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Back Jungle Up Save as PDF
Chapters (63)
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  63. Author’s Note

Alejandro Cala had been silent up to that point. He stared at Andy, then, letting loose a jubilant laugh, he said, “You were right all along!”

≈

After finding definitive evidence that the ruins weren’t Incan, and with Roth’s death still looming over them, the group decided that after another two hours of taking pictures and filming the bunker of hieroglyphics, they would return to base camp.

“Well, shucks,” Libby said to Andy. They were sitting under one of the white tents, and Andy was helping her review the day’s footage. “That puts a damper on the documentary.”

Andy agreed. There was no way to spin it. “Yeah, it does.”

With proof the ruins weren’t Paititi, the film would be just another of the many documentaries following a jungle expedition. Sure, there was footage of Jonathan Roth being killed by a giant black caiman—that alone might be enough for Netflix or another platform to acquire the rights—but apart from that, the film would be anticlimactic.

“I have an idea,” Andy said, though his stomach turned to spaghetti at the mere thought.

“I’m listening,” Libby said.

“Thomas.”

“What about him?”

“He’s already been part of the documentary. Maybe the best part. What if we catch up with him? Film him trying to find Dr. Gina Brady.”

Libby’s light-blue eyes widened. “That would be—” She shook her head. “Holland would never go for it. Plus, it would be too dangerous.”

It would be dangerous.

Super dangerous.

Andy nodded at her, then he stood up and headed toward his campsite.

≈

“You’re what?” Farah said.

“I’m going after Thomas,” Andy said. “And Darnell is coming with me.”

“Are you crazy?” Farah asked. “Holland will never go for it.”

“He already did. I had to sign my life away, literally on a piece of paper, but he told me he wasn’t going to stop me.”

“But why?” she said, gently touching his shoulder. “Why do you have to go?”

“It’s going to make for an epic film, and I just have to. I have to do something big. I’m sick of living in my own jungle prison. This is how I’m going to break out of it. Or die trying.”

Andy knew he was caught up in the moment, knew at some point in the near future—probably the very near future—he would regret his decision.

But for now, he was gung ho.

Andy instinctively glanced down at his wrist to check the time. Seeing that his wrist was bare, he asked Farah, “What time is it?”

“What happened to your watch?”