part0022

Victor helped Cody, Diamond, and Freddy return to the cave through the small opening in the rocks. Victor had heard every word of Cody’s conversation with the man at the bottom of the hill.

Cody sat down and pulled up the leg of his pants. “This knee’s still sore, but I can make it. We need to get outta here. The sooner, the better.”

“I agree,” Victor said. “But this area is still being patrolled. If we make a run for it now, we’ll certainly be intercepted. It will be especially hard with you and Tige injured.”

“I already said I can make it.”

“Cody, take it easy. Victor’s not the enemy.” Diamond was afraid she had overstepped. “I mean, I’m just saying —”

“Okay, okay,” Cody said. “My knee’s still sore, and Tige’s leg is still banged up. But we gotta do what we have to do, and we need to get creative.”

Victor chuckled. “Creative? I’m just waiting to see what you come up with next. You think Wild Bill bought your vacation act?”

Diamond could not resist. “That wuz purdy special, if ya’ ax me. Too bad I ain’t have no chaw o’ tobacco ‘tween my teeth at the time. I shore cudda spit. That wudda convinced ‘em.”

Cody and Victor were speechless. Even Freddy frowned momentarily.

“I wonder if he wudda recognized Annie Oakley here,” Cody said. “It certainly convinced me.” He glanced at Diamond.

“No telling,” Victor answered. “But since Diamond is one of their targets, he may have recognized her, and there’s another problem that’s even bigger.”

“I know,” Cody agreed. “Did you see the plane move?”

“Affirmative. It’s freakin’ gone. Are you thinkin’ what I am?”

Cody exhaled, then looked at Diamond. “This island may be getting ready to explode. I’m not a geologist or seismologist, but there’s something pretty freaky about this island — the sulfur smell, the water bubbling, the steam.”

Diamond wavered. “What are you guys talking about?”

“This cave was formed by a volcanic eruption. I wonder how long this volcano has been dormant.”

Diamond gasped. “We’re sitting on a volcano? Is it going to erupt?”

“It happens all the time,” Victor said. “This place may have erupted in pre-civilization times. Maybe five thousand years ago, maybe longer.”

“So, how long before it erupts again? Is there any way to know?”

Victor scratched his head. “Based on the signs, it could be weeks, could be days. Might not erupt at all.”

“But neither of us is a scientist,” Cody reminded. “We need to contact the outside world and find out what’s going on.”

Victor weighed in again. “I’d bet those gorilla whisperers in that compound are aware. Wonder how much they’d stand to lose if this place got vaporized.”

“Not to mention, all of us vaporized as well,” Diamond said.

“Okay.” Cody scratched his chin. “I have an idea. Before we do anything, we need to relocate. We could create a diversion on the east side like we talked about yesterday. Guerrilla tactics, disruptive; make ‘em think we’ve moved into that area. That might draw the hostiles away from this side and give us a chance to move safely to the other cave.”

Victor responded. “It’s about a three-mile walk to the east side. We’d have to stay within the tree line for cover. It’s dangerous, but I don’t see us havin’ any other choice.”

Cody nodded. “Exactly. It won’t be long ‘till this hiding place gets discovered. We need to clear this area.”

“What kind of guerrilla tactics do you have in mind?”

“Like I said earlier, we’ll have to get creative. If we can make them think we’re holed up somewhere on the east side, we can get everybody relocated and then figure out a way to sneak into the enemy compound while they are all out searching on the wrong side of the island.”

Diamond objected. “Cody, there are too many people guarding that compound. You wouldn’t stand a chance.”

Victor gathered items for the trip to the east side. “Angel said this place is run by three hundred people, but only forty-five are armed and trained for combat.”

Betsy joined them. “That’s too many against too few, if you ask me.”

“Also, Cody, think about this.” Diamond crossed her arms. “Before you go charging into that compound, shouldn’t you interrogate the prisoners to find out what they know?”

Victor grinned. “That’s smart thinking. If those guys in the hole knew about the possible volcano eruption, they might be willing to talk.”

“Okay.” Cody nodded again. “We’ll question them when we get back. Our objectives are to save the kids and get outta here. The possible eruption might take care of putting this place out of existence, but we gotta save the kids first.”

“That’s right,” Tige finally spoke up. “There’s kids in that compound, and if this place explodes, those cold-blooded killers won’t stop to help the children.”

As the two men prepared to leave for their guerrilla mission on the east side of the island, Diamond pulled Cody to the side. “You come back to me, Cody Musket. We . . . we need you.” She kissed him.

Cody answered with only a grimacing smile.

