Page 14 of Green Ravens

“You’re supposed to be a boat boy, Oakley. How do you know so much about the jungle? Did you used to be a zoologist and then changed careers?”

“I wasn’t supposed to go into the Navy.”

Sawyer felt a slight gust of warm air, and then soft lips brushed his ear, making him shiver.

“My father was a Ranger, and so was his father. My great-grandfather was in the 25thInfantry.”

“No shit.”

“Yep. From the time I could walk, my pops had me traipsing around every goddamn wild-ass terrain, from the Congo to the Dark Forest in India.” Oakley scoffed. “It’s his own damn fault I joined the Navy.”

“That’s crazy.”

“Hewas crazy and intense. He used to say, ‘The jungle will show you the kind of man you really are.’”

Sawyer tilted the side of his head that wasn’t burned as Oakley buried his face against his throat.

“I hate to admit it, but he was right. The shit I went through in those damn jungles had me hauling ass toward the sea the day after I turned eighteen.”

At least Oakley had a dad who gave a shit. Sawyer found it hard to feel sorry for him. The Ranger may have been crazy, but he’d raised one hell of a naval officer.

The tiny moment of tranquility he felt in Oakley’s arms was shattered by the sudden piercing cry of an animal ringing in his ears like a fire engine.

He jumped so hard he almost fell out of the tree.

The sound was sharp and grating as it rolled through the air. It was a call of raw power from whatever creature was declaring its presence.

Oakley held on to him, his calm voice barely audible over the continuous shrieks.

“Easy, Chief. It’s just a howler monkey. It’s a loud sonofabitch, I know. But it’s at least a mile away from us.”

“What the hell is happening to it?”

He could hear Oakley’s smile in his response.

“It’s just letting whatever animal is coming near him know he’s there.”

“All of South America knows he’s there.”

My god.Sawyer’s heart stopping from fright was going to be therealdeath of him.

When the demonic monkey finally stopped hollering, Sawyer took in the uniqueness of the jungle.

The tops of the ancient one-hundred-foot trees swayed all night in the cool breeze. He shivered at the haunting calls of birds and lurking predators echoing around him. The fact that danger seemed to stalk around every tree trunk and bush was as overwhelming as it was terrifying.

The Amazon was its own world with a vibrant, untamed spirit, and regardless of his fear, he felt a sense of awe at its grandeur.

“I think it makes sense for me to follow your judgment, Oakley.” Sawyer yawned. “So, what’s the plan?”

Oakley shifted behind him, produced a small compass, and shined his flashlight on it.

“We’re gonna go farther inward before we move north with the Madeira. We should run into some isolated civilizations at some point.”

“How isolated?”

Oakley scoffed. “Well, we most likely won’t find a cell phone or satellite radio there, but we’ll definitely find a boat.”

Man, I hope so.

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