KING KONG

LIVES

Story by Brenda Elkin

Written by Brenda Elkin

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Copyright©2022

All rights reserved.

Disclaimer

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

12

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

CHAPTER ONE

The Japanese fishing trawler Jago attempted to navigate a calm but dense fog bank off the coast of Madagascar in the spring of 1989. Ater the trawler failed to return to port, the Japanese Navy launched a massive search for the ship. They discovered the wreckage on a mountain-top 1000 feet above the ground, 26 days later. It looked like something threw it and they did not find the crew.

Then, in 2022, it happened again. But this time, with a 500-foot fishing vessel, “Calvin Coolidge,” based out of Nome, Alaska, also ventured too close to the island, there were witnesses. The Capt.’s log stated. The creature approached the shoreline, causing impact tremors with his 2000-ton frame. Terrified, the captain attempted to radio a distress call, an SOS. Then the massive gorilla began throwing boulders into the water, narrowly missing Calvin Coolidge, the captain throttled the twin 950-hp Caterpillar diesel engines to their full capacity, getting away from the island as quickly as possible.

It was 2 a.m. when I received a phone call from the Secretary of the Navy, Rear Adm. Jim Baumgardner. “Ms. Elkin, I’m sorry to wake you, ma’am. Please hold for the secretary of the Navy,” the admiral’s assistant said.

“Ms. Elkin, this is Rear Adm. Jim Baumgardner, Sec. of the Navy. I apologize, ma’am, for the late hour, but I believe we should talk. I’d like you to meet us at Andrews Air Force Base tomorrow morning at 0-600 My driver will be there promptly at 0-530.”

“Okay, I just woke up.” “Why are you calling me?” “Did a monkey escape from the zoo again?”

“Ma’am, we highly classified this information. We are currently speaking on a line which is not secured. Pertinent details regarding the situation will be passed down to you tomorrow morning during your debriefing. We will see you then?”

They did not give me much of a warning, or it appeared much of a choice, either. Trying to go back to sleep was useless. I began pacing my bedroom, racking my brain, trying to figure out why they wanted me. I was a simple primatologist, having graduated from Berkeley five years earlier. I didn’t consider myself anything special. But apparently, the Sec. of the Navy did, and the Humvee pulled up in front of my apartment building, on Pennsylvania Avenue, at 0-530. Running all the red lights, the military vehicle, followed by two additional Humvees as escorts, drove straight to the Pentagon.

In the conference room at Andrews, I was escorted to a sterile room, with white walls and white floors. There was a long table with three men sitting at one end and a woman at the other, and a chair in the middle reserved for me.

A man, dressed in a Navy officer’s uniform and bearing multiple medals and awards, stood up. “Ms. Elkin, if you can have a seat, we can get started.”

“Okay, I think you’ve made a mistake. Look, I don’t know who you think I am, but I’m a simple primatologist from the University of Berkeley. I have no special skills. I just know monkeys and orangutans, okay, and chimpanzees.”

“What would you say if we told you we located a monkey that stood 200 feet tall and weighed 2000 tons?”

“This is a joke, right? My friend Margaret, did she set this up? I know she used to work here. Is this her idea of a joke? If it is, it’s a good one,” I said.

“This is no joke,” the rear Adm. said, tossing the middle folder across the table containing 20 high-resolution color photographs of a gigantic primate pounding his chest. “Those were taken three days ago, on a remote island off the coast of Madagascar.”

I understood what I was looking at, but my brain couldn’t comprehend it. Feeling like reality was slipping away, I opened the manila folder and spread the photographs out on the table like a deck of cards. They look legitimate and didn’t appear to be doctored. However, I was far from believing in the scenario. The creature might exist in that proportion. Scientifically, it was impossible. It would collapse under its own weight.

CHAPTER TWO

What I was looking at boggled the human imagination: it appeared to be a Mountain gorilla but of enormous size. It seemed to fall in line, with the whole 200-foot gorilla theme of course, there was one slight problem, no remnants of any primate have been discovered that’s over 17 feet tall, let alone 200 feet tall. The heaviest low land gorilla ever recorded was 2000 pounds and it was morbidly obese and housed at the San Diego zoo.

“Let’s say for a minute this: I don’t believe it. I didn’t just fall off the turnip truck. For kicks and giggles, let’s say it could be an anomaly. What do you want from me? I am not going after this thing. There is no way in hell!”

“Ms. Elkin, we picked you, because you’re the best of the best. You’ve written many books on primatology and gorilla behavior and you are close friends with Dr. Jane Goodall. I believe we picked the right person for the job. Since you are a civilian, I can’t order you to do it. What I can tell you is the US government will pay you tax-free $50 million if you help us capture this thing, no questions asked,” rear Adm. Baumgardner said.

“I know you have to be messing with me. You’re telling me you’re willing to pay me $50 million to help you locate and trap a giant monkey?” I asked. “So out of the hundreds of millions of people in the United States, you pick me? I think you got the wrong girl.”

“All you have to do is assist in the capture, nothing more, nothing less, and you walk away with a big payday. So how about it? Do you want to take a ride?”

What I was being offered was a deal of a lifetime, and I was very self-aware there were a plethora of questions that didn’t have answers.

Setting sail from a remote naval station on the coast of Costa Rica, we expected to run into a storm. I predicted it all day. As the storm rolled by and the waves swelled, my mind wandered. Could the giant gorilla be real, or some fabled fairytale stirred up by delirious sailors on the verge of starvation or madness? I crawled up with a good book on my bunk and relaxed for the long journey. I expected it to take 30 days to reach the locations of the uncharted islands. I drifted to sleep. I dreamt of a giant gorilla lumbering across the field of oak trees, with giant long arms and legs covered in black hair, pushing away the forest until the impact tremor stopped.

My breathing was rapid, and my heart raced as I awaited its next move. Griffin and I walked to see if I could discover its origin. The closer I get, the further away it gets, seemingly to back up. As if it senses my presence and my fears. Suddenly, the mood in the atmosphere changed. It became frightening and fearful, as if I should fear for my life or maybe even run. I was too terrified to move.

My legs felt like concrete blocks, my fears surging through my body like an electric shock. It felt like hours had passed however, only a couple of minutes had gone by, until the gigantic creature stopped moving backward and ran toward me, making the deep guttural noise, it was bloodcurdling as it echoed across the land. Without warning, I was standing face-to-face with the massive, 2000-ton gorilla, I would eventually nickname King Kong.

I jerked myself awake but wasn’t totally relaxed. I could see Kong in everything. It kept me on edge. The motion of the rough seas made me queasy. Leaning over the railing’s metal bar, I thoughtfully gazed into the dirt swirling water. I wondered why I had the dream, and what it meant to see the giant gorilla. It was so vivid. I can still see white fangs and black long hair covering his entire body.

“Prof. Elkin, my name is Bradley Michaels, I’m heading up to the research team. It’s nice to meet you.” The ruggedly handsome, blue-eyed, brown-haired man said. It was odd, I felt an immediate connection to Bradley even though, I’d never met him before.

“So, this is for real?” “I thought it was some kind of prank, I half expected a friend of mine to jump out and yell “gotcha,” I said.

“No, I assure you, this is as real as it gets. Most paleontologists believe that back during the Cretaceous. Everything was bigger, dinosaurs, birds, and in this case primates. It’s not that hard to believe, especially considering we’ve only explored 10% of our oceans,” Bradley said.

“What exactly do they plan on doing with this giant ape, after they catch it? Just for the record, I think trying to capture this thing is a terrible idea.”

