The Jaguar froze in his tracks. He growled, hesitated for a moment, then turned and scampered into the dense underbrush.
The Albino saved me twice. Inexplicably the name Moses popped into my mind. Moses saved the Israelites and led them out of bondage.
“Thank you Moses,” I murmured to the Albino. “Thank you Moses,” I said in a much louder voice. He eyed me with a confused look, scampered to the nearest tree and scaled it. The other monkeys followed. He was indisputably their alpha male and leader.
After a moment to lower my run away pulse, I realized that the stream of fresh water would be drawing other wild animals. I stuck my head in the water and took another long drink. I decided to go in the direction that Moses had taken.
A Calabash tree with gourds hanging from the branches faced me in a small clearing. I jerked one down, cleaned it out, went back to the pool, and filled it with water. For my safety I left the stream before more animals came to drink. I didn’t want to loose the location of the stream so I broke branches marking the way.
After wandering for about twenty minutes, suddenly I noticed an eerie silence. There was no sign of Moses or the troop of monkeys. I recognized the clearing where the wild boars fought. The dead boar was laying in the identical spot. Huge pieces of flesh had been ripped from his hindquarters. Wild animals had been feeding. This was not a safe place to linger.
However my survival instincts took over. The meat was fresh and I needed protein. I had my penknife and one other possession; the lighter I used to light the candles on the balcony of the ship. I grabbed it from my pocket and attempted to lite it. Nothing. It was soaked with salt water. Maybe drying it out in the sun would work, who knows.
Despondently I trudged back to the beach. That seemed to be the only somewhat safe place. I positioned the lighter on the sand in the hot sunlight, and took a swig from my gourd of water. After resting for a while, my mind seemed to be functioning properly.
I knew I needed a plan.
After graduating from Duke Law School, I felt obligated to repay my country for all my blessings, so I joined the Navy. I survived Seal training and survival school, and remembered the basics.
1. Find a source of drinking water.
2. Find or build a shelter before nightfall.
3. Fashion a weapon you can use for self-defense.
4. Wait to see if rescue arrives.
5. Find a source of food.
6. Travel in one direction during daylight hours.
I know where drinking water is, so I’ll start on number two and go from there while my energy level is satisfactory.
I walked to the edge of the jungle and laboriously ripped down a large tree branch and leaned one end up onto a tree. After securing smaller branches, I placed them at forty-five-degree angles along the length of the large branch. It took me over two hours to cover the entire structure with leaves and foliage. My shelter was at the edge of the jungle facing the water. I rested for a few minutes, and decided to build a couple of traps.
The Seal instructors taught me not to waste my energy and time hunting animals, but to conserve my energy for other survival tasks instead. My best bet is to trap animals while I’m sleeping. I knew that using a deadfall trap is the most effective way to trap animals.
I gathered three branches and a heavy stone. Using my penknife I cut notches in the branches. As had been painstakingly taught, I held the rock in one hand and positioned two of the sticks. The third was the trigger stick. I rested the rock on the two sticks, and used my free hand to insert and mount the trigger stick. I removed my hand. The trap was balanced and set. Bananas would be used as bait. I might even cut a piece of meat from the dead boar and put it in the trap. When a bird or animal comes along to eat the bait, the trigger stick will trip and the rock will kill with a fatal blow. This trap was ten feet from the left side of my shelter. I built another on the other side.
Now it was time to fashion a weapon and some sort of spear for fishing and self-protection. I acquired a long branch and stripped it clean. Using my penknife, I cut cross hairs into the tip so that the end of the spear separates into four individual prongs. I struggled but was able to accomplish this task, and then separated the prongs with vines to keep them apart. I could use this weapon while standing on rocks and searching for bottom feeding fish.
Once taking a long drink of water from the gourd, I walked back to the tree line and ripped down another branch. I fashioned it with a V at the top. Looking around, I spotted what appeared to be a hunbergia Mysorensis vine. Beautiful red flowers decorated the vine. My wife had attempted to grow one of these tropical vines at our home, only to have it die after one season.
I took out my penknife and cut off several long strips of the vine and trimmed the flowers off. I looked around for large stones. Next a short search of the perimeter of the forest produced a half buried black rock. I dug it up with my hands. It was about the size of small grapefruit. I banged it on another rock until I created a semi sharp edge. Using the vine, I tied it on the V area of the thick stick. I hit the blunt end on my hand a couple of time to be sure the vine would hold it. It was solid.
I now have a club and a spear and am proud of myself for these accomplishments. Now I can defend myself, and use the weapons to secure food if the traps didn’t work.
