TOMB HUNTER

The Adventures of Larra Court

Episode 10

Larra’s Indonesian Adventure

Chapter 31 Victory

Matsu cursed. This part of the rainforest was practically impassable. Thick stands of bamboo surrounded him on every side. He and his men had been forcing their way through it for more than a day and there was no end in sight. He cursed Purwanto for deserting him, forgetting that just two days ago he had been eager to introduce the Javanese guide to the edge of his katana.

He and what was left of his men had made good time until the rain started. It had been the most violent thunderstorm he had ever seen and it had completely obliterated all traces of the trail had been following. Somewhere he had made a wrong turn, blundering into the bamboo and then making the mistake of trying to force his way through it. Now he didn’t know whether to continue or to turn back.

Neither option was appealing. The bamboo forest might continue for kilometers and both he and his men were close to exhaustion. Not only that but they were low on food and the bamboo shoots provided little nutrition. Turning back, however, meant heading in the direction of possible pursuit. He did not know how vengeful the people he had attacked might be, but he had already been surprised by their resourcefulness and had no wish to tangle with them again, at least not until his men had adequate reserves of ammunition. He had no doubt that if his men had been properly equipped they would have easily defeated the primitive culture he had encountered.

His thoughts were interrupted by a shout from up ahead. “Now what?” he wondered. What more could possibly go wrong?”

Sergeant Chiba came puffing up. He had been supervising the men who were hacking a path through the bamboo forest. “Sir,” he said. “There is something you should see.”

Curious, Matsu followed Chiba to the front of the column. His eyes widened slightly although he attempted to maintain his imperturbable stare. His men had come to the end of the bamboo, but that was not what the excitement was about. Ahead of him the vegetation choked canyon widened to reveal a steep cliff. It was what was on top of the cliff that caught his attention.

His first thought was that somehow he and his men had walked in a complete circle and come back to the exotic civilization they had attacked, but then he realized he was facing in the wrong direction for that to have happened. He was looking upon a second lost civilization; one that was a good deal more difficult to assault given its cliff-top location.

Matsu had no intention of attacking anyway. He had far too few men and his ammunition was almost spent. He would, however, try to remember its location and pay it a return visit. In the meantime he still had the problem of trying to find his way back to the original trail and extricate his troops from this jungle hell.

Unfortunately, fate had a different plan in mind for the Japanese commander. Just as Matsu was considering his options several shots rang out. He turned in the direction of the shooting to see a wave of brown-skinned warriors rushing toward his position. They overwhelmed the few soldiers that faced them. Only the almost impenetrable bamboo thicket saved him and the others of his command. Firing as they retreated, his men brought managed to bring the attack to a halt. But their ammunition was now exhausted. The few remaining soldiers now had only their bayonets and a few grenades left.

Taking advantage of the fact that the way through the canyons was now open, Matsu ordered his men to flee with him. He had only fifteen men left of his once hundred strong expedition and they were so poorly armed that there was little chance of offering much resistance if a really dangerous foe presented itself.

Private Noritake halted so quickly that his captive almost stumbled into him. He turned his head in the direction of the shooting. There was little doubt in his mind that he had almost caught up with his companions, but the sound seemed to indicate that they had run into some trouble. As he listened the shooting died down and then stopped. He grunted in satisfaction. Whatever problem his comrades had run into they seemed to have dealt with it. Moving forward again he jerked on the rope and almost fell over when he received no resistance.

He spun in the direction of his captive. To his amazement he saw that she had somehow managed to get loose from her bonds and had removed the rope from about her neck. He saw that her escape must have been very painful. Her wrists and the area just above her elbows where he had tied her were raw and bleeding. “Black bitch,” he muttered he would just have to tie her up again. He stepped toward her and was almost hurled onto his back by the force of her foot in his stomach.

He glared at her, unable to believe that his captive still had the audacity to defy him. He had raped her three times and reduced her to tears and yet she had somehow managed to retain a measure of rebellion. It was of little importance. He had beaten her into submission before and he would do it again. He lunged toward her.

