Leandra and I moved into the forest, parting company with Carlos. Working together, we cut down a stack of broad leaves and bamboo poles. The trees didn’t seem to be as tall on the hillside. Up ahead, one had fallen, its trunk locked into the tree with its branches like two stags tangled by their antlers in combat.
‘I’m going to climb this fallen tree. Maybe I can see a town or a village from up there.’
‘Be careful, there are no hospitals around here – remember?’
A moment of hesitation and I thought, what the hell. On all fours, I worked my way to the top. With six feet to go, the tree trunk felt hot to the touch. The heat in the canopy hit me and I could taste it, like walking into a sauna fully dressed. My palm stung on the dead bark as if I’d grasped glowing cinders. Loosening the bandage from my wrist, I slid it to my palm and continued.
The view was breathtaking as I raised the mosquito net. Mile after mile of a carpet of forest, with the top of the canopy not unlike a never-ending landscape of broccoli sprouts. It had to be one of the seven wonders of the world. Mist swirled amongst the treetops in pockets as far as the eyes could see, but there was no sign of habitation. Turning, I could just about make out the gray band of the ocean. For a few minutes, I was free, walking down the path to my front door at home, the children greeting me and taking my hand.
‘Kurt – please, come down.’
I worked my way to the ground. Leandra’s voice had broken the magic. The reality of the situation was that Carlos was right. Even though I could walk out of there, a city guy would be lucky to make it out alive. At least Carlos was motivated to keep Leandra and me alive.
Once I was back on a firm footing, we collected the fruits of our labour and headed back to the clearing.
‘What kept you?’ said Carlos.
‘We couldn’t carry it all.’
Carlos rolled his eyes. ‘We’re not building a house. Give me the knife and I’ll start with the hammocks. You two can go back and get the rest and then collect some dry logs for a fire.’
Holding the knife by the handle, I offered the blade to him. His rifle was leaning against a tree, next to one of the hammocks. For a brief moment, I paused, gripping the handle, not wanting to let go. Carlos looked me in the eyes, but didn’t try to take it from my grasp.
‘Now’s not the time, Kurt. Ladies present.’
I knew that I wouldn’t have the guts to attack someone with a knife, other than in self-defence. That was the second time he’d considered Leandra. All my training had been in disarming someone with a knife. Then I realized that Carlos would have had unarmed combat training. Flicking the knife and catching it by the blade, I extended my arm. Carlos took the knife and turned his back on me. If nothing else, I hoped it would gain his trust and by offering his back, it looked as though my move had had the desired effect.
With all the leaves and poles back at the clearing, we headed out back for the kindling. Picking up some of the logs, I looked around. Leandra was nowhere in sight. Turning in a circle, my heart raced.
‘Leandra, where are you?’
She damn near gave me a heart attack when she jumped out from behind a tree trunk.
‘Boo!’
Leandra snickered, probably at my reaction, when I dropped the logs. Playfully, I grabbed her. We lost our footing and I fell on top of her. We were both laughing, then stopped. It couldn’t have been more than a few seconds that we looked into each other’s eyes, but it unnerved me and I rolled off her. Taking hold of her hand, I hauled her to her feet.
‘Let’s get the wood back to the camp and get the fire going,’ I said.
Neither of us spoke after that on our way back to camp. You could almost taste the tension, at least I could. I’m not sure what was on her mind.
Carlos had picked out trees on the edge of the clearing to construct the hammocks, and fastened mosquito nets from our survival pack over them. I was impressed.
After an evening spent around the fire, exchanging anecdotes, Carlos stood. ‘Time to turn in. Both of you can get some sleep and I’ll take watch for a while.’
‘The Indians?’ I asked.
‘No, they won’t attack at night. Really, I just want some time to myself before turning in for the night.’
The hammock, though difficult to get into, it was surprisingly comfortable.
‘Night, Kurt.’
‘Goodnight.’