“I know, Gunfighter, I know.” She put her hand over Cody’s lips. “Don’t say anything. Right now, you . . . I mean we . . . have a mission.”

Victor and Cody squeezed through the exit hole then hastened their steps, being watchful and careful to stay covered by the brush near the shoreline. After a three-hour walk, they sat down in a secluded spot to listen. They heard voices in the distance.

Victor whispered, “So what now, genius? You gonna come up with another gorilla sighting?”

“Stay here,” Cody said under his breath. “I’m goin’ closer. I wanna determine how many people are out there.”

Cody moved cautiously toward the voices but could not see anyone. He stopped and hid in a trough covered by a fallen tree limb. He listened.

“Well, hello again, pilgrim!”

Cody looked up. He had been taken completely by surprise. Standing before him was the massive individual with the rough buckskins who had stood at the bottom of the hill that morning. He looked much larger up close.

“Somethin’ tells me you ain’t here on no vacation, son.”

“No need to pretend, Wild Bill. We both know this island is ready to explode.”

“So then, why are you here? This is an animal research center. It’s off-limits to the likes o’ you. We just want that woman o’ yours. She’ll go with us. We offer her a way of escape, which is more than you can offer.”

“Animal research center? That’s strange. I thought the animals were the ones in charge of this place.”

“Yer absolutely right, son. And you don’t wanna mess with the animals in ‘nis fine institution. If you don’t hand over the woman, she’ll die along with you, and that would be a shame.”

“What about the children? I suppose you’ll take them with you too?”

“Children? Ha! If I should see any children, I’ll let you know. See, we got lotsa assets, like technology that’ll change the world. That’s what needs savin’. If there was any other assets, as you say, they’d prolly be ‘bout used up by now, so we would just pick up a fresh batch of assets. When disaster strikes it’s every man for himself, wouldn’t you say?”

“If I should see a man around here,” Cody said, “I’ll let you know.”

Wild Bill snarled. “I just figgered somethin’ out. I bet you’s the one that stole our assets that come in by boat the other night. But it don’t matter now, ‘cuz we’d just have to leave them here too.”

Cody ground his teeth and stared.

“Now, I know exactly what yer thinkin’ about, son. You’re thinkin’ we have ourselves a good ol’ Mexican standoff.”

“Not at all, Wild Bill. See, I’m thinkin’ that you have assets I want, and I have assets you can’t have. I figger I got the advantage.”

“Now, let me tell you how this is gonna go, boy. On a count o’ three, I’m gonna draw this here Vintage Buntline and blow you straight through the gates o’ hell. Unless o’ course you can outdraw me with that Glock you’re carryin’ on your hip.”

“Nice try, Bill. I don’t have much use for handguns.”

“Wait a minute. You saw the movie too?”

“Movie? What movie is that?”

“You know. The one called somethin’ down under? Where the guy says he don’t have no use for handguns but shoots him anyway?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Cody replied. “I’m the slowest draw in the west. Besides that, you have a sniper on me, and I have a sniper on you. If anybody draws, we both die. If I die, I go to Heaven and you don’t get to find out where my assets are, so I still have the advantage.”

Wild Bill wasn’t impressed. He spoke slowly, deliberately. “On the count of three, pilgrim. One . . . two . . .” Suddenly, his face was as pale as the Headless Horseman . His mouth flew open, his gray-wolf eyes focused on something above Cody’s head. “Gorilla! Gorilla! ”

Cody felt hot air breathing down his neck. He turned to see a gorilla the size of Vesuvius staring him in the face. Its growl made the earth shake. Its fists sounded like the Guns of Navarone beating on the front of its gargantuan chest. Cody dove back into the trees like a mouse escaping the tomcat. At least twenty hunters appeared out of nowhere carrying tranquilizer rifles. The hunt was on.

Cody raced unnoticed back to Victor’s hiding place. He was short of breath when he got there. “C’mon! Let’s get outta here!”

They hiked their way out of the trees and decided to jog home on the beach. It would be twice as fast as scuffling through the trees again. The troops were busy chasing Godzilla the Third, and right now that was their biggest priority. Judging by the triumphant snorting and growling and the certifiably frenzied yelling of the hunters, Godzilla was holding his own.

The late afternoon sun was low in the western sky when Cody and Victor finally returned from the eastern side of the island. They had not eaten all day. As they munched on leftover fruit, Victor shared their brand-new gorilla story. He was a good storyteller and it seemed to lighten everyone’s spirits. Freddy sat on Cody’s lap.

They decided to sleep for a few hours and then rise at midnight and move their base to the new cave. Their flares were fully charged. They hoped to have an uneventful night transitioning to the new location.