The group remained silent, except for a mumbled prayer from Anna. Behind them, a few of the Indian prisoners had begun to sing a mournful melody, while others simply cried. They continued to sit, with no hope, baking under the sun as it trailed toward the western horizon. With each breath or sob, their deaths drew nearer.
'Why didn't he just shoot us?' Sergeant Kostos mumbled.
'It's not Favre's way;' Professor Kouwe answered. 'He wants us to appreciate our deaths. A slow torture. It excites the bastard.'
Nate closed his eyes, defeated.
After an hour, a huge explosion shattered off to the south. Nate opened his eyes and watched a thick column of smoke and rock dust blast into the sky.
'They blew the chasm,' Camera said at the other end of the line.
Nate turned away. The explosion echoed for a few seconds, then died away. All of them now waited for one last explosion, the one that would take their lives and burn through the valley.
As silence again descended over them, Nate heard a distinctive cough from the forest's edge. A Jaguar's cough.
Kouwe glanced over to Nate.
'Tor-tor?' Nate asked, experiencing a twinge of hope.
From the jungle's edge, a jaguar pushed into the open glade. But it was not the spotted face of their friend's pet.
The huge black jaguar slunk into the open, sniffing, lips pulled back in a silent and hungry snarl.
5:35 1?M.
Kelly walked beside Frank's stretcher. The two bearers seemed tireless, marching through the jungles of the lower canyon like muscled robots. Kelly, with no burden except for her heavy heart, found her feet stumbling over every root and branch.
Favre had set a hard pace for the group. He wanted to reach the swamp lake and disappear into the forests south of it before the fiery explosion ripped through the upper canyon.
'After that, the military will be flocking there like flies on shit,' Favre had warned. 'We must be well gone:'
Kelly had also eavesdropped on the chatter among the mercenary grunts, spoken in a patois of Portuguese and Spanish. Favre had radioed ahead and arranged for motor boats to meet them at a river only a day's march from here. Once there, they would quickly speed away.
But first they had to get to the rendezvous spot without getting caught-and that meant speed was essential. Favre would brook no laggers, including Kelly. The monster had confiscated Manny's bullwhip, snapping it periodically as he moved through the line, like a slavemaster overseeing his crew. Kelly already had a taste of its stinging touch, when she had fallen to her knees as the chasm had exploded behind them. She had been so wrung with hopelessness, she had not been able to move. Then fire had lit her shoulder. The whip had split her shirt and stung her skin. She knew better than to falter from that point on.
Frank spoke from his stretcher. 'Kelly. . :'
She leaned down toward him.
'We'll get out of this,' he said, slurring. Despite her brother's earlier protests, she had given him a jolt of Demerol before being transported from the Yagga's healing ward. She hadn't wanted him to suffer by their manhandling. 'We'll make it:'
Kelly nodded, wishing her arms were untied so she could hold her brother's hand. But under the blanket, even Frank's limbs were secured by ropes to the stretcher.
Frank continued with his bleary attempt at consoling her. 'Nate . . . and the others . . . they'll find a way to break free . . . rescue. . :'His words drifted into a morphine haze.
Kelly glanced behind them. The sky was mostly blocked by the canopy overhead, but she could still spot the smudge of smoke from the explosion, closing off the upper valley from the lower. She hadn't told her brother about the incendiary devices set throughout the primitive forest. They could expect no help from their old teammates.
Kelly eyed Favre's back as he marched ahead.
Her only hope now was for revenge.
She intended to keep her promise to Nate.
She would kill Louis Favre . . . or die trying.
5:58 PM.
Nate watched the giant black jaguar stalk into the open glade. It was alone. Nate recognized it as the leader of the pack, the sly female. She must have somehow survived Louis's mass poisoning and instinctively returned to the valley of her birth.
Sergeant Kostos groaned under his breath, 'This day just gets better and better.'
The great beast eyed the bound prisoners, ready-packed meals. Without the repellent black powder, even the Ban-ali were at risk. The black feline god, created by the Yagga to protect them, had just turned feral.
The beast crept toward them, low to the ground, tail flicking.
Then a flash of fire drew Nate's attention over the cat's muscled shoulder. Tor-tor loped out of the jungle in its shadow. Showing no sign of fear, Tor-tor raced past the larger cat and rushed at Nate and the others.
Nate was knocked on his side by the cat's show of exuberance. With his master dead, Tor-tor was clearly relieved to rejoin them, seeking consolation, reassurance.
Nate choked on his tightening noose. 'Th . . . That's a good boy, Tor-tor:'
The large black cat hung back, watching the strange display.
Tor-tor rolled against him, wanting a pet, something to let him know all was okay. Nate, tied up, couldn't comply-but an idea formed.
Nate rolled around, earning a further twist of his noose, and held the ropes out toward the jaguar. Tor-tor sniffed at his bindings. 'Bite through them,' Nate urged, shaking his bound wrists. 'Then I'll pet you, you big furry lug:'
Tor-tor licked Nate's hand, then nosed him in the shoulder.
Nate groaned with frustration. Nate glanced over his shoulder. The giant black cat padded over to him and nudged Tor-tor aside with a small growl.
Nate froze.
The monster sniffed at the hand that Tor-tor had licked, then gazed up at Nate with those penetrating black eyes. He was sure it could smell the abject fear in the man curled at its feet.
Nate remembered how it had torn Frank's limbs off in a single swooping attack.
The jaguar lowered its head to Nate's arms and legs. A rumble sounded through it. Nate felt a fierce tug and was lifted off the ground, strangling in the noose. For a momentary flash, Nate wondered if he would be strangled before being eaten. He prayed for the former.
Instead, Nate found himself dropped back to the ground. He cringed a moment, then realized his arms were loose. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Nate rolled away with a kick and a twist. He sat up, glancing to the severed ropes dangling from his wrists. The cat had freed him.
Nate yanked at the constricting noose.
The large black jaguar watched him. Tor-tor brushed the giant cap flank, a clear display of affection, and crossed to Nate.
After working free the noose, Nate tossed it aside. His ankles were still bound, but before he could free his legs, he had a friend to thank.
Tor-tor shoved into him, bowing his furry head into Nate's chest.
He scratched that special spot behind both ears, earning a rumbled purr of satisfaction. 'That's a good boy . . . you did good:'
A small sad whine flowed from the cat.
Nate pulled Tor-tor's head up and stared into those golden eyes. 'I loved Manny, too,' Nate whispered.
Tor-tor nuzzled his face, snuffling.
Nate endured it, making small soothing sounds to the cat. Eventually Tor-tor backed a step away. Nate was able to free his ankles.
