by Celine Yorke
"Tom, do you think you could teach me how to shoot with a bow and arrow? I'm impressed with how you handled the cat and the way you climbed the tree with ease," Jim said.
"I learned from the best. Chan had me doing exercises every morning, and in the afternoon he taught me martial arts and fighting with sticks. It was a pretty intense training, but Chan told me it was necessary to learn if I wanted to survive out here in the jungle." Tom felt sorry for the cat, but at the same time, he was proud he had been able to save his friends' lives. They got safe back to camp, and Tom started to gather some wood to make a fire.
"This will help to keep any other animals away," he said. Jim and Franco began to help. In no time, they had a roaring fire going. Franco brought out some cans of baked beans he had in the car.
"Oh, baked beans! It's a long time since I had some of them!" Tom burst out in excitement. The others looked at him, forgetting that he had been living in the jungle for so long. Jim and Franco both laughed, suddenly aware of how ridiculous Tom looked--his long hair and beard, combined with the pelt and bow, made him look like a caveman. They sat around the fire while they waited for the rest of the team to come back. Tom began to fill them in about what had happened to him. They were mesmerized.
"If it wasn't for Chan helping me, I don't know what would have happened to me. It was impossible to get out of the room where I was held prisoner."
"What's the story with those jaguars?" Jim was curious to know more about them.
"I feel very protective of them, and don't want anyone to harm them. They're my friends, and have helped me all along the way. Please don't let this go any further. They're shape shifters. They are half human and half jaguar, and can change into either form, whatever suits the situation. They live in a big den deep in the jungle and live off fish from the river and the wildlife they kill."
"That sounds unreal."
"I was pretty shocked myself when I first saw Chan shift into a jaguar. He chased two wild cats invading his territory up the river, but I got used to it," Tom explained.
"I've heard rumors about people who could change shape before, but I have never come across anyone like it. What an adventure it must have been for you," Franco said.
"Yeah, it's been life changing for me. I've seen how other species can live together in harmony in a complete different lifestyle to ours. But there was always a threat, and many dangers to be aware of. That's why Chan pushed me every day to become more and more fit. It was tough in the beginning because I was so unfit compared to Chan. There was no way he was going to let me get away with not doing my exercises. But I learned. He was a good teacher and always praised me when I improved. It became fun once I got better at it."
"And you just saved our lives, which you may not have been able to do if Chan hadn't pushed you to keep up your training. Knowing you can defend us if another cat should sneak up on us makes me feel safer sitting here with you," Franco added
They heard the truck coming, and the helicopters landing out on the road. The noise from them was enough to scare any wildlife away from the camp. Victor ordered Tom, Jim and Franco to fly back with him in the helicopter to headquarters.
They landed in the yard at SIS headquarters. Some agents, who had already been alerted about their arrival, came running out to meet them. They all went into Victor's office, where they sat down in lounge chairs. His secretary came in to take notes of what was being discussed. Victor started to question Tom. He wanted to know everything that happened to him so he could close in on the people who were responsible for his situation.
"There is a lot to tell. I suppose I should start with the party at Carlos' house. We had finished with the drawings and plans of the mansion. I had mainly been involved with the mini model of the building. Then Carlos invited us all to the party and someone spiked my drink and the next thing I remember, I woke up in a room and look out the window and there is jungle all around me. Somebody had kidnapped me and I was held prisoner." Tom continued to tell what had happen to him and they all sat quiet listening while Tom told them his fascinating story.
"That's quite a story. Can you imagine how the media would love to get hold of it? We'll have to keep a lid on it because it also involves Carlos Fontana and his daughter Eva and we need to close in on all the criminals involved with Carlos Fontana." Victor said. It was a big story to unravel and Carlos Fontana and his daughter Eva were the guilty ones, the major criminals in the whole scheme so far.
"There will be a court case. Would you be willing to testify, Tom?"
"Yes, I would, but not so much for my sake, but to protect others from being harmed," Tom said.
"It's quite an adventure you've had. I can see you have benefited from it in many ways. We'll get you and Jim set up in a safe-house for now. I know it must be tempting for you to get on the phone and tell your family you are alive. But for your own protection, don't. We need to keep it a secret, so please don't try to contact anyone."
CHAPTER TEN
Franco drove Tom and Jim out of town to an isolated country area. A long driveway lead up to a cheerful white house hidden behind trees and bushes. It seemed to be a good hideaway for them. The only neighbor was a small farm nearby.
"Hey boys, I did some food shopping for you. There are some heavy bags in the boot, please carry them into the kitchen," Franco said.
"Food shopping? My pleasure. I can't wait to see what you bought." Tom laughed.
Tom looted the bags, leaving cans and food all over the kitchen bench of the spacious kitchen. "Yum," he said out loud, smacking his lips in anticipation.
It was a neat place and Tom and Jim believed they would be comfortable here for the time being. In the living room, a huge television sat on a cupboard with shelf. If they got sick of watching television, lots of different games filled up the shelves. There were plenty to keep them occupied. Franco, who was familiar with the place, showed them around. There were several bedrooms with comfortable beds. Out the back was a cozy veranda, adorned by overgrown creepers with purple and white flowers. A round table with chairs took up one area of the veranda, and on the other side, a couple of deck chairs to relax in.
