Alan�s first impression upon waking was a slight musty smell, reminding him of the first few nights he had spent at the compound. It had taken more than a week to make the living quarters habitable, but he presumed he had eventually gotten accustomed to the smell of dust and mildew that lingered for weeks afterward. Open windows and liberal applications of cleaners had eventually conquered the smells, and he knew he was fortunate that he was not extremely sensitive to the allergens which gave many people headaches and sniffles. Here, the musty smell contained a distinctly earthen odor, and the ground beneath him was hard and rocky.
It had been a rather rough night, tossing and turning in an attempt to find a comfortable position on the small rocks that were firmly embedded in the floor and which pressed against any area of contact. The thin blanket on which he had slept provided no barrier at all, and he felt mildly surprised that he had managed at some point to drift off, in spite of the discomfort.
The air inside the niche was quiet, calm and very still. There was no crackling of the camp fire they had built the evening before, indicating that it had died out at some point during the night. There had been no real need to build it up again; the niche was not deep enough to be very much cooler than the outside air.
Had he been more comfortable, he might have been tempted to simply turn over and go back to sleep, but the pointed tip of the sandstone rock jabbing into his shoulder blade left no such luxury. Shifting his weight from that rock and onto another, he opened his eyes and was not surprised to find that it was dusky inside their shelter. The large opening was bright with morning light and some of that light pushed back the total blackness that they would have seen inside a cave. Farther out, he could see sunlight on the trees, but because the niche faced north, the sunlight did not penetrate their shelter.
Raising his wrist, he glanced at the luminous hands on his watch: eight forty. They had slept longer than he had intended and longer than he had expected, given the hardness of the rocky ground beneath their makeshift beds. The rocks were the upper portions of much larger rocks beneath the surface, and therefore impossible to excavate to make a smoother sleeping surface. Their choices had been few: either sleep on the rocks, or in the pouring rain.
Feeling surprisingly refreshed, he drew a deep breath and released it in a yawn as he sat up and dragged his fingers through his ever-lengthening hair. The first thing he intended to do when he returned to civilization again was to pay a visit to a barber! His hand lowered to his cheek, where he scratched at the stubble that bristled there. He had brought a razor and planned to occasionally shave if they found a campsite near a water source, but he would not use their drinking water for such unnecessary activities. Ellie would just have to tolerate looking at his scruffiness for a while.
At the thought of her, he glanced across the fire pit, where she still slept, and his gaze lingered fondly on her for several moments, deciding that there was no need to awaken her just yet. She was lying on her side, her arm folded beneath her head as a pillow, her expression serine. Her long flaxen hair fanned out on the floor around her head like a silky halo. God, she was beautiful.
She clearly needed the rest, so he quietly stood up and stretched the stiffness out of his back as he made his way to the mouth of the niche to gaze out at the mountain region of Isla Sorna that had been out of his reach for so long.
It was a beautiful morning, much different from the tumultuous storm that had chased them into their shelter the evening before. Morning mist blanketed the low areas. The trees and grass glistened with dew and residual raindrops, and the treetops were alive with birds that chirped and fluttered from limb to limb. In the meadow near the edge of the jungle, a group of parrots were gathering at a puddle of water, bathing and splashing in the glistening moisture, sending up sprays of glistening droplets. The air smelled fresh and clean, and he inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with nature�s goodness. Somewhere deep inside the jungle, he heard the loud calls of a howler monkey, and made a mental note to jot that down as another species that had survived the introduction of the foreign, human-engineered species.
Lowering his eyes, he looked down at the ground, some ten feet below, and was reminded that they had as of yet seen no indications that the dinosaurs were in the higher elevations. Had there been predators at this higher altitude, the niche would have served a temporary home base, allowing them to travel about for several miles in all directions without the burden of carrying their gear with them, returning each night to sleep in safety. The unfortunate reality was that it would be impossible to find such a lucky shelter each time they stopped for the night. Most nights, they would be out in the open, exposed to the animals and to the elements. But with John Hammond�s sensing device, they would at least be forewarned of approaching animals, and that would allow them to rest in relative safety.
