Page 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

M ackenzie’s back slammed onto a flat surface, hammering the wind out of him before he smashed right through it. He gasped, swallowing crisp mouthfuls of liquid. Water! The surface dazzled above him, and he clawed toward it, gulping at the fresh air when he broke free.

The frilled neck lizard splashed into the water beside him, and he grabbed it and forced it under. With clenched teeth and brute force, he held it there until the lizard finally stopped struggling.

It was several minutes before he pulled the carcass above the surface and looked into its lifeless eyes. He’d never killed anything before, and he shivered as the enormity of what he’d just done hit him like hot chilli.

“Holy shit,” he yelled, punching the water. “Woo hoo.”

He spun around soaking up the magnificent surroundings. Water tumbled down a waterfall into the lagoon which was about six metres across at its widest point. At the opposite side to the waterfall, the water channelled through a narrow gap created by two huge boulders before plunging over the side.

He swam to the edge dragging dinner behind him. After he climbed onto the boulder, he lay back absorbing the warmth from the rock. Clear uninterrupted sky above was a welcome sight after days in the dense jungle.

The view over the edge was simply perfect. Water flowed between the two boulders as a powerful spout, cascading into another, larger lagoon just metres below. The flow narrowed and snaked ahead of him like a giant anaconda, before disappearing into a maze of forest.

The lagoon water had a slight green tinge and was so clear he could see the bottom even at its deepest point. A shiny object caught his eye and he stared into the water. There it is. A small fish swam around, oblivious to his existence just metres away. Its scales reflected off the sun like a slip of alfoil as it swam to the waterfall.

The urge to wash off five days of dirt and sweat was too much to resist. He secured the lizard at the edge of the lagoon and, satisfied that no unsavoury creature occupied the water, swan dived into the middle.

Silvery fish winked at him as he glided along. The water was cool and invigorating, exactly the tonic he needed. He stretched for the surface, rolled onto his back, breathed deeply and felt very much alive.

Large bubbles frothed up from the bottom as he neared the cascade and allowing it to pound his head, he swam up and under the waterfall. He poked his head through the wall of water and was amazed to discover a cave on the other side. Placing his hands on the rocky edge, he pulled himself out of the water.

The cave was about the size of a small kitchen, high enough for him to stand in, and the thundering waterfall was amplified within the rock walls. Mackenzie felt rejuvenated. Days of sorrow and depression were being liberated from his body. He spread his hands and as he spun in a slow circle, he wished Rodney was there to enjoy this with him. But on some level, he knew Rodney was.

“Yee haa.” He cheered and his voice bounced back to him.

He ran to the waterfall, dived through the cascade into the lagoon and stretched out like a human surfboard gliding to the other side. He climbed out of the water and gathered up the lizard. It curled heavily over Mackenzie’s shoulder as he surveyed the cliff he’d tumbled down. Towering above him the brutal edifice offered no obvious climbing route.

A living macramé of inch-thick vines hovered above him as he progressed with caution along the lip of the lagoon. A giant vine, the width of his forearm, dangled down the jagged rock. He tugged on it. It was heavy and solid. He was confident it would support his weight.

He tucked his shirt into his shorts and guided the frilled neck lizard down his collar, twisting it until the animal’s claws no longer dug into his stomach. His muscles bulged as he lifted the heavy vine, braced his feet against the rock, leaned out from the rock wall and climbed his first step up the vertical cliff.

The cliff face seemed endless, and his mind battled between fierce determination and a crippling fear of falling. Tense muscles burned in his arms and legs, endorphins coursed through his brain and black sparks flashed across his eyes. It was a mental and physical torture and although he tried not to think of it, it was also a battle of life and death.

He placed his foot another length higher and spied a rock that jutted out above him creating a small shelf. With four careful steps, he mounted the ledge and breathed a sigh of relief. His heart thundered in his ears and sweat flooded his forehead, stinging his eyes. Flaps of skin hung from his open blisters and blood dribbled down his fingers.

He wiped his brow on his shirt and glanced downward. It was an awesome sight. The lagoon loomed, dark and ominous, over thirty metres below. Only now could he comprehend just how far he’d fallen. His trembling biceps began to relax and soon his breathing returned to normal.

Above him, the angle of the cliff face eased slightly, buoying his determination. He wiped his bloody fingers over his shirt and mentally prepared to continue. He recalled Rodney’s favourite saying at the gym: ‘ Push through the pain’.

The words had never been so pertinent as he braced against the vine and took a measured step upwards.

The further he climbed, the more the cliff face eased away, allowing less strain on his upper body. Yes! I’m nearly at the top. His spirits surged.

The last ten metres were a mere scramble on his hands and knees. When he finally reached flat ground again, he rolled onto his back panting with complete exhaustion. His entire body throbbed.

But he peered through the dense canopy with a new sense of dread.

The sky was red. The sun was setting.

He was about to be consumed with absolute blackness.