by S G Read
‘Tomorrow after the meeting!’ The man called back without changing his stride.
‘Nuts, I'm not waiting!’ Ben said, getting hot under the collar. ‘Come on let's find a phone!’
They trooped off in search of a telephone and found a payphone in a room on the first floor.
‘This is a payphone!’ Stuart pointed out.
‘So?’ Ben asked.
‘We have to pay!’ Stuart explained.
‘So?’ Ben repeated, then a big smile appeared on his face and he dumped a handful of coins by the phone.
‘Where'd you get them?’ Sherman asked. ‘You didn't mug some rich old lady for it, did you?’
‘No they'd have beaten him up!’ C.J jibed.
‘Very funny; you'll be the last one to phone home!’ Ben countered.
‘Where did it come from Ben?’ Stuart asked seriously.
Ben pulled a wad of notes from his pocket. They were all 100 dollar bills!
‘That's the Druggies money!’ C.J gasped.
‘Yes. And I am putting it to good use. Look at your clothes they were by courtesy of José’s money.’ Ben replied. ‘And now we are going to phone home the same way!’
A short discussion ensued and they decided Ben was right but half an hour later with all the money gone, they had only been able to talk to a Chinese take away in London, and she spoke poor English!
‘It was a good idea but we didn't reckon on the Colombian telephone service being so-’ Sherman hesitated on the final word.
‘Crap!’ Ben finished the sentence for him.
The boys started back to their rooms.
‘What about the beach?’ Ant said suddenly. ‘Surely they can't stop us going on the beach!’
They filed through the revolving door, several times, then headed for the beach. They swam, screamed and shouted without interruption until darkness began to fall. They could see armed policemen patrolling the area in groups of four. The policeman who had talked to the boys in their new rooms walked across the beach to where they lay.
‘I must ask you to come in now; we are unable to guarantee your safety after dark as the men who are after you may still be around!’ He warned.
‘We beat them before without your help, so we can do it again!’ Ben replied defiantly.
‘Don't forget they've taken our guns Ben!’ Stuart whispered in Ben’s ear.
‘Maybe we'll go in then!’ Ben decided.
They trooped into the hotel and were escorted to their rooms. A few moments later one by one they headed for the indoor swimming pool for a late night swim but they were learning, no screams of delight, no shouts they slid down the flume time after time in silence until they were to tired to do anything but go to bed.
CHAPTER 2
They were woken earlier than they wanted to be the next morning, they were all tired after their late swimming session and wanted to sleep on.
‘If you want breakfast, you will come now!’ Someone called through the closed door of each room, after knocking loudly.
Simon was out of bed and ready to go very quickly.
‘Come on you lot or we'll miss breakfast!’ He said worriedly, wanting to go but not go alone.
‘So? We'll miss breakfast!’ C.J replied tiredly.
‘Well I happen to be hungry!’ Simon said testily.
‘You're always hungry Si!’ Ben replied.
Stuart climbed out of bed and dressed. Not a long task as he had slept in his shorts, he only had to pull on his tee-shirt and slide his feet into the flip flops which had been provided as well.
‘Come on let's go. Maybe Captain Torres will be there, we get treated well when he's about!’ He said urging Ben out of bed.
There was another knock on the door, this time it opened.
‘Come on we're off for breakfast!’ Sherman called with his head poking through the open door.
When they finally roused C.J and Ben, the boys walked up the corridor, a waiter ushered them into a room they had not been in before. Breakfast consisted of a fine bran like substance that came in a large plastic bag, with no name on it. In fact there was no writing on it whatsoever!
‘Is this what everybody has for breakfast in Colombia?’ Stuart asked.
‘It's what we're having for breakfast by the looks of it!’ Sherman grumped.
‘Where's the bacon and eggs?’ Simon exclaimed.
‘And the toast!’ Ben complained. ‘You wait until I see Captain Torres I'm going to give him a piece of my mind!’
