The Jungle Warrior (7 page)

Then something made her turn—and the sight chilled her blood. Moonlight reflected from the ghostly image of a huge chimpanzee. It was a head taller than the others and clad in pure white fur. One eye was swollen almost shut, but the other burned red with murderous intent. The albino chimpanzee was obviously the troop leader and stalked along the edge of the cliff in a calculating manner. It now occurred to Jane that she was the intended target and the other apes had attacked Tarzan as a diversion.

Jane's instinct was to scream—but to her amazement her voice exploded as a terrible bellow as she threw the rock.

The albino hadn't been expecting resistance, but he leaped aside just in time and the rock bounced before pitching over the cliff.

Jane's cry sent Tarzan into a frenzy. He stood up, bearing the weight of the three adult chimpanzees that still held him. He punched one in the side of the head, forcing it to release the vice-like bite it had on his other arm. Then he headbutted the ape clinging to his chest and struck it unconscious. The last creature was holding on to his back with a long arm around his neck, its teeth reaching for his scalp. Blood was dripping into Tarzan's eyes but that didn't stop him from bounding forward and shoving Jane to the ground as the albino sprang.

Tarzan and the albino clashed in mid-air. Tarzan twisted his body so that the chimp clasping his back met the full force of the impact. It was enough for the animal to shriek and let go. It made a hasty retreat, limping into the trees.

But the albino was not so easily deterred—it recovered faster than Tarzan and, with a loud screech, swung straight at him.

Jane could only watch as the two figures rolled on the ground at the cliff edge. The gang of chimps around her screamed and whooped to encourage their leader, but made no effort to join in.

Tarzan and the albino traded a flurry of blows. Tarzan was pitched on his back and the albino seized the opportunity to pin him down.

But that was exactly Tarzan's plan. As the albino made his move, Tarzan planted his feet firmly in the chimp's stomach and kicked. Jane could hear ribs breaking as the squealing albino was hurled against a huge tree with such force that the trunk shook. Tarzan had intended to hurl him off the cliff top, but nevertheless, victory was his.

The albino staggered into the darkness. Moonlight reflected from its ghostly face as it snarled in defiance before disappearing into the jungle. The other chimpanzees followed with low murmurs, defeated, tearing through the undergrowth like a band of hoodlums.

Tarzan thumped his chest and roared victoriously. Jane ran to his side, alarmed to see the network of cuts that now decorated his body. His face was painted in his own blood, but despite this he was grinning at his success and showed no signs of pain. Jane knew words of comfort were meaningless. Instead, she indicated after the chimps.

“
Targarni
?”

Tarzan nodded and looked out toward the volcano. “This
targarni
land.”

Jane felt terrible. To feed his family, Tarzan was being forced to lead them into dangerous territory. Forced because her father refused to leave the jungle he was systematically destroying, pushing the apes away from familiar grounds.

Jane couldn't stop the anger welling up inside her, nor could she shake off the guilt that she had persuaded her father to stay just so she could see Tarzan again.

•••

“I'm not happy about this,” said Archie. “She's been gone for over a day! She could be hurt. She could be . . .”

“She's with Tarzan,” stated Clark. “You know what that means. She's in the safest place on the continent.” He rubbed his bandaged leg as he spoke and gazed out of Archie's cabin window at the morning sun rising above the treetops. He was on powerful painkillers, but even those did little to dull the throb that surged up his leg. The doctor in Sango had praised the improvised medical attention Tarzan had given the wound after the leopard attack. Clark had been careful not to mention the wild man, referring to him only as a local. The doctor was smart enough not to ask any questions. In the middle of the Congo the less you pried the safer you were.

Archie was deeply worried.

“Clark's right,” chipped in Robbie. “And she said she'll be back soon.” He had no intention of looking for her, because he knew she would fare better with Tarzan than he would alone. Besides, he could hardly concentrate on the conversation about Jane because his own thoughts and imagination were reeling from what he had discovered in Sango. Now, he was desperate to head back to New York and confront his stepfather again, but thinking rationally he realized it would be a terrible mistake. Not that he could even afford to make the journey. Not yet. But the reward money they expected to get for revealing Tarzan's existence . . . that would solve everything. Money would give him the options to make the right decision.

