There is a long silence from the other end, and then finally the pilot responds. “Deal, where are you now?”
“Belize City bus station, can you come pick us up?” Victor replies, trying not to sound eager.
“Yes, give me half an hour, I will be in a red Ford pickup truck,” says the pilot, not hiding his excitement, now only thinking of the money.
Victor thanks the man and after replacing the receiver goes to inform Laura of the new plans. She is delighted that they do not have to spend days on a bus getting to Peru.
Just over half an hour later a large red pickup truck with “Harry’s Adventure Travels” painted on the doors pulls into the bus station. Victor and Laura walk over to the truck.
“Harry?” Victor asks.
“One and only.” A five foot six, thin American with long hair and a beard answers while jumping out of the truck to greet them.
“Name’s John, this is Sue,” Victor quickly says while shaking Harry’s hand. Laura already had her mouth open wanting to speak, but quickly stops and closes her mouth as soon as Victor introduces them. She quickly recovers her composure.
“Hi John, hi Sue,” Harry says as he shakes each one’s hand. “Hop in.”
As Harry turns towards the double cab truck, Laura quickly looks at Victor while pressing her lips together and making her eyes large. The expression makes Victor want to laugh and he has to really hold back not to do so.
Victor places his arm around her and the two walk giggling at their private joke towards the truck.
Laura gets into the back seat while Victor gets in the front. Harry places their suitcase in the back with Laura and then gets in himself. As he pulls out of the station he asks, “So what business brings you to Belize, and why go to Colombia? I can take you all over Belize. There are a lot of ruins I can show you guys.”
Victor was hoping that Harry would not be nosey, but Harry proves otherwise.
“We decided to travel a bit, see some places, no plans, just going at the spur of the moment,” Laura answers. “Well done”, Victor thinks.
“Cool,” Harry replies, concentrating on the road. Laura is glad Victor did not tell him to “step on it”. Twenty minutes later they arrive at a small hangar next to the airfield. Harry parks the truck next to the hangar and as he climbs out he points to a building 100 feet away while saying, “You can have your papers stamped there at the customs office while I get the plane ready.”
Victor nods, but tells Laura to go alone first, telling her to inform the customs officers he will be in shortly, and that he is just helping Harry with the plane. The truth is that he does not want to take the backpack with cash and pistol into the customs building, nor does he want to leave it with Harry. As Laura walks towards the customs building, Victor follows Harry and informs him that he wants to first see his plane.
Harry only shrugs his shoulders and opens the hangar doors. Victor smiles as he sees the airplane, a neat little 1970 Cherokee 235C-F, with 84 gallons of fuel capacity.
“She has an upgraded motor with a turbo fitted, giving a maximum speed of 200 miles per hour and a range of around 710 miles on the standard tank. We will land and refuel in Costa Rica; it is just less than 600 miles from here, and then go on to Colombia. That is just less than 800 miles, where we will land at Eldorado International airport,” says Harry.
When he senses Victor’s concern he continues, “Not to worry, I have installed an additional 20 gallon fuel tank for these trips. You will be surprised how many people want to fly from Belize to Colombia without using commercial airliners.” Just then Laura returns.
“Any problems?” Victor asks, and when Laura indicates none, he gives her his backpack, kisses her and tells her not to talk to strangers, before walking off to the customs building, passport in hand. Harry thinks the comment is funny, but Laura gets the hidden message, Harry is not to be trusted. After checking that all is ok, Harry tells Laura to hop in and starts the plane. When the engine is running smoothly, he taxies it out of the hangar, then stops and gets out. While Harry closes the hangar doors, Victor returns and unnoticed climbs into the back passenger seat.
Harry jumps into the pilot’s seat and without looking back starts to move towards the runway, thinking that Victor is still inside the customs building.
He has a plan in his mind, leave Victor and take the girl. In Costa Rica he will call his friend to locate Victor and inform him of the kidnapping and demand a ransom; anyone willing to pay triple his fare and avoid the commercial airliners has money to burn and something to hide, ensuring that Victor will not call the police.
