by Chris Tucker
Mercer raised himself up off the ground and moved to the right of the van, taking him towards where Emily was. As he glided to his side, he kept a constant aim to the area where the gunman was crouched behind the vehicle.
As he reached her, he could see she was writhing in pain and he instantly kneeled down next to her. Upon a quick examination of the wound, he could tell the bullet had passed straight through without hitting any arteries. He quickly took off his shirt and wrapped it around her arm, applying direct pressure to control the bleeding.
As he looked up to assess the situation and surroundings, he saw the mercenary hobbling off into the cover of the tree line. He couldn’t go after him. Emily was his first priority right now and she was in need of immediate medical attention.
Initial shock had started to set in and she was beginning to turn pale. He picked her up and carried her over to the NESA Jeep. After securely fastening her into the seat, he ran around and got in, sliding the key into the ignition. Throwing the transmission into first gear, he sped down the road back in the direction from where they had come.
He knew he had to reach the NESA camp and tell Colonel Hunt what had happened before more men came looking for them. Looking over, he could see Emily was in throbbing pain, but bravely fighting it out. He wondered in the back of his mind how long it would take for a wounded man running through the jungle to get word to his superiors of what had transpired. He wished he had killed the man, but now he had to prepare for the backlash of what was to come.
4
The blood-drenched bandage dripped from the gushing wound of the injured soldier standing before Andres Vallejos. The look on his face was one of shame, and after the cartel leader demanded to know what happened, he finally uttered, “It all happened so fast. A firefight broke out. I was able to escape with the woman’s paperwork, but was unable to obtain the gentleman’s.”
The soldier handed the paperwork to Esperanza, who was standing next to him. Vallejos exclaimed, “Five men! Five of my men are dead and you are telling me one man is responsible. I want this man brought to me at once!”
He dismissed his subordinate and looked at his head of security. “Find out who this man is, Kervin. I want his decapitated head.”
Esperanza nodded in acknowledgement and looked down at the paperwork in his hand. After looking at it for a moment, he finally said, “Emily Lundy of the USGS. She will lead us to this man. And then, they both will die.”
***
Vigil was lying down in his tent reading a comic book when he heard the scraping tires coming to a halt on the dirt outside. As he sat up to look out his screen door, he could see his partner carrying Emily into the medical tent. Eager with curiosity, he stepped into his sandals and walked across the road to find out what the commotion was about.
As he walked in, he could see some men tending to Emily’s bloody shoulder. “What the hell happened?” he asked.
Mercer looked up and answered, “We were ambushed by three men as we were loading the truck. They must’ve been waiting for us to return. I killed two of them, but the third escaped while I was tending to her. If they were looking for their own men, we now have a much bigger problem. We need to prepare ourselves, Pat. Trouble will be knocking soon.”
Vigil stared at his friend and muttered, “Well, I better put some coffee on if we are to be having guests.”
Just then, Hunt walked into the tent. “Ms. Lundy, are you okay?”
“Just a flesh wound,” she quipped. She was trying to remain jovial, but was in obvious pain.
Hunt could see the agony in her eyes. “Well, you just lay there and let my team take care of you. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
Emily rested her head back on the pillow and said, “Thank you, Colonel. You’ve already done so much, but thank you.”
Leering over at his Special Operations Director, Hunt cocked his head in the direction of the door. Mercer knew to get up and make his way outside, and Vigil followed suit. After a few moments of debriefing, Hunt wearily asked, “What are we getting ourselves into, Sean? You and Pat are now responsible for the deaths of five mercenaries. This isn’t going to go unnoticed. Someone is going to come looking for those who are responsible. What then?”
Mercer knew to keep his tone subdued. He knew Hunt was a lenient man, but he also knew this wasn’t the time for whimsical remarks.
“Let Pat and I do a little nosing around. We’ll find out what we can about these so-called mercenaries and see what they’re really up to. Whatever Ms. Lundy and her partner stumbled upon was obviously reason enough to try and kill them both. There must be something they’re trying to keep hidden. Give us just a little time and then we can figure out a way out of this fiasco.”
Hunt looked at him and nodded his head in agreement. He had never been let down by his team before and knew this was most certainly not the time to think that would happen now. He had the utmost confidence in both of his men and knew if there was something being concealed or hidden, Mercer was the one who could unravel it and bring it to the forefront.
“Very well, Sean. Twenty four hours. That’s about all the time we have and that’s all I can buy before this blows up in our faces. Find something. Find anything.”
Mercer acknowledged, “Understood. Keep an eye on Emily, Colonel. If these people come looking, they’ll stop at nothing to silence her.”
He looked over at his partner. “Okay then. Let’s get going.” The two men were off within minutes and heading down the road from their camp.
“Where exactly are we going?” asked Vigil.
Mercer didn’t take his eyes off of the road. “Back to where we first ran into Emily. If we can retrace her steps and find out where she came running from, then we’ll know what it is that’s worth killing her for.”
