The armored car trundles down the mountain, bumping over ruts in the road and splashing through small mountain streams. At last you break out of the jungle and see the broad valley below you. Antonio must drive around bodies strewn near the road. Some are bloated with the Yellow Death. Others appear to have been shot.
Six soldiers of the North Borneo Company become alert at your approach, manning the ford across the small stream that marks the edge of the Quarantine Zone. They wave for you to stop.
Elliot waves his arms out the window. "Hey! We've returned from the mountain! We need to speak with Clements or Lancaster immediately!"
"I'm sorry, sir, but you're not to cross that stream. Quarantine, you understand. I have order to shoot, sir."
"Uh... well yes, we realize that. We were here earlier. But there are some issues that Captain Lancaster must be made aware of. Issues that will have an effect on this entire damn island, the quarantine be damned! We'll wait here and yell at him as we're doing to you if need be, but we must speak with Lancaster right now before it's too late for everyone on the island, including you and your mates!" The archaeologist isn't usually very persuasive, but he knows how to get through bureaucratic red tape when need be (the administrators at the UPenn having nothing on the British Army in this case), and he hopes he makes a convincing argument.
"Very well, sir. Half a moment, if you please."
"Athold, the field telephone."
A private soldier hands the Sergeant a very modern field telephone and proceeds to crank it by hand.
"Field Squad, Thompson reporting sir. Sir, the Americans have returned. They're demanding to speak with you. They say it's very urgent. Yes, sir."
Thompson puts down the phone and calls across to you. "Afraid I can't hand you the phone. But Captain Lancaster will be here presently."
About ten minutes later, Lancaster approaches in a field car driven by a private. He returns the Sergeant's salute and approaches the stream.
"Devil of a thing, this. But I'm afraid I can't let you cross. Not for two days," he says.
"Sir." Abraham says, stepping out of the jeep for a moment and stepping towards the men. "I fought with a number of you back in France. Brave son of b&%*!es that tug to the German lines while we held the no man's land. I know you are men of courage and valor and I pray that you believe the same of me." Abraham's eyes show the potent mixture of the horrors of war and the horrors of the jungle behind them.
"We discovered that there was some...insurgency further in. One that spread the plague as a biochemical weapon and is now aiming to hide as much evidence as possible. They have some sort of powerful bomb, one that should react with the chemicals the sickness creates. I don't...understand it much...but I know the bomb is active and we do not have that time. In maybe less than an hour, this whole place may be an inferno."
"If you wait two days, we will all be corpses. We have to pull back as far as possible, the possible destruction that will be wrought is unimaginable. Lancaster, you have the choice here; save us and your men or condemn us all to death following orders. Please...save us." Abraham says calmly but the desperation cannot help but tinge his final words. It all rested on him.
"Captain, if you do not let us across and begin evacuations, we will all perish. Abraham tells the truth. There is a bomb about to go off and it will turn this entire area into dust. We must evacuate!"
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Lancaster looks at Abrham, at Father Antonio. You can see how much he is moved by their pleas.
"But the Yellow Death. You could infect millions!"
"Where is the viral analyzer? I can easily take samples from us, and prove our status, for the good, or the bad."
An almost sad smile spreads across Abraham's face as he sits against the hood of the car, giving a momentary chuckle to himself.
"That's that then. I understand Captain. I guess we wait." The former soldier said as he beat a pack of cigarettes against his palm, a shaky hand bringing up a lighter after he placed one between his lips. What he would do for an actual drink right now.
When Dr. Hyluan spoke up, Abraham's eyebrow perked upwards. Maybe death wasn't going to claim them all today.
"And we will die in our boots here if we don't move. Escort us if you must, Captain. Test us if you must. We need to move though."
The viral analyzer is in the back of your armored car.
Chakos dismounts the vehicle, sets up the analyzer, and proceeds to take samples from each of them in succession and running them through the analyzer.
Twenty minutes later, as the troops look curiously on, Captain Lancaster squints at the unfamiliar readout. "And that means you're not infected, does it? Well, oh, bugger it. Sergeant, let them across."
"Sir!" The sergeant signals his men to allow your armored car across the ford.
"Now then," says Lancaster. "How far back must we get to avoid this...bomb?"
"The wise man would choose to be on the dark side of the moon, I suspect. That being impractical, what do you think Abraham?"
"Go as far as possible. We need to evacuate the camp!"
Elliot nods in agreement. "We pitched it down a deep hole, but not knowing how powerful the bomb is, we should prepare for the worst. Is it possible to be offshore when the blast occurs? What are your evacuation plans?"
"Elliot is right. As far as possible is the best course of action. We need to move. Now." Abraham says, tossing away his cigarette now that the chance to live seems on the table again.
"We've only got a single [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vickers_Type_264_Valentia#/media/File:Vickers_Type_264_Valentia.jpg]Vickers Valentia. It'll never carry us all. And it's down for maintenance," says Lancaster.
"It might do, sir," says Sergeant Thompson. "If all its excess weight were ejected and our gear left behind. It seats 18 troops and there's 29 of us. We would have to leave the natives behind."
"Too bad it's not working. One of the evaporator-compressors is bad, I hear. We've requested a mechanic from Singapore." Lancaster looks at you. "I don't suppose one of you lads is a mechanic?"
Elliot looks uncertain. "I've worked on cars. Quite a lot actually, back in Philly at Duke's Garage. Hell, I've got a rebuilt 1917 Buick Model D-45 back home. She's a real peach, let me tell you. But a plane?" He shrugs. "Probably works on more or less the same principle as a car engine, so long as it's just this evaporator-compressor that needs work. Let me take a look, anyway. I think we're going to need to fly her if we want to make sure we're clear of the blast when it happens."
Antonio shakes his head and holds his empty hands out. "Don't look at me. I mend souls and spirits, not airplanes." He suddenly thinks of Lady Ashford and makes the sign of the cross, hoping her soul found peace.
"I can't fix one of those little tin pedal cars the kids are all about these days, so don't look at me!"
Lancaster looks at Elliot. "Can you fix it or can't you? We have trucks. We can load our people and start driving, but if this, this, wonder-weapon is as bad as you say..."
Figuring that Lancaster is giving him permission to take a look at the engine to do what he can, Elliot nods and says. "Well, let's take a look. I'll do what I can."
Once he's brought over to inspect the plane, the archaeologist calls upon his general knowledge of mechanical repair to try and get the bird running again as he calls out for various tools and parts to be brought over...
Captain Lancaster orders Thompson's troops to retire to the base and prepare to leave. The Company troops work on tearing out seats and bulkheads to lighten the load while Elliot gets greasy in the guts of the aircraft. It isn't pretty and it isn't perfect, but Elliot thinks it will hold, at least long enough to get the plane in the air and out of this valley. It might not make Singapore, but it should make it to the capital at Sandakan.
Everyone hustles aboard and the engine roars to life. The pilot, a young lieutenant Madge, takes the yoke and lifts off. All is well as the Vickers Valentia struggles gamely with the excess weight and Madge directs it towards the lowest pass leading out of the valley.
The walls of the mountain pass rise above you as the aircraft struggles with the altitude. Suddenly, a brilliant light fills all the valley and intensifies for several seconds. As the troops look wonderingly at each other, Sergeant Thompson yells for everyone to hold onto something and brace themselves. Thirteen seconds later the airplane is swatted by an enormous force, like the hand of an angry god. Everything spins and men are slammed into the bulkheads and ceiling of the plane. The aircraft careens through the pass, shuddering and shaking. The evaporator compressor whines and smokes, but holds. You have survived the blast.
Four hours later, the Vickers Valentia make an unscheduled stop in Sandakan. You endure several days of sharp questioning by men educated at Eton and Cambridge who are no fools. But at long last you are permitted to take ship for Manila and thence to San Francisco. There, you read of a strange incident in remotest Borneo where mine gas created a huge and deadly explosion that killed hundreds.
END OF CHAPTER!
Chakos nods, "mining is such a dangerous occupation!"
Elliot is glad to have survived, but feels keenly for all those that were killed. Still, whatever hellish disease was unleashed by the serpent people must surely have been wiped out. And those folks that had been infected were at least granted a quick death. It wasn't the solution he'd hoped for, but it would have to do. For now.
Back from Borneo for about a month now, Chakos and Elliot are on the subway in New York, heading to the 57th Street YMCA to watch Father Antonio boxing in a demonstration match for charity. Both of them have the eerie feeling that they're being watched. Looking around at the packed subway car, they see a large crowd of various types of people, but none seem to be taking an undue interest in the two men.
The feeling fades, but comes back as Elliot and Chakos walk from the subway station down 57th Avenue.
I fear that is but an ordinary success.
Elliot turns to Chakos as they approach the subway station. "I wonder if I should put a friendly little wager on this fight. For the padre, of course! You think the charity would frown on that?" The archaeologist is only half-serious, using his question to turn to his friend and get a look behind them. He hasn't been able to shake the idea that they're being followed...
"Yes, naturally on the Padre, to bet against him would be absurd, ad probably a sacrilege. As for what the charity thinks, I suppose that if you were to donate some of your winnings, they'd be happy for you."
Chakos, you spot a wiry young man in a shapeless flat cap eyeing you. You lock eyes and he bolts down the street into an alleway.
Yup. Elliot.
"Hey! Kid! Chakos, come on, I think that kid's following us!" Elliot takes off toward the alleyway, trying to catch up.
Chakos bolts after Elliot and the quarry.
The two adventurers, doctor and archaeologist, chase the young man into the alleyway, where they find him trying to climb over a chain link fence.
Elliot lunges and grabs him, pulling him down and pushing him against the wall. "Why were you following us? Don't deny it, I've seen you doing just that."
The young man looks angry and frightened in equal measure. "I don't know nothin' about nothin'," he says in a noticeable Italian accent. "I'm just goin' about my business, see?"
Elliot sneers at the youth as he holds him against the wall. "Right. Chakos, search him for weapons. Or anything else, for that matter."
The kid has a wallet, but no identification. There's no money in it, either. He's got a pair of brass knuckles and a pocket knife as well as a single 1932 silver dollar that looks brand new.
"Look, Mister, I wasn't doin' nothin', honest!"
Elliot eyes the kid dubiously. "Where'd you get the coin? Who's paying you to follow us, huh? Fess up kid, and then you can go. We'll keep your little weapons though, just to keep you from doing anything stupid."
As directed, Chakos had removed the kid's weapons, and was trying on the brass knuckles suggestively, as if he was prepared to use them on the kid at Elliot's direction.