In spite of her battered condition the dark-skinned savage managed to avoid his attack by the simple expedient of stepping back and to one side. Noritake’s huge hands closed on air, but he pivoted quickly and continued his assault. Once more the tall African danced nimbly out of his way. Although she appeared bloodied and beaten she still seemed to have some fight in her. However, as he moved confidently forward he grinned. He doubted that the fight would last long.

Lisha backed about from the giant Japanese. Her struggles to escape from the ropes that had bound her wrists and arms had left her drained of energy. Her arms were also almost useless. The circulation to her limbs had been cut off for so long that she couldn’t even move her fingers and the pain as the blood pounded back into them was incredible. And so she danced away, hoping that her circulation would return to normal as soon as possible.

Time, however, was not on her side. Unlike her first encounter with the Japanese giant she could not hope to wear him down. She had only a small reserve of strength left and it was imperative that she finish the fight quickly. Her previous experience fighting her huge opponent told her, however, that he was difficult to take out. He was so massive he was capable of absorbing tremendous punishment and in spite of his size he was very quick.

The area where they circled one another was not particularly suited for combat. They were surrounded by large trees creating a rather narrow space barely fifteen feet across. It was strewn with branches from the recent storm and both combatants had to step carefully to avoid tripping. The confined space favoured the Japanese giant, and he knew it. With a roar meant to freeze her in her tracks he charged with arms spread wide. He knew the condition of his opponent and intended to simply overwhelm her using brute force.

Lisha waited until that last hundredth of a second before darting to one side. She wanted to make sure that there was no way the Japanese soldier could correct his line of attack. However, things did not work out exactly as planned. She slipped as her foot turned on a rotten and slippery piece of wood, and fell backwards onto a fallen log. The Japanese pivoted with amazing grace and hurled himself onto her.

At the last instant she managed to shift her body a few inches to the side. The Japanese crashed own on the log, his arm and part of his torso slamming into her. Something else slammed into her as well; something long and pointed that jabbed into her thigh.

Lisha winced as her thigh muscles were torn by the sharp object, but she knew what it was. As she struggled to free herself from the bulk of her opponent her right hand sought the object and closed about the hilt of the sheathed bayonet. As she pushed against the hulk who partially pinned her with her left hand she pulled the bayonet free and without hesitating a moment drove it to the crosspiece into the belly of her enemy.

The Japanese screamed in agony and with a flick of his arm slammed her over the log and onto her head. Lisha caught herself on her hands, and allowing the motion of her body to continue, ended up crouched on her hands and knees.

The Japanese giant overshadowed her, but it was not her that he was interested in. He no longer screamed but stood staring in what appeared to be disbelief at the hilt of the bayonet protruding from his stomach.

The bayonet was a nasty weapon, with a blade almost sixteen inches long. On any other man it would have been sticking out of his back. Lisha had thrust it into him just above his navel and his attempt to pin her had driven it into him as far as was possible.

While Lisha watched fascinated, he slowly reached out and closed both hands over the hilt. Then without a sound he pulled it smoothly from his body. He looked toward her, a look of astonishment on his face and then slowly sank to his knees.

Lisha knew he was dead. The wound was mortal. The blade had pierced the man’s bowels and a wound like that was not treatable in the rainforest environment. Her face blank she turned away from him and slowly limped off into the forest, heading in a direction away from the firing and back to where she had been forced to leave Jia Li and Melissa.

Selwin, Prince of the Prahgan examined the body that his soldiers had dragged before him. The clothing was very strange and the features different from any man he had seen. There wasn’t much left of the man’s clothing. The jungle and the rainforest environment had left him wearing little more than rags. It was this fact that made him doubt the story his warriors had brought him that they had been attacked by demons. He motioned for one of their strange weapons to be brought to him.

It didn’t look particularly dangerous, appearing to be a mechanism composed of wood and iron. His soldiers had told him that the weapons cracked like a whip and spat fire. He was unable to make anything out of it, seeing only a metal tube bound to a wooden frame. Whatever it did, it had not stopped his warriors from routing the strangers.