Lying with my hands under my head, I could hear Leandra tossing and turning restlessly. Thinking back to our playing in the forest, I didn’t like where my thoughts were taking me. Closing my eyes, I managed to grasp the photo from my memory, of Mary and the kids.
Sometime later, I heard Carlos climb into his hammock and I drifted to sleep.
My eyes opened to dawn and sunlight slicing through the foliage above. I could see the outline of Leandra through her netting, but Carlos had vacated his hammock. Glancing along my body, my eyes popped at the sight of a Glock 9 mil resting on my stomach.
‘Leandra, wake up. I think Carlos has deserted us.’
A loud explosion, more like a popping thud, cut the air. When I scrambled to get out of the hammock, it rolled over, dumping me on the ground. I picked up the Glock and released the magazine, relieved that it was fully loaded. As I was clicking it back into place, Leandra called out.
‘What was that noise?’
‘Grenade – I think.’
Chapter 30
Under Attack
It was hard to get a bearing on where the sound of the explosion had come from.
‘Get dressed and grab your backpack – quickly,’ I ordered.
Stepping into my boots, not bothering to tie the laces, I donned my jacket and swung a strap of the backpack over my shoulder. My eyes darted in all directions. Leandra scrambled behind me.
‘Quickly,’ I said, ‘back up to the giant tree next to the gorge and get behind it for cover.’
A staccato of gunfire erupted. This time the direction was clear. It was from the direction of the cocaine production area. Behind the tree, I started to fasten my laces. My fingers shook, making it difficult, but I finally managed to loop the last bootlace.
‘Do you think it’s the Indians?’ Leandra asked.
Her entire body was visibly shaking.
‘I don’t know. Carlos had something on his mind last night. Maybe his conscience bothered him after our exchange of words and he’s destroying the cocaleros’ production facility. Why else would he leave us with a gun? Unless he wanted us both to escape?’
‘I’m glad he left us his gun, but I hope he’s not attacking them. There are women and children down there,’ Leandra said.
Another burst of gunfire sounded, but this time directly in front of us.
‘Shit – shit.’
I turned and leaned back against the tree trunk. Holding the pistol with both hands, I tapped the barrel on my nose, briefly closing and then opening my eyes.
‘What are you thinking?’ Leandra asked. The colour had drained from her face.
‘I’m thinking if there’s someone ahead and below, it’s as good as being surrounded. I’m also thinking the shots have stopped. So they’ve either scared off whoever is out there, or...’
‘Or what?’ Leandra asked.
‘Or, if it is the Indians, they could have overrun the cocaleros.’
‘Great, so now we’re like your Colonel Custer?’
‘Not quite. We could go further uphill, and I doubt they could span the gorge.’
‘Couldn’t we make it to that tree you climbed and both of us climb to the top? We could wait until dark and then sneak off.’
‘Shush.’ I strained my hearing, but what with the waterfall at our backs and the critters making noises in the forest, I doubted we would hear anyone advancing toward us.
‘Well?’ Leandra said.
‘I’m thinking.’
A single shot rang out further down the hill.
‘Think quickly, because I don’t care to stay her
e,’ she said, still trembling.
‘Climbing the tree is out of the question. If it is the Indians, remember how they hunted the monkeys high up in the trees with their poisoned darts – and the monkeys are more agile than us.’
‘What, then?’ Leandra covered her eyes with her hands, resting her elbows on her knees and shook her head.
‘We’ll just have to wait it out here and see what happens,’ I said.
‘Damn it. You know I can’t escape? I have to go back to the villa. I’m going to need you to get me back to the village, assuming we can get out of this mess. I understand that you will have to go on from there alone – I... I wish I could escape with you.’
She folded her arms and dropped her head.
‘Yeah, I know, but I’m not sure I’m for going it alone in the rainforest and escaping. I don’t want to emerge in forty years, like those Japanese soldiers who didn’t know the war was over. I’m pretty sure, though, that I could pick up the trail the natives trampled, especially with them hacking the undergrowth. Wait – I just had a thought.’