He also needed to speak to Jane, now more than ever. She was the one person who knew his whole secret. The only person he truly trusted. When he drifted back into the conversation, Clark was speaking. After delivering the news that Jane was with Tarzan, he'd had to calm Archie down by letting him in on the plan to claim the reward money.

“Told ya before, mate. There's nothin' much ya can do to stop her so don't bother. Focus all your energies on this venture. We need it to work, so don't go thinkin' about jackin' it all in again.” Archie looked guiltily away. That's exactly what he had been thinking. Clark tapped the desk for emphasis. “We spent too much on this last round of equipment. There's no bailin' now.”

“Do you realize what you're saying?” said Archie quietly. “This is my daughter we're talking about.”

Clark glanced at Robbie. Robbie looked away. He could tell, from the way Clark leaned forward and dropped his voice conspiratorially, that he was outlining his plan again.

“As I see it you have three choices for your
bakvissie
,” Robbie knew bits of South African slang, with which Clark often peppered his conversations, but not this. Evidently he was referring to Jane. “One, you leave her be and hope she's safe out there. Two, try and stop her but you'll have better luck tryin' to stop an
olifant
. Third, we do the right thing and help Tarzan—which is exactly what we're doin'. He's got a family waitin' for him.”

“I know, I know,” said Archie with a sigh. Robbie felt a twinge of guilt. Clark had been really playing the family card to bring Archie on side and it was working. Clark's intentions seemed honorable, but they were driven by greed.

“We have the same problem though,” said Archie wearily. “We don't know where Tarzan is and, as you've said, without evidence who'd believe us? If you recall, we didn't believe Jane when she told us.”

“Things have changed. We can find the aircraft ourselves,” said Clark with a smile.

Archie frowned. “How? None of us have that skill. We could spend a lifetime out there in the jungle and never come across it.”

“Fortune is smilin' on us, mate. We found some folks who need our help. And they've come 'ere.” Clark grinned at Robbie. Robbie couldn't meet Archie's suspicious gaze. Their logging operation was illegal and secret. The idea of bringing somebody into Karibu Mji went against all their own rules, so Clark had no choice but to mention the plan to Archie.

“You've brought people here?” said Archie in surprise.

Clark gave a dismissive wave of the hand. “Relax. They're conservationists, heard 'em in Sango askin' about gorillas and we got to talkin' about a trek. They're with Esmée. Come on, let's chat with 'em.”

Archie scowled at his old friend. Bringing anybody new to the camp risked exposing them, so Archie was furious his friend had made the decision without him.

They left Archie's office and headed across the camp to the bar. Clark struggled with a wooden crutch that Mister David had improvised for him when he returned, but it was still difficult to cross the mud and elevated walkways with just one good leg.

Robbie walked slowly behind. Movement on the edge of the tree line caught his attention and he was surprised to see Jane walk out from the trees as calmly as if she had been out for a morning stroll.

“Jane!” Robbie couldn't help shouting her name.

Archie looked round and saw his daughter. He immediately ran to gather her up in a huge hug. Then he held her at arm's length and looked her up and down. There were flecks of blood on her clothes.

“Are you OK?” His voice was heavy with concern.

“I'm fine!” Jane smiled and indicated the blood. “Don't worry, it's not mine.”

“What happened?”

“Tarzan found me at the jeep.”

“The one you stole?” Clark pointed out. He didn't want Archie to forget that Jane had brought this all on herself.

Jane looked suitably guilty. “Yeah. Sorry about that. I just needed to go to town. This place was starting to feel like a prison.”

Archie hesitated. He knew from experience that if he complained it would only make her more defiant.

She looked sheepishly away. “I left a message. I knew Robbie would find it.”

She flashed him a smile, but Robbie didn't feel in the mood to return it. He felt bitter; he'd always been on hand to help Jane, but the moment he needed someone to confide in she wasn't around.

“I was with Tarzan. You knew I'd be safe.”

