by Tara Ellis
Tyler took the map from her and then put an arm around her shoulders to walk with her back to the ladder. “I feel guilty, too,” he confided. When she remained quiet, he tried to explain it better. “I left my dad. I chose to do that. You didn’t even get a choice in any of this. In what’s happened to you, or who’s left or come into your life. But I walked away from my own dad and left him to die.”
“You’re trying to help him,” Jess countered. “Staying with him and watching him die wouldn’t have helped anything. It’s not what your dad would have wanted.”
Tyler suppressed a smile. “Right. And don’t you think your dad would feel the same way about you? Because it’s kinda the same, in a way. I don’t think he would want you to be alone, Jess. And I think he’d be glad that Jason was here, helping you.”
They’d only gone a couple of steps, but Jess stopped and Tyler could feel her shoulders drop under his arm. “Right,” she whispered. Leaning into him for a moment, she then started walking again. “Thanks.”
An odd scraping sound interrupted any further insightful conversation, and they both froze at the same time. Tyler moved ahead of Jess, struggling to interpret what he was hearing. It wasn’t the kind of noise a large animal would make, but a light skittering caused by something moving on the ladder.
“Do you have rats?” he whispered, looking over his shoulder at Jess.
“Not ones that climb ladders,” she whispered back, her eyes wide.
The majority of the light came from two open windows at either end of the loft, that ran the width of the barn. They also had a lantern sitting on the floor, but Tyler realized there was another source. His eyes drifted down to the main area of the barn and he saw there was a wedge of sunshine coming in from the barn door, which was open a few feet. The same door Jason had made sure to close solidly behind him when he left.
“Hello?” Tyler called out, certain now that they weren’t alone. His right hand moved to the gun in the shoulder holster he’d grown accustomed to wearing.
The scraping stopped.
Tyler held his breath.
Two heartbeats…three. Then it started again, getting more pronounced as whatever it was got closer to the top of the ladder.
Tyler breathed in through his nose, wishing that he’d opted to keep Marty with them. Not that he’d ever want the dog to go up against something dangerous, but he at least could have given them a better idea if it was something to be scared of.
“Wait,” Jess said suddenly, setting a hand over the one pulling out the Glock. “I think I know who it is.”
“Who?” Tyler watched with mounting confusion as Jess bravely went closer to the ladder. He finished drawing the gun, but held it to his side, ready.
Squatting down, Jess braced herself against the floor and leaned forward. “Goldie?”
The eerie scratching stopped again and then a small, golden-colored head appeared over the edge. Jess was partially blocking his view, but as the monkey revealed itself, she lurched back into Tyler’s legs, nearly knocking him down.
“Argh!” Jess gasped as she frantically scrambled away from the animal.
Its muzzle was covered in fresh blood, and the fur on its chest was matted with unrecognizable stuff that Tyler didn’t want to try and figure out. A sickly sweet, pungent odor wafted from it, making it hard for him to believe the animal was actually alive. Its eyes bulged with a wild zeal, and snot ran from its nose to blend with the blood and form disgusting globs that dangled from its whiskers.
“This is the same monkey that you said saved you before?” Tyler whispered; afraid any sudden moves would make it pounce. He didn’t want to shoot the animal, but first he’d have to pull the slide back and chamber a round. Slowly, he moved his hands toward each other while the monkey was focused on Jess.
“He’s changed,” Jess murmured, apparently also afraid to make any sudden moves. She was still on the floor, propped up with her right hand, while holding the other out toward Goldie. “It’s okay,” she cooed, her voice wavering. “It’s okay, Goldie. I’ll help you.”
The monkey peeled its lips back then, exposing sharp teeth punctuated by fangs on both the top and bottom. There was a long piece of flesh hanging from his mouth, and when he hissed, flecks of gore spattered the floorboards near Jess.
Tyler finished racking the Glock as Goldie gripped the top rung of the ladder and leaned aggressively toward them, shrieking a challenge.