The ledge was slightly damp from last night�s rain, but was rocky with no mud, a perfect perch to observe the meadow. Lowering himself to the ground, he dangled his legs over the sandstone edge and watched the parrots in the meadow as they continued to bathe and flutter in the puddles of water. In the serenity of the calm morning, he half expected to see a herd of deer materialize from the trees to graze in the tall meadow grass. Instead, he was reminded that they had yet to see any ground dwelling mammals on this island, even in these higher elevations. Had none survived the introduction of the non-native species, or had they grown more cautious because of the dangerous predators that were now at the top of the food chain?
A hand gripped his shoulder, bringing him out of his reverie, and he looked up as Ellie sat down beside him. �Good morning,� she said, cheerfully.
�Morning,� he responded. �I hope I didn�t wake you up.�
�No, the howler monkey woke me up. Noisy little bugger.�
�I need to remember to write it down in my journal this evening. Looks like there are several native species that have managed to survive. So far we�ve seen a sloth, tracks from some other small creature, probably a kinkajou, and we�re hearing howler monkeys. That�s good news.�
�That�s very good news,� she agreed, hoping that the presence of some native species indicated that they were safe, at least for a while. She turned her attention to the landscape. �It�s pretty here. Have you seen anything of interest yet this morning?�
�Nah, I�ve just been watching some parrots taking a bath in the meadow and wishing I could join them.� He paused, thoughtfully, then added, �You�ll notice that the only species we�ve seen so far are the ones who live in the treetops.�
She gave him an accusing glance, her hopes for a few days of safe passage suddenly dashed. �You just had to say that, didn�t you?�
�Sorry.�
�So what about that? Do you think they�ve been wiped out, or could they be hiding somewhere, more alert and cautious than before?�
He gave a small shrug. �Either is a possibility. Of course, I�m not sure exactly what species were native to this island. Costa Rica and Central America have many different kinds of monkeys, sloths, jaguars, deer, and peccaries, but that doesn�t mean that all of them were on this island.�
Ellie was quiet for several moments as she observed the scenery and thought about Alan�s words. �Not knowing what species were here before makes it impossible to figure out how many of them might have survived,� she said, breaking the silence. �We know there are no monkeys in the areas around the compound, or we would have heard them.�
He nodded. �Mm-hmm. That�s true. The only mammals I�ve seen there have been an occasional mouse, and I suspect the compies have made short work of those. The monkeys, as well as other species, most likely were scattered throughout the island at one point, but I think the leaders recognized the danger of living in close proximity with the dinosaurs and moved their troupes up here to protect their young.�
�That would make sense,� Ellie agreed. �Monkeys and primates are smart.�
�Part of the reason I wanted to come up here was to determine if some of the native species survived, but primarily I wanted to know if there were other species of dinosaurs that might have come into these regions. It�s obvious that the larger dinosaur species cannot make it up here, like the long-necks or the T-Rexes. I don�t think they could negotiate the slopes, and are probably staying in the flat-lands where the footing is better. On the other hand, these mountains don�t have the high rugged peaks that we see in the Rockies. These have a gentler slope and are densely foliated, so it�s quite conceivable that some of the smaller species might have made their way up here.�
�Like compies and raptors.�
�That�s what we�re here to find out. Just because we haven�t seen them yet doesn�t mean they aren�t here. In fact, I�d be very surprised if there aren�t some up here.�
They fell silent for a while, enjoying the scenery and each other�s company and thinking about the ramifications of introducing a dangerous new species into the island�s eco system, not to mention the danger to them. Alan�s observations that they had of yet seen no ground dwelling mammals was chilling, and reminded her of what he had often said; no place on this island is safe.
After a while, Ellie broke the silence, �Well, I guess I�d better fix us something for breakfast. How does one of those spicy omelets sound?�
�Sounds as good as anything else.� He stood up and offered a hand to help Ellie up.
She slipped her hand in his and stood up, brushing at the slight wetness on the back of her jeans with her other hand. Together, they went back inside the niche.
While Alan built up the fire again, Ellie opened the foil pouches and poured them into the skillet. When the fire was ready, she placed the skillet over the flames and set the small tin coffee pot beside it to heat.
