CHAPTER 4 - FRENCHIE MUTHERF...

It was an easy ten minutes walk on an almost straight line up the tunnel until Mr Chevalier reached an exit to the cave system. He took a deep breath and stretched his arms, admiring the forest around him.

“I can’t wait to get out of this fucking place.” he said and reached for a radio inside his backpack.

“I hope this fucking thing is still working.” he said, turning it on.

The radio emitted a loud static and he soon tuned it to the right channel.

“Colonel Fernandes. Colonel Fernandes. Can you read me? Over.” he said, but there was no response. 

“Colonel Fernandes. Colonel Fernandes. Can you read me? Over.” he said again and waited.

“Mr Chevalier. This is Colonel Fernandes. Turn on your PLB and we will send the helicopter to get you. Over.” said Colonel Fernandes.

Mr Chevalier removed a yellow device from the backpack that looked like a small radio. It was a personal locator beacon, similar to a GPS tracker, but specifically designed for emergency situations.

“Ok. I turned it on.” Mr Chevalier said. “Now, hurry! Over.”

“Ok. Just a second…” said Colonel Fernandes. “... I see you. We should be there soon. There is a clearing five hundred meters to the east. Go there to make it easier to spot you. Over and out.” said Colonel Fernandes.

“Another five hundred meters in this dreadful place.” mumbled Mr Chevalier, slapping a mosquito biting his arm. 

After swimming in the cave pool, the effect of the natural repellent had worn off and the mosquitoes were having a feast at the French man again, who couldn’t wait to return to his so-called civilization. 

Using the compass from his wrist watch, he moved east in search of the clearing. There were no trails there, but this part of the forest wasn’t very dense. Still, part of him wished he had Amy there with him.

After several minutes, he finally found the clearing. He sat there and waited. There was nothing else he could do, so he felt like admiring his newfound treasure. He removed the green and red star stones from his pants’ pocket and a big smile showed on his face. Holding both stones, he daydreamed about his next adventure using them. Then he heard something that got him paralyzed in fear. The sound of howler monkeys. 

*******

Back inside the cave…

Having lost her boots in the deep end of the cave pool Amy was, again, moving barefoot with a bleeding cut in one of her foot soles. That didn’t stop her, but made her exit much longer than Mr Chevalier’s.

Once outside, she knelt on the grass and took a couple of deep breaths, feeling finally at home and safe again. Without wasting any more time, she easily found Mr Chevalier’s tracks and followed them like a hungry jaguar tracking a prey.

*******

Back at the clearing…

Mr Chevalier put the stones back in his pocket and stood up, looking around as he reached for his radio.

“Colonel Fernandes! Colonel Fernandes! Come quick! Hurry up! Over!” he said, turning around so many times, he felt dizzy and his vision blurred.

For a moment he believed he saw a face painted in white, by the trees, staring at him. He blinked a few times, trying to clear his vision, but the face wasn’t there. Which didn’t make him less worried.

Then a strong gust of wind shook the trees, blowing leaves everywhere. The sound of the helicopter blades could be heard from above, almost deafening as it reached closer. The clearing wasn’t big enough for the helicopter to land safely, but it was clear enough to spot him. A steel cable was lowered and a soldier in army uniform, wearing a helmet, gloves and a rescue vest rappelled down to meet Mr Chevalier.

“What took you so long?” Mr Chevalier said.

The man ignored the French man and just hurriedly put him in the second vest, which was attached to his own. 

“Ok. Pull us up.” the soldier said on the radio and hugged Mr Chevalier.

As the steel cable was being retracted Mr Chevalier looked down with a sense of relief for leaving that dreadful place behind. He was already dreaming with a nice, bubbly bath in the penthouse suite at the five star hotel when he saw someone coming out of the woods.

“Hurry! Hurry!” Mr Chevalier screamed at the helicopter.

Mr Chevalier was so agitated that the steel cable started to shake, endangering both his and the soldier’s life.

