Lost & Found- James Conrad

Chapter 2

"I didn't appreciate you dropping bombs on my island. If you get killed by one of my creatures because I can't control them it is your fault." I saw the group look at me in shock.

"How long have you been here and there are more dangerous creatures than the ape?" Asked the tracker again.

I grinned widely. "Oh hell ya there are more dangerous creatures than Kong. Also to answer your question I've been on the island for the past fifteen years. You pick up a thing or two when you've been here for as long as I have."

The woman with a camera offered me her hand, "Mason Weaver."

"Liz Jackson, a pleasure to meet you."

Mason sincerely asked, "You've seriously been here for fifteen years?" I gave her a small smile.

"Yup. My mom was a scientist wanting to explore every inch of this planet. In 1958 she thought it was time for me to join her on one of her adventures. We crashed on the island and within a few hours, she was gone. We need to get moving if you're going to make it out alive." I was interrupted by the young soldier.

"Reg Silvko, didn't you say you could control these creatures?" I turned to face him.

"You're quite an observant soldier. Yes, I can control these creatures. There is a catch though to my ability to control certain creatures. If the most dangerous creatures are exposed to a loud sound or a bright flash of light, they will return to their natural state. It took me years of blood, sweat, and tears to control them." I saw the tracker watch me as I spoke.

"How did you do it?"

"I'll tell you when we're in a safer location. We need to move now if we're going to make it to a safe location by night fall." The group looked at the tracker. He nodded.

"Lead the way, your highness." I smiled.

"Thanks, but it's just Liz." I turned to face the tracker. "What's your name captain?" He looked at me confused.

"How did you know I was a captain?" I shrugged.

"I didn't. I assumed that someone with your abilities, you were probably in the military."

"You're quite observant."

"It's something you pick up when you're on an island for fifteen years." It was silent for a little bit until he finally decided to say something.

"James."

"I'm sorry?"

"My name is James Conrad." I stared at him in shock. After all these years could it possibly be him?

"Wait. Were you neighbors with Susan and Lauren Jackson when you were a child?" He turned to look at me.

"How would you know that?" I was going to answer when we heard a noise in the water. Everybody whipped around to see one of the buffalos. Slivko has his gun pointed directly at Forest.

"Nobody move." I walked away from Conrad to get closer to Forest. "Hey girl. It's okay, they're friends." I heard Conrad say something to Slivko. I turned to see Slivko still pointing his gun at Forest. "Slivko, put the gun down. She's not going to hurt us." I watched him slowly lower his gun as Forest turned away from us. I walked back to the group. I saw Weaver approach me.

"How did you do that?" I smiled.

"Some of these creatures aren't dangerous. You treat them with respect, and they're your friend forever." She smiled back at me. "How is the rest of the world? Still in chaos?" She shook her head.

"You have no idea. The U.S is attacking innocents in Vietnam."

"Not all of them were innocent!" I heard Slivko yell at us.

"It's okay Slivko. I'm just curious about what's going on in the world." Conrad walked up to Mason and I.

"You really don't have any connection to the outside world." I turned to look at him.

"You have no idea how much I wanted to send a letter to my father or to my best friend. Just to be able to say I'm alive." Conrad put a hand on my shoulder.

"I understand." We walked in silence until we made it to the edges of the village. I froze when we reached the ruins. Conrad grabbed my wrist.

"What's wrong?" I pulled out of his grasp.

"Nothings wrong. I'm just waiting."

"On what?" As soon as Conrad asked me, Mason screamed. I knew that the Iwis decided to finally show themselves. I put my hands up showing that I was harmless.

"Woah, woah, woah, woah," I heard Hank call. I smirked slightly at his voice. I watched him come running in his flight jacket towards our group. "No need for that. Everyone keep your wigs on, now. You can tell your friend there to put his gun down." Hank scanned the group slowly. When he finally saw me, he waved at me. "Hey lizard queen." I went to go give him a hug.

"It's good to see you again Marlow." He gladly hugged me back.

"You brought new friends. What happened to Scar and Loki?" I shrugged.

"They're still with Alpha. They don't travel outside the Skull Crawler territory unless I'm with them."

"I didn't believe it when they said you were comin'. I was up all night, just thinking 'bout how me and Gunpei dreamed of this moment. Now here it is, twenty eight years, eleven months, eight failed attempts to get back to the world. And instead the world comes to me?" He turned towards the Iwis. "Ain't that a crap?" I chuckled quietly. Hank smiled at me. "They never smile."

"It's not your fault buddy." Mason took a step forward.

"Did you crash here?" She asked.

"Oh, sorry miss." He saluted. "Lieutenant Hank Marlow of the Forty-Fifth. You are more beautiful than a hot dog and a beer at Wrigley Field on opening day." Hank looked at his hands as if those items were actually there. "But you're real, right?" I patted Hank on the shoulder.

"They're real." I turned to face the group. "It's been fifteen years since we saw anybody new come to this island, so it's kind of a big deal to us."

There's something out there, man." Slivko said as soon as the Iwis put down their spears. I laughed.

"Oh, there's a lot of things out there." I replied. Hank cut me off.

"Now come on, we gotta get home. You don't wanna be out here at night. That's when Liz typically patrols the island with the Alpha." Conrad quickly caught up to me.

"Can we trust him?"

"Marlow? Yeah, you can trust him. He's been the father figure I never had." Conrad went to go catch up with Hank when he turned around.

"Oh, Liz. Don't think I forgot about our previous conversation." He left me alone thinking about what I said. I thought for a moment then realized. Does he know who I really am?