Kong (A James Conrad Love Story)

Monsters Exist.

Slivko leapt on the radio like a flash. We all sat up, including Conrad, who was awoken by the rocking of the boat as everyone ran to the center. "This is Fox Five, we hear you." I could hear Slivko choking up. He probably had some unaccounted for buddies. "We're on a boat. We're on a boat, headed up north, on the river."

I could hear in the background, "A boat? Where did y'all get a boat?"

"Well, we met this crazy time traveler guy. Looks like Santa Claus. And this girl that's this psycho animal tamer. You'll meet them."

A muffled voice on the other end said, "Damn, you found a chick?" I grinned.

before a flare shot up from the jungle about a klick upriver. "What kind of boat y'all got?"

"It's more of a plane than a boat." I mouthed to him, ploat. "Yeah. It's called a ploat. We're on a ploat."

"We need their location, Slivko," Conrad called from underneath.

"Hey, send up a flare so we can find you." No sooner had he said that, a bright red light came from the jungle just a little bit north of us. We all cheered tiredly. "We have a visual. Two klicks to our north." He collapsed in relief, his arms up in the air. We could use a little good news today.

As we floated up the river, Slivko couldn't contain his excitement. His foot tapped, and I could hear him humming a cheerful song. The happiness was catching. Mason started to take pictures again, and San and Houston started discussing their research. A bunch of mumbo-jumbo. They might as well have been speaking a foreign language.

Conrad, however, was in a dismal mood, hunched in the back of the boat like a troll under his bridge. He frowned at me as I approached, but I ignored him. I could guess what would happen when we met up with the others, and it included Conrad beating the crap out of whoever lied to him about the trip. I didn't blame him. "Let me guess," I said wryly as he loaded his gun. "You're going to shoot the guy who paid you to come here."

Without even changing his expression, he said, "The thought had crossed my mind, I'll admit. But I have better self control than that." He smiled at me. "I still need my money, and I don't get that unless he's alive." I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"Oh yes, God forbid that you don't get your money. What a terrible tragedy."

"It's compensation at this point, really."

 "Oh, come on," I said, bumping my shoulder against his. "We're not dead yet, are we?"

"Well, some of us are." Yeah, well, fair point. I mouthed the words back at him mockingly and sighed.

"It hasn't been a joyride, has it?"

"Not in the least."

"But in all honesty, we wouldn't be doing this if you idiots hadn't dropped all those charges."

"I didn't drop them. I was told they were for mapping the surface."

"But you knew, I know you did. You're not stupid. There are easier ways to map the surface of the island than blowing it up."

"Yes, well, it wasn't my place." Our voices were slowly raising as that kettle was finally starting to boil.

"Well maybe you should have made it your place."

"Well maybe you should have made it your place with your parents." My mouth opened in outrage.

"Bugger off, Captain."

We docked on the beach, deciding to walk the rest of the way into the jungle to find them. I hung to the back with Marlow, deciding to let them introduce us instead of randomly showing up and immediately getting shot by freaked out Army guys.

We reached a clearing near a small creek. "Their flare was only two klicks north of us. They should be here soon." Conrad sounded like he was reassuring himself. Marlow crouched down by the water, filling up a canteen and mouthing words to himself. He did that quite often.

"Unless they were eaten by something that's bigger than us," Mason grumbled as she swatted at the flies. I looked up nearly in sync with Conrad as people started crashing out of the trees ahead of us. With how loud they were, it was a shock they weren't all dead. There were a few men in uniform, that Slivko quickly ran over to and hugged.

There was also a man, hanging back, fear in his eyes. Brooks went over to greet him, saying, "I thought you were crazy, man." I could tell by his expensive-looking clothes that he was the man who conned everyone into to coming. Oh yeah, he knew what was going on.

Conrad walked up to him, all casual like he was just out for a stroll. Then without warning, his arm came back and he punched the man in the jaw. The man fell over, clutching his face. Conrad was breathing heavily with anger, and said harshly. "Tell me everything I don't know or I'll blow your head off." He leveled his gun at the man's face.

"Monsters exist."