Janet & Carla's Jungle Peril. For Belle In Boots. Part 2.

By PrimeSlimeTime. UMD.net. DEC, 2019.

Day two didn't turn out to be any better, their GPS and satellite phone equipment not functioning well, their exact location on google earth undetectable on their computers, the power also somewhat unpredictable, their equipment batteries on a low power charge only, the solar equipment taking it's time to arrive, it's current location unknown leaving them behind schedule and unable to pinpoint their exploration zone in real time and space. Their sampling and reporting equipment all checks out OK but the satellite pick up for some reason is very poor with ground survey mapping the only other way to get them to their destination until the electronics can be sorted out and connected reliably. The container carrying all that gear, not at the airport when they arrived, so it's maps and compasses for now, their satellite phone not picking up the other survey team that should already be here, but no one seems to know anything about them or their whereabouts. Carla looks at Janet unamused but the latest developments, "this is fuked she says aloud, we're treated like shit as women, it's not like we're dangerous or something, and half our gear isn't even here and we can't even pick up the away team that's supposed to be here already". She picked up the phone to call the hotel lobby, it wasn't even connected, and she slammed it down in frustration, "and they took my fucking fifteen year old glenfidich, do you have any idea what that cost".

Janet was by now starting to lose her cool with her, "think of it this way hun, we're pioneers here, foreign women have never been here before, and when it's all over we will be all over science magazine global and the minerals and oils briefings, so we're gonna do this properly and journal everything from scratch, OK, you wanna get exposure on your last paper for the year, this is the best opportunity you will have in your life to be noticed. Now get me the medical files and try a nice cup of shut the fuck up will you", Janet cooly replied, clearly in charge of things, the younger girl although attractive, even sexy by her standards, in way over her head on her most challenging assignment ever, not having the maturity to assess the situation on day two and keep her cool, and they hadn't even left the hotel, her decision making already in tatters. "And while you are at it, get out the cameras, go find the guide, get a bunch of photos of this shanty shack we have to live in and that ridiculous thing they call transport, and their highway and start writing a summary in your journal, without losing any more shit before I send you back and ask for anyone else who might be stupid enough to apply for the position vacant in the jungle i'm about to list if you don't get the hell on with it". Janet had made her position clear, she wanted a mature aged assistant right now to help manage their situation and had been given some stupid self centered girl.

Janet was looking over the medical advice's and reports for the type of country they were heading into and heard a long cowboy whistle through the glass less open window to their room and ran to the familiar sound looking out into the street below. A fully working vehicle had just arrived, a real one at that with another behind, both of them covered in solar cells, a hand waving to her from the drivers seat in the first holding an unmistakable cowboy hat. Her spirits immediately lifted, their first away team had arrived, her contact on the ground Enrico Sinata was here to help get things along. He barked at the local men to get moving with the equipment upstairs, six of them running for all they were worth from the benches they were sitting on smoking three day old cigarettes downstairs, and Janet ran down to meet him, relieved that that he had finally showed up.

Somehow Enrico, Mexican by birth, but with years of travel to similar locations throughout the world, had a grasp of the language, able to get them to do as he required. Janet ran into his arms, the two of them embracing then kissing deeply for a time, they had not seen each other in four years, on the same graduate team from the same university, she remembered that Enrico possessed some great skills, team management was one of them, linguistics was another, he was also able to procure the most amazing things from nowhere, and he had other skills that she would forever keep to herself. His grin was wide upon seeing her, he had a soft spot for Janet, and upon learning she was coming to perform surveys and take samples he pulled out all the stops to get to her and get them away from their host village as quickly as possible, as it was a dangerous place to stay as women, especially as foreign women were not welcome and even considered bad omens and with very good reason. There were rumors among the locals of demons in woman form that stole children and ate them for food, even some of the strongest men had disappeared without trace adding to the fear of them.
Carla was out taking as many photos as she could, noting the finest details in her journal, she was the part time journalist on this trip with degrees in digital media and journalism, but with the maturity of a twelve year old. She took photos of the team that had arrived and some video of Janet making out with Enrico, clearly she was overjoyed to see him here.

Enrico whistled out to Carla waving his trademark hat, beckoning her over to the group, carefully eyeing that she was on her own in a dangerous place, and she stopped from taking her snaps of the village they were in and casually walked over to the group. He introduced himself to her warmly when she got there reminding her sternly that when he whistled and waved his hat;It was a sign to hurry, the reasons he would explain to her later on. Two more jeeps arrived soon after and Enrico beckoned them both over to the last one and from the cab he produced a bag which he opened showing them their confiscated duty free liquor. He put a finger to his lips, telling them he would explain later. He also confirmed with Janet they had to move quickly as darkness would approach and with it more tropical rain so they had to get back to camp and unload as quickly as possible.

He invited Janet and Carla to get in the first jeep to help move things along, and to keep out of sight explaining that he had taught the natives Spanish in his time here and the joys of blue agave tequila, so they would respond to his will very quickly if needed. He winked as he left them in the jeep and went to the hotel entrance barking instructions, sending the villagers scurrying for all they were worth, and in a very short time they were packed and Enrico was glad to be going from this place. He left two parcels of cigarettes and tequila with the local police station for safe keeping asking the police chief to keep extra armed patrols on at night with plenty of torches lit around the buildings, especially the hotel for a few days as the smell of the women would be noticed during the night attracting you know who. With that all done in quick time he whistled out to the convoy team swirling his hat and the procession left the village, the men all crowding around the police station like zombies keen for some gifts that Enrico had brought them.

An hour down the road, Enrico pushed a button on the dash and some panels opened up in front of them. Janet was quick to notice the GPS tracker beeping away on one screen showing the four vehicles as red dots on a white line that snaked its way through the never ending dense jungle, as the satellite phone cracked into life, and she picked up up the handset hearing a voice calling echo one over and over. Echo stood for Enrico and one for the vehicle one. Enrico handed to Carla seated in the middle seat with not a clue what was going on, a clipboard with some information and he asked her to hold the clipboard so Janet could read it and turn the pages as she needed while he was driving along the precarious muddy track as they ventured slowly deeper into the jungle vegetation, the track a muddy bog of ruts and potholes, Enrico doing his best to avoid them and as Janet finished with the chart over the phone and hung it back in its case. Enrico looked at Carla, though, clueless and asked her in a very serious tone"have you ever been in quicksand before". Carla was wide eyed at the thought, a veteran of sinking fully at the local clay pit mine in her youth, but nothing like what he was proposing, and shook her head at him, with a firm, "no i haven't".

Continued..