The Inca Con: A Rex Dalton Thriller

by JC Ryan

  The boy didn’t answer, and Rex didn’t pursue it.

  The spring proved to be about three miles from the village, in the opposite direction from the ancient city, but higher on an adjoining peak. They reached it an hour after leaving the village. Where they intersected it, it flowed in a narrow runnel among small boulders and a few hardy, but stunted, bushes. It didn’t look special in any way. The young man knelt and brought a palmful up to drink. Rex stopped him and explained again that the water could be poisoned. Although, Rex couldn’t yet see anything around that would indicate the stream was polluted. “Where does it come from?” he asked.

  “The headwaters are the sacred pool,” the young man answered. “The waters here are sacred, but less so. We will follow the stream from here.” He got up and began walking upstream beside the water, occasionally having to detour around a large boulder or hop across the stream to continue without scaling a cliff.

  Rex was getting thirsty, and so was Digger. Rex had to stop him from lapping water up from the stream. But he’d rushed away from the village with neither his backpack nor Digger’s.

  Another half hour brought them to a marked change in the terrain. To Rex, it looked like a landfill that had been recently covered with new dirt. Nothing grew there for several yards on either side of the stream, and it was a five-minute walk through it from end to end. It couldn’t have been more alien to its surroundings if it had been a tar pit or an endless sand dune.

  “What is this?” he asked.

  “It is where the ore is dumped after all precious metals have been extracted,” the young man answered. He seemed to think nothing of it, or of the fact that the sacred stream flowed through it.

  “I need to take some of this dirt back with me,” Rex said.

  “Why? It has no more gold or silver in it.”

  “It may have what made the children sick in it,” Rex explained.

  The young man’s expression was skeptical, but he waited while Rex scooped up some dirt and put it in a pocket, having nothing else to keep it in. They continued and soon were beyond the blighted area. Rex was convinced he’d found the reason, but his guide assured him they were near where the spring outflowed from the mountainside, the pool of sacred water. He reckoned he might as well see it.

  In short order, they arrived. Again, it was not much to look at. Pretty, in an understated way, but it wasn’t spectacular. The water didn’t gush from a split in a stone, or anything dramatic. It bubbled up from under a small rock and made a pool no larger than an ordinary bathtub in area before tumbling over the lip that caused it to back up and becoming the narrow stream they’d been following. On one side of the rock, it wasn’t there. On the other, it was.

  Rex thought about it for a moment and concluded that the water here would not be polluted since the mine tailings were downstream. He told his companion so.

  The young man knelt and scooped up a palmful. He trickled it over his head before repeating the action and taking a drink. Lastly, he scooped some up and dribbled it on the ground a few inches from the main stream. It appeared to be a minor ceremony. Rex likened it to the practice of dipping one’s finger into a basin of holy water before making the sign of the cross in the Roman Catholic tradition.

  He waited a few minutes and then respectfully asked if he might drink from the pool and, at the young man’s nod, he took a knee to slake his thirst.

  Out of respect, he led Digger back along the stream for a few feet before allowing him to do the same.

  “I have seen enough,” he announced. With no more discussion, they started back the way they came.

  It wouldn’t be confirmed until the dirt in his pocket could be analyzed, but the circumstantial evidence convinced him their theory was correct. Somehow, the water that the villagers were collecting downstream from the tailings dump was being polluted with a source of radon, most likely infused with it as it passed through the tailings.

  All they’d need to do for now is avoid the water downstream and take their sacred water from above the tailings. Eventually, the mine owners should be encouraged to clean the polluted area, which would involve removing the tailings and some amount of dirt under them. Someone else would have to ramrod that. Rex felt he’d done his part by investigating it and finding the cause of the children’s radiation poisoning.

  ***

  WHEN THEY GOT back to the village, Rex thanked the young man for guiding him and searched his pockets for something to give him. As soon as the young man realized what he was doing, he said no thanks were necessary and hurried away. Almost as if he didn’t want to be seen with the gringo now that he’d violated the prohibition to show him the spring.

