It was Star who heard the stealthy movement through the bushes, above the gentle swishing of the sea below. She also heard natives whispering to each other on their way to the cliff edge. They were starting their search from where survivors would swim ashore.
Powerful torches lit up the lush green foliage and revealed the faint trail of crushed grass and snapped twigs left by Max and Star. There were no animals on the island to make a trail, and no natives would go there, so someone must be hiding on the island.
Star woke Max and clamped her hand firmly over his mouth. She whispered in his ear, “the natives are out tracking us, and they are very close.”
Max nodded his understanding and reached for the weapons.
“If they find us, you stay in hiding with the club. As I engage the attacker, club him.” She nodded.
A man crept towards the bush under which Max was hiding. It was bad luck that he stepped on Max’s leg, or he might have gone on by. The native snatched Max up and held him in a bear hug - face to face.
In the reflected light of the man’s fallen torch, Max could see his eyes. They were devoid of life, staring at Max, unblinking, glazed and inhuman. The native was about to call out to the others, when Star smashed her club down hard on the man’s skull. He lurched a bit, but his vice like grip remained. More surprisingly, his eyes remained open and mesmerized.
The man yelled for help as Star continued to rain blows on his head. In desperation, she grabbed her dagger and stabbed the man in the side of his neck. Hot blood spurted out in strong pulsed gushes, but he seemed not to notice. Another native came crashing through the jungle to help him. The stabbed native was swaying now through blood loss.
A powerful native woman appeared and lunged at Star, as she tried to run away. The woman grabbed her in a bear hug, trapping Star’s upper arms at her sides. The woman’s massive breasts, each side of Star’s head, acted like blinkers. As the woman called out for help, Star stabbed the woman in the front of her thigh. Apart from a grunt, it had no effect.
Max had broken free of the man who had collapsed to his knees. He bent back the woman’s fingers to force her powerful arms apart. Star slipped free and stabbed the woman in her right eye and left cheek.
Apparently oblivious to pain, she made another grab at Star, whilst calling for help, again. Star stabbed to the right side of the woman’s neck, quickly bringing her to her knees.
It took just moments for them to drag the two bodies and tip them over the cliff, into the sea below. Now they ran for their lives, as more natives came crashing towards them through the jungle.
Max and Star made their way to the narrow path, down to the sea. On hands and knees, they felt their way down to the bottom and entered the complex through the side door. It became brightly lit inside, as soon as the door was closed. Cautiously, they listened at the inner door. There were no sounds from the other side, so they slowly opened it and peered in.
***
It was 10.00pm when the natives returned and reported that two of them were missing, believed killed. They had found no survivors, but there were plenty of signs that someone had reached the island.
Conrad Phelps instructed a team in hazmat gear to carry out a search of the island, assisted by drones. It also occurred to him that the survivors might have found their way into the complex. He got security to carry out an immediate internal search, and roll call.
It took 30 minutes for the hazmat team to find the blood pools from the dead natives. They followed the blood trails to the cliff edge and knew where the bodies had been disposed of. It was now clear that the complex had intruders as the narrow path down to the sea entrance, showed signs of recent use.