We waited until he disappeared from sight. Then we cautiously left our hiding place. Thomas paused on the walkway, searching for any other men. We listened for a moment, observing the landscape in all directions, and then continued.
“He’s probably getting supplies at the dock,”
Thomas said. “This must be where they are stationed. I’m sure he’ll be back.”
“Do you think they saw us land?”
He shrugged and pointed upward. “We’ll know when we get there.”
We moved up the winding path, walking slowly and deliberately, always watchful of a place to hide if we encountered the enemy.
I was winded and weary, the climb had been physically challenging, the risk had taken its toll mentally. I didn’t know how much longer I could continue. When we reached a clearing I looked towards the ocean and saw that we were quite high, several hundred feet, and I didn’t think we had much farther to go to reach the summit.
A few minutes later the elevation leveled, and we reached the peak. Thomas motioned me forward, tiptoeing onto a small plain. He guided us behind some shrubs, and we moved around the edge of the clearing. After traveling about seventy feet, we found the camp.
There were four tents perched in the center of a clearing, a large tent flanked by three smaller ones. The sides of all were open to the environment, flaps secured along the sides. The center tent contained a table, upon which sat a series of short wave radios, all attached to a vertical pole beside the tent that acted as an antenna. Three chairs were scattered about the table, two adjacent to the radios and the third just behind them.
Two men sat beside the radios. We could hear them chatting between themselves; they smoked cigarettes. At the edge of the tent several rows of crates were stacked, probably filled with supplies. The smaller tents appeared to be sleeping quarters. I doubted if more than two men could fit comfortably, so I suspected that the camp contained three to six soldiers. Here were two, one was on the trail, so the question was were there more and, if so, where were they? At the perimeter of the encampment were two large telescopes, pointing to the northwest and the south.
We waited patiently, observing them. There was an occasional radio communication, short and limited, but little else occurred. After about fifteen minutes we heard someone approaching. We crouched down farther in our hiding place and saw the soldier we had passed on the trail returning. He carried a wooden crate on his shoulder. Once he reached the main tent, Thomas tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to the pathway.
We reversed our course, crawled to the trail, and started making our way down the hill. It was much easier than climbing up, and we slowed our pace, studying the path in detail and searching for signs of more Japanese, but we saw none. Eventually, some twenty minutes later, we again reached the wharf.
“Let’s circle the remainder of the island,” Thomas said. “Just to be sure. But I think their presence is limited to that lookout post.”
“If they’re searching the sea with telescopes and happen to scan the island, they may see us.”
“We’ll have to be careful,” he said. “Do you know where we are?”
“Not exactly, but I think we’re east of Sumba, which is a large island and certainly under Japanese control. But the telescopes confuse me. I understand why they are watching the south; an attack could come from Australia. But the telescope facing the northwest doesn’t make sense. That area is firmly in Japanese hands, although it’s open seas. And what about the east? It’s being ignored. That makes me think Sumba is to the east.”
“You would know if you could see through the telescope?”
“Oh, yes. I can identify everything. Or I’m sure they have maps. Once I see them, I’ll know.”
We continued our tour of the island, finding nothing but beautiful scenery: tropical lagoons with palm trees hanging gracefully over aqua water, volcanic rocks smoothly polished by nature, some as large as a small house, flowers with large buds of orange, yellow and lavender, trees sprouting succulent melons, birds and butterflies of every color of the rainbow, and white sandy beaches. There seemed to be few animals and no people, except for us and three of the enemy who inhabited the peak.
We cautiously made our way back, poking through shrubbery and vegetation, circumventing ponds and lagoons, Thomas steadfastly leading the way. I thought of Shanghai and wondered how Thomas had mentally survived such a horrible tragedy. It was difficult enough for me to cope with Maggie’s loss. Thomas had lost his wife and children, all dying as he helplessly watched. My stomach churned at the images harbored in his mind, the nightmares they spawned, and the bouts of depression they created. I watched him now, relentlessly pursuing our survival, and I realized what a strong man he was, much stronger than I, and how much adversity he had overcome.
