For several in the group, the jungle trek would be the toughest thing they’d ever faced. Until you’d experienced it for yourself, you couldn’t begin to imagine how tough it is to live in a place where your very survival is challenged each and every day.
Zane’s eyes soon rested on Katiya. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail, exposing the soft lines of her face. It was hard to imagine she was only a few years away from forty. If anything, she seemed even more beautiful here in the tropical heat.
As she blew her bangs out of her eyes, she seemed to catch him staring at her. The hint of a smile crossed her face. Did she know what he was thinking? He smiled back then averted his gaze.
“We’re finally here,” he announced. “This marks the beginning of the most difficult phase of our journey.” He nodded at the boat. “The quicker you realize that we’re leaving comfort behind, the better off you’ll be. Each day will involve a certain level of suffering and a certain level of danger. Recognition of that reality is going to be your first step in understanding how to cope and how to survive.
“Marcos will take the boat back to a village a few hours away. If for some reason any of you don’t think you’re going to be able to make it, this is your last chance to turn back.” Max snickered and looked at Katiya. The others remained silent. Zane continued. “It looks like we’re all in. Good. We depart in five minutes. No exceptions. Please check to make sure you have everything you need because, absent a medical emergency, we’re not coming back until our work is finished or we run out of supplies.”
As they began to gather their things, Zane held up a hand. “Let me remind you of one other thing. This is not going to be a democracy. Democracies don’t survive in the jungle. It’s a dictatorship. If you have questions or need assistance, feel free to ask Jorge or me.” He placed a hand on Jorge’s shoulder. “He probably knows this place better than you know your own backyard, so we’re going to rely on his expertise.”
Amanda cleared her throat. “What is our schedule going to be like? It seems like it might be better to travel when it’s a little cooler.”
“That’s a good question,” Zane replied. “We will try to avoid the midday heat as much as possible. My plan is to spend most of our time traveling in the early morning and late afternoon.”
“So no night travel?” she asked.
Zane shook his head. “You don’t travel in the jungle at night. Too many dangerous creatures prowl around after dark. It’s the most dangerous time in the jungle, so we’ll have no choice but to stop and set up a defensive perimeter.”
Brett pointed at something in the distance. “It looks like we may not have to worry about the sun for much longer.”
Zane turned and looked across the river. A wall of coal-black clouds was moving in their direction.
Not again.
“You said it’s going to be too dangerous to travel at night,” Amanda said. “What’s to stop us from getting attacked in the middle of the night?”
Jorge looked at her. “If I may, the jungle is never safe, at least not in the way you think of safety. But we will make it as secure as possible under the circumstances. For example, we’re going to keep a fire burning every night. No exceptions. It’s… how you say… an insurance policy against the biggest predators.”
“Not only that,” Zane said, “but we’re also going to put up a state-of-the-art motion-sensor system. We’ll supplement that with nightlong patrols.”
Amanda nodded, but the assurances didn’t seem to have their intended effect. It was as though she realized that the high level of protective measures indicated the seriousness of the threat.
Zane glanced at his watch and said, “We depart in two minutes.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“You found a boot print?” the Oracle asked.
Zane held the satellite phone tightly against the side of his head as he strode down the jungle path. “Yes, at the head of the trail.”
There was a moment of silence. Either there was a delay in the signal or the Oracle was digesting the new information. Finally, his reply came through the speaker. “I wouldn’t be too concerned, Watson. During the planning phase, Salvador told me the trail was still used occasionally.”
“Not this particular stretch.”
“I specifically remember Salvador telling me that.”
“Ross, we’re entering a bit further down than most groups, including the researchers and tourists. They generally want to get off their boat as soon as possible. We went further up the tributary to save time. Once we cross the stream later this morning, we’ll be on the main trail. It would be normal to find prints there.”
As he waited for the reply, Zane looked ahead. Jorge and Bennett were about ten yards in front of him, discussing something as they walked. Taking a quick glance back, he saw Katiya and Max about an equal distance behind him.
“Was the print fresh?” the Oracle finally asked.
“It looked that way. Jorge has some tracking experience as well, and he thought it had been there about twelve hours, maybe more.”
“Where there any other prints?”
Zane heard the haunting howl of a monkey overhead. He tilted his head back up just in time to see several dark forms swinging through the tops of the trees. They seemed to be moving in the same direction as the team. Zane frowned.
“Watson?”
“Yeah, sorry… no, there weren’t any other prints on the path.”
“What about the beach?”
“I was the first one off, and I didn’t see anything, although I must confess I wasn’t looking very closely. Then, by the time we found the other print, everyone had disembarked and was walking all over the sand. At that point, there was zero chance of finding anything.”
“Did you tell the group?”
“Negative.”
Zane looked up. The monkeys had grown silent, but he could still see their dark forms moving through the canopy.
“You made the right decision. No need to rattle the cage until you have something more solid. For now, I’d say it’s best to keep everything under wraps. I still think there is a harmless explanation for the print, but you need to stay alert.” After a brief pause, he asked, “Anything else to report?”
“No, nothing out of the ordinary.” Thunder grumbled low in the distance. Zane turned and saw a wisp of dark gray through the holes in the canopy. “We’ve got another storm on the way. We’re going to try to get across the stream before it hits. Once we’re on the other side, we’ll set up camp.”
“Copy that. Chris has been able to use your signal to plot the group on a virtual map here, but it’s good to get verbal confirmation.”
There was another grumble behind them.
“Ross, we may get cut off soon. Before I go, any more information on the crater?”
“I’m glad you mentioned that. Chris noticed something that seemed out of place. We ordered some new images, but it’s not likely we’ll have them until sometime tomorrow. They’re having to reposition the satellite.”
Zane frowned. “Something seemed out of place? I don’t follow.”
“It could be, but we won’t know until we get a chance to look at the new pictures. That area hasn’t been photographed in a while, likely because it’s not considered a region vital to national security. As you probably know, the new cameras can pick up much greater detail than the older ones.”
Zane nodded, even though the Oracle couldn’t see him. “Right. Like going from standard definition to high definition on your television.”