“Well, you know me, buddy,” Vigil quipped, “If there’s excitement to be had, I wanna be the first one at the party.”
Mercer didn’t respond. He knew his friend would be by his side no matter what the scenario. They rode in silence for a few miles as both men prepared mentally for what they may end up encountering.
***
As they approached the point where they had first encountered Emily running through the forest, they noticed that the bodies of the men they had killed a day earlier had been removed. This didn’t sit well with the two NESA partners. An uneasy feeling began lurking within them as they realized whoever removed the bodies was now probably searching for the people responsible for their deaths. They also didn’t find the body of Emily’s colleague, Tony. Mercer guessed they removed the body as to leave no trace of what had transpired.
He looked at his partner. Without speaking any words, they both acknowledged each other and could feel each other’s thoughts. They slowly moved through the jungle in the direction where Emily first came running from and walked for about a mile before they came to a clearing in the brush. Vigil was the first to notice the foul smell.
“You know what that is, right?” He looked at his partner and instantly knew he was thinking the same thing.
Mercer replied, “Rotting flesh. I wish I didn’t know what it smelled like, but I know that’s what it is.”
They both crouched down and began gazing off in the direction where the smell was coming from. Not seeing anyone, they slowly and quietly got up and began moving forward once again. After walking about fifty feet, they encountered the first body. A quick glance of the area revealed a horrific scene – a landscape that was covered with decaying corpses.
Mercer broke the silence. “Genocide. That’s what is worth killing Emily over…covering up mass genocide. We need to get back to camp and tell the Colonel.”
5
Kervin Esperanza briefed his men based on the description the soldier had given about the man who had killed two of their own. He told them the American was to be brought back alive, but also informed them the woman was good either dead or alive, and preferred she be left to rot in the jungle
. The only thing that mattered to Esperanza was that someone was held accountable for the slaying of fellow cartel members.
After dismissing his men, he returned to the office of his employer, where he was greeted by a very uneasy look on the face of Vallejos.
“Where do we stand, Kervin?”
“The men are heading back to the site now. As soon as they report back to me, you will be the first to know.”
He knew his employer was an impatient man, but also knew he had earned the trust of Vallejos over the many years of service he had provided.
“We will find this man, Andres. And I will see to it that he dies a long and agonizing death.”
Vallejos looked up at the ceiling, seemingly staring through it. It was a few seconds before he spoke.
“Bring him to me first. Then, you may have your way with him.”
***
Colonel Hunt sat in his tent and listened to his two men. The look on his face was one of horror and disbelief.
“While you were gone, I had a little background check done on the cartels in the area. It seems this entire region is ruled by a brutal dictator by the name of Andres Vallejos. He’s held a grip over the entire area for more than a decade. Countless civilians have been slaughtered under his rule, and if what you say is true, then we’ve uncovered something way beyond our grasp. The local government will be useless to us, as they are governed by the same cartel.”
Emily sat speechless as she listened to Hunt’s words, and Mercer could see the fear in her eyes. He knew what she had witnessed firsthand and that she couldn’t endure much more of what transpired over the past few days.
He spoke first. “I think the best thing to do is get Ms. Lundy out of here and back to a safe place. We, on the other hand, still have a job to do. We haven’t finished what we came here to do and I for one will not be run out of town by a bully.”
Vigil had a mischievous smirk on his face. He was about to comment, but saw Hunt glaring him down, and thought better of it. Instead, the Colonel spoke.
“Sean, I admire what you’re thinking, but I cannot put the safety of the team in jeopardy for the sake of you finishing our expedition down here. We’re packing it in.”
Mercer tried to argue his case. “Sir, we only have a few more days to finish what we’re doing here. Pat and I can stay behind and finish up. We’ll be back home before you know it.”
Hunt knew he could trust his men to finish up on their own, and reluctantly agreed. “Fine. You have two days, Sean. Two days and you’re back home. Understand? And for god’s sake, please don’t start an international war.”
Mercer smiled. “You have my word. Two days. As for the international war, let’s just say Pat and I will be on our best behavior.”
Hunt paused for a moment and finally said, “I’ve seen Pat’s best behavior. So much for that idea.”
They all smiled uneasily, as they knew it really wasn't a joking matter. The severity of the situation wasn’t overlooked by any of them, but Mercer had every intention of keeping his word to finish up with their project. He just didn’t know what else to expect from the fallout of what had already been laid into motion.
The remainder of the day was spent packing up the NESA equipment by the rest of the team that was leaving. Mercer had already picked out what would be needed to finish the project and packed it into the back of the Jeep, which was now parked in the same spot his tent had been just twenty minutes earlier. Emily came walking up to him from behind.
“Sean, are you crazy? You need to come with us. Eventually, they will find out it was you and Pat who killed those men and they’ll come for you.”
“Ms. Lundy, I have a job to do and we came down here for some important data. When I’m finished collecting that data, I'll be joining you for a drink on the beach and we can put all of this behind us.”