On the other side of the fire, Alan knelt down and rolled up his bedroll and began stowing his equipment in preparation for their departure from the niche.
Ellie watched with a small sigh, silently wishing they could stay there a little longer, but did not voice a verbal objection. The whole purpose of coming to the mountains was to investigate the wildlife, and they could not do it from a safe perch overlooking one small meadow.
Following his lead, she quickly began putting away the items she had taken from her pack the evening before. By the time she was finished, the omelets were ready, so she carefully transferred them from the skillet to their plates. They each poured their own coffee, and settled back to eat.
As with the pasta the night before, the prepackaged eggs were surprisingly good, but not as good as freshly made.
�Not bad, but it tastes a bit like artificial eggs,� Ellie said. �A little more cheese might have helped the flavor a bit, if we had some.�
�And some fresh onions and peppers,� Alan replied. He swallowed the first bite and speared a second with the fork. �There isn�t much spice to these �spicy omelets�. I guess it�ll fill us up, though, and out here, I guess beggars can�t be choosers.�
�It�s not that bad!� Ellie protested.
�Your�s are better.�
Alan managed to consume most of the packaged omelet, and tossed the leftovers over the edge. Some critter would probably find it and finish it for them.
After slipping into their backpacks and securing the rest of their gear with the twine once again, they stepped to the edge of the niche and paused to look down at the ground, some ten feet below. Climbing up had been fairly easy, but in their haste to beat the storm, they had overlooked the fact that getting down might be a bit more difficult.
�It didn�t seem so far down when we were climbing up,� Ellie commented.
�That�s because we were looking up instead of down. Those rocks will be slippery wet from the rain,� Alan added, then shrugged with apparent acceptance. �Well, ten feet won�t kill us if we fall.�
�Might hurt a bit, though,� Ellie mused.
Carefully, Alan guided the equipment over the edge and lowered it to the ground below. Releasing the rest of the twine and allowing it to fall, he said, �Okay, let�s see if we can get down without breaking anything.�
He stepped to the side of the niche where he could find handholds of rocks and saplings, and began the slow descent. As he had predicted, the rocks were slippery with rainwater and mud, and more than once his hand or foot slipped, giving him a heart stopping moment before he managed to catch himself. When he was close enough to the bottom, he simply jumped the rest of the way, then stepped back to watch Ellie as she maneuvered the descent. He kept a close eye on her, intending to break her fall if she slipped.
The howler monkey sounded his noisy calls again, and this time was answered by another call from the opposite direction. Alan instinctively turned to look in that direction, even though he knew he would be unable to see the creature.
�I�d hate to wake up to that every morning!� Ellie said as her feet finally touched the ground. �I know they�re just establishing their boundaries with the other troupes, but they are loud!�
�They are pretty annoying,� Alan agreed. Stooping, he untied the ice chest and sensor case from the twine and returned it to the pack again. Then he unfolded his ever-present and well-worn map, marked their location in pencil, notated the direction he had placed the sack of supplies, and began to plot their course for the day. �There are areas that we�ll have to detour somewhat from a straight path, but that won�t be a problem, thanks to Hammond�s surprise groceries.� He smiled at her. �Are you up for a hike?�
�Absolutely!� she responded.
Together, they moved off across the meadow. The bathing parrots watched them approach, but only a few of them retreated into the trees when they got too close, most choosing to merely move a short distance away and watch them with a cautious eye as they passed. It occurred to Ellie that in this remote area of the island, they had probably never seen humans before and were uncertain if they were dangerous. As soon as they were past, the birds returned to the puddles to resume their morning bath.
There were many low spots in the meadow, all of them filled with standing water, and the grasses were still wet from the rain showers and from the morning dew. No matter how carefully they navigated their way across it, it was inevitable that they would step into many unseen puddles beneath the grass, and others that were seen were simply too wide to be avoided without altering their course. Ellie was wearing shorts, but their shoes and Alan�s jeans from the knees down were quickly soaked.
