Spirals

by Scott Bergin

  "How long have we slept?" Alex asked.

  Fimyany only moaned and turned over. Alex didn't know if Fimyany was sleeping or choosing to ignore him. He repeated the question, kicking Fimyany lightly in the leg. This time Fimyany woke up to the question.

  "I don't know." He replied in a groggy voice.

  "Well, what was the last thing you remember before I kicked you?" Alex asked.

  "There were these three beautiful women." Fimyany began.

  "I don't mean what you were dreaming." Alex explained. "I want to know how much time we've wasted on this embankment."

  "I can tell you that I was awake for about an hour after we passed the cannibal settlement." Fimyany said, now fully awake.

  "That's about the same as me." Alex replied.

  "I would guess that we lost no more than five hours." He said.

  "Five hours." Alex complained. "That's a lot of wasted time."

  "There is nothing we can do about it now." Fimyany said. "Lost time cannot be regained."

  "Well, we're going to try." He replied. "Find something that can serve as a paddle."

  Alex and Fimyany jumped off the raft and went ashore. They quickly found several pieces of wood that could be used as ores. They returned to the raft with their makeshift paddles and, Alex pushed them away from the shore. Alex positioned himself on the right side of the raft, Fimyany on the left.

  "That is all the time we can afford to lose." Alex said, continuing to paddle at a steady pace.

  "What do you mean?" Fimyany asked.

  "That is all the time we can afford to waste sleeping." Alex explained.

  "You mean we row all night?" He asked.

  "We row until we are out of this jungle." Alex replied. "Whether it takes all night, or all week."

  "That is insane." Fimyany protested.

  "That may be." Alex admitted. "But that is what we are going to do."

  "And if I fall asleep?" Fimyany asked.

  "Then I'll wake you up with a paddle over the head." He replied.

  "And if you fall asleep?" He asked.

  "Then I'll expect you to do the same." Alex replied.

  "No." Fimyany said. "If you fall asleep, I will join you."

  "We need to make up ground." Alex insisted.

  "Exactly." Fimyany replied. "The threat of being beaten while I sleep is enough to keep me awake. The threat of us losing many more hours should be enough to keep you awake."

  "I get it." Alex replied. "It is just a scare tactic to keep me awake."

  "Yes." Fimyany admitted. "But if you fall asleep, I will sleep as well."

  "You know what kind of hurry we are in." Alex said.

  "No. You are the one in a hurry." Fimyany corrected him. "I have done what I came to do. If you cannot stay awake, you cannot expect me to."

  "All right." Alex conceded. "If I fall asleep, you may sleep also. I will not hold you responsible for keeping me awake. However, I will hold you responsible for steering the raft as long as I am awake."

  "Agreed." He replied. "But why do you need me to steer the raft."

  "Because I don't know the river." Alex explained.

  "There are only two things to know." Fimyany began. "Always go with the strongest flow of water. It will take you downstream fastest."

  "And the other thing?" He asked.

  "When you hear a loud rumbling noise, get the raft out of the water." Fimyany said, smiling.

  "What does a large rumbling noise mean?" Alex asked.

  "It means that there will be a large waterfall in the very near future." He replied.

  "What do you mean by large?" Alex asked.

  "Taller than fifty feet." Fimyany said calmly. "Anything smaller than that and you won't have time to get the raft out of the water by the time you hear it."

  "What size waterfalls are up ahead?" He asked, feeling a knot in his stomach as he asked the question.

  "Oh, nothing that large." Fimyany replied. "We should be able to run all the rapids between here and the Ogooue river."

  "And after that?" Alex asked.

  "After that you are on your own." Fimyany replied. "You'll be back in civilization."

  "And you'll head back up the river?" He asked.

  "No way." Fimyany replied. "If you think I'm walking past that cannibal camp, you're crazy."

  "What then?" Alex asked.

  "I'll find another way back." He said. "On foot, but not following the river."

  "You have taken this trip before?" Alex asked.