It took several hours to conduct our tour. It was early afternoon when we returned, stepping across the stones and crawling across the downed palm tree to reach our hideaway. When we returned to the rowboat, we found the area deserted. Lady Jane and Sir Gregory were gone.
CHAPTER 46
We cautiously approached the mossy area where we had eaten the melons, and found nothing but the rinds, half eaten by birds and riddled with insects. The rowboat was still beached and hidden as we had left it.
“Something happened to them,” I said. “I hope it’s not the enemy.”
“I don’t think it is,” Thomas countered. “Our baggage is gone. The Japanese wouldn’t have cared about that.”
“Maybe they explored a bit of the island looking for fresh water. Or they could have gone to find more food.”
I still had doubts about the Japanese force. We had identified three on the summit. Two manned the radios, a third supported them. But there were three tents large enough for two soldiers each. I wondered if three more wandered the island.
First we searched the islet where we had landed, and then we crossed the channel. We tried to stay sheltered, conscious of the telescopes we had seen on top of the hill. Although they seemed to be trained on the open seas, the enemy could easily adjust them to view the island if they had reason to.
“We came from the east after we explored the island and didn’t see them,” Thomas said. “Let’s try moving towards the interior.”
“I don’t think they’ve gone far.”
We proceeded through the underbrush, looking for signs that the vegetation may have been trampled by footsteps. While Thomas searched for broken branches, crushed grass, and footprints in the sand, I kept a wary eye out for the enemy.
We had moved about forty feet inland, past the undergrowth that hugged the shore to where the elevation started to rise, when we found a cave carved into the rock ten or fifteen feet above ground level. A winding trail led to it, formed by nature rather than man, and Thomas and I quickly made our way to it.
“They’ve been here,” he said.
The cave was about twenty feet long and eight feet wide and offered generous views of the sea. Its southern face was open almost entirely to the ocean, making it more of a cleft in the mountain than a cave, but it would provide adequate shelter and a comfortable place to stay. We found our baggage along the back wall, as well as a stockpile of melons, coconuts, berries, bananas, and yams. Hunger would not be counted among our problems.
“Where could they have gone?” I asked.
“They have to be nearby,” he replied. “They must be searching for fresh water.”
“I hope they understand the danger.”
We continued our search. Above the roof of the cave there was an indentation into the hillside that stretched to the west. We climbed upward and found a tiny plateau that rose slightly before stopping at the steep face of the hillside. The plants and trees sprouted abundant sources of food; they had supplied the stores in the cave.
“We know they were here,” Thomas said. “Let’s keep going. Be mindful of the telescopes.”
We kept moving west, passing through the foliage. The area below was mar
shy, a swamp where salt water from the sea met fresh water from the island. A waterfall a few feet wide trickled down the hillside.
“Stay hidden,” Thomas said. “We still don’t know if there are more Japanese.”
We stepped furtively through the jungle. After traveling sixty feet, we found another waterfall that originated near the summit, dribbling down the hill, providing unlimited fresh water that was easy to access. It fed a tiny pond, the overflow of which poured into a larger pool some ten feet below. The second pond’s runoff had created the waterfall I had seen, spilling into the marsh. As we approached, we saw our canteens and water bottles lying by the upper pond.
We descended and saw Lady Jane and Sir Gregory bathing in the lower pool of water. They wore little clothing, Lady Jane dressed in her batrik and Sir Gregory was shirtless but wearing his trousers. The rest of their clothes were stacked near the water’s edge. I felt a twinge of jealousy, watching them frolic in the water.
I sighed with relief. “All of this intrigue for a bath,” I said. “Let’s go and get them.”
I started to exit the underbrush when Thomas held out his arm, stopping me. “Don’t move,” he whispered.
I looked at him curiously. “What’s wrong?”
