Thanks to Caitlin for helping me when I got stuck. Also thanks to everyone who waited so patiently for this. Enjoy!

"You know a homicidal kidnapper?" gasped a near hysterical Marguerite. "Well, he was only homicidal when I knew him." He responded. Marguerite had a horrified look on her face. "If we are going to find this man," spoke up Challenger, "then we should know as much about him as possible. Tell us what you know, John."

Roxton sat down on one of the chairs at the table and began his tale. "His name is Karl Van Pelt. He was a member of German nobility, and a great hunter." "Wait, wait. Fieldmarshall Van Pelt?" asked Marguerite. "Yes, I believe he was a Fieldmarshall in the Great War. Did you know him, Marguerite?" She shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe in passing." She chuckled a bit but trailed off when she saw everyone was staring quizzically at her. "What?" she asked.

"Anyway," everyone turned back towards Roxton as he began again, "my brother William met him at a ball we went to a few years before his...death. They became fast friends. You can imagine how Van Pelt felt when he learned of the circumstances of William's death. Do you know the details of what happened? The question was directed towards us. "We are aware." Said CalGal.

Once again, he continued. "He stormed into a ball I was attending soon after the safari, and pledged revenge for William's death. Nobody had heard from him since then. His one peculiar feature was the fact that wore a cape nearly everywhere he went. He claimed it was a perk of being royalty or some such thing."

"So what are we going to do about this guy?" asked Tigs. "We should find him and get the rest of your expedition back immediately." Said Roxton, walking over to the gun rack for his rifle. "Indeed we must, but we should wait until it is light out again, and until Malone regains consciousness. Besides, you know that the dangers of the plateau grow exponentially at night..." Roxton sighed and put his rifle back on the rack. "I suspect you are right Challenger. They should still be there tomorrow..." "Aaand," Challenger broke in, "you know he will have to keep his hostages alive so he can get what he wants from us..." Roxton bowed his head a fraction. "But for now, I suggest we get some rest." And so we went to sleep, one of the most uneasy and jittery sleeps I have ever had.

The next morning we went through the routine we had established of getting up early and eating breakfast. It was nowhere near as jovial as our first breakfast had been. Sometime during the night, Malone had awakened. He stumbled to the table for breakfast, a bit disoriented and with a head bandage, but otherwise normal. He insisted on going along with us, which Challenger frowned on. ("He should stay in bed before he gets himself killed." Challenger had said) But Roxton eventually won out, saying, "We need all the guns we can get."

We struck out immediately after breakfast. Led by Veronica and Roxton, who were following the tracks set down the day before by Van Pelt and our captive members. Behind them about 10 yards was CalGal, followed by Eva, Rissy, and the wounded Malone, supported by Challenger and Marguerite when he needed it. Following them was Lisa, Christina, and Sarah. Covering our rear were Lex and Kimmy, while ASIG and Ashley covered our left flank, and Tigs and I covered our right.

We traveled in that loose formation until we stopped for lunch. Roxton and Veronica had gone to scout ahead. I had just taken a bite of my sandwich when Veronica came tearing back through the jungle. Roxton had spied a cabin in a clearing only about 15 minutes from where we were.

Of course, lunch ended before it started, and we ran the small distance to where Roxton was crouched at the edge of a clearing. On top off a small hill was a cabin. "So what's the plan John?" asked Challenger. "I'll take care of Van Pelt." He said, "you get your friends out." Then he stood and started walking towards the cabin. "Roxton, what are you DOING?" Marguerite asked in a hushed and concerned voice. But either he couldn't hear her or ignored her and kept walking.

We all just sat there with our mouths open. "Maybe we should do something." Said Rissy. "Oh, yes," I said. "Ashley, ASIG, flank left. If Roxton can't get our people loose, we'll have to do it. Tigs, you'll be with me on the right. Everyone else..uhh...cover Roxton. Make sure he doesn't get himself killed."

Tigs and I followed the treeline until the right side of the house was in front of us. We could just barely see ASIG on the other side. Just then, Van Pelt stepped outside. Roxton said " You made the trail easy enough to follow." "I knew you would come." He said in his German accent as he took a few more steps towards Roxton. "I suppose the lady hostages were your insurance." Said Roxton. "More of an incentive. They are free to go now; I have no need for them anymore. Their fellow expedition members who are lying in wait to my right and left may escort them out. We wouldn't want you to shoot them too, now would we?

The four of us emerged from our ambush places and slowly approached the cabin. Tigs and I went in while ASIG and Ashley covered Van Pelt. We quickly went about untying Nadya, Caitlin, Sobek, and Danielle, gathering up their rifles and gear and returning to the jungle from whence we came.

As soon as we were back in the jungle Van Pelt said "Now that it's just you and I, we can settle this like gentleman." And put down his rifle. Roxton did the same and shed his pistols "I didn't kill William on purpose, you know." Roxton stated. "Oh?" said Van Pelt, feigning interest. "Why would I kill him? He was my brother!" Roxton yelled in an exasperated voice. "Position, power, money. How should I know what goes through that murderous head of yours?" At that Roxton struck at him.

By that time, I had made my way back to our group with the freed hostages. "Can't we just shoot Van Pelt now and get it over with?" asked Marguerite with fear in her voice. "This is Roxton's fight Marguerite. He must resolve this himself."

At about that time both of the combatants had struggled to their feet. "Could you just hear me out?" asked Roxton, fists still ready. "Only if you have something good to say." Replied Van Pelt. "Did you ever hear the details of William's death?" Roxton questioned. "Only some phony story about an ape attack." Van Pelt said. "The ape attacked William. I shot it to try and protect him. The bullet went through and..." Roxton trailed off. "Impossible." Said Van Pelt. "What type of evidence?" he asked. Roxton took a box out of his pocket, opened it so that the contents faced Van Pelt and took whatever it was out. "This is the bullet that killed William." He said. "WHAT?" screamed Marguerite. Everyone else just stared. "As you can see," he continued, "it is deformed, as it would if it hit bone. This could only have happened if it actually hit a bone, which it did not do in William..." "Which means it had had to have gone through a bone somewhere else along the way." Finished Van Pelt. "My God, what have I done?" Then he fell on his knees and put his face in his hands.

A few hours later we were back at the treehouse. We had decided that we should leave the next day. We asked the explorers to come back with us, but Roxton said "We have a way to get back to our reality now." As he patted Van Pelt on the shoulders. "But we will get you something to take back with you." Roxton and Van Pelt went out and shot a pterodactyl after our little party.

That night and the next morning were full of excitement, and the packing of equipment. We struck out early, and the last we saw of them, they were waving at us from inside the electric fence perimeter.

The return trip through time was as quick as the way there. As soon as the pterodactyl body was discovered, though, our rise to fame was even faster. "The moderator" and Newline were disappointed that we didn't bring back the explorers, but the body was ample replacement. As we were leaving the mansion on the night of our official report to Newline representatives and scientists, I couldn't help but overtake Ashley and ask, "You know, its bothered me ever since you mentioned it, how are you related to Malone?" "I'm his great-granddaughter." "But that would mean the explorers..." I stammered. "Exactly." She said as she smiled and continued down the stairs to the waiting limo, which drove off leaving me feeling this adventure was not in vain, and that some storybooks do have happy endings.

THE END