  "A couple of times." Fimyany said. "Don't worry, there is nothing dangerous between here and there."

  "I guess I'm just naturally inclined to worry." Alex admitted.

  "I promise that I will get you to civilization." Fimyany said. "No matter what it takes."

  "Even if it means you cannot sleep?" Alex asked.

  "That part is up to you." Fimyany replied with a chuckle. "I only promised to get you out of the jungle. I cannot guarantee how quickly we will emerge."

  Alex and Fimyany continued paddling gently down the river. As dawn broke, neither one had slept a wink. During the night, they took several short breaks from rowing. When either of them started to feel sleep coming on, they began rowing again. The other would follow shortly after. They also switched the side of the raft they were sitting on, to prevent one arm from becoming too tired. As the sun started to shine through the trees again, they felt renewed. They felt the sun bring them both back to life, and thoughts of sleep quickly became distant.

  Chapter 33

  April 16

  8:14 a.m.

  Pointe-Noire, The Congo

  Thomas slowly walked the half mile from the train station to the docks. He was torn between being anxious to leave the country, and the dread of seeing Hector Bishop again. Thomas hated Hector's big mouth. It was probably the most dangerous thing about him. Thomas could never be sure who Hector would feel comfortable talking to, or what he would be willing to tell them. Hector was usually reliable, when he wasn't being incompetent or idiotic. Still, Thomas had to acknowledge that if it was not for Hector, they would not be doing what they were doing. The entire African trip had been his idea, though Thomas refused to think of him as the brains of the operation. The sleep he got on the train ride to Pointe-Noire was much needed, though he now regretted it. He wished that he had managed to stay awake on the train, so he could sleep through Hector's stupid stories once he reached the boat. The train had been one last attempt at losing anyone that might have followed him through the jungle. He was not worried about anyone being hot on his trail, but he felt compelled to cover his tracks. Thomas wondered if he should have taken several more detours before coming to the docks, in case anyone could still piece together his path. He was not being paranoid, only trying to avoid the inevitable. Too late, he reached the docks. Thomas carried his only bag down one of the piers. At the far end stood an old white ship, thirty feet long. It boasted no sails, though it had a mast. At first, Thomas was worried. From a distance, it looked as if no one was on the boat. As he got closer, he could hear the music. It was the Monkees, and there was no doubt in his mind that Hector was on board. Thomas reached the edge of the boat, and spotted Hector relaxing in a lounge chair on the far side of the uncleaned deck. He was drinking a lemonade, and sun bathing. The overcast day didn't seem to bother him at all, so long as there was no rain falling.

  "Are you sleeping?" Thomas asked, as he hoped onto the ship.

  "Ahoy mate." Hector said, coming to his feet.

  Thomas stared at him for a moment. Hector looked shorter than he remembered, and balder too. His stupid attempt at an Australian accent was already enough to start getting on Thomas' nerves. The Monkees didn't help much either.

  "You did it." Hector said, breaking the silence. "You actually did it."

  "Yeah." Thomas replied calmly.

  "Did you get it?" Hector asked, starting to work himself into a frenzy.

  "I got it." Thomas replied, and held up the page.

/>   "I can't believe you got it." Hector said, coming in for a closer look.

  "Yeah, I got it." Thomas repeated, putting the page back into his pocket.

  "The radio said you killed fifty-one thousand people." Hector said, swinging around the mast with one arm. "Fifty-one thousand!" He shouted.

  As Hector swung back around, Thomas stopped him from swinging, and stood him back up straight. He couldn't believe what an idiot Hector was. Even though Thomas already knew how stupid he was, it never ceased to amaze him when he saw it firsthand. He wanted to beat him into a coma, but he couldn't. He still needed Hector, as much as he hated to admit it.

  "Will you please keep quiet about that." Thomas said, holding in the anger.

  "Oh, right." Hector replied. "So how was Yaoundé?"

  Thomas slapped him square in the face. Hector's lack of intelligence was starting to get the best of him, and only after a few minutes.

  "I'll ask the questions." Thomas said.

