This Green Hell

THIRTY-TWO

Aimee knew something was troubling Alex; had been troubling him ever since he’d taken a call from Hammerson. His mood had darkened and he was on edge — he seemed to be turning inwards. She let the two boys walk slightly ahead and dropped back to talk to him. She could see Sam further back, half-turning so he could keep an eye on Aimee’s position in front and also Garmadia’s in the rear.

‘Alex, it’s too dark,’ she said. ‘Maybe we should head back.’

‘We can’t go back.’ He continued walking.

‘Huh? Why, what’s happening? What aren’t you telling me?’ She stepped up beside him and leaned around into his face.

He let out an exasperated sigh. ‘The CDC has decided that little bug of yours represents too great a threat to the human race. They’ve also decided they need a thorough burn to ensure a safe and complete sterilisation.’ He shrugged. ‘Nothing I can do about it — other than get us safely away.’

‘What?’ Her raised voice made the boys stop in their tracks. ‘That’s ludicrous. Everything’s soaking wet — just how much do you think is going to burn? Besides, we already know the Hades Bug is heat tolerant. For Chrissakes, if the top-ranking scientist in the CDC made that call, she’s a lot less qualified than I first thought. No, nix that; I think she’s insane.’ Aimee folded her arms, her jaw jutting and her eyes boring into him. ‘Well?’

‘Nuclear burn by a compact single-megaton package,’ he said in a flat tone. ‘Possibly an advanced W54 or W55 type device. Immediate vaporisation of surrounding material, and detonation expansion results in the formation of an atmospheric-displacing shock wave. Temperatures of ten to the power of seven Kelvin form in the hypocentre of a fireball columning up into a mushroom cloud.’ He looked at her, his eyes weary. ‘Aimee, what can burn, will burn. We need about a five-mile clearance so we’re clear of the shock wave and any short-term fallout.’

Aimee’s mouth dropped open. ‘But … but what about Michael, her son? Tomás, and all the men? What about Casey Franks?’ She balled her fists and shook her head in disbelief.

‘Franks is on her way; the men are all gone. Michael Vargis is dead, and Maria is—’ Alex stopped abruptly, his head whipping around to look down the trail at Sam.

Aimee put her fingers to her temples, rubbing them for a second. Then she gasped. ‘Oh, no. The drill site was never capped! The gas bed is enormous … If Maria sets off a nuke, she’s liable to light up the entire continent.’

She realised Alex wasn’t listening. His eyes were alert and focused back down the trail. She had seen that look on his face before and didn’t like it. It meant imminent danger.

Suddenly Aimee could hear her own breathing. The jungle had fallen silent.

Things seemed to be occurring in slow motion. Alex knew Aimee was speaking to him, but her voice was smothered by all his senses screaming at him. The danger he had felt all around exploded into his mind like a klaxon alarm.

It’s here. The priest is here.

Sam noticed the change in his leader’s expression and stance and immediately went on high alert himself. As he began to swing around, there was a deafening roar all around them. Chaco and Saqueo dropped to the ground and covered their ears. Aimee threw her pack to the ground and flung herself over the boys.

Alex instantly recognised the sound and leapt to cover the huddled group.

‘Where’s Garmadia?’ he yelled to Sam.

This wasn’t how or where Alex wanted the encounter to take place: boxed in on a narrow jungle trail, darkness closing all around them, and Aimee and two children in his care.

He opened his senses to the jungle and received an impression of something circling them, faster than any normal man or beast could possibly move. He pushed out harder, trying to see the thing that stalked them and anticipate its next position. He managed an image of something dark and misshapen before a bolt of agony smashed through his head. It was coming, but not for him.

He threw himself to the ground in front of Aimee and yelled to his second-in-command. ‘Sam, get back here.’

Sam took up position on the other side of the huddled group. Alex pointed both his gauntleted arms at different angles into the jungle.

‘It’s González,’ he said. ‘He’s moving around us … he’s going to come in. Wait for it … on my mark.’

Sam was looking back and forth into the darkness. ‘I don’t see or hear him. I can’t get a bead.’

