Great Bear Rainforest (11 page)

After eating, we tramped back into the dark and looked for a place to stay the night. By total luck we found this narrow little cave under a steep rock face, a couple hundred feet up from the beach. We’re now settled into a nook within the cave where the ground is dry, so we figure it’s pretty well protected from the rain and not a place where a flash flood might wash us away.

Tonight it’s going to be a challenge to stay warm. I mean, I’m already cold and have my jacket zipped up over my mouth and I’m breathing into it to fill the area around my body with warm air. That’s all the warmth I’m going to get because there isn’t enough ventilation in this cave to start a fire, and even if we wanted to start one it’d be nearly impossible in this cold, wet place, being out of fire starters and all.

When I opened my journal, I thought that making some notes on our camp might occupy my brain for a while, but the fear of being alone on this island and knowing Dr. Brezner is up to no good and the worry that we’ll never find my parents and the fact that we have no way to call for help, well, all these things are just eating me up inside.

I desperately need some sleep.

SEPTEMBER 23, 8:43 AM


After a frigid night in the cave, we finished off the last of our food and set out before first light. My whole body aches. My face is scraped up and welted from insect bites. My mouth is dry. My lips are cracked and bleeding. We need to find a good stream and drink. Worst, I can’t stop thinking about my parents. I even dreamt about them last night. We have to find them. Have to. But that’s the problem. We’re lost.

Neither of us feels much like talking right now. Really, there is nothing more to say.

Well, this sure is interesting. We’ve stumbled upon a small camp. Kind of looks like an army barrack with a few tents all covered in moss and tree limbs and stuff. Two men are standing around outside and it looks like they have guns. We’re pretty high above the camp, hidden behind some trees. Planning to go in for a closer look. Our parents could be down there!

SEPTEMBER 23, 10:52 AM


We’ve been spotted!

We’re on the run!

Two gunmen are after us!

We’ve lost them for now, but I know they’re still coming. They wouldn’t give up that easily. I’m writing just in case anything should happen to us. I’m writing for my parents, for the authorities, or whoever might find this journal. There’s so much to tell, but we have to keep moving …

We hadn’t seen the gunmen in a while and I was begging Wyatt to stop because my legs were about to buckle and my heart was beating out of my chest and I needed to catch my breath. We found a good flowing stream coming out of the mountains and stopped to drink and wash our faces and rest along the bank. I hid myself behind a rock and looked around. Everything was still the same—the forest and mountains and rocky coast, everything! It seemed more likely than ever that we’d be on this island for the rest of our lives, not that that would have been long given the way we were going, then, just like that, our luck took a turn.

We left the stream and were heading north, I think, and trying to keep as close to the shore as we could with the hope that we would somehow avoid the gunmen and miraculously stumble upon the kayaks and paddle back to the Pacific Yellowfin and be saved, when I caught sight of something moving through the trees. I pulled Wyatt down behind some bushes.

“Stay down,” I said. “Someone’s coming.”

“Where?”

“Up ahead.”

“Is it the gunmen?”

“I don’t know.”

When I looked through my binoculars, I couldn’t believe my eyes.

It was Alu!

The way she moved through the forest, making it look so effortless, it was almost like she was on a stroll in her own backyard. Wyatt and I both ran from the bushes as fast as we could and yanked her down behind some rocks.

“Sorry for scaring you, Alu,” Wyatt whispered, “But we have to stay out of sight. We’re being chased by two armed men.”

“Two armed men?” she repeated, confused.

“How in the world did you find us, Alu?” I whispered.

“When I was told you both left the boat against Joe’s orders, I thought you might need help, so I came to the island and tracked you. On a mountainous island like this, follow the path of least resistance and you will almost always find what you’re looking for.”

“Have you heard anything about my parents?” Wyatt asked.

“No, I’m sorry,” she said. “No word on your parents, but most people believe the captain and Dr. Brezner are dead.”

“That’s not true,” I said. “They’re alive. We’ve seen them.”

“You have?”

“Listen,” I said, “Dr. Brezner is not who he seems.”

“We don’t know that,” Wyatt argued.

“Okay, fine, I’m not 100% sure, but I think he’s somehow involved in my parents’ disappearance. Last night we saw a couple fishing boats netting all these salmon at the mouth of some river and Dr. Brezner was on one of the boats shouting orders. Captain Colin was there, too, but it looked like he was being forced to help. Then, this morning we came across a camp hidden in the woods and now we got a couple lunatic gunmen after us.”

“My father has always felt that Dr. Brezner was not to be trusted,” Alu said.

“Listen,” Wyatt said, “can you help us find our parents?”

“Do you think they’re in the camp?”

“They might be,” Wyatt said, “but we can’t go back there unless we’re with the Coast Guard. It’s too risky.”

“The Coast Guard is searching the island, too, but they haven’t found anything. Have you come across any clues that could help lead us to them?”

“We found the tender that they took ashore. It’s anchored in a cove somewhere on the eastern side of the island.”

“Describe the cove to me. We’ll track from there.”

We’ve taken shelter under a fallen tree and are waiting for the rain to let up and for the first time in a long time I’m actually hopeful. I mean, now that we’re with Alu, our chances of finding our parents and getting off this island alive are a whole lot better and thank goodness for that because the alternative isn’t so desirable.

11:43 AM


It had stopped raining and we were about to continue our trek when we spotted something moving through the forest below. Looking through the binoculars, our worst fear was realized. It was the gunmen!

Before we had time to react, one of the men saw us, put his rifle to his shoulder, and fired. A bullet cut through the trees overhead. We took cover and the men started up the hill after us. Our only option was to climb higher, away from the gunmen. We scrambled around the fallen trees and continued moving up the mountain until we reached a granite cliff face. We would need ropes to climb any higher and the gunmen were gaining on us.

