Part 11 (1/2)
”What? What, Jake?”
”A man, I reckon.” The engineer pointed far out into the harbor. ”Do you spy him, Captain? I think he's . . . it sure looks like he's swimming.”
”Yes, I see something.” Joshua briefly closed his eyes to think. ”But we're not going to do anything until we determine if he's American or j.a.panese. If he's a j.a.p, we're going to wait until the right moment to jump him. Let's not kill him, if we can help it. He might have some useful information.” Joshua watched the man slowly draw nearer. ”When I point my finger at him, we'll jump him. But for now, follow me.”
Estimating where the man would come ash.o.r.e, Joshua moved quietly through the underbrush. He periodically peered from the jungle to watch the man, who floated on his back and kicked awkwardly toward the beach. Content with their position, Joshua held up his fist, and the three Americans stopped. They then lay down, each positioning himself beneath the undergrowth so that he had a clear view of the harbor.
As the stranger approached, Joshua's heart began to race. When the airman neared the beach, he rolled to his stomach and slowly waded ash.o.r.e. He must have been injured, for his movements were unsteady.
”He sure ain't from Arkansas,” Jake whispered.
Disappointed that the airman was j.a.panese, Joshua quietly replied, ”Remember, when I point, we go. If he draws a gun, kill him. But otherwise, let's take him alive. No words from here on out.”
The airman crawled from the sea to the sand. He removed his life jacket, revealing a blue coat. He also wore some kind of hood and flight goggles. A holster hugged his waist. The man stood up slowly, took a few halting steps, and then collapsed. Immediately, Joshua thrust his finger forward, and the three Americans silently sprang from the jungle. They ran beside one another, and by the time the airman heard the s.h.i.+ft of sand, they were upon him. Roger and Jake each dove on one of his arms, and as he struggled, Joshua groped for the airman's holster, which happened to be empty. When their captive continued to fight, Roger hit him hard in the back of the neck. The man went limp.
Joshua used the airman's own belt to tie his hands. He then searched him for other weapons. A dagger was strapped to his calf. Joshua pocketed the blade and continued to look for anything of interest. Other than a compa.s.s, a pair of binoculars, a medal of some sort, and a pouch of once-dried squid, the airman carried nothing of value. ”Jake, you stay here in case another j.a.p comes ash.o.r.e,” Joshua said as he stood. ”If you see someone else come in, for Pete's sake hurry and get one of us. I don't want you facing anyone alone.”
”Sure thing, Captain.”
”Wait about an hour and then join us back at camp. An hour ought to be enough.” Joshua handed Jake the machete and the airman's binoculars. He then watched the engineer vanish into the nearby jungle. Before Joshua could offer to help, Roger slung the unconscious flier over his shoulder, and without a word, headed toward the distant banyan tree. Joshua picked up the two spears and followed.
Not long after the airman began to moan, Roger dropped him behind the banyan tree, so that the tree s.h.i.+elded him from the beach. They hadn't cleared this s.p.a.ce, and Joshua pulled ferns from the ground and pushed rocks aside to give them more room. He whistled loudly, and soon Nathan and the others emerged from deeper in the jungle. Upon seeing the unconscious man, the three nurses stepped forward to inspect him. Roger started to block their way, but Joshua told him to leave them be.
Isabelle found his head wound first-a quarter-sized contusion just above his hairline. ”Did you do this?” she asked.
”No,” Joshua replied. ”He was dazed when he came ash.o.r.e.”
”We'll have to keep a close eye on it,” she said, looking for other wounds, pausing only when the injured man groaned.
Joshua was about to ask Annie to remove Akira's gag when he noticed that it was nowhere to be seen. Stifling his frustration toward Nathan for not ensuring that his orders were carried out, he lifted the airman so that his back was against the ma.s.sive boulder that supported the banyan tree. The man muttered, and Joshua looked to Akira. ”What did he say?”
Akira frowned, shaking his head. ”Untie my hands first, yes? Then I will tell you what he says.”