As they reached the tree line on the edge of the meadow, Alan stepped ahead of Ellie and entered first. It was not really a conscious decision, but rather an automatic reaction to protect her from any unknown dangers that might be lurking in the shadows. His eyes and ears were alert as he moved from the bright sunlight into the filtered sunlight beneath the trees, but all was calm and quiet.
In the lower light, knee high meadow grass gave way to sparse clumps of short, shade tolerant grasses that existed in the dappled sunlight which penetrated the canopy in long, slanted ribbons, and glistened in the lingering mist. The air was not as oppressive as it had been the day before in the prelude to the storm, but it was just as wet. This time, however, the moisture had less to do with humidity than it did with the raindrops that dripped from the foliage each time it was disturbed. Low growing shrubs and young saplings grew thick, forcing the two humans to push their way through them, and within minutes, they were soaked from head to foot.
Ellie pulled the elastic loop from its usual place in her pocket, gathered her wet hair and bound it securely with the loop. �This is not the most pleasant way to take a shower,� she quipped, trying to avoid the dripping fronds as they moved beneath them.
�Yeah, but we should be out of it soon,� he replied, rubbing his forearm against his face in a vane attempt to remove some of the moisture.
As Alan had said, they soon reached the darker part of the jungle, where very little sunlight managed to find its way through the leaves of the towering trees, and only a few saplings and shrubs struggled to grow without the life-giving sun. With more space to maneuver, Ellie moved up to walk beside him on the moist, spongy ground.
They traveled for hours through terrain that was widely changeable; easily traversed mountain meadows were scattered about, followed by areas of dense forest, and they quickly realized that they were not making very good time.
When they stopped for lunch, the moisture was beginning to dry from the tall grass and from Alan�s jeans, but their feet were so wet that they decided to change into dry socks. After putting her shoes back on and retying the laces, Ellie opened a large can of pork and beans, and they ate them cold while they rested. The empty can was placed in a plastic bag they had designated as a trash sack to be carried with them. The mountains were pristine; they would not litter the beauty of it with trash that might become a hazard to the animals. Items that were bio-degradable would be buried in the soft dirt, but plastic bottles and tin cans would be taken with them.
After they had eaten and rested, they resumed their hike.
-()-
By late afternoon, they had not seen any animals of any kind, mammal or dinosaur. They trudged through the jungle, maintaining a distance of five or six paces apart to broaden their search. They were not trying to keep a brisk pace, but instead walked slow enough to keep an attentive eye on the mossy ground in search of tracks or droppings and an alert ear to the surrounding jungle, but Ellie realized that Alan did not realistically expect to find anything dangerous just yet or he would never have allowed so much space to exist between them. He never said anything to that end, but she knew if he had felt there was a probability of danger nearby, he would have kept her close at his side. That unspoken revelation inspired confidence that he felt that, for the time being at least, they were relatively safe.
She tried to do her part by helping in the search for tracks, but found she was easily distracted by her own thoughts. Lifting her head, she looked to her right, at the man who walked a short distance away, his eyes riveted to the ground briefly before looking up again to look cautiously around, and then lowering his eyes again. It had not been so very long ago when she had felt as though her life had ended with the death of her family. The sadness and depression that had lingered after the accident seemed like such a long time ago. Her trip to the island had accomplished its purpose; she had finally healed, both physically and emotionally, and with Alan�s declaration of love for her, she had a future she could look forward to. She would never forget the family she had had with Mark, but even then she had known that Alan would always hold that special place in her heart that no one else could touch. Being at his side again seemed as natural as breathing.
With a sigh, she brought herself back to the present, returning her eyes to the mossy ground beneath her feet. A fallen tree lay across her path, a former towering giant now reduced to disintegrating remains, and she climbed over its rough, crumbling surface with ease and settled on the other side again. Alan circled the root end of it, his eyes still riveted on the ground, and he paused briefly, examining the depression where the roots had once held a foothold deep in the ground, apparently looking for a burrow of some kind, then, finding nothing of interest, he cast another quick glance around them before resuming his walk.
They spoke little as they walked, for they did not want to disturb any wildlife that might inhabit the area, but Ellie had come to the conclusion that there was nothing of interest in this area.