After speaking with Bradley, I daydreamed, recalling my time in Africa. My first encounter with African gorillas in the mountains is still unforgettable. Leaving the village and lush mountainous countryside behind, my group entered the jungle hoping to see the Africa Gorillas. As we made our way along the narrow and muddy path, the vegetation thickened. I couldn’t believe we’d finally arrived in Uganda to go gorilla trekking. We’d been walking for about 1.5 hours when it got steep and slippery.

Our tour guide comes to a halt and asks us to take out our cameras. We were about to come face to face with the African gorillas, who were already very close. We scrambled down a dense area, clutching at tree branches and vines to stay upright, passing our trekking sticks to our support crew. Five dark figures appear out of nowhere in the tree ahead of us.

CHAPTER THREE

A rustling sound comes from higher up in the tree as the sun shifts, and branches part. I see the mountain gorilla. I had hoped to see today. I was staring at a massive silverback Africa gorilla. His back was to us, but his size and the unmistakable silver markings across his massive back gave me goosebumps.

Our guides slash some vegetation so that each of us can sit on the muddy slopes of the jungle. We sat and gazed at these magnificent creatures. After a few minutes, the silverback turns around in the tree and continues to chomp and pull fruits and leaves. His stature is intimidating, but his demeanor is gentle. He didn’t seem to notice us; his only concern was to eat. According to David, our guide, a gorilla of this size can consume up to 25kg of food per day. The remaining 1% is safari ants and the remaining 99% is fruits, leaves, and vegetation.

It seemed a little surreal. It humbled me to observe these African mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. I wished for time to stand still. I wanted to bottle the awe I was feeling. Marty was standing next to me, and when I turned to face her, her smile said it all. She felt the same way.

The silverback suddenly extends his massive arms and climbed down the tree in seconds. We could hear him grunting and moving through the forest, but we couldn’t see him anymore. Our trackers requested we follow them. We move quickly behind our two guards, who are carrying rifles for protection. They cleared more vegetation, revealing the big guy sitting on the ground, his back to us, and eating once more. This was close, and it was incredible.

Our guide instructs us to take any remaining photos of the silverback, which has grown to twice its original size. We all held our breath, quietly wishing for him to turn around. I did not mean it to be.

He dashed into the dense forest, his huge hands in front of him. At the same time, he leaves. We notice a female sitting in the jungle, close to our group. She makes a quiet grunting sound as she moves slowly and disappears.

We spent nearly an hour quietly observing these gentle giants. We regrouped and followed our guides out of the jungle in the same direction we had come in. I admired the beautiful green countryside surrounding the forest once more, feeling accomplished and smiling from ear to ear.

I recall the raw power, but also the immense beauty of the magnificent creatures. There was nothing like it on earth. They were kings of the jungle. After dinner, I retreated to the deck of the ship and stared off into the sunset, hovering just above the waves. The colors were like a splash of light from a rainbow with their blue and pink hues. I had self-realization, one that comprised me being wrong and that this creature existed. The implications would be staggering, not just to the primate world but to humanity itself.

As I looked off the fantail, I could see the brigade of naval vessels trailing behind us. One aircraft carrier and two destroyers held tight formation and appeared to be ready for anything. That was another concern we were bringing the military. I had worked with Gung-Ho cowboys before, and their motto was always “shoot first, ask questions later.” This type of behavior never ended well.

CHAPTER FOUR

I made the acquaintance of several of the other scientists and professors onboard besides Bradley, a young intern by the name of Kelsey Myers approached me and asked to join my observance party. “Of course, pull up a metal storage box. How did you get on this floating ship of insanity?”

“A massive payday. How about you?”

“I figured I’d take a ride as long as the check cleared. I highly doubt we’re going to find a gigantic primate, undiscovered on an island in the middle of basically nowhere," I said, sprawling my arms out.

“I have to ask, am I the only one that thinks this expedition is crazy?” “Do they really think they’re going to find this giant ape?” “I think it’s just our tax dollars being wasted personally,” Kelsey said.

“Maybe, but I’m wondering if all of this is a waste of money and why are they doing it?” “I mean, look around, they’ve got the Navy out here. Those are destroyers.” “They’re billion-dollar ships, carrying the firepower to level a city,” I said.

“Well, whatever it is, they’re not taking any chances,” Kelsey said.

When I thought about it, she was right. The US government doesn’t send out the Navy unless there’s a problem, or they’re expecting one. The USS Dale and the USS Bainbridge are not toys. I considered them some of the most revered in the US Naval Fleet. The USS Bainbridge (DDG-96) is an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, and the USS Dale also carried an armament that could rain hellfire down on any target, up to 50 miles away.

It was apparent that whatever was happening, the US government took it seriously. Later that night, in my cabin, I snuggled up with a good book by Jane Goodall, A Primate Life. Through her work with wild chimps in Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park, ethologist and conservationist Jane Goodall redefined what it means to be human and set the standard for how behavioral studies are conducted.

I found her work to be fascinating, and her resilience and fortitude were admirable. Jane couldn’t afford college after graduation. She enrolled in a secretarial school in South Kensington, where she honed her typing, shorthand, and bookkeeping skills. She clung to her dream of traveling to Africa to live among and learn from wild animals. She worked a variety of jobs, including serving and working for a documentary film company, saving every penny she earned. She traveled to Africa at the age of 23 to visit a friend whose family lived on a farm outside of Nairobi, Kenya.

Jane boarded the Kenya Castle in March 1957 to visit a friend and her family. Jane accepted Dr. Louis Seymour Bazett Leakey’s offer of a job at the local natural history museum. She worked there for a while before Leakey sent her to Tanzania’s Gombe Stream Game Reserve (now Gombe Stream National Park) to study wild chimps. He thought her passion for and knowledge of animals and nature, as well as her high energy and fortitude, qualified her to study chimps. Her conservation, and protection of the primate environment, live on even today.

I couldn’t help but wonder if Jane was around today. What would she think of this ludicrous adventure we were undertaking? Frankly, I couldn’t wrap my head around how we would even get a primate the size of King Kong transported. Kelsey couldn’t sleep and knocked on my door at 3 AM to share her insomnia. “I couldn’t sleep. I kept thinking, what if this thing is real?” “What if we came across a 2000-pound gorilla standing 200 feet tall?”

“If this thing turns out to be real, I’ll probably pass out,” I said.

Once we made landfall three days later, that’s when things got interesting. I could see the ships anchored just a few miles offshore, and a few miles from the remote island. Its vegetation appeared normal, as did the mountainous, rocky regions. When I panned my binoculars to the left and up a mountain, I noticed something interesting, almost disturbing the remnants of a fishing trawler. The surroundings were lending credence to the theory that King Kong was real. However, coming to this realization terrified me beyond words.

What should I expect? Would King Kong behave like a normal low-land guerrilla, or since he was such an anomaly, would he be more erratic and sluggish, with dangerously mutated genes? Besides the fact he wasn’t supposed to exist, in the realm of possibilities that he did, I needed to take these other things, such as behavior into consideration. I needed to examine them more thoroughly. Our survival could depend on it.

The island’s rough vegetation and undergrowth prevented us from moving quickly once on the island, and the rain started as soon as we made landfall. The forest contained trees the size of buildings. A few raindrops were falling on us.  All you can see are monkeys in trees. Every step brings more debris onto your path.

The plethora of jungle birds, like the Toucan or green Parrot, flew over our heads. They flocked together while other creatures like macaws and monkeys hung from the trees and remained relatively silent. They were silent and as motionless as they could be as if they were scared of something. But the population of Mountain guerrillas, on the island was rather low, considering the habitat the island provided.

