Drive In Tales Summer 2015 | Page 38

asked.

Muso grinned in approval.

The boat Muso had provided for the Shanghaied crew was a medium sized craft of considerable age, though more than serviceable for navigating the dark waters of the Congo. Dr. Kali claimed the beast moved by water. Travel upriver, he said, and they would find what they were looking for.

Henry agitatedly started the boat and commenced upriver at breakneck speed. The five individuals surrounding him were taken aback.

“Slow down,” Dr. Kali commanded. “We will never spot him at this speed.”

“We’re not looking for the Mokele Mbeme,” Henry growled. “We are going to Kinshasa and then Samson and I are making a break for the Republic of Congo’s border. The rest of you are on your own.”

“Don’t try to get out of this, Vanwyk. We’re all in this together now, might as well do our job,” Heedman spoke.

“I’m not arguing with anybody on this. The entire situation is very bad. Samson and I are getting the hell out of this country. I suggest you do the same though frankly I don’t care.”

“I don’t like it either,” Jackson Sumner said, “but this might be our best chance of finding this thing. If you leave, you screw this whole thing up.”

Henry turned viciously and grabbed Jackson’s shirt collar, “I wouldn’t be in this mess if it wasn’t for you! Hunting me down in a bar, how stupid are you? Why can’t you Americans keep quiet?”

Jackson pushed back, slamming Henry into the wall of the small, three sided navigator’s cabin.

“I’m not the one shooting people in the jungle! You were asking to get caught by someone.”

In an instant, Henry had Jackson on the ground, both struggling to gain composure to carry out a real assault. As they flopped and grunted on the floor of the boat, a gunshot rang out.

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