by Chris Tucker
Unable to clear his mind about the ongoing situation with his colleagues, he put down the book and walked over to the window. The Space Needle was only slightly visible due to the cloud cover moving in for the typical afternoon rain shower in the Emerald City.
After a few more hours had passed, he decided to try one more time to contact Mercer. With yet another unsuccessful attempt, he became nervous for his friends. Having had no communication with either of them for some time now, he decided to call Colonel Hunt.
After the normal exchange of greetings, he said, “I haven’t been able to reach either of them and the clerk at the hotel seems to have no idea where they could be. I’m more than a little worried at this point.”
Hunt agreed with him. “With what we know about what they’ve found, I think they might have fallen into some misfortune.”
Dallas knew all too well that Mercer and Vigil wouldn’t have stopped until they uncovered exactly what it was they were looking for.
“Well, with their knack for making an impression, I’m sure they got a little too close to something for their own good. What do we do now?”
“I’m assembling a team to return to Nicaragua. Knowing what we do about the ship and the gold, I think it’s a safe bet to say we can find and recover it. Of course, all of this is based on finding Sean and Pat first.”
“Keep me posted, Colonel. On the bright side, finding them should be easy. All you have to do is look wherever trouble is brewing.”
Dallas meant it as a joke, but in his heart, he knew there was truth in the statement. He stared across the water at the lights glistening under the night sky. There was no doubt in his mind his cohorts could handle whatever was thrown their way. He just hoped they would emerge unscathed from wherever they happened to be.
15
Daylight was breaking over the Nicaraguan jungle as Mercer and Vigil were just finishing up the meager breakfast that was provided for them. The time spent in the cell had given them enough time to try and strategize an escape attempt, and the guard shift changes were being mentally noted by each of them. Up to this point, the changes seemed to coincide with those of the previous day, giving them the solidity needed for hatching their plan.
After the guard retrieved the plates they were using, Vigil stood up to stretch his limbs. “So, what’s the plan, buddy? I can only take so much more of this southern hospitality.”
Mercer stared down the hallway at the guard sitting in his chair. “I think if we’re going to do something, it should be soon. The morning shift change might be best because the guard may still be a little groggy. We could catch him by surprise.”
“Sounds good to me,” replied Vigil. “I’m ready for a little excitement anyway.”
They discussed which route they should take from the cell to the courtyard and then past the perimeter of the compound. When they first arrived at the compound, Mercer took notice of a shack about a hundred yards from the building they were now in. He thought it might make a good cover shelter, should they make it that far. From there, they could make their escape out of the compound.
As they finalized the details of their escape, the door at the end of the hall opened. It was just before seven a.m., and right on time for the next shift change. Mercer liked the fact that there was at least some uniformity in this outfit. It made it easier to plan what he could do next. The morning guard made his appearance and the night watchman departed. As he made his exit, the door stayed open. There was a moment when he thought this could be the chance he and his partner would be able to escape, but that chance was quickly disregarded as another man made an entrance.
Vallejos emerged from behind the door as the guard on duty stood to acknowledge him. He instructed the soldier to follow him and then made his way towards his two prisoners. Mercer didn’t get up to welcome him as his own soldier had done, and Vigil simply turned his back in defiance.
Vallejos ordered the guard to unlock the cell. When it was opened, he spoke.
“Mr. Mercer, please accompany me.”
Unsure of what was to happen next, Vigil turned back around to face his captor. “What about me? I could use some time in the exercise yard, boss.”
Vallejos was not amused. He looked back at Mercer. “I am not a patient man. Please, join me.”
Looking at his friend, Mercer gave a nod to let him know everything would be okay.
As he made his way down the hall, he heard Vigil call out, “Bring me back something from the gift shop.”
Mercer smiled, which only infuriated Vallejos even more.
“I do not believe your friend understands the dire situation he finds himself in,” he bluntly stated.
“He’s harmless,” said Mercer. “He’ll let you know when he really wants to get under your skin.”
Vallejos turned to look back and saw a menacing grin on Vigil’s face that made him feel uneasy. It wasn’t that he feared the smart-mouthed American, but the blatant arrogance being displayed told him this was a man to keep a close eye on. The cartel leader turned back to Mercer and waved his arm towards the door. Vigil watched as they disappeared, and the door was locked once again.
There were no words spoken until they reached the top of the stairs. Only then was the silence broken by Vallejos.
“I thought we might take a walk and have a little chat.”
As they reached the front entrance, Mercer looked up at the sun he hadn’t seen for two days. The rain had stopped and the air smelled clean and refreshing compared to the odor-filled dungeon he was being kept in.
He thought this could be a good opportunity to take in more of the area and get a good visual of the landscape for when he and his partner decided to make their move.
With a sarcastic tinge in his voice, he answered, “Okay then. Let’s go.”
As they walked down the stairs from the building, Vallejos ordered the armed guard to stay on the building’s premises. He then refocused his attention back to his prisoner.
