by Wayne Block
Billy continued, staring into the distance as the memory came flooding back. “He didn’t shoot me, just kept the gun against my head and lectured me. It was unbelievable, really. He told me I had been foolish and mutinous. His exact words were: ‘The success of a military mission was fundamentally dependent upon the effectiveness of the chain of command and the unquestioning execution of orders by subordinates.’”
“Did he really speak like that?”
Billy laughed, blinking his eyes as if awakening from a nightmare. “Yeah, I remember lying there in my wet trousers, waiting to get my head blown off, and all I could think about was the way this nutcase was carrying on.” Billy snorted as he continued. “It gets weirder because he tells me that he likes me and that I’ve been a good business associate. That’s when he tells me that I had to learn a lesson. As he says that he isn’t going to kill me, he cuts off my ear and leaves me writhing in pain, like a wounded animal. The last thing I remembered him saying, as I screamed in agony, is that next time, I’d better be a good soldier.” Billy grimaced. “Well, he left me alive to tell the tale but warned me there would be no more Mulligans, and my next mistake would be my last. A week later, I got a federal express package with a gift.” Billy pointed to the stub remaining in place of his ear.
“Aren’t you still afraid of him?” Steven asked.
Billy smiled faintly. “No, man. I’ve got terminal cancer so I don’t have a future. Besides, I’ve screwed up everything I’ve touched, and I don’t give a shit about dying. If you want to go after this psycho, good luck. I still have the present that maniac sent me. He went to the trouble of mounting my ear, like a bug in amber.”
Steven appeared confused. “So, is there anything concrete you can tell me?”
“Yes,” Billy nodded, smirking. “I got a glimpse of his face. It was very tan. His shirt was open and his chest was white. There was a straight tan line under his chin. It looked bizarre.”
Steven made a face. “Anything else?”
“I did see him standing next to the car for a few seconds. He was about six feet tall.”
“Anything else?”
“Well, as he was holding the gun I stared at his right hand that held my life in the balance. I noticed his hand was also very tan with a large white space on his ring finger.”
“Like a wedding ring?” Steven asked.
“No. It was large and oval, more like a college ring.”
Steven stood and collected his bag and looked at his watch. It was almost four o’clock. Billy stood too. “Thanks for the information, Billy,” Steven said as they shook hands.
Billy removed a piece of paper from the front pocket of his shorts. “Here, take this with you. You’ll need it.”
Steven inspected the paper and looked inquisitively at Billy. “What’s this?”
Billy smiled. “Have you ever been to Roatan?”
“No,” Steven answered. “Is that near Las Vegas?”
Billy howled. “No man, it’s in Honduras.
“What’s Roatan got to do with me?” Steven asked.
“That’s where you’re going next. If you want to find the Scorpion, you’re going to have to find Joaquin Ordonez, who is probably the one man in the world who can help you. To find Joaquin, you’re going to have to meet Pablo Munoz first, which means you’re going to Roatan.”
“Can’t you send me directly to Joaquin and cut out the middleman?”
“I don’t know how to find Joaquin. You need to go through Pablo.”
“How will I find Pablo?”
“Don’t worry. He’ll find you. I’m texting him now.” He held up his phone to show Steven. “Everyone in Roatan knows Pablo. Just get down there.”
Steven nodded his thanks to Billy.
“Good luck,” Billy said, as they both walked together toward the end of the summit.
Steven looked at Billy with a puzzled expression on his face. “Aren’t you walking back with me?”
Billy stopped and shook his head. “This is as far as I’m going. I’m sticking around to escort the fine looking women whenever they’re ready. They told me they’re hanging around for the sunset, so I said I’d walk them back to their car. They seemed appreciative. Who knows–I might get lucky.” Billy smiled as he looked in their direction and patted his Playboy.
“Good luck with the ladies,” Steven said.
Billy nodded appreciatively. “Watch your ass.”