He wondered if their appearance was connected in any way with the escape of the two women from his harem. That was an event that had never occurred before and he had executed the men guarding the harem for their carelessness. Since that time he had posted men on watch in the valley behind the palace. The rainforest in the valley was almost impenetrable and he had expected the two women to be forced to turn back, but no sign had been seen of them and he assumed that they had perished in the jungle.

However, he had not quite given up hope of finding them again. He had been surprised by the violet-eyed beauty who carried his child before. It was just possible that she had survived and was somewhere in the dense forest of the canyonlands. Motioning to his guards to follow he headed in the direction the fleeing soldiers had taken. If they were all in the same condition as the dead man he had inspected it shouldn’t be difficult to catch up with them and with any luck he might learn something of the violet-eyed woman who called herself Larra.

The sound of shots echoed through the canyons. It was difficult to determine exactly how far away they might be, but Katie decided to take no chances. “Hide the children,” she said to Ayashe and Anom, “and stay with them. Amy and I will scout ahead.”

She reflected as she spoke that Ayashe might actually make the better scout, but her violation at the hands of the Japanese commander had left her badly shaken and Katie had no wish to expose the girl to further danger. As for the Javenese girl, she had no martial skills and had been badly traumatized by her experience. In addition, she had shown a natural affinity with James and Lin Yao.

Her decision made, Katie and Amy moved cautiously forward. Katie thought the shots had come from some distance away, but she was taking no chances on getting caught again. She feared that the firing might be connected with the absence of her three companions, but knew it would do no good to blunder into another trap. This time she wanted to encounter the Japanese on her own terms.

Close to exhaustion, Lisha pushed her way through the thick stands of bamboo. Her badly bruised leg throbbed with every step and she could make very little headway. She now realized that she had lost her way and was angry at herself for not paying better attention to the way her captor had taken her. She would have to backtrack and try to pick up the trail again.

A sudden crashing sound directly in front of her sent her pulse racing. It sounded as if the entire forest was being torn out of the ground and from the swaying of the giant stands of bamboo it appeared that was exactly what was happening. An enormous grey wall suddenly appeared in front of her and she turned and ran.

She didn’t get very far. Her injured leg buckled and she sprawled flat. Instinctively she curled into a ball and rolled to one side.

The elephant thundered by to one side of her, missing her head with one huge foot only by inches. Then a second beast was upon her, one massive foot actually brushing against her body. The impact knock her five feet and hurled her into the tangle of bamboo, where she lay helpless, the breath driven from her body. Animals milled all about her and there was a babble of excited voices, including one that seemed vaguely familiar, but once again they were speaking a language she did not understand and so she made no sense of it.

Then there came a voice she did understand. “Lisha, lie still!”

Lisha froze, both due to the command, but more from the shock of hearing a voice she had not heard for more than a year. As the elephants milling about her came to a halt she looked up and saw that each of the huge beasts was girthed by an elaborate saddle shaped like a small castle. In it were perched three warriors with a fourth just behind the elephant’s head. As she watched one of the warriors detached itself from the castle and swung to the ground.

“Lisha,” the figure said. “Lisha’s heart fluttered at the sound of Larra’s voice and then the woman she regarded as her mistress and mentor was beside her. Willing hands lifted her and carried her to an open space.

“I’m alright, mistress,” Lisha protested, but Larra was having none of it.

“I suspect you are not,” she answered. And then said something in a language Lisha did not know. Immediately several men surrounded her, one holding a jug of water to her lips.

“You are injured. Lie still.” Larra ordered.

Lisha obeyed although there were few other people she would have paid any attention to. While her wounds were bound and she was given additional sips of water, she took note of Larra and her companions.

Larra appeared a little older than she remembered although it had only been a year. She reflected that her disappearance had probably been accompanied by some sort of hardship. What was most remarkable was the armour she was wearing. It was incredibly ornate containing many flutings and other grooves to both strengthen and beautify it. It was minutely engraved with pictures of animals from some strange mythology, and covered her from head to toe. She saw that the men accompanying her wore similar armour and that one in particular wore the most glorious armour of all, being inlaid with gold and gems.

She assumed that as in her culture the display of wealth indicated higher rank, but she made no comment, being too intent on answering Larra’s questions.

