(Chapter 9: Manipulated)

It was late in the day; Clayton had returned to Jane and Professor Porter and had begun to construct another camp for them to take shelter in. Thanks to the fire that had turned their previous camp to cinders, the best they could afford was a large tent big enough for the three of them and makeshift beds made from leaves.

Percy Isaacs and the rest of his men had returned to the main encampment, knowing that they plan in which they had set in motion was about to come to fruition.

Tarzan, on the other hand, was gathering fruit from the trees to eat his lunch. He had discovered a berry bush and quickly grabbed a handful up and began to chow down. Enjoying the flavorful juices as the berries burst in his mouth as he chewed them. In that moment, he felt that he wasn't alone, and there were times when he felt this way when a friend was nearby, but this sensation of being followed or watched instilled a sense of dread within him.

The ape-man looked over his shoulder to investigate his surroundings, nothing seemed to out of the ordinary…so he would go back to enjoying his meal, grabbing another handful and enjoying it. Then came the sound of rustling bushes all around him, his heart rate began to increase, and he slowly walked in a circle while in place to see whatever the threat was, but nothing was there. The rustling stopped.

When Tarzan turned around to face the berry bush again, an African tribal warrior was there, emerging from the bushes with a knife in hand. The brown eyes of the warrior were filled with anger and hatred, and he would quickly go for a slash to Tarzan's throat, but the wild man parried and nailed him with a punch to the head that knocked him into the bushes.

More of them emerged from the trees, and Tarzan quickly found himself being surrounded at all sides. With a defiant yell, he pounded his chest and the warriors fell upon him. He spun, smashing a backhand into one of the warriors as another came from his left, which he snagged by the throat and tossed into a one coming from his right.

Tarzan could hear pounding footsteps coming from behind, and he would turn around to see a warrior charging at him with a spear in hand. The ape-man stepped to the side and would guide the spear into a warrior at his front, killing him before giving a back elbow to the one that originally held the spear. The first warrior that had emerged from the berry bush returned, taking a swipe at Tarzan, who weaved back and deflected the arm before sending another nasty punch into his face, this would prompt the wild man to snatch the knife out of his hand and turn around to slit the throat of a warrior that came from behind him.

Another warrior ran at him from the front, and when Tarzan went to stab him in the chest, another one of them grabbed his arm and held him back. However, the ape-man was too strong, and he would launch him into his friend at his front with a throw.

As Tarzan went for a slash to a warrior that was coming at him again, his arm was snagged by the wrist and immobilized, when he went for a punch with his free arm, it too was snagged and now he was in trouble as another one came at his front and delivered a kick that knocked him into a tree with a thud.

"D-dammit…" Tarzan growled, but then came the roars and hoots of his gorilla allies, the tribal warriors looked confused and examined their location before the apes burst from the brush to provide backup to the wild man.

Tarzan had seen firsthand that primitive weapons such as spears and knives wouldn't be enough to bring down the apes, and he figured that it would only take a matter of time before every warrior would be defeated. The sound of a horn was heard blowing, but the ape-man thought nothing of it as he crept away.

As he tried to get further and further away from the fight, he was forced right back into it when he felt a great pressure slam into his ribs that launched him into the air a few feet. Scooting on his behind, he would look up to see Mambu looming over him, holding a spear and shield as well as a knife attached to his necklace.

"I was wondering when I'd see you…" Tarzan growled as he tried to get back up to his feet, but Mambu would smash the wicker shield into his face and made the wild man stumble back against a rocky wall.

"Surrender, Tarzan. It is the only way out of the conflict now." Mambu commanded, his voice sounding more menacing and deep with the tribal tiki mask he wore over his face.

"Who told you that? Percy?" The ape-man taunted, Mambu let out a furious scream as he went to bash the shield into Tarzan's face again, but the wild man blocked it and shoved him back.

"You've allowed him to infect your mind, Mambu. We're an alliance! Remember!?" Tarzan barked, Mambu would thrust his spear towards the ape man's head, but he would miss his target as the wild man rolled under the attack and quickly scaled a tree by use of a vine. Mambu would launch the spear towards the limb Tarzan landed on, and the impact broke the limb.

Tarzan screamed as he soared through the air, smashing into the ground with a sickening thud.

Elsewhere, Clayton, Jane, and Professor Porter all heard Tarzan's yell echo from off the trees, and they could still hear the commotion going on. Both Professor Porter and Clayton begged Jane to leave Tarzan to his own affairs, but she couldn't help but go investigate.

"Jane, how many times must I tell you to leave it alone. It's too dangerous for you!" Clayton admonished her as he chased her down with Porter running by his side.

"Nothing is too dangerous for me when I'm with Tarzan; I must help him!" Jane cried out.

"Jane, don't! You're getting ahead of yourself!" Professor Porter pleaded, but his daughter stubbornly wouldn't listen.

Jane would make use of some vines to swing herself closer and closer to the fight and she could see Tarzan and Mambu enter a tunnel to her North. She would land on a thick tree limb and use a creeper to rappel down the large tree, noticing that the two fighters had vanished into the tunnel.

Within the tunnel, Tarzan went for a punch, but Mambu blocked it with his wicker shield before ramming his mask into the wild man's face. The ape-man grunted in pain and took a few steps back before growling furiously, as Mambu went for another shield bash, Tarzan's fist broke through it and put a dent in his mask!

