B008IFNJZM EBOK (22 page)

             
“And who are you my lovely bird?”

             
Chelsea blushed at Crosley Pittman.

             
“My name is Chelsea.”

             
Crosley Pittman still stared into the eyes of Chelsea.  He found himself lost in her.

             
“Mr. Hart if you ever need a guide on the night shift I am your man.”

             
Tom put his hand on Crosley’s shoulder.

             
“You do know that all three are vampires.”

             
“This lady could have me as a meal anytime.”

             
Nathan wanted to get back to the subject at hand.

             
“Excuse me, but we must resolve this before we can break camp and relocate to a closer destination and our target.”

             
Iolana was enjoying that one of her friends had now found an admirer.

             
“No problem, we just plan to set up camp near Chelsea’s reading.”

             
“Why that one?”

             
Iolana took off her robe and walked to the door.

             
“He is a vampire and it is clear to me he doesn’t want to be found.”

             
In front of the group she disappeared!  She then reappeared by walking out of the adjoining kitchen..

             
“Your Australian Aborigines vampire did the same thing.  Once Chelsea’s presence was felt by him, he simply shot as far away from his camp as possible.  Then when Hadiya made contact, he again shot even farther away to where I felt his presence.  If it were me, I would go to the first area and look for his camp there.”

             
Pittman was impressed that Iolana and the other two were really vampires.  Chelsea walked over to the guide.

             
“Still want to be my snack?”

             
“With all my heart and all my blood...”

             
The guide put his arm around Chelsea and she smiled.

             
Nathan interrupted the group again.

             
“So if we camp here Pittman, where are we?”

             
Pittman looked at the screen and the general area.

             
“There is a camp ground here right near this place.  The name of this place is the Tilley Swamp.”
             
“So we are looking at traveling another two hundred miles tomorrow?”

             
“About that…”

             
“Good, then we will break ground at first light and you Mr. Pittman will work night shift tomorrow as both guide and translator if we locate this Khu as Iolana has predicted.”

             
“That is fine.  I will sleep in our Lori and my partner will lead and drive our caravan…”

             
“Alright then… Thank you ladies.”

             
The group began to walk toward the door.

             
“Miss Chelsea, may I escort you back?  I think I want to learn more about your life and powers as a vampire.”

             
Chelsea liked this and the two broke away from the group and went for a walk.  They had a few hours to talk before Mr. Pitman returned her to the trailer.  Tom wanted to do the same with Iolana but didn’t.  He didn’t want to leave Hadiya alone and feeling left
out
.

             
It was only ten in the morning when the caravan pulled into a small clearing less than a mile from Tilley’s swamp.  While others began to set up their snake and critter proof tents, Jerrick Sawyer and Platt had went to a nearby town and rented a boat.  By noon, they had the flat bed boat with its electric motor in the murky swamp water.  Jerrick Sawyer was in the rear steering the silent craft as Mercenary Platt Neander sat near the front with binoculars scanning the dark waters around him.

             
“What’s your plan for covering the area?”

             
Jerrick responded in a very quiet voice.

             
“If Iolana is right that this Khu is camped here, then I am going to start with a few dry areas.  About a mile or two ahead there are these little islands.  If I was going to camp in this area, I’d pick one of those dry spots.  I think we should check there first.”

             
The vegetation was thick and Platt reached back and pulled out a samurai sword.  He took it out of the sheath and swiped at a few branches.  The sword cut them like melted butter.

             
“Try to use that as little as possible.  If someone is out here, we don’t want to let them know which way we came.  Later, if we locate him, we will need you to cut a few on the way back to guide the others back to his location later tonight.”

             
A nod came from the front of the boat and Platt began to push the limbs out of the way with his hand but kept the sword close by
. 
Freshwater Crocodiles were everywhere and Platt kept careful watch on them and the crocodiles seemed to be returning the stares. 

             
“Don’t agitate them.  Maybe they will leave us alone.”

             
“One swipe of my sword and a croc will be snout-less.”

             
They continued quietly along.

             
“Okay, we should be coming up on a cluster of these small rises.”

             
The boat moved past the first two.  The grass was thick and several crocs could be seen peeking out as they passed.”

             
“Jerrick, how does a man set up a camp on such an area?  Wouldn’t he find himself waking up in the belly of one of your crocs?”

             
“He would have to build a hut on stilts.  Maybe fashion some kind of fence area for a camp fire pit for a cooking area.  I guess we will find that out if we find him.”

             
Suddenly after passing a few of these miniature islands, Jerrick shut off the motor and let the boat coast.  He began looking around.

             
“What is it?”

             
“Smell that?”

             
“Smells like burnt wood.”