“What are you doing here? Did any of the others come with you? Do you know where they are? When did you last see them?”

In between the barrage of questions Larra mentioned that she had already rescued Melissa and Jia Li, and having extracted enough information she climbed back on the elephant. “You will be safe here,” she said as the elephant began to move off. “I have to find the others.”

With a sigh Lisha lay back and allowed the men that had been left behind to finish binding her wounds. Things seemed almost back to normal.

Exhausted almost to the point of collapse, Matsu forced himself on. He had not counted on the fierce pursuit of the brown-skinned people who had ambushed him. He was now completely separated from his men, if he still had any men. Finally, he could go no farther and he leaned against the trunk of a tree barely able to support himself.

It was not a very fitting way for a soldier of the empire to behave, but he had no intention of dying at the hands of primitive warriors in some god-forsaken jungle. As he caught his breath he realized that he was no longer being pursued. There was also no sign of any of his men. No doubt they had scattered as they fled or else had been overtaken and killed.

He finally had to admit that everything had gone horribly wrong. But it was not his fault, but that of the treacherous Javanese guide who had not properly informed him of what he would be up against. Somehow he would find his way back to the Japanese army and return with a properly equipped expedition.

First, however, he had to get out of this hellhole. Steadying himself he looked around. A few feet away appeared to be the very trail he and his men had marched down just a few hours ago. It appeared to be deserted, but he stepped onto it with caution.

Deciding that it was at least temporarily safe he began to move back the way he had come. It was going to be a long tough march and he would have to find some way to live off the land, but he was confident he could do it. If savages could survive in the jungles then so could he.

He moved as quickly as his tired body would allow, but took care not to move too quickly. He had already blundered into one disaster and had no wish to stumble into another. As a result he came upon the small gathering silently.

It consisted of two young women, a tall dark-haired boy of about twelve or thirteen, and a young girl of about seven or eight. The young women he knew very well. He had enjoyed both of them and he could not help salivating just thinking about those occasions. All of them were seated on the ground in front of a small tent and were chatting quietly. They were completely at his mercy as he stepped from the forest and leveled his pistol at them.

They came to their feet with a rush, their faces white with shock and fear. Matsu had to struggle to keep his face grim. Even in defeat he could still triumph. He now had four most useful hostages, especially the two young women. His loins warmed thinking about just how useful he was going to find them.

He motioned with his pistol for them to kneel before him, doubting that any of them would be able to understand him. They seemed to get the message, dropping obediently to the ground, their hands in the air.

He moved forward and grabbed the child. She looked at him with eyes wide, but surprisingly expressed little fear. He noted that her eyes were green in spite of her clearly oriental features and that she was definitely not native to the region. It was a bit of a mystery he would have to find the answer to, but in the meantime he intended to make sure that she and the others remained his prisoner.

Keeping his hand on the neck of the girl to enforce his orders he motioned with his pistol to one of the guy wires of the tent. His meaning was clear, he wanted his captives bound and he wanted the young boy to carry it out. As understanding flickered through their eyes he saw something he found most satisfying, fear. He had them at his mercy and they knew it.

Ayashe’s gut clenched so tightly she was almost sick. But it was not just fear of what was going to happen to her. She was terrified that the children who had been placed into her care were going to be harmed. Larra’s children. If anything happened to them she would remember it for as long as she lived.

She knelt and presented her hands to James to be bound. She felt the ropes bite into her wrists as he drew the knots tight and knew that Matsu was watching him carefully as he bound her. Then she felt something else. It was deftly done. The end of the rope was tucked into her palm. Quickly she folded her thumb over it, not knowing whether or not James had found a way give her a chance to escape.

She heard the Japanese officer move forward and felt his hand between her wrists as he tested the ropes. Still holding them, he jerked her to her feet. Then he checked the ropes binding Anom. Seemingly satisfied, he turned to James, grunted something in his own language and then motioned James to his knees. With the boy kneeling he took a length of rope and tied it about his neck. Then he took the other end and tied it around Lin Yao’s tiny throat. Throughout the terrifying ordeal the small girl remained perfectly still, displaying a steely discipline that Ayashe fond amazing. She seemed to understand that her life depended on remaining absolutely calm and obedient.

