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Boom!
A thunderous explosion echoed through the jungle.
Jimmy looked up sharply as a column of black smoke rose through the canopy in the distance.
"Horus, what just happened?"
"A boat blew up," Horus replied calmly. "The captain was dragged off by a snake. The others are scavenging whatever supplies they can salvage."
"Any chance he survived?"
"No," Horus said flatly. "There was a hole in his head"
Jimmy grimaced.
He had hoped to keep everyone alive, but that one was beyond saving.
At least the main group should be safe now.
"Keep watching them," Jimmy said. "If anything dangerous comes close and we can deal with it early, do it."
---
"Snake! Snake!"
Ben jolted awake sometime after two in the afternoon, panic surging the moment his eyes opened.
"Quiet," Jimmy snapped.
The single word stopped him cold.
"The Snake is dead," Jimmy continued evenly. "Your arm is brokenz A couple of cracked ribs, maybe. Nothing life-threatening."
He pointed to the bandages. "I cleaned the wounds, gave you some antibiotics, There's hot broth and roasted meat here. Eat if you're hungry. We'll be moving again soon."
"There are giant snakes here," Ben said shakily. "Huge ones, Big enough to swallow a man whole."
"I know," Jimmy replied. "I killed it, Otherwise, how do you think you got out? I pulled you straight from its stomach."
That finally did it.
Ben went silent.
He took the bowl of broth, sipped a few mouthfuls, then accepted the roasted meat Jimmy handed him.
By the time he finished eating, his breathing had steadied.
"Thank you," he said at last. "I didn't even thank you for saving my life. My name's Ben Douglas. I'm a wilderness emergency medic. I came here for research."
"Jimmy Halstead," Jimmy replied. "Writer by trade, Survivalist by habit. I take trips like this during my breaks."
He glanced toward the jungle. "Judging by the size of the snakes around here, this trip's turning out more exciting than usual."
After a pause, he added, "Where are you headed? You don't have to answer if it's sensitive."
Ben hesitated.
"With your injuries, you need real treatment," Jimmy went on. "My boat won't reach this area for a few days. But if you're brave enough, we can try reaching the Ropa tribe. They might let us borrow a boat back to Palan."
"The Ropa tribe?"
"An indigenous group living deep in the Borneo rainforest," Jimmy explained.
Ben sighed. "Looks like I should eat more, then. I'll need the strength to walk."
He glanced at the meat again. "It's surprisingly good, What is it, anyway?"
Jimmy smirked. "The snake that ate you."
"…What?"
Ben stared at the meat in horror.
And promptly gagged.
---
"Jimmy," Ben asked later, one arm draped awkwardly over Jimmy's shoulder as they moved through the jungle, "you don't look that old. How did you manage to kill something that big?"
"I had a blade," Jimmy replied. "And I know how to use it."
Then he added, "Also, don't lean on that shoulder. That's Horus's spot."
"Horus?" Ben asked, confused.
A rush of air passed overhead.
Horus swooped down and settled neatly on Jimmy's shoulder.
Jimmy pulled out two strips of meat and tossed them up. Horus snapped them down greedily.
"That's Horus," Jimmy said. "We should pick up the pace. Traveling at night out here is suicide."
He adjusted his pack and started forward again.
"The Ropa's camp is still a long way off."
---
In just two hours, Ben had somehow become completely comfortable around Jimmy.
The guy was a natural at getting familiar fast.
"Alright," Ben said between breaths. "But seriously, Jimmy, your stamina is ridiculous. You are carrying a full pack and still walking faster than me."
He hesitated, then asked, "By the way, you keep mentioning the Ropa tribe. What kind of people are they exactly? Why do you say going there takes courage? They are not cannibals, right?"
Ben sounded more curious than afraid.
"Not cannibals," Jimmy replied. "But they do go by another name."
Ben waited.
"Headhunters."
Ben nearly shouted. "Headhunters."
"Relax," Jimmy said calmly. "They have not practiced that for almost a century."
Ben swallowed. "Jimmy, maybe we should slow down and think this through. Just because they stopped does not mean they forgot how. What if old customs resurface the moment we show up?"
"It is fine," Jimmy said casually. "Worst case, we run."
Ben frowned. "We do not exactly have the advantage in a jungle. I do not think I can outrun them."
"You do not need to outrun them," Jimmy replied, clearing branches with his blade. "I just need to outrun you."
Ben fell silent.
That made far too much sense.
---
"Are we seriously moving through the night," Ben asked later, panting heavily.
"Absolutely," Jimmy replied. "You know your condition. If you do not get proper treatment soon, that arm of yours is not guaranteed to recover."
He glanced ahead. "Based on the tracks, there is another group not far in front of us."
"That has to be Gordon and Sam," Ben said quickly. "They must be heading toward the same place. If something goes wrong, we can back them up."
The moment he said that, Ben picked up the pace.
Jimmy watched him stride ahead with surprising energy.
So this is how it is, Jimmy thought. Injured or not, motivation changes everything.
He shook his head. "You know," he muttered to himself, "with priorities like that, Douglas really is not your real last name."
---
Elsewhere.
Gordon Mitchell had just discovered the satellite phone.
It had been taken from the boat.
And Jack had hidden it.
"What is this," Gordon demanded, holding it up. "We could call for rescue. Why did you stash it?"
"Gordon, calm down," Jack said. "I will use it. After we secure the Blood Orchid."
"Jack, people are dead," Gordon snapped. "Dead, Ben was taken right in front of us by a giant python."
His voice trembled. "And how many snakes have we seen since then. At this point, I feel like they are everywhere, This place kills people."
He gestured around wildly. "Even the indigenous tribes who lived here permanently abandoned their settlements. That should tell you something."
Gordon took a breath and tried again. "This is too dangerous."
Jack's face twisted with frustration. "You are the financial officer. You know how long the company can survive."
He jabbed a finger into Gordon's chest. "The Blood Orchid is our last chance. Bring it back and the company lives. Fail, and we cannot even afford plane tickets back to New York."
"You are insane," Gordon said flatly. "Do you have any idea how many trials a drug goes through before approval?"
He shook his head. "No one would ever volunteer to test something like this."
Jack exploded. "Do you know what this company is called. Byron Mitchell Biotech."
He pointed at himself. "Byron. Jack Byron."
Then at Gordon. "Mitchell, Gordon Mitchell."
"This company is my creation, my legacy. My child."
His voice dropped, intense and desperate. "If we do not bring back the Blood Orchid, it dies."
He leaned closer. "Do you really want to leave your wife and kids buried under debt?"
Jack straightened, eyes burning. "I am getting the Blood Orchid. No matter what it costs."
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