Chapter 16 - The Best Laid Plans

Somewhere - either back on the ship or somewhere in the jungle - Cora had lost her wristwatch and thus all track of time. She was surprised therefore to see the dawn slowly creeping up on them, the inky night beginning to dissolve into a stark grey light.

Nothing seemed quite real now. Their dead friends conspicuous by their absence, their whole group feeling somehow hollowed. For a short while their camp was unnaturally quiet. The natives it seemed long gone - or at least long hidden. Whatever made that terrible din in the jungle they feared it beyond all reason.

Each man was at his post, checking and rechecking every element of the plan. As if it were foolproof.

The word 'nothing' seemed to rattle around unnecessarily in her head and she couldn't figure out why. It seemed to carry some sort of weight, such a little word and one that was batted around so carelessly. Especially when they were kids - she and Alex, and their gang, and Eddie Parker, who'd gone and got himself shot dead just over a year ago. They'd had no concept of the word.

"You want him? Have him. He's nothing."

And then Jimmy, moments before now.

"What about me, to hell with me, I'm nothing, remember?"

"Everything all right?" She jumped but it was Joliffe watching her with concern. She realised she must have been staring into space.

"I just..thought of something-" She began quietly - and then there was a roar.

"Well it's going to have to wait." Joliffe said in a tight voice. "Tell me later. I'm sure we'll have time." He patted her brusquely on the arm and shouldered his rifle.

Cora looked around. The others were fidgeting and shifting nervously, but Carl stood firm "It's coming." he declared, a note of excitement creeping into his voice.

Another of Englehorn's men was ready with a machete to cleave through the supporting rope, to drop the bridge that would provide Jack and Ann access to the village. The rest were armed. Some, like Joliffe, with guns, some with nets, ropes or grappling hooks. Even Baxter, quietly relishing his role of hero of the hour had his role.

Cora stepped back, as agreed, as ordered. With a clear route back to the boats if need be. There had been the general escape plan issued to all, but she also had her promise to Jimmy. To run, to save herself. She'd promised so easily - but now she wondered, as she watched the boy crouch at his allocated spot if she would be able to tear herself away as willingly. After seeing him come out of that jungle pit alive the prospect of leaving him to another fate so soon afterwards made something in her gut twist uncomfortably. An injustice. A childish sense of the unfair. I only just got you back.

Then there was her latest realisation to consider. What if, oh what if...he and the boy had the same hair, the same intense, furious glowering stare - the street kid from then would be about Jimmy's age now with the time that had passed, though it seemed like a lifetime…She rubbed her forehead, suddenly exhausted. Was it really the best time to think like this, to speculate on one day that happened years ago? A day that surely even Alex had forgotten?

One thought, clear as day: I can't leave you.

"Carl!"It was Jack Driscoll's voice yelling from the other side of the wall. Unmistakably Jack's voice and so near...

A familiar voice joined his - "Please, somebody help us!"

"Ann!" Cora breathed, a flicker of elation sparking in her chest "He found her, she's alive!"

Even behind the wall they could hear the cracking and rustling of trampled vegetation. Something else was on its way. Jack and Ann's panicked yells grew louder and ever more distressed and Cora felt her fists clench as Carl continued to ignore them.

"CARL!"

"Drop the bridge!" Preston blurted out desperately, as Carl raised a hand to silence him "Do it now, for chrissakes!"

"Not yet...wait."

Cora's stomach dropped "Carl, please. Please." Her eyes stung with tears threatening to spill.

"Wait!"

With no warning, Preston leaped forward with a strangled yell and snatched the machete from the startled sailor, hacking desperately at the support rope.

Cora couldn't stop her short, shocked scream as the sliced rope ricocheted like a whip, slicing Preston right across the face. She clapped her hands over her mouth to silence herself despite the fact now the noise outside the wall was growing. Silence was unnecessary now.

The bridge dropped with an almighty clatter and Cora found herself recoiling backwards. She looked to Englehorn who glanced back only briefly, his face ashen.

"Get down, get out of sight."

She realised she was shaking her head at him, pleading, they could turn back now, it wasn't too late, it still wasn't too late -

She grabbed a cloth from the nearest crate, ripping it in two and dashed across the rocks to Preston, whose blood was now beginning to leak through his clenched fingers "Here." she said urgently, demonstrating "Use this. Press it down hard, okay? You'll be all right, I promise. It'll be all right." She tried not to notice the splattering of crimson on her own hand as she took it away from the man's face. She wiped it discreetly on her sleeve and turned to see Jack and Ann climbing through a gap in the wall.

Relief flooded Cora's veins "Ann!" She gasped, taking in her friend's ragged appearance "You're alive, thank God…"

Ann didn't reply. She seemed to look right through the younger girl, stumbling listlessly, Jack's arm wrapped defensively around her, half protecting, half pressing her onward.

Something was deeply wrong. Cora frowned "Ann, what-"

"NOW!" Englehorn bellowed.

With a ear splitting smash, the mass of bamboo crumbled like children's building blocks and through came -

Cora wanted to scream, but no noise came from her throat.

It was, quite frankly, a monster. Twenty feet, thirty feet, she couldn't say for sure. It was ape-like in appearance, but wilder than anything she'd ever seen. Coarse-haired and riddled with scars and every gigantic tooth bared in fury. Its eyes raked across them all, ignoring them until it saw Ann. It started towards them.

"Bring him down!" She heard Carl yell. Ropes and hooks began to fly through the air, lodging into the beast, dragging it towards the floor.

Something in Ann suddenly seemed to wake up. She spun round, panicked "No!"

Jack looked furious "Are you out of your mind?" He cried "Carl!"

