by Celine Yorke
"Yeah, I wonder what happened to him. Let me know what you find out."
"Yes, I will. I hope I'll be able to track him down."
"Good luck."
"Well, I think I better get back to the hotel, it's getting late." The girl looked hopeful, but he left her at the bar.
The next morning, Jim contacted Franco, the undercover cop. They had become good friends. He told him about meeting with Eva. She might have been a superb liar, but she truly didn't seem to have any idea of Tom's whereabouts. However, Franco had some news.
"The truck from the 'Jungle Retreat' arrived at Carlos Fontana's house last night. An undercover cop has attached the tracking device to the truck. We will be following the truck as soon as it leaves. Do you want to come and be part of the action? Maybe you'll find Tom," Franco said.
"I'll be over at headquarters in about an hour. I just have to take care of a few details and let Brian know where I'm going. Everyone from the team is leaving tomorrow. I'll be there as soon as I have things arranged."
Jim turned up at the headquarters where Franco worked. Everyone was busy getting ready for the trip into the jungle. Jim would drive with Franco in a four-wheeler. A bigger truck with a bunch of SIS agents would follow in the distance. They were all ready and waiting for a call from the guys who watch out for the truck at Carlos Fontana's to leave. Everyone was on high alert, and they were all ready to hop in their vehicles and take off. Then the call came. "The truck is leaving now."
Jim and Franco hurried into the four-wheeler and set out after the truck towards the jungle. They stayed in radio contact with the SIS truck, which kept their distance from them. The drive was long and dusty with winding roads, a pretty tiring trip. They stayed a good distance behind the jungle retreat vehicle, following the signal of the tracking device. Whenever they stopped for a break, it alerted Jim and Franco. They took turns driving, but it took them a few days before they got close to the 'Jungle Retreat.' When they finally saw the truck stopping up ahead, they realized it was turning into the compound. They turned around and drove back about a mile and camped in a spot well hidden between the trees. They contacted the SIS truck.
"We are a couple of miles from the compound and have made camp in the bushes away from the road."
They got orders to stay in their camp from Victor, the person in command. The SIS truck had camped a few miles away from Jim and Franco to avoid raising an alarm. Jim and Franco settled in for the night in the four-wheeler. It was a bit constricted, but they managed to get a good night's sleep. Victor sent out a few of his men to check out the area and find out what their chances were to attack the house. The rest of the men got to work setting up camp. One big tent was set up as their headquarters, and a table placed in the middle with a map of the area for planning. The rest of the men rolled out their sleeping bags in the back of the truck. After several hours, the scouts came back and made a drawing of the property, including where the guards were positioned. They began to make plans on how to surround the house.
Jim and Franco's little camp was closer to the 'Jungle Retreat.' The next morning they woke up early. "Hey Jim, are you awake?"
"Yeah, have been for a while." Jim yarned.
"Let's go and do our own investigating. Maybe we can find some way into the house." Franco suggested.
"Sounds like a good idea." Jim got up and joined Franco. They set out on foot through the jungle to explore their chances to get as near as possible to the house. Franco had made sure to tuck his gun into his belt. They hid behind the trees and watched the house. A few guards patrolled the area around it, rifles resting easily on their shoulders. They looked tough, someone who could easily knock the shit out of you. Jim and Franco inched forward, looking for openings into the house, they wanted to look for Tom. The agents would do the heavy work, but they managed to find a few places to sneak in. A great big cyclone fence surrounded the whole property. A guard was on each side of the gate, both inside and outside the fence.
Franco got on the radio to Victor. "Jim and I have checked the compound out and there are quite a few men on guard. I think you should send for another truck to come out here. Our forces might not be enough. There seems to be a lot of them."
"Good work boy, I'll call for some more backups. We will see you tomorrow morning."