  "Right you ask the questions." Hector replied, rubbing his cheek. "What questions are you going to ask?"

  Thomas wanted to slap him again, but he knew that Hector would not understand why he was being slapped. It would serve little purpose. Hector would still be an idiot, only he would become a confused idiot. Thomas decided that hitting Hector would not help Hector be any less of a moron. Hector would always be as dumb as he was now, and nothing Thomas could do would change that. Then Thomas slapped him in the face again, not to help Hector, but to satisfy his burning desire to do so.

  "I was speaking." Thomas said, pulling his hand away from Hector's face.

  "Right." Hector replied softly.

  "Did you have any problems?" Thomas asked.

  "Yes." Hector said. "I had a huge problem."

  "Well, what was it?" Thomas asked.

  "One of my tapes got stuck in the machine." Hector began. "And the machine ruined it."

  "I meant serious problems." Thomas said, staring at him.

  "That is serious." He insisted. "Now I only have one tape to play for the whole trip back."

  "Don't worry about it." Thomas replied. "I have plenty of tapes."

  "Not anymore." Hector whispered.

  "What do you mean?" Thomas barked.

  "Well I was worried about the machine eating my last tape." Hector explained. "So, I used your tapes to make backups of my last one."

  "You used all my tapes?" Thomas asked.

  "I had to make backups." He insisted.

  "On all nineteen of my tapes?" Thomas snapped.

  "I wanted to make sure that I made enough." Hector replied.

  "Nineteen backups!" Thomas shouted.

  "Yeah, but you like the Monkees, don't you?" Hector asked.

  Thomas couldn't hold back any longer. He punched Hector in the nose. Hector fell backwards, and landed in his lounge chair. He picked up his lemonade, as if nothing happened. As he stared to drink from it, he noticed that blood from his nose was flowing into the glass. Thomas wished that he could rip out the radio and throw it over board, unfortunately they still needed it for weather reports. Thomas debated throwing it, and Hector, overboard. To his regret, he was still dependant on them both.

  "Were there any other real problems?" Thomas asked, after regaining his composure.

  "No." Hector said, pinching his nostrils.

  "Did you remember everything?" Thomas asked.

  "I got plenty of fuel and food." He replied, pointing toward the supplies on board.

  "Good." Thomas said. "Then we'll be on our way."

  "Can you handle the schedule?" Thomas asked.

  "What is the schedule?" Hector replied, tipping his head back.

  "Five to Five." Thomas said.

  "Who gets the days?" Hector asked.

  "You are more used to the boat." Thomas replied. "So, you get nights."

  "So I can sleep now?" He asked.

  "You better sleep now." Thomas said. "I don't want you falling asleep at the wheel."

  "Then consider me asleep." Hector said, putting on a pair of sunglasses.

  "One other thing." Thomas said. "We're in kind of a hurry."

  "What do you mean?" Hector asked. "Does someone know what you've done?"

  "No." Thomas assured him. "Nothing like that."

  "What then?" Hector asked, unconvinced.

  "There is a storm coming from the south, and we need to stay ahead of it." Thomas replied.

  "It isn't the toxic gas cloud?" Hector asked is a shaky voice.

  "Will you stop being so damn paranoid?" Thomas said. "It's nothing like that. We just cannot afford to get caught up in some nasty storm. I'm not convinced that we can make it through a bad storm in this bucket of bolts."

  "How fast do we need to go?" Hector asked.

  "We can't fall behind thirty-five, not for any reason." He replied. "And even better if we can keep it above forty."

  "Piece of cake." Hector assured him.

  "Knots." Thomas said.

  "Well, that won't be so easy." Hector replied. "But, it still shouldn't be a problem."

  "This boat can handle those speeds?" Thomas asked.

  "Sure." Hector replied.

  "For at least six days straight, maybe seven?" Thomas asked.

  "Well, it won't be a vacation." Hector said. "But we won't be swimming either."

  "Maybe the storm will change course in a couple of days." Thomas said. "And we'll be able to slow back down."