CHAPTER FIVE

I had a flashback to my years in school and recalled the last time I was in the jungle. After the SAT examination, my roommates and I were not only sick of studying but also of even looking at books. After some discussion, Ben, Tom, and I went on a camping trip. It was supposed to be a pleasant two days camping trip. We had never imagined that it would be a nightmarish incident.

That morning, we prepared ourselves with the camping gear and enough food to last us two days. Then we hopped on our motorcycles and raced to our destination. When we arrived, we parked our motorcycles under a large shady tree. Then we started climbing Mount Trumbull, in South Africa. The steep mountain sapped our energy during our ascent. We arrived at a beautiful waterfall before dark and spent the night there.

When night fell, we sat around a campfire, telling jokes and scaring each other by telling horror stories. Tom, who was a real jokester among us, had us in stitches with his jokes and silly antics. We snuggled close to each other and fell asleep quickly because it was a chilly night. The next morning, we hiked deeper into the forest, carefully ascending some steep terrain.

After two hours, we returned to the campsite. To our horror, we realized that we couldn't find our way back. We were lost. We frantically tried to backtrack, but to no avail. To our horror, we had unintentionally walked into a situation from which there was no way out. We had come across a king cobra, which had stopped us in our tracks. We couldn’t move because we were afraid of its venomous bites. Sensing our fear, the cobra raised its head in an attack posture.

Tom was the one who was attacked. He was groaning in agony as the cobra swiftly slid away. The passage of time is critical. We needed to get Tom to a doctor quickly because we were in the middle of the jungle. Finally, we arrived at our motorcycles. We didn’t speak a word and jumped on our bikes. We drove to the hospital, where Tom received anti-venom.

It all turned out to be a nightmarish experience I still hadn’t forgotten about, even after so many years. Suddenly, (WHOMP) the ground shook, and when I looked down at the puddle in front of us and the ripples across it. What I was feeling, was an impact tremor. But to my horror, there was another tremor (WHOMP) and then more (WHOMP-WHOMP-WHOMP-WHOMP!) But I couldn’t see, through the heavy brush and elephant ears what was causing the impact tremor. I just knew whatever it was, would be on a new scale of massive.

Without warning, the large forest in front of us, and the trees towering in the sky, parted ways, exposing the gigantic primate. Small birds flew around his head. I was frozen with fear. I could not move.

Kelsey was standing on my right side and saw the primate before anyone else. “Holy Mother Mary of God, it’s real. The damn thing is real!”

A Mountain gorilla will warn the invader first if he detects a threat or another Mountain gorilla from another group. This is accomplished by standing up and drumming his chest. If the previous attempt is unsuccessful, he will shred up and through the invader’s foliage while making a loud noise. The Lowland will then act as if he is attacking with all four legs.

CHAPTER SIX

The expedition only heard a roar from the mountains, and that sent chills up their spines. When standing upright, the giant primate’s body blocked out the sun. His hair was long and black. He turned his head and sniffed the air, his car-sized hands by his side. But he hadn’t seen us yet, and it appeared he was calculating our location. To me, this man’s eyesight was poor, and he was most likely nearsighted, which I imagine was caused by a genetic deficiency. Suddenly, the air became quiet, and he began beating his chest as if preparing for it.

“I’m terrified beyond rational thought.” Kelsey said.

“Yep! Right there with you.” I said.

The expedition leader, Bradley Michaels, instructed the crews, dispatched by the Navy vessels, on how to set up the ape trap, designed by MIT graduates for the specific task of capturing King Kong. However, the baited trap, laden with 3 tons of bananas, kumquats, and mangoes, was too much for King Kong to resist, and before he knew it, he was at the bottom of a well-carved-out pit.

Without warning, the two U.S. Navy destroyers began firing on the giant primate balls of concentrated ether. An enormous cloud of noxious gas rose around King Kong. The expedition members then arranged eight large flatbed semi-trailers with the help of tractors boated in from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz that was anchored just offshore.

Bradley handed out gas masks to me and Kelsey before instructing us on the proper way to use them.

A problem arose that was unexpected. After, I had strapped Kong onto the carrier’s flight deck, he woke up faster than they assumed he would after the ether bath. Eventually, Kong stirred and tried to break free of the aircraft carrier’s chains that had a tensile strength of 5 million pounds apiece. So, more ether was dispatched. Shortly thereafter, the giant primate relaxed and fell asleep.

36 hours later, we were on our way back to New York, towing a 2000-ton primate along with us. Standing on the flight deck of the USS Nimitz, next to the gorilla, was a moment of self-realization of how insignificant we were next to the giant ape.

“I wouldn’t have believed it a million years ago, God Almighty.” Kelsey raised her iPhone to the beast crumpled on the deck, surrounded by heavy chains.

Personally, I found sympathy for the primate being strapped to the USS Nimitz flight deck just a few hundred yards away. The giant mountain gorilla’s breathing was deep but erratic. I assumed it was the ether wearing off, but my concern grew as I watched him for a few more moments before going back to my cabin. I was conflicted. I needed the money, but I didn’t want to see the animal suffering for it like I had witnessed.

But my morning changed rapidly as I was stirred awake by a deafening roar, followed by a noise that can only be described as chains snapping. The naval brigade was on the cusp of West Virginia and less than a mile from shore when the giant ship rocked violently. Soon, we arrive at Smith’s point, where the giant cliff and Kong finally breaks free of his restraints but refuses to go quietly, as is apparent when he slams his black furry hands into the carrier side, almost causing it to capsize.

Alarms began wailing all over the ship, as seawater poured into the gaping holes left by King Kong and his massive fists. He charges toward the search party. He finds the crew crossing a log over the spider pit. He grabs a random sailor and slams him against the cliff, killing him instantly. His body fell into the ravine.

Everybody shoots at him, as Bradley Michaels films the amazing beast. Kong avoids the bullets and grabs the log from the ravine. He rolls it furiously, sending each of the crew members plummeting into the ravine. He quickly tosses the entire log off the cliff and into a large pit. The Appalachian Trail visitor center is just off to the right but was thankfully unmanned during the chaotic event. King Kong is much larger and stronger than our original assessment, and he escapes into the woods and disappears down the Appalachian Trail.

The Appalachian Trail resulted from Benton MacKaye’s daydream atop Stratton Mountain. Mackay. He was a part-time federal employee who proposed it as the connecting thread of “a project in regional planning.” They educated him as a forester and self-trained as a planner. His proposal, based on years of talk of a “master trail” within New England hiking circles, was written at the urging of concerned friends in the months following the death of his suffragette-leader wife.

The trail traverses Vermont in two sections totaling 148.7 miles. The first section runs from Sherburne Pass (US Route 4) to the Vermont/Massachusetts border. This section follows the lower Long Trail through the Green Mountain National Forest. This section is 104.1 miles long and concludes at Maine Junction, where the Long and Appalachian Trail meet.

The section is moderately difficult, with elevations ranging from 850 feet to 4,010 feet on Killington’s SSW slope. This section’s terrain features dense evergreen forests, picturesque mountain lakes, and bogs. Although there are few road crossings, the trail here is heavily used. Views are occasionally expansive, usually from observation or fire towers. They advised hikers to avoid this section of the AT during the “mud season” of April and May. Trails are not only difficult to hike, but they are also prone to erosion and vegetation damage.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Kong runs his way through the trail, still clutching a large oak tree he ripped from the grounds during his struggle near the ravine. He wades, through the cold North Atlantic waters. Kong was on a collision course with a young boy, Tommy Griffin, who’d been playing in his tree house. His grandfather, who had died a few years earlier, had gifted him a fully trained Egyptian falcon, which he keeps on his arm religiously. Suddenly, Tommy feels the impact tremor caused by Kong’s rapid movements as he’s approaching.