Finally finished with Lin Yao, Matsu tied the end of the rope to a tree and holstering his pistol, began to rummage through their stores. He seemed clearly famished, taking out a tin of Spam and immediately opening the can and dumping the contents into his mouth.

He then picked up one of their canteens and drained it and then sat down on a stump about six feet away where he focused his eyes on them and appeared to be thinking.

Ayashe could guess what was going through his mind. It was clear that he was close to physical collapse and was trying to think of a way to keep his captives under control while he slept. His torn clothing and his exhausted condition pointed to a desperate flight through the jungle. She wondered what he had run into that had set him into such a panic and hoped that it might be her companions.

Matsu finally seemed to find a solution. He picked up another length of rope and approached her. He pushed her flat on the ground and pulling up her legs hogtied her. Then he tied James and Anom in the same way and foot and finished by tying Lin Yao’s feet together. He did not bother with the young girl’s hands instead, looping a length of rope about the child’s slender wrist and tying it to his. Then, using one of the packs as a head rest he crawled partway into the tent and fell asleep.

It was a clever arrangement. The three older captives were too tightly tied to escape easily and if Lin Yao moved or tried to get rid of her ropes she would tug on the rope that that was tied to Matsu’s wrist. There was no chance for any of them to escape without alerting him.

Except for one thing. Moving as little as possible, Ayashe began to work on the rope end that James had secreted into the palm of her right hand. All the while she kept her eyes on Matsu’s prone form, knowing that if he awoke escape would be impossible. Almost certainly the first thing he would do would be to check the ropes.

It was laborious to work the rope through her fingers. James had done a very good job of tying her, as was necessary in order to avoid Matsu discovering the slip rope he had hidden among the knots. Millimeter by millimeter she tugged the loose rope end until finally with a thrill of relief she felt the ropes loosen.

She kept calm, however, not wanting to disturb Matsu now that she was so close. She slowly slipped the ropes over her wrists and then went to work on her still bound ankles. At that moment Matsu groaned, rolled over, and opened his eyes.

He sat up abruptly, his eyes going to his captives and immediately rolled out of the tent and moved toward Ayashe. He knew that he was going to see whether she was still properly tied. Lying on her side, still bent in the hogtie position, she watched him step toward her. She would just one chance to catch him off-guard.

She struck out with her legs just as he bent over her. Her bound feet caught him in the middle of his chest and hurled him backward; then she scrambled to untie her feet.

Matsu was hurled back into the tent, falling against the tent pole and knocking it flat, but he was on his feet much too soon and Ayashe knew that she had missed her mark. He came up spouting Japanese, probably cursing, and drew his katana.

Ayashe’s eyes went wide at the sight of the long, gleaming blade. She had seen Larra practice with such swords and knew how deadly they could be in the hands of a trained warrior. Her ankles still bound, she watched as Matsu raised the blade. For an instant her eyes met his and she knew that she was about to meet her end. There was no mercy there; only pitiless hatred. She rolled onto her back in a desperate hope that maybe she could some how fend off the downward sweep, and then James saved her life.

Temporarily forgotten, the young boy swung his legs sideways and caught Matsu as he shifted his body forward with the intention of taking off her head. Overbalanced, he lost his footing and almost fell, catching himself only by checking his swing, but now he turned his rage on the helpless boy.

His face seething with hatred Matsu raised his sword again, this time with the intent of cutting James in two. With a howl Lin Yao jumped at him and grabbed his leg, at the same time sinking her teeth into his thigh.

Cursing with anger, Matsu swept the little girl away with the back of his hand. For an instant he stood there as if hardly able to believe that three such feeble opponents could hold him off and then he raised the sword again. This time there was no one to stop him.

“That’s about enough of that!”

Five pairs of eyes turned in the direction of the voice. A huge blonde-haired figure loomed just ten feet away. Matsu snarled his defiance and then staggered back as a primitive spear took him in the chest. For a second the Japanese commander stared in what seemed to be disbelief and then his fingers opened and he dropped the sword. He fell to his knees and placed both hands on the shaft of the spear and attempted to pull it out; and then, with a muttered curse, he slowly toppled over on his side his eyes glazing in death.