I walked back to the beach and laid the weapons beside the water gourd. I went to fetch the lighter to check to see if the sun had dried it. A fire is necessary to cook the hindquarters of the dead boar, if the meat was still edible. The spot where I had placed the lighter was empty.
I panicked, dropped to my knees and raked the sand with my fingers throughout the entire area.
The lighter was gone. Who or what could have taken it? I hung my head.
“You’ll overcome this, you’ll overcome this,” I yelled. A seagull screamed in the distance. At least something heard me.
Chapter 12
After receiving a master passkey from Todd, Agent Stewart proceeded to the Senator’s stateroom and unlocked the door. When inside, he locked it. He walked through the living area and into the bedroom. A candle was still burning on the balcony.
The body of a woman, face down, was sprawled on the floor. Her blood soaked the carpet oozing from many apparent stab wounds. Stewart carefully walked around the body so as not to disturb any evidence. He advanced to the balcony. A half empty bottle of wine was on the end table along with what appeared to be mushrooms. Two glasses of wine stood undisturbed. Not much to go on until the forensic team gets here, he thought.
There was a loud bang on the stateroom door. He went to the door and opened it.
Special Agent Mitch Ratliff was there.
“You got here quickly Mitch, is Dan Garcia here yet?”
“Haven’t seen him sir, but you should know that the head of security of the ship is holding a press conference right now. The guy introduced himself to the press as Harold Todd.”
“Oh my God!” Stewart mumbled and pushed past Agent Ratliff. “Secure the crime scene while I attempt to stop that idiot.”
Stewart jogged to the boarding ramp. Todd was standing on a crate talking. He had set up a portable intercom and was speaking into a mike. The Press was yelling questions.
“Ben Jones from the Houston Chronicle, Henry, did you say that the Senator and his wife had a drunken altercation? Then he stabbed her to death and jumped overboard, committing suicide?”
“First of all, get my name right. Harold Todd, Chief Security Officer of the Ship. I conducted a preliminary investigation and found psychedelic mushrooms, which the Senator and his wife apparently ingested. There was a crumpled letter on the floor indicating that the Senator had an illicit affair and his wife discovered it. A fight ensued. He stabbed her multiple times and apparently jumped overboard and is surely dead. Be sure and spell my name right, H A R O L D T O D D. Since he was a US Senator, I called the Secret Service, however they sent the local FBI.”
“Wait,” yelled Agent Stewart. �
�This man is not authorized to speak.” He looked up at Todd. “Get the hell off that crate and give me the mike or I’ll arrest you for obstruction of justice. Do it now,” he hissed.
Todd saw the anger in Stewart’s eyes and flinched. “That’s all I have for now,” he said, dismounted the crate and handed the microphone to Agent Stewart.
Stewart kicked the crate to the side and spoke, “Ladies and Gentlemen, this investigation is now being handled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation by authority assigned to me by the FBI Director in Washington. I have a forensic team and several agents on the way to conduct a full investigation. At this point we have no conclusions as to what happened here. I can confirm to you that a woman is dead, but we have not presently identified her. I strongly suggest that you disregard the information that Mr. Todd gave you. Nothing he said has been confirmed. That’s all I have for now, and I will call a press conference when we have specific and confirmed information.”
Numerous questions were shouted from the press; nonetheless Stewart disconnected the mike and walked back inside the ship. Agent Ratliff was standing there.
“Gerry you know they’ll print everything that idiot Todd said.”
“Yea I know. Let’s control the situation from here. You make sure that no one, I mean no one, comes on this ship except Dan Garcia and his team and other FBI Agents.”
Harold Todd was standing in the hall pacing. He faced Stewart. “You can’t do this to me. I am the Chief Security Officer here. It’s my responsibility to make sure the public knows what happened. You embarrassed me in front of the local press and I’m going to lodge a severe complaint to your boss.”
Agent Stewart gritted his teeth and strained to control his anger. He glared at Todd and the short man backed up. “I don’t give a damn who you call or what you say,” Stewart said firmly, poking him on the chest with his finger. “I want you to understand this. You have no authority here. If you do anything, I mean anything further to impede this investigation; I will arrest you for obstruction of justice and interfering with a federal investigation. If you want to test me go ahead. By the way, if you ever threaten me again I’ll lay my badge aside and beat your ass. I don’t take kindly to being threatened by a publicity seeking asshole. Now get the hell out of here, go to your office and stay there. My men will question you later. You better hope you didn’t contaminate any of the evidence or the crime scene.”
Stewart went back to the Senator’s stateroom area. He wanted to take a look at the daughter’s room before the rest of his agents arrived.
