Free The Jungle Warrior by Andy Briggs

myself whether or not he refuses to cooperate. I am particularly interested to know if he has seen or heard of the legendary White Ape.” He said the last two words slowly and they sounded thick with his accent. His eyes scanned across her bloodstained clothes.
    â€œNow there’s a coincidence,” said Clark. Robbie’s eyes stayed fixed on Jane. He could see her glower, willing Clark to shut up. “Jane was just talkin’ about her run-in with it. Ain’t that right?”
    Rokoff looked at her with a half-smile. “So the legends are true?”
    â€œI . . . I don’t know what he means.” Jane stood up. “I’m feeling pretty tired. I’m going to get some sleep.”
    She walked out, head bowed. Only Robbie saw her angry expression and he felt the bonds of trust between them dissolve. Robbie’s cheeks flushed as a deep sense of guilt washed over him.
    â€œRemarkable,” said Rokoff.
    â€œSorry about that,” said Clark. “She’s got a stubborn streak she inherited from her mother. Right, Arch? Esmée, some Tuskers here.”
    Rokoff took the offered beer and clinked the neck of the bottle against Archie’s. “To independent children. You have brought up a fine woman. I believe this is your camp?”
    Archie took a long swig of beer as he sized Rokoff up. “You’re aware of what we do here?”
    â€œI’m not blind,” said Rokoff.
    â€œNo. And you’re not mute either. Why would a conservationist turn a blind eye to all of this?”
    â€œAs I explained to your companion,” Rokoff gestured to Clark, “my interests are very specific . In a country such as this, you cannot afford to make enemies of those you need to work alongside. You and your people are at the forefront of exploring this wilderness and see things I can only wish I could. You’re not poachers, and while I don’t agree with logging, I assure you that my interest lies purely in the gorillas and not you. Not this.” He waved his hand around the room. “Your daughter has given me confirmation enough that we are exploring the right area.”
    â€œCould you track down the gorillas without her?” asked Clark as innocently as he could.
    Rokoff laughed. “There is not a creature on this planet I could not track. You only have to know where to start.”
    Clark emptied his bottle and slammed it on the table, beaming.
    â€œExcellent. Then I reckon you’re welcome to hang around here, eh?” The question was aimed at Archie who had been studying the two men with suspicion.
    â€œI suppose so,” Archie finally conceded. “But we value our privacy. If you endanger that, then you won’t be so welcome.”
    Rokoff nodded amiably. “I understand.”
    Clark clapped his hands together. “Great. If you want the gorillas then it’ll help us find what we’re looking for.”
    â€œWhich is?”
    â€œAn old crashed aircraft.”
    Rokoff smiled and extended his hand. “It sounds like a fine partnership.”
    Robbie remained silent as the two men shookhands. Archie still didn’t look as convinced as his old friend Clark. Robbie was now beginning to feel the same way.
    Despite the humidity, Robbie shivered. It was as if they had just struck a deal with the devil himself.

9
    R obbie felt increasingly uneasy with the new pace of events. He hadn’t believed for a moment that Jane really needed to sleep, but he left her alone until midday to cool off. Esmée unsuccessfully tried to gather them both for a lesson, but since Tarzan had made his appearance she was finding it harder to pin down either Robbie or Jane.
    Jane sat at the edge of the camp gazing at her phone. In the past, she would have been writing emails to friends back home. Now she used the phone to type in information she had gathered about the Greystokes. She had started to spend hours pondering over