Steven slipped past a large boulder, walked past the women, and disappeared from Billy’s view.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The trek down the summit was no less treacherous than the ascent. By the time he reached the gully, Steven’s calves were burning and he could no longer see Billy or the women, who were the only remaining hikers on the summit.
Steven spotted a solitary figure walking toward him. He was wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap, and sporting a dark beard. As they came within a hundred feet of one another, Steven could see he was lean, rugged, and in excellent physical condition. They both slowed to greet each other.
“Howdy,” the man said.
“Howdy,” Steven replied.
The hiker wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. “Have you been to the summit?” he asked.
“Yes. I’m just returning.”
“How was the view?”
“Spectacular.”
The man nodded in agreement. “I figured it would be. Is it crowded up there?”
“Nope,” Steven said, keeping his answers terse, as he did not want to engage in a lengthy conversation. “I think there are four people up there.”
“Much obliged. You have yourself a real fine day.” The hiker touched the brim of his baseball cap. Steven watched him walk past, and continued watching him for twenty yards. The hiker walked at an even pace, never looking back.
When Steven reached the trailhead, Harry was sitting in the shade of a large, striped beach umbrella, sipping a tall glass of iced tea. The umbrella could not have been more out of place in this rugged desert setting. Harry had a collapsible folding table set up in its shade. There was another glass on the table next to a big pitcher of iced tea and an unoccupied folding chair next to Harry, which both beckoned to Steven.
Harry motioned toward the empty seat. “Come refresh yourself in my oasis!”
Steven tried hard not to laugh, but it was impossible. He settled comfortably into the chair and accepted a tall glass of the cold, refreshing iced tea.
“Hope you like it,” Harry said. “It’s sweet tea, southern style. I made it myself.”
The cold liquid chilled Steven’s throat. “Absolutely delicious. That certainly hit the spot.”
“Hey, it’s the least I could do. You’re paying me by the hour for sitting on my ass, and I felt guilty about it! How was your hike?” Harry asked.
“Beautiful. It was everything the brochure said it would be and more. It definitely was harder than expected, but the view was worth every minute of hardship.”
Steven sat with his eyes closed, savoring the moment.
“Meet anyone interesting?” Harry asked.
Steven cocked his head toward Harry and gave him a questioning look with one open eye. “I said hello to a few hikers, but I didn’t make any friends.” He took another deep sip of tea and swallowed hard. “Why’d you ask?”
Harry shrugged his shoulders. “No reason.”
Steven heaved a sigh. His thoughts were beginning to wander. His next task was to research Roatan on the Internet. Come to think of it, Steven couldn’t even place Honduras on a map. He wondered if it was near Argentina, the only South American country that he knew about, thanks to an eighth grade research project.
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The solitary hiker approached the three women on the summit and introduced himself with a friendly grin. “Good afternoon, ladies. Are you having a wonderful time out here?”
The women smiled politely at the man with the baseball cap and glasses, but said
nothing.
The hiker continued, undaunted. “My name is Pete, Pete Tana,” he said in a heavy southern drawl. “I am a part-time guide for the park.”
The young women continued staring blankly at him, obviously uninterested in his company. Their apathy didn’t faze him in the least.
“Today is my day off, but I love this place so much, that when we have a perfect day like this, I still come up here.”
The women finally managed a smile and unenthusiastically introduced themselves.
Pete moved closer to the edge of the peak, where the women were sipping their wine on their blanket. “If y’all are ready to head back to the trailhead, I can point out a route that might be a little easier for you on the descent.”
The woman sitting closest to him smiled and finished her wine. “Actually Pete, we were planning to stay and watch the sunset.”
Pete looked into the distance as he spoke to her. “Miss, I hope you will not mind me saying so, but I think that is a bad idea. It gets extremely cold after sunset and you are not properly attired. Second, coyotes come out at night. There are even a few cougars that hunt here. But mostly, there are some awful weird people after dark. I would feel pretty darn lousy if something happened to you pretty young things on my watch.” Pete smiled earnestly at the women, who looked back blankly. “I would be happy to help you gather your gear, and as I said, I will show you the easiest path. I am going to spend a few minutes cleaning up the area and then I will make sure you return safely to your cars. How does that sound?”