‘Fire!’ Alex made two fists and triggered a double stream of ice needles into the jungle. Sam did the same with his single gauntlet. The silent projectiles flew out in three supersonic streams, shredding leaves and branches. Plant material showered down around them.

‘He’s on the move!’ Alex yelled.

A deformed face broke free of the jungle near to Sam and roared again. Its jaws opened wider and lower than was humanly possible. Rows of spiked teeth circled the entire maw.

For the first time in his life, Alex heard his tough-as-nails second-in-command swear in fright.

Aimee screamed as Alex leapt across her to join Sam in directing blasts of ice spikes at the creature. But the moment he was in position and raised his gauntlet, the face withdrew.

Perhaps it’s only testing our speed and weaponry, Alex thought.

A breeze seemed to pass behind them and two gunshots rang out.

‘Cease fire,’ Alex ordered.

He could sense the priest had gone. Slowly, he moved his head one way then the other, trying to pick up the evil that emanated from the man. Another shot punctured the silence and he turned quickly to see Aimee kneeling upright, a pistol in her steady hands. She slowly lowered the gun.

Sam rubbed his shoulder, trying to ease the pain from the gauntlet’s recoil. He looked at Alex with a mix of shock and disbelief written large on his face. ‘That thing was González? Shit. You can forget about me ever going to confession with that guy.’

Alex grimaced. ‘Maybe it was González once. But I doubt it’s him now.’

Sam looked down at Aimee who was pushing her gun back into her waistband. ‘Boys okay?’

She glanced down. ‘Yeah, they’re both …’ Her face immediately creased in shock. She roughly pulled Saqueo up and flipped her pack out of the way. ‘No, no, no …’

Saqueo stood holding a scrap of his brother’s T-shirt, a frown of confusion on his face. Chaco had been ripped from right next to them without them even knowing.

The boy grabbed Aimee’s arm and shook it. ‘Dónde está Chaco?’ He held out the scrap, his voice rising. ‘Dónde está mi hermano?’

He screamed his brother’s name until Aimee grabbed him and hugged him to her, her own face a mask of anguish.

Alex remembered the breeze that had passed over them. Nothing from our world can move that quickly, he thought as he looked around slowly. There was a large moon rising, and the surrounding jungle was taking on a silvery shadowed glow. But there was nothing to see other than the dense jungle all around them.

He turned back to Aimee. ‘He’s been taken.’ He closed his eyes for a few seconds, casting out with his senses. When he reopened them, his face was grim. ‘The priest has him. He’s alive, but hurt …’

Garmadia approached slowly, his handgun held loosely by his side. Alex rounded on him. ‘Where were you?’

Garmadia shrugged. ‘I was trying to get behind our attacker, but I am afraid I got lost. I am not familiar with this part of the jungle, Captain Hunter — no one is.’ He holstered his gun and looked away.

Aimee let go of Saqueo and walked quickly to Alex. ‘We have to get him back. Now!’

Sam moved slowly into Alex’s line of sight. ‘Boss, I wouldn’t advise it. There’s a lot of hot rain about to fall.’

Aimee glared at him. ‘What? Sam … no.’

Garmadia held out his hands, palms up. ‘Sorry, señora Weir, but the soldado is right. It is not advisable. Besides, the boy probably ran away. He will be home before we are.’

‘Shut the fuck up,’ Aimee yelled, making Saqueo jump. She rounded on Alex, ignoring both Garmadia and Sam. ‘Alex, you’re better than that.’

No, I’m not, he thought. He looked at Sam, who just shrugged and turned away, keeping his eyes on the surrounding jungle. Alex stood motionless for a few seconds, until he thought of the way González had ruthlessness crushed Mak’s face and then tried to do the same to him and Franks. A small fire lit in his belly.

He pulled a small black box from a pouch at his waist and looked at the tiny glowing screen. The approaching V22 was one red dot, and the rendezvous point another. Their position was shown in blue — they weren’t that far away. He made his decision.

‘Let’s find him.’

Even Alex himself wasn’t sure whether he referred to the boy or the priest.