‘What?’
‘It could have been an animal tripping the grenade. Maybe Carlos and the cocaleros are out hunting for lunch.’
‘You wish. Why leave us with the gun and why spray whatever they’re hunting with automatic fire?’
My shoulders dropped, along with my slender optimism. I was just thankful that we had the protection of the Glock 18, with a 33-round magazine. Double-checking, I made sure the switch wasn’t set to automatic. The last thing I wanted was to squeeze the trigger and empty all the bullets in less time than you could blink an eye.
The kapok tree that afforded us shelter had four root fins at the base like on the old V2 German rockets. The fins of the root system provided more than enough cover right and left. The trunk gave cover ahead, but the advantage of a barrier didn’t compensate for not being able to scan the area for any threats.
I thought it ironic that our sanctuary might have produced the very weapons that could be used against us. Carlos had told us around the campfire that what I had thought was cotton wool was the floss from the kapok seed and that Indians used it to wrap around their poison darts. It was little comfort that he also told us they used the bark and seeds to produce cures for fever and other ailments.
It was only six feet to the edge of the gorge and, I hoped, a possible escape route.
‘I’m going to have a look over the gorge to see if there’s a way down.’
Crawling on my belly, I peered over the edge. It was maybe fifty feet to the bottom. The waterfall cascaded into a small lagoon, which drained over a barrier to form a stream, bubbling onward into the forest over the rocks. A root from the kapok exited the face of the gorge, all the way to the bottom, but it was four feet away and too far to reach.
‘What do you think?’ Leandra asked.
‘No chance.’
I scrambled back to Leandra on all fours.
She sighed. ‘Shouldn’t we try and find some bushes so we can see what’s out there?’
‘What, and risk getting an arrow in either of our butts? No, thanks. We’re safer here. Listen, let’s just stay here. The next thing we’ll probably hear is Carlos shouting our names, or the cocaleros returning. Give it two or three hours and if we hear nothing, we can head back to their unit.’
An attempt at a smile did little to put Leandra’s mind at rest. Leandra dropped her head into her hands. My mind turned to Stony Face and his lecture before we left the villa. I deliberated pulling the GPS transmitter from my backpack. If I activated it and we had to move on, the signal would be a waste of time. Even that prospect assumed I could transmit a signal through the canopy. Besides, how long would it take him to get here with the cavalry? Fishing in my backpack, I located the gadget wrapped and sealed in a large plastic zipper bag. Leaving it at the top for easy access, I fastened the pack.
We sat in silence for some time, both craning our necks and trying to decode the sounds. A sudden burst of activity rose above the background noises. Monkeys screamed at each other as if in alarm. Birds called out chattering signals. Leandra sidled up to me and gripped my arm. We exchanged glances but said nothing. The fear in her eyes was evident. I prayed for someone to call out our names. I was the one holding the gun. All Leandra had was me for protection. As good a marksman as I was, I would need a clear sight of a target. In the open, whoever was out there, they could outflank us if they had superior numbers and their weapons would be silent. With heightened senses, and a rush of adrenalin, I finally understood the fight-or-flight syndrome. The critter panic intensified and seemed even closer.
I whispered to Leandra. ‘We can’t take a chance on fighting it out.’
‘What then, wave a white flag?’
‘No, we need to jump into the lagoon before we’re spotted. Get your backpack on and let’s go.’
Her already pale face turned ashen. Unzipping my backpack, I opened the transmitter bag and dropped the Glock inside, then sealed it and returned it to the pack. Leandra had already slipped her backpack straps over her shoulders and scrambled to her feet in blind trust.
We exchanged a brief glance as I pulled the straps to my backpack over my shoulders. Taking a deep breath, I took her hand in mine.
‘Go,’ I said. ‘Don’t hesitate.’
Running hand in hand, we jumped at the precipice. Kicking empty air, with legs thrashing to stay upright, our fingers slithered apart.
