The Jungle Warrior Read Online Free PDF Page B

location on the bank of the river had made it a well-placed hub for people traveling through the jungle. The village grew into a town as a thriving black market overtook fishing as its largest business. Rokoff liked it. It had the atmosphere a Wild West frontier town would have possessed, he imagined. It was the end of the road for civilization, surrounded by expansive jungle in which Okeke’s prize lay.
    But that was not the reason he was here. Any good hunter could do the task Okeke had set. Rokoff was here to hunt a prize that had eluded him in the past.
    He would have the head of the legendary White Ape, no matter what the cost.

6
    J ane was rooted to the spot as the trees shook all around her and harsh grunts came from the foliage. A familiar sense of fear returned as dark shapes flitted in the treetops. The rain dribbled into her eyes and made it difficult to see, but she could clearly hear the grunts turn into shrill calls that conveyed aggression from her unseen opponents. She raised her machete, although she did not know how effective it would be.
    The trees shivered once more and a chorus of high-pitched screeches drowned out any other sounds. Their intensity increased, the prelude to an attack that Jane expected at any moment.
    But it didn’t come.
    The foliage behind her split apart and something huge burst through, sailing over her head and landing in the mud on all fours. It took a second for her to recognize Tarzan. The ape-man now stood between Jane and her unseen enemy.
    Tarzan’s stomach heaved as he bellowed, punching his fist repeatedly into the mud. It was a fighting display she had seen the silverback gorilla Terkoz perform once when he clashed with Tarzan. This time, it appeared to have the desired effect on whatever was lurking in the bush. With a sharp screech, the trees shook defiantly one last time, then Jane’s stalkers retreated with a loud crack of branches. The jungle was silent once more.
    â€œTarzan!”
    Only when Tarzan was satisfied the enemy had gone did he turn to look at Jane. His brow was furrowed with anger.
    â€œJane nearly died alone here! Targarni are bad. Dangerous!”
    Jane was startled by his harsh words. “I had this.” She held out the machete. “And I wasn’t originally planning on taking a walk out here. I crashed the jeep.” She wanted to ask what the targarni were, but Tarzan interrupted.
    â€œRobbie come for you now.” He studied her carefully. Jane self-consciously followed his gaze to the leeches on her leg. In the last few terrifying moments she had forgotten about them. Now they were fat with her blood and fell harmlessly into the mud. While she was still repulsed by them, Tarzan’s news was worse.
    â€œYou saw him? He’s going to be mad when he sees the jeep.”
    Tarzan must have seen her worried expression, because he started to smile.
    â€œJane in trouble?” There was a mischievous twinkle in his eye.
    Jane didn’t want to dwell on Robbie—she had had dozens of questions for Tarzan since she last saw him. Why hadn’t he come back to the camp? Should they tell his real family that he was alive? She had her own ideas and theories but, now he was standing before her, she didn’t know how to begin. Instead she found herself asking about Tarzan’s adopted family.
    â€œHow’s Karnath?” She had been there when the lion had killed Karnath’s mother and often thought about the little ape.
    â€œKarnath miss Jane. You want to see?”
    Jane’s heart leaped. She had longed for an opportunity to return to the paradise high up in the cloud rainforest. A silent nod was all it took for Tarzan to lift her onto his back and into the trees. She gripped tightly around his neck as they hurtled through the jungle. Rain stung Jane’s eyes as Tarzan gained speed, leaping upward from tree to tree to gain height, then running to the slender ends of branches that he used as