by SJ Hailey
‘And all those countries have had or still have permanent US military bases, with long leases.’
‘Now hold on Mr Uncotto; that is not true, many of those countries were too unstable to cope on their own.’
‘In whose opinion, an advisor or aide in Washington?’
‘No sir, we gather intelligence from many sources and act upon it.’
They turned south east on East 57th street crossing Lexington and heading for Park Avenue.
‘I am sure you are right, my point is that many of your politicians and decision makers only think ahead two or four years, to the next election. The military think further ahead, but are constrained by political influences. They see the folly of short-term gains, against long-term losses. My intention is to allow the long term development of my country past my time in office.’
‘So you want a dynasty is that it?’
‘No, I want my country to remain stable and have time to grow, past my presidency, past your president’s term.’
The vehicles turned right at 2nd Avenue crossing over the East 40’s towards East 45th Street, both men unaware of the valley created by the towering structures adjacent and overhead.
‘I require the infrastructure and my people to support it; not loot and destroy it just to eat, which has happened in Iraq.’
‘Don’t bring Iraq into the conversation Mr Uncotto.’
‘I am only showing it as an example, your own development department showed that a hospital that you renewed with power and water was non-functioning as the staff had blocked the drains, and looters had removed the wiring from the generators and sold it, wasting millions of your dollars.’
‘That is one isolated incident, you cannot…’
‘It is one of many, and I do not want it repeated in my country, so I will invest in my people to build it, to maintain it, with your help, but not with your dominance.’
‘So you are not willing to assist us in any way?’
‘I am willing to allow you, to assist us, but not dominate us.’
‘That is what I said?’
‘No, from what your people have said and done, I must allow you to control all aspects of our redevelopment, and you can select the companies, which I must pay for.’
‘That is a very simple interpretation of how it works.’
‘Yes but you must agree it is accurate?’
The traffic towards the next turn stopped the motorcade, the security team have heightened awareness and monitoring of their surroundings, a sitting target is too easy.
‘Mr President we have your interests at heart, and our concern in Washington is for the safe and stable development of your country.’
‘I am sure it is, but how well qualified are a collection of men in suits sitting in air conditioned offices in Washington, most of whom have never visited my country, or possibly never ventured outside the United States?’
Jarrett correctly chose not to respond to the last comment, as he knew it was far closer to the truth than Uncotto realised.
‘Look Mr President, we want to protect your country from any hostile influences, as we have in the past. Now I have been informed that one of your diplomats, a Mr Chui Enzi is possibly seeking to obtain a weapon of mass destruction, a solar weapon.’
Uncotto was surprised at the information and of Jarrett’s interpretation of it, ‘Are you saying that my Head of Internal security is plotting against you?’
‘I am saying that a representative of your country is seeking a weapon that could threaten us or our allies and that is our primary concern.’
‘I think you are mistaken, he is sourcing solar energy technology for me.’
‘That is not what our information is telling us.’
‘And your information has never been wrong before?’
‘We are right this time.’
‘What is your solution to this Mr Jarrett, will you let me handle the situation?’
‘Of course, we would never interfere in the affairs of a sovereign state, directly.’
‘I am pleased to hear that.’
‘However as a precaution to ensure your country’s on-going protection, we will be having the Abraham Lincoln Carrier group stationed in the area, conducting training exercises and make them aware of your countries situation.’
‘Are you threatening me with military action?’
Uncotto looked out his window and saw on the left, down East 46th Street, the wood and park area near the East River, he was almost at his destination.
‘No sir, I would never do such a thing and I resent the accusation. No, the carrier group are there for your protection and the stability of the area. Should we deem a threat to you, or us we can take immediate action without delay.’
‘That sounds like a threat to me Mr Jarrett, and based on nothing but rumours and hearsay, no firm evidence.’
‘As you know Mr President, we do not always require firm evidence. We plan for the worst and hope for the best.’
Uncotto knew exactly what he was being threatened with, and knew not to respond in kind. The military machine that Mr Jarrett allegedly represented could be a great ally, but could bite you badly, should you provoke its wrath.
‘My country and I thank you for your offer of protection and I am sure it will not be necessary.’
The vehicles crossed over United Nations Plaza towards the secure parking area.
‘And your response to my other requests?’
‘You and your country will hear it in the United Nations.’
‘Glad to hear that you understand my point of view sir.’
‘Oh I understand perfectly Mr Jarrett, it is very clear.’
The vehicles came to a gentle stop in the arrival area of the United Nations building. Jarrett’s security team appeared outside the window as he exited the car. Uncotto instructed his team to wait, and watched as Jarrett waved to the few official journalists assembled outside. He made a phone call and moved up the steps to the entrance hall. He knew that Jarrett and his colleagues would not like his response. The speech he was about to give would have serious repercussions.
TWENTY ONE
Ecuador.