Victor had sensed something was up and decided to lie down in the foot well behind the front seat as soon as he climbed into the plane.
He had also asked Laura to make as if she is sleeping after she had covered him with her jacket. Victor wanted to see what the pilot is up to.
“Ground Control, Bravo Echo Foxtrot two zero five requesting permission to take off.” Harry is now taxiing the plane to the onramp leading to the runway, waiting for permission to go onto the runway.
“Bravo Echo Foxtrot two zero five, Ground Control, what is your flight plan?” The voice over the radio sounds bored.
“Colombia, Eldorado via Costa Rica.”
“Bravo Echo Foxtrot two zero five, you have permission to take off.”
Harry wastes no time in getting the plane on the runway, giving a quick look at Laura to see her sleeping on the back seat. He opens the throttle up wide and points the plane down the runway. He has a wide grin on his face. Maybe he will enjoy this little woman before he gives her back. Harry is so deep in thought of having his way with Laura and the money he is going to make that he fails to notice the plane taking longer to take off than it should with only two people onboard.
He quickly climbs to cruising altitude and puts the autopilot on, still grinning wildly. Looking back he notices Laura is still sleeping, she must be very tired. He wants to touch her beautiful legs, but decides it is best to get as far away as possible from the airport first, just in case Victor has called the police and the traffic controller calls him back. If he has to return he may be arrested and if he continues onwards, ignoring a call back, he will definitely be arrested when he lands.
Just over three hours later he starts his descent to Costa Rica. He cannot believe his luck that the girl has not woken up yet. Little does he know that Victor had signaled her to say nothing and keep acting as if she is asleep. Victor could have surprised Harry at any time, but he is hoping Harry will contact someone and reveal his plans.
Victor does not know if Harry had spoken to anyone while he was in the customs building, or when both Laura and he were in the plane and Harry was closing the hangar. Is there going to be support waiting for Harry when he lands in Colombia? What does he plan to do with Laura when he lands? Victor wants to know what is waiting for them.
He decides that if he has to remain undetected until he has learned of Harry’s plans, he can bear the uncomfortable position he is lying in. In the past he spent longer times in more uncomfortable situations with insects biting him, while waiting for a target to move. He was the best at counter sniping.
Harry contacts the airport tower and asks for permission to land. The tower grants him permission and he expertly lands the plane, taxiing it immediately to the refueling depot. He informs the tower that he will only refuel and then continue on.
After the tower grants him permission to do so, he waits for the ground crew to refuel his plane. He is not allowed to step out of his plane and a customs officer is standing by. His plane will be checked when he lands in Colombia at the end of his trip.
Harry looks back and notices with surprise that Laura is still sleeping. He is beginning to wonder if she is still alive and touches her knee slightly. Laura jerks her leg back in surprise, but keeps acting as if she is sleeping and it was only an automatic reaction. Harry wonders what she must have been through to be so tired. The call came over the radio from the g
round crew that his plane is refueled and ready for take off.
After receiving permission to continue his journey, Harry taxies the plane onto the runway and takes off, heading to Colombia. As soon as he is at cruising altitude he takes out his cell phone and makes a call. When someone answers, he quickly asks the person to hold on while looking back at Laura, making sure she is still asleep.
“Hi Pete, I have a gem here. Red hair, petite and beautiful, I think she will fetch a high price. Arrange for a private parking and off duty customs officer when I land, should be just over four hours from now.” Harry looks back twice at Laura while he speaks.
Victor knows immediately why Harry is running trips between Belize and Colombia, and advertising his trade at the bus station.
He is smuggling girls, taking young backpacking girls and selling them off as sex girls. That is why his plane was not inspected in Belize or Costa Rica; he is paying off the customs officers.
Harry knows that Laura cannot sleep the whole trip. He was ready for her waking up all along and going wild. Slowly his left hand slips down from the controls and touches the syringe clipped to his door, just below the armrest.
