Great White Hunter Darwin Eve

The Great White Hunter in Project Darwin Eve

November, 14 1983 I was laying in bed, in my secret base built into a mesa some were in the Western United States.  I had been awaken by the sound of a large helicopter flying dangerously low at 2:03 AM.  I could tell by the sound that it was a sea stallion used by the US Navy and Marine core.  It was now 2:09 I was awaiting the arrival of my uninvited guests, with knife and gun in hand.  I could hear foot steps in the hall, they moved ever closer.  There were four, no five of them.  They stopped at my door, the door flung open two marines fell through the doorway flat on their faces.  I could see in the dark three more standing in the doorway, suddenly the lights flipped on.  I could now see Pasanga holding up two unconscious marines.  Good work I applauded, "Is that all of them?"

"no, Pou'butso is holding off eight more in the heliport."  I looked to Pasang and asked "where is their commander, I'm sure he wants to talk."  One of the marines pulled himself off of the floor and answered, "That would be me, Master Sergeant Ma..."

"I dont need your life story just tell me why you intruded my home."

"I have been sent to retrieve you.  We have a mission right up your alley." 

The seats in the sea stallion were very uncomfortable, the marines continually eyed me and Pasang.  I had brought him along, from the sound of the marine commander this would be a tough mission for which I would need all the help I could get.  Pou'butso had stayed behind to clean up despite my request for him to accompany us.  Despite his stout build he was a deadly warrior who had fought along side gurkhas, and members of the SAS.  I suppose he had grown weary of battle and bloodshed, but he undeniably had the instincts of a great warrior.  The helicopter suddenly set down, the engine stopped abruptly.  I started to get up.  The commander motioned for me to stop, when I herd the screech of medal on metal.  The helicopter slowly descended into the depths of a giant elevator shaft.  The sunlight disappeared and was replaced by the blue glow of halogen light bulbs.  The elevator came to a screeching halt.  At that very moment I was blind folded and wisp away.

When the blind fold was removed I found my self sitting alone in a very dark room.  Nine lights came on in front of me illuminating nine cloaked men.  I knew immediately that they were the counsel of the Imperator General.  One of them held a file which he tossed at my feet.  I saw it was a classified report of "Project Darwin Eve."  I had herd roomers of such a project in my travels.  A plot to use trained monkeys as soldiers.  I had dismissed them all as roomers for the same had been whispered about the Germans after the second World War.  The masked man then spoke in a low but dramatic voice.

"We have summoned you here because once again the communists threaten our political and economic dominance of the world.  We have discovered that a base we destroyed in Siberia several months ago was only a research facility.  By then we had uncovered a breeding facility near Moscow, it was destroyed 56 hours ago.  To our surprise we learned only nine hours ago that the 'sniper monkeys' and staff of the facility had already been evacuated."  A screen appeared with some meaning less satellite photos displayed on it.  "Those monkeys have now been sent to East Germany where they are poised to strike into the heart of Europe.  If Europe falls it is only a matter of time..."  I intervened " I under stand, and accept the mission."  I had no interest in their cult of power and no fear of them.  This was the excitement I had craved all my life.  "I'll need help though." 

"It has already been arranged," the imperator answered. He and his collages silently filed out of the room as it filled with knock out gas.

I awoke in a rundown room with a case of gear and Pasang lying at my side.  I looked around to find a tall man in a dark blue jacket standing next to a shared window smoking a cigarette.  He turned around and glared at me with his dark blue eyes piercing through me.  Only twice before had I seen eyes as serious as his.  For a moment I felt myself waver with a hint of fear in my heart.  I regained my composure and demanded his name.  He laughed and took a few steps near me " I am baron Eudemon Von Ryan Preussen IV, rightful lord of the kingdom of Prussia and last surviving heir to the house of Rookstine."  I had herd of his clan, they refused to support the Keizer in the Franco-Prussian War and fled to East Africa, a loosely governed German territory.  There they hid for decades fighting the Boars, the British, and then the communists.  He threw down his cigarette and said " you may call me Von Ryan, we will be partners on this mission." 

"You best not get in my way," I snapped back as I pulled myself off of the floor.  He laughed, then remarked " Big talk for a man who was saved by a mere child."  He examined Pasang, "I see you have brought him along again, to bail you out I assume." 

"Where did you hear..." he cut in with a smirk on his face.  "You are The Great White Hunter, your reputation is one of legend." 

" Well I'm glad you have herd of me, but no doubt some of those tales were under stated and were far more amazing and heralding in real life." 

Von Ryan glared at me "We work together on this mission because they told us to, not because I have any respect for you." 

"The feeling is mutual." I answered.  Von Ryan said nothing, he then unveiled a map.  I was not surprised to see it was a map of East Germany, old Prussia.  "We will go by my plan." He demanded as he pointed to makings he had made on the map.

"We will assault the monkey horde here."  He said as he pointed to western shore of the Elbe.  "They number near 40,000, and they appear to have two companies of tanks supporting them.  Precision missile attacks should thin down their numbers, but I need you to protect me while I mark targets with the laser guidance system we have been generosity provided." 

"No problem."  I answered.  I turned to wake Pasang, but he had already awaken and had taken up a sniper rifle.  "Lets get this over with."  I said as we gathered up our equipment and filed out the door.