Archie swallowed his sharp reply. Jane noticed Clark's bandaged leg.

“What happened?”

“Bit of a story behind it. I had to go lookin' for some selfish girl who stole my jeep. This is the thanks I get,” he patted the leg, “when a leopard tried to take a chunk outta me.”

Jane looked down at the ground and mumbled, “I'm sorry.”

“Bit late now,” said Clark harshly. It was the only way he knew of making Jane open her eyes to see the trouble she'd caused. “Luckily, our friend Tarzan was around to help out. I would very much like to find him and give him my thanks.”

Clark looked into the trees in case Tarzan was hiding and watching, but Robbie suspected he would have quickly departed once Jane had arrived safely back at the camp. Clark turned to Jane pointedly.

She stared back in defiance. “I'll let him know.”

Robbie could see that Jane was suspicious of Clark's clumsy attempts to get her to lead him to Tarzan. Now, more than ever, Robbie needed Jane to be on his side, and setting aside his feeling of anger, he gave her a hug and forced a smile.

“It's good to have you back and in one piece.”

Jane smiled. “You wouldn't believe where we went! There's an active volcano out there.” She gestured vaguely to the jungle. Robbie saw Clark's eyes widen as he mentally stored that tidbit of geographical information in case it helped their search for Tarzan. “And there's a real white ape! It's an albino chimpanzee. Maybe the legend doesn't refer to Tarzan after all?”

“You saw it?” Clark asked curiously.

Jane pointed out the blood on her clothes. “It attacked us. Tarzan chased it away.”

Archie looked uncomfortable. The thought of his daughter placing herself in danger terrified him. Before he could deliver any moral lessons, which Jane would probably misinterpret as him interfering, Robbie butted in.

“Let's go and get something warm to eat. I bet you could do with it.”

A few electric lights and several broad glassless windows illuminated the bar, but it was still dingy inside. Esmée was preparing a stew for the loggers. She looked up when Jane entered and a smile lit up her face.

“Look at you! Welcome back, girl. You had us worried.”

“I know. I didn't mean to, but . . .” Jane trailed off when she saw the two strangers at a table near the bar.

Robbie helped Clark to their table then offered a chair to Jane before he sat down. He couldn't help but think the men were studying Jane as if she were an animal.

“This is Nikolas Rokoff, and this is Alexis Paulvitch,” said Clark, introducing each man in turn. Clark jerked a thumb at Archie. “And this is the boss-man, Archie.”

Rokoff stood up and firmly shook Archie's hand. “A pleasure, sir.” Then he turned to Jane and lightly took her hand, giving a gallant bow. “This must be your daughter? Charmed to meet you. I have heard quite a lot.”

Paulvitch didn't stand, but nodded in greeting.

Robbie could see the confusion on Jane's face. The camp's strict rule of secrecy had been drummed into her.

“They're searching for mountain gorillas,” explained Robbie. He felt Jane tense next to him.

Rokoff smiled pleasantly. “We're conservationists from Lomonosov Moscow State University. We're working with colleagues from Kampala in Uganda, researching mountain gorilla population numbers. You see, there are fewer than eight hundred left in the world, so the rumors of unknown groups out in the wild are significant.”

Jane didn't say a word. Esmée placed a plate of stew in front of her but she didn't touch it even though her stomach rumbled, triggered by the rich smell.

“I was told you had spent time out in the jungle and seen them.”

Jane stiffened and glanced at Robbie as he spoke up.

“That's right. That's where she was last night, right, Jane?”

“You were out, with wild gorillas?” said Rokoff.

He peered at Jane as if he was trying to guess her secrets.

“She has a friend who looks after them,” added Robbie.

Jane glared at him. Rokoff leaned back in his seat and stroked his beard thoughtfully.

“He's also a conservationist,” exclaimed Jane.

“Indeed . . .” replied Rokoff, almost in a whisper, with a far-off look in his eyes. Then he looked back at Jane and smiled. “A fine fellow, I am sure. We would be honored to exchange research notes with him.”

“That's not going to happen,” said Jane flatly.