“No!” Jess yelled as she jumped to her feet and threw both of her hands out. “Go!” Stomping a foot, she waved her arms, making the monkey flinch and back away. “Go!” she shouted again, obviously thinking a show of force from something much larger would make him back off.
Tyler moved forward with Jess, keeping the gun trained and ready to fire if the animal attacked. That was when he noticed movement in the shadows below the loft.
Goldie wasn’t alone.
A series of unusual chirps began, rising in volume until they were screams, and Goldie began to echo it. His lips pulled back spasmodically as he joined the rest of the monkeys in their screaming, the meat falling from his mouth.
They came out of the shadows then, looking up at Tyler with crazed eyes that glittered in the dim light. At least a dozen Golden Tamarin’s, all of them acting just as wild as Goldie.
They swarmed toward the ladder.
Chapter 23
JESS
Amazon Jungle near Kumalu, Suriname
The Libi Nati Preserve
“Jess—”
Tyler’s voice was quivering and Jess didn’t blame him. As she stood staring at her monkey, it was a physical blow to realize how she didn’t recognize him anymore. It wasn’t Goldie. Her throat constricted and she reached out blindly to grab at Tyler’s arm. The one that wasn’t holding the gun.
Goldie twisted to look down at the other primates that had started to climb the ladder below him. Bouncing up and down in a frenzied excitement, he hissed at the nearest one, and Jess couldn’t tell if he was inviting them to play his new game, or if it was a challenge. Maybe he didn’t want to share.
The crescendo of shrieks was deafening, making it hard to think. How many were there? She doubted Tyler had enough bullets, and she chastised herself for not bringing her own weapon.
“Shoot once down at them,” Jess yelled. When Tyler gave her a quizzical look, she pushed at him. “Come on, hurry! It might scare them away, and it’ll let ‘em know at the house that we need some help.”
Jess covered her ears, and while she still flinched at the percussion of the gunshot, she was afraid it wouldn’t be loud enough. What if Akuba had gone inside and everyone else was asleep? Would anyone hear it from inside the barn?
A few monkeys scattered, but if anything, their cries only got louder as some of them began running around in circles on the floor of the barn. Jess watched in a sort of detached fascination as several of them viciously started attacking each other. Hair and blood flew from the clash before they broke apart, only to turn and fight with whatever other monkey was closest to them.
Goldie turned back to Jess and was pulling himself from the ladder towards her when the doors to the barn banged open, and several shots erupted at the same time. While both Jess and Tyler reacted, the monkey was unphased as he continued his single-minded attack.
The wood splintered at his feet as a bullet tore into it, causing Goldie to leap away and fall over the edge of the loft. Jess’s ears rang as she watched him disappear and she turned to stare at Tyler with mixed emotions. He was still holding the Glock out, looking stunned.
More gunfire from below, and the additional sound of a man bellowing at the animals. “Git outta here! Go on! Git!”
Jess recognized the voice, and it wasn’t Jason or Devon. Cautiously approaching the ladder, she looked down in time to see Goldie running for the exit around Slaider. Though he had a slight limp, the monkey seemed okay.
“You didn’t kill him,” Jess called back to Tyler, and was startled when his sho
ulder bumped into hers. She hadn’t heard him move up next to her. He looked relieved as he hunched down with her, and she immediately felt bad for not being more appreciative. “Thank you for not shooting him, but I wouldn’t have blamed you for it.”
His eyes were wide as he grinned at her in understanding, and then he nodded at the last of the monkeys scampering around Slaider. “Who’s that?”
“That,” Jess said, with a sudden shift in her mood from horrified to eager as she watched the man walk further into the barn. “Is our ticket out of here.”
Not waiting to explain any further, Jess jumped onto the ladder and climbed down as fast as she could. Ignoring the blood and tufts of hair mixed into the dirt, she ran to Slaider and wrapped him up in a big hug.