“I trust you will not try anything that will make me rethink the decision to leave my guard behind.”
Mercer thought this was extremely bold, but also knew this wasn’t the time for heroics. “I will be on my best behavior. You have my word.”
The beaming rays of the sun were a welcomed change to the unlit hallway. He took a moment to tilt his head towards the sky and enjoy the warmth. It was a short lived opportunity to bask in the light as Vallejos interrupted him.
“Let us walk.”
Mercer obliged. “So, to what do I owe this pleasure?” He knew there was an ulterior motive to being brought out for a chat.
Vallejos took a second to choose the proper words. He had only one agenda; to find out what NESA knew regarding the ship and its location. He instead took a different approach to try and get Mercer to feel more like a guest instead of a prisoner, hoping this would help to open up dialogue a bit more.
Waiting for the right moment to ask the questions he really wanted answers to, he started the conversation. “I grew up here and have lived here all my life. I know this jungle like the back of my hand. And I would do anything to protect my life’s work.”
“Your life’s work?” snapped Mercer. “You call executing countless citizens and poisoning their water supply your life’s work? I’m insulted at just the thought.”
“I cannot expect you to understand the ways of my organization, Mr. Mercer. But, you have intruded upon my operation and I’m sure you understand why I can’t just allow you to leave.”
“And what exactly does that mean?” asked Mercer. “If we aren’t allowed to leave, then what becomes of us?”
“I’ve already told you. Your stay here can be as comfortable as you make it. Up to this point, I have no reason to make the conditions any worse for you and your friend.”
“You do know that my employer will come looking for us when we don’t show up, don’t you?” Mercer was trying to keep calm, but was becoming frustrated with the arrogance on display. “And not j
ust my employer, but the U.S. government as well. You won’t stand much of a chance when that happens.”
“I will take that gamble. My men are very highly trained and are prepared to fight to the death should it be necessary.”
“Interesting choice of words,” responded Mercer. “They will indeed be faced with death. And death is what will come to them.”
Vallejos shrugged off the statement. He had no reason to believe his men would face such opposition for two mere scientists.
“I believe you have the wrong impression of me. I am simply trying to protect what is mine. You may disagree with the way I conduct my business, but it is my business to conduct any way I see fit.”
He tried to steer the conversation away from the current topic. “When I was just a boy, this whole area was nothing but ruins. My father came along and started what I now control. He had a vision and decided building an empire from the ground up was the best way to govern the region. When he passed away, I took his place and have committed myself to carry on his legacy.”
Mercer was giving his best impression of someone who cared about what was being told to him. At the same time, he was looking around, taking notes of where the soldiers' living quarters were and where the best coverage in the forest was. As he did both diligently, Vallejos continued.
“I’m aware of the polluted waterways and I am also aware my operation is the cause of that. This is the price of doing business. You cannot get to where I have without making some decisions that are not popular among everyone. That is the difference between me and everyone that wants to be me. Not everyone can make the choices to effectively run an operation that requires what ours does.”
Mercer was shocked by the heartlessness of the words. “You speak with no remorse of any of the damage you have created. You cannot rationally justify to me the senseless killing and poisoning of those you call your own people.”
“My position does not entitle me the chance for remorse, Mr. Mercer. I have done what is necessary to carry on what my father created, and I am now building my own empire and will do whatever it takes in order to complete my mission. Look around. All of this is mine, even outside the compound. There is no law that controls me. Even if there was, they would be no match for my men. The local authorities are too scared to try and step in and I have most of them on my payroll anyway.”
“Well then,” said Mercer. “It would appear you have it all figured out.”
Vallejos was aware of the antagonistic tone in the words being spoken. He decided to get back to the matter at hand. “I have not gotten to this point without staying a step ahead of everyone else. So, if you want to cut to the chase, then that’s fine with me. I know of the ship which was lost with the gold and that you are looking for it. Tell me where it is and we can save ourselves the long ordeal of drawing this out.”
“Ship?” Mercer asked curiously. “What ship?”
“Do not test my patience, Mr. Mercer. I am not a man who tolerates such things. My men are out searching as we speak, and I will find the gold with or without you.”
Mercer felt like he had gained the upper hand in the conversation. “If you could find it with or without me, then you would have killed us already. You have no idea where you’re supposed to be looking or you wouldn’t even need me.”
The tone in Vallejos’ voice changed to a much sterner one. “If that’s the way you would like to play this out, so be it. I have given you an opportunity to spare your lives and you defiantly go against me.”
“I don’t work for you or your associates,” snapped Mercer. “I have no intention of assisting you in any way, shape or form. So, do your worst and be done with it already.”
“Very well, Mr. Mercer. You have sealed your fate. If you will not tell me what I need to know, then I have no need for you or your friend.”