“What do we do?” Gannon asked in a panic.

There was only one thing we could do.

“We have to get across this cliff,” I said.

“I agree,” Alu said. “Otherwise, we’ll be captured.”

“I don’t think we can make it,” Gannon said.

“We have to try.”

There was a large split in the rock, about four-feet high and three-feet deep, where the mountain had fractured. It formed a small ledge that ran the length of the cliff face. Alu thought that we could escape the gunmen by crawling along this ledge to the other side where there was a much gentler slope. It would be risky, but we had no other choice.

“That’s a long way to fall,” Gannon said, looking down.

“Don’t look down,” Alu said. “Stay focused.”

Below the ledge was a smooth and sheer slab of granite that eventually fell so steeply it dropped completely out of sight. A river ran through the valley about 300-vertical feet from where we stood.

“We have to go,” Alu said, frantically. “They’re getting closer!”

She led the way, moving along the ledge like a mountain goat. I followed, wedging myself as deeply into the rock as I could, knowing that one simple misstep might send me plummeting to my death. I was so afraid I honestly didn’t know if I would be able to move.

“You okay, Wyatt?” Gannon asked.

“I think so,” I said, “I just need a minute.”

“Try to relax,” Alu yelled from up ahead. “The ledge actually gets wider as you go. Crawl forward slowly. Stay focused and we’ll all make it.”

I tried, but it was impossible to keep from looking down. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the granite slope falling sharply into the valley below. The wide river looked like a tiny stream from that height. My heart raced. My palms were damp. I looked down at the cold, gray rock underneath my hands and could not move. Sweat dripped steadily from my nose. I took deep breaths, trying to settle my nerves and keep from shaking. Finally, I was able to put one hand forward and begin moving across the cliff.

Gannon followed.

Cautiously, we crawled across the ledge, making slow progress toward the other side. The gunmen gave up on the climb when they saw us traversing the rock face. They were far below and stopped to watch, probably thinking we would never make it to the other side.

The sound of sliding dirt and gravel jolted me to a stop. When I turned around, I saw my brother lying on his stomach, his legs hanging over the ledge. Underneath him, several rocks tumbled down the slope and disappeared over the cliff. His arms were spread out, his palms pressed against the rock. There was nothing for him to hold on to.

“Stay still, Gannon!” I yelled. “I’m coming!”

Carefully, I reversed my direction and began crawling toward him.

There wasn’t enough friction between Gannon and the rock to hold him steady. Too much loose gravel and dirt. He began to slip.

“Wyatt,” he said, terrified, “please, help me.”

“I’ll be right there.”

“Hang on, Gannon!” Alu yelled. “You can do it!”

Gannon was trying with all his might to brace himself. His body was shaking, almost convulsing at the effort. Despite this, he kept inching lower.

“I can’t hang on much longer,” he said.

“Yes you can!” Alu shouted.

“Just give me another few seconds,” I said, scrambling across the ledge as quickly as I could.

“I’m slipping!” he yelled.

I lunged and grabbed his jacket. Gannon stopped sliding. I had him.

For a moment, I lay flat on the rock, not wanting to make any movement that might weaken my grip. Then, slowly, I moved to my knees. Once I had my legs under me, I was able to pull him higher.

But Gannon’s weight proved too much for the jacket to support. Before I could pull him safely onto the ledge, his zipper broke and the jacket opened. He was about to come out of it completely.

“Quick!” I said, “Grab my hand!”

Gannon reached up and took my hand. Both of our palms were sweaty. It was hard to get a grip. No matter how hard I pulled, Gannon kept slipping.

“Be strong, Gannon!” Alu yelled, crawling back across the ledge toward us.

“Don’t let go of me, Wyatt,” Gannon pleaded.

“I won’t, Gannon. You’re not going to fall. I’ve got you.”

I thought I was going to bust a blood vessel in my head, I was pulling so hard. It didn’t matter. I wasn’t about to let my brother fall to his death.

Truth is, gravity was winning the battle.

Gannon’s hand continued to slip through mine. I tried to tighten my grip, but his hand only slipped further.

Gannon lifted his head, stared at me, a look of disbelief in his eyes.

“Don’t let me fall,” he whispered. “Please.”

“You won’t fall,” I said, staring back at him. “I’ve got you!”

It was a promise.

A promise I could not keep.

My grip was giving way.

“No,” I said, through clinched teeth. “Nooooo!”

Gannon’s hand slipped from mine.

I reached again for his jacket but missed. He was sliding, trying desperately to grab hold of anything that might stop him. He dug his fingers into the rock, but nothing would break his fall.

Our eyes met one last time.

A horrific scream erupted from his lungs as he slid over the cliff, out of sight.

His scream trailed off.

There was silence.

My brother was gone.

I’m not sure how I functioned after Gannon’s fall. Alu must have taken over. I was overcome with grief. Completely lost. All I could see were Gannon’s eyes just before his hand slipped from mine. All I heard was the terror in his voice. It echoed inside my head, repeated itself over and over. I had the chance to save him and I failed.

Awful thoughts plagued me every step of the way. How will I tell Mom and Dad? How will they react? That is, if we ever find them. They could be dead, too!

I was living a nightmare.

I tried to think practically. We needed to find Gannon’s body. We needed to get him back to the ship. How we were going to do it, I had no idea, but I wasn’t about to leave him in the forest. I would carry him on my back if I had to.

Alu guided us down the mountain to the river. We combed the shoreline that ran along the base of the cliff, looking in and around the rocks and trees.

I was devastated, shattered. My body numb. Hands trembling. I questioned every decision we had made since leaving the ship. Every single move. All of our missteps.

I looked up the cliff to see if I could locate the spot from which he had fallen, but a dense forest grew along the lower part of the mountain, obscuring my view.