Harry at first thought he would inject Laura when she awoke, but now he decides to do it while she is still asleep, less hassle for him. Glancing back to make sure she is not awake; he pulls the syringe from its clips and turns in his seat. Leaning partly over the seat he reaches for Laura’s arm, picking it up, he brings the needle to her arm.
When he finds a vein, he places the needle in line with the vein and is about to push the needle in when a gun barrel comes up from behind the jackets lying on the floor and is pushed up under his chin. Harry goes white and drops the syringe. He had seen the jackets before over something and assumed it was their luggage. Victor comes up from behind the seat, still holding the pistol under Harry’s chin.
“So, now we know your real trade.” There is fire in Victor’s eyes. Laura sits up straight and slaps Harry in the face.
“Honey, please, that’s not how it’s done.” Victor says, and a smile breaks on Harry’s face just as Victor punches him in the nose, breaking it. As Harry screams in pain, tears filling his eyes and blood gushing from his nose, Victor says to Laura, “That’s how it’s done.
“Turn around, use your shirt to stop the bleeding if you have to, and fly the plane. Any false movement and I will kill you and fly the plane myself.”
Harry does as he is told, removing his shirt and using it to stop the bleeding. The plane is on autopilot, a system he had installed some time ago to help him deal with the long hours he needed to fly in making his runs with, from girls to guns, drugs and money.
“What are you going to do?” Laura is still angry at Harry.
“Nothing, get to Colombia and find new transport,” Victor lied. He intends to kill Harry when they get to Colombia before finding new transport, but he does not want to inform Harry of his plans, in case he decides to crash the plane.
“But what about the abducted girls? We have to help them!” Laura pleads.
Victor looks into Laura’s eyes, then turns to Harry.
“Tell me everything you know, who meets you, how many people, and where they take the girls.” Victor puts the tip of the silencer against Harry’s head.
“I know nothing, I just drop off the girls, they pay me for the previous shipment, and then I leave.” Harry is shaking slightly from fear.
“Then we will meet your friend. Fly the plane.”
Harry’s nose has stopped bleeding and he puts his shirt back on. The rest of the trip is done in silence until Harry informs Victor that they are nearing the airport and he needs to get clearance to land. Victor nods his approval for Harry to contact the tower, and after Harry receives clearance to land, Victor tells him to phone his friend and inform him that the girl is sedated and all is in order.
Harry does as he is told, not knowing if Victor is going to shoot him or not. He lands the plane and taxies it to an abandoned hangar far from the main building. It is just past 7pm. A double cap Ram 1500 pickup truck switches on its lights and slowly drives closer.
Victor immediately drops down, telling Laura to do the same. Pressing Harry hard in the kidney with the pistol he says, “Ok, this is how it’s going to work. You are going to sit here until your friend gets out of the truck, then we will all get out together. Laura will then stay here with you, while I go with your friend to where the girls are, bring them back, and you can fly them home. If you cooperate, you may get out of this alive.”
Harry listens to Victor’s plan and nods his head eagerly in agreement. He cannot believe that Victor will be so stupid as to let the girl stay alone with him. He knows that he can easily overpower Laura and then alert his friends back at the house that Victor is coming.
He decides that Victor is just acting tough and probably ran away with this girl, stole some money from her dad, possibly her dad’s competition pistol as well.
Harry is now less afraid, he reckons that Victor must never have fired a gun in his life, but he still does not want to chance being shot accidentally. He decides to leave the risky work for the armed men at the house, while he has his way with this pretty girl.
The door of the truck opens and a block of a man steps out. Victor judges the man to be over six feet and around 220 pounds of solid muscle. He has almost no neck, just shoulders with a bald head on top of them.
“Ok, open the door and ask the man to help you with the girl, then get out.” Victor pokes Harry in the side with his pistol as he speaks. Harry opens his door and greets the man.
