by Glenn Ball
There was no time to waste. The helicopter would be arriving any minute now at the field a block from his house. Even as he was waking up it occurred to him where he should begin looking for Susanna. In fact, it seemed so obvious he wondered why he hadn’t thought of it sooner. The old cave would make a perfect hideout. In their treks through the wilderness they had come across that cave a number of times and admired its hidden quality. It had made such an impression on him that he took its GPS coordinates. Nevertheless, it had remained their secret. It seemed nobody else even knew it existed.
The blades were already whirling minutes later when Adam approached the field. Upon boarding the copter Adam gave the GPS coordinates of the cave to the pilot.
Making straight for the GPS coordinates it took less than an hour to arrive at the cave. Seeing the site from the air everything looked different. Adam had never seen it from this perspective before. Nevertheless, with his trained eye he was quickly able to distinguish its location.
The pilot looked for a suitable landing site and was able to find one about a thousand yards out. Adam debarked, taking six soldiers with him. They fanned out, remaining in radio contact.
The woods were thick, the trees casting a deep shadow engulfing the soldiers as they moved stealthily toward the coordinates of the cave. The soldiers took turns moving from tree to tree, stopping behind each one to maintain visual contact as much as possible while surveying the territory ahead. Adam had placed himself strategically in the middle of the squad.
They were more than halfway to the cave when Adam spotted footprints, first one, then another. He was sure he recognized Susanna’s familiar stride and the prints of her hiking shoes. A wild hope sprang up inside of him. It took everything in him to quell the urge to run ahead, imagining himself running into the arms of his beloved.
“I found her prints. We are definitely on the right trail. Continue to proceed with caution, over.” Adam quietly announced over the radio.
“Yes, proceed with caution. I found prints as well.” The voice came back over the radio. “They are the prints of a large man and indicate that he was stalking someone, over.”
“Proceeding with caution.” “10/4. Ditto…ditto,” several voices responded.
Adam felt the butterflies in his stomach. It was a normal sensation just before battle, like the barometer dropping before a storm, but this time the nervous intensity was extreme. He had hopes of finding Perle but did not know if she would be alive.
********
Susanna led the way. She knew it well. The river was a short distance ahead. There they would be able to cover the scent of their trail.
As the gurgling of the river reached their ears Susanna made a detour from the main trail, avoiding the open space by the river. “Follow me. It is more secluded over here.” After taking just a few steps they were startled by something rustling in the trees above them. There was a loud “caw, caw”. They tried to spot the crow, but the foliage was too thick.
The detour took them directly to a nook at the water’s edge. There were trees on every side and hanging over them as they stepped gingerly into the ankle-deep water. The icy current grabbed their feet like hundreds of zombie hands tugging them downstream, the river stones biting at their feet and ankles. Nevertheless, they trudged upstream like two drunkards unable to maintain their balance.
Once in midstream Pedro began to move with steady strides, regaining his sailor’s feet. Seeing him from behind with Adam’s backpack and a walking stick Susanna had a flashback of hiking with her husband. There was a pang of loneliness, a longing to have her husband here with her. She missed his confidence and strength. She desperately needed him to hug and hold her; to drive out all her fears. She needed him to protect her. She needed him to be her hero. But that was the problem with heroes, wasn’t it…they had to be everyone’s hero, not just hers.
The fresh clean odor of the river and pine needles brought the image of their campsite to memory. She could see it as if it were yesterday: Adam pitching their tent while she built a fire to cook their fish. It had been at that very site that she had been terrorized by a mountain lion. Dangerous as the big cat could be, they normally kept their distance where humans were concerned. But for some reason this cougar was drawn to humans and their campsites. There had even been reports of campers that had been mauled, including two that had gone missing on two separate occasions.
That week, in the pitch dark of the early morning, they had sensed something moving silently just outside their camp. It was nothing more than a blur in the bushes when they pointed their flashlight, but the following morning they could clearly make out the tracks from where their extra fish had disappeared. Each night thereafter it had haunted their camp, lying in wait for an opportunity to get a heartier meal. She supposed the principle of man-eating lions of Africa and tigers of Asia applied to other big cats as well; once they had tasted human flesh the taboo became choice game.
By the fourth night she had become a basket-case. She was so jittery from lack of sleep that they had decided to leave the next morning. Adam had been trained to keep guard and put her at ease by his alert and confident expertise. “A cougar is nothing compared to a sniper who could kill from several hundred meters away,” he had said. That was the first time she’d had an inkling of just how traumatic his profession could be. Such composure in a time of immeasurable danger had made an unforgettable impression upon her.
Would those strong arms ever hold her again, those immaculate hands caress her to sleep, that reassuring voice comfort her, assuring her that all would be alright? Indeed, nothing had been alright since he’d walked out of her life.
The fight they’d had the day he left once again plagued her heart. It was maddening to see him go and leave her alone again for who knows how long. She had felt she could not bear being apart like that yet again and had decided to end it once and for all. She had not wanted to feel that pain renewed each time he left. Yet now it occurred to her that the permanent end to their relationship only made the pain permanent, the longing unceasing.
