Lost Voyage (15 page)

25

Dallas Marks was sitting in his study, analyzing the data Hunt had sent to him earlier in the day. Going over the charts, his eyes widened with excitement at the discovery that had been made.

Looking at the large solid mass lying underneath the surface of the Nicaraguan jungle, he could only imagine what it would look like once it was dug up and revealed for the first time in over a century.

He was astounded at how compact it was. He scanned the area where the photographs were taken and could see the radius of the mass was less than two hundred feet in diameter. He was amazed the cargo had been able to withstand being separated from the ship during the violent blow of the pyroclastic cloud, and yet still remain relatively intact. He knew Hunt and Mercer had found what they were looking for and only hoped they could reach it before other interested parties would make an attempt to get to it first.

He was so immersed in his interest with the maps that he completely ignored his cell phone ringing the first few times. Not recognizing the number, he hesitated on answering. After a few rings, he decided to take the call.

“This is Dallas.”

“Mr. Marks, this is the King County coroner’s office. We have you listed as the person to contact for a man by the name of Tony Morgan.”

He knew to expect this call, as Mercer had told him he was shipping the body of Tony back stateside. Upon arrival of the body, he was to contact Emily Lundy so Tony could be transported back to Portland for a proper burial.

After a few shared words, he said, “I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

***

Upon arrival to the coroner’s office, Dallas took official possession of Tony’s corpse and immediately gave a call to Emily so she could come up to Seattle to positively identify the body. She agreed to make the trip for her friend and said she would be there in a matter of hours.

Dallas could sense the hesitation in her voice, but he admired her composure, knowing it must be difficult to make the journey to see her friend one last time. To his surprise, she made the trip up in less time than she initially quoted.

Having never met or seen her, he was completely in awe of the beauty that stood in front of him. He knew she had been shot in the jungle, and her arm was still in a sling. Her long blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail and tucked under a Seattle Mariners baseball cap, and her sky blue eyes were the most mesmerizing he had ever seen. He had to catch himself from staring too long.

“Ms. Lundy, it’s nice to finally meet you. I’m sorry it has to be under these circumstances.”

“Thank you, Mr. Marks. It’s nice to meet you as well.”

“Please, call me Dallas. How was your drive up?”

“Not too bad. Traffic was light, so it was pretty easy going the whole way. I’ve been dreading this trip for days now, as I’m sure you can understand.”

He could see the sadness in her eyes and did his best to console her. “I understand this is difficult for you. If you need anything at all while you’re here, please don’t hesitate to ask. I’ll give you a few moments. Take all the time you need and I’ll meet you in the lobby down the hall.”

She waited until Dallas was down the hall and out of sight before opening the door to where her friend was resting eternally. She took a deep breath and prepared herself for what she was about to see. She put her hand on the doorknob and turned it slowly. After one more deep breath, she pushed the door open and walked through to the other side.

The sight of Tony laying there motionless was more than she thought she could handle. She crossed her arms up over her shoulders as she felt a sudden chill come over her entire body. The nightmare of what she had been through suddenly came rushing back to her.

She thought about turning around and walking back through the door. She was there to make a positive ID on Tony’s body, and from where she was standing, she could tell it was in fact him. Nonetheless, she resisted the urge to retreat and slowly made her way towards the gurney where he was laying.

A plain white sheet covered most of his body up to his chest, and his skin color seemed to have drained to a shade of off-white. She noticed how peaceful he looked and couldn’t help but think back to her last moments with him.

She still blamed herself in some small part for his death and regretted ever feeling the need to inquire about where the sporadic gunfire was coming from. She knew it wasn’t her fault, but still felt the pain and sorrow over the loss of one of her best friends. All of this was just a reminder of that tragic day.

She bent over and kissed him on the forehead. As she pressed her lips against him, she felt the coldness of death, but didn’t allow that to hinder the final moments she would share with her friend. Standing up straight, she regained her composure and said one final goodbye. Then, she turned and walked out of the room, leaving him to rest peacefully by himself once again.

The next hour was spent discussing formalities and signing paperwork. Dallas had been given strict orders by Colonel Hunt to see to it that Tony’s body was escorted personally by NESA back to Portland under the supervision of Emily. From there, he would be laid to rest in his hometown amongst family and friends.