Chapter 31
Temporary Sanctuary
A friend of mine once asked me to go hang gliding. I declined, nerves getting the better of me. Not to mention that Mary was pregnant with Claire, so common sense came into the equation. What possessed me to jump into the abyss on this occasion was more a fear of the possible consequences of not jumping. There was no wingspan or parachute to provide a gentle landing.
As for common sense, I think I’d left that behind the kapok tree.
Hurtling toward the lagoon, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. My feet plunged through the surface of the water, the drag of the backpack slowing me down. My knees bent with the momentum as my boots hit the bottom and I kicked to rise to the surface. My lungs were about to explode as I broke through to the fresh air, coughing and spluttering.
It was around then that I wished I hadn’t fastened my bootlaces. Bobbing under the surface, I quickly shrugged out of my backpack, only to lose buoyancy, and ducked under the water again. Clawing at the water, I finally escaped from the darkness, squinting at the bright light as I took in a lungful of air. Like a contortionist, I reached down to remove first one boot and then the other, each time surfacing and launching one to the bank.
Horror struck. As I treaded water, Leandra was nowhere in sight. Her backpack surfaced and I dogpaddled over, expecting her to surface – but she didn’t. Like a lemming, she had followed me over the precipice – but I hoped not to her death.
Taking a deep breath and in sheer panic, I dove down. The waterfall created a never-ending cycle of silt and water trapped in the lagoon, leaving the water murky. It was impossible to see anything underwater. I felt an object like a branch and grabbed it, using one hand over the other to haul myself further into the depths. I felt her jacket first and then her limp arm. When I searched around, I found that her jacket was snagged on a branch. With an arm around her waist, I released her arms from the jacket and kicked for all I was worth.
I can’t recall getting Leandra to the bank; it was all a blur. Thrashing about had taken its toll and sapped my energy. I could only think ahead. Thank God, I knew first aid; I laid her on her side in the recovery position. Leandra’s body was lifeless, her face tinged blue. I was about to lay her on her front to pump the water from her lungs, when suddenly her eyes popped wide open and she spewed out bile. She rolled over and rose on all fours, vomiting.
Raising my eyes to the heavens, I gave a silent thank you.
Leandra dropped to the bank and turned over onto her back, her chest rising and fa
lling. Colour returned to her cheeks. Without saying anything, I fell to my knees and then lay beside her. Gently, I stroked the side of her face with my fingers. Soaked through to the skin, it was a relief to have the heat of the forest acting as a comforter. Leandra rolled over onto her side. Her head snuggled up to my chest and she wrapped her arm over me. I placed one arm around her waist and held the back of her head with the other, teasing the strands of her tangled, wet hair with my fingers – pleased that she wouldn’t see my tears of relief.
As I lay there, all thoughts of danger were lost to me. Mixed emotions were tumbling around like a clothes dryer, back and forth. As bad as the situation was, I was in a good place.
‘You saved my life.’
‘It’s the least I could do, seeing as how I was the one who nearly took it away from you. How do you feel?’
‘Like I’ve been in a head-on car wreck.’
A bush sprouting from the face of the gorge afforded cover for us. Turning my head, I faced the lagoon. Our survival packs floated on the surface. The swirl from the waterfall had delivered them within grabbing distance.
‘Leandra, I need to get our packs. If someone looks over the top, they'll see them floating. We’re exposed here and we need to move on.’
We unravelled our arms and I crawled over to grab the packs. They didn’t call them survival packs for nothing. When I unzipped mine, I noticed the plastic lining underneath the canvas outer surface. No wonder they had floated. I took out the Glock and dragged the backpacks to Leandra’s side. Placing the gun down, I tied my boots together by the laces and twirled them over my shoulder.
‘Kurt, I don’t think I have the strength to move.’
I scanned the area in all directions. To our left, there was a thicket of bushes on the bank, with more growing out of the sheer rock face.
‘I’ll help you. We only need to move ten yards to cover.’
Deadly Journey Page 18