"What…?" Saki resumed their conversation.
"There would be a fork in the road," continued Hunter. "The one on the left is really dangerous but straightforward. Lots of climbing involved."
Saki motioned him to go on.
"The one on the right is pretty level and less foliage but we will need to cross a rickety sky bridge."
"The bridge sounds cool," Saki said teasingly.
Hunter frowned and she laughed.
She stood up and faced their men. She looked more at Jiro when she said
"Okay people, which one will it be? Climbing steep rocks or crossing a hanging bridge that can fall at any moment?"
Jiro visibly paled but said, "How high is the bridge?"
"High enough to break every bone in your body if you fall. Water runs under it so that should lessen the impact," he grinned.
"Easy for you to say…" Jiro mumbled and Earl clapped him on the back as if to encourage him.
"The bridge sounds really dangerous," Jake tentatively spoke to no one in particular.
"Wait, how much of a danger are we talking about on the left path?" Saki asked Hunter.
"Ten times the danger of the bridge if you consider that some on your team are not that experienced in mountain climbing," he looked meaningfully at Jake and Jiro.
They defiantly stood to Hunter's probing gaze but did not say anything.
"I didn't mean to offend…" Hunter faced Saki. "...but this is a realistic assessment. We can't have anyone face unnecessary danger if we can help it."
"I know," Saki looked at Milo.
"Growth comes at a price," he said.
"Alright…" She squared her shoulders. "The bridge, then".
Everyone moved almost in unison except for Jake who stood as if in contemplation.
"O-k-a-y…just let me get over my panic attack," he chuckled. He brought out a phone and handed it to Earl. "Take my pic before I die," he posed as if pointing at the path they are going to take.
"Don't be over dramatic my friend, you sound like Nora," Earl laughed as he took the picture.
"Who?!" Jake said as he took the phone back. He put it in his vest pocket and looked at Saki.
"I'm ready."
The trek to the bridge took them nearly 2 hours on a relatively flat terrain.
The bridge is a rickety old thing made of a stout rope coated in moss and some sort of slime, and rotting timbers.
"This doesn't look good," Jiro nervously said to Jake who looks just as nervous.
"There is a narrow path going down the mouth of the lake. It won't take us half an hour to get there," Calad told Saki.
"I know what you are thinking but we only have 2 inflatables," Hunter said. "We did account for this on the first trip but we didn't account for Saki's team," he added.
"I was hoping that the bridge isn't too far gone," a crestfallen Hunter looked at Saki apologetically.
"Maybe we can still cross it?" She wanted to spare Hunter the disappointment so she tried to sound cheerful.
"Maybe if you told us what exactly we are looking for, we can decide whether the whole group is needed or not," Jake bluntly told Saki.
His tone did not sit well with Hunter but he also wanted to see how she would handle the situation.
"Sorry, Jake, but we already had this discussion. I am not sure what it is so i don't know what to tell you and this is supposed to be just a scouting expedition. Meeting with Hunter was just a coincidence and I thought it's not a bad idea to have more men in case we run into trouble," Saki explained patiently.
"Why would there be trouble? Would there be trouble?" Jake apprehensively hugged his bag.
"Of course not...but it's not uncommon for local people to be protective of their territory," Saki tried her best to remain calm.
Jake sensed this and said "Alright, I am sorry for overreacting but all I am saying is that maybe it would be better to split the team here and have you, Hunter and maybe Milo go ahead on the inflatables and we could catch up later".
"It would be dark in a couple of hours. It is dangerous to have the team split up in this area," Hunter's tone suggested he did not want an argument and Jake prudently kept silent.
"There is another way," Calad interrupted. "We go down but instead of going via the lake, we could go upstream along the riverbank. The path would then join with the main path going to the top. It will take longer but safer," he added.
"NO. We can manage once it gets dark but Saki's team is not yet ready," Hunter sternly told Calad and the latter stepped back and nodded.
"There is something you are not telling us…" Jake accusingly looked at Hunter.
Saki also shot an inquiring look at Hunter.
"I am sorry if I seem underestimating your team Saki…" he began.
"Do go on," Saki's eyebrow has a way of irritating Hunter and he grudgingly continues.
"This area around the lake, the river and the path going to the top was full of traps. We disabled most of them but I am sure some still remain. The darkness would triple the danger."
"I am familiar with traps. We can always proceed with more caution. Or we can camp for the night." It is the first time Frank spoke and Hunter looked at him appraisingly. "There is still something you are not telling us," he echoed Jake's earlier statement.
"Is there something else out there?" Milo asked mildly.
"Yes. There is," Hunter said with a note of finality that everyone fell silent. "The only safe place is the top and I strongly suggest we go there at the soonest possible time."
"The bridge then," Milo said, testing the timbers with the point of his knife.
Saki was also eyeing the bridge keenly but was vaguely aware of Hunter talking to Calad and Duren. Both nodded and went to get something from their packs.
"No disrespect, but we do this our way," Hunter said not to Saki but to Milo. Saki bristled at that but caught the warning glance of Milo.
"You're the boss," Milo avoided Saki's icy gaze.
"Duren, Calad...test the bridge. Old guy, support." Hunter looked at Tam and the latter got something from his pack.
Saki went to stand with Hamarr who was holding the rope lightly with one hand. She tapped the anchor posts; the old man nodded approvingly although Saki did not exactly understand why.
Jake tried to peer at the edge of the chasm but Jiro pulled him back. The two stayed at a safe distance, observing Hunter's team get to work.
Saki herself is above average on her agility but she was dumbfounded at Calad. She has never seen anybody move like that.
Calad ran across the bridge like it wasn't slippery at all. Duren is holding a rope tied to Calad's waist but as far as Saki is concerned, he isn't exerting any effort to secure it. His negligent manner set Saki's teeth on edge.
"I can run like that…" Earl said from behind her and Saki looked back quick enough to see her team's jaw hanging at the spectacle in front of them. She felt a momentary flash of anger but quickly suppressed it. She caught Hunter smugly smiling at her.
When she returns her gaze at Calad, he is already at the other end tying the rope to a large boulder. Duren was tying the other end to another large boulder while Hamarr talked to Saki's team.
"We cross one at a time. Attach your own cords to the rope and watch where Tam steps and do as he does", Hamarr looked at Jake as he said this.
He frowned slightly but he turned to Jiro and continued casually.
"Mister Jiro, if you are not confident to do this, Duren can carry you across."
"Certainly not! If Jake can do it, so can I," Jiro said hotly but Hamarr held one beefy hand up.
"Alright, no harm no foul…" he tapped Tam on the shoulder and the tall man hoisted his large pack and went to the bridge.
Tam motioned for Saki's team to get closer as he attached a carabiner to the rope. Saki has doubts if the bridge is strong enough to carry the big man's weight but what happened next nearly took her breath away.
Tam stepped on the mossy floor beams like a dancer would on a dance floor. Toes pointed with an almost imperceptible hop step.
He proceeded to cross the bridge in a machine-like precision in his steps that Saki only saw on prima ballerinas.
"What the f*ck! You want us to do it like that?!", Earl looked at Hamarr incredulously.
"Not exactly like that but remember where he stepped on..." Hamarr looked amused. "...but it would be fun to watch if you could".
Earl went to the bridge muttering.
"I will do it like the first guy!" and before anyone could say anything, he proceeded to run like Calad did.
The bridge swayed dangerously but he managed to get halfway through without any major hitch.
"SEE?!! I told you I could…", he stepped on a rotten part of the bridge and he plunged down.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"