The next morning, Victor and the SIS agents drove up to Jim and Franco's camp. Victor wanted as much information from Franco as possible, even though Victor had been in radio contact with Franco, who filled him in on what they had discovered. The agents moved into position, surrounding the place, ready to advance on the house and surprise the unsuspecting criminals. They were all ready and just waiting for the go-ahead, which came a few moments later. They all left the camp and made their way through the jungle to the 'Jungle Retreat.'
As soon as all the agents were hidden behind the trees in the jungle, they sent a message out to the helicopters. "We are in position."
"Roger that. We're in the air." The helicopters headed for the 'Jungle Retreat' with more men.
CHAPTER SIX
Tom and Chan had been in the big den for a long time. Although Tom was getting used to staying with the jaguars, he longed for a bit of privacy. He kept up with all his exercises. Chan joined him, and together they practiced their martial arts. Tom enjoyed that part of the day. However, the thought of Serena kept popping up. No matter how hard he tried to forget about Serena and push the thoughts of her away, she was always on his mind.
"When are we going back to our hut?" Tom asked Chan one day.
"We can go any time you like. I thought you liked it here."
"Yes, I do, but I long to have some time to myself now and again so I can focus on what I want to do with my future. I'm aware of how hard it is to get back to the city. But I can't forget about the life I used to have before this."
"Maybe it's time we took you back," Chan said. They went into the den and sat around the fire. Romina and Lucia came up to sit next to Tom. They had grown very fond of him, and he hoped they wouldn't get too upset when he left.
"Chan and I will be leaving back tomorrow."
They looked unhappy, and when Tom saw they had tears in their eyes, he gave them both a big hug and held them close for a long time.
"Hey, let's go for a walk down to the river. How would you like to go for a swim? They liked that idea, and as soon as they were outside the hut, they changed into their jaguar forms. Tom couldn't help admiring them; they looked beautiful in their soft fur coats. They ran around him, frolicking and playing. He tried to chase them, but they dodged around him. He laughed to himself, reflecting on how hard it was to confine a spirited woman. They came up to him and licked him. Romina, the bigger of the two, offered him a ride on her back. Tom accepted and climbed on. No sooner was he seated, than she had taken off, trotting towards the river. She ran straight into the water. Tom floated off her and started to swim around. Romina and Lucia came up to him. They had both shifted into their human bodies, and began to wash him and tease him in a good-humored way. They were fun to be with, and Tom knew he would miss them.
After they decided Tom was clean enough, they pulled him ashore by each hand and settled down in the tall grass to let the sun dry them. Tom enjoyed being pampered, and lay down to relax with the girls lying close to him. Lucia was clinging to him. Her emotions were running away with her, so he took her in his arms and held her while Romina pressed her body to his back.
"Oh my God, what am I going to do with you two?" Tom was aroused and getting hard. The lovely women sandwiching him were too much of a temptation. When Lucia moaned, rubbing against him, he had to take her. He rolled over on top of Lucia and entered her wet, slick opening, thrusting hard inside her.
Oh, how good it feels to be as free as an animal. To lay here in nature, making love to these two beautiful half-human and half-animal women.
Tom wondered if he was falling in love, or merely in lust. Whatever he felt, he enjoyed going with it. Lucia moaned with pleasu
re and her breath quickened. She pursed her lips. Her heartbeat rose, and she yelped as she came. She curled up in the sun with a satisfied expression on her face. But Tom was not done yet. Romina put her arms around him and pulled him towards her. Her sensual lips searched for his. They kissed as they fell into a slow rhythm. They were both on fire, erotic heat pulsating through their bodies, stirring their senses in an exciting and thrilling vibration. Tom started working his way down to her full breasts. Her nipples hardened, aroused by his touch. He let his lips purr lightly over her nipples, and his hands cupped her ass as he slid in to her. Their hips moved together as he rocked in and out of her. They panted, trembling together as he released himself inside of her. A deep roar escaped Tom's lips. The three of them lay relaxed, basking in the sun, feeling one with nature. Tom was the first one to sit up and take a good look at the surroundings. The river ran into a small bay ending up along the cliffs at the foot of the mountains. It was simply magic here, everything was so untouched by humans. The trees, bushes and overhanging green crawlers were climbing over the rocks. The flowers scented the air heavily with their spicy perfume. A peaceful feeling came over him. He began to regret his decision to leave. Then both Romina and Lucia sat up and sniffed the air with worried looks on their faces.
