The Reluctant Warrior
Page 4
Jed watched the fires light flickering across his friends face. “What movie?” he asked sleepily.
“You know…that Sam Neill thing.”
Jed processed the information in his tired brain. That Sam Neill thing… what on earth was Rex on about?
Rex could see his confusion. “You know… the one about the dinosaurs.”
“Jurassic Park,” Jonathon said, having woken up in time to catch the last part of the conversation. “What’s this about a saber-tooth?”
“Jed’s just seen one,” Rex said triumphantly.
“I can’t be sure that it was a saber-tooth,” Jed said quickly. “I was half asleep at the time.”
“But you’re fairly sure it was.” Rex was almost daring him to deny it, so desperate was he for it to be true.
“It had big eyes, a huge head, and teeth that almost touched the ground,” Jed admitted. “If that fits the description of a saber-tooth then I guess that’s what I saw.”
Rex was more than awake now. He was on his feet and all but dancing around the fire in his excitement. “I bet we’ve stumbled on some top secret wildlife sanctuary right here in Antarctica, something to do with genetic engineering. Hey,” he looked down at Jed, “do you think it’s ours or Russian?”
“I don’t know whose it is, but I know it’s starting to scare me. Mammoths are one thing, but man eating tigers are a different kettle of fish altogether.”
It was as if Rex hadn’t heard him. “I can’t wait to get moving again so we can see what else this place holds in store for us.”
Jonathon threw some more wood on the fire. “If we don’t keep this thing blazing we might not live long enough to get moving again. I figure that tiger didn’t drop in to pay us a social call.”
“Good point,” Rex said, in a more somber tone. “He’s never seen fire before so wasn’t prepared to attack.” He looked at Jed. “Some of us still need a bit more sleep. Tell you what…I’ll stand guard first then wake one of you up to take over if I get tired.”
When Jed next opened his eyes the other two were already up and moving around.
“Didn’t have the heart to wake you,” Jonathon confessed, as Jed unzipped his sleeping bag. “Besides, I only took over from Rex about a couple of hours ago.”
“Thanks,” Jed managed, before kicking the bag free of his legs and easing himself to his feet.
Jonathon noticed him gingerly stretching his torso. “Back hurting?”
“My back and just about every other part of my body, it comes with reaching the grand old age of thirty-four I guess.”
“I’ve told you before that you’re only as old as you feel,” Rex said, rummaging in his pack.
“About a hundred and two this morning,” Jed whimpered, as a shot of pain hurtled down his tortured spine.
“You’ll soon warm up and be running around like a spring chicken,” Rex said annoyingly.
Jed hoped that Rex wasn’t going to be so chipper all day long. He could be more than a little irritating when he was in one of his positive moods. It wasn’t difficult to see why Jonathon needled him sometimes. It was a sort of payback for all those irritating moments.
They moved on a short time later, the prairie gradually giving way to rockier terrain more heavily wooded than what they had just travelled through. Animals were appearing here and there, everything from a type of small deer to cattle that bore a striking resemblance to Bison. This place whatever it was and wherever it was definitely contained an abundance of wildlife.
Several hours tramping through the tall prairie grass brought them to a sizeable stream. Rex was just about to suggest a break for a light meal when Jed spotted something on the far bank a little further downstream. “I might be mistaken,” he said cautiously, “but I think there’s a person lying on the far bank.”
Rex and Jonathon snapped to attention. “Where…?” Rex demanded, his eyes already scanning the far bank.
Jed pointed to a spot seventy or so feet away where a dark green shape lay motionless just above the water’s edge.
“I think you might be right.”
Jed was about to suggest they cross over to investigate, but Rex had already taken the initiative and was scrambling down the bank to the water. “Come on,” he yelled over his shoulder, “whoever it is might need our help.”
His companions slipped into the stony bottomed creek behind him and made their way to the inert form as quickly as they could. Rex getting to the scene first carefully rolled the body over and began to check for signs of life. “He’s still breathing,” he reported, “but only just.”
Jonathon stared down at the khaki clad stranger. “What’s he doing out here?”
“I suppose if he were able to he’d be asking us the same question,” Rex said. “Maybe he’s an explorer who lost his way too.”
Jed was staring intently at the fellow’s clothes. “If I’m not mistaken, and I don’t think I am, he’s wearing the uniform of a world war two infantryman.”
Rex studied the faded uniform carefully. “I didn’t notice it at first,” he admitted. “But it definitely looks like Second World War kit. Thing is, what’s he doing wearing it out here in Antarctica?”
“His eyelids just flickered,” Jonathon said suddenly. “There they go again.”
“He’s sustained some kind of head injury,” Rex noted, “if all that congealed blood on his temple is anything to go by.”
“Not accidental either,” Jed added, carefully examining the site. “It looks to me like a bullet wound. Fairly large bore too, I’m surprised he’s still alive.” The army man began to stir. “I think he’s coming round.”
The eyelids opened to reveal the saddest brown eyes Jed had ever seen. “It’s all right,” he said quickly, “we won’t hurt you. We’re here to help.”