He walked over to a hut with a Jeep parked in front of it. There was a soldier standing next to it smoking a cigarette, and he ordered the man to take the prisoner back to his cell.
Mercer got into the passenger side and said, “Your reign of terror is coming to its conclusion. This will not end well for you.”
Vallejos smiled at the remark and responded, “I want the last thing you know in this world to be it was me, not you, who found the gold. Unfortunately for you and your friend, you may never know what is to become of me or my operation.”
The Jeep drove off and was out of sight within seconds. As it disappeared out of view, Vallejos began the walk back to his office, contemplating the fate of the Americans. Once he was out of sight, Julian Navarro emerged from his tent. Overhearing the conversation which had just taken place, he thought about how he could get to the two men being held prisoner and help them make their escape.
16
Esperanza had twelve men with him scouring the area for any signs of the buried ship. The exploration was beginning to look futile as they had been searching for a few hours now with no results. The sun was high above their heads and the men were becoming exhausted from the search. He was also growing tired of walking through the jungle, but knew nothing short of finding the ship would satisfy his employer. He knew he had to carry on, regardless of the circumstances.
Being sent on such a mission infuriated him. He was not a common scavenger who was versed in the ways of finding lost treasures. He was a killer. In all his years of service to the cartel, he had always been tasked with more arduous assignments. This was grunt work for the soldiers, and he resented having to take part in it.
As the hours passed, there was no sign they were any closer to finding the ship. The jungle was thick and the terrain was difficult to traverse. Using a machete to hack his way through the brush, he stopped to wipe the sweat from his brow. Looking off into the distance, he could see the clouds were once again moving back into the area, offering a glimmer of hope for relief from the blistering sun beating down.
Over the next two hours, the search continued. A light rain had started to fall and the cloud cover was providing a cooler temperature for the men in the dense forest. Esperanza was growing weary and becoming increasingly frustrated with nothing to show for his time but scrapes and cuts from the thickets surrounding them. Hearing one of his men call out, he slowly made his way over to where the voice came from.
When he arrived, he saw five of his men huddled around one another. They were all looking at the same thing. It was a tree stump. At first glance, it just looked like a large branch protruding from the remains of the stump. Upon further inspection, he could see this was no tree branch. Instead, he noticed it was a large wooden plank that had no logical reason for being embedded into a tree in the middle of the jungle.
He ordered his men to carefully extract it. For over twenty five minutes, they meticulously carved through the stump with accurate precision until they were able to pry it free. He walked over and took it from the soldier holding it, examining it like it was a relic from another time. It looked like any other ordinary wooden plank, but he wondered if it could be part of the ship or something else that was on board. Flipping it over to see the other side, he could discern a very faded color of red. The barely visible lettering on the board was hard to read, but it was just clear enough to show the letters “LYS”.
Remembering the name of the ship from the port log, he let out a sly smile and put it together in his head that this could be part of the hull. He now had proof he could bring to Vallejos, and was assured this would most certainly satisfy him. He told all of the men to remain where they were and gave orders to dig around the stump to uncover any more possible remains. Then, he walked back to his Jeep and drove off in the direction of the compound.
***
As expected, Vallejos was extremely pleased with what his head of security had brought back from the search. “You have done well, Kervin. This proves the ship is buried somewhere out there. Now, we just have to find it.”
Geovany Rojas agreed. “This is a magnificent find. We need to act fast, Andres, as I’m s
ure we’re not the only ones who know of this.”
“You do not need to inform me of such things, Geovany,” he responded curtly. “I am aware of the situation.”
Rojas meant no disrespect by his comment, but knew his employer was a heated man who felt like he never needed advice on any subject. He sometimes wondered why he was even on the payroll as a consultant if Vallejos never thought he needed advising. It was something that had become common over the years and he knew not to overstep his bounds. It was just an everyday part of working for the cartel.
“Of course, Andres.” He decided agreeing was the easiest way to end the tension. He then continued on with the conversation.
“Imagine the force it took for this plank to be thrust into the base of the tree. The devastation of the blow must have been quite something indeed. If the ship was directly in the path of the blast, it would have been shattered into a million pieces, meaning finding it could be next to impossible.”
“I do not deal in impossibilities. The ship is out there and I will find it.” The firmness in Vallejos’ tone left no room for doubt in the minds of the men standing before him.
“Kervin, I want to assemble a team to excavate. Gather as many of the men as you can. I want everyone out there looking for this ship.”
“Understood,” replied Esperanza.
Vallejos knew he was close to finding the lost treasure and started imagining what he would do with the large cache of gold. There would be nothing out of his reach with that amount of money. He dismissed Esperanza to attend to his duties and asked Rojas to stay behind.
“Geovany, I want you to start looking into NESA and just exactly what it is that they do. This is not some scientific research team. If Mercer was right in assuming his employer would come looking for him, I want to know exactly what I should be preparing for. While you’re at it, I want complete background information on our two guests. Report to me at once when you find out more.”