"I'll come out here often to check on you. Here is my card with my number and the office number in case you can't get me," Franco said and handed Tom his card. They both thanked Franco for his help before he left. Tom and Jim went back inside the house and headed for the kitchen to sort out the food. They were both hungry. Jim turned out to be a good cook, and Tom was happy to act as the kitchen hand. In no time, Jim cooked a couple of steaks, a fried egg for each of them, and a few fries.
"Oh, this is heaven. I haven't eaten food like this for a long time," Tom rolled his eyes in delight.
"I'm glad you like my cooking, but wait till I get started. I know some real good recipes." Tom and Jim settled into the house. Down at the back of the property was a big shed. After taking a closer look at it, they discovered some exercise equipment inside. Tom was delighted. He missed working out every day.
"Jim, I don't want to frighten you, but we might think we are safe here, but I'm not so sure we are, those criminals working for Carlos will not think twice about killing us. After all we are important witness. I can protect myself, but what about you?
"I would like to help you Jim. I can teach you some of the training I've learned from Chan. What do you think of that?
"I suppose so. There isn't much else for us to do," Jim answered reluctantly.
"Good. We'll start tomorrow. We get up at seven, and after breakfast, we'll go down to the shed to work out for a couple of hours. After a little break, we'll go jogging up to the forest a few miles from here."
"Hey, hey take it easy with me, okay? Remember, I haven't had the training you've had and I'm not as fit as you are. I'll start slowly, and then we'll see how I do." Tom laughed.
"Okay, I promise to be easy on you." And so their workout started. Jim did his best to keep up the exercises Tom gave him. He wasn't doing too badly, Tom tho
ught. The thing he worried most about was if one day someone would find out where they were staying. Jim would be an easy target if he didn't know how to defend himself. One day, when they ended up in the forest after their jog, Tom suggested they find some sticks of wood. He wanted to teach Jim how to fight with staves in case they were attacked.
"Oh yeah, that will be fun," Jim said in a sarcastic tone, but he knew Tom was right. He was only thinking of their safety, so Jim went along with the whole thing.
"I know all this training might seem pointless to you, but I've been in a position where I could not defend myself and I don't want to wish that on you, that is scary." Tom was concerned for Jim
He got his big knife out when they got back to the house with the wood and found a knife for Jim. They both cut and scraped the wood into size so they each had a set of sticks. The training began. Jim got into it and fought back with an energy he never knew he had.
"I must admit it is kind of fun. Thanks Tom, I'm grateful you gave me an extra little push to get on with the exercises. I'm beginning to see how useful and fun it is to be physically fit." Tom and Jim went on like that for some time. Jim doing well with all the physical exercises, Tom taught him. He was pleased with Jim's progress, and had turned out to be a very good jogger. One day when they came out of the forest after their run, they spotted a strange car outside their house. They stopped and decided to run back into the forest to hide. It was dark when they returned to the house and saw the car was no longer there.
"It looks like someone is out to get us. We have to prepare for an attack. I think we should call Franco to find out if any of his men was here," Tom said.
He phoned Franco and told him about the car, but he wasn't aware of anyone going out to them. He promised to come out in the morning. After one of Jim's delicious evening meals, they started to make a plan on how to handle the situation in case of an attack. They decided to sleep down in the shed that night and take turns to be on the look-out for any strange noises. It was early in the morning and still dark. Jim was awake and on the alert when he heard the sound of a motor in the distance and woke up Tom.
"I can hear a car coming up the road. We'd better be ready for a fight if they are some of Carlos' men," Jim said.
"Okay. I wonder how they found us? They must have followed Franco out here." Tom got up and joined Jim. Tom and Jim got their sticks ready and prepared some rope to tie the intruders up with. It was now time to put their plan into action. Jim hid behind some boxes, and Tom climbed up on the beam under the ceiling, ready to jump down on the intruders. Jim was right under the window and could steal a glance out of the corner of the window to see if anyone was coming towards the shed. The light in the house went on, and he saw someone moving around in there. After a bit, he saw two men coming down towards the shed.
"They're heading this way." The door opened, and a flashlight moved around the place. The men started to search the place. One of the men moved over to where Jim was hiding. Tom sends out a loud roar as he jumped down on his back. The man buckled under from the shock, but soon got up and swiftly turns to Tom, ready to fight. Tom put his martial arts techniques into action. He jumps up in the air and kicks him in his head, the man tumbles over on all fours Tom gave him another kick and a flip in the back of the head and he lands on the floor. The other man tried to come to his mate's rescue, but Jim rushed out from behind the boxes and hit him in the head with his stick. The man shakes his head and turns around and charge toward him. Jim is fast he has his sticks ready and lashes out at the man who retreats and falls over some boxes. Jim then knocks him in the head with his sticks several times until he is unconscious.
"Get the rope, Jim, so we can tie them up." Jim grabbed the rope and helped Tom tie the men up before they woke up. Tom put his hand up to Jim.