Using my binoculars on the deck of the crippled USS Nimitz, I could see the young boy climbing down from his tree house ladder with a bird of prey on his arm. However, by the time Tommy realizes what’s happening, it’s too late; the 200-foot tall, mountain gorilla is standing just a few feet away. Kong’s nostrils flare as he grunts and throws his massive fists in front of Tommy before leaning in to smell him. To my surprise, the primate doesn’t appear to be interested in hurting the boy. Even though Tommy sees Kong standing in front of him, he doesn’t run, but the opposite. He’s intrigued by the giant gorilla and even releases his pet falcon, Herbert, who carries a GoPro camera on his chest secured by a homemade harness from an old dog collar and is now flying around.

“What’s happening? Can you see King Kong?” Kelsey asked.

“He just encountered a small child and what looks like a falcon,” I said. I hesitantly looked on, Kong had no ill intentions towards the boy or even his pet bird. Yet it was so alarming to see the massive feet of the 2000-ton primate stop so close to the child’s position.

Walking cautiously, Tommy backed up three steps but quickly realized it wouldn’t matter if he ran or not. Kong would still catch him as his stride was 10 times that of Tommy’s, so instead, he froze, afraid to move. Yet the squealing coming from Tommy’s hearing aid got King Kong’s attention and even seemed to provoke the creature because he snorted and made short grunting sounds. Tommy was a unique child, with a high IQ, and he didn’t let being deaf affect his daily activities.

But this event was something totally different from anything he’d ever experienced.  Understandably, he was frightened. However, his pet falcon, Herbert, wasn’t. He flew around Kong’s head and shoulders, squawking, almost like he was trying to communicate with the giant primate.

Circling Kong repeatedly, it eventually got his attention and he responded to the falcon. To Tommy’s surprise, Kong was using sign language, similar to Cocoa the Gorilla from the San Diego Zoo. Robin Williams once spoke about using sign language. Better yet, Tommy could understand what Kong was saying to Herbert. He understood the gigantic primate was not there to hurt him but was looking for a place to hide.

Attempting to communicate with the 200-foot tall, mountain gorilla, Tommy used his knowledge of sign language to his benefit, and he began signing to Kong. But Tommy’s falcon still circled the primate’s head, and he was worried Kong might become aggressive and smack the bird. Suddenly, Tommy’s mother appeared. The single mother of one, Ann, found it challenging to keep a roof over her and her son’s heads. She always tried and always told Tommy to put his best foot forward no matter what, and those words resonated with him daily.

“Oh my God, Tommy!” Panicking, Ann said. Instinctually, she pulled Tommy behind her five-foot-five frame. She began signing to her son, asking. “Are you okay?”

However, Tommy did not know and stated such, but his mother was terrified beyond words and could hardly speak. She instructed her son to follow her lead as she carefully backed up, avoiding any sudden movements that might scare the beast. Kong was too smart for that, and he put his hand behind her so she couldn’t run and would be stuck there with Tommy.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Being able to communicate with the enormous primate through sign language was Tommy’s saving grace. He realized Kong meant him no harm but needed shelter. However, this tense situation grew worse, as helicopters flew overhead looking for their escaped captive.

The group of four Apache gunships flew just mere inches from the treetops. The rotor wash pelted Tommy and his mother with rapid pulses of wind as they hovered overhead. Instinctively, he ran for the densely forested area for cover. Kong followed. Watching the activity from afar, I cringed with every step the 200-foot tall, mountain gorilla took, fearing he would crush Tommy under his lumbering feet.

I got my backpack from my cabin, which contains my laptop and notes. There was a long boat being lowered off the side of the USS Nimitz. Going ashore, I hitched a ride on it. As we landed on the sandy beaches, the dozen heavily armed zodiac dirigibles scoured the shoreline behind me. Kelsey got on the longboat with me but was clearly rattled by the events. “There’s something you don’t see every day.”

“Dammit. I hate being right all the time!” I exclaimed. Chasing Kong into the woods, I noticed a series of caves directly up ahead. There was only one large enough to accommodate the giant primate, and Tommy ran into it with King Kong following. He still hit some of the limestone and shale covering the walls and ceiling. Tommy’s arm got cut by the shards of the sharp pieces raining down like razor blades. But he was relatively unharmed, with only a minor cut on his arm. As he sat down on the floor of the cave, just inside the entrance, his mother quickly joined him.

But walking up to the mouth of the cave, I recalled the bittersweet event. My worst day began innocently enough, with my small group of friends getting ready to explore a cave. Every month, the four of us, Jill, John, and Ted, would pick two or three caves and spend our weekends exploring them. Today’s cave was unique in that it only allowed for a brief period of exploration because it flooded completely with each high tide. While we were checking our packs and making sure all of our spelunking and survival gear was in order, a rather jovial but sizable fellow named Scott Porter approached us and asked if he could join us.

Our newly gained fifth member was the last to enter and became so entangled in the opening that we thought we’d never be able to free him. Finally, our persistent tugging was successful, and Scott popped free like a cork from a bottle. We quickly began probing the cave and didn’t think about the incident again because we only had three hours to complete our exploration.

After only two hours, our colossal friend declared that he’d had enough for the day and was heading for the surface. We told him we’d be out in a few minutes and to stay around so we could talk about what we’d discovered. As we began heading toward the entrance, we realized the absence of light from the entrance. When our flashlights finally found the source of the unusual darkness, we were horrified to discover that the big guy had become trapped in the cave’s opening once more. Because Scott’s head and shoulders were outside this time, we’d have to push him out of the opening rather than pull him through.

CHAPTER NINE

The main issue was that the cave floods from the inside out, so if we didn’t get Scott unstuck quickly, we’d all drown. I thought of that day, kicking my claustrophobia into overdrive, standing at the cave’s entrance.

We could hear the sounds of helicopters close by, filling our ears as they flew overhead, skimming the tree line, looking for Kong. For a while, the gunships flying overhead disappeared into the dense mountains. Suddenly, the chopper blades cutting through the air seem to come out of nowhere before they’re on top of the cave again. We all followed Tommy through the winding caverns until they opened up into a larger chamber, and we had a minute to catch our breath.

Using sign language, I introduced myself to Tommy. “My name is Prof. Elkin. I’m a primatologist. I study primates, like monkeys and gorillas.” I pointed at Kong.

Tommy raised his hands and started signing. “I know who you are; I have all of your books. The Commando KidZ series: Why are you here? Is it because of him?” He raised his hand toward Kong.

I nodded and smiled. “That’s sweet. Thank you. I’m glad you enjoy them. But I really need your help. If we don’t get him out of here, you won’t survive very long.” I replied, using sign language.

Suddenly, Tommy’s hearing aid squealed. He quickly shut it off, but King Kong’s growing agitation got the better of him, and he used sign language to tell Tommy the noise was bothering him. Tommy, caringly, walked over to the mammoth mountain gorilla sitting on the floor of the cave and patted him on the leg. Assuring him it was okay and that he wouldn’t let his hearing aid do that again. Kong gently picked the 60-pound boy up in the cradle of his hand and raised him to his face.

