Part 5
All Tied Up
Adam's vision cleared and he scanned his surroundings.
Jenna and Johnny spoke quietly to one another as they worked on a makeshift roof for a small hut they had apparently built quickly at some point. They held concerned expressions on their faces as they spoke and Adam could tell the tension must have been high due to their tight movements and body language.
Adam tried to stand but was held down by something. He looked down to see that someone had tied him to the tree where he sat with rope. He tested the strength of the rope and found it too tight for him to be able to wiggle himself enough to free a hand.
Jenna and Johnny must have noticed that he was now awake and were approaching him.
"I'm sorry I had to hit you," Johnny said, crouching to face him eye to eye. "I felt that I had no choice. You just walked up and stabbed a man in the gut right in front of us all."
"I had my reasons," Adam stated, settling back down and stopping his efforts for freedom. "You planning on leaving me tied up here for the rest of my life?"
"We have no choice right now," Jenna said, her face sollumn. "What in the hell made you do it? You seemed like such a stable guy until then."
"He followed me into the ship and tried to kill me," Adam explained as he scanned the makeshift camp. "How long have I been out?"
"You were out through the night," Jenna explained as she turned to regard the camp as well. "We did what we could as fast as we could. We managed to make a fire and kept it going through the night in hopes that it would keep any animals away. We took turns to stay on watch as well."
"You did great," Adam admitted with a nod. "I would have done the same."
"Melanie and Jackie explained what Sam had done while we were discussing what to do with you," Johnny explained. "That Sam guy is a true dirtbag, but we can't go around killing those we don't like."
"He tried to kill me," Adam explained. "That knife I shoved into his gut was his. He brought it with him as he followed me into the ship. He dropped it when I confronted him."
"If this is true," a new voice called from the side.
Adam, Johnny, and Jenna looked to see Sheri stepping quietly through the forest toward them. She dropped to her knees next to Adam and looked into his eyes.
"Sam deserved what happened to him," She said, placing a hand on Adam's shoulder. "He wasn't doing it on behalf of me, I promise you that."
"You know him better than we do Sheri," Jenna stated, crossing her arms below her breasts. "Why do you think he would do such a thing?"
"I'm not that sure, to be honest," Sheri answered, not looking up from Adam's eyes. "He is in love with me. That is why I brought him along. He has always been stable though. These actions do not fit his character as I know him. I will address this issue when he awakens."
"He's still alive," Adam asked in a tone of shock and anger.
"Rebecca and Janet are quite the team of healers," Sheri explained with a smile. "They were able to stop the bleeding and apply a suave to his wound to close it. He lost a lot of blood and they have both stated that it doesn't look good for him, but they still do what they can."
"That machine you asked me to get was busted, Johnny," Adam stated, looking back to the man who remained kneeling. "It looked as if it were purposely destroyed."
"Are you sure," Johnny asked.
"Yes," Adam said.
"You think it was Sam," Jenna asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Doubt it," Adam explained. "I was in the room before he came down. He dropped his knife and ran back up the stairs before he even reached it. If it was him then he had to have busted it while the ship was still running its course."
"Not possible," Jenna explained. "That door was locked and had an alarm on it that would have notified security immediately. I would have heard about it."
"Then how," Sheri asked, finally breaking her eye contact with Adam and looking up at Jenna.
"The storm did a number on the ship," Jenna explained. "Don't you think it could have been damaged during that?"
"It's possible," Adam said thoughtfully. "Only none of the other equipment suffered the same damage."
"You don't think the monsters would have enough intelligence to know what it was or where to find it do you," Johnny asked, looking to Sheri.
"I don't know," Sheri answered with a shrug.
"Didn't you study this area and its monsters before going on the ship," Jenna asked.
"The monsters the tribe spoke of looked different than these things," Sheri explained. "If the monsters changed I believe their intellect could change as well. The ones I heard about were mindless drones following the orders of a ruler. These might differ in ways."
"If that still holds true," Adam began, looking back to Sheri. "Then we need to find this ruler and get some answers straight from the source."
Sheri's mouth quirked up into a slight smile for a moment before she straightened her face again.
"And how do you suggest we do that exactly," Johnny asked. "We don't have a map leading us right to the thing."
"No, but I have some experience with exploring the wilderness while avoiding the notice of hostiles within the area," Adam said as he looked back to Johnny. "Release me and give me some time to gather what I need to start off and I'll find this ruler."
Johnny stood up and looked to Jenna. They stared at one another for a moment before Jenna slightly shook her head.
"I'm sorry," Jenna said. "The others seem to be quite frightened of you and I'm struggling to keep things in order as is."
"So we wait for another attack then," Adam asked incredulously.
"Let's give it some time," Johnny suggested. "We can calm the others down a bit and once everyone is feeling a bit safer, we can release you."
"I'm not sure if time will work, Johnny," Adam explained. "Setting up a camp like this will do nothing for defense against these things. A false sense of security could prove to be more dangerous than fright."
"We need to go," Jenna stated, placing a hand on Johnny's shoulder. "We'll send Rebecca and Janet to look at your head, Adam"
Jenna guided a reluctant Johnny away as Sheri scooted herself a bit closer to him.
"Do you really think you could find this ruler," Sheri asked in a whisper. Excitement surrounded every word.
"I do," Adam said.
"I can free you tonight when everyone's asleep," she offered.
"What about the watch," Adam asked, eyeing her untrusting.
"I'll take the second watch," she explained excitedly. "And when the first watch is asleep, I can free you and we can go together."
"Together," Adam asked in shock. "Why would you want to go with me into the forest?"
"I want to see it," she explained. "I know so little for someone who has studied so much on it."
"And leave the camp completely unaware and unconscious so that if it is attacked they will have no chance to fight back? No way, Sheri."
"Fine," Sheri said in a huff. "I'll wait until the end of my watch and free you right after waking the third watch. Will that be enough? I won't free you unless I get to go."
Adam sat silently and stared at the woman for a moment. She had her long light brown hair pulled back in a knot and her large blue eyes showed no room for any more compromise. The neckline of her beige top had been stretched a bit and showed ample cleavage as she leaned toward him in anticipation.
"Alright then," Adam finally said, shaking his head. "You have to stay close and keep quiet. You will do as I say when I say it."
"Deal," Sheri said with a smile. "See you tonight, Adam."
Sheri stood up and walked away from him. He watched her step back toward the area that she had claimed as her own. She bent down and began shuffling some branches around as she worked on her own makeshift bed.