He grunted, and when it sounded like he was in pain, she pulled back and took a better look at him. His face had several fresh bruises on it, and there was blood in the corner of his mouth. Jess was pretty sure none of it was from the monkeys. “What happened?” she asked, her original flash of optimism beginning to fade. She stepped back and looked beyond him through the open doors. “Where’s Kavish?”
“Whoa!” Tyler shouted, coming up behind her. “Is this Slaider?”
Jess shot a hand out to silence the teen, focusing intensely on the other man. He was obviously shaken up. Holding his side, he appeared to be having a hard time standing. “Slaider?” she pushed, reaching out to steady him.
He shook his head and waved her hand away. “I’m okay.” His eyes flitted around the barn. “Better than you were a moment ago, anyway.”
“Hey!” Jason yelled as he came barreling into the barn, the AR in his hands. “What the hell’s going on in here?” When he saw Slaider, he raised the weapon. “Get away from them and drop the gun!”
“No!” Jess cried, stepping in front of Slaider.
“It’s Slaider!” Tyler said, moving toward Jason with his hands out. “It’s okay. He helped us. We, uh…were under attack from some monkeys.”
Jason raised a quizzical eyebrow at Tyler first, and then turned to Jess as he slowly lowered the rifle. “Monkeys?”
Jess nodded, relaxing now that one of the only people left who could help them wasn’t going to get killed accidentally. Peta and Devon appeared behind Jason, both armed and looking just as scared as she felt, but they correctly interpreted Jason’s motion to them and didn’t point their weapons at anyone. “A group of monkeys,” Jess confirmed. “They were—acting crazy. Attacking each other.”
“Slaider!” Akuba hurried into the barn with a slight limp, though Jess could tell right away that she was walking better than the day before. “This is the man who went with Kavish to find the Tan Presi Rutu,” she explained, and Jess realized there wasn’t anyone left at the preserve who had ever met the other men.
“Those injuries look recent,” Jason pointed out, gesturing to Slaider’s face. He turned to look back outside and confirm no one else was around. “I’m assuming it has something to do with why you’re alone?”
His grim expression was enough of an answer. Slaider holstered his gun, wincing with the motion, and then accepted the arm that Akuba offered. “Can we go inside to talk?” he asked with a look of suspicion and concern at Jason and then Devon.
Jess could only imagine how it all appeared to him. He had no idea what had happened since they’d left, and it was going to take some time to sort it all out. She felt restless as she watched Akuba lead him from the barn. The encounter with Goldie emphasized how things were still changing. It was all getting worse and Jess could feel the weight of it getting heavier.
They needed to leave.
“Who did that to you?” Jason asked before they’d even gotten outside.
“We’re with a group of scientists and physicians that came here from the CDC in the States,” Peta added, when Slaider didn’t answer right away. “We think we’ve found a possible cure for the Kra Puru, and we’re hoping you found that ancient city.”
Slaider stopped and looked incredulously at Akuba. “You told them?”
“We had to,” Jess interrupted, stepping up next to them. “Look, a lot has happened. This is all so much worse than we thought. You have to trust these guys. They’re here to help us, and what Peta said is true. There’s a plant that grows at the Tan Presi Rutu that we have to get.” While Slaider was a good friend of Kavish, he wasn’t a Lokono and was from a different village. Odds were that he didn’t know about the Libi Prani or it’s ceremonial uses.
Slaider stared at Jess for a moment and then Akuba, before looking again at Jason and making a point to scowl at the automatic rifle. “To take where? Back to those who you would choose to help in the United States? Because you don’t look like someone who would care much for what happens to those of us left here.”
“He’s my dad!” Jess shouted, surprising herself with the declaration. It had the desired effect though when everyone, including Slaider, stopped and stared at her. “He’s my biological father,” she clarified. “That’s why he came here. Not to steal anything from the Lokono, but to help me and them.”
Slaider finally relaxed and closed his eyes as he took a deep breath. “Then you are not with those who attacked us.”
