by Chris Tucker
Vigil turned his head and said, “We are prior military. We served in the Army together for a number of years. After we were discharged, the Colonel recruited Sean to join him at NESA. I was brought on shortly thereafter. It just seemed like the right fit after we served our time.”
“Discharged?” she asked curiously. “That sounds like another way of saying kicked out.” Even though she meant nothing by it, she felt bad for saying it, considering these two men had just saved her life. “And what is NESA exactly?”
Mercer answered, “I was a Chief Warrant Officer in charge of a division that searched for WMD’s in Iraq. After we got out of the Army, our former Colonel created a special task force and assigned me to be his Special Operations Director. We started out with various missions to study the pollution of rivers, oceans and other water sources. It kind of blossomed from there. Now, we set the standard for any research that needs to be done involving any chemical, biological, or nuclear threat. I brought Pat in as my partner and we have been saving the world one small crisis at a time, or so it would seem.”
Emily stared out the window, still rattled from the day’s events. Her eyelids grew increasingly heavy and the will to fight to keep them open subsided and she finally gave in to her body’s suggestions. She dozed off into a peaceful slumber and slept the entire rest of the way to the base camp.
***
It had taken just under forty-five minutes to reach the archaeological site of Izapa. The tribulation Emily had recently been through had emotionally exhausted her, and when she awoke, she was lying down on a cot. It took her a few seconds to take in her surroundings.
As her grogginess cleared, she noticed two men talking a few yards away. The short, light brown cropped haircut of the man on the right was instantly recognizable as Pat Vigil. She finally got a chance to take a look at the man who helped rescue her in the jungle.
He was about five-feet, eleven inches tall and his hands looked like they could crush a tree with no resistance. He was clean shaven and his head seemed a little too big for his short, muscular body, but still there was a quality in him that she found admirable. He did, after all, save her life and she would always be in his debt for that.
The other man, however, she did not recognize. He was a little shorter than Pat and he had a mustache which separated itself from the perfectly shaped goatee on his chin. He had ruffled auburn colored hair that was very short in length and he was noticeably older than Pat. He also seemed to be in a position of superiority judging by the way Pat was listening to him. She was just sitting up when the older man walked over and greeted her. She caught a glimpse of his eyes, which were as grey as a cloudy landscape.
Vigil spoke first. “Emily, this is Colonel Alan Hunt. He’s the director of NESA.”
Hunt added, “You are safe here, Ms. Lundy. It appears you have been through a horrible ordeal. I’m just glad my men were able to be of assistance to you.”
She stood up and grabbed Pat’s hand and humbly said, “Thank you, Mr. Vigil. And thank you, Mr. Hunt. I am extremely grateful for the help you and your men have given me. Where am I exactly?”
“We’re in Izapa,” Hunt replied. “You were brought here for your own safety. My men briefed me as to what you have already told them, but would you mind sharing your story with me as to why you were running through the Nicaraguan jungle when Sean and Pat found you? I don’t mean to be curt, but they killed three mercenaries to save you and I need to know the details that led up to it should I need to prevent an international incident.”
Although he was very straight and to the point, there was still a calm tone in his voice she found consoling and she opened up about the day’s occurrences. She gave a detailed description of events from the time she heard the gunfire, to witnessing the brutal murders of the people in the jungle, and to the loss of her friend, Tony. She then told about how she ran into Sean and how he and Pat had saved her life, killing the three men who were chasing her.
She started to tear up as she told the story. “I’m sorry. Tony was my closest and dearest friend. It all happened so fast and now he’s gone. It’s all a little too much to take in right now.”
Hunt listened as the brave woman told her story and marveled at the courage and determination she was displaying. He could tell the ordeal was taking its toll on her and he cordially thanked her for telling her story.
He felt the devastation she harbored by losing her friend and in a subdued tone, said, “I am very sorry for the loss of your friend, Ms. Lundy. Please accept my sincerest condolences.”
She graciously nodded in appreciation as Hunt took her hand and gave it a firm, but gentle squeeze. Looking up, she noticed a man walking up behind him. The sunlight blocked out all but the silhouette of a tall man walking towards her. As he drew closer, the discerning features and outline of his face began to take shape and she identified him as Sean Mercer.
The wavy locks of beach sand colored hair seemed to flow effortlessly in the stiff breeze. As he approached, he said, “Ah, Ms. Lundy. It’s good to see you awake and about. You slept like a baby on the trip back. How are you feeling?”
Without any words, she lunged towards him and wrapped her arms around her hero. She held on to him for a few seconds before responding. “Thank you so much, Mr. Mercer. I owe you my life for what you did today.”
He politely replied, “Think nothing of it. I only wish we could have gotten there sooner to save your friend as well. For that, I am truly sorry.”
There was a sincerity in his eyes that enthralled her. Mercer had a presence about him that screamed arrogance, but that part about him gave way to extreme confidence. She found herself instantly attracted to him.
“Well, no words or actions could ever show you how grateful I am,” she emphasized.
“Just don’t go wandering off into the jungle again and we’ll be even,” he said with a smirk.
