‘Not everybody has to believe the same thing as you, Anthony!’ challenged Oli.
‘Take that back! You take that back right now.’
‘Leave it, Anthony,’ James interrupted. ‘The kid doesn’t mean any harm.’
‘No, man, fuck that!’ Oli protested. ‘I want to say a prayer for Teri. Who is Anthony to tell me I can’t?’
‘And who exactly is it you’ll be praying to, huh?’ said Anthony. ‘Jesus? God? Fucking Buddha? Tell me something, you little fuck…’
Lunging for the student Anthony caught him by the afro, jerking his head towards the pit. ‘…does your God allow that?’
Finalising the point, Oli was pitched to the ground and kicked squarely in the ribs. He rolled onto his side yelping in agony. James dived in, wrestled Anthony to the ground using his weight to stay his swinging arms. Playing gravity, Anthony tried to writhe free, his solid arms like pistons. Sinews taut in his neck, James held fast.
Oli climbed gingerly to his feet, gripping his side, and gradually Anthony realised the futility of the fight and began to calm.
‘Can I let you go?’ James panted.
Anthony didn’t reply. He simply laid still as if in response. Climbing slowly to his feet, James wiped the sweat from his face. He held out his hand to Anthony who openly ignored it.
‘Sebastian,’ James muttered. ‘Take Anthony and follow your triangle back to the beach. Oli and I will look further. Maybe Elaine is around here too.’
‘James,’ said Anthony menacingly, ‘I’m going to pretend for once like you are actually in charge and I’m going to go back to the beach. I’m kind of getting itchy around you, if you know what I mean.’
James didn’t.
Let’s just pray,’ added Anthony, ‘that you’re not next!’ and stalked off into the trees.
*
Having found no sign of Elaine, James and Oli arrived back at the camp in time to catch Abbey preparing the others for evacuation. In the last hour the clouds had become impenetrable, sunspots non-existent. The wind too had picked up, palms along the tree line being tugged by their tussled hair. Over the grey horizon clear sheets of tumbling rain fused the sea with the sky. They had thirty minutes at best.
Gathered around the extinguished campfire were the remaining survivors, Anthony and Sebastian too. Pushing in amongst solemn faces, James and Oli received a hug from Abbey and Danielle in turn.
‘Thank God,’ Abbey whispered into James’s ear. ‘I was beginning to wonder where you were.’
‘Wouldn’t miss this party.’
‘Is there a plan?’ she asked.
‘The caves above the lagoon. That’ll be the best shelter we’ll find. Eric still not come back?’
‘Haven’t seen him since last night! I feel like it’s my fault, James. I never should’ve blurted out what happened.’
He took her by the hand, cupping it in his own. ‘Eric will be fine,’ he said softly.
He turned to the others, only himself and five others present. Beneath his colourless complexion, only Oli looked worried.
‘Listen up,’ he called above the wind. ‘The storm’s about to hit. We’re going to follow the estuary to the lagoon and take shelter in the caves. For those of you coming along, grab what provisions you can and follow me…’ pausing, he locked eyes with Anthony. ‘…Anybody with a different agenda, good luck to you.’
53
Nobody stayed behind. As the first fat splodges had hit the beach the six survivors had fled into the jungle, following James’s lead. Laden with packs of bedding and food, they were prepared to get dug in for the night. Halfway to the lagoon, the downpour had hit. There had been no paced crescendo, no gradual increase. One second the drops had been widespread enough to dance between, the next, the sheer velocity of the driving torrents stung their heads and shoulders, the building gusts punishing their exposed skin. By the time they reached the lagoon, they were beaten and exhausted.
Upon entering the caves they had discovered a small network of tunnels leading from the sole entrance. A quick search had determined they were the only inhabitants on a human level, and they quickly chose a moderately dry chamber the size of a small bedroom. Finally they had built a fire and set it ablaze with scraps of salvaged clothing.
In the hours that followed, the storm escalated, the howling wind whistling in through the cracks hauntingly. The temperature dropped dramatically and lightning crashed down around them, followed closely by deep claps of rolling thunder. Each member of the party was huddled into corners, wrapped tightly in several layers, Danielle packed in against Abbey like they were joined in flesh. Everybody else found their own niche, relying on body heat to keep warm. Oli had improved some. Anthony remained ominously silent.
It was a long time before anybody mentioned those still out in the squall.
*
Surrounded by the dank, mildewed walls of the chamber James woke abruptly, sheathed in sweat. His dream had been of bodies and parts of bodies. He was thankful to be awake.
In the remaining firelight he could see Oli milling around, the sheer noiselessness of his actions lost in the trapped banshee of wind. The others seemed to be asleep, or so they feigned.
‘Oli?’ he muttered sleepily. The student's frantic eyes stared back across the fire. ‘What’re you doing?’
‘I can’t just sit here while others are out there in this weather! I’m heading out to find them.’
From the student's tone, it was obvious he was not awaiting approval. Climbing to his feet James whispered, ‘You sure you want to go out there? It’s not just the elements you need to worry about.’
‘I know that,’ the student muttered. ‘But Eric’s out there. He’s alone, man. Probably scared out of his mind, the poor bastard. I need to find him, I owe him that much!’
‘You