  Rex called out another thanks, and then went to visit the doctor. She came outside the hut to talk with him, as the children were napping.

  “Will they recover?” he asked after explaining what he found.

  “They’ll stop getting worse, at least for a time. With no further exposure, they’re likely to survive. I can’t say that they won’t have health problems related to the exposure, sooner or later.”

  “What kind of problems?”

  “They may develop thyroid problems, up to and including cancer. Bone density issues, maybe. Their immune systems will be compromised.”

  It saddened Rex and gave him renewed anger at Alexandro for his part in it. Rationally, he knew Alexandro probably hadn’t meant his advice maliciously. It was more than likely ignorance. Emotionally, he couldn’t separate it. He would have to process the circumstances before he’d be settled about Alexandro. Right now, he’d be grateful for a chance to at least punch him in the face.

  Dr. Martinez was waiting patiently for Rex’s response, he could see. She was staring at his face and ignoring Digger’s attempts to engage her with a goofy grin.

  “Did I miss something?” he asked. “Oh! Yeah. I have some samples of the tailings. The spring, or rather the stream that comes from it, runs right through the tailings dump before it runs down to where the villagers usually take the sacred water.”

  “Where are they?”

  “What?”

  “The samples, Mr. Davis. Whatever has gotten into you?”

  Rex wondered the same thing himself. His mind seemed scattered to the four winds.

  “In my pocket,” he said apologetically. “I didn’t take sample bags or anything to carry it in.”

  She pressed her lips together. Clearly, she didn’t approve of his unscientific methods. “I’ll get a couple of vials,” she said. She stepped back and disappeared inside her hut. She didn’t invite him to accompany her. She was back in seconds, carrying two tubes that looked like blood collection vials.

  “This is all I have,” she said.

  He took each tube from her and dipped them into his pocket, scooping as much of the dirt into them as he could, then handing them back to her to cap.

  “I’ll send them to a lab tomorrow.”

  “It is getting late, isn’t it?”

  She looked over his shoulder and said, “You’re late to your own party.”

  He turned and looked around. Sure enough, the square was filling with people. He didn’t see Luciana, and for a moment he had an idea he was going to regret leaving her alone all day while he pursued his investigations. But then he shrugged. They were soon going to have to part anyway. He’d rather she break it off with him than have to do so himself.

  Confrontations with bad guys were one thing. Breaking up with a girl, he’d only done once in his life, and the scar on his heart was still tender, years later, though he didn’t dwell on it anymore. He’d spent years not being able to dwell on it as a very real matter of survival.

  Twenty-Five

  REX DIDN’T RUSH to the guest accommodations. He was trying to decide if there was anything to keep him here after tonight. Now that he’d helped solve the mystery of the children’s exposure to radiation to his satisfaction, he no longer had the nagging feeling that something was left undone.

  Junior
’s fate would be decided by the villagers. They’d either carry out an execution or give him into Luciana’s capable hands to be taken to Santa Teresa. Rex would prefer to accompany them if that were the case, but it should be decided before morning, one way or the other.

  The Markses would be leaving soon, too, he assumed. It seemed like days since he’d talked to them, though in fact it was only a few hours since he’d seen them that morning. They had a bit more business to discuss – whether to ask Dr. Martinez if she could stay, or seek someone who’d be a permanent doctor for the village. Other than that, his work here was done.

  Alexandro, of course, was a loose end. But Rex didn’t have the resources to track him down. It was enough that he was long gone from here. If he came back, the villagers would no doubt deal with him. Rex didn’t need to worry about it.

  “What do you say, Digger? Have we been here long enough? Shall we head out tomorrow?”

  Digger tilted his head at Rex’s questioning tone. Because Rex was relaxed, the dog smiled at him and trotted happily beside him. There was something to be said about having just a dumb animal for a companion. Non-vocal, he corrected himself. Digger wasn’t dumb by a long shot. He also wasn’t demanding of anything but food and an occasional treat, didn’t nag him if he didn’t act as expected, and didn’t talk his ear off.

