater” Michael mentioned to their surprise. “I think it’s still active.”
“It’s written here and translated as, ‘the treasure is located in the centre lake’, and so we’ll check that one out first” added Vijendra looking at Michael warily, wondering how he knew all this.
As the group neared the summit the forest petered out and volcanic rock and rubble replaced it. The climb became more difficult now, because they appeared to be on the edge of a previous lava flow. There were some small trees and shrubs scattered around the rim of the centre green-blue lake, but inside the crater was barren; completely different to the western crater-lake.
“Quickly, we need to hide somewhere” Vijendra suggested, scanning the area. “Over there behind those bushes.”
All of them could hear the voices now and Michael was glad Vijendra had sharp hearing. There were eight men climbing out of the rim of the centre lake, but Michael only recognized one of them. The group moved away to the east, following the ridge between middle and western lakes, to the other side.
“I recognized one of them and he’s called Snake” Michael whispered to his leader. “This has to be the crew we’re looking for.”
“We have to wait until they go over the rim and down the side, because they’ll see us if we move now” he said.
“There are only four of us and at least eight or more of them. Are we going to be able to overpower them?” Michael asked.
“It depends on the circumstances, my boy” he mentioned, not sounding too convincing.
Vijendra and his followers watched the pirates walk over to the other side and around the eastern lake, before disappearing over the edge and down the outer side of the volcano to the north. The western side of the volcano was rugged and bushy, so Vijendra took the lead and followed the path to the east while Dayang fell to the rear, sandwiching Constance and Michael between them. The breeze up here on the exposed rim was strong, as if it was trying to push the group into its murky depths, but they pushed on. The sun was setting on their backs and they knew they had to get off this volcano and find some shelter; they could easily break a leg or fall and die amongst the loose rubble and volcanic rock in the dark. Two birds appeared in the distance, well up in the northern sky.
“That’s a bad omen” Dayang mentioned, pointing to the sky. “Someone has died.”
Michael felt a chill passing down his spine, but he didn’t say anything. The birds were flying in large slow circles; their large outstretched wing riding the air currents. Every muscle he owned hurt like hell from the exertion, but Michael concentrated his efforts on simply keeping up.
By sundown Michael was exhausted, hampered by the heavy cutlass hanging by his side, but the four of them had managed to clamber down to the bottom, safely. There had been talk of stopping when it became dark, but there wasn’t any shelter so they decided to keep going for a while. Vijendra made camp an hour later under a large tree and off the beaten track, bone-weary and hungry. He didn’t want to risk a fire, so they just ate cold dried meat, cheese and bread, washed down with water.
“We may have a chance to overpower the kidnappers, if the original eight crew return to the crater tomorrow. If Sally is still alive, there may only be one or two left behind to guard her” Vijendra mentioned.
“That’s if we can find her” Michael argued. “Where do you think they’re heading?”
“Have some faith Michael, because I think we’ll find her, one way or another” he said grimly. “There’s a village in that direction and it’s marked down here as ‘Wologai’. The crew might be staying in one of the huts, but we’ll find out tomorrow. It’s time to get some rest, because we’ll leave at first light.”
The sunrise the next morning was an amazing sight. The sky in the east was filled with gold, orange, silver and several shades of grey, but Michael could only catch glimpses of it through the gaps in the leafy canopy. The wind had picked up during the night and it now whistled and whooshed through the treetops.
“What happens if we run into the same men on their way back to the crater?” he asked his captain as they trekked through the lush green vegetation.
“We’ll probably have some warning from the birds and the animals” he mentioned, not sounding convincing at all.
Heliconias, bronelaids, large woody vines and ferns were everywhere in this part of the forest, but abruptly the team arrived at a plantation.
“Coffee plants!” Michael exclaimed happily. “We must be getting close to civilization.”
“Quickly, we need to hide again, someone’s coming” urged Vijendra, hearing someone coming above the wind noise.
The four of them quietly slipped into the dense jungle, hoping they wouldn’t be seen from the path.
“We’re not going to find this treasure and I think we should make this the last day we search for it” grumbled the short, bald man in the middle of the pack.
“Yea, that’s what I’m thinkin’ too!” another one added.
“Me too, ‘cause we’ve been ere for more than a dozen days” added someone else as he passed them.
“Hold it right here. Stop your whining. Ok we’ll make this the last day for searching for the fabled ‘lost treasure’, but we still have that bitch to trade, to the Maharaja, for her life” mentioned the first tall bald man, turning to address his followers. “Let’s get on up there and search the last quarter of the crater.”
