CHAPTER 285

Marty Guitierrez got out of his seat, walked over to Dr. Levine, and crouched down. He was still sweating like a sieve full of water.

Dr. Levine glanced up. "Are you having a problem, Martin?"

"Ok, Rich, I'm just going to throw this out there one more time. Maybe this is a bad idea."

"Oh for God's sake, Marty, we're about to take off."

"Look Rich, you made your point. There was obviously something abnormal going on, and based off the evidence it wasn't so crazy an idea to be searching for a Lost World. But now that the mystery has been solved I think we can wash our hands of it. You were right, at least in part. So come on. Let's get off this helicopter, get back to Costa Rica, and I'll buy you a beer."

Dr. Levine held a bland disinterested stare on him and said, "Marty, go back to your seat."

Marty swallowed hard at the rejection and pulled at his collar. He stood straight, but as soon as he was up he felt an enormous set of pectoral muscles slam in his face. Marty was knocked on his back. His glasses snagged on one ear and hung crooked across his mouth and nose. A huge figure loomed over him, and he sorted out his glasses to see who it was. Thorne stood above him like a Greek Titan and grumbled through an exhalation.

Marty had never seen such muscular greatness, not even on television. He stammered, though no intelligible words came forth.

One of Thorne's mighty tattooed arms descended and snatched his wrist. Effortlessly Marty was hoisted to his feet, and now, once again, faced Thorne's pectorals. Marty strangely found himself going crosseyed over the prominence of the great rift between the two chest muscles.

"Hey doc, my eyes are up here."

Marty looked up quickly with embarrassment.

Thorne's face was like stone. A moment later he broke into a hearty laugh and clapped Marty on the shoulder so hard that his glasses almost tumbled from his nose. A second after that Thorne was back to being stone faced. He leaned close to Marty and spoke in a low voice, "Dr. Martin Guitierrez? Do I have that right?"

Marty nodded nervously as he pushed his glasses back up.

"People call me Thorne."

Marty nodded with the same nervous tension.

"Relax." Thorne grabbed Marty by both shoulders and gave him a friendly shake. "I like you." He clapped his arms and released him. "You're sort of like this dog I once had. Skittish little bastard."

Marty laughed weak and awkward. He felt like he had just been roughed up by a grizzly bear. He tried to refrain from rubbing the slap marks on his arms, but he couldn't help it.

"Can I call you Marty?"

Marty nodded again, attempting to not look so nervous.

"Cool. Marty, I thought this would be a swell time to discuss some of the in-flight rules. I have roughly ten that are pertinent at all times. Is that ok with you?"

Marty nodded once more. "Sure."

Thorne's voice remained low. "First rule, stay in your seat." He paused and shifted his eyes from Marty to Marty's vacant chair.

Marty looked at him in confusion, and Thorne repeated the gesture. It was then that Marty understood and fumbled back to his seat.

"Thank you, Marty." Thorne proceeded toward the cockpit. "Secondly, nobody vomits in my helicopter. That one is directed at you, Marty. You seem a little sickly, just like that dog I had. Anyone who breaks the rules shall suffer a premature disembarking from the aircraft."

Thorne was about to disappear into the cockpit when Marty said, "wait, what are the other rules?"

Thorne stopped and peered over his shoulder. "When I toss you out the side door mid flight you'll know."

Thorne made his way into the cockpit, and a minute later the engines began to whine.

In the fuselage Arby said to Diego with an inquisitive look, "is it weird to wonder how many steaks you could get out of one of Thorne's pecs?"

"Si, Arby. It is weird."

The whining of the motors was soon drowned out by the thumping of the two sets of chopper blades that spun above the Chinook. Everyone in the fuselage kept to themselves now. Some nervous gestures were made. Marty in particular crossed himself. Arby swallowed hard and then took several deep breaths. Even Kelly bore a look of slight apprehension as the wheels of the chopper lifted away from the deck.

On the other side of the helicopter Dodgson had awoken from his nap and was grinning at them creepily. This did not make anyone feel better. Arby took another deep breath and stared at the floor. Marty crossed himself another time and closed his eyes.