  He got amused at his internal argument, but he was at the door to Luciana’s quarters. He hailed her from outside, unsure what their relationship was now. She’d separated their sleeping bags last night and rolled up in her own, with her back to him, though she hadn’t suggested he go back to the Markses’ quarters. When he got up this morning, she was gone. He assumed she was having her say in the discussions about what to do with Junior. He’d gone outside looking for her and run into Barry, who invited him for breakfast. He hadn’t been back since.

  Receiving no answer at Luciana’s door, he went next door to see if the Markses were home. Flo greeted him warmly.

  “Are you ready for tonight’s feast?” She seemed as excited as if they hadn’t attended two feasts in the village already.

  “Ready as I’ll ever be. No more of that chica de jora, though. That stuff’s lethal.”

  The Markses both laughed at his rueful expression. Flo dropped a morsel of leftover meat into Digger’s eager mouth and rubbed his ears.

  “I’m going to miss, you, pooch.”

  Rex looked curiously at her. “Did I miss something?”

  “Barry and I are leaving in the morning. Luciana wants us to stop in Lima before we head back home and report everything that happened up here.”

  “Oh?” His questioning tone invited Flo to share more.

  “She didn’t tell you?”

  “I haven’t seen her since last night. No, she hasn’t told me anything. What should I know?”

  “Oh! Well, under questioning, Junior admitted that he knew about the Shining Path attack. In fact, it was Alexandro who told them to do it. When you drove the guerillas off, Junior had no choice but to bring the money to keep us in the deal. Otherwise, they’d have moved in, wiped out all of us and the villagers, and taken over the site on their own.”

  “Shit! I never would have suggested that scheme if I’d known it would put the villagers and us in such danger.”

  Flo put her hand on his arm. “I know you wouldn’t, son. But you saved them. We can’t always see the consequences of our actions. We just have to live and learn.”

  Rex felt sick to his stomach. He seldom had to second-guess his operations. He always did what he thought was right, and most often it was. The worst regret he’d had previously was leading his friends into an ambush that killed everyone but him and Digger. But that wasn’t so much his mistake as someone else’s betrayal.

  Now, however, he couldn’t help but dwell on what would have happened if his defenses hadn’t held when Shining Path attacked. Even so, two village elders had lost their lives. He’d probably regret ever suggesting the reverse scam. Truthfully, he’d known it was his scheme that drew them in the first place, but the fact that Alexandro was involved somehow made it worse. And he still didn’t know what it meant that Junior had confessed it.

  “So, what does that mean for Luciana, or me, or whatever you meant. Alexandro’s involvement, I mean.”

  “Well, dear, it’s not for us to say.”

  Rex noticed Barry rolling his eyes.

  “But I think she wants you to help her catch him.”

  That news threw Rex into a minor panic before he controlled himself. It was already happening. She wanted to hunt down bad guys together. Should he do it? Was he ready to let her go if he didn’t do it? Was he crazy for even thinking about staying with her any longer, when it could mean the end of his freedom?

  Digger leaned against his leg, apparently sensing his distress. Absently, he reached down and patted his best friend.

  “Well, buddy, I guess we’d better go and face the music.”

  To Flo, who appeared confused when he looked back at her, and Barry, who was studiously keeping his expression neutral, Rex said, “Ready? Let’s go have ourselves a feast.”

  He didn’t realize he’d spoken aloud to Digger.

  Twenty-Six

  DUSK HAD COME on so gradually that Rex hardly noticed until they reached the square and the central fire lit it up brightly in contrast. The feast was in full swing, and in the center of the square, a sorry-looking Junior was tied to a post. Rex couldn’t see any firewood stacked at his feet, but otherwise the situation put him in mind of an old Western movie, with Indians – the Native American kind – dancing around a hapless white man about to be burned at the stake. Digger went over and stood right in front of him, staring up at him with menace in his stance.