The eight men trudged wearily up the mountain path, hoping to have some results by the days’ end.
“Did you hear that, Sally’s still alive” Michael whispered to the others.
“That may be so, but we still have to find her” suggested Connie sadly.
“I think their base camp is close by and we need to tread warily now” added their captain.
“Snake wasn’t with them this morning” Michael mentioned. “If we can find him we can find Sally.”
“Ok, we’ll keep going for now” Vijendra announced to them.
They began to walk along the trail and into the coffee plantation. The bushes were about seven feet tall and clouds of yellow butterflies were feeding on the flower’s rich nectar. Flocks of hummingbirds zipped in and out of the crop, joining in on the feast.
“There’s a second path joining the main one and I think we should follow that one first” Vijendra suggested, not expecting an answer.
The four of them had walked about half a mile and were still within the boundaries of the plantation, when Vijendra stopped.
“There’s a hut over there. Dayang and I will take a look first, before we come back for you two. Hide off the main trail in case someone comes” he ordered. “Describe the man called Snake to me.”
“He’s about 5’6’’ tall, black shoulder length hair, a black goatee beard and he has a tattoo of a snake down his left arm” Michael reported to him.
He and Connie watched the two experienced fighting men move off the trail, crouch down and silently edge towards the hut. The two of them moved off the main trail for about thirty feet and sat down in the dirt to wait. They could still see the main trail and anyone walking along it, but they probably wouldn’t see them or even expect to see someone here.
The land was cleared for about twenty feet around the hut and there was no was way the Vijendra and Dayang could approach from the front without being seen.
“There aren’t any windows on that side of the hut, so I can approach it from that side and get underneath. I need to know if it’s the right hut or if Snake’s around” Vijendra said. Stay here, Dayang and I’ll wave to you if I need you to make a diversion, like throwing a rock or something.”
He made his way to the left and skirted the hut until he was level with the blank wall. Vijendra knew he had the element of surprise and the men in the hut would be relaxed about security, because they wouldn’t be expecting any trouble. He rushed over to the wall and snuck underneath it.
“I’m sick of hanging around here Snake” said a man angrily.
“Yea, me too! I didn’t want to go looking for this myth anyway” he hissed. “What was that?”
A rock had been thrown onto the veranda and in through the open door.
“Go out and see who threw that, Abdul. Chase them off if they’re kids” he said.
Abdul walked out the door and onto the veranda, scanning for the rock-throwing culprits; his hand ready to draw his cutlass. Without warning, a knife sailed through the air and embedded deeply into his chest, finding his heart. He tumbled over the railing, eyes wide open with shock.
“Who’s there?” Snake shouted, fully alert now.
There wasn’t any answer, so he cautiously peered through the doorway.
“Who’s there?” he yelled again, as another rock sailed through the air,
hitting the wall with a loud thud.
Snake was hesitant about going out the door because he didn’t want to end up like Abdul, but he thought he heard the creak of the steps so Snake rushed out with his cutlass drawn.
“Who are you?” he asked the person standing there.
“I’m Vijendra, The White Ghost. Have you heard about me, Snake?” he asked.
“Yea, I’ve heard of you, but what are you doing here?” he asked warily.
“I’ve come here to kill you and take Sally back with us” he said calmly.
They prepared for battle; eyeing each other and judging each other’s skills.
“Well, kill me then!” Snake shouted; slashing at his enemy.
Snake was dressed in rough baggy trousers and he was bare-chested, but he possessed far less skills than his opponent. Within a few minutes he was mortally wounded and he dropped to the floor; blood gushing out of several wounds.
“Why?” he asked weakly. “Why?”
“I’m doing it for a friend. Remember a boy you left behind when you kidnapped Sally? Well, he’s part of my crew now and he wanted revenge….” He said as he watched the life drain away from his victim.
“Have a look in that room, Dayang” he ordered, when his mate joined him on the veranda.
“Ayee” cried the older woman, cringing with fear when Dayang opened the door.
“Please don’t hurt her again” cried the younger one.
“We’re here to help you” he said as he advanced over to Sally.
“I don’t believe you” she spat as she cowered away.
“Will you believe me then?” Vijendra asked calmly. “We’ve come here to free you, because Michael asked us to.”
“Michael? Is he still alive?” she questioned him, calming down.
“Dayang go and get the other two and bring them here” he ordered.
Slave Of Destiny Page 9