The Huntsman (17 page)
Authors: Rafael
“Ekani
my brother. It’s been too long since we last spoke.”
“The
months become an instant when I hear your voice, Janesh.”
“Catch
up must wait for another day. I have no time and need your help.”
“Then
hurry. I will do whatever you ask.”
Ekani
never saw the tiger that charged from the underbrush. Its speed paralyzed him
as he stared at the unblinking eyes, fixed on their prey, reflecting certain
death. A blur hurtled through the air and tackled the beast mid-leap. The wild
man rose to watch the behemoth gasp its last breath from a spear through the
heart. He turned and stumbled three steps before blood loss rendered him
unconscious. The tiger had ripped the man’s back open with three slashes from
shoulder to waist. His bleeding soaked the ground.
Ekani
would later swear the Lord Vishnu had given him the courage to chase the water
buffalos from their drinking hole. Four times he carried its mud to pack the
stranger’s gashes. Then he carried the heavier man twenty-three miles to the
park rangers’ station. At the hospital, though the mud had stopped the
bleeding, a fever and severe infection kept the man at death’s doorstep for
four days.
Ekani
never left his side. He burned incense and prayed to all the deities but
especially Dhanvantari and Aiyaapa, the gods of health and forest. Without any
identification, Ekani referred to him as the
Mahān
Śikārī when the remarkable story gained a riveted national
audience. Their friendship had only deepened every year since.
“I
called in a few favors and obtained all the necessary permits from the National
Forest Service for an expedition into the
Tadoba
Andhari Tiger Reserve
. I want you to use the permits to reserve campsite
G. Its remote location and difficult access will insure availability. Rest and
recover but remain there two, three days at most. The move is temporary and
only a feint. Others may be trying to find you. Continue to campsite J and
await my arrival.”
“Isn’t
that rarely used and even more remote? And isn’t it on the opposite end of the
reserve?”
“That’s
right. So your logistics won’t be easy but security is paramount. Tell no one
of your true destination. Not even the park officials. By the time they find
out where you really are my work should be done. M
ake
whatever purchases or rentals regarding supplies, tents, vehicles, power
generation you feel appropriate for a four-month encampment. My friend Chatur
will contact you to arrange the necessary funding and knows of the plans.
Inform him when everything is in readiness. He’ll decide if and when the
expedition will set out.” The line went silent.
“Janesh?”
“I’ve changed my mind. Time may be of the essence, Ekani. The
expedition will consist of scientists who are engaged in a project others want
to halt or expropriate. It is vital they complete their work and Camp J’s
isolation will insure that. As soon as you’re ready, departure must be immediate.
I want you to lead them there. I think that covers everything. When I can I
will join you. Do you have any questions?”
“None, Janesh.”
“That is why I called you. When I disconnect, I’ll transmit all
the authorizations, permit codes, pictures, and dial codes. In two hours I’ll
be aboard a super-express. Two hours later I’ll be in Honolulu. I should be
back within two weeks.” Again the line went silent.
“Janesh?”
“If I do not return, my brother, I am grateful for the time you
gave me.” The link disconnected. An incoming upload flashed. Ekani stared at
the mobile.
* * *
Early-morning
fog thinned, revealing another sign warning hikers away from the rugged,
dangerous cliffs ahead. Janesh stopped to remove his jacket and stuff it inside
the backpack. A bright sun, now over the treetops, promised more heat to steam
Kauai’s Alakai Preserve. He raised the binoculars to scan the faint trail
sloping up toward Kawaikini. A glance at the GPS locator placed the strong
signal within a half mile. The trail ended a mile farther at a cliff. The
directional arrow angled left toward the mountain, away from the dense,
tropical forest on the right.
Duncan
and Ronan had stopped scouting to sniff and paw something on the ground. Janesh
lifted a dusty and grimy camera. A few wipes and a pretty blond, frozen in the
viewer, smiled back. The dogs picked up a scent, noses-to-the-ground trotted
toward the woods, then circled a tree growling and barking. A corpse, half
eaten by scavengers and insects, hung by its rotted face, decayed arms pasted
to its back.
