Part 25 (2/2)
”I'd say quite a few.”
She smiled again, and Ike felt an urge to kiss her. He would have if he weren't so aware of Delani standing not far behind him. The South African whispered something to Brandon. The poor American was probably worried sick about his wife, still lost somewhere in the jungle, possibly dead.
Ike wondered if Nessa was worried about Alfred. Just in case, he placed a hand on her shoulder. He meant the gesture to be rea.s.suring, but his thumb found the hot skin of her collarbone, just above the collar of her s.h.i.+rt. They shared a look.
”They're going to expect us to follow the river,” Delani pointed out.
Ike turned from Nessa to face his boss. ”Well, there isn't much we can do about that now, is there? And that's the problem. They know we have no choice. If we wander into the jungle we're going to get lost.”
”You think they're still behind us?” Brandon asked.
”I know they are, mate,” Ike replied with certainty. ”For some reason they want us dead. And bad. This means, they either think we've got something they want, or they're trying to cover something up.”
Ike saw a realization flash across Brandon's face. ”These militias are government-backed right? They depend on foreign money to operate, don't they?”
”That's right.”
”Well. What if they committed some truly horrible war crimes out here? Rape, cannibalism, genocide.”
”Cannibalism?” Ike scoffed. ”I've heard stories, but . . .”
”Just listen to me for a second. If stories of those crimes got out; I mean if foreigners like us saw evidence of them, there could be a lot of pressure for those governments to pull out their support.”
”I'm not sure Rwanda and Uganda are all that worried about what the world thinks of them,” Ike argued.
”What about other countries?” Brandon challenged.
”What other countries?” It was all speculation, Ike realized. He'd never known Americans were so paranoid.
”Why they are after us is not a concern,” Delani said. ”It doesn't change the fact that they are.”
”He's right,” Ike agreed. ”We need to be getting out of this mess. We can wonder about it later.”
”Let's start getting across the river then,” Delani ordered. He gestured for them to get to their feet.
Nessa rose slowly, testing her lower leg before putting her weight on it. ”But it won't matter if we cross the river, will it?”
Delani studied Nessa.
”You already said. They know we're following the river, because we don't have a choice,” she continued.
”We could double back and follow it the other way. The stream branches from the pond in other directions.”
”And walk right past them?” Nessa asked doubtfully.
”What do you suggest, Doctor?”
”We can find another terrain feature to follow. If we can find the lowlands, there should be a swamp. We can circle that until we come to the other side of the river.” Nessa turned and pointed to Brandon. ”He said he could show us how to get there.”
All eyes turned toward Brandon, who looked up in surprise. ”I never saw any swamp.”
”Well, the wetlands,” Nessa said, stepping closer.
Brandon shouldered his pack, while carrying Sam's. His feet sank in the mud of the riverbank. ”I never saw any wetlands. Sam said she did. But . . .”
”But what?”
Brandon took a deep breath. Nessa stood across from him, her expression masked in the dim light of dusk.
”Sam might have made it up,” he admitted with great difficulty.
”Made it up?” Nessa's jaw dropped. ”Why the h.e.l.l would she do something like that? So we'd help you get your b.l.o.o.d.y plane? Is that it?”
He moved his mouth as if to speak an apology, but nothing came out.
”Let me see if I'm hearing you right,” Nessa fumed. ”You lied to Alfred. Lied to us, so we'd come out here with you and help you get your f.u.c.king plane, is that right? And now there are only six of us left, out of ten. Four of us have been f.u.c.king killed, when there isn't even a G.o.dd.a.m.ned swamp out here at all. We came out here to help you and now my partner and our guides and your lying b.i.t.c.h of a wife are dead!”
”Nessa, please,” Ike whispered stepping closer, ready to get between them.
”Shut up, Ike,” she growled. ”I've had it up to here with this place. And the flower isn't even out here. This is just another waste of time, another dead end.”
”Sam isn't dead,” Brandon replied quietly, a slight tremor in his voice. ”You don't know her. She's still alive and Alfred is fine. Temba is with them both and they're going to be okay.”
”You're insane,” Nessa cried. ”Give it up, will you! You saw what happened to the pygmy. That was a poisoned arrow. They're dead. For all we know, Temba was in on it. He leads you all off into the jungle and then disappears?”
”Dr. Singer,” Delani warned. ”Please try to keep your voice down. There are still rebels in the forest.”
Nessa's voice quieted, but she stood rigid and pointed an accusing finger at Brandon. ”I hope you realize while we're all dying, that it was your fault this happened. You and your f.u.c.king wife.”
Brandon's face reddened. He was about to respond when something caught his attention. He froze, his eyes locked on the water. Ike followed his gaze to the black stream and the dead logs, half-submerged beneath the surface. Ike was suddenly aware how close to the stream they all stood.
”Dr. Singer,” Brandon whispered.
Nessa looked at him curiously.
”Get away from the water,” he urged.
The closest log sprang to life. Ike nearly choked on his own innards. A flash of reptilian hide exploded from the water, moving onto the muddy sh.o.r.e with lightning speed. Although, long and built low to the ground and with those sleepy lizard eyes, the monster displayed incredible agility. Long razor jaws snapped shut. In one moment, Nessa stood on the sh.o.r.e facing Brandon, and in the next, she was yanked to the ground, chest and face in the mud, thighs clamped tight by a deadly vice.
For half a second Ike stood stunned, unable to react.
Brandon acted a second sooner. He had seen the crocodile in the water. He grabbed Nessa by the arms to pull her away. The crocodile was the stronger and the muscles in its jaws would not open once locked. Stiletto teeth sank into the flesh of Nessa's thighs, crus.h.i.+ng the bones underneath. The creature backpedaled toward the stream, dragging her with it. Brandon held on tight as his knees and feet were dragged through the mud behind him.
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