             
Jerrick sucked his finger and held it up to determine which way the modest wind was blowing.  He cut the boat to the right and started the motor back up.  Now even Pratt could pick up the scent.  Pratt put his sword and its case over his shoulder case and loaded a weapon with a clip of shells and readied the rifle for firing by removing the safety.  The craft continued to wind along the channel with little islands on each side.  Some were loaded with crocs and some had only a few.  Pratt glanced back when again Jerrick cut the engine.  Jerrick was pointing at something.  Pratt turned to look in the direction his guide was pointing.  There a hundred yards in front of him, Pratt saw a wooden hut on stilts barely sticking out of the thick grass and trees.  Jerrick started the engine for a short time and then shut it off to coast even closer to the hut.  In front of the small structure there was a smoldering camp fire and a fenced in enclosure surrounding it with sharp pointed sticks.  Jerrick carefully guided the flat boat to a bare spot.  He had a rope tied to the boat and on the end of it was a spear.  Jerrick jammed the spear in the ground to anchor the craft. 

             
Jerrick cocked his rifle and went forward.  The two men tried to make no sound as the both came on the ground in front of their transportation.  Jerrick squatted down and felt the ground.  There were marks on the top soil.

             
“A boat was tied up here.”

             
The men looked around and saw nothing.  Jerrick found a gate and opened it and both men entered the tiny compound.  Jerrick examined the ground around the fire pit.

             
“Two sets of foot prints.”

             
The two men then began to approach the hut.  Pratt kept scanning the area looking for threats.  Jerrick quietly went up the ladder first.  He entered the hut as his partner on the trip kept watching the area and completing each sweep by looking up at the hut.  Jerrick stuck his head out and motioned Pratt to come up and join him.    Inside the hut had a dead animal smell and several croc skins lined the wall to dry out and also to keep the hut darker inside and somewhat cooler.  Jerrick pointed to the left side.  There up on another small set of stilts, was a poorly crafted wooden casket.  Jerrick shined a light between the wooden slats of the box and looked up at Pratt.

             
“He’s sleeping.  We found him.”

             
Jerrick looked around.

             
“There is somebody who sleeps over there.”

             
“His daytime bodyguard?”

             
“Probably…  The other one is probably out doing a little fishing.”

             
“Now what?”

             
“Give me one of those tracking devices the girls were using.”

             
Pratt dug in his pockets and handed Jerrick one.  Jerrick clicked it on and dropped it between two slats in the floor.

             
“Give me another.”

             
Another device the size of a silver dollar was handed to him.

             
“Come on.  Let’s leave before the other one returns.”

             
The men dropped down in the fenced area surrounding the fire pit.  Jerrick turned on the second one and placed it between two of the fence posts.  A croc snapped at his hand but the fence protected Jerrick.  He switched on the second and wiggled a post and when the hole for that post widen, he dropped the coin shaped device into the hole.

             
Both men then went out the gate and slowly shoved off with Jerrick removing any signs that they had landed a boat.  Neither man spoke until they were under way.

             
“Why two?”

             
“What?”

             
“Why two?  Was the second one a backup because the batteries are only good for a day?”

             
“No.  I think Nathan could pick up both signals and triangulate this camp.  Each one transmits on a different frequency.  Whoever is coming here to meet this Khu is going to have to return when it is almost dark and before he wakes.  When we get back to the spot where we launched this boat, we’ll set out another pair of those devices.  Now Mr.  Platt Neander feel free to cut some branches as markers to show the way for the others.”

             
Platt began to cut some of the overhanging limbs partially through to give Jerrick’s partner Crosley Pittman, a trail map of the turns and path to the encampment.

             
“Damn, until I saw that body in that box, I had my doubts.  I no longer have any doubts.”

             
Once the men were able to return to their departure point, the pair lifted the flat boat up on the trailer.  They would take it with them to insure it was not tampered with before the other team was ready.  It was a little after five before they returned to their base camp.

             
Tom came over to greet the pair as Jerrick was using a grease pencil to show a direct route to the camp.

             
“You found him?”

             
“Yes but he is not alone.  There is someone else who must watch over him in the daylight hours.  We were able to get in and out without meeting up with that individual.  I figure he was out hunting for blood.”

             
“What do you mean blood?”

             
“There is a set of chains used for constraining a live croc.  I figure he was either out fishing or out trying to catch a croc for Khu’s dinner.  A good size croc should be able to feed your vampire friend for a week.”

             
Jerrick and the others went to Nathan’s tent to brief him on all they observed and learned.  Tom listened to every word.   Elizabeth looked at Tom.

             
“So who is going there to meet with Khu?”

             
Tom had his answer before the question was asked.  Nathan was trying to find the marker devices left behind on his laptop..