"We've got to go, quick. Hop on my back, Tom, we're about to have nasty company!" Romina got up and shifted into her jaguar form. Tom grabbed his big knife and jumped on her back. She loped off, Lucia running behind them. Two big cats came out from behind the bushes and chased after them. Tom clung to Romina, his arms around her neck. The big cats caught up with Lucia and jumped on her and held her down. They could smell she had been mating. She did what she could to get away from them, but they were much too strong for her and she whined aloud as they pulled her down. Chan heard a cry in the jungle and his ears pricked up. They've been away for a long time.
"We better go and look for them to see if they're alright," he said to a few of the hunters.
They sprinted down towards the river. Soon they picked up the smell of the unfriendly cats and followed their tracks. They came into view of the scene just in time to see the two big cats with their claws in Lucia, who was lying helpless on the ground. They came to her rescue. The cats from the other tribe ran off, outnumbered, but it was too late. Lucia was in a terrible state. She was hurt in a bad way and lay there with pleading eyes, making soft strange noises. They all shifted into their human bodies and carried her back to the den. Her body was torn open in many places and they were all very concerned about her. There was not much they could do for her, but keep her warm and give her some water. She rested in her jaguar form next to the fire. They all sat around the fire with her. Tom felt bad. He shouldn't have let them stay down by the river so long. He felt responsible for Lucia's attack. He realized how much he had come to care for them. He stroked her flank, tears running down his face. The three of them had had a nice time down by the river, and now this had happened. She was such a good-looking jaguar, and too young to die yet. Tom was not putting his hopes too high; she was in a pretty bad way, her flank and belly torn open.
Romina and Tom stayed with her all night, but in the morning, she was dead in his arms.
"I think she has passed away," Tom said in a sad shaky voice. He had never experienced losing anyone close before, and the grief swept everything away.
"Oh, poor Lucia, she was my best friend, I'm going to miss her so much." Romina cried out in a broken voice. Romina and Tom sat together, holding each other as they wept. Everyone in the den mourned the loss of a loved one.
"We can't leave before Lucia is buried. We have to wait three days to allow her spirit to leave her body before we can bury her," Chan said to Tom.
"Yes, of course. We have to stay and make sure she has a proper burial. I wish we hadn't gone down to the river. That was my fault," Tom replied. He hadn't slept all night. The grief showed heavily on his pale, drawn face, and the dark circles under his eyes.
"You aren't to blame. It used to be quite safe to go down to the river, and the girls probably encouraged you," Chan countered.
They all helped to dig a hole for Lucia to be buried near the den. The women put wildflowers over her burial mound. Chan crafted a beautiful speech for her, and they all chanted a tribal farewell tune.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Chan and Tom headed back to their camping spot, where the little hut was. Tom was looking forward to it, he longed for a bit of privacy and to be alone with his own thoughts. Tom moved swiftly and quietly, much more comfortable in the jungle. Chan complimented him on his new skills.
"You've gotten really handy with that bow," said Chan. "We'll need that. We're out of food, for one thing." He leapt from tree to tree, showing off in front of Tom.
"Sorry. I'm still pretty upset about Lucia." Tom paused.
"It's part of life out here in the jungle. She wouldn't expect you to drag your feet. Now come on, let's hunt." Tom smiled a little. Chan was a good friend--a better friend than he'd ever had before. They settled in to wait for prey.