Kong sniffed at Tommy, then let out a quick snort. Before letting the boy go, he returned to his waiting mother on the ground below him. Witnessing this made me smile, as it was proof that my theory that primates could sense compassion from another species was correct. At that moment, I realized I had to save this gigantic gorilla from captivity and the potential life of endless experiments under the supervision of the US military. Momentarily, I forgot about Kelsey and her trailing me until she bumped into the back of me again. “Having fun yet?” I asked, noticing a look of fear and panic in her eyes.

“Jesus, he’s big!” Kelsey said, expressing her disbelief in King Kong’s size compared to a normal gorilla. She walked over to Kong, who remained calm despite everything. He was sitting on the cool dirt floor, with his legs stretched out, and would occasionally grunt. Suddenly, taking his index finger, Kong drew in the sand.

It took me a moment to figure out what the gigantic primate was drawing. It was the island he loved. He was homesick. Grabbing Tommy’s attention, I asked him. “How deep do these caverns go?” “Is there a way out besides back there?”

Suddenly, filling the cave entrance, were soldiers heavily armed with AR 15s. They attempt to flank us, but Kong grabbed a large boulder and tossed it at them. Bowling them over, soldiers open fire. This again caused the primate to lash out, throwing more boulders at the men until none were left standing.

CHAPTER TEN

Running through the cave system, eventually, with the help of Tommy’s falcon, we reached the other side. They came out in a ravine 2 miles from the beginning of the cave. Noticing Tommy’s mother fretting, I attempted to calm the woman down by giving her a swig off my canteen. I kept in my backpack. It was warm, but enough to calm her down, as she was on the verge of hysterics. “Try to calm down and take a deep breath. In through your nose and out through your mouth.” I motioned.

Thankfully, I had my CIA training to fall back from my earlier years. They recruited me into the program, tiny threat when I was just 10 years old. My handlers trained me to be a highly effective Special Agent for the Central intelligence agency. Even though I was trained in lethal hand-to-hand combat. I always tried to remain as docile as possible. However, if the situation arose, where it was required. I had skills.

“Okay, I know it’s the wrong time to bring this up, but this would be a splendid book.” Kelsey said. But as we walked further into the caverns, the saturated clouds hanging over the area burst, causing a downpour. Overall, I didn’t consider King Kong a monster.

There are many ancient stories about terrifying creatures that live on this planet and threaten everyone. Every culture has stories about these creatures known as “Monsters” and how they harm humans. Monsters are essentially mythical characters, and people enjoy hearing their stories. Various writers have written books and filmmakers have made films about monsters, knowing that the concept would undoubtedly be popular.

We can find monsters in both Greek and American methodologies. Monsters are frightening to live beings in both methodologies. There are some noticeable differences between the Greek and American concepts of monsters. To begin with, monsters in Greek culture are horrifying. They not only have terrifying appearances, but they also have extremely powerful evil powers.

Greek gods or goddesses who also possessed supernatural powers only defeated these creatures in Greek mythology. Common people could not fight them because monsters like Centaur, Chimera, Hydra, Scylla, and others were far too powerful. In American culture, or in the modern depiction of monsters, their appearances are sometimes mistaken for humans. As a result, we can say that they are not repulsive.

Because they are not powerful, a group of people can strategically defeat them. The stories of gods and goddesses are abound in Greek culture. Monsters appeared in those stories as powerful villains who were defeated by various gods and goddesses to show that good always triumphs and evil always loses. They related monsters to humans in American culture.

They are human projections that have gone too far. They are like humans but engage in one or more abnormal activities. Human crowds can easily destroy them. However, Kong wasn’t one that couldn’t easily be destroyed.

He was no longer a made-up character or a figment of the human imagination. He had thick black coarse hair and stood as tall as a skyscraper on any day, blocking out the sun. His massive 2000-ton frame caused impact tremors felt miles away, and when he roared, it sent a shock wave across the land, creating a pyroclastic cloud of fear.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“You know we’re never getting him out of here, not alive anyway. They have enough fire power out there to level a city and if they can’t control him. They will kill him.” Kelsey said.

The platoons of heavily armed soldiers took positions, giving them vantage points to shoot Kong down the minute he came out. Unfortunately, the helicopters flying overhead deterred us from going outside any further and back down to the entrance of the enormous cavern in the Appalachian cave system.

Before they run back to set up more equipment, they consult with the general on-site, General Montego. He is a hardened war veteran, with over 15 years in combat, receiving two purple hearts. King Kong wanted him to be the last person he was after!

We pushed back into the cave, trying to conceal ourselves as best we could, but with Kong’s massive frame, it was difficult to conceal ourselves no matter how far we moved back. Eventually, we found an entrance that allowed Kong’s wide berth. “Oh, Ann, Kelsey. Kelsey, Ann.”

“What brings you out in this little insane asylum?”

“I’m Tommy’s mom. What is this thing?” she gestured at Kong, again sitting down with his legs stretched out. His legs were so long. Fully extended, they were 30 feet.

“He is a mountain gorilla. If I had to guess, five years old and the eighth wonder of the world”. His diet, which comprises fruits and berries, sometimes small fish and crabs. I believe his weight to be around 2000 tons and his height, I would say 200 feet." At least he is calm." I watched Kong’s head as it turned, staring at the cave ceiling. The helicopters flying overhead caught his attention.

Tommy, still cautious of the giant primate’s size, approached him. Tommy’s mother translated King Kong’s and Tommy’s sign language. “Kong is telling Tommy he just wants to go home. Kong doesn’t like people because they hurt him.”

Listening to this broke my heart. I always considered primates to be humans’ closest friends. I did not know, the entire species hated us. “Ask him if there’s any place he wants to go because it’s going to take an act of God to get him home.”

Tommy began signing, communicating with King Kong through sign language. The random fruit bats fly around, swooping in on us and occasionally landing on Kong’s shoulder. He would untangle them from his long hairy exterior. He was incredibly docile for a creature of his size. It almost made me believe he had in his life been around humans. Most likely when he was younger. “Tommy, ask him if he ever lived with a human?” I said, using sign language.

Kong immediately responded to Tommy’s question. I recognized the sign for “yes.” “That’s why he acts like a pet. Oh my God, that means someone left him on that island. It’s horrible to abandon him like that, with no food or water. “Who would do such a thing?”

“That explains why he was so easy to catch. He trusted us.”

“I feel ashamed to be human.” Ann said. Tommy looked at his mother, signing, “Kong wants to go to Mount Everest.”

“Isn’t that in India?”

I remembered a friend from McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey. With a quick phone call to a lieutenant friend stationed there who was also the base commander, I could secure us a Hercules 137 cargo transport, the largest in the US Air Force’s fleet. It could transport up to 3000 tons. If we’re going to India, we would have to stop in Pakistan and refuel, which is an entirely different battle, given that the US wasn’t on friendly terms with the country. Vigilante groups have shot at aircraft, including those flying US flags.

We still had to escape the cave without getting killed before worrying about that. Something happened just as I realized we were going to be a casualty of war. Nobody would take responsibility because it would be culpable deniability, even with a world-renowned primatologist in the mix. From that point forward, we’ll be doing everything on our own.

General Montego, the man in charge of the operation, had taken flanking positions on the north and northwest sides of the cave system, with his men positioning heavy artillery every few hundred feet. His only goal was to contain Kong and ensure that he did not escape into the neighboring cities.

A flash of light appeared at the end of one cavern. I was hoping it was a safe exit that wouldn’t lead to our deaths. We were in uncharted territory because they had properly mapped this section of the trail. We’d only gone a few steps when the floor beneath us collapsed, dumping us into a large basin of cave water that quickly flowed out into the ocean. Fortunately, Kong could swim and kept us on his back out of the water just a few miles north of where we were. It was on McGuire Air Force Base that we noticed the runways and their flashing blue landing lights.

