Chapter 15
Two Half-Truths
and A Lie
Ben
MY KNIFE IS TO the throat of my assailant before he can get further than touching my shoulder. The man whimpers and quickly puts his hands in the air in surrender.
“Oliver?” I ask, immediately retreating.
I rub the sleep from my eyes as a million unintelligible words come tumbling from his mouth; I manage to grasp onto the ones that matter. “...Lillian isn’t here.” I’m up on my feet in an instant, shoving my feet into my boots the next. “Margaret is missing too.”
Fleeing my small tent within seconds, Oliver remains tight on my heels.
Others are milling about so the news must be spreading quickly.
The two of us stride toward the center of our camp where the rest of our party stands over a table lit by a single lamp.
Seeing them up and alert makes me wonder why I wasn’t the first to be made aware of the situation.
My first thought is that Archibald, Ivo, and their group found us and snatched her away, but Bruno shoots down the theory. I guess I spoke the idea aloud. “There has been no sign of them. They’re, at the very least, two days behind us.”
I’m not so sure, but then Ademir’s face drops. “Ben,” he says, distancing himself from the table. “Where are we?”
I make the connection a second later. Swearing under my breath, I turn toward the direction of the cave. The wind rises up, but I turn from it before it can whisper its obscenities. “I know where she’s gone.”
“What about Margaret?” James asks, worry permeating his voice.
“They’re most likely together,” Ademir answers.
“And if they’re not?” Diederick asks. “Lillian knows this part of the forest fairly well, but Margaret…”
“Let’s go!” Mr. Bennett says, already shouldering a rifle. I nod and fall in line with him.
Oliver steps in front of us, holding out an arm to stop us.
“Wait!” I keep walking but a firm hand meets my chest. “Take a radio with you.” Oliver rounds us, sprinting to a cache of equipment.
He lugs the massive battery-powered unit to the table and removes two smaller, but still overbearing, mobile units.
“I don’t have time for this,” I say, needing nothing more than to move into action.
“Have a care, Mr. Reed!” Bruno snaps. “If she’s not where you think she is and we find her somewhere else, you’ll want to know.”
He’s right. I hate that he’s right. “Fine,” I snarl, crossing my arms. “But I am not wearing one of those.”
“I will,” Mr. Bennett says, stepping forward. It’s the first time I’ve seen the man show any care for anyone else but I’m thankful he’s decided to do so now. He quickly shoves his rifle at James before strapping the backpack walkie-talkie over his shoulders.
“The three of us will go to these caves you speak of,” Mr. Bennett says, taking back his gun. “The rest will search to the south and east.”
That’s all I need to hear.
With more quickness than I should have in the dark of the jungle, I lead the other two men through the brush.
Every step of the way unlocks more horrible memories from the night Lillian and I fled.
I can only pray that Isadora has been reclaimed by the earth.
I don’t think I could stomach seeing her remains lying in the dirt where Ivo left her.
There had been other monsters prowling that cave besides the Nazi. The shadow that was hunting in that cave a decade ago had not harmed Lillian, but given the chance tonight, would it change its mind?
I banish the thought as we come closer. Behind me, the radio buzzes to life but no one has found any sign of the women. I’m not sure if that gives me comfort or not.
“Margaret?” James whispers beside me. The man raises his lamp and picks up his pace.
There, just beyond the line of trees leading to the mouth of the cave is a woman.
She’s standing straight on, peering into the cave with her head cocked to the side. A flashlight hangs from her left hand, hardly lighting the way ahead of her.
“Margaret!” James says again, this time loud enough for the woman to hear him.
She jumps at the sound, and as soon as she turns to us and catches my eye, her entire disposition changes.
“She’s in the caves!” she suddenly cries out, breaking into a run to meet us.
She collides into James’ chest, blubbering in an onslaught of sudden tears.
Buried in his nightshirt, I can just barely hear her muffled claims. “Oh, it was awful. Just awful!” She clings to her savior as he runs a hand through her hair.
It seems her change in demeanor hasn’t taken him aback as much as me.
“What? Is she hurt?” Mr. Bennett asks, finally catching up to us with his heavy equipment.
“No,” I answer plainly. Looking over her shoulder at the cave. Her theatrics are bizarre, a clear sign that not a full truth is being told.
There will be time to question her later. For now, my entire being reaches toward Lillian. “Radio Oliver, tell him that we’ve found them.” I take a step toward the cave and draw out my pistol.