  “Ray!”

  Rex heard Luciana’s voice calling, but he couldn’t see her through the crowd at first. Then he did, and she was smiling. The way his spirits lifted when he saw her was a shock. When had he fallen for her? It confused him more than ever. When he noticed Flo’s knowing look, he knew it showed on his face, too.

  He consciously smoothed his features into a pleasant but otherwise neutral smile.

  “I guess I’d better go see what she wants, if you’ll excuse me,” he said to the Markses.

  “Of course, dear. I hope you work it out,” Flo answered.

  The happy noise of the crowd, the flickering firelight, and the sight of Luciana’s exquisite face and figure combined to make Rex’s progress toward her almost dreamlike. Then she floated into his arms and they shared a kiss that could have lit the fire in the wood stacked around Junior, if there’d been any.

  When she pulled away, Rex was reluctant to let her go, but he did.

  “I hear you have plans for me,” he said, forgetting Flo had intimated she shouldn’t tell him.

  Luciana gave him a puzzled frown. “I do?”

  Now Rex was confused. “You don’t?”

  She laughed her magical laugh. “This could go on all night. What are you talking about?”

  “Uh… Flo. Well, she kind of… Damn, I’m embarrassed.”

  “Don’t be. I think I know what’s going on. You know Flo has this romantic notion that you and I should be together and live happily ever after, don’t you?”

  He hadn’t, but now that she said it, it made sense.

  “Well, sort of…”

  “So, she told you I’m going after Alexandro, and I want you to go with me.”

  “Something like that. And if you’re going after that weasel, maybe I should.”

  “Ray, I don’t think so. I’ve been in contact with the National Police. They have an idea where he is, and it’s in the city. Lima. I don’t have jurisdiction there, and it’s not as informal there as it is here. It’s best you move on.”

  Ray felt his jaw drop.

  She’s dumping me? Can’t say I don’t deserve it though.

  It seemed he’d lost control of his face, because something in hers changed. They were standing so close that her eyes h
ad to track his one at a time, moving back and forth. She took his face in both hands.

  “I didn’t mean to say that until the feast was over. Not until tomorrow morning, to be honest. I want another night with you.”

  Ray collected himself. “I can live with that. For now, let’s not talk about it and enjoy the feast.”

  “Let’s do.”

  Rex called Digger, who left his watch over Junior with a growl in his direction. The three of them ate and danced late into the night, before Luciana led Rex by the hand back to the hut.

  Sometime since this morning, she’d put the sleeping bags back together.

  ***

  EARLY THE NEXT morning, Rex woke from a peaceful sleep, the best he’d had in a week it seemed. He’d made love to Luciana as if it were the last time, and from her hints, he thought it might be.

  His own thoughts on the matter were mixed, but it wasn’t up to him.

  The smell of coffee was what had awakened him. He sat up in the sleeping bag to see her fully dressed at the stove, pouring a cup. She turned and brought it to him, taking a seat on the top of the bedroll, her legs crossed.

  Rex took his time with the coffee while Luciana petted and cooed at Digger. The silly dog rolled over on his back and let her rub his belly. It was a position of submission and trust, which told Rex Digger was down with Luciana being part of their pack.

  When he’d finished his coffee, he slipped out of the sleeping bag. He pulled his clothes on, and then turned to find she’d stood up, too.

  “So, we’re moving out this morning?”

  She turned to him. “I’m moving out. I take it you’re going with the Markses? I think they could use your help with the llamas.”

  He bent to roll up his kit without answering. Soon she was doing the same with hers. When they stood, Rex could feel her pulling away.

  “You’re sure about this?”

  She took his face in both hands. “Ray. If that’s your real name. It’s been wonderful knowing you. I could love you. I could.

  “But I know you’ve got a restless soul, which prevents you from settling down. I’m not sure what it is, but I’ve sensed you’ve got something important you still must do—unfinished business. I won’t be ready, and you won’t be ready for commitments until you’ve closed that chapter.”