The afternoon dragged on with little alteration in their course or their surroundings. Alan occasionally conferred with his map, but seemed satisfied with the direction in which they were traveling. The terrain changed very little. They were deep inside the forest with the dense canopy overhead. Sometimes they traveled up small inclines or down shallow gullies, and Ellie realized that they were not moving over the mountain range at this point, but following its natural line.
Finally, Ellie glanced at her watch, confirming what she already knew; it was growing late. They were deep inside the jungle and could see only small patches of sky through the canopy, but the deepening shade indicated the waning sun. Soon darkness would overtake them, and they would need to be settled in their camp with the safety of Hammond�s sensors around them. Ideally, Ellie hoped for another niche or cave, something with solid sides and perhaps some elevation to give them ultimate protection, but so far they had not even passed a bluff or anything else that would offer one-sided protection. She knew that Alan hoped to find some natural structure to place at their backs, but at the moment finding such a precipice was looking more and more remote.
Alan continued to push through the jungle while she trudged wearily a few yards away. Her feet ached and her legs were scratched from pushing through occasional areas of dense underbrush. She decided that tomorrow she would put on a pair of jeans to protect her legs. Her stomach rumbled irritably in its emptiness.
Alan knew that Ellie was growing tired, but to her credit she had not complained. It had always been that way with her. Some of his best and brightest students in the cool comfort of the classroom, both male and female, wilted in the heat of the badlands and the hard manual labor that accompanied the field of paleontology. But not Ellie. When there was work to do, she was there, pitching in, enduring the discomforts and everything else that went with the task, always willing and never a whiner. He was tired too, but it was imperative that they find the safest spot possible to bed down for the night, preferably some place with something solid at their backs, such as a cliff face or a cluster of boulders. As he walked, he glanced frequently at the map he carried, but felt dissatisfied with the geography that was incorporated on the page.
Finally, he came to a stop, scrutinizing a particular location on it with a frown. �This map isn�t entirely topographically correct,� he said, more to himself than to her. �There should have been a rock formation here that we could have camped beside, but I�m starting to think that whoever drew this map just placed features that he thought would look nice, instead of what was actually there.�
Ellie moved closer to observe the map, but was too tired to pinpoint the details he was looking for. �Well, maybe they didn�t map all the details of the whole island,� she suggested. �That would have involved an extensive hike to get all the details in the heavily foliated areas, wouldn�t it?�
�They would have done it from the air, but I agree, the foliage would have made that difficult. Looks like they didn�t get all the details of the deeper regions. Guess we�ll just have to make due with what we can find.� He looked up into the treetops. �We�re losing the light.�
�Yeah, I know,� Ellie agreed. �We haven�t seen any predators yet plus we�ve got the sensors, so maybe we�ll be safe if we camped here.�
Alan placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, understanding her weariness. She looked like she was about to drop any moment, but her safety was more important. Just because they had not seen any predators yet did not mean they weren�t there. �Let�s go a little farther and see if we can find a better spot.�
Her sigh was barely audible, but she made no verbal comment. Instead, she shifted the weight of her load in an attempt to find a more comfortable position, and fell in step behind him again. Fortunately, he did not go far. Fifteen minutes later, a narrow ravine appeared through the trees, and Alan walked all the way to the edge, his eyes examining the deep, rock-strewn chasm that lay in front of him.
Ellie paused beside him, tired and drained. �Is that on the map?�
�No. Seems to confirm that they charted the island from the air, and this ravine is pretty well concealed under the trees.�
The ravine was a jagged crevice split into the soil, and appeared to be about thirty feet across, maybe twenty feet deep, much too far to jump and too steep to descend. Young trees and ferns maintained a determined foothold among the rocks and boulders along the nearly sheer sides below, all the way to the bottom. Beautiful and picturesque, it could have been a picture from a postcard, but at the moment, it presented an impassable obstacle.