After a few more minutes of exchanging words, Emily was ushered off into a tent to be examined by a doctor. As she walked away, Mercer and Vigil admired the beautiful physique of the woman they had saved.
Vigil looked over to his partner and said, “Why is it that you always get the hugs and I always get the handshakes?”
Mercer grinned. “She probably took one look at your hands and was reminded of Lenny from Of Mice and Men. Who wants to be hugged by that?”
3
Andres Vallejos sat behind his oval-shaped desk. It was made from Maracaybo wood, and the finish of flesh tones with dark red streaks complimented the handsome piece of furniture.
Vallejos was a dark-skinned man. A scar on his right cheek extended from his lower ear to his chin, but was mostly concealed by the tattered beard on his face. He stood six-feet, two inches tall and weighed one hundred and ninety pounds. He was a man of power who always got his way, and on the rare occasion he was not complied with, it usually meant a disastrous fate for those who defied him.
He had been in control of the Managua cartel for the past seven years, taking over for his dying father, and ruled with a brutal dictatorship. Countless innocent civilians, police and even children had been put to death by his orders, whether it was for disloyalty or for something as simple as making eye contact with him when he didn’t feel like being cordial.
As he sat in his oversized, dark brown leather chair, he gazed out the window as if in a daydream, all the while focused with great intent on the upcoming enterprise he would be embarking on. He had just lit a cigar when a knock on the door made him pause from puffing on it to get it lit.
Annoyed, he answered. “Yes?”
The door opened and another man, tall in stature, entered with a troubled look on his face. Upon entering he said, “Andres, we have a problem. The men haven’t returned yet and they should have reported hours ago. I sent a team to the site to check on them, but they found nothing.”
The annoyed look on Vallejos’ face grew more intense. “Well, they couldn’t have just disappeared. Find out what you can and report
back to me once you have found them.” The giant man acknowledged, opened the door and was gone.
Kervin Esperanza stood at a massive six-foot five inches tall. His lanky body was all muscle and his two hundred and forty pound frame showed exactly that. As the head of security for the cartel, his primary job function was to be an enforcer. On more than one occasion, this meant that a person had lost their life to protect the honor of his employer.
Esperanza was a violent man with a violent past. When he was fourteen, he killed for the first time. It was over a simple disagreement which escalated into an argument and he stabbed an eighteen year old boy in the throat, and then stood over him as he bled out in the street. A blood lust was born within him that day. From that moment, he took out anyone who got in his way or that he simply didn’t like. He had lost count of how many people he had killed over the years, and many of those victims were at the request of his current employer.
Vallejos heard about this young man who had a thirst for blood and offered him a job as a muscle man. After quickly proving himself to be trustworthy, he was rapidly promoted to head of security. It was a position the ferocious giant had held onto for over a decade now, and showed no signs of relinquishing.
The sheer hatred in the man had served his employer well over the years. He faithfully did the bidding of his superior and he did it without hesitation or regard to his own safety or well-being. He was the ultimate mercenary and Vallejos was proud to have him on his payroll.
A few hours had passed when Esperanza returned back to office. The look on his face did not sit well with the cartel leader, as he knew he was about to receive bad news.
“We found the men. They are dead. They were about two miles away from the site. We scoured the area and discovered a United States Geological Survey truck nearby. It looks as if someone was conducting business out by the lagoon, but we could find no sign of them either. I gave strict orders not to touch anything and just wait to see if anyone returns. I don’t know what happened, but whatever it was; it lured the men away from the site. Whoever they were chasing got to them first.”
Vallejos was angered. “Who do we have that we can talk to? Somebody has to know something. My men are dead. I want to know who is responsible!”
Esperanza concurred. “I’ll find out who is to be held accountable for this and they will breathe their last breath at the grip of my hand.”
***
Mercer sat in the driver’s seat of a burgundy Jeep Wrangler. He looked over his shoulder just in time to see Emily emerging from the Colonel’s tent and noticed Vigil was right by her side. He walked her the entire way to the car and politely opened the door to let her in.
“I’ll take it from here, Casanova,” said Mercer. “She’s in good hands.”
Vigil quipped, “Hey, I couldn’t let the pretty lady go off without getting the good ol’ Vigil treatment.”
“Well, sir, you have exceeded your hospitable traits and were more than a perfect gentleman. I thank you kindly,” expressed Emily.
“Anything for you, my dear,” he said as he closed her door.
Mercer looked her in the eyes and asked, “Are you sure that you’re up for this? You’ve been through more than enough in the last twenty-four hours.”
She was appreciative of his concerns. “I got a fair amount of sleep last night. I want to do this. I’m okay.”
With that, he threw the transmission into first gear and headed down the dirt road. He had strict orders from Hunt to take Emily to her van to retrieve her vehicle and belongings. He was to then escort her back to the NESA camp.
Hunt tried to persuade her from making the trip, but her resilience would take no part in staying behind while her van and equipment were recovered. She wanted to make sure all of the data her and Tony had collected was not done in vain. She felt she owed him, and their friendship, that much.