“Crikey,” Wallace said. “Looks like I got here just in time.”

Selwin’s eyes bulged out of his head as an enormous grey wall thundered toward him. Behind him his warriors scrambled over one another in a desperate attempt to escape the confines of the narrow canyon. All semblance of military order was gone as every man now sought to save only his own life. Selwin ran too, seeking shelter behind a large boulder with several of his men. He was just in time as the elephants rumbled past. In his attempt to pursue the intruders he had crossed into the territory of his traditional enemy. Unexpectedly the elephants of the maharajah had caught him in a position that was perfect for them and terrible for him.

The closest elephant lumbered by close enough for him to touch it. He could see every detail of the riders on its back. For an instant his eyes met the violet gaze of the woman who commanded the elephant. It couldn’t be, but it was. With a sense of shock and horror he realized that he had indeed found his escaped concubine or rather she had found him. He watched as the elephant slowed and then executed a ponderous turn. The men around him scattered and for a second he was face to face with the woman he had raped.

It was a fleeting glance only and then he screamed as the steel-tipped tusk of the war elephant took him full in the chest and spit him like a chunk of mutton. A second later a flick of the elephant’s head hurled his broken body into the dust where it was crushed under the beast’s massive feet.

Larra signaled her mahout to halt the pursuit of the fleeing Prahgans. There was no further point in killing. The man who had defiled her was dead and she had no wish to simply kill his minions. There was still, however, the matter of the Japanese. It was important to make sure that none of them escaped. She waited for Sundara and the rest of his troop to assemble and then they continued in the direction the fleeing Japanese had gone.

Alerted by the sound of heavy feet Katie and Amy ducked into a gap in the side of the canyon. Neither woman had any idea what was coming their way, but it sounded formidable.

“Jesus,” Katie exclaimed, “elephants.”

Amy did not comment on the fact that she was stating the obvious. She simply crouched beside her partner and watched the majestic beasts parade by. Then she rubbed her eyes and looked at Katie. “Yes,” the blonde said, a wide smile illuminating her face, “I saw her too.”

Larra did not wait for the elephant to kneel so that she could dismount. She dropped from the houdah to the ground, ignoring the weight of her armour. She ran the twenty feet to meet her companions head on.

They embraced as best they could, considering Larra’s metal carapace, tears streaking the face of each woman. “What are you doing here?” Larra asked, her voice thick with feeling. She was not entirely surprised, her interrogation of the Japanese soldier had told her that her friends were near, but she was almost overcome with emotion to see friends after so long an absence.

As quickly as they were able, considering the emotional nature of the meeting, the three friends exchanged information. Between them they were able to account for everyone. Amy and Katie were also presented to Sundara, who had watched the meeting with bemused interest. The ruler of the Vinayakudu was completely taken aback by the continual introduction of new women, all of whom seemed connected to his favourite concubine. Strange women seemed to be popping up everywhere and even in their bedraggled appearance their poise and beauty was more than obvious.

Between them they quickly sorted out one another’s questions. It was obvious that a complete telling of their stories would take some time. In the meantime there was one more surprise awaiting the trio of adventurers.

Katie’s mouth almost dropped open. Before her was the man she had thought was dead. But even more astounding was his petite blonde companion. “Wallace,” she gasped, “where did you…” She was about to blurt out “Where did you get her?” But changed it at the last second. “Where did you get to?” she finished lamely.

“Katie,” Wallace grinned. “Found, Jude here in a native village.” He grabbed his earlobes, displaying the large holes. “Look at what they did to my ears.”

Katie did not reply, nor did she comment further on the almost nude blonde standing next to Wallace. Her posture and the way she clung to Wallace’s arm said it all. He was no longer available unless Katie wanted to fight for him, and Katie had never fought for any man.

Amy gave Katie a sidelong glance. The blonde suddenly grinned and shrugged her shoulders slightly. Life was certainly full of surprises.

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