Ellie picked up a pebble and tossed it into the chasm, and they listened as it clattered down the sloping sides to the bottom. She knew they would have to find a way around it, which meant more walking, something she was not enthusiastic about at the moment. �What do we do now?�
�Well, there�s no way we can get down it, so we�ll have to go around,� he said, giving the answer she had known he would give. He wiped the back of his hand across his brow, and she knew that it was not high on his list of preferred activities either. �However, we don�t have to do it tonight. In fact, I think this will be a good spot to make camp. Not exactly a solid wall behind us, but I suppose a ravine will accomplish the same idea of keeping things from sneaking up behind us. You haven�t taken up sleep walking, have you?�
�Not that I know of.� Ellie dropped to the ground and slowly removed the backpack, then set it aside before going flat, spread-eagled. After a full day of walking, it felt good to lie down, and the earth beneath her back was cool.
Alan smiled. �Tired?� he asked as he slipped off his own pack and placed it beside the rest of the gear.
�Exhausted!�
Yeah, me too.�
Alan placed his gear near Ellie�s, and reached into the ice chest for the bottles of water that they had placed there. One of them was passed to Ellie. He opened the other and took a long drink.
Ellie uncapped the bottle, and sat up to take a drink.
Alan took another long drink of cold water from the bottle, grateful that Hammond had provided them with the blue ice packets. But he knew that in this heat, even the old man�s best scientists had not been able to create ice packets that would hold their temperature very long, a few more days at best. Then they would be drinking warm water.
After her thirst was quenched, Ellie recapped her bottle and set it on the ground beside her. Bending her knees, she untied her shoelaces and pulled them off. Her socks quickly followed, then she lay back down to rest.
�Don�t get too comfortable,� Alan advised. �Unfortunately, we still have some work to do.� Kneeling down, he opened the sensor case and removed one of the small sensors from its nest. �We need to get these in place.�
�Any idea how to do it?� she asked without getting up, turning her head so that she could watch him.
�Not really,� he admitted. �But Hammond said the thing is simple to operate, so I guess we�ll figure it out.�
��Figuring it out� isn�t good enough, especially when the man trying to figure it out doesn�t get along well with modern electronics. Maybe there are some instructions.�
Alan was examining the sensor he held between his thumb and forefinger and did not respond to her suggestion, so with a low groan as her body protested the termination of its rest, she sat up again and scooted closer to look. The corner of a slip of paper was tucked into the edge of the panel, so she gave it a tug and pulled it free.
�Men,� she said, teasingly giving him an affectionate nudge with her elbow. �They never want to read the instructions, and then they can�t figure out why it won�t work.� She unfolded the paper, and began to read. �Okay, the sensor discs attach to the rods, which are pushed into the ground at intervals around the camp.�
�What rods?� Alan asked.
�Look under the panel.�
Alan carefully lifted the control panel out of the case and found the thin, lightweight aluminum rods that were hinged, so that they could be unfolded. Also tucked beneath the panel was the extra battery pack that Hammond had told him would be there.
She continued, still reading from the instruction sheet: �Each sensor has its own number, which corresponds with the numbers on the control panel, so we have to make sure to place them consecutively, #1, #2, #3, etc.�
Alan unfolded one of the rods, extending it to a height of about two feet. It was stabilized by a wing nut that was tightened to keep it from collapsing. �I didn�t even know those were in there.�
�Of course not,� she retorted with an amused smile and a wink. �You didn�t read the instructions.�
�Okay, okay,� he muttered, but he could not help smiling in response. Ellie�s smile was irresistible.
�However,� she continued, �it also says they can be attached to the trees at whatever height is desired, but I think it�ll be better to use the rods.�
�I agree. Some pretty dangerous predators are small, and we don�t want them to simply pass beneath the laser.� He removed the rest of the rods and divided them up between them, and they spent the next few minutes unfolding the rods and tightening the nuts. When they were done, Alan gathered up his stack. �Let�s get these things in place.�
�How far out do you want to put them?�
�Well, Hammond said it will transmit up to fifty yards, but as an added precaution, lets make it less than that, perhaps about forty yards. That should give us enough time to react while giving enough leeway for variations in transmitting capabilities. I�ll measure it off with the measuring tape, and we�ll take it around the camp. We�ll place the first one at the edge of the ravine on the right and take it around the camp, with the last one also at the edge of the ravine on our left.�
�Sounds good.�
Alan retrieved the measuring tape from his backpack and used it to measure out forty yards from where he intended to place the console, where he pushed the first rod into the ground at the edge of the ravine and attached sensor #1 to it. Then they worked their way around the perimeter, completely circling the camp, and making certain that each sensor had nothing to obstruct its line of sight with the next sensor. When they were finished, Alan flipped on the control panel, and a tiny green indicator light came on, apparently indicating that it was armed and activated.