The young woman furthest from Pete reached into her backpack and withdrew an open bottle of white wine and poured three glasses. As she reached for a fourth glass, Pete suddenly noticed the butt of a gun in the backpack. He also saw her guidebook, written in Italian, and a necklace around her neck bearing a pendant that contained the cursive lettering “CPH”.
“Come join us for some wine, Pete, while we consider your offer.”
“No thank you, ma’am,” Pete said. “I never imbibe on the summit. I want my senses sharp, and I get high on the view. But I really must insist that you get going down the trail. You can finish your wine at the trailhead.”
The ladies could see Pete was all business. The young woman in the middle of the blanket frowned at him as she sipped her wine. “We’re big girls, Pete. We came up here to see the sunset, and that’s what we’re going to do. Besides, we already have an offer to walk us down, from a gentleman on the other side of the summit.” She pointed past a formation of rocks about thirty feet away. “We just need to get him when we’re ready to go. You don’t have to worry about us. We’ll be fine.”
The other two women nodded their heads in agreement and the one pouring the wine placed the unused glass in her backpack. Pete noticed she kept her hand inside, near the weapon. “Pete, I really don’t believe you own this park, so why don’t you finish your ranger work and leave! We’ll be fine.”
In perfect Italian Pete said: “I apologize for the intrusion.” One of the girls responded in Italian and then cut herself short.
Pete groaned loudly and looked down at the blanket despondently. He said in Italian: “I was hoping you would not understand me.” As the words left his lips he withdrew a Beretta M-9 equipped with a silencer, and fired a single shot into each of their heads before they could react. He walked over and shot each of them again to ensure they were dead. He rifled through their bags and collected their identification, finding several passports for each. Behind the woman who did the talking, he found a miniature hi-tech transmission system, which he also collected. He removed the necklaces each wore underneath their blouses, which had betrayed their true identities. Finally, he took the parabolic antennae they were using to eavesdrop on a nearby conversation. “Amateurs,” he thought. He stuffed the items into his backpack and made his way to the other side of the peak. As he walked he returned the Beretta to his backpack and withdrew a different gun. He slung the pack over his shoulder and soon spotted Billy Veeksburn, dozing on a blanket nearby.
“Pete” sat on a flat rock, a few feet away from the slumbering private investigator. He picked up a few small stones and threw them at Billy, one of which hit him directly on the head.
Billy sprang off the blanket, cursing. “What the hell!” Billy had fallen into a deep sleep and was a bit lightheaded. He sat up and noticed the man sitting on the rock.
Billy sat still, attempting to focus his eyes. ”Did you throw that damned rock at me, dude?”
“I certainly did, William,” the man replied.
Billy squinted and put on his prescription sunglasses, taking a harder look at him. “Do I know you?” he asked.
The man chuckled. Billy noticed he was holding something off to the right side of his body, and started to stand to get a better look at what he was concealing.
The man abruptly raised the gun. “I would prefer you sit down, William. I will only take a few minutes of your precious time, since I know you do not have much time left. By the way, how is the ear? Do you still have my trophy?” He grinned as the color drained from Billy’s face. “I would hate to think it had lost its sentimental value over the years.”
Billy slowly sat down. He had carelessly left his guns in his zippered backpack, which lay out of his reach. He glanced longingly at the bag, knowing he could never retrieve it fast enough. It might as well have been back in Vegas.
The man with the baseball cap sensed Billy’s thoughts. “Block it from your mind, William. You will not get near your armaments.”
“How the hell did you know I’d be here?” Billy groaned.
The Scorpion shrugged his shoulders. “You already know from past experience that I am omniscient!”