“I’m so sorry Adam,” she muttered. If only he were here to protect them from these men who were out to kill them; if only he were here, he would make everything right. “Adam, where are you?”
********
“Hey, I’ve got something here!”
Adam could see the soldier to his left pointing up into a tree. A man was hanging by his ankle from a rope. Seeing the soldier pulling out his knife to cut the unconscious man down Adam ordered, “Leave him be till we know what we are dealing with.”
The cave was now just ahead of them. The soldiers convened in front of the cave. Adam led the way, carefully stepping silent as a cat toward the cave. As he did so his eyes were watchful of the bush at the cave entrance while scanning the plethora of footprints jumbled in various directions to and from the cave. They doubtless told a story he desperately wanted to know, yet until he had entered it the cave had to be his main focus.
Seeing no movement from the cave he kept his ears attuned for any unusual noises. And that’s when he heard it….it was a strange groaning sound that was coming from the cave.
Not having any idea what to expect he signaled two soldiers to fall in behind him as he cautiously approached the cave. Slowly pulling the branches of the bush apart so as not to make any noise he stepped through, entering the cave, with the two soldiers immediately behind by him remaining at the entrance. He flooded the cave with light pointing the powerful flashlight attached to his Beretta M-9 rapidly in all directions.
The first apparition that arrested his eyes was a corpse hanging limply like a scarecrow with its arms outstretched, caught in a large green net. Spinning toward the awful moans to his lower left his eyes tried to make sense of the odd shape sprawled on the ground. Though the man had arms and legs he was positioned face-downward like a dog, and he seemed intent on pushing his face through the ground.
After a quick scan around the remainder of the cave t
elling him that these were the only two men there, he called his backup into the cave. Then as they stood watch behind him, he warily bent near the groaning man to better understand what was going on. The man seemed unaware of his presence. Valencia was able to get a good look at the man’s face without the man reacting. The mouth was agape, with a long thorn stuck through the cheek protruding through the tongue which hung outward and was covered in blood. The lower eye also had a large thorn jabbed into it. That whole side of the face was swollen all out of proportion like someone with elephantiasis.
“Whoa!” The exclamation came from one of the soldiers behind Adam.
The other soldier remarked in awe, “Whoever did these guys in did a real number on them!”
Adam, taking another look at the net confirmed his suspicion. The net was familiar because it was his hammock. “That ‘whoever’ was my wife gentlemen.”
********
Weighted down with the sadness of her loss of Adam, Perle found herself dragging behind Pedro. She had to get a grip! Their survival depended upon it. As she struggled to take longer, stronger strides through the opposing current, Pedro abruptly stopped and made a turn for the shore. She immediately observed the reason. He was making for a rocky beach nestled between two large boulders. It was the perfect exit, untraceable and completely hidden.
“That should make it difficult for them to follow our scent.” Susanna blurted with a tone of victory as she sloshed several steps behind him. Pedro hoped she was right.
In the shadow of the boulders they put their socks and shoes on again and rolled down the cuffs of their pants. Once set they peered into the woods beyond the boulders. All seemed normal. Birds chirped in the tender breeze that softly stroked the tree branches above.
Susanna was looking at Pedro when she heard it…a rustling in the branches above. She scrunched her eyes in deep thought, trying to perceive the origin of the sound. It was probably the breeze, or some bird, but she could not afford to be careless.
Pedro had heard the sound as well and peered up into the tree. Both continued walking while scanning the branches above. The light filtering through the leaves played tricks with their eyes. It was hard to make anything out. Sunlight was dancing with the shadows as the enormous branches waltzed with the breeze.
Susanna stubbed her toe slightly as she was looking up. Nevertheless, she continued walking with her eyes glued upward. Something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. It was a dark shape in the shadows at her three-o-clock. She heard the sinister hiss of a radio.
********
As the two soldiers followed Adam out of the cave a voice abruptly broke in over the radio. “We’ve found another man hanging in one of those snares out here Cap. What you want us to do with him?”
“Is he conscious?”
“Yes sir, this one is still conscious, and I think he is begging us to let him down. I don’t really understand him because he is yelling in Spanish.”
“Wait till I get there. I’m going to interrogate him before letting him down,” Adam responded.
Even as Adam’s radio went silent, he could hear the man’s agonizing pleas resonating through the trees. He quickly approached the sound, seething at the invasion of his home and the attempt on the life of his wife. He was determined to get some serious answers before letting this man down and would have no qualms about letting him rot up there should he not cooperate.
But as he approached, he was taken off guard. He had not been prepared for the sight in front of him. It almost made him want to laugh, while at the same time evoking a bit of empathy. The man was hanging nearly ten meters off the ground. One foot was caught by the ankle in a noose, while the leg that hung free was obviously causing the man great consternation as it waved back and forth causing the rope to twist and turn. With each turn the man would wince as the rope bit in deeper into his flesh. The man’s voice was raspy from yelling and from lack of water. His eyes were blood red and swollen as if they were about to pop.
