by Shea, Hunter
They stopped ten or so yards from her, the Orang Pendeks pulling hard on the leashes. The rhinos bent their heads and ate the vegetation growing from the cracked street.
Natalie wondered if they’d be as enthralled by the dulcet tones of her voice as the others. It couldn’t hurt to try.
“Soooo, are you guys like professional rhino walkers or something?”
The Orang Pendeks narrowed their eyes at her.
“Okay, I can see cute and funny isn’t going to work here.”
Despite the brave face she was trying to put on, she couldn’t stop herself from peeing. It ran down her legs in hot rivulets. That got the Orang Pendeks sniffing the air, either disgusted or intrigued by her loss of bladder control.
She started to shiver as if she’d just stepped into an ice storm.
“What do you want from me?” she asked, sounding as small and helpless and frightened as she felt.
One of the creatures handed his leash to another and strode forward. She didn’t notice the other leash in his hand until he threw the loop over her head and pulled it tight across her throat. She sputtered, choking, panicking that she wouldn’t be able to breathe.
That fear passed when she took her first deep breath.
The Orang Pendek tugged the leash. She stumbled forward, almost hitting into one of the rhinos. She yelped, spinning away.
As one, the beasts and their guard dogs turned away, tugging her along. Natalie felt the tears on her cheeks before she realized she was crying.
Leading her down the old road, she spied the other, friendlier Orang Pendeks staring at her from the dark recesses as the procession passed by. One of them hooted. That was met by an angry growl from the one that had her leash. Natalie looked to the dilapidated structures.
“Help me,” she pleaded.
They didn’t understand the words, but she prayed they’d decipher the desperate emotion in her voice.
If they did, none of them made any indication they were willing to help.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Austin’s right ass cheek instantly burned, as if he’d backed into a searing hot stove.
“Ahhh, shit!”
The pain was so sudden, so extreme, he dropped to his knees, clutching his wounded cheek. His hand was slick with blood.
What the fuck?
The raptor stepped away from the men for a moment, savoring the small part of him it had snatched while he wasn’t looking. A flap of Austin’s pants hung out of the side of its mouth, the fabric snagging on one of its incredibly sharp teeth.
“You bit my ass!”
He reared up his gun for a perfect head shot, pulled the trigger and…
Nothing.
While he fumbled for a fresh cartridge, the dinosaur, finished with its appetizer and wanting the next course, took a tentative step forward, emitting an ear-splitting shriek that made all of the men jump.
“Uh, guys, a little help here!” Austin shouted at the porters who, after their burst of bloodlust, had turned to stone.
It was Ridwan who was the first to fire after running back to their defensive position. With the handgun he’d tucked in his waistband, he shot the prehistoric anomaly near its shoulder. The raptor flinched but didn’t retreat. A small trickle of blood ran down its small but powerful arm.
For the life of him, Austin couldn’t locate a fresh magazine. The pain in his ass radiated down his leg to his toes and up his side. Getting to his feet and putting space between him and the hungry dino were out of the question. And now Ridwan was using a popgun to save him.
His rifle must be empty, too.
The bags with the extra ammo were in a pile, ten feet away. No one dared make a sudden move for them. They may not have spoken the same language, but Austin was pretty damn sure they were all on the same page. They knew the first one to break for the ammo was going to feel the weight of that raptor on his back, a second before it ripped his spine through his flesh.
Shrieking again like an angry bird exposed to gamma rays in some Stan Lee fever dream, the raptor held them in check with its black, hungry eyes. It took another step, massive tail swishing behind it, cutting down the grass easier than if it had a string of machetes strapped to the appendage.
During the plane ride to Sumatra, Austin had had plenty of time to imagine all of the horrible ways he could die out in the middle of the remote jungle. Being consumed by an angry raptor was not one of them. Hence, he couldn’t allow it to happen.
Remembering the grenades he’d clipped to the belt over his chest, he pulled one off, released the pin and held it like a baseball, his fingers searching for that perfect grip, arm tensing. The raptor was too close to just throw the grenade at its feet. He’d just end up blowing them up with the dinosaur.
No, he had to wait for just the right moment.
As the raptor stepped closer, Ridwan fired again, somehow missing. His arm trembled so badly, it was a wonder he could even hold the gun aloft. The spike of adrenaline that had gotten them over the initial raptor attack was wearing off fast, leaving them weak and dull-witted. Austin was no exception.
Having a chunk taken out of his ass didn’t make things any better.
“Shoot it again,” he said to Ridwan.
The porter surprisingly did, this time grazing its neck. Austin watched a thin red line spread open on its tough hide. The dinosaur’s head reared back. Now it was bellowing for all the world to hear.
Perfect.
Austin squeezed the grenade, feeling the raised hexagons on its surface, fingertips catching the edges like the laces of a baseball. He’d been a pretty good pitcher in high school. His highlight had been the game against Mount St. Vincent’s where he’d struck out fifteen in a complete game shutout and went three for four at the dish. He’d even been written up in the local paper. The next season he’d fallen in love with Dawn McCarty and gave up baseball so they could spend more time together.
I should look Dawn up on Facebook when I get back.