�All right, walk between a couple of the sensors and see what happens,� he suggested.
Ellie walked away from the camp, and when she broke the laser, a red light on the control panel began flashing urgently, indicating that she had broken beam #4, and an alarm sounded, emitting a beeping noise similar to that of an alarm clock, certain to wake them up during the night if danger threatened. Alan pressed the button below it to stop it. The red light went out, and the green indicator light came on once again.
�Works!� he called, triumphantly.
When she returned to the camp, he said, �Looks like the beam on each sensor travels to its right, Beam #4 pointing toward rod #5, Beam #5 running toward rod #6, and so on.�
�I had wondered about that,� she said as she folded her legs and sat down again. She looked into the darkening jungle that surrounded them. �I feel a lot better having this invisible fence around us.�
�Safety is the main reason I didn�t have Miguel drop me off up here. I couldn�t work out the details of how I was going to rest and sleep on my own. Even with you here, I figured we would be sleeping in shifts, but I�m glad we don�t have to do that.�
�But we would have done it,� she said, agreeably. �We�re in this thing together, and I fully expected then and still expect to share the load. We�re a team.�
�Yes,� he said, softly. The mood between them began to change, and he moved closer to her and placed his hand affectionately against the side of her face, his thumb gently stroking her cheek. �We�ve always been a good team.� She leaned into his touch, intensifying the physical contact, and she placed her hand lightly over his. After gazing at her for several moments, he lowered his eyes to her lips. She was wearing no make-up and no lipstick, but he didn�t care. In his eyes, she had never been more beautiful. Or desirable.
Ellie felt her pulse increase with anticipation, and when he leaned forward, she tipped her head slightly to receive his kiss.
The feel of his lips on hers was comfortable and familiar, as if each had been created just for the other, and at first, the kiss was slow and tender, their lips moving softly against each other with relaxed affection. Slowly, the kiss became more urgent. Her hand found its way into his hair, clutching gently at the long, lank strands, and she felt his hand slip behind her back, urging her to move closer. She was only too happy to oblige, pressing close against him, her arms wrapped tightly around him. The kiss intensified until it reached a passionate level that awakened both their bodies with desire long denied.
Alan abruptly broke the kiss, and his lips made their way down her throat, seeking a deeper intimacy. �Ellie,� he said softly against her skin.
�Yes,� she whispered back, tipping her head to the side to expose her throat to his lips� gentle caresses. The stubble of beard that he had not shaved off was rough against the soft skin of her neck, but she barely noticed. All her senses were focused on the hungry kisses as they made their way lower to the hollow of her throat above the collarbone.
The silence of the jungle was abruptly broken by a blood-curdling howl so near that they both jumped apart and looked up, startled by the unexpected interruption.
They both knew instantly that it was just another howler monkey, announcing his presence to the rest of the jungle, a morning and evening ritual for the noisy creatures, but it served as a reminder to the two humans that there were few places on the island where it was safe to let their guard down. Looking into Alan�s eyes, Ellie knew what he was thinking.
Regretfully, he rested his forehead against hers as their breathing and their awareness of their surroundings began to return, and he silently scolded himself for instigating an activity that could have dire consequences. After a few moments in this tender position, he raised his head so he could see into her eyes. �I�m sorry, Ellie. I shouldn�t have started . . . . damn, if anything had come into this camp . . . . Until we�re safe, we can�t . . . �
�We were safe enough last night,� she pointed out, frustration evident in her voice. �We were totally safe inside that depression.�
�I know,� he said with a slight smile. �Don�t think it didn�t cross my mind as I was lying there with you just on the other side of the fire. It was a very hard surface with rocks pushing at me from all angles. Surely you must have noticed? One or the other of us would have had to deal with those rocks poking in inconvenient places. Not exactly the perfect conditions for an intimate experience.�
She could not help laughing softly, in spite of her disappointment. She had heard him tossing and turning, and knew that he was as awake as she had been for much of the night.
