by C. G. Mosley
“What in the world is going on over there?” Lucy asked.
Silas stood in the boat and looked ready to intervene.
Jonathon looked over at him and held up a calming hand.
“Easy, Silas,” he said. “I’m gonna go over there and see what is going on.”
“Well, you’re not going alone,” Silas answered. He jumped out of the boat and began stomping along the beach.
Jonathon began jogging behind him, but took a brief moment to look back at Annie and Lucy. “You girls wait here…we’ll be right back,” he said.
“Hurry up,” Lucy replied. “If Osvaldo and Armando want to come with us, there is plenty of room for them too.”
Jonathon nodded and then caught up to Silas. He wondered to himself if that was the cause for the confrontation. Ever since he’d laid eyes on Osvaldo and Armando, neither of them looked very happy about being there. He wondered if they resisted when Angus told them they were going on without the others.
“I don’t know what’s gotten into Angus,” Silas said gruffly. “He’s always been a bit of a jerk, but he sure is taking it to the extreme today. I’ve just about had enough of it.”
As they approached, Angus turned to face them and a sly grin appeared on his face.
“You two have a change of heart?” His words dripped with sarcasm.
Jonathon was about to speak, but Silas beat him to it. He marched right up to Angus, a foot away from his face.
“What are you doing to these two?”
He pointed at Osvaldo and Armando, still being held by Angus’s henchmen.
“They work for me, and they’re trying to back out of our deal,” Angus replied calmly. “This matter doesn’t concern either of you, get back to the ship and we’ll see you tomorrow.”
“No,” Silas snapped. “Not without those two. They clearly don’t want to go with you and you’re not going to make them.”
Jonathon looked over at Osvaldo. He didn’t look afraid, but more like angry. Armando, on the other hand, was a shivering mass of pure fear. As Angus and Silas continued to argue, Jonathon calmly walked over to Osvaldo. Travis watched him with curious eyes.
“Osvaldo, would you like to return to the ship with us?” Jonathon asked softly.
Osvaldo didn’t say a word; he just nodded in response. Armando seemed relieved that he’d been asked.
“Let him go, Travis,” Jonathon ordered.
“Go back to the ship and stay out of this,” Travis responded coldly.
Angus noticed Jonathon speaking to Osvaldo and rushed over to them.
“Jonathon, this doesn’t concern you, I’m going to have to insist that you and Silas return to the boat and let us handle Osvaldo and Armando.”
Jonathon marched over to Angus and poked a finger in his chest.
“Well, I’m going to have to insist that you let Osvaldo and Armando come with us. They don’t want to go with you on your suicide mission. They’re coming with us.”
Angus slapped his hand away and stood silent a moment, fuming.
“I cannot go further without them,” the old man said, desperation in his voice. “I’m taking them with me and you’re going to go back to the ship.”
Jonathon took a deep breath and spat out a curse word.
“Fine, do this the hard way then,” he replied, stomping through the sand back over to Osvaldo. He grabbed Travis’s arm and tugged. “Get your hands off of him; he’s not going with you.”
Travis smiled and tightened his grip around Osvaldo’s throat. Osvaldo grabbed at the massive arm and gagged. Jonathon felt a surge of fury build up inside him that he hadn’t felt since he faced the school bully when he was a teenager. Before he knew what was happening, he made a fist and thrust a firm punch into Travis’s ribs. The large man let out a loud groan as the air was forced out of his lungs. He fell to his knees and involuntarily released Osvaldo. He darted away and stood near the edge of the water.
“What are you doing?” Angus yelled. “Have you lost your mind?”
“Probably, but at least I’m not alone,” Jonathon yelled back. He stormed over to Frank and shot him an icy stare. “Let him go,” he said firmly.
Frank let out an arrogant chuckle.
“You must want to do this the hard way too,” Jonathon replied angrily. As he took another step toward Frank, he heard Silas call out to him from behind.
“Look out!”