As we walked down the dismal street Von Ryan suggested we grab a drink before we left on our mission.  "Sounds good, how about you pay."  He then led us into a small bar on the corner of a dark alley and an empty street.  We entered to find only a sleeping bar tender.  I slammed my fist on the bar and demanded three bottles of the finest whiskey In the house.  We were surprised when the bar tender brought some vintage Jack Daniels.  We began to drink and sing and make absolute fools out of our selves.  The night wore on we drank more and more.  Finally Von Ryan suggested we play a game to pass the night away, I was intrigued.  He slammed a revolver on the table and said, "familiar with Russian roulette."  I laughed as he loaded a bullet into the gun and spun the cylinder he handed the gun to me and said, "You first."  I held the gun to my head and as I wrapped my finger around the trigger I paused.  I noticed the intent in Von Ryan's eyes, I saw through his game.  I pulled the revolver away from my head and flipped open the cylinder to find every chamber full.  I looked up to find Von Ryan holding his carbine in my face.  I glanced at Pasang, he was unconscious.  "Boy can't hold his drink." Said Von Ryan.  "Your probably wondering why I want to kill you.  Well you and your exploits brought great pain to my noble family.  Marauding through Africa you destroyed our cartels clutch on the natives.  Not to mention you destroyed our demand mine, causing us a fortune.  You thought your deeds would never come back to bite you in the ass did you?" 

"I have no regrets." I answered.  Von Ryan laughed, he laughed and laughed.  He looked like a mad man off an old movie.  Suddenly the he was knocked flat on his face by the bar tender.  "You get out, we is closing." He said with a thick accent.  I tossed a few twenties on the table and grabbed both Pasang and Von Ryan and drug them out and across the street into an alley where I then fell unconscious.

The next morning I was awakened by Von Ryan.  He was shaking me frantically, I a slapped him away, and sat up to see two dead monkeys at the mouth of the alley.  I looked at my watch, only to realize we had all been unconscious for nearly two days.  The invasion was already under way.  "I was going to leave you here to die, but there were too many of them."  Said Von Ryan as he gasped for breath.  " Slow down, and explain the situation." I commanded.  Von Ryan paused for a moment to catch his breath. "I awoke early yesterday, and thought I could handle them with out you.  I took a good position on a tower at the edge of this city.  There I used the laser guidance system to destroy the tanks and about two thirds of the monkeys.  As soon as they took heavy casualties they all split up and fanned out.  I still was not worried until they started to fire, I couldn't pen point them. I tried to move around and get around them but they're too numerous." 

"Maybe they are just too clever for you."  I answered.

" Get serious." Von Ryan demanded.  I thought for a moment, how could I round up thousands of monkeys for the slaughter.  But all the booze had left me with a serious hang over. Then it hit me.  Beer, spirits of any kind the monkeys would go straight for the booze and we would have them right where we wanted them.  I awoke Pasang and informed him and Von Ryan of my plan. 

We then ran about gathering all the booze we could We got help from the old bar owner after I tossed him a pile of twenties.  We then placed all the booze in the square and cracked open a few cases.  The wind wafted the smell all across the city, this attracted the attention of the locals whom we then had to chase off.  Once we had all of our preparations set up we ran for a church nearly three blocks away.  We figured we should be safe at that distance, and the bell tower was the ideal spot to observe the square.  In only five minutes a huge horde of soviet sniper monkeys with their little red star caps and rifles filled the square.  Von Ryan aimed his laser into their masses.  "It will take a few minutes, so watch my back." He said.  All seemed to be going well, as the clock counted down.  Suddenly three monkeys swung in, and these were no normal monkeys.  They wore flack jackets and carried each a belt with twin pistols.  These were no doubt the elites among the ranks.  I unloaded a bullet directly into each one of their heads before they could react. 

What were these commies thinking sending monkeys in place of men?  I glanced at Von Ryan he nodded his head. It was then another monkey swing in from the opposite side of the bell tower it landed on Von Ryan.  This one wore a head band and carried two knives it slashed at Von Ryan, and took out his right eye leaving a gash down his cheek.  He screamed in agony, but as soon as I took aim at the monkey it jumped me.  I dropped my rifle and we both went roiling out of the bell tower, we slid down the roof and fell into a bombed out building. I managed to knock the knives away from the monkey, but he was now pinning me down.  He was too heavy.  He was a strong one at that, we exchanged glares for a moment.  I knew what to do I reached up and pulled his headband over his eyes.  The monkey panicked and let go of me for just a moment.  That moment was enough.  I grabbed him and tossed him over a wall I sent a grenade with him.  I ducked and covered my ears.  I felt the explosion.  Followed by another bigger explosion, that shook the earth.  We had done it. 

I stood up and brushed myself off.  I decided to find Pasang and leave as soon as possible.  Hopefully Von Ryan had cooled down now that I had saved his life, but who knows.  I stumbled around until I found myself in front of the church.  I realized what an ominous place this abandon gothic church was.  As I entered again I saw gargoiles glaring at me, the head of an angle lay at ones feet.  I climbed to the top of the bell tower and found no trace of Von Ryan.  I walked over to Pasang only to find him laying in a pool of blood, with a bullet hole in his head.  I heard the crackle of a walky-talky.  I saw it next to Pasang.  I picked it up to hear Von Ryan's voice.  "Surprised." He said.

"Why." I Pleaded.  At that moment a bullet zoomed by the left side of my head, followed by another to the right. 

"Would you rather I kill you." He responded.  "Remember this day and know in the back of your mind that today you lost to me and some day I may return and claim your life.  Of course with your pride shattered I guess your worse off than dead."  He laughed hysterical.  I clutched the walky-talky in my left hand, and punched the wall with my right.  "Remember on this day I let you go because you saved my life, but next time will be different." The line then fell silent.  "DAMN YOU VON RYAN!"  I shouted at the top of my lungs.  Why hadn't he killed me was this only a game to him, or did he really have some twisted sense of honor.  No he wouldn't have killed the boy it that was the case.  No matter I would find that bastard and even the score, even if it cost me my life.