The raptor turned to him, mouth open so wide he wondered if it had snapped the hinges of its jaw. Austin threw the grenade as hard and fast as he could muster, knowing he only had the tiniest window to get it right.
The grenade lodged itself right in the back of the dinosaur’s throat, cutting off its terrifying screams.
It started to thrash about, mouth opening and closing rapidly, unable to draw in a breath.
It’s confusion and pain didn’t last long.
The grenade went off, reducing the raptor’s head to a pink mist – a mist that rained down on Austin and the porters.
“Holy crap that stinks!” Austin yelled, wiping the gore from his eyes, nose and mouth. The other men did the same, Saharto turning his head to throw up.
And just like that, silence once again settled over the jungle. The explosion had chased away any of the indigenous creatures, leaving the bedraggled men in perfect peace, at least for now.
Austin rolled onto his side, exposing his savaged ass cheek. “How bad is it?”
Ridwan, looking a little dazed, crouched to inspect the wound. He shook his head, then tapped his hip as if to tell him to stay put. He went into one of their packs. Saharto and Hengki checked it out as well. Austin could swear he saw Saharto suppress a laugh.
The porter came back with antiseptic and bandages. The antiseptic hurt like a holy mother, but not as much as the bite. He packed it with gauze and did his best to tape it up. Saharto and Hengki lent him a hand to help him up. Lightning bolts fired from his ass, but he was able to grit his teeth and bear it.
“Thanks guys. Though next time, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t freeze up like gargoyles when something wants to eat me.”
The men looked at him with utter incomprehension.
He instead pointed around them. “Okay, which way now?”
That they understood. Ridwan gestured to the area where the raptors had appeared. Austin was hoping that they would have come up with an alternate route, considering what they
now knew was out there.
But no, they had to be true to the trail where Natalie had been taken, no matter how difficult or dangerous it seemed. Austin hoped more than anything that she was still alive and not fallen victim to a raptor or worse. It’s not like she had the weapons they had.
“I can’t believe I’m praying she’s with a goddamn Bigfoot.”
Saharto cocked his head at him.
“Sorry. Littlefoot? Ignore me. Let’s go.”
Every step brought fresh waves of pain, but Austin blocked it out. The only thing that was going to stop him was death, and he wasn’t about to let that bastard in.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Henrik, Oscar, Surya and Yandi stayed ten or so paces behind the trio of Orang Pendeks, but followed them through the brush. The creatures knew all of the twists and turns to take, negating the need for machetes, always finding hidden paths, their uneven bodies amazingly agile.
We’re in their world, Henrik thought. They haven’t attacked us, nor did they seem displeased at what we did to the one back there. We’re going to have to trust them. I just wonder where they’re taking us.
“Where the hell do you think they’re taking us?” Oscar said. He kept his knife pointed toward the Orang Pendeks, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.
“I haven’t a clue. It’s remarkable how they seem to know every inch of the forest. I don’t think we would have stumbled on this game trail if we’d searched for months.”
“Game trail?” Oscar huffed. “You ask me, we’re on the Pendek Highway. And I’m not enthused about what’s at the end of this yellow brick road.”
“If they meant us harm, they could have done so at any time.”
The female Orang Pendek turned back to look at them for a moment, as if to make sure they were still following.
“I think she likes you,” Oscar said.
“She’d be an improvement over that woman you were with in the Sudan.” Henrik smiled.
“That wasn’t by choice. I needed to pump her for information.”
“And pump you did. Quite often, if I remember correctly.”
“Ha-ha. Joke all you want. The intel she whispered to me after I rocked her world saved all our asses.”
He heard Yandi stumble and cry out.
“Is he all right?” he asked Surya.
The guide gripped the porter’s upper arm, keeping him steady. “He is in a lot of pain and it is hard to breathe with the broken nose. But he will be fine, I am sure.”
Oscar grumbled, “Fine only if you define it as fucked up, insecure, neurotic and emotional.”
Thunder rumbled, heralding a tremendous downpour that soaked them to the bone in seconds. It only seemed to make the humidity worse. Henrik tilted his head upward, opening his mouth, thirsty for water.
It rained on them for the better part of an hour. But the incessant torrent faded into the background when they came upon their campground.
“I’ll be damned,” Oscar said.
The Orang Pendeks, their fur soaked and smelling horrid, paused by the empty fire ring, staring at the humans.
“What do we do?” Surya asked.
“I think we gather supplies,” Henrik said, astonished. Why would the creatures take them here? He saw that all of the crates had been opened. A coffee pot was turned over on the ground. “Someone was here.”
Surya opened a pack of dry beans, tipping them into his mouth. Seeing the man eat the uncooked beans reminded Henrik how hungry they all were. The four men descended on the food and water, the Orang Pendeks looking on.
“Don’t eat or drink too much or you’ll get sick,” Oscar warned Surya and Yandi.
Henrik took a quick inventory.
“The medical supplies, food and some weapons are missing.”
Oscar said, “Good. That means we’re not the only ones left.”
Henrik lifted an assault rifle out of the crate, the rain finally softening to a trickle. “Yes, but who and where are they?”