All appearances be damned, Baxter's courage rapidly failed him at the sight of the animal bearing down on them. Cora watched as he yanked a paling Preston to his feet and herded him off down the path towards the boats. Before Cora could move, he'd grabbed her too by the back of her coat and was half dragging her along with them "Come on kid, time to go, time to go" he said in a strained voice.

"No!" She twisted back, craning her neck trying to see what was going on.

"Don't be dumb, come on." He pushed her hard and with no choice she realised, she obeyed. Instead she took Preston's arm, supporting him as he stumbled blindly, still clutching the sodden rag to his cheek.

"This way, c'mon…" She mumbled, as he feet seemed to carry her on automatically over the rickety bridges. The mingled yells and roars in the distance seemed to lessen, but that was no more reassuring.

"You be ready for us, okay?" She said, attempting a smile as she dumped him somewhat ungracefully into the first boat they reached

Preston nodded as Baxter jumped down beside him and prepared the oars.

"Kid, where the hell are you going?" The actor cried as Cora scrambled back up the tunnel.

"To make sure Ann's coming." She lied "It's why we came here, right?"

Baxter groaned, raising his eyes to heaven "Don't go far, Englehorn won't hang around for you."

"I won't. Don't go without the others, okay?"

He sneered "Don't tempt me."

As she raced frantically back up the path Jack and Ann appeared, Jack's hand clamped on her arm and she struggling desperately to break free, half sobbing.

"What's happened?" Cora demanded, stumbling to a halt.

"Cora, It's coming, get out of here!" Jack yelled as they sped past.

She ignored him and hurried back up the tunnel. There was suddenly as burst of gunfire, another mighty roar and she paused, wavering, a deeper feeling of dread flooding over her. She couldn't say why or even if she knew for sure, but something in her mind flared up at this, a warning. That had been Jimmy. She knew she was being ridiculous but somehow she felt she knew. Her heart dropped like a stone and panic began to grip her senses.

"Run, all of you! Run!" A yell in the distance as the rest of the screw began to approach, sprinting desperately past her.

"Where's Jimmy?" She yelled at them, but was ignored.

Joliffe appeared, running madly, his arms flailing "It's over!" He screamed "Go!"

"Where's Jimmy?!" She repeated as the Englishman sped past.

"Cora?"

Her breath caught in her throat as the boy in question emerged from around the corner, still clutching a gun, breathless, but alive.

"Thank God," she mumbled, wanting to cry "Oh thank God…"

"What are you waiting for, go!"

"No," She whispered, hoarse "Not without you."

The boy looked torn for a moment, helpless "For God's sake Cora!" He snapped, eye blazing, before grabbing her by the back of her head, pulling her towards him and bringing his lips down firmly on hers. Then like that it was over, and he turned back to the path, gun raised "Now go. Go!"

She ran. He feet slipping and her ankles turning and she didn't care now. She half fell into the wooden whaler, landing seconds before Baxter holding Ann, now blindly thrashing against them. The creature was getting nearer, she could hear its roars and pounding feet The air was a mass of mingled yells and gunshots and noise from the animal - and for a moment Cora wondered: was this where it all ended...

She turned just in time to see the creature bring it's huge fist down onto the other boat and start flinging it around like a toy. It splintered against the cave wall, the inhabitants scattered about. Jack, Carl -

She watched horrified as they all dropped into the water "Jimmy!"

Maybe alerted by her yell, the beast turned to their boat and Cora was muted with terror. Again it looked at Ann - what on earth did it want with poor Ann?

"Go back..." Ann gasped, though whether it was at them or the ape, Cora couldn't be sure. But the creature seemed to pause, as if sensing something, his eyes fixed resolutely on Ann, moving forward more and more determinedly -

And like that, the spell was broken as a fierce looking harpoon sank deep into the ape's knee.

With a surprised yelp, Cora jumped, having not even noticed the captain loading the weapon. Her senses deadened, she felt slow and dumb, useless to do anything but watch...the ape roared in pain, sinking crippled into the water. A movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention and she stared at the nearest formation of rock.

Carl, her uncle - now only a figure in grubby brown, scrambling up the side of it. She watched, wordless. A cockroach, crawling across the lid…

"Waaait!" One desperate drawn out yell as he reached the top, clutching with him a lone bottle of chloroform.

Englehorn acted like he hadn't heard him, reloading the harpoon with a cool, methodical, emotionless care.

"No!" Ann was begging desperately at Englehorn raised the weapon "No, please no…"

But before any of them could move, Carl flung the bottle. It shattered against the ape's face and the gas billowed out across its twisted features. The beast seemed to retch and choke on the noxious liquid, stunned. Slowly, ever so slowly, it sank down onto all fours. It's eyelids flickered in short bursts as it desperately fought the effects of the fumes, but it was no use. It reached out almost tenderly for the boat, for Ann. After what seemed like an eternity, it's eyes closed and it slumped the last few inches onto the rocks.

Silence fell as they all scarce dared to hope that it was all over. As her uncle made his way down the rocks towards the ape's giant head, Cora mused that it would have made the greatest movie shot ever. The setting sun, the motionless beast lying as if dead and Carl in a hero's stance silhouetted against the dawn sky.

"The whole world will pay to see this." He announced with relish "We're millionaires, boys. I'll share it with all of you! In a few months his name will be up in lights on Broadway! 'Kong - the Eighth Wonder of the World'!"

Cora looked desperately around at them all, her pulse thudding too loud in her ears, her head spinning. Ann weeping, Carl drenched and triumphant, Englehorn looking for the first time completely lost, and Jimmy, Jimmy floating in the water like a corpse…

She later recalled that she had just enough time to say "I don't feel so good..." before her whole world went dark.