“Hi Pete, got a nice one here, come and help me get her out, had to sedate her, she is a wild one.” Harry is playing his part, eager to get Victor away, even if it means setting up Pete, who will in any case kill this guy when he gets to the house. Warning the rest of the team about Victor coming will be worth some money. Harry slides out of the plane and turns around, facing the plane. Pete is only ten feet away. Harry looks up, directly into a gun barrel that returns his gaze.
Victor fires twice and then jumps out of the plane, pushing Harry out of his way.
“On the ground now, hands on your head, or you join your friend,” he yells. Pete freezes, surprised at what has just happened, then slowly he goes down on his knees, glaring at Victor.
“You must think I’m so stupid to leave her alone with you,” Victor comments to Harry, who is already dead. Laura climbs out of the plane, bringing Victor’s backpack and their suitcase with her.
“Laura, please go check in the truck to see if you can find anything to tie him up with, go wide around him ok?”
“Ok.” Laura goes to the truck, and after searching both the front and back of the truck she returns, having found some rope.
“Thank you. Ok Pete, lie down, hands behind your back.” Slowly Pete goes down, fuming at Victor, who comes closer to him, stopping five feet away.
“Laura, go behind Pete and tie up his legs.”
Victor does not take his eyes off Pete, still aiming the gun at Pete’s glaring face.
Laura slowly goes to Pete’s legs and starts to tie them together with the rope. Pete looks back over his shoulder at Laura.
“You move, and I put a bullet in each of your shoulders.” When Pete gives Victor a confused look regarding shooting him in the shoulders Victor adds, “I need you to be able to talk, not lift heavy stuff.” Pete thinks of jumping up and rushing this man, but the way he killed Harry tells Pete this is not a man who will hesitate to kill him, nor miss.
When Laura finishes tying his legs as best she can, Victor tells the man to put his right arm in front of his body, keeping his left arm on his back. Then he has Laura tie Pete’s left arm and legs together.
After Laura does as Victor asks, Victor has Pete bring his right arm back, and asks Laura to tie Pete’s right arm to his left and his feet. Pete knows now that this man is an expert, and wonders what he wants and why he is here.
“What do you want from me
, money? Drugs? I can give you plenty of both.” Pete is not afraid of Victor. He just wants to know his enemy, so that he can plan to overcome him.
“Turn around, lie on your back,” Victor orders and Pete obeys.
“Laura, can you please switch the truck’s lights off and open the tailgate?” Laura does as Victor asks. Victor then tells Pete to pull his legs in and get up. Pete struggles a bit, not being able to use his hands, but eventually manages. Victor does not give him an inch of opportunity.
“Hop over to the back of the truck and lay down over the tailgate with your feet on the ground.” Victor is methodical, checking Pete’s every move. With a struggle, Pete hops to the end of the truck and puts his upper body onto the tailgate. Victor then picks up his legs and pushes him totally onto the back of the truck.
“Laura, you’ll have to drive, open the back sliding window and I’ll get the directions from Pete.” Laura immediately gets into the truck while Victor jumps into the back with Pete.
“Roll over and push yourself up against the cab until you can sit comfortably.” Victor’s voice is cold and hard. As soon as Pete pushed himself up against the cab into a seated position, Victor shoots him through the right foot. Pete screams and curses Victor.
“Stop your complaining, it is less than you deserve. Now tell me where the hidden exit point is off the airport to avoid customs before I hurt you.” Pete thinks Victor must be mad - hurt him? He has already shot him in the foot!
“Over there,” Pete points with his head towards the back of the hangar as he speaks.
“No lights Laura, get us out of here. Ok Pete, give Laura directions to the house where the girls are, and no tricks, Harry told me how far the house is from the airport,” Victor says, lying.
Pete can see the killer in Victor’s eyes rising up. He has never been afraid of any man before, but this man is not normal.
Pete gives the directions to Laura as they drive, planning his escape along the way, he just needs Victor to make one slip. Maybe the others will get him. That’s it; he will lie about how many people there are in the house. Little does he know Victor’s interrogation tactics.
Laura 01 The Jaguar Prophecy Page 15
