The Amazon Code by Thacker Nick

Author:Thacker, Nick [Thacker, Nick]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Turtleshell Press
Published: 2016-06-13T05:00:00+00:00

37

THE PATH THAT LED OUT of the water and into the jungle was only a few strides long, a natural opening between two large bushes, likely made more prominent by the animals that used it as an access point to the river.

Ben tried to slow his breath down, hoping his heart rate would follow. It wouldn’t be helpful to Julie — or anyone else — if he was still on edge and ready to snap. The caiman, a large adolescent, had come out of nowhere and taken Captain Garcia, kicking and screaming, to his watery grave. It was unreal, unnatural, and insanely terrifying to Ben, but he said nothing.

No one spoke, actually, until they’d been walking for five minutes into the densest forest Ben had ever seen. No pictures, movies, or books could do it justice. He was completely out of his element, surrounded by an alien world that hid both danger and beauty together behind every rock and tree.

“Okay, let’s pause here,” Reggie said. He turned around and addressed the group. “We have to keep moving, at least for now, but I wanted to take a quick breather. We’ll take some time a little later to catch up on sleep, but we need to get away from the river as much as possible.” Reggie fumbled around with one of the packs and pulled out a compass. He opened the clasp on the device and held it up, waiting for it to balance. He took a few seconds to check their direction and match it in his head with the destination they had decided upon. Satisfied he was leading them in the right direction, he closed the device again and put it back into the pack.

No one spoke. Ben looked around at the rest of the group. Archie and Paulinho wore blank expressions, while Amanda looked upset, even angry. Julie looked as terrified as Ben felt, and Carlo seemed disinterested in the whole ordeal.

“Anyone want to say anything?” Reggie asked.

“What are we supposed to say?” Amanda shot back.

Reggie shrugged. “He was a good man, great things, stuff like that?”

“Are you kidding?” Julie was almost yelling. “He died, right in front of our eyes. You don’t even care?”

Reggie paused, looked at the ground — a carpet of bright green mosses — then back up at Julie. He stepped closer to her and lowered his voice.

“Of course I care,” he said. “He was one of us, just by virtue of being here with us. Now he’s not here. I didn’t know him, and neither did you. Doesn’t mean we can’t make something up, or ask Carlo.”

This was an idea Ben hadn’t considered, and Paulinho was already hobbling over to Carlo and whispering. Carlo nodded, slowly, then looked up at everyone.

“Good captain,” he said in English. He said more in Portuguese, Paulinho translating aloud. “Good father, good husband, loved job.”

It seemed like Carlo was finished, but Reggie waited another few seconds to be sure. “Well, I guess that does it. Anything else before we go?”

“Yeah,” Paulinho said.

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