“Attacked you?” Devon asked. He had a firm hold on Marty’s collar, and Jess could see the shepherd straining to sniff at the ground where the monkeys had been.
“Just hours ago,” Slaider confirmed. “Before we left for the Tan Presi Rutu, we stumbled on a small group of Immunes living at your village near town,” he said to Akuba. “Their own villages had been burned out. So, after finding the ancient site and your people, we stopped there on our way back to tell them where to go.”
“You found it?” Peta asked excitedly, exchanging a look with Jason. “How far is it? Can you show us on a map?”
“Yes,” Slaider said simply in answer to the questions. “It’s a two-day hike. But—” he paused as they stepped onto the patio, and put a hand out to brace himself against the table. “After what just happened at the village in town, I’m afraid you won’t be the only ones looking for it. We must get there first if what you’re saying is true.”
“Just when you think things are finally going our way,” Devon muttered as he plopped down onto one of the lounge chairs. “What now? More killer jaguars? Maybe some sort of new animal we’ve never heard of before, like a killer swarm of giant bees or something.”
Slaider frowned at Devon before shaking his head. “It was Dr. Davies’ men. They were already there when we arrived. Only, it was different from when they came here.”
“How?” Jason insisted, leaning toward the other man. “Were they taking them back to the resort?”
“No. I don’t think they had any interest in more slave labor. It was,” Slaider swallowed and grimaced. “It was more – primal. I can only guess why they went there. I suspect it was to look for something to help them find the ancient site, the same as you. But when they found the Immunes, they decided to have some fun.”
“Fun?” Peta echoed. “The Cured don’t have fun.”
“Not the sort of fun we’d normally seek, but the same kind those monkeys in the barn were having,” Slaider attempted to explain. “They were…brutal. Kavish tried to stop them. We both did, and I was the only one to get away.”
“Is he dead?” Akuba gasped, pulling away from him with dread.
“Not when I last saw him,” Slaider said quickly, taking Akuba’s hand. “I hid, and watched until they left. Your cousin was the only one they took with them. I think someone recognized who he was. And—”
Jess’s bad feeling intensified. She didn’t know how it could get much worse, but he obviously had more to say.
“The map,” Slaider whispered. “The map we had to the Tan Presi Rutu was in his pocket.”
“What makes you think they’ll even know what it is, or care?” Devon asked. He shrugged at Jason when he gave him a scowl. “We’ve been assuming Davies knows as much as we do about the importance
of the Lokono, but we can’t be sure he’s put any of it together about the ancient village. Unless we totally tipped our hand by talking to the guy in the first place,” he added, sounding less sure.
“They were talking about it.” Slaider wiped the blood away from his mouth and walked the last few feet to the patio door. “As Davies’ people were leaving. They were talking about the Tan Presi Rutu and the Lokono. How they needed to wipe them out, just as the story foretells.”
“Was my dad with them?” Jess asked, not really wanting to hear the answer.
“No,” Slaider said with a shake of his head. “But there was another white man there.”
Jason’s head snapped up at that, and Jess cringed away from the anger that flashed in his eyes. “What did he look like?” he spat.
“Well…” Slaider hesitated. “A lot like you. Similar clothes, slightly smaller with greying hair. He’s the one who did this to my face, before I was able to get away.”
Jason only hesitated for a moment before pulling the door open for Slaider. Turning to the rest of them, he motioned for them to get inside. “We have to get moving.”
Jess hesitated, not following them right away, and instead looked warily around the yard of the preserve. She didn’t know where she belonged anymore.
Jason took a step toward her and held out his hand. It was a simple gesture, but his expression was so intense that she found herself taking it without hesitation.
Tyler’s advice had been accurate. She might not have had any choice in who was stolen from her life or thrust into it, but she could make the choice to accept them. To trust them. “You’re right,” she said to the man who maybe someday she’d come to think of as her father. “We have to go now.”
Chapter 24
PETA
Amazon Jungle near Kumalu, Suriname