He pointed to the far edge of the pond to the shrubs that surrounded it. There, hidden in the brush, was the soldier we had seen at the dock. The sunlight reflected off his glasses; his rifle was at the ready.
I was startled. I had been so engrossed in finding Lady Jane and Sir Gregory that I’d forgotten the enemy might be looking for them also. I squinted in the sunlight, trying to see if the jungle hid more than one person.
“Is he alone?” I asked.
“I think so.”
“What are we going to do?”
“You wait here. Watch the soldier. Shoot him if you have to.”
Before I could protest, he was gone, waging his single-handed effort to defeat the Japanese army, determined to seek revenge for the atrocities of Shanghai, intent on killing every enemy soldier he could find. But I was sick of death. I had seen enough corpses in the last few weeks: vacant eyes, gasps and groans, vanishing souls. From the dead pilot in Singapore to the Japanese in Sumatra, the throats slit by Bennie to General Hakkan, his face turning blue as Thomas squeezed the breath from his despicable body, I had had enough. I couldn’t take any more even though I knew it was necessary to survive.
I watched the soldier peering through the underbrush, waiting for the opportunity to capture his prey. I suspected he took a moment to admire Lady Jane, the batrik clinging tightly to her perfect body.
Sir Gregory and Lady Jane were oblivious to the attention, both from us and the soldier. They were enjoying the cool water, sunlight streaming through the trees, the absolute serenity that a tropical paradise offers. As I studied them closely, they seemed to be immersed in each other. Sir Gregory was smiling, touching her shoulders and running a hand over her wet hair. She was laughing, a flirtatious look in her eyes, coyly letting her hand brush against him. It was like the hands of the clock had spun backwards and they were in India again before their relationship had wilted and died. It now seemed very much alive. I didn’t know when it had renewed, or to what degree it had recovered, but I didn’t like it.
I returned my attention to the soldier. He still stared, watching the couple closely. I found it disturbing that he had no idea his life was about to end. He looked very young. He had joined the army, probably fought many battles, and he had survived. I’m sure he was ecstatic to be assigned to this remote lookout post, enjoying Utopia, free from battle, safe from the enemy. In the unlikeliest place in the entire Pacific Theater, he was about to lose his life, cruelly and coldly, paying for a crime committed by a Japanese general he had never met.
Thomas stealthily approached. The soldier was still unaware, focused on Sir Gregory and Lady Jane. Thomas crept closer. His knife was in his hand. I closed my eyes and prayed for the boy’s soul. I had no desire to see another dead body, regardless of the consequences had he lived.
When I opened my eyes a moment later, the soldier was on the ground. Sir Gregory and Lady Jane stood and stared, wide-eyed and mouths agape.
CHAPTER 47
“We’ve got to capture the lookout post,” Thomas said as we regrouped in the cave. “Then we can use the radio to contact Bennie. If he’s in Timor he can be here in a day.”
“What about the other two soldiers?” I asked.
Thomas patted the rifle he had taken from his latest victim. “We’ll use this.”
“We’re still not sure how many there are,” Sir Gregory said. “Should we scout the camp again?”
Thomas thought for a moment before replying. “No, we need to move now. Before the others find their companion.”
“But we have less than an hour of daylight,” Sir Gregory said.
“We have no choice,” Thomas insisted.
We didn’t want anyone left at the cave; it was too risky to separate. So we ventured towards the lookout post as darkness rapidly approached. Our progress was slow. We stayed hidden in the underbrush and advanced cautiously, not knowing if more soldiers were looking for us.
“The lookouts are probably studying the island with their telescopes right now,” Thomas said. “We have to be careful.”
It took much longer to move around the coast at night than it had during the day. We kept close to the beach, pushing through the fringe of vegetation that spread from the sand to the hillside. It took over an hour before we reached the sheltered cove where the wharf was. It was serene, the isolated wooden dock stepping into the harbor, the shack standing guard beside it. There were no lights and no people.