‘Careful Ben.’ Stuart warned. ‘You won't have any left!’
‘Any what?’ Ben asked, looking at the table in front of him.
Stuart opened his mouth to answer but in the end said. ‘Don't worry about it.’
Ben smiled and wrote a one in the air.
‘One up to me! I'm not as thick as you think!’ He said through a large smile.
‘There's no milk!’ Simon exclaimed. ‘There's only water!’
As there was no other food, the boys ate the bran mixed with water.
‘This is what they used to call gruel isn't it?’ C.J asked. ‘You know what they used to give kids in workhouses and all that!’
No one answered as no one knew the answer. While Stuart ate he thought and a plan formed in his mind.
‘Can I have one of those 100 Dollar notes please Ben?’ He asked.
‘I'd have a job to give you any other size; they're all I've got!’ He replied and furtively passed one to Stuart under the table. Ben expected Stuart to tell him why he wanted the note but Stuart said nothing.
‘Well, what do you want it for?’ Ben asked after a pause.
‘It's a surprise.’ Stuart answered spraying food across the table as he did so.
‘Err!’ Simon said in complaint. ‘Don't ask him any more questions until I've finished eating. He's disgusting!’
Ben waited patiently but when they were nearly finished a waiter came in and cleared the table. Ben could not believe it when three men came in, before the waiter had cleared the table. The three men wore police uniforms with well polished buttons. They sat down opposite the boys and motioned the waiter out of the room.
‘Can I have your attention please?’ The man who sat on the right side of the three said in fair English. This was the same policeman who had asked them to come in from the beach the previous evening.
The murmur of the boys talking faded to nothing.
‘Sergeant Torres has taken over from his brother, who has been taken to hospital to receive treatment for his wounds. The boys who are not here are in hospital also!’ The man continued. ‘Sergeant Torres would like you to vote yourselves a person to speak for you and to tell us what happened.’
‘We have a spokesman.’ Sherman announced. ‘It's Stuart.’
He pointed to Stuart.
‘If you would like to confer for a few moments then give us your account of how things occurred and in the order which they happened.’
The sergeant and the man to his left remained silent all the time the other man spoke. The boys huddled together all trying to add something which they thought might otherwise be forgotten. When everybody was happy Stuart started.
‘‘We left England to play football in Florida but our plane was high jacked on the way to Florida and the high jackers made it fly over Colombia. A grenade exploded in the cabin and the plane crashed, we were the only survivors of the part of the plane which came down our side of the mountain it hit. Us and our manager.’
The man on the right held up a hand to signal Stuart to wait, he then proceeded to translate for the other two men.
‘They don't speak English!’ Ben whispered loudly. ‘This is silly!’
‘It's going to take us all day!’ C.J added glumly.
The man ignored the complaints, which he could not help but hear then signalled Stuart to continue.
‘Milton Miller our manager was bitten by a snake soon after we landed, he died the next day Stevey was bitten at the same time.’
> The three conferred.
‘Is that Stephen Brown?’ The translator asked.
‘Yes.’
They studied their notes and talked together in Spanish for a few seconds.
‘Please continue.’ The translator asked when they were satisfied.
‘When no rescuers came we decided to stick together and walk to the coast.’ This was a lie but Stuart thought it sounded better than what had really happened. ‘There was a lot of money on the plane in suitcases; we found out later that it belonged to drug runners. We met them first when we crossed a poppy field. That was when Toby got shot. Later on I was captured but my friends rescued me.’
The hand went up again and the story was relayed. The sergeant made a few more notes.
‘Please continue.’ The translator asked again.
‘They were still chasing us when we saw the Captain's helicopter shot down, we rescued him and hid in a cave until it was safe to continue but they were still after us so we made an ambush and-’ Stuart hesitated. ‘And chased them off.’ He did not want to mention killing any of them as he was not really sure if they had actually killed anyone, although he was sure the piranhas had made short work of some of them. ‘When we got to the coast there were more of them but we managed to get the Captain to safety.’