“Please, sir,” said the soldier. “You need to calm down.”

Down at the ground, a tall indigenous man with his body painted in black and his face painted white, nocked a big arrow on his long bow string and aimed at Mr Chevalier’s direction.

“No! No!” Mr Chevalier screamed. 

Both him and the Soldier were now spinning on the steel cable as Mr Chevalier tried to reach for his gun in desperation, but the rescue vest and the stress of the situation made it nearly impossible.

“No! Anpakú, don’t do it!” Amy screamed, as she ran out of the woods.

The tall indigenous man turned around, surprised to see her.

“Don’t shoot! I’m ok. I’m ok.” she said in Anpakú’s tribal language while trying to catch her breath.

Up in the air, Mr Chevalier was still spinning in despair, but finally managed to draw his gun. He pointed it at Anpaku, or tried to, as the world kept spinning around. 

“Go away!” screamed a disoriented Mr Chevalier from above. “This is my destiny! You savages won’t stop me!”

“Don’t let him shoot those indians, soldier! This is a simple rescue operation!” said Colonel Fernandes on the radio.

“Sir! Give me the gun! Now!” said the soldier to Mr Chevalier, trying to reach the French man’s hand holding the gun.

“Shut up!” Mr Chevalier snapped at the soldier and fired his gun three times. The first two shots were way off into the woods. The third one sent Amy to the ground.

“No…” whispered Mr Chevalier. 

The soldier finally grabbed Mr Chevalier’s arm and both started fighting for the gun while spinning in the air.

Anpakú knelt beside Amy to check her wounds. The bullet only grazed her left arm but that was enough to enrage him all over again. 

Anpakú stood up, readied his bow and nocked the arrow, aiming straight at Mr Chevalier. While spinning, Mr Chevalier caught a glimpse of the exact moment the arrow was released. Time seemed to slow down as he saw the arrow coming straight at him. It was as if the spirit of the forest was carrying it with an invisible hand to its mark. The moment felt almost supernatural to him as the arrow flew with such a perfect aim all the way up and pierced both him and the soldier. After that, Mr Chevalier ceased to scream and fell into a deep, silent darkness.

The helicopter flew away as soon as the bodies of the soldier and Mr Chevalier were rescued. The tall man raised his bow up in the air and released an angry cry as he watched the metal flying machine vanish into the distance.

“I was too late.” Amy said, slowly standing up and pressing her right hand against her wound. “He managed to escape.”

“He did not escape, Runakatú.”, said Anpakú, standing by her side. “I got him. His spirit now belongs to the forest mother.”

“Thank you, Anpakú.”, she replied, putting her bloody right hand on his left shoulder.

“I will always protect you.” he said, putting his hand on top of hers. 

I know you will. But I hope Mr Chevalier is alive. That way I will know who to look for to recover my mom’s gift.

Anpakú was one head taller than her and much more muscular. A true warrior from his tribe and a longtime friend of hers. She leaned her tired body against his as they both stared at the sky for a while, as if to make sure the helicopter wasn’t coming back. At that moment, peacefully staring at the pinkish orange sundown, everything felt normal again.

Anpakú risked a quick look at Amy as she stared at the horizon. He wanted to look at her without her noticing it, but she did and turned her face to look back at him, making him uncomfortable. She couldn’t see it behind the black and white paint, but she knew he was blushing.

“What is it?” she asked with a weak smile.

“You look… different. Something happened in that cave.” he said.

She nodded in silence and the smile faded away.

“Did he hurt you?” he asked, squinting his eyes and gritting his teeth. 

She shook her head. Then she looked at the flesh wound on her left arm.

“Well, he did just now…” she said with a chuckle. “But no. I’m ok.”

“Then what is it?” he asked.

“He… he took something from me.” she said. “A gift from my mother, before she died. Part of me is angry and wants to get it back but…”

“But?” he said.

“But another part of me is trying to warn me, telling me I shouldn’t.”