Page 32 of Monstrous Heat
NATALIE
“Iwant out of here.” Dr. Snyder suddenly didn’t sound like his movie hero. Unless it was Indy facing a big pit of snakes.
The soldier didn’t look at him but gave a short nod. “Figured you’d want out of this so you could wash your hands of whatever went down. Leave the girl. I’ll take care of her.”
I flinched. I knew too much, and I didn’t have to be an action-movie star to realize what that meant.
Dr. Snyder gave me an uncomfortable look over his shoulder, not quite able to meet my eyes, but not happy either. “I don’t like it.”
It almost made me feel a little better about him in general… until he shrugged apologetically and left the tent. Asshole to the end.
I yelled after him. “Coward!”
“You’ve got two choices.” Camo-man still scanned outside, using the scope on his gun. “I can shoot you now, here, nice and clean. Or you can take your chances in the jungle. Nice American girl lost in the jungle is easier to sell than white girl found shot in camp as far as I’m concerned, but you’re a long way from home. No one’s going to care much anyway.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
He barked out a laugh and glanced at me with a glint of respect in his eyes. “I’ll free your hands, chica. You should at least have a sporting chance.”
Moving closer, I turned around, waiting for him to free me. Pins and needles burned in my fingers and up my wrists as he untied me. I shook my hands out and lifted my arms slowly, wincing as the burning intensified. I didn’t think I’d been out that long, but my shoulders and arms complained at every small movement. “Do you work for the Guatemalan government?”
He returned to watching out the tent flap. “I work for whoever pays me. Get whatever you’re taking and let’s go.”
I scooped up my backpack, but I didn’t bother with the duffle bag. I didn’t know how far I’d have to hike, assuming I made it out of camp in one piece. “Do you know what’s out there?”
“There are many things out there that will kill you.”
A terrible roar made Camo-man jerk up the rifle before him, ready to shoot. “We don’t want to get trapped in here. Not enough visibility. I need to see it to shoot, so let’s go.”
As soon as I ducked outside the tent, all hell broke loose. A small group of soldiers stood together, shooting into the trees. They were mowing down limbs and sending up geysers of bark and dirt. A wave of panic rocked through me. What if they actually managed to wound Kroktl? Could he be hurt? Facing the jungle to find him was easy. Facing it without him…
Another roar rumbled the ground. He was still alive. Hopefully unhurt. But could he take care of this many soldiers? All armed to the teeth and shooting at everything that moved? I looked around wildly, trying to find him. If I fled into the jungle, the men would probably accidentally shoot me trying to get him. Plus, the no running thing.
Camo-man took my arm, tugging me along with him. Trying to buy some time, I went with him. His own men wouldn’t shoot him. Probably. Right? So I was safer with him, at least temporarily, giving Kroktl time to eliminate more of the panicked shooters.
Dr. Snyder ran back toward us, pale and eyes wild. “Get me on the helicopter.”
“Double,” Camo-man replied calmly.
“Done.”
He took the lead, letting go of my arm. We ran behind the larger communal tent and ducked down at the corner. Camo-man scanned the area and then ran for the next tent. One minute he was almost to the tent, safe, turning back to wave us across, and the next, the jungle swallowed him. It happened so fast, it was like a magic trick. He didn’t even scream or get a shot off.
“Fuck,” Dr. Snyder whispered, his voice shaking.
I searched the trees, trying to find the same monster-shape I’d seen last night so I could run toward him. Correction: walk with great purpose.
Something tall and wide, like a giraffe or grizzly standing up on its hind legs… Glowing red eyes. But I couldn’t see anything through the thick brush. I couldn’t smell his musky scent either, so I wasn’t sure which way to go.
Three soldiers joined us. One with a bandage on his leg. Great. He leveled his gun at me and motioned me toward Dr. Snyder. Though from the dark look in the soldier’s eyes, he really hoped that I would ignore his order so he could shoot me.
“This way.” Dr. Snyder darted back inside the loose circle of tents, avoiding the darker shadows on the edge of camp.
“Slow down!” I told him. “You don’t run from predators.”
Not that he would listen. The wounded soldier shoved me in the back so hard that I flew forward, struggling to stay on my feet. I tripped over something and went down. I saw stars again. My head throbbed with every beat of my heart, and I couldn’t focus my eyes. I couldn’t seem to coordinate my body. To get up. Stand. Walk.
Don’t run.
