Robert stood on the ass end of the ship with his hands on the railings as the ocean waves crashed lightly into the medium sized transport boat. A brown cigar like cigarette that looked home rolled was perched at the end of his lips, its cherry tip was like a very dim beacon that cut through the thick darkness that had surrounded the boat that night. Robert was in fact not a smoker of any sorts but it had become a tradition in his family that the start of any hunt was meant with a specialized herb grown in Mombasa rolled into a cigarette form. It wasn't tobacco but it was a very rare plant that could only be found in small centralized villages dotting the open lands of Mombasa's most dangerous area's. It meant good fortune and luck on your hunt and that may your strength ever be mightier then the prey. Blowing out a cloud of smoke that smelled almost sort of sweet Robert turned to see Maddie, they had not spoken too much since they had both got onto the ship, she did not look all that exceedingly well. It became apparent that she probably suffering from a little sea sickness which was confirmed not too soon after by her own words. As Maddie walked away Robert turned, she was about six or seven feet away when he spoke:

[b][color=tan]"Before you go I had something I wanted to say."[/color][/b] 

Robert went silent as he seemed to look down at the deck of the ship as if he was thinking about something really important, something that perhaps he didn't want to do. Looking back up at Maddie he sighed and continued speaking:

[b][color=tan]"A long time ago I knew a man who wanted to become a tracker, in fact you could say he was heavily obsessed with it, the problem was he had no natural talent for it. Being a tracker isn't just knowing how to be downwind or being able to survive in a hostile lands filled with predators, most trackers go on to be tour guides or in other words they keep rich nature enthusiasts safe. Its not the profession I would ever willingly involve myself in but that was his dream, his reasons for becoming a tracker, to escort rich people and be wealthy. I never downplayed his dream, a lot of people come from a lot less and want to become somebody its a good goal even if it is a little unconventional, the problem was that no matter how much he tried he just couldn't grasp the training. It eventually got to a point where it was useless to keep training him, he became arrogant and frustrated and that is not the attitude for such a risky job. I hadn't heard about him for a few years after that until I was frequenting a small tourist village for a drink.  The locals spoke of a man who had recently been killed in the wilds of Mombasa along with a rather wealthy patron who had hired him on as a tracker. Sure enough it was the same man from two years earlier, the same man who just couldn't walk away from being rich. For a good time I sort of thought to myself that if I had done something, if I had worked with him more or did something different when I was trying to train him that it wouldn't have played out like it did. The truth I found was that when one is so blindly committed to something they will forge ahead regardless of the circumstances, still I couldn't stop feeling as if that if I had done something it would have never happened."[/color][/b]

Robert became silent as he reached into his inner jacket pocket to remove something, he pulled his hand out rather quickly and the dart left the tranquilizer gun within an instant and struck Maddie near the base of the neck. The moment the dart would strike her she would instantly feel the affects as her body weakened from the strong compound. Robert lowered the tranquilizer gun as the wind blew through his hair. Walking forward he stopped a few feet from Maddie as she would already be more then numb from the dart.

[b][color=tan]"I am not a hero or am I somebody that anyone in this world really cares about. If I die then to this world another piece of hunter trash bit the dust and the world is a little safer for the animals. You on the other hand, your worth a lot more, your life is dedicated to helping others and I am sure many today have you to think for being alive. I am not asking for forgiveness nor will I offer you an excuse, but I want you to know that I am not the sort of person to do what I just did to you. The truth is though that if I do nothing and you die on that island then I truly am no more different then when that poor fool died with an innocent man in his care because I chose to give up on him. I am going alone Maddie and I am sorry if this isn't what you want, but when your safe and return to saving lives I hope you will understand why I did what I did. Goodbye Maddie, stay safe in whatever you do from here on out and please apologize to EJ for me I didn't have time before we left."[/color][/b]

Robert looked up as a couple deck hands appeared around the corner he simply nodded them as they approached on either side of Maddie. She was fully out now, they both bent down and grabbed either side of her.

[b][color=tan]"Make sure she stays safe, place her in one of the bunks, when you return to the mainland I want you to make sure that she does not make it to the island. She will try I am sure but so long as this boat doesn't leave port again I am sure that she will realize it is fruitless."[/color][/b]

The men nodded as Robert walked forward pulling the dart from the base of her neck, they carried her off as a rather regretful look appeared on Roberts face. He looked down at the dart in his hand for a couple moments, dropping it on the deck of the ship he crushed the glass under his boot almost in frustration as he returned to the railing. He was finally alone now and he did not need worry about more innocent life being lost on that forsaken island. The chain of greed in the name of life would end here once and for all.

[b][i][color=red]"Let me put this simply Mr. Tembo we don't trust you with our best interests, your hatred for our respective companies is well documented and while we need you we also need someone who will take what we want into consideration. If you won't bring back those embryo's then we will make sure someone else does and there is nothing you can do about that now, so suck it up and get to know your team."[/color][/i][/b]

[b][color=gold]"Maddie? Maddie come on wake up its EJ... are you there? Oh she must have got dosed pretty good."[/color][/b]

Maddie would feel a hand shake her should continuously, the voice would be a bit distance and echoing in her ears, but her eye's would slowly open and adjust to the inside of the Fleetwood and she would realize that it was moving, the first rays of sunlight would be peaking through the windows of the RV.