As Emily got into her car, Dallas made his way over to her. “Ms. Lundy, I would once again like to offer my sincerest condolences. If there is anything I or NESA can ever do for you, please call on us any day or time.”

“You are too kind, Dallas. I could never repay all that your organization has done for me. I am indebted to you and your colleagues.”

“Have a safe trip back and please let me know when you arrive in Portland. The Colonel will have my hide if I don’t report back to him that the prettiest girl in the Northwest is safe and sound.”

She smiled, revealing a glow he had not yet seen from her. “Thank you. Your support through all of this has meant a lot.”

As she drove out of the parking lot and made her way down the road, Dallas thought about heading back to the office, but decided against it. Instead, he got into his car and headed to the pier to catch the ferry back home.

26

The cloud cover had been a welcomed arrival as Mercer and Vigil bunkered down in their makeshift foxhole. The foliage of the trees was enough to protect them from the direct sunlight, but the clouds at least helped to eliminate some of the heat element.

Vigil was throwing rocks at a tree, trying to hit leaves with precision shots in an effort to pass the time. Every miss drew a snide comment from his partner.

“If you had aim like that back in Iraq, you would have never made it out alive.”

Vigil cocked his head and smartly responded, “As I recall, my aim is the only thing that saved your ass in this jungle when we ran into that pretty little blonde you’re so fond of.”

Mercer kept on with the razzing of his friend. “Well, it’s a good thing we weren’t being attacked by the trees, or it would have been an entirely different outcome.”

“Smartass,” Vigil replied as he laughed at the remark. “Any luck on reaching the Colonel yet?”

“You’ve been sitting next to me the whole time. You would have heard it if I had. I’m sure it will be just a matter of time before we hear from him. Just try and be patient.”

***

Forty five minutes later, Mercer finally let his anxiousness get the best of him. Pulling the transmitter radio from his backpack, he tried to reach Hunt on the other end.

“Colonel, ya there?”

Silence.

“Colonel, it’s Sean. Do you copy?”

Still nothing.

He looked at Vigil, who just shrugged his shoulders.

He tried one more time. “Colonel, this is Sean. Do you copy?”

This time there was a voice on the other end, but it wasn’t that of the Colonel's. Instead, it was another voice he had recently become familiar with.

“Ah, Mr. Mercer. I was wondering when I would hear from you again.”

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t my good friend, Andres Vallejos. If you would be so kind as to put my boss on so I can continue this conversation with him.”

Vigil moved closer to listen in on the conversation.

“Let us dispense with the pleasantries, Mr. Mercer. I am sure you are well aware by now that I have your employer in my presence. If you want to see him alive, then you should listen very carefully.”

“I’m all ears,” replied Mercer.

“I know you have discovered the location of the gold. I offer a very simple proposal. You give me the gold and I will let Mr. Hunt go free.”

“That’s all?” Mercer asked sarcastically.

“You are in no position to refuse my offer, Mr. Mercer. I could very easily kill all of you and take the gold for myself either way. I am offering you a way to walk away from this unharmed.”

Mercer kept his sarcastic tone. “Your plan to kill me last time worked out so well for you, didn’t it?”

Vallejos had anger in his voice when he responded. “I will not be as hesitant this time. Your boss will not be so fortunate if you do not cooperate.”

Vigil asked for the radio to give his input. Mercer decided against it as to not instigate things further.

“I want to talk to my boss. I need to know he’s okay before I agree to anything.”

“Very well. He has already assured me he has no intention of cooperating. You have ten seconds to convince him otherwise.”

Mercer waited for a second to hear a voice.

“Sean, don’t give him what he wants. He’s going to kill me either way. You and Pat get the gold and get the hell out of there.”

“Come, on, Colonel, you know me better than that. Just play nice with the big bully until we get there.”

When a voice responded, it was Vallejos once again. “Time is running short, Mr. Mercer. Do not test my patience. I will give you one hour to give me the coordinates of the gold or the next time you see your friend, it will be at his funeral.”

