PREDATOR ISLAND (Sea Lab Book 2)

CHAPTER 28

The river coursed through the island on a twisting path, frothy and deep green, flowing without fail on its way to the Pacific Ocean. Jake peered at the river, wagging his head in disgust after seeing another dead park ranger. He turned back to the gruesome scene as Savannah stood off to the side with Dylan, involved in a heated discussion.

That was one thing. Then there was Rachel.

Jake didn't know if it was an accumulative effect, but Rachel reacted poorly to the mauled, dead man hanging in the tree over a high limb. On the other side of the clearing opposite of Dylan and Savannah, she mumbled to Tony, her eyes red and tears streaming down her face. Her words were hushed, her body tensed, arms pointing back in the direction from which they came. Jake couldn't make out what she was saying but he got the gist of it. She wanted to turn back before they ran out of daylight. With it late afternoon now, they only had a few more hours till nightfall. He couldn't blame her. She wasn't used to situations like this. Normally, she spent most of her time in a lab, in a controlled environment. This was not that.

Jake shook his head. Deep down he wanted to get back to the yacht too. He didn't want to end up like the park rangers or the deer. Whatever this thing was, it had a taste for human blood. He kept thinking about the predator. Exactly, what was it? How did it get here? Was it tracking them? Maybe instead of searching for the gold they should be hunting this vicious creature that Dr. Graham liked to call El Tunchi? Maybe they should kill it before it killed them?

By the time he considered those thoughts, he found himself jittery. Not quite as intense as Rachel, but he glanced down and noticed his hands shaking. He tucked them in his pants pockets. Stared straight ahead. Time to see that silver lining that Sarah was talking about.

"The more I watch them two, the more I think she's really in charge," Sarah said, pointing to their fearless leaders. "I mean, look at them. Earlier, Dylan let his bravado shine, but now, with emotions running high, Savannah is the one jerking him aside."

"She could be trying to get him to turn back," Jake replied. "Maybe this body is the breaking point?"

"No. See the determination in her eyes. I think she's telling him to get control of the situation so we can get on our way again."

Dylan stormed away from Savannah, a grimace on his face. He approached Tony and Rachel and began laying into them. After a brief exchange, he shook his head and said, "Get control of your woman and let's go...now!"

"She belongs to herself, dude. She makes her own decisions," Tony replied.

"I don't care. I'll leave the both of you right here. We've been hiking all day. If you think you can make it back to Chatham Bay before nightfall, then be my guest. But the last thing we need is someone making a lot of noise, drawing attention, attracting that thing to us. We have to keep it together. If we don't, we'll be El Tunchi food."

"An accurate description," Dr. Graham said.

"Shut up," Dylan replied.

The doctor responded with a snarl.

Rachel swallowed and blinked her eyes dry, wiped a tear from her cheek. "He's right. I'll keep going, but I want to go now. I want to get away from that dead body as quickly as I can."

Dylan marched back to Savannah. "You happy?"

"Ecstatic," she said dryly. "Let's go."

"If you ask me, tensions are running high," Dr. Graham said to Jake. He widened his eyes and fluttered his lips. "I'm beginning to rethink tagging along with you people."

Jake replied, "Do what you gotta do. If you want to head out on your own, no one will complain."

"I'm exaggerating."

"I think you're enjoying this," Sarah said.

"Who me? No. Just fighting the anxiety. It helps to talk things through." He glanced at Sarah. "Like talking to a therapist."

She glared at him. He must have overheard them talking earlier. That was a low blow.

"Let's move out," Dylan said. He didn't wait for compliance but started whacking at the jungle foliage, Savannah on his tail, studying the map.

Jake signaled for Tony and Rachel to move ahead of him and Sarah. Once again, they were bringing up the rear.

"Don't let him get to you," Jake said.

She leaned into him and wrapped an arm around his waist. He coiled an arm around her shoulder. It was comforting, but the thickness of the jungle didn't make for a relaxing walk in the park. Soon, they had to separate in order to sidestep trees, step over brush, and duck under branches.

As they moved along, Jake didn't feel like talking. He kept thinking about all they'd encountered during their trek through the rainforest. They had only been here one day, and they'd seen so much. The bad far outweighed the good. He checked off the list of pros and cons as they walked. Under the cons, there were the seven dead park rangers. Weigh that versus finding the waterfall clue. Then there was the half-eaten deer. He considered that versus making out with Sarah. Well, maybe he was wrong? That was pretty good. Maybe that evened things out? Of course, then he'd fell from the ledge and she had to save him, with her serum induced strength. There was a pro and a con in that happenstance.

Jake wondered what would happen next? He sighed. He didn't know if he could take much more.

Then Dylan called a halt to their journey once again.

What now? Jake thought.

He pushed between Tony and Rachel and passed Graham, and then caught up with Dylan and Savannah. What he saw stopped him short of a wide clearing. In the middle of the jungle laid the crumpled fuselage of a massive cargo plane. Both wings had been sheared off by a pair of wide trees. The tail sagged, bent down toward the ground. But amidst the wreckage, something caught Jake and Dylan's eye.

A large, rectangle cage.

It protruded from the rear of the plane, jutting out from the cargo door.

Dylan and Jake made it to the plane first. Then Tony, Sarah, and Savannah walked up. Rachel was last.

Jake paused to inspect the hinges on the cage. He swung open the door. It squeaked. In the quiet breeze of the clearing, the metal rubbing on metal raised the hairs on his arms. 

He gulped down a huge lump in his throat. There were claw marks on the inside of the plane. Lots of them.

"What's your take?" Jake said to Dylan, snarling his nose from a rotten smell coming from the front of the plane.

"Whatever was in that cage broke free during flight."

Sarah had opened the side door and entered the fuselage. Tony followed her inside. "There are bodies in here," she said after a few seconds, joining Jake in the rear of the aircraft.

"Pilot and a pair of crewman," Tony said. "Eaten," he added with reverence.

"Yep," Savannah mouthed, "eaten."

When Tony laid eyes on Rachel standing outside, he hurried to her to keep her from seeing the grisly bodies. Jake didn't want to see them either and he didn't try to make his way up front. The stench and the buzzing flies spoke volumes.

"Your take now?" Jake said.

Dylan scratched his chin. "Well. I think they were transporting the animal, whatever it was, and it got loose on the plane, caused them to crash."

"My thoughts too. Seems obvious." Jake looked around. "Where's Dr. Graham?"

Dylan shrugged. "Beats me."

There was a commotion outside the plane. Someone yelled out.

Jake and Dylan exited and gathered together with the rest of the group.

Dr. Graham was further up the trail, out of the clearing, near the river. Jake could see him behind a cluster of underbrush as he waved his hands about, shouting, "I found the serpent's head. Snake eyes and everything. Everyone, come and see."