Jonathon spun around just in time to catch a glimpse at Travis charging at him. He didn’t have time to dodge the attack and took a bone-jarring collision with Travis’s shoulder into his gut. He fell hard on his back in the sand and Travis took a backhanded swipe across his right cheek. He felt his teeth cut into the inside of his mouth and the copper taste of blood followed. Travis stood up and began making his way back to Osvaldo who began running across the beach to where Lucy and Annie were standing. After seeing the attack on Jonathon, they both came running over. Lucy was cursing at Travis as she went.
Jonathon rolled over and shook the cobwebs out of his head. He spit out a mouth full of blood and stood back up, leaving his hat lying in the sand. He pulled his shirt tail out of his pants and marched back toward Travis.
Lucy had done a wonderful job of distracting him with her screaming and he never saw the right hook Jonathon firmly planted on his jaw. He tumbled to the ground and caught himself on his hands and knees. He shook his head a moment then returned to his feet, charging again at Jonathon. Jonathon dodged him this time, but Travis stopped abruptly and took another swing at him. Jonathon ducked and returned a punch of his own. Travis avoided it and countered with a sharp, stinging blow to Jonathon’s jaw, much harder than the back-handed swipe he’d given before. Jonathon fell to the sand, blood now gushing through his teeth. He reached down and grabbed a handful of the blood-soaked sand and threw it hard into Travis’s eyes. Travis instinctively rubbed at his face and Jonathon got back up swinging furiously at him. Seconds later, he felt another sharp pain on the back of his head and his entire body went limp. He fell backward onto the beach, his ears ringing loudly and his vision blurred. Frank now stood over him, rubbing the pain out of his fist from the sucker punch he’d just delivered. Jonathon blinked his eyes, trying desperately to regain his focus. He wasn’t about to stop fighting now. Just as his vision was straightening out, he saw Frank lunge forward as someone apparently grabbed him from behind.
“If you’re not gonna fight fair, neither will I,” Silas growled as he grabbed Frank tightly in much the same way he’d gotten Armando minutes earlier. Frank clawed and tore at the much older man’s large arms, but was unable to peel them loose. Travis had finally gotten the sand out of his eyes and he prepared to come to Frank’s aid. Jonathon stood up and ran at him to ensure that it didn’t happen.
As the four men continued to struggle, Annie screamed and pleaded with them to stop. Lucy grabbed Angus and begged him to do something. The old man watched them struggle for a few moments more, and then pulled the large revolver from under his coat. Lucy’s eyes widened and she gasped.
“He’s got a gun!” she screamed.
A second later, Angus pulled the trigger and a loud boom thundered across the beach. Jonathon and Travis instantly stopped fighting and Silas loosened his grip off of Frank. Frank pushed Silas back and just as he was about to deliver a punch, Travis grabbed his arm.
“It’s alright…let him go,” he said. He then bent down and pulled his pant leg up revealing his own handgun strapped to his calf. He grabbed the gun and immediately aimed it at Jonathon.
“You said it very well…” Angus said calmly, his robin egg blue eyes piercing sharply at Jonathon. “…when you said we’ll do this the hard way. I tried to let you all go, but you just couldn’t get on the boat and leave, could you?”
He casually walked over to Jonathon and poked the gun into his chest.
“You have no idea who you’re dealing with. How dare you come over here and interfere with something that doesn’t concern you? How dare
you run over here and poke your finger into my chest and make demands? You’re in no position to bully me,” the old man growled, pulling the gun back and scratching at the back of his neck with it.
If it wasn’t for Travis still pointing one at him, Jonathon would’ve taken the opportunity to knock the old man’s teeth out.
“Uncle Angus…what are you doing?” Annie asked innocently, in total disbelief that her uncle could be so cold.
Angus glanced over at his niece and a brief expression of shame crossed his face.
“My dear, I’m sorry you’ve been put into this most unfortunate situation. I’m afraid Mr. Williams here ruined it for all of you,” he said, and without warning, he punched Jonathon hard in his stomach.
He fell over on his knees and Travis hit him hard on the back of his head with the grip of his gun.
“No!” Lucy screamed as she dropped down on her knees next to him. “What is wrong with you?” she asked, looking up at Travis, tears now welling up in her eyes.
“You don’t need him, honey. I think you’d be much happier with me.”
