After a few agonisingly tense minutes, the thieves gathered their ill-gotten loot and retreated back into the jungle with the same eerie quietness they had used to appear. The clearing was left in stunned silence, with the tourists standing in shock and disarray.
Some were crying, while others were visibly shaking with a mix of anger and fear. Fredrick, still hidden in the shadows, took one last look at the scene before he turned and began to retrace his steps through the jungle.