Joshua swore to himself, aware that he needed to lead for the sake of his family, and feeling that his authority was being usurped on multiple fronts. He moved behind Akira and quickly untied him. ”Now, what did he say?”
Akira rubbed his wrists. ”A woman's name. All he said was a woman's name.”
Away from the gentle breeze of the beach, the air was hot and teemed with bugs. Joshua slapped at a mosquito. He didn't want to be unnecessarily hard on Annie, or even Akira, but he knew that he had to be careful. Two j.a.panese were now among them, and others could be swimming ash.o.r.e.
The airman opened his eyes. He blinked repeatedly, swinging his gaze from person to person. Finally, he looked at Akira and spoke in j.a.panese. Akira answered him, and the two briefly conversed.
”What are you talking about?” Joshua asked.
Akira noted how Roger was perched near the airman, a spear in hand. The American looked as if he hoped the prisoner would try to escape. ”He asked me why you removed my bonds,” Akira replied.
”Can you tell him,” Joshua asked, ”that we haven't harmed you? That we'll treat him well if he answers a few simple questions?”
Akira moved toward the prisoner, kneeling on the ground before him. Switching to j.a.panese, he said, ”These people are from an American hospital s.h.i.+p. They are not bad people. But they'd like to ask you several questions.”
The man grimaced, s.h.i.+fting against his bonds. ”Tell them . . . tell them that my urine's sweet and that they may wet their tongues with it.”
”You're unwise to-”
”Tell them that yesterday I put a bomb through the deck of an American destroyer. It was a beautiful sight-more stirring than Mount Fuji. The cowards jumped off that burning s.h.i.+p faster than the sea would take them.”
Akira straightened. ”And yet you are here. Their prisoner.”
”But my bonds are loose. Give me a moment and I'll be ready. You surprise the leader and I'll handle the one with the spear. We must act now, before the big black one returns.”
”No,” Akira said quickly. ”There's no need for anyone to die.”
The airman seemed surprised. ”No need? Why not? Are you afraid?”
”Not of death.”
”Then help me. It's pathetic to be a prisoner. Unforgivable. I'd rather die than live with the shame.” The airman's tone was growing sharper and more menacing. ”Do you hear me?” he asked harshly. ”I'd rather die a thousand deaths than sit here in shame! Where is your honor?”
”My honor is-”
”You shame the emperor!”
”I have been fighting the-”
”We must move now!”
”Wait!”
”The spear! I'll take the spear! And you do the rest!”
In spite of himself, Akira glanced at the spear. And at that moment, he saw Roger's fingers tighten about it, almost as if he understood what might happen. ”The American's ready for your move!” Akira said to the prisoner. ”Please! There's no need to die!”
”We must all die someday,” the airman retorted angrily. ”And today is as good as any and better than most.”
”Wait!”
”Attack now!” the prisoner said, leaning toward Roger.
”His bonds are loose!” Akira suddenly shouted in English, stepping back.
The airman tried to strike Roger but only managed to free his hands before Roger, Joshua, and Nathan jumped on him. He struggled mightily, screaming at Akira to help. But Akira only stepped away, positioning himself between those involved in the melee and Annie.
Soon the prisoner was completely immobilized by ropes and belts. His hands and feet were bound tightly together and he was tied to a nearby tree. At some point during the fight, he'd managed to b.l.o.o.d.y Joshua's lip and leave four scratches down the side of Roger's face. As Joshua wiped his lip and spat blood, Roger walked over and viciously kicked the p.r.o.ne airman in the stomach.
”Enough!” Joshua shouted.
”I'm not done-”
”By G.o.d, that's enough!”
Roger cursed and strode away from the unconscious man, vanis.h.i.+ng into the jungle. Isabelle hurried to Joshua, looking at his lip. ”We need to wash this out,” she said, eyeing the deep gash. We'd better cool it off or it's going to swell up like a balloon.”