He looked to the Orang Pendeks who studied them the way scientists would chimpanzees in a lab. They seemed fascinated by their actions.
He started loading four packs with much needed supplies.
“Maybe we should stay here,” Surya said, eyeing the packs. “Wait for the others to return.”
“They have, and they must have left for a very good reason,” Henrik replied. He found a bottle of aspirin, giving three to poor Yandi. The porter gratefully accepted them, having a hard time swallowing because of his broken nose.
Henrik was just about to inspect the camp and see if there were any signs left after the rain that could tell him where people had gone when he heard a distant explosion.
Oscar, who was busy rummaging through a crate, went instantly still. “Grenade.”
Henrik nodded. “Yes. And it came from that direction.”
“You’re free to stay here, Surya, but I think Henrik and I will be shoving off. You want us to take the orange fellas with us, or do you prefer to have them stick around?”
The point was moot. Henrik watched the Orang Pendeks head toward the sound of the grenade.
Fascinating. A sound so alien in this landscape should frighten them. Yet they’re walking straight for it.
He hustled to keep up with them, feeling more emboldened now that he had something in his belly and a means to defend himself.
Behind him, Surya said, “Yandi says he will stay and tell any others to remain here until we return. But I am coming with you! Don’t leave without me!”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
This was sooo not good.
Natalie had been pulled on her leash through the streets of Gadang Ur, every square inch overgrown with lush greenery, as if Mother Nature were trying to reclaim the land but couldn’t quite win the battle. The place was massive, especially the tall monolithic building that seemed to simply be a place for the Orang Pendeks to climb – a world class jungle gym.
Everywhere they went, most of the inhabitants scattered at their sight, scurrying to dilapidated structures and holes in the ground. A few stood their ground, boring holes into her with their stares. She felt naked and violated.
Don’t think about being violated. Don’t think about being violated.
For the life of her, she couldn’t figure out what their end game was here. They hadn’t killed her…yet. Her captors didn’t once even look back at her. If she flagged a bit, they just tugged on her leash. She’d lost her footing a couple of times. The first time, she hadn’t gotten up fast enough, so they just dragged her along on her knees.
The second time she stumbled, she made sure to pop right back up. Her knees burned.
She toyed with the idea of trying to talk her way out, but dismissed it immediately. First, they wouldn’t understand what she was saying. Second, she was pretty sure these bad ape men wouldn’t appreciate her opening her mouth. She was also terrified of the rhinos. The last thing she wanted was to somehow piss them off and get on their radar. Out of all the impossible insanity surrounding her, she was pretty sure even these rhinos were still deadly as hell and not prone to negotiation…or mercy.
Every now and then she heard loud screeching. She’d look up to see something like hawks or eagles riding the high air currents, but they looked awfully big. At this point, she didn’t want to know. She was already on information overload.
“Ungh! Son of a bitch!”
The hard jerk on her leash pulled her forward so fast, she smashed her face into the hind quarter of one of the rhinos. It was like smooshing her face against a cheese grater. The flesh of her cheek was lacerated.
Thankfully, the rhino didn’t react.
The Orang Pendeks had stopped. Natalie couldn’t see over the rhino. She stepped back, shifting around the big, gray beast.
“Fuck me sideways.”
They had come to a circular pit no less than fifty yards across. It wasn’t deep, but it was steep. A ring of erect Orang Pendeks looked to be guarding the pit. But the th
ing that made her stomach do back flips was the jagged branch that had been driven into the ground on the perimeter of the pit. Perched on the end of the branch was a skull that looked awfully human.
The Orang Pendeks, though stronger than oxen, had relatively small heads to go with their short bodies. The skull that greeted visitors to the pit was too large to have belonged to one of them. The lower jaw was missing, a jagged crack zig-zagging down the cranium.
Next thing she knew, rough hands had grabbed her arms, lifting her off her feet.
“Put me down! Let go of me!”
They carried her to the pit.
“Wait, don’t let go yet!”
With an effortless flick of their wrists, the Orang Pendeks tossed her into the pit. At best, it was only a dozen feet deep, but she’d been terrified of leaping off the diving board as a kid. Without the cool comfort of water below, she was downright petrified.
She landed on her feet, the impact shocking her hips, which caused her legs to collapse. She rolled in the dirt, banging the bruises on her body, eliciting howls of pain.
When she came to a stop, she lay on her back, watching the Orang Pendek guards shuffle away.
A cloud as dark and foreboding as her situation loomed overhead. The first fat raindrops of a coming deluge spattered her face. The cool rain felt good…the first bit of relief she’d had since they’ve been run off their camp the night before.
Holy crap, I’m in monkey man prison, she thought. And somehow, I don’t think they’re going to bother to feed me or give me time in the yard to work on my muscles.
She was too tired, too depressed, too scared to move. The rain clouds opened up, drenching her. She didn’t care. She hoped the pit flooded with water and she drowned. That was probably better than what they had planned for her. If not better, at least quicker than rotting down here, dying of thirst or starving to death.
Natalie never thought she’d prefer battling the strange aquatic creatures in Loch Ness to anything that life would have to throw her way. After that whole experience, she figured she’d have the world by the balls.