The drive gave her time to reflect on the previous day’s events and she felt herself becoming a little nauseous at the thought of returning to where she had lost her friend. She rolled down the window and took in a deep breath of the warm air.
“Feeling okay?” Mercer asked.
She kept looking out the window. “Honestly, I’m not sure. I feel a little queasy. Just been a long few days, I guess.”
He felt her sadness and tried to console her. “It’s been more than a long few days. You’ve been through a lot and no one could fault you for feeling less than perfect right now.”
“Thank you, Sean. I just want to get my gear and get back as quick as possible.”
“You know, Pat and I could have handled this. Why were you so adamant about coming along?”
She took a second before responding. “I feel that I owe it to Tony. If it weren’t for me, we would have never gone into the woods to find where the gunfire was coming from. He would still be here and I would still have my friend.”
Her eyes were teary and her lip was quivering as she poured her emotions out. “It’s just something I felt that I had to do. I can’t explain it.”
Mercer put his hand on her shoulder. “No explanation needed. Please know that we will help you with whatever you need. But also keep in mind nothing that happened yesterday was your fault. You’re a brave woman, but you shouldn’t have to carry the burden you put on yourself. Let’s just get your things and get back before the Colonel sends out the entire Army looking for you.”
“You are quite the gentleman,” she replied.
She looked out the window, wiped the tears from her eyes and prepared herself emotionally for the return trip to her worksite.
***
They had arrived at the van just before noon. The door was still open and there were a few bags sitting on the ground waiting to be loaded. There was no sign of anyone having been there and Emily felt her nerves easing a little. As they pulled up alongside the van, Mercer put the Jeep in neutral, yanked the emergency brake and turned off the engine.
Emily sat there for a moment before opening her door. After she calmed herself mentally, she finally got to the task at hand. Mercer told her they needed to hurry and be back on the road within ten minutes. He grabbed the two tents and threw them into the back of the van without folding them. Emily put all of the collected samples in a crate and was loading the last of the boxes when Mercer suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked off into the trees.
“What is it, Sean?” she asked. She watched as he peered around the camp as if he were looking for something he knew was there, but couldn’t seem to find.
He finally stopped peering and his gaze left him looking in the direction of where she was standing. He didn’t utter a word as he stood there. She turned to look in the direction where he was staring and saw what had grabbed his attention.
The AK47’s pointed at them were being held by three men who slowly emerged from the tree line. She was corralled with Mercer into the center of the camp, when one of the men looked at her and asked, “Who are you and what business are you conducting here?”
She looked at Mercer and took a quick breath before she spoke. “We’re with the United States Geological Survey. We’re collecting samples and data so we can monitor the stability of the region to help predict future eruptions of other volcanoes. We were just packing up and heading home.”
The man stared back at her and said, “Let me see some identification, both of you.”
Emily complied and pulled her credentials out of her pocket, handing them to one of the men. Ruffling through his pockets as if looking for the proper documents, Mercer convincingly pronounced, “They must be in the truck. I’ll go get them.”
He started to make his way to the van when the soldier pointed his weapon and hastily commanded, “Stay where you are. Don’t move. I will look inside the van.”
The soldier walked over to the van, opened the passenger side door and leaned in to find the paperwork. Mercer gave Emily a look and she instantly knew he was planning something. She had already seen what he could do and knew wh
at was to come in the next few moments. She waited for him to make his move.
As the mercenary was leaning into the van, Mercer very slowly put his hands up on his hips and slid his left hand to his backside. Reaching underneath his shirt, he pulled a pistol out from where it had been concealed.
The soldier took his head out from the cab of the van and looked over at the man in front of him. He annoyingly proclaimed, “There is nothing in here.”
“I must have been mistaken,” Mercer snidely remarked. “I seem to have found it.”
Without hesitation, he whipped his arm around and fired two shots, dropping the man to his left. The man to his right hadn’t realized what happened in time to raise his weapon to defend himself. Mercer fired one shot to his forehead, killing him immediately.
Emily had no time to react. After Mercer fired his first shot, she lunged towards safety and crouched behind a downed tree. The mercenary who had been searching the van was now huddled behind the vehicle. He looked over and could see where the woman had taken cover when the firing started. She was in a crouched position with her hands held over her head. The assailant raised his weapon and stared down the sight at the woman and put her directly in the center of the crosshairs. He was just about to squeeze the trigger when he felt his calf explode in a fiery storm of unrelenting pain.
Mercer had taken position on the ground to avoid retaliatory fire, and from his vantage point, he could see the third gunman’s feet underneath the van. He had seen the barrel of the rifle sticking out and could tell that the mercenary was about to fire in Emily’s direction. With no clear shot from his angle, he took aim at the legs underneath the van. He fired four rounds into the lower leg of the assailant and heard the agonizing scream, being the direct result of flesh being torn from the unsuspecting gunman’s calf.
The effect of the impact made the mercenary jolt while he pulled the trigger on his own weapon, causing the trajectory of the bullet to shift, striking Emily in the shoulder area shattering her collarbone. She let out a loud cry as she felt her flesh tear apart.