Some strange noises in the bushes got their attention. They climbed up a tree to hide. A small wild pig wandered into the clearing, snuffling around. They held their breaths while Tom aim at the pig with his bow and arrow and hit it right in his neck.
"Oh good, well done Tom, we got dinner for tonight." They both laughed and climbed down the tree to fetch the pig. Once back in the hut, they could relax again. Tom was relived to be back there so he could sit in peace and quiet with his own thoughts and meditate, which was also something Chan had taught him. Meditating was something he cherished, he felt intensely calm when he did it. He now always made sure to do it at least once a day.
A little later, when sitting by the fire, Chan said to Tom, "Do you still have your heart set on going back to civilization and take up your old lifestyle again?"
"I have a strong pull in that direction. But life will never be the same for me after all I have learned from you here in the jungle. If I could make it back to the 'Jungle Retreat,' I could maybe sneak in and take one of their four-wheelers so I could get back to civilization. I think I have enough skills to defend myself now." Tom sounded sure of himself.
"If that's what you want to do, then I'll help you, but I'll be sad to see you leave. You've been a good friend."
"Thank you so much. I'm grateful for that, and I know I'll miss you too. Do you think Romina will mind?"
Chan glanced down and shook his head. "She should be okay. She hasn't been the same since Lucia's death." They began to make plans and talk about all the details involved. It was a long trip back. It would take them a good week to get there.
"We'll leave in a few days, but first, I have to go back to the big den to let them know what we're planning to do," Chan said. While Chan was gone, Tom went through all his arrows, checking to see if they were sharp enough. He looked around, walking through the camp. He had learned to live out here in nature and survived with the help of Chan, who had been amazing. He had been such a good teacher for him and shown him that there were other ways to survive than the way he had been brought up. It had been a fantastic eye-opener for him, something he would never forget. He had learned to travel light and to make clothes from fibers in the jungle. Now, he pulled on his old, worn out pants he had cut short and the pelt he had made into a short coat. He shouldered one of the skins so he'd have something warm to sleep on at night and was now prepared to leave.
The next day, Chan arrived back in his jaguar form with six of the jaguars from the big den. When they heard of Tom's plan to go back to the 'Jungle Retreat,' they were all ready to come and help. They wanted to make sure Tom could get back safely.
"Are you ready to go now Tom?" Chan had changed into his human form and was standing there with his bow, arrows and big knife in his belt.
"Wow, thanks everyone for coming. Yes, I sure am ready. Let's go." Tom slung his bow and quiver over the fur he'd tied around his shoulders and tucked a hunting knife into h
is belt.
Chan outlined the plan. "We'll split into pairs and spread out so nobody notices a giant group of jaguars travelling together.
"We'll meet at sunset, make a fire and eat what we've killed on the way. Don't travel further away from each other than you can smell, just to be safe."
Chan and Tom paired up, while the other jaguars headed off. Tom knew it would be a long trip, but with the help of the jaguars, he felt sure it would all go work out. Chan seemed to know the jungle so well. He found all the shortcuts in the dense jungle they could get through with ease. In the late afternoon, they came across a big boar grazing on the underbrush.
"Hey, there is our dinner. Let's get him." Chan whispered. They snuck up on him and surprised him. Chan and Tom pinned him down and killed him quickly. The jaguars smelled the kill and came on to the scene. They all decided it was time to make camp. Some of the jaguars shifted into their human form.
"It looks like you caught dinner for tonight we better help you build a fire to cook it on."
"Yeah, it is time to make camp, and we need a hand to cut up the boar." Chan said. They all got busy helping preparing dinner and gathering wood for the fire. After their meal, they all settled down for a good night's rest. They agreed on taking turns to keep guard for any unwelcome company.
As they got closer to the 'Jungle Retreat' they heard noises from people. They suspected it was the guards searching for poachers. They did what they could to avoid them.
"Stay back and let us wait for a while until we find out what's going on. Chan warned them. They hid in the bushes and watch, but the guards were blocking their way.