He knew he was just saying what she wanted to hear so she would feel more comfortable about the situation. He did, however, have every intention of joining this stunningly beautiful woman for a drink on the beach in the very near future.
She let out a little smile that seemed to light up her face. “Thank you again, Sean. I really owe you my life.”
He took her hand and looked into her bright blue eyes. “Nothing is owed, Ms. Lundy. You just make sure to have that smile lit up the next time I see you.”
She couldn’t help but be absolutely enthralled by the overall charm of the man who had twice saved her life. She felt like a kid with a schoolgirl crush and had already begun pondering when she would see him next. She gave him a hug and then turned to walk back to the NESA vehicle convoy, where another charming man greeted her and held the door open for her.
“Always the gentleman, Mr. Vigil. It has been duly noted.”
Vigil grinned and replied, “What would my mother say if I didn’t hold the door open for a lady?”
She quipped, “I’m sure she would be proud to see the man you’ve grown up to be.” She reached out and shook his hand from inside the vehicle.
“You know, Ms. Lundy,” he joked. “A little peck on the cheek would be better than all the handshakes. Not that I don’t appreciate the gesture, however.”
She paused a moment and then responded, “I’m sure your mother will give you all the pecks on the cheek you so desire.”
Vigil couldn’t help but let out a chuckle as he closed the door and waved goodbye. Within a few minutes, the vehicles were out of sight and it was just the two partners standing in the middle of what had previously been their base camp.
The Colonel had left a pup tent behind so his men would have shelter for the night. After creating a strategy for the next day, they settled in for some much needed rest. Both men wanted to get to sleep quickly, as they knew they would need to be at the top of their game the following morning. They were sound asleep within fifteen minutes.
6
Early the next morning, Mercer and Vigil began making their way to the river near the town of Tamarindo, which was located two miles away from their current location. The base camp had been set up in Izapa at an historic archeological site because it was the only place in close proximity they could use as their base of operations without bothering the local townspeople. This was important to the NESA team, as they had built many good relationships with towns and communities over the years while they tried to help solve problems they were brought in for.
It was primarily Mercer’s idea to set up there due to the fact that he was a history fanatic and the site proved to be more of a fun digging place for him. He all but begged Colonel Hunt to use it their base and his superior gave in after listening to his plea.
As they drove to the river, they knew Hunt was serious when he said they had forty eight hours to finish up. Mercer had every intention of finishing the assigned task, but it was also in the back of his mind to do a little more inquiring into the horrific tragedies that had unfolded over the past few days.
Vigil was humming what sounded like the theme from Batman, and he couldn’t have been more relaxed and nonchalant. It was this quality that Mercer admired about him the most. Pat was his best friend and could be counted on no matter what the situation called for. He couldn’t stop thinking about what he would uncover if he decided to pursue the mass slaughter of locals they discovered. He finally broke the silence between the two.
“What do you say to wrapping up today and then doing a little R&R tomorrow?”
Vigil looked at him, his eyes almost sparkling as he knew what his friend was thinking. “R&R, huh? I think I could handle a little of that. Where do you think we should start our little picnic?”
“I was thinking maybe I would just stroll around town asking where to find this Andres Vallejos. After all, if he’s looking for me, I might as well make it easy for him,” he smart-alecky replied.
“You sure do know how to crash a party, Sean. I’ll give ya that.”
As they pulled into the town of Tamarindo, Mercer turned down a dirt road which would lea
d them to the riverbed about a mile away, and to where they had been conducting their research thus far.
As they pulled up to the shore of the riverbed, he asked, “What do you say we head upstream a little further today and check it out?”
Vigil complied and they started walking on a trail by the side of the waterway and headed upstream. As they made their stroll, they happened upon a woman doing some laundry in the river about a half mile from where they had started. A young boy was sitting on the bank next to a wicker basket, holding a fishing rod made out of a stick with some string on the end.
The woman looked up at the two men approaching and went back to washing her clothes as casually as if they weren’t even there. As they walked by, Vigil let out a hello and the woman looked up again, this time taking the time to respond back with wave and a smile. They both politely nodded back at her. Mercer caught eyes with the youngster and winked at him, prompting a smile from the boy, revealing a gap in his front teeth. He also waved his hand as the men passed and continued upstream.
About ten minutes later, they came to the end of where the river flowed in from the Pacific Ocean. From here, the river branched off into a dozen tiny streams that disappeared into the jungle. They began collecting samples from the river and put the vials in their backpacks. Mercer climbed up onto the embankment and noticed there was a tiny village on the other side of it. There were a few locals mulling around, as well as some children playing together in a small field set up with a makeshift soccer net. Vigil followed suit and joined his friend.
There was a man sitting at the edge of the field watching the children play. Mercer strolled towards him and politely asked, “Do you speak English?”
The man replied, “My grandmother taught me to speak it from a very young age. She always said it would be useful to know a foreign language or two.”
