Billy shrugged at Mark and the two turned away and dropped their shorts, quickly stepping into costume.
“Aw, look Jess,” Casey taunted. “They’re shy.”
“You two are asking for it,” Mark said, turned back to them. He shifted a little uncomfortably in his new island g-string. It hung loosely between his legs, and didn’t hide the fact that he was more than a little aroused by the situation.
“And they’ll get it. Plenty,” Billy promised. “But first we need to pick a camp site and get setup.”
“Let’s stay near the boat,” Casey suggested. “We could setup right over there at the tree line?”
“Works for me,” Billy said, and Mark shrugged acceptance. Jess hopped back into the boat and tossed her heavy pack to Mark. Billy stepped past her and grabbed a tent bag, and the two walked up the shifting sand to a spot sheltered between two huge palm trees. “Wish I had a hammock,” Mark observed.
They got to work setting up the first tent, while the girls brought some of the smaller gear from the boat and piled it nearby.
Mark popped in the main pole at the same moment as Jess screamed.
“What?” he jumped out from the midst of the green fabric to see her standing on one foot just a couple meters away. Her hand massaged the top of one foot while her eyes stared at the beach in horror.
Casey held her shoulder. “Did it bite?”
“Did what bite?” Billy demanded, and Jess pointed at a spot on the sand. Billy knelt in front of her and stared at the thing she pointed at.
“What is it?” Mark asked, joining him.
“A spider of some kind,” Billy answered, leaning closer to stare at its thin but spiny legs, and oval, violet back.
“Looks like a small crab,” Mark said. “Never seen a purple spider.”
Billy shook his head. “You’d think so, but that’s not a shell. Those legs are insectoid.”
“Is it poisonous?” Jess cried.
“I don’t know,” Billy said. “Did it bite you?”
Jess shook her head. “I was just standing there and I felt something tickle my foot. I looked down and there it was, standing on me. I kicked it off right away.”
Billy stood, and the spider began to run across the sand. But Billy didn’t let it go. He stepped to the left and ground the heel of his sandal on the thing, leaving a glimmering mess of violet film and yellowish mush in his wake.
“It won’t bother you again,” he promised.
Jess hugged herself. “I hate spiders,” she said. “And where there’s one, there are always more.”
“I’ve got bug spray,” Casey announced, and pulled a can from her bag.
“Does it keep away spiders?”
Casey began spraying it all over her friends’ feet and legs. “Guess we’ll see.”
Billy held his nose at the poison sweet smell. “Might keep away boyfriends,” he suggested.
“Really?” Casey asked, and then made a show of slowly spraying her arms, legs and bare midriff. Then she tossed the can to Mark.
“Naw, I guess not,” Billy admitted, and slipped his arm around her back to pull her close.
“Camp first, cum second,” Mark announced.
“Niceeeeee,” Casey rolled her eyes. “Your momma would be so proud.”
“Bet your mom would love to see a picture of that getup you’re almost wearing,” Billy laughed.
“Come and get it,” she taunted, and ran behind the palms and into the foliage beyond. She raised a hand from behind a tall green frond, and dangled the top half of her costume. “No?” she asked, with mock innocence.
Billy looked at Mark, who shrugged and changed his direction. “Cum first, camp second.” Billy grinned, and followed Casey into the jungle.
Mark turned to Jess for a kiss, but she put her hands on his shoulders and pressed him away. “Not right now,” she pleaded. “I’m still a little creeped out.”
A Path Through The Shadows
Later, after Billy and Casey finished their task while Mark and Jess handled setting up camp, they all wolfed down a lunch of ham sandwiches Casey had packed. Mark leaned back against the trunk of a palm, and belched, loudly.
“Truly a well-mannered boy,” Jess observed.
“A compliment to the cook?” he offered.
“Nice try.”
Billy stood up and stretched. “Anyone want to take a hike, see what’s around?”
Jess and Casey jumped up. “Sure,” they said in unison.
Mark moaned and rubbed his bare belly. “But I’m all full and comfy.”
“You’re coming,” Billy demanded. “I’m not leaving you here to drink all the beer. Grab the machete from the boat? We might need to cut a path if it’s really thick.”
They filed beneath the palms in the same direction that Casey had led Billy earlier, and in moments the rich blue sky was replaced by a canopy of deep green. The steamy summer heat dropped by 10 degrees almost instantly. They walked through the bushes and trees, Billy periodically slashing away a few branches, though none really blocked their path. “Breadcrumbs,” he explained. “We can follow the branches back if we get turned around.”
There seemed to be an almost natural path into the center of the island. After walking for just a few minutes, they saw why.
“Check this out,” Billy stopped and pointed to their left. Sheltered behind a stand of thin trees and brush, they could just make out the corner of a silver-topped roof.
“What is it?” Jess asked.
“Looks like a Quonset hut,” Billy said, stepping closer.
“I thought you said nobody ever came to this island,” Casey accused.
Mark stepped past Billy and walked up to the door of the small building.
“Um, I don’t think we should be seen right now,” Jess suggested, wrapping her arms around her chest to hide her cleavage.
“You were the one who made us wear them,” Mark reminded. “But I don’t think you have anything to worry about. I don’t think anybody’s home.”
Billy joined him at the door, a simple metal rectangle with a nameplate in the center, just above the knob. Innovative Industries, it read.
“I didn’t leave the beach much when I came here before,” Billy said. “But I don’t think this was here two years ago.”
Mark turned the knob and the door opened, easily. “Hello?” he called, sticking his neck inside. Then his feet followed.
“All clear,” he declared, and the girls gingerly stepped to follow Billy inside.
The door opened on a long thin room, about 10 feet wide and 20 across. Two doors interrupted the back wall, and Mark and Billy quickly opened and shut those, pronouncing “empty.”
Casey walked along a counter that was attached to the inner wall. It appeared to be made of stainless steel and extended out about three feet from the wall. Above it on the wall were three shelves, littered with vials, steel containers, a shortwave radio, something that looked like an oven, and several other unrecognizable pieces of electronic equipment. The counter itself was empty, except for two steel canisters at the end of the room.
“What is this place?” Casey mused.
Billy shook his head. “Looks like an outpost,” he said. “Weather station or something. No sign that anyone’s been here for awhile though.”
He opened a small white refrigerator at the other end of the room, and gagged when the stench hit him. Black fuzz coated the inside of the appliance, along with unrecognizable lumps of something that no doubt had once been food. He quickly slammed the door shut.
“Generator’s apparently been out of fuel for quite awhile,” he pronounced, still coughing.
They stepped back out of the hut, and now the cool air of the foliage brought a chill to their exposed skin. Jess had an overwhelming desire to pull on a T-shirt. Playing Blue Lagoon was all well and good when you knew nobody else was around, but now she was a bit discomfited that obviously somebody had been to this island.