"Good job. High-five." Jim smiled and smacked his hand into Tom's. They went into the house to check if there were any more intruders, but everything was quiet. Tom got on the phone to Franco. "Jim and I have just caught two intruders. We have them tied up down in the shed."
"Well done, I'll come right out after I call Victor so he can bring the truck for transport."
A few hours later, Franco arrived. The men were only semi-conscious. Victor and a few men arrived with a truck and got the two intruders loaded.
"Great work, boys, and I've good news. The court hearing is on next week. We need you both there as witnesses so we can get those crooks behind bars," Victor said.
"Sounds good. Jim and I are looking forward to getting this mess over with so we can both get back to live normal lives again."
"Of course. We will send a special car with a few bodyguards out to get you."
On the first day of the trial, a special car pulled up in the driveway. The SIS headquarters had already phoned them to let them know it was on the way to pick them up. When they got to the headquarters, Tom and Jim were shown into a room. A man with a few gray suits, white shirts, and ties in different sizes waited for them. He found one that fitted each of them, and they both looked handsome in their suits. Tom laughed at his reflection. "I haven't worn a suit like this in such a long time. It feels rather strange."
"Yes, you're back to civilization again, my friend," Jim laughed.
"I hate the thought of having to face that little bitch, Eva and Carlos Fontana."
"Yeah, me too, especially Carlos. It wasn't long ago that we finished his mansion. He was so happy with the work we done. It's not going to be pleasant facing them," Jim said. It was a big case and there were a lot of people in the courtroom. A lawyer first called Tom up for questioning,
"Tell us what happen to you. How were you involved with Carlos Fontana?"
"I was part of the architect team that designed his mansion. When we were finished with the design, he throw a party for us and I suspect someone spiked my drink because the next thing I remembered was I woke up in a room way out in the jungle, where I was kept prisoner. The only way I was able to escape was with the help of someone else, who helped me survive in the jungle." Tom kept on telling the judge how Eva was the one behind it, and had got someone to kidnap him, but he tried to keep Chan and his pride out it. Jim then came up for questioning and confirmed Tom's story and told the judge how they had both worked for Carlos. Then Eva was called up for questioning. She looked at Tom and Jim with a glare that could kill. As the attorney started questioning her, things got a bit more personal. She became emotional and started to cry, sobbing out of control. The whole room went quiet.
"My father has never taken much of an interest in me. He gave me everything I wanted as long as I was out of his hair. I didn't mean to hurt Tom. I thought he was a nice man and would have loved to get to know him better." She admitted she was looking for someone to love. She was either telling the truth or a very good actress, Jim thought. Tom couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for her, and so did the jury. She was obviously a lonely, misguided young woman. However, they did find her guilty and sent her to prison with a lighter sentence. The men who helped her were also found guilty, but they got a heavier prison sentence, as they were the ones who did the crime.
They sent Carlos to prison without any promise of parole. His whole drug business was cleaned out, and a lot of his business connections went down with him. Tom and Jim were relieved when the court case was all over. Victor came up to them and thanked them for their help in getting the whole damn case cleaned up.
"You are now free to leave and go back home. We will pay you for your part in all this, so you should have plenty of money for the plane tickets home and some extra cash. Tom, if you're interested, there will be a job for you here. We can always use a man with your skills. Could you please leave your address and phone number with us so we can contact you?"
"Okay, I can do that. But I want to find out if my old girlfriend is still single, or if she's found someone else." When Tom and Jim exited the courthouse, they were met by the media. Reporters stuck microphones up in their faces and asked them lots of quest
ions. Cameras were flashing all over the place. Victor was right behind them, and pushed the reporters out of the way while he pulled Tom and Jim out to a waiting car.
"I hope they don't post my picture in any papers overseas, so my family and Serena will see it," Tom worried.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Serena felt a surge of excitement as she walked into the workroom at Jock Lassalle fashion house. This was her dream come true. Jock came over to welcome her and introduced her to the rest of the staff.
"This is Serena, my new apprentice. She is a talented young lady and I believe she is going to have a very successful future ahead of her and we are all going to help her achieve her goal."
They were all very friendly and clapped their hands after Jock's little welcome speech. Serena looked around. She liked the atmosphere in the large workroom. It had an inspirational, creative feeling. Bolts of fine, colorful fabric were lying around on the tables or draped around the many mannequins.
Oh yeah, I'm going to love working here. I'm sure I will learn a lot from these people.
"Serena, today we are all going to meet in the meeting room and talk about the new designs we want to create for the next season. I want everyone to put in their opinions and their ideas. Feel free to let us know what you think and what ideas you may have."
"I will try my best, but I'm here to learn, so my ideas may not be so good." Serena felt a bit shy.
"If you don't bring them out in the open, we can't teach you and tell you if your ideas are going to work, or why they won't work. That is the whole point of learning. You have to be willing to make mistakes. That's how we learn. By the way, here we don't call them mistakes, we call them learning experiences."
"Thanks for giving me the encouragement. It gives me confidence to speak up, Mr Lassalle." Serena already felt at ease. "Good girl. Please call me Jock. Here, we all call each other by first names."