On the riverbank, the group huddled together.
Kroll, still shaken, said, "That anaconda—it's hunting us, isn't it?"
The earlier incident had clearly terrified her, and the others looked equally rattled. Steve Owen tried to reassure them. "Yeah, but don't worry—it went over the waterfall."
Even he didn't believe that. Sure enough, Adrian said, "No use. Anacondas are born to the water. A waterfall won't kill it."
Since coming ashore, Adrian had been staring at the deep pool below. Luckily, the anaconda hadn't shown itself.
"What should we do?"
"Leave here immediately."
Everyone looked to Monica. Her cramps had eased.
"Darling, how are you?"
Steve Owen went to meet her.
"I'm fine now."
Monica scanned their faces and said, "Anacondas are apex predators, and they all have fixed territories. As long as we get out of its territory, we'll be safe."
No one had a plan anymore. They glanced at each other, then all at Adrian—he knew the Amazon best.
Seeing their eyes on him, Adrian nodded. "She's right. Every adult anaconda has its own territory, and they won't leave it easily."
"But that one was huge. Its territory must be huge too. Can we manage it?"
Karl was clearly still terrified. Steve Owen tried to soothe him, and Monica went on, "Trust me, we can. That brute just ate Martin. It'll take at least a week to digest. We've got a window."
Her words seemed to bolster them. They weren't as panicked as before.
"So what do we do now?"
The question came up again. Steve Owen and Monica turned to Adrian. He steadied himself, looked around, and said, "There's a village not far from here. We head that way—we should find people to help us."
With a direction set, they moved out together.
Steve Owen stayed by Monica's side at the rear, while Adrian, carrying the group's only hunting knife, led the way. He hacked down the annoying branches and leaves to make a path.
The heat and rough terrain had them panting in no time. Worse, at some point, leeches had attached themselves to everyone.
Steve Owen dug a lighter from his waist pack and burned them off. The heat made the leeches let go, leaving tiny wounds. He dabbed some medicine on Monica's bites. He regretted coming to this damned Amazon with her—this was no place for a pregnant woman.
They pressed on, and the way ahead began to open up. Adrian, in front, suddenly slowed. The others sensed something was wrong and moved up, and a stench hit them.
It was the reek of something dead for at least five days—sickening beyond words. Adrian crouched. There was slime smeared on the brush at their feet. He sniffed—this was the source of the stench.
"What is it?"
Anyone could tell something was off. Kroll couldn't help asking.
Adrian grimaced. "Guys, I've got good news and bad news. The good news is we've probably left that giant anaconda's territory."
"Left it? Great…"
Faces brightened. Karl was almost giddy; just thinking of that snake made him shudder.
"How can you tell?"
A cooler head asked, but Adrian didn't answer and continued, "The bad news is we may have entered another anaconda's territory. These are its markings…"
Their cheers died in their throats.
The best way to find an anaconda is by smell. They carry a pungent odor like rotting carcasses.
Steve Owen looked at the slime on the ground. He had no idea how long this one was, but judging by the diameter, it wasn't small. Weren't most supposed to be under five meters? How had they run into two outliers in a row?
Knowing they were in another anaconda's territory didn't change the fact they had to keep moving. This was still the quickest route to the village. They set off again, only faster now.
They crept along for a while without being attacked, which lifted everyone's spirits. Maybe this anaconda had fed and was digesting. Maybe it was hurt. Either way, not being attacked was good news. All they had to do was move as fast as possible.
Up ahead, they stopped again—their way was blocked by a lake. It wasn't deep, only waist-high. Lakes like this were common in the Amazon. One heavy rain could create several. This spot was probably a low-lying area that had filled up. Crossing wouldn't be hard; the only problem was the murky water—you couldn't see what was in it.
Steve Owen stood at the shore, frowning. Honestly, he hated this most about the Amazon—the visibility underwater was awful; you never knew what was beneath. In a boat it was one thing, but wading through it on foot set your nerves on edge.
"Can't we go around?"
Clearly, someone else had the same thought.
"We can, but it'll add six hours."
Adrian didn't elaborate, but everyone understood. They were in an anaconda's domain. Six more hours meant six more hours of danger. They stared at one another, no one able to decide.
What to do?
Wade through the lake or detour—no one could guarantee which was safer. The anaconda could be lurking in the water ahead—or it might be empty.
In the end, they voted to wade through. At this point, they had to gamble.
…
While Steve Owen and the others agonized over the lake, down at the base of the waterfall where the boat had sunk, the one-eyed giant anaconda tried several times and still couldn't snap the boat's rope.
The other end of the rope was in its belly—Martin had been swallowed whole—binding the snake to the wreck. After repeated failed attempts, the anaconda seemed to understand. Its body rippled, and it regurgitated Martin.
Riddled by stomach acid, the corpse looked even more ghastly in the murky depths. Freed again, the anaconda lifted its massive head above the surface. Its forked tongue flicked, sampling scent particles in the air, then routed them to the Jacobson's organ in its mouth and straight to the brain. After a moment's analysis, the brain issued its command, and the anaconda slid off in pursuit.//
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