Janesh
circled in place, scanning the sky. He had to be close. So did Miranda. Spear
unsheathed, he continued up the trail. The locator continued to show the signal
within a half mile.
At
the cliff’s edge, his brow furrowed. The signal’s distance had increased to ¾
of a mile. He walked back and watched the distance decrease. Of course!
Binoculars raised, he began a slow scan of the mountain face. Half way up he
stopped at an opening partially obscured by brush and vines.
Eyes
fixed on the woods, growls rumbled from Duncan and Ronan’s chests. A helicopter
rose from the cliff’s edge, bullhorn blaring for him to halt and raise his
arms. Along the tree line, ten police SWAT types emerged, cheeks fixed on their
machine pistols, advancing in lock step. Behind them three civilian types
followed. Janesh lay down the spear and raised his arms, turning slightly so
everyone could see the hunting knife dangling from his belt.
“On
the ground now, hands out.” Janesh complied.
“Down.”
The dogs followed suit.
“Watch
the dogs, watch the dogs.”
“Down.”
Janesh repeated. Heads lowered to their forepaws.
Two
helmeted cops placed boots on his wrists while a third began a thorough search.
He removed Janesh’s knife along with the spear. “He’s clean.” The cops stepped
back, the civilians moved up. The middle one spoke for the three.
“You
can get up now, Mr. McKenzie.” His badge displayed Central Intelligence Agency,
the name said Lon. The other two displayed badges belonging to Kauai homicide.
“My police colleagues have granted me a favor in speaking with you first. They
want to arrest you as an accessory to murder.” Janesh remained expressionless.
“Six
miles from here is a ranch belonging to a very prominent local family. The
community is outraged over how they died. Phone records revealed your
girlfriend placed a video call to you from there at the time of death. We
thought how convenient when we traced your mobile headed back here.” He looked
up the mountain. “Is that where she’s hiding?” Janesh ignored him and turned to
the detectives.
“You
two real cops?”
“We’re
as real as it gets, buddy.”
“Good.
You look like honorable men. Let me tell you how you found the family. They
were hanging from a wall, pasted by their faces. The left side of their faces.
Their arms had been ripped off and pasted to their backs.”
“Read
him his rights, Andy. Only the killer could know that.”
“Down
this trail about a ¼ mile, you’ll find a month-old corpse pasted to a tree in
the same exact way. You’ll also find a camera. I’m betting besides mine, the
corpse’s prints are also on it. There’s a girl’s picture displayed date-stamped
a month ago. I have no idea where she is, but your case will fall apart when my
lawyer proves I was not on Kauai a month ago. And that’s another thing. I’ll
bet Mr. Lon never mentioned to you the same exact MO killed three of his
colleagues.” Janesh returned his attention to the CIA agent. “Did you, Mr.
Lon?”
The
two detectives looked at one another and at the agent. Andy motioned to a
uniform. “Take Jim and check it out.” The other detective turned to Janesh.
“Is
your girlfriend in the cave?”
“All
I know for sure is the mobile you traced is.”
“We’re
still going to have to talk to her. At a minimum she’s a material witness.”
“Detective,
I don’t want to sound melodramatic but I’m about to. You and your men are in
grave danger. This case goes way, way beyond a simple homicide.”
The
two uniforms returned trotting up the trail. Jim had the camera in a plastic
bag. He handed over his mobile showing a grisly image hung on a tree. “Just
like he said, Lieutenant.” The detective turned the bagged camera over, noted
the month-old photo.
“What
exactly is going on, Mr. McKenzie?” Janesh locked eyes with him. What could he
say? The truth? Nothing better came to mind.
“I
can’t say for sure. I was about to go into the cave and find out. I and others
think it’s an alien.” Andy almost snorted.
“An
alien? Like from another planet?” Janesh nodded. All three stared at him.
