The Island's Captives

Chapter Twenty-seven: Discretion is the Better Part of Valor

Peter Morris

"Ronny! Ronny!" Ludwig shouted out. Already more than half the day had gone by and we still hadn't caught sight of the renegade kids. I was beginning to worry, after all how did we know we are even following the same trail as they are? We all agreed they were most likely heading toward the closest mountain, which also happened to be the tallest (from what we could tell anyway).

"Ohh," Alex sighed, "What if we never find him?" I saw Menelik and Ludwig give him an annoyed look. Of course, it was unleader-like to complain like that.

"We'll find him," I said optimistically, "And Wilson and Amy."

"I don't care if we find them or not, it's Ronny I'm worried about," Menelik retorted. I didn't say anything, though I didn't agree with him. Sure Wilson hated me (and I didn't really like him either), but I liked Amy. She just seemed so...innocent. So young and naïve about everything. So, I guessed it was only natural for someone like me to want to protect a girl like her.

"Looks like they've been here," Ludwig said as he picked up an empty box of crackers. Menelik took the box and gave it an experimental sniff and lick before nodding in agreement. "Was that really necessary?"

"Ronny has a...peculiar smell that I can recognize from anywhere," Menelik explained.

"Oh yeah," Ludwig nodded, "Old cheese and gym socks."

"I thought it was more like cat pee," Menelik replied. Ludwig gave a shrug. I smiled, amused at their conversation, when I saw a movement in the distance. I looked harder and saw the branches of a tree swinging from side to side, as though someone had pushed them out of the way.

"Up there!" I said to the others, being careful to not speak too loudly (I didn't want Ronny and them to run away). They got quiet for a moment, before they started racing up toward the moving branches. 

"Aaaahhh!" I heard Ronny's unmistakable scream, followed by a couple thuds. Apparently he had been tackled. I ran up to join the group and saw Ronny, pinned down on the ground by Menelik and Ludwig. Wilson was held down, hands behind his back, by Enkidu. Amy was standing by, bewildered.

"Think you can hide from us?" Menelik sneered. Ronny said something back, but it was muffled since he was practically buried underneath the two big boys.

"Get off me!" Wilson exclaimed angrily. Enkidu looked first at Alex, than at me for further assistance. I glanced at Alex, but by the look he gave me, I knew he wasn't sure what to do. So I took over.

"Let him go," I said to Enkidu. With Wilson still struggling to free himself, Enkidu let go abruptly and Wilson fell hard to the ground. But he jumped up immediately and hurried over to Amy, where he put himself in front of her in a guarding position.

"You can get off him," I told Menelik and Ludwig. They pushed themselves off the crushed Ronny, who lifted his head and one arm in a dramatic show.

"Can't...move..." Ronny collapsed onto the ground with a theatrical sigh. 

"Oh please, stop with the dramatics," Menelik complained. Ronny got up swiftly.

"Dream-ruiner," Ronny accused before coming to stand by me.

"Why did you guys leave without us?" I asked, knowing it was my duty as leader to ask and find out.

"We wanted to go to the mountains, and you said you wouldn't let us, so we went on our own," Ronny explained. I looked at Wilson and Amy. Wilson was glaring at me and Amy was looking back and forth, forlornly, between me and him.

"So you just got up and left?" Menelik asked, obviously annoyed.

"No. First, we sorted through the supplies in the bags to look for things we thought we might need. Reminds me," Ronny looked at Ludwig, "I didn't know you were that type of guy." Ludwig looked away sheepishly, leaving the rest of us to ponder. "Anyway, so after we did that than, yes, we left."