The stranger’s hand shot out and fingers enclosed tightly around Jed’s wrist, his breathing coming in short sharp rasps. Jed leaned in closer. “I think he’s trying to say something to me.”
“Beware…of…” the eyelids closed again, and Jed realized it had taken all his strength just to get those two words out.”
“Beware of what?” Rex demanded impatiently. “What is it that the fellow is trying to say?”
“Give him a chance,” Jed barked, and because the outburst was uncharacteristic of his friend Rex knew to hold his tongue.
The eyelids opened again. “Beware… of…Montrose.” Their eyes locked for what seemed an eternity until it dawned on Jed that the eyes he was staring into were now lifeless.
“He’s gone,” he said, letting the strangers hand drop from his wrist.
“Who the dickens, or what the dickens, is Montrose.”
Jed straightened up before answering Rex. “Sounds like a surname to me.”
“Obviously the person who attacked him,” Jonathon chipped in.
The practical side to Rex emerged. “We’ll have to bury him. That’s the least we can do for the poor fellow.” He scanned the ground around the creek bank. “We’ve nothing to dig with but if we use rocks from the stream to cover him I reckon that’ll be just as good.”
When they moved out later that day it was with a great deal of trepidation. So this place was not only inhabited by humans but they were dangerous as well.
Rex sidled up to Jed. “What did you make of that uniform?”
“It was definitely American, and it was definitely World War two.”
“Agreed, but where did he get it from, and why would he be wearing it out here…we came in wearing polar clothing?”
“And he would have frozen to death if he tried to come over the ice wearing that get-up,” Jed said, anticipating Rex’s next sentence.
“Exactly, so what do you make of it?”
Jed thought it over for a moment. How did the fellow get here? And what was he to make of that uniform? “I’ve absolutely no idea,” he said eventually. “It’s as if he’s not only out of place but completely out of time as well.”
“A t
ime warp…?”
“I’ve never seen any evidence to convince me that they actually exist,” Jed said. “But I guess the only way we’ll ever find out for sure is if we come across this Montrose fellow.”
“That’s an acquaintance I’d rather not make.”
“You’ll get no argument out of me on that score. But I get the feeling that the deeper we travel into this place the more mysterious it’s going to get, so it would be good to come across someone who could give us some answers.”
Rex grimaced. “Somehow I don’t think this…Montrose, would give us the sort of answers we need. He’s more likely to deal to us like he did to that poor fellow back there.”
“There’s three of us and only one of him. We should be able to handle him.”
“What makes you think he acted alone? He may have others with him. After all, if there’s one there’s bound to be more.”
Jed stopped dead in his tracks. “I didn’t even consider there could be others. But you’re right, we’ve no way of knowing how many Montrose’s there are out here.”
Rex cast his eyes across the vast expanse of prairie to a dark line on the horizon. “Let’s make it to those mountains and see if we can set up some sort of base. At least we’ll be safer up there than we are out in the open.
Chapter Five
Jed leaned back against the hard rock at the mouth of the cave and surveyed the plain they had just crossed. It was fortunate they found the cave when they did; with the light fading Jed got the impression another night camping out on the prairie would definitely have brought some more surprises, none of them good.
For the first time since they had beached the raft on the shores of this strange land Jed gave some serious thought to his situation. How was he going to get back home? There was no way they could make it back to Mac Town across the ice without the G.P.S. If they traversed this oasis they were now in where would it take them? To the vast expanse of ice that must meet them on the other side? Certain death awaited them either way a man looked at it.
He watched the shadows steal across the plain below his mountain refuge and realized that barring a miracle their future lay in this unknown land. There would be no rescue, for nobody would know where to even start looking for them. No, they must adapt to this new world or die.
“You look deep in thought.”
Jed looked up in time to catch the sight of Rex slipping out from the cover of the cave. “I’m just watching the shadows.”
Rex rested his back against the rock in imitation of his friend. “Thinking about how we’re going to get back home?”
“Yeah, something along those lines.”
“Foregone conclusion that we can’t,” Rex said frankly. “Best we concentrate on finding a food source to sustain us. What we brought with us won’t hold out for too much longer, so if we don’t find something soon we’re goners.”
“Never been much of a hunter,” Jed confessed. “Shot a few rabbits on my uncle’s farm in Connecticut when I was a kid, but that was a long time ago.”
“This time you won’t have a gun,” Rex said gloomily. “Perhaps we’ll come across some vegetation that’s edible.”
A howl that sounded suspiciously like a wolf floated up to them on the evening breeze, inspiring Jed to lean even further into the niche of rock that supported him. There was no telling what kind of creature lurked down there on the prairie, or up here on the mountain for that matter. Looking across at Rex he could tell he was thinking the same thing. Even though he was a bold character and not easily fazed there was concern etched into every line of his thirty-four year old face. Out here they had stumbled across something neither of them had expected. There had been no training for this. They were out of their depth and both knew it, and even though they were both scared neither one would ever admit it.