Relief was further away than we thought. Humvees scoured the area with blinding spotlights. Everyone ducked down to avoid the vehicles and the men searching for Kong. Luckily, his hair didn’t refract light, so he blended with the background darkness, even when a high-powered light spotted his leg. The soldiers mistook it for a patch of weeds.

A powerful river current started pushing us downstream. This caused great alarm because of the Black Hills waterfall 500 feet downstream from the military base. I knew it for its treacherous rocky basin. Even though, Kong was 200 feet tall, it meant he would still drop 300 feet, and succumbing to injury was a real possibility.

The rapids grew faster until the riling rapids pushed us downstream at a heightened rate of speed. As we turned the bend in the river, I could see the power station on the right-hand side, which really didn’t make a difference considering the movement of the water. This only happens when a waterfall is closed. Going over the edge during the daytime would be terrifying but we were about to do it at night. In the pitch darkness, that was blacker than black. We couldn’t see anything after the power station lights faded from sight.

The waterfall loomed overhead, and it turned the massive sink on full blast. Spurts of water spewed violently from the mouth of its cataract. The overall appearance resembled a crater sliced cleanly in half, surrounded by a border of pine trees. The peak had a skyscraper-like presence owing to its visibility or lack thereof.

While the mountain had a gradual incline, the falls were extremely steep, with the rollercoaster-like drop being the highlight. While the water at the base of the falls was raging and harsh, it eventually settled into a calm sphere of motionlessness. Even as the rapids raged above, the bath remained motionless, as if I were staring at a picture frame through a sky full of moonlight. White foam glistened on the pool’s edges, completing the celestial portrait.

It reminded me of bigger falls that bordered Canada and the U.S. There are many natural areas all over the world. Niagara Falls is one place I’ve visited and thoroughly enjoyed. This place is absolutely incredible. It has incredible sights and scenes, as well as other enjoyable tourist attractions. Going on the Niagara Falls tour taught me a lot about the area. I adore this location because every time I visit; I am transported to a location that I could never find on my own. I visited Niagara Falls when I was about 12 years old.

CHAPTER TWELVE

I stepped out of the car and was taken by the incredible sound of the Falls. The roar of all the water going over the edge was deafening. It surprised me because I didn’t expect it to be so loud. It only got louder as I got closer to the railing by the edge of the fall. The sight of the falls took my breath away. The blue of the flowing river water, the white of the rough water falling over the side, and the mist of the water splattering off the rocks at the bottom of the waterfall captured the beauty of the waterfall.

Within moments, we were over the falls, dropping at breakneck speed. Then we hit, although, luckily, Kong grabbed us just as we went over. But the impact, even in his hand, was much more than we were expecting. It knocked us into the water, momentarily submerging us. Popping our heads up, above the torrent of raging rapids, I saw Tommy and his mother, but there was no sign of Kelsey at first until she surfaced, 30 seconds later behind me.

“I did not see that coming.”

“I knew it was here. I just didn’t know we were that close to it,” I said, watching Kong’s movements, making sure he was okay. But as we took a moment to catch our breath, the helicopters coming over the tree line did not and shined the spotlights positioned on the side door of the chopper. I asked Tommy and his mother if they had any injuries from the fall. Thankfully they didn’t, so we tried to regroup. Unfortunately, there didn’t appear to be much time. We ran as quickly as we could out of the realm of the helicopters and into the dense forest on the other side of the riverbank.

Though we were out of the line of sight, I continued worrying one gunship would swoop down on us at any moment. I wanted to keep moving. The deeper we got into the thick forest; the more covert Kong was making a swath 20 feet wide in the tree line. Looking up through the canopy at the moonlight. It gives us some light for navigation.

Continuing to traverse the dense forests, we came across an old concrete building. It appeared to be an old aircraft hangar and a perfect hiding spot for Kong. Because we were freezing, from being soaking wet for so long in the chilled night air. Kong, shaking water off his fur, made it dry to the touch. We curled up against his warm exterior and fell asleep. I didn’t realize how tired I was. As soon as my head hit his leg, I passed out.

At 3 AM, I’m stirred awake by Tommy’s mother. “Hi, I was wondering if we could talk.”

“Sure, what’s on your mind?”

“Is it too late to bail out of this race? Tommy is just a boy. He shouldn’t be out here in this cold, especially in wet clothes. He’s going to get sick.”

“I understand your concern, Mrs. Griffin. Unfortunately, those are military helicopters you hear flying just over the treetops. They’re not people from the welcome wagon they highly trained, heavily armed, and combat soldiers. They have orders from a general to shoot on sight.”

“Why would they shoot at us? I thought they just wanted Kong?”

“Technically, that is true. They only want him. Although, there is a possibility we could become casualties of war, so to speak.”

“You mean they will kill us? We have done nothing wrong. Why would they want to hurt me and my boy?”

“Mrs. Griffin, please understand we’re in the middle of an incredibly volatile situation with the US government. That means the US military is involved, and if you don’t think those soldiers carrying around AR 15s are trigger-happy, think again. Most soldiers died on the battlefield from friendly fire than anything else.” My words didn’t fall on deaf ears. Her face grew void of emotion as she was pondering my suggestions.

“Then why can’t we surrender and turn the gorilla over to them? Why do we have to put our lives at risk?”

“It’s not that easy, I apologize, but until we can figure out how to safely get Kong either back to his home, I’m afraid we’re in this together.” Mrs. Griffin did not appreciate being told her son was essentially an unwilling participant in the kidnapping of a giant gorilla. I can’t blame her. The stresses involved were bad.

Lightning ripped through the sky with an earth-shattering roar, biting viciously into a towering tree. The massive conifer erupted in vibrant flames, providing the only light in the wind-whipped forest. Rain fell in torrents, filling the air with bouts of steam. The other trees moaned in the howling wind as if they were mourning the loss of their comrade.

The unfortunate primate traveler slowly backed away from the tree where he had been hiding. Raindrops the size of bullets and sleet splattered on his back. They were quickly washed away by his shivering. As Kong stumbled to the edge of the forest, he grunted at his misfortune under his breath.

A vast field lay beyond the trees. The gale was causing great waves of grass to roll across.

Twilight faded as the warm amber sun awoke and slowly emerged from the distant horizon. The giant florescent orb lit up the night sky and splashed the glittering, silvery clouds with multiple shades of orange as it hung from the heavens like a golden medallion. The sun’s iridescent rays cast immense columns of light across the landscape, brilliantly illuminating every crevice and object with which they came into contact.

The morning shadows cast picturesque shapes of trees on the ground. They waltzed the feathered creatures, sank into creating harmonious melodies. It was an uplifting symphony of melodies and signaling the new day. The fresh air was pure, and the delicate morning dew had evaporated from the delicate leaves of the grass, while the piercing sunlight mirrored from one tree to the next, creating a dreamy and surreal kaleidoscope.

Tommy appeared frightened. The lightning caught his attention. “Do you think this will last long?”

I told him it would, but also explained how to make the land better by giving it the nutrients and water it needed. “It’s okay to be scared. We all get frightened, sometimes.”

Suddenly an unexpected, dark cloud formations improved their mark on the crystal-clear blue sky, showing the impending arrival of an intense thunderstorm. They inserted powerful gusts of wind to oppose the approaching murky clouds. Darkened, dense patches of clouds gradually engulfed the once-beautiful sky. The sky was washing and draining away every trace of its vibrant colors.

