by Tara Ellis
Maya was pale, hunched over, and her eyes were red-rimmed and puffy. Sniffing, her voice hitched as she spoke in halting words. “I...just want—want to go home.”
Peta took a step toward her and grabbed Maya’s arm while leaning in close with an air of excitement. “Have you been crying?”
Maya pulled away and scowled. “You have no right to do this!” she shrieked. “I was okay, before. I was—” a moan escaped her while she looked around the room with wide, wild eyes. “I was okay,” she whispered.
Peta was already moving, and yanked the bag from the floor at Tyler’s feet. Setting it on the kitchen counter, she unzipped it and pulled out the bag of leaves. “How many cups of tea can you make out of this?” she asked, shaking it at Akuba.
Jason moved to stand next to Peta, looking first at the leaves and then back at Maya. “Could there be another explanation?”
“It has to be the tea,” Peta insisted. Jess had never seen the reserved woman so excited, and it was hard not to let it rub off. She felt her heart rate accelerate with the thought that there might be a way to save her dad.
“Three at most,” Akuba answered. Her brows drew together as she studied Maya. “But Maya was already going into the water, and showed more emotions than the others. I don’t think the results will be the same for everyone.”
“You’re absolutely right,” Peta said, looking impressed. “Just like with any illness, or medication, there are different levels of both severity and reaction to treatment. But this still changes everything. It’s a clear indication that whatever is in this plant, be it a type of amino acid or something else, must play a major role in the Lokono immunity to the prions.”
“As well as a potential treatment,” Jason added, making Jess’s excitement grow even more.
Treatment.
“We have to find that village,” Peta said to Akuba. “Unless the plant grows around the other, smaller pools at the resort? It would be worth doing whatever was necessary to get more of it.”
“No,” Jess answered for her. “I never saw it in the other pools. My dad said the chemistry of the main pool was different than the others.”
Akuba went through the practiced motions of pouring herself a cup of coffee, and then stood holding it, staring off thoughtfully before focusing again on Peta. “My mother spoke of the Libi Prani growing in abundance at the Tan Presi Rutu. Even inside the caves. It was part of what made the location so special, and how they knew the pool at the resort was part of the same system. It has never been found anywhere else, that I know of.”
“It must have to do with the effects of the hot spring on the soil chemistry,” Peta speculated.
“After yesterday, we don’t have a lot of time to play with,” Jason said, clearly still anxious to get moving. “It’s a given we’ll have another altercation with Davies and his group if we aren’t gone after tomorrow. There’s no guarantee he won’t decide it’s too much of a risk to even let us leave. They could be waiting for us on the road right now.”
Tyler met Jess’s eyes then, and she saw her own concerns reflected in them. Both of them had fathers they were desperate to save, and had a lot to lose.
“Kavish and Slaider should be returning soon,” Akuba said, finally taking a sip of the coffee. “They can lead us to it.”
“If they found it,” Peta countered. “And what if they didn’t? What if they don’t come back? We can’t afford to wait very long to find out.”
“My dad kept some of those fancy maps,” Jess offered, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice. “You know, the bumpy kind with tons of detail on it?”
“Topographical,” Jason said.
“Yeah!” Jess shouted. “Topographical. They’re big, and made out of plastic. He paid a bunch of money from some foundation for a project he put together…oh, more than ten years ago. Anyway, the whole reason was just to make those maps of Suriname. Akuba kinda knows where the village is. Maybe you guys could use those maps to help figure it out?”
Jason stared at her for so long before smiling, that Jess wasn’t sure if he thought she was brilliant or stupid. “Can you find them in the morning?” he asked, then looked at Tyler. “Tyler, you can help her look. I’ve got enough training that maybe, with your help, Akuba, we can at least come up with a general area. Worst-case, we can give those coordinates to Garrett so that if something happens, or we don’t locate it, they have something to go off of.”
“Of course, though I have faith my cousin will return. Until then,” Akuba said to Jason. “I don’t think it will be safe to stay here. I think Amisha and Pikin should go with Kamal back to her farm. At least for now.”
Kamal stepped forward, nodding. “I was already going to suggest that. My place wouldn’t be ideal for the long-term, but I’d like to get Amisha and Pikin out of this fight. I can protect them better there, and I don’t think Davies cares about us, frankly.”
“When I return, I can join you there,” Mavi offered. “To make sure you are safe.”
Jess wasn’t expecting to be split up, and her initial reaction was to object to her friend leaving. She’d gotten really close to Amisha, and it felt like her family was being torn even further apart. But they were right. Her dad didn’t care about the little girl and other two women. It wasn’t fair to them.
Maya pulled again at the hold Kamal had on her arm and grunted, reminding Jess that what was happening to her wasn’t fair, either. Moving closer to the woman, she tried sharing some of her newfound optimism. “It’s going to be okay, Maya. You’re going someplace safer. We’re only trying to help you.”
Nostrils flaring, Maya’s face screwed up in what looked like physical pain. “You can’t help me!” she spat. Her lips trembled, and her eyes had a lost, haunted look to them. “I’m already gone.”
