Scene 10

The Guyana Highlands

As I floated down in the parachute, I quickly pulled the compass from my survival vest. I noted the direction that the plane had flown so that I could track back to find the rest of my team.

I put the compass back in its pouch and prepared myself to land. Parachuting into a forested area is tricky at best and downright dangerous for those inexperienced with it, and I was far from an expert.

I pulled my arms in close so that they wouldn’t catch any branches and potentially break a bone. With my feet close together I penetrated the leaves. I tried to cover my face as well as I could as the branches whipped against me.

I was prepared to hit the ground when the canopy of the parachute caught in the branches. I jerked to a stop and my remaining momentum cause me to swing against the trunk of the tree, taking the impact against my side.

I swung from the chute for several moments as I recovered from the collision and then took stock of my situation. Looking down, I saw that I was about six feet off the ground, an easy drop. I looked up to see where the chute was tangled. It was snagged over a broken branch, but it looked like it could be dislodged.

I reached up and gathered the lines of the chute in my hands. I began to swing and bounce to get the chute untangled. As I watched, the chute began to slowly edge towards the end of the branch. Inch by inch, the chute crept down the branch when suddenly the canopy ripped and I dropped to the ground, landing flat on my back.

The drop had knocked the wind from me, so I lay there until I could again breath. I pushed myself up to a seated position and did an inventory of my equipment. Because we had only been doing an aerial recon of the area, I didn’t have a full field pack of supplies; all I had on was a survival vest.

The first item I checked was the small radio in the vest. I pulled it out, but I saw quickly that I wouldn’t be able to use it, at least not immediately. When I had collided with the trunk of the tree, the radio had been caught between me and the tree, breaking its plastic body. Turning it on, I could get nothing from it.

The compass was still working, so I would be able to backtrack along the planes flight path and find the rest of my team.

Other than that, I had a knife, an automatic pistol with one clip holding fifteen rounds, emergency food and water rations for three days, a small first aid kit, and a small survival kit.

I took off the parachute pack and opened the vest. I gently examined where I had struck the tree. I would be bruised and tender for a while, but nothing was broken.

I quickly gathered up the canopy and lines of the parachute and stuffed them back into the pack. It obviously could not be used for a parachute again, but the lines and canopy could be used to fashion a shelter. It was still several hours before nightfall, but it was likely I would have to spend the night in the jungle.

I closed the vest again and pulled out the compass to get my bearings. Noting which way the plane had flown; I took the opposite direction so I could find my team.

I put away the compass, slung the parachute pack over my shoulder, and headed in the direction of my team.