As the dark clouds approached, they left irregular openings in the hazy sky, resembling a massive abstract painting in every color imaginable. The air became thick as it attempted to suffocate the entire tree line. The barren women howled and screamed as more blue-gray clouds obscured the sun and covered the countryside in darkness. We had no choice but to take shelter in a small cave that was just barely big enough to fit the four of us and Kong.

“Prof. Elkin, my son, hates thunderstorms. He has panic attacks when he sees the lightning.”

“Let me try to talk to him. Tommy, it’s okay. When I get nervous, I’ll do things to take my mind off whatever it is bothering me. For instance, counting how many rocks are on the ground, see how many you can count.”

As soon as I stepped away, Tommy took the initiative and began counting small rocks. It was a simple trick; I learned in elementary school, to do with kids that had problems paying attention and focusing. It always worked.

But the storm outside was getting worse by the minute. The mightiest of trees moaned and banded together as branches ripped away like paper fell to the ground, creating devastating sounds of destruction. They were behaving as if they were being tortured, their agony obstructed by the strong gale. A bolt of lightning shattered the darkened and ominous sky in the most vicious way possible. Deafening and earth-shattering thunderclaps that sent shock waves throughout the area followed it.

Then, for a moment, everything faded into obscurity. We waited patiently for another round of dominating attacks from the heavens. The unstoppable wind held its breath and intensity. Suddenly, several jagged streaks of pure white light ripped open the dark sky, raining down like millions of miniature arrows released from above, destroying everything in their path.

The vicious thunderstorm continued to exact a heavy toll on us and the other forest dwellers. The sky had opened up, releasing continuous and heavy rain that flooded every stream and river as they overtook their banks, sweeping everything away with their strong currents and excessive force.

The sounds of rage from the gods above eventually faded as they made peace. A few sunrays could break through the darkened sky as it lightened. They passed through the now nearly white cumulus clouds. Droplets of water fell softly, slowly sliding off the leaves and branches that had survived the storm. The landscape gradually consumed rainwater rivers, becoming increasingly shallow.

The sun is now visible in the circulating sky, its radiant rays reflecting off various colors from the puddles of water on the ground. The morning continued as it was, gloomy and wet.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The heavy rain reminded me of when I was a child. My family was visiting Rome and we were caught in a flash flood. We were clinging to the balcony railing. I wondered if the rain would ever stop falling from the gloomy sky. Each drop of rain that fell on the parking lot’s concrete and had formed a lake. It was depressing to watch the news and hear the reporters say, “The rain would continue for another four days.”

My mother said. “This is horrible.” As she paced back and forth in the living room. My mother’s face was sad, and my father’s, and older brother, seemed unconcerned about the natural disaster. “There’s a pool outside, Mommy,” I mentioned.

“You can’t swim in that water, sweetheart; it’s contaminated with yucky things!”

It was simply a matter of waiting for the boats to arrive. From behind the apartment complex’s doors, the boatmen made loud knocks and deep voices. The boatmen exclaimed, “Last call!” They had a lot more routes to take in order to pick up more helpless people. Because the stairs were halfway underwater, we had to walk through the infectious waters to get into the boat.

Dad had to wait for the next boat because there was only room for my mother, brother and me. Everyone’s expressions were perplexed as we sailed past a submerged school bus and the neighborhood grocery store. You could only see the top of the grocery sign. The only thing you could hear while riding was the roaring engine from the boat.

As we rounded the bend, it appeared to be another world, with no sign of water. How could it only flood in certain areas? I paused. The kind gentlemen helped us get our belongings from the boat to dry land, and then we boarded a truck with two off-duty firefighters who drove us to our destination.

Grandma’s house was only ten minutes away. We thanked the gentlemen and went about our business. It was incredible that the water only came down my street. “Do we live near a sinkhole?” I asked my mother.

“No, our house isn’t in a flood zone!” she said glumly.

Grandma was inconsolable and teary-eyed when my family arrived. She inquired, “Are you guys okay?”

As a result, I know that flash flooding is a real possibility. Because our current location has us inside the cave, it could easily fill up and drown us in seconds. Even though, I was only ten years old I vividly recall the sound the water made as it rushed through the streets of Rome. It was uncannily similar to the sound we were currently hearing coming from upstream.

“Mrs. Griffin, you and Tommy stand on those boulders next to the wall. Kong’s leg should act as a barrier.”

“Why does that noise sound like rushing water?” Kelsey inquired.

“Because it is. We’re about to have a flash flood. Get up on the rocks with Tommy and his mom. It should keep us safe, hopefully.”

Soon after my words of warning, a wall of water violently surged around the cave’s corner, filling the entrance. The raging current slammed into us like a liquid avalanche, despite Kong’s gigantic frame. Tommy and his mother were having difficulty clinging to the cave wall. Their grip did not keep them afloat as the water rushed around them. But when Kong noticed the problem, he let them jump into his hand, shielding them from the swirling pools of debris and water.

Kelsey wasn’t so lucky and slipped on a rock. She braced herself, and Kong didn’t see her falling into the rapids until it was too late. I reached for her hand and yelled at her to hold on to something. I knew if they swept her into the cave, she would drown.

“DON’T LET GO,” I yelled, watching the waves of debris sweep over her face and head.

Reaching out for the young primatologist, I grabbed a hold of her wet shirt. I held her in place and yelled for Kong. But he was oblivious to the scenario and severity of the situation, staring back at us with a blank look. I instructed him by using sign language to pull Kelsey out of the water.

Now back on dry land, or semi-dry, was a relief, for the water in the cave was still rising at a rapid pace. I recall how much of the rain could not penetrate the soil, since most of the area was overdeveloped.

Noticing the fear in Tommy’s face, I pulled on Kong’s hair. Gesturing to lift me up toward him, I sat in the palm of his hand as he lifted me like a human elevator to Tommy and his mother’s position. “Tommy, it’s okay. Try to think about something nice.” “Do you have a dog?”

The young hearing-impaired boy nodded, showing he did. He said his dog was a Cocker Spaniel, named Benny. “I wish he was here right now.” He signed to me.

His fear was overwhelming as he trembled and shivered from the cold. “It’s going to be all right, I promise.” Lucky for us, we came out close to the base.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Thankfully, the Hercules heavy-lift cargo plane was waiting on the tarmac. The cargo bay ramp opened and waiting for us to enter. Kong dropped on all fours, as not to attract attention, and crawled across the runway. The chopper was a tough aircraft but still creaked under the massive weight of Kong’s 2000 ton ,frame as he scuttled up the ramp.

Within just a few minutes, the six turboprop engines came to life and pushed us at breakneck speed down the runway until we reached 300 miles an hour, and the aircraft lifted off the ground. Yet Kong’s demeanor impressed me, because remaining calm was a relatively unusual thing for a primate such as a mountain gorilla or a silverback.

The flight was going to take 16 hours, and I thought it was time to sleep. I dreamt about my father. I remembered him teaching me to dance, by standing on the tops of his shoes. Even though his death was not unexpected, it pierced me, as I’m sure it did everyone he touched.

The hypnotic humming of the turboprop engines kept everyone on the plane relatively asleep. Except Tommy, he stirred and sat up, sitting next to Kong’s leg. Using sign language, I could communicate with him. “You need sleep. Are you okay?”

“I’m worried about Kong.” Tommy said. “How do we keep him safe?”

This was a question I didn’t have an answer for because I’ve been thinking the same thing since leaving West Virginia. It wasn’t like concealing a normal primate. After all, it was King Kong who we were trying to save. Standing over 200 feet tall and weighing over 2000 tons, he cast a gigantic shadow.