Mercer didn’t respond. The radio went silent and it was just him and Vigil alone in the jungle with their thoughts.

“Well, what are ya thinking, buddy?” asked Vigil. “Should we just storm the gates and bring the Colonel home?”

Mercer shrugged his shoulders in a nonchalant manner. “That’s exactly what Vallejos expects us to do. So, why disappoint him?”

***

Vallejos sat calmly in his oversized chair staring at his prisoner. “You do not strike me as a man who would be foolish enough to tell his men not to come for him.”

Hunt stared back with the same menacing glare that was being imposed upon him. “Perhaps. But, you on the other hand,
do
strike me as the type of man who would not honor his word about letting all of us just walk out of here once you have the gold.”

“Mr. Hunt, I assure you that you and your men will come to no harm if you simply lead me to the gold. That is the real prize here.”

Hunt wasn’t buying into the dictator’s lies. “So you say. But make no mistake…you have opened up a door you are not able to close at this point. This will not end well for you and your men.”

Vallejos scoffed at the comment. “You Americans are so arrogant in your ways. You think you can get yourselves out of any situation. Well, this is one ordeal your friends will not be able to get you out of, my dear, Mr. Hunt.”

Hunt smiled like a child without a care in the world. He didn’t feel the need to respond to Vallejos’ comment. Instead, he audaciously leaned forward and took one of the cigars from the box on the table in front of him.

“I’ll take my chances. Now…may I have a light?”

***

Less than thirty minutes remained of what Vallejos had given as his deadline for Mercer to respond. Vigil sat in the passenger seat of the Jeep as his partner drove hastily down the dirt road. The large black bag in the backseat contained C4 explosives, automatic weapons, and other firearms they had taken with them from their makeshift bunker, and they wasted little time gathering supplies for the trip back to the cartel's compound.

“Two more miles then we head into the woods and ditch the Jeep,” stated Mercer.

Vigil looked over the map. “That still leaves four miles to go, but I guess I could use some exercise.”

“I can buy us some time with Vallejos, but not much. We already know the route in. Odds are that the Colonel is being kept in the same cell we were in. That should make it easy for us to find him.”

Vigil chuckled. “And then what? You think he’s just going to let us walk out the front gate after a hug and a handshake?”

“You know damn well that’s not going to happen,” retorted Mercer. “But look at the bright side. You may finally get to tango with your buddy, Esperanza.”

“Well, it’s a good thing I brought my dancing shoes.”

A few minutes later, Mercer took a right turn off the main road, where he drove for just over half a mile before bringing the Jeep to a stop. Two minutes later, they were traversing their way through the thick brush towards the compound.

Surprising to even themselves, they covered the four mile trek in a very short span of time. They were within eyesight of the compound, but stayed back in order to contact Vallejos before continuing on with their plan.

Vigil kept an eye out while Mercer waited until the last possible minute of the hour to contact the cartel leader. Grabbing the radio from his backpack, he called out to the dictator.

“Paging Mr. Vallejos. Are you there?”

The voice on the other end was not a humorous one. “Have you thought about my proposal, Mr. Mercer?”

“I have. And I don’t really care for it. I have a counter proposal for you instead.”

“Do not test me. My patience is running low at this point and I am in no mood for nonsense.”

“But you haven’t even heard my offer yet. You’re going to love it. I propose to you that you release my employer and resign from your post within the cartel. If you comply with this, I will let you and your thugs live. Do we have a deal?”

Mercer had to hold the radio away from his ear due to the incessant screaming on the other end. It was barely audible, but he and Vigil could discern the displeasure with the counter-offer they had proposed.

“I don’t think he liked your offer,” Vigil quipped.

“Ya think? I thought it was a very heartfelt proposal. You can’t please everyone, I guess.”

Vigil did a quick scan of the area. “Looks like there’s quite a bit of opposition. Plus, I’m sure your last transmission didn’t do much in the way of postponing the inevitable for the Colonel.”

“That was the point. Vallejos is so hot-headed right now that he’s scrambling trying to figure out what to do with us. I just bought the Colonel some extra time from that sadistic bastard.”

“Well, what are we waiting for then?” replied Vigil. “Let’s get in there and take care of business.”