Jed listened to that unearthly howl again and wondered how they were going to survive the rest of their lives in this world that they knew nothing about. No weapons for hunting or defense, or any of the modern comforts they had come to expect. And then of course, there would be no women. Jed didn’t know if he could handle that. Even though his relationship with Cassie had been a stormy one at least she had provided him with the female companionship he at times craved. Living until the day of his death without so much as laying his eyes on a woman again? He wasn’t sure he could survive something quite so drastic.
“How far do you think we should travel tomorrow?”
Jed gave Rex’s question some thought. Ordinarily he would have opted for travelling as far as they could. However, with this Montrose character on the loose it was best to err on the side of caution. “Not too far. Not more than half a day’s walk from the cave would be safest.”
Rex nodded. “That’s pretty much what I was thinking,” he confessed. “We’re going to need to start thinking defensively from here on in. At least until we know exactly what it is we’re up against.”
Therein lay their problem. They had no weapons to defend themselves with, and the army fellow they had buried earlier had been shot. Obviously, Montrose had a gun, they, on the other hand did not. They were quite simply, easy pickings, especially down there on the prairie lands with next to no cover.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Rex said in hushed tones. “You’re thinking that if Montrose discovers we’re here then he’ll hunt us down like he did that other fellow.” He fished around in his pocket and pulling out a cigar lit up. “Don’t know what I’ll do when these run out, only got a couple left.” He slipped the lighter back into his pocket. “I figure if we are cautious we’ll be okay. Montrose can’t possibly know we’re here, so if we’re careful we should be able to keep it that way.”
Jed wasn’t sure he agreed with Rex’s line of thinking. “If we’re stuck here for the rest of our lives he’s bound to come across us eventually. We have to go out into the open to search for food.”
“I’ve given that some thought. I don’t know how big this oasis or whatever we’ve stumbled into is, but if it’s large enough we might just be able to travel far enough away from here so he’ll never come across us.”
That made sense. Although for the time being they’d have to stay close to the cave, but as soon as they had taken in enough of the terrain to make them confident of safe travel it might be a good idea to get far away from here.
“Provided it isn’t just a small oasis we’re in,” Jed added out loud.
“We’ll know better when we top the mountain tomorrow. We should get a fair view of the terrain from there.”
Next morning they were on their way early and had reached the summit within a few hours. The view from the top was stunning. The side of the mountain they had just come from had been unbroken prairie. The side they were looking down on however boasted forest and river, pasturelands and even a lake. Groups of animals were grazing everywhere.
“Looks like the garden of Eden.” Jonathon’s appreciative eyes were taking in the scene below with the hunger of the true explorer. “What new creatures roam undiscovered down there?”
“I shudder to think,” Rex muttered. “But at least it’s not snow and ice, and there’s plenty of food waiting for us down there if only we can catch it.”
Jed moved off down the mountain with the others following closely behind. The place certainly looked promising. He had spotted what looked like antelope far off to the right where the river entered the forest. So there was meat if they could invent an effective trap. The river would provide water and the forest shelter.
As soon as they were at the bottom of the mountain they struck out for the river. With luck on their side they would make it to the cover of the woods before midday. They had been walking for around three hours and had just crested a small hill when they stopped dead in their tracks. On a small plain below the hill were the ruins of some sort of base.
“I believe,” Rex said incredulously, “that is an airbase. I can just make out the remains of an airstrip in the undergrowth.”
“Looks abandoned. Should be safe enough for us to investigate it more closely,” Jonathon said, looking hopefully at his companions.
Rex looked at Jed. “I agree.”
Jed nodded before silently moving off down the hill. Who would have thought they would come across an airbase, albeit a long deserted one if the decrepit state of the buildings in the compound coupled with the eerie silence was anything to go by. Walking past the collapsed hangar he carefully ascended the rotting steps of the main building, and then gently turning the doorknob he leaned his weight against the door to encourage it to use its rusty hinges.
“Whew… what a stink,” the smell that assaulted his nostrils almost had him lunging back out onto the verandah.
Rex peeped over his shoulder. “It’s a spider’s paradise in there.”
Jed swept the thick cobwebs aside as he made his way towards the big desk in the centre of the room, and then picking up a small plaque he read aloud. “Colonel Charles. L. Montrose.”
“What?” Rex was at his elbow in an instant, taking the plaque from Jed’s hand he squinted briefly at it. “So we’re up against a Colonel,” he said, tossing the piece of wood and brass back on the desk.
“An American one at that,” Jed added, nodding towards a crumbling U.S. flag that held pride of place on the wall. Skirting around the desk he yanked out the top drawer on the other side. “A list of U.S. servicemen,” he said, placing it gently on the desk.
Picking it up Rex quickly thumbed through it. “Those who served on base here I expect.”
“A map of Antarctica,” Jed continued, and then paused for a moment as he pulled out a faded green folder, “and what have we got here?”
Rex scooted around the desk to join him. “What is it?”
“It’s a file stamped top secret,” Jed answered, placing it carefully on the desk and turning to the first page. “The Antarctic discoveries of Admiral Richard E Byrd,” he looked at Rex, “I think I’m beginning to get it.”