Looked for any indication he might be delusional or plain crazy. Andy leaned
his mouth toward a shoulder radio. Clicked it on. “Pete, you read me?”
“Go
ahead, Andy.”
“Land
the chopper. I’m sending up six men to check out the cave.”
“Roger.”
While the aircraft maneuvered, Janesh turned back to Agent Lon.
“What
exactly is your angle?”
“Dr.
Ang’s project. It’s our property. We want it back. You have it.”
“So
you thought to pin a bogus murder rap on me so I would plea down in exchange
for the equipment? What does it do?”
“We
don’t know. But it would go a long way toward explaining why three agents are
dead.”
The
helicopter’s turbines drowned out further conversation. From a rear compartment
two rope guns emerged along with rappel lines. Six SWAT members boarded and the
helicopter rose vertically, parallel to the mountain’s face. Once even with the
cave’s entrance a crew member shot a hook claw into the rock face above the
opening then another. Before he could brace the line to the helicopter, its
lights blinked out and the engine cut off. It dropped like a stone. The updraft
turned the rotor and forced an out of control tumble. Two men flew out. When
the chopper hit the ground it collapsed on itself then exploded. The two men
thudded into the inferno. Duncan and Ronan growled and barked.
Before
anyone recovered from the shock, a scream filled the small clearing. Everyone
turned in time to see legs then boots disappear into the thick foliage. A more
distant cry for help sounded. Janesh looked up to see a female lean out from
the cave. An upper breeze tossed her red hair. Hands cupped around her mouth
she screamed again. “Help me.” As quickly, she ducked back inside.
Between
two SWATs a huge, iridescent bird appeared, enormous wings flapping, beak
snapping and hissing. Shortened reflexes pulled triggers. One cop fell dead, two
bullets through the face. The other, saved by his armored vest, lay gasping in
pain from a pounding that had cracked ribs. The creature disappeared.
Andy’s
two-handed cop grip whirled his service revolver in every direction. “Jesus
Christ. Jesus Christ.” His partner too searched for a target.
“What
the hell was that? What the hell was that?”
“Xenoform
confirmed. Xenoform confirmed.” Lon shouted into his mobile. “Request emergency
extraction. Immediate extraction requested.”
Janesh
rushed over to the dead cop, pulled a flashlight off his belt, cleared the
machine pistol, loaded a fresh clip, and chambered a round. Two more clips went
into his pocket before re-strapping his knife.
The
two remaining SWATs rose from comforting their injured teammate. “We have to go
find Charlie. He might still be alive.” Grim-faced, his partner nodded. Janesh
whirled on them.
“No.
He’s dead. You go in that forest, you’ll have no chance. Stay here where the
dogs will alert you if it nears.”
“We
can’t just leave him.” The other nodded.
“He’s
trained to survive.”
They
disappeared into the forest. Janesh turned away, certain he’d never see them
again. He looked at the detectives. “The dogs are your only chance. The thing
can cast false images. They’ll know where the real one is. It’s your only
chance until help arrives.” He gave the dogs a guard order then headed up
slope.
Self-induced
urgency fueled his ascent the first third of which would occur beneath dense
forest that collared the cliff’s base. Unlike the summit approaches on the
other three sides where step-sucking bogs, waist-high grass, and dense jungle
conditions often produced lost hikers who became food for the feral pig
population, his route went straight up. Akin to climbing stairs at this point,
superb conditioning permitted a steady, distance-eating pace.
Through
breaks in the leafy overhang, he eyed the ascent’s exposed middle warily. In
addition to whatever climbing difficulties awaited, the threat of attack from a
flying creature would be constant. Out from the forest he estimated a
thirty-minute climb to the cave’s entrance. He grabbed a rock and watched
despairingly as it came loose, rolled down, and disappeared into the woods. The
area’s prodigious rainfall made the mountain’s exposed surfaces an unstable mix
of stones and dirt that would hurl a careless climber to his death. Stillborn
described his thirty-minute estimate. Frustration, anxiety, and rage threatened
to overwhelm.