Chapter 20
PETA
Amazon Jungle near Kumalu, Suriname
The Libi Nati Preserve
Peta watched as Devon tossed another chicken carcass onto the growing pile. Cringing at the wet smacking sound it created, he made a face and jumped back to avoid the blood spatter.
“This is worse than the last time,” Kamal said as she approached with a shovel. Gesturing to the destroyed fencing, she then looked around at the surrounding fields. “I don’t like this.” It was just past dawn, and Kamal had made the grisly discovery after taking over patrol duty from Devon.
“Not much to like about any of it,” Devon agreed, wiping his hands on his pants before he could stop himself. Grimacing again, he moved forward and took the AR from Peta.
“You said those monkeys the other day were pretty small,” Peta said. Turning to where the tall wire-mesh barricade was flattened, she frowned. “If so, I don’t think your monkeys did this.”
“No, not monkeys,” Kamal agreed.
Peta bent to pick up a second shovel and helped Kamal start digging the hole. Since all of the chickens had been killed, they were just going to bury them right there. “Jaguars, then?”
Kamal shook her head. “The goat was probably eaten by several jaguars, based on how it was…torn apart.” Her voice broke, and she paused for a moment to wipe at her face.
Peta knew the goats were hers, and was sure the other woman was wishing they’d left for her farm a day earlier. There was no guarantee they’d be any safer from the predators at the other location, though Kamal said she would bring the one remaining goat into her house at night to keep it safe.
Lifting one of the bloody pieces with the shovel, Kamal wrinkled her nose at it. “These were killed for what looks like sport, or a fit of rage, or…something I’ve never seen before. There wouldn’t be this much left if it had been the jaguars. I suppose it really doesn’t matter. The end result is the same.”
“Peta!” Jason was running toward them from the parking area, a dark outline in the early morning light.
Jamming the shovel into the ground, Peta stepped out of the coop to meet him. He’d just gotten back from escorting Mavi and the
others, and she was eager to hear how it had gone.
“What happened?” he demanded as they approached each other. “Jess said no one was hurt, but some animals were attacked again.”
Peta studied the deep lines around his eyes, and the weariness in the set of his jaw. Neither of them had been to sleep yet, and it was going to catch up with them eventually. His current reaction was more pronounced than what she was used to from him, and it bothered Peta in a way that surprised her. Now that Eddy was gone, she found that she was relying more on Jason to be the cool, level-headed one. She’d given up on relying solely on herself over a week before, and had been using him to help ground her emotions. She couldn’t afford to have him losing his grip.
“One goat, and all of the chickens,” she said bluntly. “Kamal said it was worse than last time. Probably jaguars again, as well as some other animals. Monkeys, or something else.”
Jason scratched at his head and rolled his shoulders as he squinted toward where Devon and Kamal were working. “Devon didn’t hear anything?”
Peta shrugged. “He thought there was something weird sounding around two this morning, but never saw anything. This wasn’t obvious until it started getting light out. It’s almost as if—”
“What?” Jason pressed.
“Well.” Peta shifted her feet and stared out at the nearby border of dense foliage and trees. “If I were a hunter, or maybe even someone with a military background, I might compare this to a planned or coordinated attack. They waited until Devon was in another area so he wouldn’t hear or see what they were doing.”
Jason cleared his throat and then took her by the arm as he started to walk. “I was thinking the same thing.”
“What’s going on?” Peta asked, knowing he didn’t have the answer.
“Something we might never understand,” he said. “And all the more reason to get the hell out of here sooner than later. I’m not excited about trekking into the jungle, but it’s looking more like that’s what this is coming down to.”
Peta stopped before the coop, and took him by the wrist to keep him from walking away. He looked at her with a curious expression on his face. “I had Akuba keep out enough of that plant for one more dose of tea. I was hoping…well, that if Eddy comes back, we can give it to him,” she said.
Jason smiled, and some of the tension in his jaw softened. “We’ll get him back. I’m sure he’s doing whatever he can to buy us some more time. Mavi got through Bagapossi without any problems. I saw less people lingering in the shadows than when we first got here, but I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing.”
“Might indicate Davies has “collected” more of them,” Peta suggested.
“Right,” Jason agreed. “Any idea what the odds are that the hot spring at this ancient village is also erupting? I’d like to think that when we find it, there’ll still be something left.”
It was a valid question, and something Peta had already spent a lot of time thinking about. “I’d say fifty-fifty. These geothermal features are fed by a labyrinth of underground fissures. It isn’t unusual for an earthquake in one region to cause pools in another to suddenly go dry, or even erupt. It isn’t fully understood, and so while the Lokono believe these pools are the “same”, that probably isn’t completely accurate. Most likely, the chemistry is close enough to allow the Libi Prani to grow in both. At least, that’s what I’m counting on, so that the plants at the other site aren’t also destroyed.”
“Okay.” Jason seemed to accept her theory without any question. “So, our best course of action is still locating this other site, and the Lokono.”
“Yes,” Peta said without any hesitation. “Absolutely. Jess is helping Amisha load up some supplies to take with them, and then she’ll start looking for the maps. Meanwhile,” she added, squeezing his arm that she still held. “We need to get some sleep. Even if it’s only for a few hours. We can’t function like this for much longer.”