She quickly sprang back on her feet and drew back to slap him, but before she could, he grabbed her by a handful of hair and jerked her close to him.
“That’s not nice, sweetheart.”
Silas ignored the fact that Frank’s gun was pointed at him and rushed to Lucy’s aid.
Angus slid in front of Travis and pointed his gun at Silas.
“Calm down, old friend,” he hissed.
“Any friendship we may have had before is history,” Silas replied through clenched teeth. “Make your baboon let Lucy go,” he demanded.
Angus nodded.
“Let her go, Travis…that is not a way to treat a lady,” he snapped.
“Aww, I was just having a little fun, boss.”
“Don’t let it happen again, Travis. I mean it. Do not harm women in that way,” he said, sounding very serious.
Travis nodded and instantly released Lucy’s hair. She kicked him hard in the shin and ran over to where Annie, Osvaldo, and Armando were standing. Travis cringed, clearly feeling pain from the kick, but did his best to hide it.
Angus walked to Lucy and left Silas and Jonathon under the watchful eyes of Travis and Frank.
“Lucy, I apologize for the way Travis just treated you. That was out of line.”
She crossed her arms and her face reddened with anger, the cool breeze in her face did nothing to calm her down. “You’re damn right it was out of line! When we get back to the states, you and your little buddies are in big trouble!”
Angus nodded and closed his eyes. “It would be best for all of us if that didn’t happen, my dear,” he replied. “I’m afraid since the circumstances here have suddenly changed dramatically, I’m going to need to call for your assistance again. I assure you it will be worth your time, and you probably will feel differently once you see what this is all about.”
She uncrossed her arms and put her hands on her hips.
“What is this all about? What are you talking about? I thought this was all about the dinosaurs. You’re nuts if you think I’m going anywhere with you.”
“I’ll explain everything when the time comes.”
He looked down at Jonathon and watched him rub the back of his head.
“I’m afraid since Jonathon is so combative, you’re going to have to come along and be our dinosaur expert.”
Lucy felt a chill rush across her body. She took a step back and contemplated running. Angus read her eyes and pointed his gun at her.
“Lucy, please don’t make this difficult,” he said.
Osvaldo watched everything unfold and suddenly begin to feel a wave of relentless guilt wash across him. These people whom he’d just met were now in extreme danger because of his resistance minutes earlier. He knew he had to do something and he had to do it fast. Without thinking about it anymore, he stepped forward and quickly got everyone’s attention.
“Angus, leave these people out of this,” he said, drawing a gasp from Annie.
“He speaks English,” she said, pointing at him as if he had two heads.
He smiled at her. “Yes, I speak English. Angus, I’ll do whatever you ask, just let these people go and let Armando go. They don’t deserve this treatment,” he pleaded.
Angus let out a chuckle. “Oh, it’s too late for that, Osvaldo. Believe it or not, I was actually going to let them all go back to the ship and wait until we returned. Unfortunately, you ruined all that for everyone. Things have changed…we’ve crossed a line where there is no turning back now. Lucy will accompany us through the jungle. Armando will join us also. As for the others, I have no intentions of bringing them along,” he said coldly, and Lucy immediately sensed murder was on his mind.
“No! You can’t do that,” she screamed. She stomped her feet and as her face reddened tears began to stream down her cheeks. “Please don’t kill them!”
Annie began sobbing also, fearing the same fate. “Uncle Angus, please don’t kill us,” she begged, her voice shaking.
The old man threw his head back and let out a hearty laugh. “Kill you? Oh heavens, do I look like a murderer? I’m not going to kill anyone,” he said through laughter.
Silas stepped forward, but was sure to keep his hands up as he eyed the gun Frank pointed at his chest. “So you’re going to let us go,” he said hopefully.
Angus’s laughter died off and he shook his head solemnly. “You know I can’t just let you all walk away either,” he replied. “I’ll have to tie you three up until tomorrow.”
The ringing in Jonathon’s ears finally ceased and he struggled to get to his feet. He stumbled a bit as if he was drunk and Travis no longer felt threatened by him. He’d listened to the conversation and finally regained enough composure to speak. “Wedgeworth, if you tie us up on this beach, you might as well call it murder. There are meat-eating dinosaurs on this island, and if they find us, we’re dead,” he said, rubbing the back of his head.