The translation this time caused the sergeant to erupt in a flurry of Spanish.
‘The sergeant says that you are wrong, you are only little boys, it was his brother Ernesto who saved you and was badly wounded in the process!’
The boys erupted themselves, each having their say at once which meant not a lot was understood by anyone. Stuart quietened them after a struggle and they held another conference.
‘Sounds good!’ Sherman said as they huddled.
‘No way!’ C.J argued. ‘I'm not doing that!’
‘Let's vote on it!’ Stuart suggested after a few more minutes discussion.
They voted and the vote was unanimous.
Stuart stood up straight. ‘Sherman, Ben, Simon and me will go with you in a helicopter and show you where things happened and where the plane crashed. Something your brother will not be able to do as he slept most of the way as we carried him here!’
Another heated discussion ensued this time the sergeant had a lot to say. Eventually the translator spoke.
‘The sergeant would like to know how you were not killed when the plane crashed when all the others were!’
‘The plane hit the top of a mountain, broke in half and our half slid down hitting trees as it went down. Anyone left alive near the wings were hit by trees we were in the middle so we survived.’
‘Why did not-’ the translator looked at the sergeant’s notes. ‘This Stephen Brown die?’
Stuart shrugged his shoulders. ‘Ask the doctor I'm only a little boy!’ He replied with heavy sarcasm.
‘You say you were captured by the drug runners?’ The translator asked.
‘Yes.’
‘Did you meet their leader?’ This he asked with great interest.
‘Yes his name was José Colebora!’ Stuart replied.
This caused a long discussion among the three men.
‘You met him face to face?’ The translator asked.
‘Yes!’
‘And yet you escaped?’
‘With the help of Minton Cruisers!’ Stuart replied and pointed to the others, who cheered.
‘Could you find this José Colebora's hideout again?’ The translator asked.
‘It's hardly a hideout it's a farm and yes I could find it again!’
The door crashed open and two men walked in, Stuart recognised one as the doctor, the other man he did not know. The doctor was the first to speak his tirade of Spanish had hardly finished when the other man spoke in perfect English.
‘I am Gerald Fforbes-White, the British attaché to Colombia. These are children, tired, confused and as your doctor says, they are in need of medical attention! You will kindly wait before you give them the third degree, as though they were common criminals!’
A heated discussion followed in Spanish. The name José Colebora was heard several times then the three men stood up.
‘What about our offer to show you where we walked?’ Stuart asked a little annoyed, as it was his idea.
‘We will let you show us but the doctor insists that he must be sure that you are well enough. We will go but only after he says that you are well enough!’ The translator replied.
The three policemen walked out leaving eight very unhappy boys.
‘Come on boys the doctor and I need to discuss a few things.’ The attaché said reassuringly.
‘Can you let our parents know that we are alright?’ Stuart asked. ‘They'll be worried sick!’
‘No problem but I will need names and addresses!’
The doctor spoke to the attach‚ in Spanish, Stuart recognised his name.
‘Which one of you is Stuart Sellars?’ The attach‚ asked.
‘Me!’ Stuart answered.
‘It appears that they have managed to lose your blood sample, old boy, they want another one.’
‘Do I have to?’ Stuart asked.
‘It's for the best; you do want to know if there is anything amiss do you not?’ The attaché replied.
‘I suppose so.’ Stuart replied grudgingly.
‘I know it's a bit of a bore but they are doing their best!’ The attaché placated.
‘Why not take two lots to be sure.’ C.J suggested.
‘You can shut up!’ Stuart grumped.
‘Now what?’ Ben asked.
‘Let's go down to the beach.’ C.J suggested.
‘Good idea.’ Sherman agreed. ‘We'll see you on the beach Stu!’