“We’ll get him home, I promise.” I said, with a smile that eased Tommy’s concern adding. “God willing.”

The rest of the flight remained uneventful, but I was growing rather concerned about Kong. Knowing he hadn’t eaten in almost 12 hours worried me because I knew primates could get erratic if they were hungry. The rest of us were not faring much better, with the constant hunger grumblings in our stomachs.

Thankfully, the Pakistan Air Force base Peshawar came into view just a few minutes after sunrise. Our pilots flying the Hercules heavy lift transport were some of the best US Air Force offered. That was clear, when they started banking the plane, and flew with pinpoint precision through the Pakistani mountain range.

As we scrambled from the back of the cargo bay, I left the doors open, even though the temperature was 105° Kong needed fresh air as he been cooped up 15 hours. I figured, the two hours the fueling trucks needed to pump 50,000 gallons of high-octane airplane fuel into the wings, I’d used to locate some food for myself and others.

After approaching to street vendors, I explained I want to buy everything on their cart. This included 20 pounds of dates, 15 pounds of dried apricots and 10 pounds of bananas. Even though Kong could consume 200 times that in just one sitting, I figured it was better than nothing and hurried back to the airbase.

Quickly taking flight, the heavy lift aircraft zipped through the sky like an escaped bullet, making relatively good time. We landed 60 minutes later at Tajikistan, a military base operated by the Indian Air Force.

Kong saw Mount Everest off in the distance, which caused excitement and elation. He pounded his enormous fist on his chest and grunted cheerfully as we climbed into his hand. We rode on his shoulder as he galloped fiercely toward the base of Mount Everest.

Scaring the Sherpas, they left their alpacas believing it was an earthquake scattered in different directions as the impact tremors hit them. Kong placed us on the ground next to a pile of unused supplemental oxygen tanks and looked down at me. I smiled and pointed to the mountain, telling him it was okay.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

I always wanted to climb Mount Everest, but never thought I’d get to it. Somehow, Kong recognizes my feelings and places his hand down next to me. I grabbed, one of the 10 pound, oxygen tanks and climbed onto his palm. After placing me on his shoulder in a secured position, he gripped a hold of the snow-covered mountainside like a five-year-old would a rock-climbing wall.

Kong slipped every so often, but mostly we made it to the top of Mount Everest and just under 10 minutes, which I’m sure had to be a record.

Time passed quickly, and the remaining slivers of sunlight faded below the skyline, disappearing behind the clouds. The rainbow colors were awe-inspiring, like a painting by Picasso or Rembrandt. Placing the mask over my face, I used supplemental oxygen as we entered an area of Mount Everest unfortunately nicknamed the death zone. It meant your body immediately died, at that altitude, even with oxygen. Sometimes, the extra O2 would only give a few more minutes.

The sounds of jet engines screaming off in the distance caught both of our attention. They were F-18 hornet’s, scrambled by the nearby airbase after receiving reports that King Kong was scaling Mount Everest. Originally not believing the complaints, phoned in by the Sherpas, it took them a while to catch on that there may actually be 200-foot gorilla climbing the giant mountain.

Yet, Kong was undeterred and ignored the circling aircraft as they lost their sights on him. The sound of machine gun fire filled the thin air surrounding the highest peak in the world. Although, the 50 mm cannons strapped to the bottom of the aircraft began taking their toll on the massive mountain gorilla. Kong swatted at the aircraft, striking one with his hand. But I noticed two parachutes, shortly after which meant the pilots got away, but King Kong was now bleeding from multiple gunshot wounds sustained during the attack.

Realizing there wasn’t any choice, Kong began his descent, trying to avoid any more confrontations with the military. But halfway down Everest, another threat appeared: three Apache helicopter gunships. They quickly took up the fight F-18 Hornets failed to win. But the buzzing sound, from their 50 mm, guns did not stop us. Kong started throwing small handfuls of gravel and frozen material at the aircraft, which was only a minor deterrent, but allowed us the window of time we needed to get down the mountain.

Resting for a moment, King Kong finally sat up and got to his feet. But he was clearly injured, blood running down his neck, back and sides made his movements sluggish and staggered. His once great stature was now hunched over and leaning against the mountain.

Apache helicopters were relentless, buzzing overhead, trying to get a clear shot of Kong. But the massive mountain gorilla wasn’t going down without a fight and he ripped a tree out of the ground with one pull use it like a flyswatter knocking the three Apache helicopters from the sky.

Kong sat down, still leaning against the side of Everest. He made a snorting sound and stuck his nose up and smelled the air. It was as if he could sense something, something we couldn’t see yet. That’s when the stealth bombers appeared on the horizon, that at first glance look like just a black wing slicing through the air.

I yelled for Kelsey to get my bag. I wanted to call the general in charge of operations. By the time she got it to me, the stealth aircraft launched two missiles, one of which missed King Kong. However, the last one hit its target, causing a gaping wound in King Kong’s right shoulder to appear.

My cell phone didn’t get a signal. There were no towers because of the remote area of India where Everest is located. Trying to get to his feet, Kong eventually stood up. Watching him suffer was heartbreaking.

Struggling to stand, Kong galloped toward the aircraft, still parked on the tarmac thankfully with its ramp extended, so we could run inside to the cargo bay and close the hatch. Within just a few moments of our entry, the six turboprop engines started propelling us down the runway. Looking skyward, I wasn’t sure Kong would make it back to his island alive.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Turbulence jolted me awake at 5 a.m. Kong appeared more lively and vibrant, then the day before. I motioned to him, using sign language, that I needed to examine where he had been shot, because the many wounds on his body caused by the aircraft gunfire appeared to have healed overnight.

I wanted to be sure, although after closer examination, I was stunned to see all of his wounds were healed and even more miraculously, the lead from the bullets, had been pushed out onto the cargo bay floor in the middle of the night, and now were in small piles around his body.

Because of his size and his massive growth spurt, I contributed the healing to an advanced pituitary gland, then released antibodies in high doses. The pilot came over the loudspeaker. “Prof. Elkin, it’s now or never. Ma’am.”

Kong would have to jump from the plane, and with his island, only a few miles away, we would have to say our goodbyes quickly. Tommy expressed his gratitude for showing Kong that everyone had a purpose. I had the closest bond with him. Even after being shot at, he still kept me safe. Suddenly, the ramp door from the cargo bay began extending downward. Kong would still have to jump 150 feet down into the Indian Ocean from a Hercules heavy lift aircraft at about 225 miles an hour.

Although, I figured there was a reason his name was King Kong. He was indeed the king. Tommy and his mother, along with Kelsey, moved to the front of the aircraft as they expected a huge lift in altitude once the gigantic primate had left the aircraft.

Sliding slowly down the ramp, Kong looked back at me one last time before disappearing out of sight. I saw him land in the water, and he appeared relatively unharmed. Then he waded through the warm waters to his island with its white sandy beaches.

I had time to sleep on the plane home. I had a dream about Matthew, my husband. He always made me laugh. He was the only person who could make me smile, no matter how bad my day was. Despite a rocky start, our marriage has turned out to be a positive experience. Plus, he makes a good living as a writer, which allows us to enjoy the finer things in life, such as a beautiful home in West Virginia.

After six months of intense congressional investigations and hearings, they found me not negligent or delinquent in my duties. Now, I work at the San Diego Zoo, showing kids around the primate habitat. Yet every now and then, I’ll look at one of our three mountain gorillas and recall the day I met “King Kong.”

The end.

Table of Contents

King Kong

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen