Leap - 02 (25 page)

50

Juan awoke with a start.  He still couldn’t see anything, but a noise had woken him.  He was frantically trying to recall what it might have been, when he heard it again.  Something in the other room.  Something loud.  An argument, maybe.  The next sound was even louder, but he couldn’t figure out what it was.

No!
 
They were getting ready.  They were coming for him. 
They were going to do to him what they did to Luke Greenwood. 

Juan desperately pulled at his bindings again.  He strained, trying to break what was holding him.  It felt like tape, but it didn’t budge.  He tried again, feeling the veins in his temples bulge.  Nothing.

He kicked his feet and tried to pull one up away from the other, but the tape held. 
Jesus!  What kind of tape was it?!

Wait!
  He paused when he heard something else. 
Was that the other door opening?
  He continued kicking, now in a panic, trying desperately to break the tape.  It wouldn’t give.  He scooted himself backwards on the concrete floor, searching for anything behind him.  His fingers touched something.  It was metal, a tool maybe. 

But it was too late.  Juan froze when the door to his room was violently kicked open.  The light was turned on, blinding him and causing him to clamp his eyes shut.  When he felt hands grab him, he shrieked and bucked wildly on the floor.  He used the moment to roll onto his back, kicking at the bastards as hard as he could.  “No!  No!” he screamed.  “Get away from me!”

With a victorious thud, Juan’s right heel made contact with something.  He tried again kicking in the same area but couldn’t find the target again.  It had moved away.  He couldn’t find anything.  He opened his eyes into the bright glare and spotted the silhouette.  He lunged with both legs together, using everything he had, and struck the shadow dead center, sending it reeling back against the wall.  Juan blinked hard, looking around for anyone else.  What he heard next caused his heart to sink.  It was the sound of laughter.

They were actually chuckling.  The shadow stepped forward, this time grabbing Juan’s legs when he kicked hard toward his captor again.  When the man spoke, his words were clear and unmistakable.

“Well, you’re definitely alive.”

The words were in English.  Juan felt his legs drop to the floor with a thud.  His vision finished adjusting until finally a familiar face materialized before him.

The man standing over him smiled and dabbed his own lip with one of his fingers.  He pulled it back to reveal a small streak of blood.  It was Steve Caesare.

“Mr. Caesare!” Juan croaked.  His eyes wide with shock, Juan’s brow furrowed and the sudden elation triggered an emotional release.  Juan stared up at a grinning Caesare as his survival instinct gave way and he began sobbing.

Caesare knelt down next to him and put a thick paw on his shoulder.  “It’s okay, Juan.  I got ya, buddy.”

Juan pursed his lips, barely able to see Caesare through his blurry eyes.  He tried to speak but couldn’t.

“Don’t try to talk.”  Caesare gently patted him.  “Just relax a minute.”  In a smooth motion, Caesare drew a giant knife from somewhere behind him.  As he reached down to cut the tape away, Juan could have sworn the blade had blood on it.

It took a few minutes for him to recover.  All the while, Caesare stayed next to him, talking in a calm voice.  Finally, Juan blinked the remaining tears out of his eyes and took a deep breath.  He eased himself up onto his rear and wrapped his arms around his knees. 

“You okay?”

He sniffed and nodded.  “I…I’m sorry.”

Caesare smiled.  “Don’t ever be sorry.  Not about this.  I’ve had my share of moments just being thrilled to be alive.”

Juan forced a smile of his own.  “I guess you really are a Navy SEAL, huh?”

Caesare laughed and stood up.  “Unfortunately for them.”  He lowered his hand and waited for Juan to take it.  When he did, Caesare pulled him up onto his feet.  “So where are DeeAnn and Dulce?”

“Alves took them.  In a helicopter.”

“How long ago?”

“I don’t know.  What time is it now?”

Caesare peered at his watch.  “A little after midnight.”

“It was early this morning.  Six or so, I guess.  At least I think it was this morning.”

“Where’d they go?”

“I don’t know,” Juan shook his head.  “We came here to help them find a monkey.  To try to find out what happened to DeeAnn’s friend.  But it was Alves.  He killed her friend and lied to get us to come.  And it was all to find that monkey.”

“Why would he go to all that trouble over a monkey?”

“I don’t know exactly.  There’s something about him that Alves is after.  He’s trying to find out where Dexter came from, but I don’t know where that is, or which direction they went.”

Caesare nodded, thinking.  “How many were here guarding you?”

“I only saw two.”

“Well, at least that’s good news.  Let’s get out of here.”  He motioned toward the door and stepped out into the hallway, checking both directions.  Juan noticed the gun in Caesare’s hand.  He hadn’t even seen him pull it out.

They headed up the hallway and stopped at the door.  Juan gave a start when he realized it was the room from which they were monitoring him.  And also because Blanco’s man, who was watching him, was now lying face down on the floor.

He looked back at Caesare, who was already heading further up the hall.  “You did that?”

There was no answer.

When they reached the door to the outside, Caesare opened it slowly and quietly, listening.  Hearing nothing, he opened it wider and slipped out, holding it for Juan.  He laid a finger over his lips and made a motion to be quiet.

They passed beyond the glow of the building’s overhead lights and into a section of dense trees.  After a hundred feet or so, Caesare abruptly stopped, causing Juan to almost run into him.

On the ground was another of Blanco’s men.  This one was lying on his back, clutching his side where his clothing was covered by a large dark stain.  The man was gasping for breath and held a knife in his right hand.

“I see we found a knife.”  Without the slightest hint of sympathy, Caesare stepped forward, placing his heavy boot on the man’s upper arm and pinning his right side. 

“Speak English?’

Blanco’s henchman stared at him defiantly but reluctantly nodded.

“Then listen carefully.  You tell me what I want to know and I’ll leave you here, with a chance to live.”  Caesare raised the gun and pointed it at the man’s forehead.  “If not, I won’t.  Understand?”

The man nodded and relaxed his hand, letting his knife tumble to the moist dirt next to his head.

“Where did they go?”

Blanco’s man coughed.  “The mountains.”

“Where in the mountains?”

“Northwest.”

Caesare’s jaw flexed.  “How far?”

“South to Sipaliwini.  Is a poacher’s camp.”

He motioned toward Juan.  “How long were you keeping him here?”

The reply was broken.  “Until Blanco call.”

“And then what?”

The mercenary hesitated and looked nervously at Juan.

Caesare pressed hard on his arm.  “I said,
then what
?!”

“To kill him,” he blurted out.

Caesare’s eyes grew dark.  “How?  How was he going to call you?”

The man grimaced.  “The phone.  In the office.”

Caesare peered around through the trees.  “Anyone else here?”  There were two Humvees parked near the building on the south side.

The mercenary shook his head.  His breathing was growing steadily worse.

“Keys.”

The man tried to move the arm that Caesare was standing on but couldn’t.  Instead, he twisted his wrist and tried to point downward. 

Caesare reached down and felt through the man’s pockets.  When he found what he was looking for, he reached inside and pulled out a set of several keys.  He took his boot off of him and stepped back.  He then turned to Juan.  “Anything else?”

“Yeah,” Juan said.  He stepped forward and kicked the man as hard as he could in the groin, causing him to double over and howl in pain.  Then Juan cursed in Spanish and spit on him.

Caesare nodded.  “Well said.” 

They left him lying in the darkness and quietly reentered the building.  Together, they moved slowly down the hallway in case Caesare had missed someone.  Juan’s former capturer was still lying face down in the room, lifeless.  Caesare found the small phone and dropped it into his own pocket.

“Juan, if we can find the server room, can you shut everything down?”

“Hell, yes, I can!”

It took two and a half hours to reach Belem and find the hotel.  When the two walked into the well-lit lobby, Mariana was startled to see Caesare again.  She recognized him immediately.  But this time, his face did not appear nearly as jovial.

“You’re back, senhor.”  She glanced curiously at Juan, who was standing weakly next to Caesare.  “Would you like a room?”

