Sorry -- couldn't wait
. . the trucks slam to a halt and the groups start pouring out.
"It came from the back", exclaims Dr. Hergsley.
Dr. Savage cuts him a "No shit" look and heads with the others to the last truck where a crowd is already gathering. She is clearly pissed at this interruption and in her mind is already chalking it up to some macho bullshit.
Dr. Hergsley shrieks and jumps back as a small body is tossed from the back of the truck and lands at their feet.
Dr. Savage stares down with steely eyes at the monkey corpse at her feet. The left arm is missing, there is blood around and in its wide-open mouth . The mouth is about all that's left of the head as the rest has clearly been blown off.
She doesn't exactly know why, but something about the monkey's color doesn't seem right.
She looks up into the truck and impatiently barks, "What happened?" into the throng of men rapidly yelling and arguing in Spanish.
"The monkey attacked Raul , Dr. Savage, then Guillermo shot it." exclaimed Enrique. Enrique was the leader and interpreter for the local laborers that they had hired before heading into the jungle. He was tall, thin, and weathered. A slightly gaunt appearance, like a spanish version of John Carradine. He had a pleasant smile under better circumstances, but even under duress, he could be counted on to have an even temper and to keep his wits about him.. The laborers abviously looked up to and respected him.
Her gaze shifted over to the laborer, Raul, that was standing beside Enrique, clutching his arm and in obvious pain. Blood was seeping between his fingers and dripping to the floor of the truck bed.
"How bad is he injured, Enrique?", Dr. Savage asks
"He was bitten," Enrique responds, "A very deep bite"
"I'll run and get my kit"Dr. Webb says from behind Dr. Savage. Dr. Nathan Webb is the team's physician. Tall , dark-haired with a slightly athletic build. Mid-thirties, from a highly-ranked med school. The mannerisms of a silver spoon upbringing without the snobbishness. He runs back to the truck he was riding in to get his bag.
"Don't worry Dr. Savage. I'll keep you safe" says Guillermo with a slight chuckle.
Savanah turns towards the guard who shot the monkey and notices his leering grin and the fact that his gaze is planted directly on her breasts. The bastard even sligtly licks his lips as he continues to grin down at her from the back of the truck. He is ex-Colombian military, slightly overweight with a constant sheen of sweat. The type that would offer a starving dog a scrap of food, just to get it close enough to kick. He is in command of the ex-military mercanaries that are acting as the expedition's guards. Savanah knew his type well and also knew she would own his balls if he got out of line. She gave him her best cold-bitch evil smile and turned back to Enrique.
As some of the laborers were helping Raul down from the truck, Dr. Savage says, "Enrique, set up camp here for the night" and turning around to Dr. Hergsley, "Herm, get a cooler for that monkey"
She walks back over to Enrique who is supervising the laborers in unloading the tents from the trucks, and asks ,"I only heard one shot. Where's the monkey's arm?"
"That's the damnedest thing, Dr. Savage. His arm was already gone when he attacked Raul. I've never seen one act like that. He must have been crazy from a jaguar or something taking his arm."
As she walks over to see how Dr. Webb is doing with Raul, she ponders. She knows that unlike insects, the traumatic loss of a limb to a primate is a fairly debilitating injury and untreated , should result in a fairly quick death.
She'll be very curious when she examines that monkey later. Very curious and very thorough.
Raul appears to be in shock, although Dr. Webb has stopped the bleeding. He's sweating profusely and is very pale and keeps mumbling in Spanish under his breath. He doesn't look well at all, she thinks as Dr. Webb administers a shot.
She can't help noticing that Dr. Webb does have a nice butt on him. Who knows she wonders with a small smile, maybe the good doctor will learn some things they don't teach in med school before this trip is over..
At this same time, on the other side of the clearing, Dr. Reiser, one of the chemists is having a hushed conversation with Guillermo. All we hear is , "Well that is not what the company is paying me to do and if you want to get paid, then you don't start anything until I give the word. Am I clear?"
"Clear, doctor" Guillermo mutters, spits and walks away to wherr his guards are unpacking gear.
Dr. Reiser has a cunning look at the back of the large Colombian guard. He is short, with wiry black hair and knows full well that although he did a good job of talking Dr. Savage into coming on this mission, that her goals are at odds with those of himself and the Company. No press reports will be coming out of this jungle, he thinks. Nothing that might embarrass the Company anyway.
Cut to: dark shapes with long tails moving through the trees surrounding the camp. Patience, patience is the message that the brain-slugs deliver to their furry hosts. The hundreds of furry hosts. These humans are better prepared than the simple villagers. The brain-slugs and their monkey army will take a different approach, but approach they will. Oh yes they will. Darkness is their friend they know as they watch the sun descend from their perches in the canopies above.
OK-- please--someone elses turn