At first light Jacob was loading up the canoe. He had decided late the previous night to proceed up river to the crater wall, much to the surprise of his team. There were objections from Andy and Kevin, but Jacob told them to stay in camp, and study the artefacts and documents already on site. Kevin politely requested to accompany Jacob to record and photograph the visit. Laurent also insisted on coming, Jacob thought that his previous experience, although dismissive and fleeting would benefit the team. Marianne chose to stay on the Arcadia, probably too scared of Katherine to venture back into camp. Evelyn and Michael wanted to come, but the volume of work coming from the dig site would not permit it. Jacob had given his phone to Michael and returned to the lab to retrieve it. The usual cluttered desk space a welcome sight, ‘See you are keeping the place how I like it Michael.’
‘There is a system Jacob, you know that.’
‘And what would that system be?’
‘I chuck stuff anywhere, and then waste time looking for it.’
‘Sounds about right. Have you fixed my phone? It cut out yesterday when Archer called.’
‘Well it is not the phone that is the problem, all working fine. But I found something unexpected.’
Michael was telling Jacob about his find when Katherine entered the lab, ‘Kevin tells me that I have been conscripted for your little trek upriver?’
Jacob turned to face her, and Michael butted in, ‘You are Jacob’s guest of honour.’
‘Really, since when Jacob?’
‘Well you found the site, only right that you visit it. Only downside is that I have to bring Christophe.’
Katherine decided that tolerating Laurent was acceptable, Jacob would not allow him near her, not to protect her, but to stop her killing him.
‘Michael I will tell Christophe to let you check his phone, in
case it has the same issue as mine, okay?’
‘No problem Jacob, I will see to it straight away.’
Michael went down to the boats to speak to Laurent.
The team were lightly armed, the amount of bandits in the border area had increased; the war on drugs reached everywhere.
The four canoes were loaded up with enough supplies for three days, three people in each canoe, plus the local driver. Jacob trusted the locals; they had come down from Burbon and knew all the river area. After a swift breakfast they set off, waving goodbye to Teddy who was working on The Wasp, they could not take it up river, engine trouble, he was swearing at it as they passed, unaware of their departure.
Jacob told the group they were local advisors, and had knowledge of the crater wall’s history and would be glad to assist them in their exploration. Laurent questioned their presence with concerns over their validity as experts. In reality he was concerned about whether they would reveal what he suspected about the crater.
The two people had surprised the group; the first a dark skinned man named Osvaldo Rodrigo, over fifty, but of athletic build with deep set brown eyes. He was probably of Ameri-Indian descent one of the many slaves that had escaped to Colombia and Ecuador, settled with the local population. Their legacy was a group that would look just at home in Los Angeles or Chicago as the South American jungle. The second person was a young boy called Luis Alfredo, early twenties, long jet black hair tied back in a ponytail, looked more like a surfer than a guide. Christophe was obviously bothered by these new additions to the team, and even though he did not voice his objections, Jacob saw an issue.
‘Christophe I acquire knowledge as you do, my contacts, like yours are extensive, you just have to trust me.’ Jacob knew that Laurent would trust no one and was himself beyond trust, but Jacob would only have to tolerate him for a few days.
The river journey was more peaceful than their arrival in camp and Kevin took full advantage, his camera never stopped. Jacob was amused at his enthusiasm, happy to let his eyes and memory record the natural spectacle of the jungle. ‘Kevin how many memory cards have you brought for your camera?’
‘About twenty, in case I do not have time to upload them.’
‘That is thousands of photos?’
‘Yes, don’t want to miss anything.’
‘Fair enough, snap away, but none of me!’
And just as Jacob finished Kevin turned his camera and got three bursts, the third one showing a raised hand and smile from Jacob.
‘Just the one Jacob, I promise.’
Katherine was in the canoe travelling beside them, a few feet away and was laughing at Jacobs failed attempts to not be photographed.
The jungle was virtual primary rainforest, a few settlements on the riverbanks. Stilted houses with wooden walls and tin or grass roofs, erected six metres above the river, but not always from its reach. The only main highway through this environment was the river. Canoes and small boats passed them in both directions; trading and supplying the people of Esmeraldas, the Emerald country. Named by the Spanish, they presumed when greeted by the local Indians, adorned with emeralds and jewels, that the area was rich in jewels and named it because of that. However in the centuries that followed the true precious green of Ecuador became the jungle, more valuable than any stone, irreplaceable.
The trees reached down over the river, moss hanging from their overloaded branches, stretching out to grab any unsuspecting visitors. In the riverbanks parrot’s burrowed holes, seeking out the minerals in the river mud, the blaze of red and blue almost louder than their warning cries as the canoes approached. The river changed names as they progressed, starting on the Rio Cayapas then moving at a fork near Borbon into the Rio Santiago. They passed by San Miguel, the last settlement for some distance, the Ecolodge research station providing them with information on danger spots and weather issues. There was no heavy rain due, the forecast was the usual light low-level clouds generated by the jungle, and some southerly winds, nothing else. The river could rise and swell substantially with heavy rain, and being in a low-lying canoe in floodwater was dangerous for the locals, never mind visitors. They were invited to stop for lunch; a combination of fish caught that morning from the river and fresh vegetables.