�When it happens, I want to be able to concentrate only on you,� he told her.
�Well, I know you�re right,� she admitted. �It doesn�t make it any easier, but I understand why we can�t. It�s just that it�s been so long.�
�I know. It has been for me, too.�
She placed her hands on his cheeks and leaned forward to kiss him quickly on the lips, then backed away. �Now that we�re together again, I suppose I can wait a while longer. I certainly don�t want any rude interruptions.�
�Especially since these interruptions can be fatal.�
Ellie turned her back to him, opening up the packs to examine their food supplies to busy her hands. She knew he was right about the danger they were constantly in, but the disappointment was almost overwhelming. A quick glance over her shoulder confirmed that he felt the same way, for he had directed his attention elsewhere, gazing toward the narrow ravine, deep in thought. Turning back to the task of preparing supper, she felt her heart rate return to normal, but she could not help but think of what could have been happening at that very moment had the howler not brought them back to alertness.
Campsites as safe as the niche would be few and far between, and she could not help but feel disappointed that they had allowed the opportunity to slip away.
Irritably, she swatted at a gnat that buzzed around her eyes, irrationally taking out her frustration on the insect. She knew she would have to content herself with the knowledge that it would happen eventually.
After supper had been consumed, Alan settled back to jot a few notes down in his journal by the flickering light of the campfire while Ellie cleaned the plates and cooking utensils and put them away.
She was more tired than she had realized, and kept yawning. �I think I�ll go ahead and turn in,� she said as she removed the blanket from her pack and spread it on the ground.
He looked up. �I�m almost finished. There isn�t enough light to write by, so I just wanted to get a few thoughts down before I forget them.� He tipped his head back, looking up at the dark canopy. Moonlight and starlight was unable to penetrate the dense canopy overhead, lending an eerie feel to the campsite. �I�m going to extinguish the fire instead of letting it burn out, like we did last night. I�d hate for a stray ember to catch a dead branch in one of those trees.�
�Good idea,� she agreed as she stretched out on the ground.
The mossy ground, covered with forest compost, was soft and almost spongy beneath her, and she turned on her side, facing away from the fire, grateful for the more comfortable bed than what they had endured the night before. But as tired as she was, sleep would not come.
A short time later, she heard Alan close his journal and return it to his pack, then he tossed some dirt on the fire to put it out and opened his own blanket for the night. He sighed with apparent comfort as he stretched out on the blanket. A short time later, she heard him turn over, facing the jungle on the other side.
The minutes ticked past, and although she felt sleepy, her eyes would not close. Instead, she gazed toward the stakes they had placed at intervals, even though the darkness was too intense to see them. In fact, it was every bit as dark out here in the jungle as it was in the niche, the main difference being the protective walls around them and the added height that offered total seclusion. Here, she felt exposed and vulnerable, even with the sensors that she could not see. She knew they were there, standing guard over them, ready to alert them of impending danger. They should have been a comfort, but all her senses seemed especially alert tonight, directed toward the predatory feel of the jungle that seemed to press close around them, waiting for the alarm to sound. Was it working properly?
Lifting her head, she glanced toward the control panel, placed on the ground between her and Alan. The tiny green light was just visible, not large or intense enough to give off any significant light, but just enough to show that it was active. Satisfied, she laid her head back down and stared into the jungle again.
A tree frog began to trill nearby, calling for a mate, and somewhere in the distance a tropical screech owl shrieked in the tree tops, sending a nervous tingle down Ellie�s spine. On the other side of the fire, she heard Alan stir slightly, then settle again, and she wondered if he shared her uneasiness.
All the while, she continued to stare into the darkness, waiting.
Go to Chapter Thirty Seven