Thorpe's Candle

FOOT RACE

Skyler hit the sandy bottom in the shallows of the lagoon. He sprang to his feet and sprinted toward the protection of the coconut palms. Why weren’t they shooting? he thought. Despite the darkness, he had to be a clear target against the white sand. Something was wrong. Schafer might be an OK guy, but not that OK.

He reached the first of the palms and pressed up against the back of a thick trunk. With caution, he peered around it in the direction of the sub. A series of floods lit the length of the wharf as the crew unloaded the ore containers. Schafer was walking toward the shore. Behind him, one of the armed sailors followed. Neither seemed at all concerned that their prisoner had just managed to escape. Then it occurred to him there was no reason for alarm because there was no chance of escaping the Island of Blood.

He slipped from behind the palm and made his way into the jungle. It was now pitch black and the thick canopy hid any starlight. His trek was slow going and painful — everything seemed to reach out and snag, trip, cut and sting. As he pushed his way through the thick vegetation, he wondered — if they weren’t concerned with him escaping, that he would cause any trouble to the lab and their korium project. He would have to prove them wrong.

After a half hour of fighting through the jungle, Skyler maneuvered around to approach the buildings from the rear. Of the structures, only one was surrounded by a high, chain link fence — coiled razor wire ran along the top. Multiple floodlights lit the building. An armed guard with a Doberman on a leash walked along the side.

He watched the man’s routine — it took roughly four minutes to complete the building’s circumference. As the guard was about to disappear around a corner, Skyler shifted his weight causing his foot to come down on dry vegetation. The snap was loud enough for the Doberman to halt and point his nose at the source of the noise. The guard unclipped the leash and let the dog run. The only thing standing between Skyler and the charging animal was the fence.

Earlier, Skyler had seen what appeared to be a road leading away from the building into the jungle, and now he headed for it. Quickly, he was on the well-traveled dirt road and sprinting along with the help of starlight no longer blocked by the canopy. Judging by the barking, the dog was eager for action. Skyler knew it was only a matter of time before the guard would open a gate and release him. He had just a few minutes lead. That would vanish fast. At some point he would have to leave the road and return to the jungle. It would be slower going for him but also for the dog. He could tell by the sound the animal was now free of the fence and the foot race was on.

Shifting direction to the right, he was again immersed into the blackness of the jungle. The ground became uneven — the undergrowth whipped at him while he tried to keep his balance. Then for a second he realized something had changed. The barking. He froze and listened. Silence. Had he somehow thrown the dog off scent? Maybe the guard called the Doberman back? Or was the animal searching for the spot where Skyler reentered the jungle?

The latter became instantly confirmed. With what must have been a surge of adrenalin, the sound of the dog racing into the underbrush caused Skyler to turn and start running again. His theory that the dense growth would slow the dog was immediately shot down — he was close enough that Skyler heard his heavy breathing. Shouts from the guard were lost in the darkness.

Within seconds, the Doberman was at Skyler’s heels. They were both breathing hard as they tore through the underbrush. Then came the bite — hard and vicious. The jaws latched on to his left boot at his ankle. With his next step, the ground fell away. He looked at the stars as he and the dog dropped into the void.