By the early afternoon they are within an hour of the crater wall, Jacob implied his satellite phone was not in his bag, he pretended to check the canoe, and then shouted over to the other boat if anyone has seen it.
‘Jacob I think you left it in the dining room, as it was not working, would you like to borrow mine? Michael checked it as you requested.’
‘No Christophe it can wait. Would not want to drop that in the river, it is the only other one we have, you hang onto it.’
The river never allowed you to see in a straight line for long, its dark khaki coloured water hid its speed and depth. The land around them appeared to be less flat, with small hills showing above the massive jungle canopy, the river showed some small gorges on their left side.
Osvaldo Rodrigo was sitting behind Jacob, and had been silent for most of the trip, ‘It is near now, we can moor the canoes at some trees that make a jetty just around the next bend.’
‘You sure?’
‘Yes, I know this river, although usually I am coming from further upstream.’
Osvaldo Rodrigo called across to the other local boatmen, and then moved over to the slower water on the left. The tree trunks became visible just past the bend, their two-metre wide bodies half submerged and covered with new moss.
Boats moored safely, their owners staying with them to ensure none drifted, the group set off to cover the short distance of half a kilometre to the waiting wall.
Kevin was in the front following Jacob and Osvaldo Rodrigo, the jungle thick at ground level, all being wary where they stepped, hidden holes from the wash of the river floods, and creatures that did not take kindly to footsteps in their proximity.
Laurent was impatient as always, and had approached the wall from a different direction through the jungle further downstream; he questioned the expertise of their local guides. His previous visit had allowed him to do much more exploring than he allowed anyone to know.
Osvaldo Rodrigo and his companion stopped and stared at Laurent, unnerving him, they turned and pointed. Just above the trees appeared to be the wall of a gorge, not overgrown with greenery, just criss-crossed by moss and vines. The jungle had not encroached near this gorge wall, it had stopped about ten metres from it, not a single tree had grown there, just low-lying vegetation. The group all stopped and looked at the gorge wall, realising what it really was.
‘Jacob, this is your pared del crater, crater wall.’
Jacob took in the scale of the structure before him, the wall curving to the left and right. Even the trees were hesitant to challenge something of this scale. The wall was over one hundred fifty feet high, steeply angled up at about twenty degrees; some areas had collapsed the victims of minor plant growth, or earlier looters. The majority of the wall was overgrown with moss, but some areas showed the mud bricks that formed the structure. They appeared almost melted, the centuries of weathering returning them to the earth, even baked hard mud, could not resist nature’s reclaiming grasp.
Jacob had put his bag down, directed Kevin on what to photograph. Laurent approached him, ‘Do we climb over again? There is only a lake on the other side.’
‘No we do not, Osvaldo Rodrigo knows of an old entrance with some stone inscriptions we may find of interest.’
‘As you wish Jacob, would you mind if I go up to get a better overview, the weather last time did not allow it.’
‘Okay but don’t get lost.’
‘I will take Luis Alfredo with me, I am sure he will have no difficulty leading me to you.’
Laurent and the young man moved off up the wall, climbing steadily but surely, appearing like toddlers climbing an oversized staircase. Kevin took some photos of their ascent before moving off to the right, following Jacob.
Laurent reached the top within minutes and sat regaining his breath, his companion clearly perturbed; checking the contents of the rucksack Laurent had given him.
‘You are sure this will work? I cannot afford any mistakes?’
‘Mr Laurent, my leader will take them to the cave, and once they are inside, I will bring down the keystone supporting the roof, and then I will be leader as will you.’
‘The explosives I supplied they are sufficient, I am not an expert in these...’
‘Yes, I used to go blasting in the mountains, this is more than enough, I am used to dynamite, but this plastic explosive is more controllable.’
‘Will it kill them?’
‘When that roof collapses it will kill them all.’
Laurent smiled at the young man, noticing the blue glow from inside his shirt, looking away before the young man could follow his gaze of fascination.
Jacob moved to the cave a few hundred feet down the wall, an opening around forty feet high in front of them, two rectangular stone pillars supported a large slab. The slab appeared, even from this distance to be several feet thick, and thirty feet across, but more decorative than supportive. There were no bricks on the slab above, but cascades of them running either side of the supporting pillars, the same steep angle on all. Jacob stood directly in the centre of the entrance, Osvaldo Rodrigo next to him, ‘this is the entrance to the complex; there are inscriptions on the columns from other visitors, come see.’
They stepped inside and Osvaldo Rodrigo used a stick to point to the carvings. ‘We have Inca, Chinese, Spanish and La Tolita.’
‘La Tolita, I know this from excavations on the coast.’
‘Yes I know Jacob, how do you think I knew of you?’
‘Osvaldo Rodrigo what else are you keeping from me?’
‘Many things and all will be revealed soon.’
From above them some pieces dislodged, the fragments falling as drifting dust from the gargantuan stone above. The group barely noticed, but Jacob was very aware, he glanced at Osvaldo Rodrigo who also looked surprised. Jacob began to move further into the cave, his guide following rapidly behind him.