Billy remained quiet and looked out over the valley. Not a bad place to die, he thought. The Scorpion had allowed Billy to get close one time and live. Now he needed to make his final peace with the Lord. He sighed deeply. “Well, I guess if I’m gonna meet my maker, it may as well be right here.”
“You truly are amusing, William. I will grant you it is a lovely view, but over-rated. I have seen far better. Besides, I would not be inclined to believe you are heading in that direction.” He chuckled as he pointed up to the sky. “I have no doubt you will be taking the express lift to the cellar, you poor old sod!”
Billy continued staring into the distance, contemplating the things he had planned to do with the rest of his short life. He thought of his two black Labradors, faithfully waiting in the yard for him. No loving wife. No adoring children. Just two old dogs who’d probably starve to death without their master.
“William–I trust you had a nice meeting with Mr. Capresi?”
Billy nodded, reluctantly coming back to reality. “It’s Billy, not William, if you don’t mind. And yes, he’s a good guy.” He looked up at his assailant. “I did what you told me to do when you took my ear. Why show yourself to me?”
The Scorpion smiled. “I hope I have not disappointed you, William.”
Billy grunted. “Actually, I thought you’d be more impressive, bigger and stronger, and certainly less effeminate.”
The Scorpion laughed politely. “Ah, William, sticks and stones and all that rubbish. Let us get back to Mr. Capresi, shall we?”
“Sure,” Billy replied, “what else can I tell you? I did my job. I sent him to Munoz.”
The Scorpion stroked his chin with his left hand while steadfastly gripping the gun with his right. Billy watched every movement, wondering if there might come an opportune moment to jump him without getting his head blown off. Billy changed the subject. “Did you meet my three lovely friends on the other end of the summit?”
“Are you referring to those three sotted lasses drinking the fruit of Bacchus?”
“The very same,” Billy said, hoping against hope that “sotted” meant they were still alive.
“Yes, they were lovely. I think they are in repose. Actually, how shall I put it in words that you will easily comprehend? Ah, yes, they’re sleeping
with the scorpions.”
Billy looked away.
“William, do you really think Mr. Capresi stands a chance to kill me?” he quipped.
Billy shrugged his shoulders and laughed uneasily. He knew mere words would not keep him alive, but maybe he could get the Scorpion angry enough to make a mistake. “Well, he sure has the motivation. Yeah, I think he’s got a chance against a faggot like you!”
“Hmmmm, I am sure you would like to see that William.”
Billy weighed the question carefully, and decided that he had nothing to lose. “Damn straight, I’d like to see that happen. I just wish I could be there when he executes you, Mr. Tough Guy who kills little children! Do you like to play with little boys, too? Are you also a perverted pedophile, you sick bastard? Not enough attention from mommy and daddy?”
The Scorpion calmly regarded Billy, unmoved by his outburst.
Billy scowled at him. He was throwing out his best stuff but the Scorpion wasn’t biting. He tried a little harder. “You want something sporting you British bastard? I’ll give you a chance to be a real man. Put down the gun and fight me, mano-a-mano. You won’t, because you don’t have the guts! You’re a spineless coward whose mother probably dressed you like a girl!”
“Stop these childish antics, William!” the Scorpion said, raising his voice as he put a bullet through Billy’s right kneecap.
Billy howled in pain as he gripped his leg and rolled back and forth on the ground screaming.
His assailant stood over Billy with a somber expression on his face. “William, you have never been the sharpest tool in the shed. I warned you many years ago and you failed to take heed. I punish you for the past. You were once useful, but now it is Judgment Day.”
“Fuck you, you worthless baby-killing psycho! I hope they hang you by your fingernails and cut off your………”
The Scorpion didn’t wait for Billy to complete his sentence. “You are boring me, William,” he said, as he shot him five times in the face, four more than necessary. The Scorpion realized that Billy’s words had gotten to him after all. He put on a pair of gloves and gathered all of Billy’s possessions and put them in his backpack. He dragged the body to the side of the cliff and hoisted it over the edge, watching it tumble down the mountainside. He did the same with the bodies of the three women.