Jason hesitated, and then finally grinned, nodding in agreement. “A few hours.”
With all of them working, it only took another fifteen minutes to dispose of the chickens. The goat took some more effort, but the grim task was completed as the sun finally broke the rest of the way above the horizon.
Peta turned from the grizzly scene and closed her eyes as the rays of light worked their way through the hazy atmosphere and warmed her skin. Even as a child, she’d been drawn to the sea and had spent countless days there, baking under the intense Australian sun.
It had always been a source of happiness and energy, no matter what sort of mood she found herself in. Peta’s mom had called her a sun goddess on many occasions, because of how she was always testy when the clouds moved in.
There were a lot of clouds now, in spite of the light that broke through the ash. Peta was finding herself thinking of her mom and the farm more and more lately. She knew…knew in her heart it was gone. But she couldn’t let that stop her from fighting for what was left. That meant opening her eyes and walking back to the house, so she could take her own advice and take a nap, before trying to figure out where they were going.
“I’ll take one of the trucks, if you don’t mind,” Kamal said.
Peta was startled from her thoughts to see the other woman leading the remaining goat on a rope. She was surprised it survived the attack, and maybe should be taken as an example of how you should never give up, simply based on the odds.
“Of course,” Jason replied, falling in step beside her. “I know Jess wants you guys to take whatever you want or need. I’ll follow you, and make sure you get there okay.”
“Thank you for offering, but it’s best if we go on our own,” Kamal said, looking uncertain. “It’s just that we’ll draw less attention by ourselves. We belong here. If someone sees you with us, it might defeat the whole purpose for our leaving.”
Jason frowned, and Peta could tell he was mad at himself for not realizing something so obvious. It only emphasized what she had already pointed out. They needed rest. “Sure,” he said, rubbing at his eyes. “I keep forgetting where we are.”
Peta took one of the shovels from Devon as he approached her, and then walked alongside him. Tyler was currently holding the AR, so he brought up the rear, keeping a vigilant eye out for any signs of danger.
While there wasn’t anything obvious to someone who had never been there before, Peta had already gotten used to the sounds of the Amazon. It was…different. She couldn’t quite say if it was the level of bird chatter, or a deeper silence from somewhere deep in the jungle, but it was there. A sort of pent-up breath waiting to be let out. It made the hairs rise on the back of her neck, and again took her back home, to the farm and the times she’d found herself under the watchful eye of a predator.
Quickening her pace, Peta arrived at the truck just as Jason was taking a box from Jess. “Is this the last of it?” he asked, setting it in the back.
Amisha answered for her. “Yup! More than enough food for over a week, and some gas for her generator and the truck. I think we’ll be fine, but I wish we had a working phone.”
“Eventually, we’ll track down some more ham radios,” Jason said. “It’ll be the best way for everyone to communicate.”
Akuba came out the back door with Pikin in tow, and limped over as Kamal got the goat loaded. She had a rifle in one hand, and gave it to Amisha. “You have one of the handguns?” she asked.
Amisha nodded. “Yup. And Kamal said she has another rifle and plenty of ammo at her farm. I’d bet—”
A high-pitched squeal interrupted Amisha and made Peta jump. The noise turned into an odd wail as they all turned and looked for the source.
Jason was the first to unsling his weapon, though the cries didn’t sound like they belonged to very large animals. There had to be several of them, and the grunts and wails overlapped like some bizarre dogfight that was gaining momentum as Peta ran with him around the barn.
In the middle of the lawn were three creatures Peta had
never seen before. They looked like over-sized weasels and were around two feet long. They sounded like Tasmanian devils, and were clawing and biting each other with a primitive aggression Peta had never witnessed before.
“They’re Tayra’s!” Jess shouted.
Peta looked back at the young girl when she heard the alarm in her voice. “This isn’t normal? Have you seen them doing this before today?”
Jess was shaking her head. “No! They’re gentle. They—”
One of the Tayra’s squealed as another flung it several feet into the air by its throat, and then both of the remaining animals pounced, ripping at its flesh in a frenzy.
Looking horrified, Jess backed away. “This isn’t right,” she muttered, before turning to run toward the truck.
Her anxiety growing, Peta also scurried out of the way, unable to turn her back on the carnage. As a scientist, she was struggling to remain objective, but it was nearly impossible to do when she was so exhausted.
Sleep. She would get some sleep first, and then the patterns Peta thought she was seeing would go away. The various slides, samples, and previous reports from Eddy and Mads that she’d spent the whole night pouring over wouldn’t seem so sinister.
She was just tired. That’s all.
But the death cries of the animals followed her into the house. And when Peta forced herself to lay down on the couch and close her eyes, the patterns only got stronger. It didn’t matter how much sleep she got, there were enough pieces there to guess the final image.
The Kuru wasn’t done with them yet.
Chapter 21
JASON
Amazon Jungle near Kumalu, Suriname
The Libi Nati Preserve
Balancing two plates of food and a container of water, Jason used his back to push one of the large wooden barn doors open. He could hear Jess and Tyler talking inside, and Marty dashed around his legs to scoot in ahead of him as soon as the opening was wide enough.