Angus seemed to ignore him. He walked over to where they’d unloaded the boats and picked up a bundle of rope. He tossed it to Frank and led Silas over near Travis so he could watch him. Then he looked up and down the edge of the jungle as if he were looking for something. “I think that one will do, Frank,” he said, pointing to a large palm tree. “Tie them to that one.”
Jonathon stared at Angus, amazed at just how cold the man could be. “Did you hear what I said?” he asked. “You leave us tied to a tree, we’re dead.”
“I heard you, Jonathon. If something happens to you while we’re gone, it’s hardly my fault. I asked you very nicely to return to the ship and you obviously didn’t listen. Now get against the tree,” he growled.
He pointed the revolver at Jonathon and pulled back the hammer to reassure him he wasn’t kidding around. Jonathon reluctantly walked over to the palm tree and put his back against it. Travis forced Silas to do the same. Then he turned to find Annie. She was slowly backing away toward the boat at the edge of the water, roughly thirty yards away. “Annie, would you mind taking a spot against the tree?” he asked, no hint of regret existed in his voice.
Annie began crying uncontrollably and turned to run. She ran as fast as she could, and as she reached the boat, she frantically tried to push it into the water. Travis ran after her and easily caught her before she could make her escape. As he carried her back, she kicked and slapped at him the entire way. He pushed her against the tree and held her in place as Frank began wrapping the rope around the three of them.
“Please, Uncle Angus,” she screamed. “Don’t do this to me…don’t leave me here! I’m your niece, for God’s sake!”
As Frank tightened the rope to the point where she could no longer move her arms, Angus approached and placed a hand on her forehead, brushing her shiny red hair aside. “Sweetie, I’ve never been much of a family man. Let’s be honest, I hardly know you and you barely know me. All the family I’ve ever known has only wanted one thing out of me: money
. I’m sorry things have turned out the way they have. I want you to know I truly hope that you will still be alive when I return. I sincerely mean that.” He leaned over to kiss her forehead then began to walk away. Annie dropped her head and sobbed, no longer able to speak.
As Frank finished tying the knot, Silas struggled for a minute, and then fell still and silent also. Jonathon watched as Angus and Travis gathered up a few supplies (including a couple of high-powered hunting rifles). They made Armando and Osvaldo carry the heavy packs containing tents, sleeping bags and other supplies. Then they began to walk toward the jungle. Lucy glanced over at Jonathon and mouthed out the words I love you without speaking. He winked at her, hoping she’d read the response as an indication that he had every intention of getting loose and coming after her. Angus too glared over at him as he walked by and Jonathon couldn’t resist spitting out a threat to him.
“Angus, you better hope I don’t get loose. You’ll be begging the dinosaurs to come and eat you if I get a hold of you,” he growled.
Angus chuckled. “I have to admit, I admire your spirit,” he said.
Jonathon shook with rage and pulled hard against the rope, wishing desperately it would break. He heard Annie whine and realized he was actually making it cut deeper into her skin.
Travis couldn’t resist one last verbal assault on Jonathon either. He walked over, leaned forward, and began to whisper just loud enough for only Jonathon to hear. “I can’t wait to see the buzzards plucking your eyeballs out tomorrow afternoon…that is if you have any eyeballs left,” he said coldly. He laughed loudly and cracked one more punch against his jaw as he walked away.
“You alright?” Silas asked, panic beginning to appear in his voice.
Jonathon spit out a tooth. “I’m going to kill him,” he mumbled through swollen lips. “And I won’t be alright until he is dead.”
Chapter 14:
Jonathon had never been very good at tying knots. He’d been a boy scout as a child, but he must have missed the lesson on tying knots because every knot he ever tied was pretty much done the same way he tied his shoes. Frank apparently hadn’t been very good at tying knots either because as he struggled to break free, the rope began to loosen. Silas swelled his body up and desperately tried to break free and Annie repeatedly told them both that as they struggled, the rope burned and cut her fragile skin.