77. The teeming forest

Twelve mercenaries stop in front of the lovely, deep pool through which Hannes Haasbroek’s group had swum. Recce led them up to here and is now looking at Joss right behind him. "Their tracks showed they were on their way down before the rain washed it away. When we reached the stream, the rain stopped but we found no tracks. They followed the stream and went through this pool in between the cliffs.” Joss frowns frustrated. "And what the fuck we do now Recce? We are not geared to negotiate water with this shit Savior metal scales and all our weaponry. We will have to leave them. The fuckers got a lucky break. Let’s go back …” He turns around. Recce urgently whispers to Joss. "You can go, I’ll stay here.” Joss stops. "What Recce? Are you mad?” "I will sniff them out quickly.” "How the fuck are you going to do it?” "From the top of the ridge up there?” "Fuck, you must be mad. It’s a vertical rock face. Are you going to climb up there without a rope like the bloody Spiderman?” Re