  "Don't worry." Hector assured him. "This boat will hold together."

  Thomas was far from impressed with the assurance of a moron, but it was all he had. Thomas unhooked the lines from the dock, and lost all confidence in Hector. Hector had secured the boat by throwing the anchor over the far side of the dock. Thomas pulled in the line, and set the anchor on the deck. He coiled the rope around the small anchor, then slid them to the edge of the boat. He was about to question Hector about why he had throw the anchor over the dock, when he heard him start to snore. That was the only sound to come from Hector's mouth that didn't bother Thomas. It was also the only noise to come out that didn't announce to the world how stupid he truly was. Thomas was relieved to see that Hector did not wake up when the boat started, or when it pulled away from the dock. Thomas turned off the music that Hector had been listening to. Hector flinched, and rolled onto his side, but he did not wake up. Thomas stared out at the open seas ahead, and for a brief moment he was able to relax and forget all about Hector.

  Chapter 34

  April 16

  3:15 p.m.

  The Ogooue River, Gabon

  Alex steered the raft down the river. He found it was much easier than he had anticipated. The river was more than two hundred yards wide. Alex kept the raft in the middle, where the current was swift. Fimyany slept at the back of the raft, and Alex let him. There was no reason to keep him awake. He had already told Alex that he would not wake him up if he nodded off. So, Alex thought the best thing to do was to work in shifts. Alex was a little nervous about it at first, but he remembered what Fimyany had said. He had told Alex that there would be no difficult sections between where they were and the Ogooue River. Alex kept a sharp eye out for danger at all times. He did not know if Fimyany could swim, so catching the raft on a rock could drown him. Even if he could swim, Fimyany could still drown if he fell into the river while he was asleep. Alex also kept looking toward the land on either side. He wondered about the possibility of being attacked from the river banks, either by animals, or cannibals. To his surprise, the ride was calm and peaceful.

  Alex became concerned when the raft's speed started to increase. The river wasn't getting any narrower, which meant it must be getting shallower. The raft had doubled its speed in the last few minutes. It was now traveling at twenty-five miles an hour, and it showed no sign of slowing. Alex wondered what could make the raft's speed increase like that, then he heard it. The loud thundering noise sounded far off, at first. There were going to be some nasty rapids ahead. He crawled cautiously to
the back of the raft.

  "I thought you said there were no rough rapids." Alex said, tapping him.

  "There won't be." Fimyany assured him, just waking up.

  "Listen." Alex whispered.

  Fimyany and Alex listened to the immense noise in the distance. Neither one had any doubt that the noise was the sound of crashing water, and it was coming from within a mile downstream.

  "How long have I been asleep?" Fimyany asked.

  "A couple of hours." Alex said.

  "Only a couple?" Fimyany replied. "That can't be."

  "What can't be?" Alex asked.

  "We've got to get this boat out of the water." Fimyany said, grabbing his paddle.

  "Which side?" Alex asked.

  "Head toward the right bank." He replied.

  The river's right bank was more than a hundred yards to the side of the raft. The only benefit the right side had over the left was the trees. There were tree branches hanging far over the river. If they could get the raft under the tree branches, they might hook a paddle on one.

  Alex and Fimyany sat on the left side of the raft paddling as hard as they could. The nose of the raft turned slightly in the strong current, then turned back. For every ten yards they moved forward, they were lucky to move one to the side.

  "I thought you said no rapids!" Alex hollered over the increasing noise.

  "That's right no rapids!" Fimyany hollered back.

  "Then what the hell is that?" Alex shouted, looking straight ahead of them.

  A few hundred yards ahead of the raft, the world seemed to end. The land to either side of the river fell away instantly. The river also ceased to exist beyond that point. The only thing past that lip was noise. A deafening noise rose up from beyond the ledge. Alex realized the answer to his own question. What stood ahead of them in the river was worse than any rapids. It was a waterfall.

  "A waterfall!" He shouted.

  "Yes!" Fimyany screamed back. "Now row!"