“No.”  Caesare shook his head and approached the old, run-down counter.  “Actually, I’d like to see your brother again.”

Mariana’s lip curled with a hint of humor.  “Another late night swim?”

Caesare turned toward Juan, who was looking at him with raised eyebrows.  “Don’t ask.”

Lucas arrived within minutes, as the men stood waiting in the lobby.  He stuck his head in the doorway and motioned for Caesare and Juan to come outside.  They followed him out and Caesare smiled when he saw the same old Chevy Malibu.  He and Clay had returned it to the hotel after borrowing it the week before, just prior to hightailing it out of Belem.

Lucas and his friend, who was standing on the other side of the car, looked Juan up and down.  “Is he okay?”

“Someone tried to rough him up.”

Lucas nodded.  He was unfamiliar with the phrase, but he got the idea.  “No swimming tonight?” Lucas asked with a grin.

What is it with the swimming jokes?
  “No,” Caesare replied, dryly.  “I need a helicopter.”

Lucas’ face became serious.  With a concerned look, he peered at his friend over the roof of the car.

“Not the whole thing,” Caesare clarified.  “Just a ride.”

“Senhor…that is expensive.”

“It’s urgent.”

“Do you have money?” Lucas asked.

“No, I don’t,” Caesare replied.  He reached into his pants pocket and withdrew a key ring.  “But how would you like a new Humvee?”

Lucas remained silent for a few long seconds.  “I may know someone.”

“I thought you might.”

It took them less than thirty minutes to reach the old airfield.  Completely dark, it looked like a skeleton of its former self.  Unfortunately, even broad daylight wouldn’t have helped its appearance much. 

Lucas drove his new Humvee up an open embankment to an old building.  All four doors opened and they climbed out, hearing the sound immediately.

Soon after, they saw two bright flashing lights appear over the treetops, followed by the faint outline of a large helicopter.  It approached and began to descend, finally bouncing down on the open grass in front of them.

Caesare was not the slightest bit surprised to see that it was a Brazilian Army chopper.  Given the poor economy, someone was obviously moonlighting. 

The side door on the gray helicopter slid open and a man dressed in the same color fatigues waved them forward.

Caesare hefted the heavy bag up on to his shoulder and turned to Juan.  “You’re staying here.”  He yelled over the noise of the rotors.

“Huh?!”

Caesare pulled Lucas in close so he could be heard.  “Get him to the airport!”  He pointed at Juan.  “And put him on the first plane to Puerto Rico!”

Lucas nodded.  “I will.  Right away.”

Caesare gave Lucas a stern gaze.  “If anything happens to him, I’m coming after you!”

“Yes, yes.  No problem.  You can trust me.”

He nodded at Lucas before turning to clap Juan on the shoulder.  “Everything will be fine.  Just get yourself home, alright?”

Juan nodded and hugged Caesare’s larger frame.  “You’re going to find them, right?”

Caesare nodded with a cold stare.  “Damn right, I am!”

51

At the first ray of light, the entire camp instantly awoke to Dexter screaming at the top of his tiny lungs.  He rocked the cage frantically, throwing his small furry body against the inner metal bars over and over, nearly tipping it over.

DeeAnn was the first on her feet.  For a moment, it almost looked as if the cage were being shaken angrily with Dexter simply trapped inside.  But it was only Dexter, and he was completely unglued.  Next to him, Dulce watched with wide eyes from within her own cage.

“Dulce, what’s wrong with him?” she asked.  There was no response.  She began to repeat her words when she caught herself.  She wasn’t wearing the vest.  “Damn it!”  DeeAnn turned and ran back to her bag where the vest was carefully laid out on a large rock.

“What is it?” Alves cried.  He was wobbling, trying to quickly get to his feet.

“I don’t know!” DeeAnn pulled the vest down onto her shoulders and clasped the side buckles together.  She flipped the power button and looked to see if the blue light was on.

And then she noticed it.  Following her frozen gaze, they all did.  High above them, on the distant horizon beyond the mountain’s peak, they could see it billowing up into the sky like a dark blanket.

Smoke.