Mr. Bennett huffs. “Now, wait just a second, I’m coming with you.”
“You will do no such thing!” I growl, turning toward him.
“That radio won’t reach back to camp if you step inside with it.
” I eye the opening of the cave again, gearing myself up for a run.
Fight or flight builds within me, but I manage to give one last instruction before I go.
“If I’m not back within the hour, you send Ademir in after me. Only Ademir.”
Mr. Bennett stutters, not believing I’ve barked at him. I couldn’t care less.
I leave the three of them behind and approach the cave entrance with as much bravery as I can muster. Many of these caverns have been blown away, but the main cavern passage has stayed standing. Flicking on my flashlight, I take the first step inside.
The evil that was once here remains, but a peacefulness also guides me in.
The peacefulness of her.
I find Lillian not far into the first passageway. Not so far away to get lost, but too far to let any light in, especially not at night. She lies on the floor, her back to me.
I’m blessed with the sight of her shoulders and back expanding with her breathing. She’s alive, lying perfectly still, but alive. So smart of her not to try and find her way out of the pitch blackness.
“Lillian?” I say softly.
“Ben?” she asks, her sweet voice echoing slightly off the walls. I devour the sound of it.
I approach slowly at first, making sure to give her the space she needs to gather her bearings in the beam of my light.
Holstering my pistol, I shift the flashlight to the other hand.
When the light drapes over her fully, she pushes herself to stand.
She turns her tear-stained face, forcing me to swallow at the sight of the terror there.
It’s a helplessness I’ve never seen her display.
“The dagger,” she says, repeating it three times over. “I have to destroy it.”
I cover the rest of the space between us in two seconds and crush her with a hug; she’s cold to the touch.
The moment my arms wrap around her, she frantically tries to pull away, but I can’t seem to let her go, lest she be lost to the cavern forever.
“Please, Ben. Please, you have to help me. You can’t let them take it. ”
“I won’t,” I whisper breathlessly. It’s enough to cause her to calm, though only slightly. “I promise I won’t let them.” I don’t know exactly what I’m promising, but I do know that whatever she asks of me, I will do.
“Please, Ben,” she says again. “I have to fix what was broken.” I hold her tighter to me and repeat my promises. Whatever she’s experienced tonight, whatever the rainforest has shown her, I fear it’s exactly what Ademir was speaking about on the river.
She finally gives in to my embrace on the third “I promise.” My heart aches as she heaves in the stale air of the cave around us. She has suffered this pain for 10 years without reprieve. I don’t dwell on the belief that peace will only come for her when she’s expelled the dagger.
“The team is waiting,” I say a few moments later. She deserves the space to sort out what she’s been through, but it can’t be here. Not with a dying flashlight and certainly not without any defenses beside my pistol.
A rigidness overtakes her, and my arms untangle from her at the stiffness. My free hand rests on her shoulder, urging her to explain. “I have to tell them.” She turns her head to the shadows, and I crane my neck, hoping to see what she sees. There’s nothing but a cave wall.
“We can do whatever you want to do,” I say, coaxing her forward. “But let’s get out of here.”
The glaze that was there dissipates from her eyes and her eyebrows scrunch. “How did I get here?” she asks, suddenly confused.
I can only shed a breath of surprise. “I don’t know, sweetheart.”
She nods in confusion. “I—I thought Margaret was with me,” she says, digging to reclaim the memories.
We move together through the hollowness of the cave at a slow pace as she tries to decipher everything.
“I remember her calling my name maybe?” She recalls, placing the palm of her hand against her head.
It slides from its perch a second later. “It doesn’t matter—”
“The forest brought you here for a reason,” I say with a sigh. I let go of all my prejudices and let Ademir’s words of destiny wash over me. “Whatever you saw, it wanted you to see it.”
Her lips part when she looks up at me. “You really believe that, Ben?”
I set my jaw and nod once.
“Thank you,” she says when the opening is within sight.
I take her hand to help her navigate a small rock slide. “For believing it?”
She manages a small smile. “For finding me.”
My grip tightens on her. “Always.”
The tender moment is immediately overtaken by flashlights and loud voices as we finally reach the concave tunnel leading to the exit. They hadn’t listened to me. Ademir is here, yes, but so is James and Diederick and Margaret and Bruno.
“We were so worried!” Margaret calls, rushing forward.