The others walked down on to the beach and started to play, swim or sunbathe, they did what ever they wanted to. It was an hour before Stuart rejoined them; he said nothing but just joined in the fun as well as he could with a plaster on his arm. Later on as they lazed in the sun they talked idly.
‘It would have been nice to talk to my mum!’ Stuart said wistfully.
‘Mine will be worried sick!’ Simon replied. ‘She thinks that we're both lost in the jungle!’ Tears ran down his cheeks as he thought about his father. He turned away from the others in an attempt to hide his tears. ‘Do you think he could have survived Stu?’
‘I don't know Si, I just don't know! I hope he's still alive he didn't deserve to die.’ Stuart answered. ‘If his fall was broken by the canopy then he might have survived, there might be several of them fighting their way through the jungle on their way here right now! At least he had more chance than those that were hit by the trees as we landed!’
‘That's true!’ Sherman agreed. ‘That would have done for him for sure; at least there is still a chance!’
‘Look out hear comes Mr. Fforbes-White!’ Ben warned.
‘Hello again boys, are you all well?’ He asked cheerfully as he walked up.
Everyone answered him, as though he were the teacher in a classroom; he waited until they were quiet.
‘I have informed all your parents that you and the ones in the hospital are alive. The sergeant is sticking to the premise that his brother saved you but has accepted your offer to show him the crash site. As I cannot see any harm in it the doctor has said that you can go when he has the results of all the blood tests of those that are going, then you can go, if of course they prove favourable. I will arrange a flight home the day after!’ He announced.
The boys gave a ragged cheer; they all wanted to go home!
When they were called to their next meal, it was set out in their rooms and compared with their breakfast it was a banquet.
‘This is different!’ Simon said happily. ‘Do you think the breakfast was a mistake?’
‘No.’ Stuart replied. ‘I've oiled one of the wheels, that's what I think they call it anyway. After he took my blood I went to the kitchen.’ He held up half of the one hundred Dollar note. ‘I told the man in charge-’ He pa
used waiting for the absent Toby to tell him the correct name and when it did not happen he added. ‘It isn't the same without Toby, is it?’
‘Are you saying that you actually miss him putting you right all the time?’ Ben asked.
‘It doesn't seem the same without it, that's all.’ Stuart replied.
‘What did you tell the chef then?’ Ben asked.
‘I said that I wanted us to have decent food and eggs and bacon for breakfast, not that horrible gunge. I said that he would get the other half after lunch tomorrow.’
‘He must have put it in here so's no one sees it.’ Simon said through a mouthful of food but no one answered they were eating too.
When they had eaten, all had eaten too much to make up for breakfast; they lay on their beds moaning. A knock on the door brought no reply from them. It was repeated.
‘Get it Si.’ Ben groaned. ‘You're more used to eating too much.’
Simon did not answer but opened the door. The same girl who had brought the new clothes stood there with their old clothes.
‘Thank you.’ He said and took the bundle from her.
They had been washed and repaired. With the exception of Simon's coat, which had been cleaned but not repaired.
‘This is going to make a nice trophy!’ He cried, when he found it had not been repaired. ‘I'm going to say I was wearing it at the time!’
‘Everyone will believe you, of course!’ Ben derided.
‘I don't care, it will be a laugh!’ Simon replied.
‘Yeah everyone will laugh at you!’ Ben added.
‘Shut up Ben!’ Stuart said indignantly. ‘I thought that we'd stopped calling each other names and such, that was the old us!’
Ben opened his mouth, then after a pause said.
‘Yeah, sorry everyone. Sorry Si!’
‘You're probably right though!’ Simon replied.
‘No only jealous!’ Ben admitted.
‘Really?’ Simon asked.
‘Yes, it looks neat with all those bullet holes in it!’
Simon was happy.
Eventually the boys recovered enough to walk down to the beach and started to sunbathe, that was all they were fit for.
‘Just think.’ C.J said. ‘When you go and show them where the plane is we'll be laying here in the sun!’