Tarzan went for another right hand, but Mambu parried with a strike of his own that sent the ape-man stumbling out of the tunnel and onto a large rocky cliffside which had a flat surface. A small pond covered the stone ground and would lead off the edge as some sort of waterfall, but the force of the water wasn't strong enough to pull them towards the edge.

Jane entered the tunnel and would see Mambu looming over the downed Tarzan in the distance, with a snarl, she rushed through the tunnel. Her bare feet pounding on the rocks ached like hell, but the pain wasn't stronger than her love for the wild man. Mambu unsheathed his knife necklace and aimed for Tarzan's heart, but Jane would be there to pounce on his back and grab his wrist!

"My Jane!" Tarzan gasped with a smile; Jane had one arm wrapped around the neck of Mambu while her other arm had hold of Mambu's wrist which clutched the knife. The woman would wrap her legs around the body of the chief and lock her feet for a secured grip to hold on to him for dear life.

With the weapon immobilized, Jane began to squeeze down with her one arm and grind her legs into Mambu's ribs, the chief growled in slight pain and discomfort as Tarzan's lover strangled him. However, she wouldn't be able to hold on for long. The leader of the tribe jerked his head back to smash it into Jane's face, stunning her before he grabbed her arm and threw her off in a move akin to a Judo throw. Jane groaned as her body smashed into the wet and rocky ground, but Mambu wasn't done as he planted his foot into the side of her head that nearly knocked her out.

Tarzan's eyes went wide upon seeing the chief kick his lover, and as if his heart wasn't racing hard enough, it was now put into overdrive as he let out a furious yell before charging at Mambu at full speed.

Clayton and Professor Porter arrived, and the hunter would quickly take aim upon Mambu with his rifle. Porter saw that Tarzan was leaping upon the chief and he quickly smashed the rifle upwards as Clayton pulled the trigger, the sound of the round exploding forth from the barrel echoed across the entire jungle.

"What are you doing, you idiot!?" Clayton screamed in the old man's face. "I'm trying to make this easier for Tarzan!"

"Not when he's right on top of him!" Porter retorted as the two of them witnessed Tarzan and Mambu grappling for position. The two men tumbled and rolled on the stone ground; their bodies soaked in the water as the shallow pond splashed over them. They reached for each other's heads, limbs, and any body part they could purchase in order to try and immobilize the other.

While the two were grappling, Clayton loaded another round into his rifle. At the same time, Porter heard pounding footsteps and shouting men from behind them. Looking over his shoulder, several tribal warriors emerged from the tunnel, armed with shields and spears.

"Clayton, I wouldn't aim at him if I were you…" The professor warned, Clayton rolled his eyes and turned around, but he would freeze in place when twenty of those warriors started to close in, spears pointed towards them.

Jane grabbed a rock and got up, it took everything in her to even gulp. Her nervous eyes peered around while her father and guardian were at spearpoint, their arms in the air as a form of surrender. Her eyes then shifted to Tarzan and Mambu, who were on the edge of the cliff. Tarzan's head dangling off the side as the chief smashed his fist into the ape-man's face over and over.

Everything seemed to go in slow motion for the woman, looking at Clayton and her father and then back to Tarzan and Mambu.

Screw it she thought as she cocked her arm back and launched the rock towards Mambu's head, the rock smashed against his mask and broke it to pieces. The tribal warriors closed in on her, driving her towards the edge of the cliff slowly but surely.

"Please…pl—" She looked over and saw Mambu getting up, the chief raised the knife high over his head, his eyes narrowing upon her.

Tarzan looked up and noticed Mambu staring towards Jane, his knife ready to be launched towards her. As beaten down as the ape-man was, his love proved stronger than any injury and with a defiant yell, he reached up and snagged Mambu by his loincloth and launched him off the edge of the cliff!

Now all the warriors started to close in, spears pointed towards the three as they were driven further and further towards the edge. Clayton looked up and happened to see Percy Isaacs watching the chaos from above them on a high rock with some of his men, a satisfied smile was displayed on the face of the Englishman. Did he view Clayton as disposable!?

Tarzan happened to notice Percy too, and all his suspicions were confirmed in that very moment. The ape-man's eyes casted a piercing glare towards the elderly Englishman with nothing but disdain.

"You will pay, for what you've done to Mambu…" A warrior growled; Tarzan shook his head as his heels slid off the edge…

"Mambu done that to himself…" Tarzan fired back right before the roars of several gorillas in unison were heard echoing around them. A grin came to the face of the wild man and several of them were seen charging through the tunnel towards the warriors, who surrendered on the spot without a leader.

Now safe, the three stepped away from the edge and Jane leapt into Tarzan's arms, the two sharing a passionate embrace and kiss.

"You are save now, my Tarzan." Jane chirped.

"As are you, my Jane." The ape-man replied before the two engaged in another kiss.

"I think the worst of everything has come to pass!" Jane said happily aloud.

Tarzan glanced up towards where Percy was located, the Englishman's eyes had narrowed, and he sent a hateful stare down towards him before leaving the scene with his men.

"It's not over yet, my love. However, have hope, for I believe that every conflict that we've faced so far, is about to come to an end."