We cautiously traveled the path that Thomas and I had taken earlier in the day. Ever so slowly we advanced, carefully climbing, frightened by every shadow, startled by every noise. We peered into the darkness, trying to make sense of the eerie shapes and shadows the jungle produced, as we listened intently for footsteps, filtering the sounds of the owls and insects.
I knew this would be our most difficult endeavor, much harder than our rescue operations or many escapes from the enemy. Now we would attack, with one rifle, a knife, and a Derringer pistol. It didn’t seem like the soundest plan, but it was what we had to do to survive.
When we reached the summit, it was lit with torches placed on poles and spaced evenly around the clearing. Thomas led us from the path into the underbrush where we crawled across the sandy soil, wary of the enemy.
As we entered the edge of the camp, there were three soldiers visible. Two were in the radio tent, studying maps and recording messages. The third was stationed at the telescope, but instead of scanning the sea, he held the lens at a steep angle. He was searching the island. He was looking for us.
“The soldier at the pond makes four,” Thomas hissed. “Can two more be sleeping?”
“Probably,” I said. “I’m sure they man the radios twenty-four hours a day.”
“How can we ever defeat them?” Sir Gregory asked. “We can’t shoot five at once.”
“We can attack from two directions,” I suggested.
“That’s a good idea,” Thomas said. “All of you circle around behind the tents. Like this.” He drew a plan of attack in the sand with a twig. “But let me start the fight.
I’ll take the soldier at the telescope. Then let the others focus on me. After the action starts, you attack from behind.”
Sir Gregory, Lady Jane, and I moved stealthy through the underbrush, crawling closer towards the tents. I wanted to get near enough to get a good shot with the Derringer but not risk discovery. I only had five bullets. I wouldn’t have time to reload; I had to make each one count. If I didn’t, we were all dead.
As sick as I was of death, I knew the fight was necessary. There was no other way to survive. But we had to be clever, smarter than the enemy. We were outmanned and outgunned; we faced a superior force, five battle- hardened, intensely trained Japanese soldiers. We were four advent
urers: two aristocrats, a journalist, and a spy. It didn’t seem like a fair fight, but we did have the element of surprise in our favor.
Thomas waited for us to get in position. Then he vanished. We waited, crouched in the underbrush, searching for two more soldiers. We suspected they were in the tents, but we really didn’t know. They could be anywhere — behind us, roaming the island. Or they might not exist at all.
I lightly touched Lady Jane’s hand. She smiled nervously, and squeezed mine tightly. I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I liked it.
The telescope on the southern perimeter was only fifty feet from where we had been. Thomas crept closer, inching through the vegetation, keeping a watchful eye on those in the tent. Minutes passed with agonizing slowness.
He finally emerged from the shadows and slipped behind the soldier. He covered the man’s mouth, took the knife, and dispatched him with complete silence.
Thomas lay prone behind the fallen body, swung the rifle over his arm, and aimed it into the tent. He fired once, and missed. The second shot found the farthest radioman, hitting him as he stood to see what the ruckus was about. He fell backward, knocking over the table and crashing to the ground. Thomas fired again and missed. The second radioman grabbed a machete and ran after him.
Two more soldiers emerged from the smaller tents as we had suspected they would. The first soldier blinked with disbelief, surprised and shocked by the intrusion. The second carried a rifle. He aimed at Thomas.
“Come on, George!” Sir Gregory said. “Let’s get them.”
We left our hiding place and ran towards them. I held Lady Jane’s pistol in my hand, squeezing it so hard my knuckles were white.
Thomas fired at the soldier with the rifle. The bullet hit him, and he doubled over, sinking to the ground before he could fire. The soldier with the machete then attacked, swinging the blade in a wide arc.
Thomas fell to the ground, dodging the machete, and rolled away. He fired the rifle, holding it freely with one hand as he avoided the menacing blade. The soldier kicked it aside just as he pulled the trigger, and the bullet went astray. The machete onslaught continued while the second soldier in the tent grabbed a rifle.
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