Adam stood where the man could see him. “You may want to hold as still as you can,” he warned in Spanish. “The body is designed for the heart to pump oxygen to the brain while depending on gravity to help in pumping blood to the legs. When you hang upside down for too long the blood begins to accumulate in the head, putting the brain at risk of aneurisms and other side effects. It’s a lot like dipping a computer into a puddle. Do you want your brain to short out?”
“No! Get me down from here.”
“Oh, now that’s going to take some time. Besides, I’m not sure I want to cut you down from there. You see, I happen to know what got you there in the first place, and I am not partial to letting kidnappers and murderers go free; especially the ones who break into my home and go after my wife!”
At that comment the man looked harder at Adam, realizing that he was the man in the photo at the house.
Adam’s tone suddenly turned ice cold and his eyes as hard as stones. “So, if you want me to cut you down, you’ll have to tell me who you work for and why you are trying to kill my wife.”
The man let out a gurgling laugh. “You have no idea. I would rather die up here than tell you.” The man’s words came out like a choking cough, pain flashing across his face with each sound emitted. “If I tell you anything, I will have to face a fate like that of your wife.” His bulging eyes grew even bigger.
********
Susanna immediately took flight with Pedro right on her heels. Pain shot through her leg from her stubbed toe, but she sucked it up, putting the three-o-clock far behind her. She could only hope it would take him too long getting down from the tree to be able to properly pursue them. But then maybe he didn’t have to; he had been signaling someone on the radio. The question was who was on the other end of that radio? She wondered how many there were and where?
As if in answer to her questions the trees ahead of them began to rock and the ground to vibrate. The approach of pounding feet jarred their insides as if a T-Rex taller than the trees was bearing down on them. It was the helicopter returned to pounce on them. They ducked under some thick trees and could feel the wind as the giant bird swooped swiftly overhead just above the treetops.
The helicopter spun down into an opening not far from them making as if to land. A man in fatigues was pointing at them as he yelled directions to the pilot.
They sprinted at breakneck speed to escape the imminent capture. The twigs and leaves of the forest crunched under their feet as they ran. Susanna could feel the rapid beating of her heart echoed by the helicopter blades.
The throbbing of the helicopter grew faster as it once again lifted to give chase. They had barely run a hundred yards when they began to feel the hot breath of the monster at their back stinging their flesh like a tornado spitting needles as if they were bullets. It was frightening to have this giant hovering over their every step. For a moment Susanna was ready to give up hope, but then the copter moved on.
The foliage around them was thick. They were deep in the shadows. Maybe the spotters in the copter had lost track of them. They could neither hear, nor see the armed men in full pursuit behind them.
“Maybe if we wait, they will lose track of us and go away,” Susanna whispered in Pedro’s ear. He nodded with understanding. They hunched under some dwarf trees so they would not be visible from above.
The rumble in Susanna’s chest subsided as the humming of the helicopter moved off becoming steadily fainter. They waited, squatting. Gradually their heavy breathing became distinguishable in the forest that had once again become quiet.
Susanna’s eyes smiled with hope as she looked at Pedro. He was not smiling. He held up a hand to prevent her from talking. That was when she heard what he heard. It was the soft sound of footsteps swiftly coming closer.
“Ahí están!” A man in dark clothing was pointing at them with an AK47.
Susanna sucked as much air as she could and broke into another sprint. Pedro was just ahead of her. They were dodging tree afte
r tree, attempting to shield their backs from their pursuers with the trees they passed. They stepped over stumps and avoided potholes as best they could, but the forest floor was rough. They could hear the men behind them getting closer.
As they went down the slope of a hill, they increased their speed. It was reckless, but they needed to put some distance between them and their pursuers. They quickly navigated the path between boulders and large trees, jumping over a three-foot drop-off as they ran.
The smell of pine mixed with stifling desert dust choked them as they stumbled into an unexpected opening. The helicopter had set down ahead of them and cut its engine. The cloud it had kicked up was still fresh but had not been enough to foreworn them of its presence.
Three men in fatigues were aiming their AK47s at them. The man in the middle waived his gun, indicating them to kneel on the ground. Susanna was sure they were going to execute them. Nevertheless, there was nothing she could do to resist.
They knelt slowly, eyeing the men with the guns. For some reason the grass was damp where they knelt. Moments later two of the men that had been running behind them in the woods arrived a little out of breath. One grabbed Susanna from behind, tying her wrists with thick electrical cord. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the other tying Pedro’s wrists behind him.
With the cords biting into their wrists they were hauled into the helicopter and thrown to the floor. The rhythmic pounding started once again, this time with them in the belly of the beast. From the terror in Pedro’s eyes Susanna deduced that he would have preferred they had been executed.
CHAPTER 35
In the Arms of ‘Justice’
Alicia sat by herself on the bunk. She felt lost like a boat in a gray fog with no rudder, drifting, alone and with no hope of rescue. The gray walls around her reflected what she felt. She was enveloped in gray: gray ceiling, gray floor and a gray cell door. There was nothing in the room that was not gray.