Emerson powered up the iPad and loaded the app for the security camera.
“I hope that’s not us,” Vernon said, pointing at six human figures clustered together at the center of the image.
“Unfortunately, yes,” Emerson said.
All around them other human figures in shades of red and yellow crept around the jungle while several ATVs patrolled the perimeter.
“There must be thirty soldiers,” Riley whispered. “They’re sweeping the area.”
“My dad says there’s a small clearing he can land in two miles east of our location,” Alani said. “If we can make it there, he can pick us up and fly us out of here.”
“How will we get past the patrols?” Wayan Bagus asked.
“It won’t be easy, but with the infrared camera, we have a chance. We just have to be extra sneaky,” Emerson said.
Riley grinned. “I’ll take those odds. You have superior skills when it comes to sneaky.”
TWENTY-NINE
RILEY, EMERSON, WAYAN BAGUS, VERNON, AND Alani lay facedown in the muddy rain forest, waiting for the patrol to pass. They’d come close to being discovered several times in the past half hour and had spent more time hiding in the dense vegetation than they had making forward progress toward the clearing.
After the soldiers were gone, Emerson stood up and looked at the iPad. “They’re slowly tightening their search grid, basically herding us into a smaller and smaller pen. And that’s the good news. The bad news is that I’m sure they hear our helicopter making passes and have called in one or two of their own.”
Vernon stood. “Part of the problem is we’re lugging around this here Penny trap. I’m plumb worn out,” he said, resting the trap on the ground.
Alani looked at her cellphone. “We have another problem. Dad just texted. He can only fly around for another hour, then he’ll have to go refuel.”
“That’s not good,” Riley said. “If he’s not up in the air taking infrared video for us, we’ll lose any small advantage we might have. Plus, it’s going to be sunrise soon and they’ll find us for certain.”
“Right,” Emerson said. “This isn’t working. Time for plan B. We need to go on the offense.”
“Offense? There are thirty of them, and they have assault rifles,” Riley said.
“We need to get one of the ATVs,” Emerson said. “That means we need a distraction.”
“I know what we need,” Vernon said. “We need Bigfoot. Bigfoot could distract the hell out of them.”
Everyone stared at Vernon.
“What?” Vernon said. “Did I say something stupid again?”
“No,” Emerson said. “You said something helpful.”
“So we’re all thinking the same thing?” Riley said.
Alani nodded. “It’s genius. Total typecasting.”
“He is very big enough,” Wayan Bagus said.
“Take all your clothes off,” Emerson said to Vernon. “We’re going to make you into Bigfoot. Then we’ll hide in the brush and wait for an ATV. You can jump out in front of it, and they’ll be so startled they won’t notice us ambushing them from behind.”
“But why do I have to be naked?” Vernon asked.
“When was the last time you ever saw a Bigfoot wearing a Brooks Brothers suit?” Emerson said. “Your nakedness adds to the illusion. Besides, the idea is to gobsmack them into a state of utter stupefaction.”
Vernon looked doubtful. “And my being naked helps to stupefy them?”
Emerson nodded. “It’s essential.”
“Well, okay. I sort of like the idea that I could stupefy people with my nakedness. Regardless of what some people say, I am impressive in my altogether.”
Five minutes later Vernon emerged from behind some bushes. He was naked and plastered with mud. Ferns and twigs were stuck to him, his hair was spiked up every which way, and he had something that looked like a bird’s nest covering his privates. At least Riley hoped it was a bird’s nest.
“So what do you think?” Vernon asked.
“I have no words,” Alani said.
Vernon turned around so everyone could get the full impact. “I’m scary, right?”
Everyone nodded. Truth is when you caught sight of him in a headlamp beam he was downright frightening in a ridiculous, lunatic kind of way.
“I’m sexy too,” Vernon said. “I’m a sexy Bigfoot.”
“That might be stretching it,” Alani said.
“Here’s the plan,” Emerson said. “We wait in the shadows by this ATV path. When I spot them on the iPad, Bigfoot will jump out in front of the ATV and distract them while the rest of us rush the ATV from the sides and overpower them.”
“I hope they come along soon,” Vernon said. “I’m starting to get cold with nothing but mud on me, and it’s giving me shrinkage. It’s hard to look ferocious when you got shrinkage.”
“We have an ATV approaching,” Emerson said. “Everyone take cover.”
Moments later, an ATV carrying two Rough Riders slowly rumbled down the path. The one in the passenger seat had a spotlight he was shining from side to side into the brush.
“I hope they aren’t in a mind to shoot a Bigfoot,” Vernon said.
“Showtime,” Emerson said, shoving Vernon out of the thick vegetation.
Vernon jumped into the middle of the road and ran awkwardly toward the ATV, stopping abruptly in front of it and waving his arms.
“Abugga, bugga, bugga!” Vernon said.
The ATV stopped, and the passenger shone his light directly at Vernon. “What the heck is that?”
Vernon performed some impromptu ungainly capoeira somersaults and kicks for his audience.
The driver grimaced. “It looks like it’s doing some sort of bizarre mating dance. I can see its twig and berries,” he said, pulling out his cellphone and taking a video. “I always thought Bigfoot would have bigger, you know.”
Vernon stopped dancing and raised his arms, shaking his fists and growling.
“You angered it,” the passenger said. “Say something nice about its junk.”
Alani rushed out of the shadows and whacked the driver in the head with a chunk of lava rock while Emerson, Riley, and Wayan Bagus pulled the passenger from the ATV and disarmed him.
“Nobody insults Bigfoot’s junk but me,” Alani said, demonstrating her calf-roping prowess and tying the driver up.
Riley jumped into the driver’s seat of the ATV, and Emerson grabbed the Penning trap and climbed into the seat next to her, holding the trap in his lap. Alani collected the Rough Riders’ rifles.
“Phase two of the plan,” Emerson said. “We haul ass and make a run for the clearing.”
Wayan Bagus and Alani hopped into the back with a still naked, still muddy Vernon sandwiched in between them. Riley gunned the engine and took off in the direction of the clearing.
“I texted Dad,” Alani said. “He’s hovering over the landing spot.”
A patrol of four Rough Riders was dead ahead. They raised their guns, and Riley pressed her foot to the accelerator. They managed to fire off a couple shots before Riley plowed through them, knocking them over like bowling pins.
“Is everyone okay?” Riley asked.
Wayan Bagus held his hand over his shoulder. “I am bleeding, but I am unhurt.”
Vernon examined Wayan’s shoulder. “It just nicked him. He’ll need some stitches, but it’s not too bad.”
Riley exploded out of the woods and into the meadow and looked up at the helicopter. Its lights were off but she could hear the wup, wup, wup of the blades.
Alani was on the phone with her father. “It’s us! You can land now.”
The Eco-Star touched down just as a second ATV drove out of the woods behind Riley.
“We’ve got company,” Vernon said.
Riley reached the Eco-Star a minute later. Its blades were noisily chopping through the air, and Mr. Yakomura had his hand on the control stick, ready to lift off as soon as everyone was on board.
Emerson climbed into the back, settled the Penning trap next to him, and Alani, Riley, Vernon, and Wayan Bagus jumped in and buckled up. Headlights from Rough Rider ATVs flashed into the clearing from four directions. Shots were fired at the Eco-Star, and Alani and Riley leaned out the open helicopter door and returned fire.