The daughter’s room was smaller and without a balcony. A small sitting area was situated in front of the bedroom area. Nothing was disturbed. The comforter and sheet was pulled back as if she got up to go to the bathroom. This didn’t fit Todd’s description of what happened. Stewart’s immediate thoughts were that the girl had been taken.
Just as he was leaving the stateroom, his cell phone rang.
“Gerry this is Ratliff, Garcia is here with his specialists and equipment. Also we have the Galveston County District Attorney, Bill Hammond, The Galveston County Medical Examiner, Les Watkins, and three additional Special Agents from the Houston office. I’ve got a crowd here. Where do you want them?”
“Leave one of the FBI agents at the door to keep people out, and of course no one from the crew is allowed to leave. Take them to the ship’s ballroom. Also send one Agent to find the Ship’s Captain and all the ships officers. Bring him to the same area. I’ll be there momentarily. Have Dan Garcia meet me at the Senator’s stateroom.”
“Yes Sir,” Ratliff replied and hung up.
Within minutes Dan Garcia, the Regional FBI Forensic Team Leader arrived. Garcia was widely accepted nationally as the very best at his job in the country. His 5 ft. 10 inch frame was muscular from daily workouts. His black hair was thinning but the women in the Regional offices were taken by his dark Latin good looks, and soft Spanish accent.
“Hi Dan, this case is a real doozy. It appears that Senator Michael Roberts of North Carolina is missing and his wife Susan is dead. His daughter Lisa is missing. She still may be on the ship and he may be also. The ship is sealed and must be searched. Who did you bring with you?”
“Well Gerry, I’m sorry it took so long to get here. I was at my wife Bobbe’s birthday party. I’ve got George Lazor my Entomologist, Gail Furgerson, Brenda Evans, Winston Dean and Mick Henderson, Forensic Scientists, and David Edgar Griffin who is a Forensic Psychologist. This is my A-Team and I think you know most of them. We have all the equipment we need to examine the crime scene. I suggest we get right to it.”
Agent Stewart gave him the passkey. “The daughter’s room is next door. Call your team and get started. I must get a search of the ship underway and interrogations of the crew commenced. Call me if you need anything else Dan. I’m counting on you.”
Stewart left as Agent Garcia was calling his crew. He was exceptionally pleased with the team that Dan assembled. As he was walking toward the ballroom, his cell phone rang. He looked at the caller ID. It was Director Stancil.
“What in the hell is going on there Gerry. It’s all over the news that the Senator killed his wife and committed suicide. I instructed you to keep me informed. This is not like you. The Attorney General and the VP are all over my ass for not giving them a head’s up. The VP said that the President is furious.”
“I apologize. The Security Chief on the cruise ship is a publicity-seeking scoundrel. He called the press conference without my knowledge. I now have him under control but you know the press, they went with what he said regardless of the truth. As soon as I get something definite, I’ll call a press conference and correct his drivel. Special Agent Garcia and his forensic team just arrived. I have additional FBI Agents, the Captain of the ship, the Medical Examiner, the Galveston County District Attorney and others in the ship’s ballroom. I’ll get my Agents to question the entire crew and instruct everyone else on their specific tasks. As soon as I have something I’ll call you back before I talk to the press.”
“Okay, I’ll depend on that. Get to work Gerry.”
Agent Stewart took a deep breath. He disappointed his boss and he truly respected Director Stancil. He proceeded to the ballroom to address the assembled crowd.
When he arrived, he went straight to the podium and spoke to the audience.
“My name is Special Agent Gerry Stewart. I am the Agent in Charge of the Houston Regional Offices, including Galveston. Crimes have been committed on this ship, however we don’t yet know the extent of the criminal acts or who committed them. Currently the FBI forensic team is working the crime scene. Presently we have only found one diseased victim, a female. The physical evidence to be collected by the forensic team includes fingerprints, footprints, trace materials, hair and fibers, and biological evidence found at the scene and on the victim’s body. They are presently
• Securing the crime scene
• Taking detailed measurements
• Sketching and diagraming the scene
• Taking photographs
• Documenting all evidence taken from the scene (location, nature, etc.)
Package and labeling evidence for transfer to the lab.”
Stewart hesitated, especially looking at the ship’s crew. He continued.
“I am detailing this so you will know how thorough the investigation is. It will be awhile before we have any precise information on what happened. Here are my orders: we are going to search the entire ship and interview the entire crew. District Attorney Hammond, I want a search warrant to examine every stateroom for evidence. Medical Examiner Watkins, I want you to proceed to the area where the body is located. When Special Agent Garcia grants you access, I want you to determine the cause of death of the woman. My FBI agents will organize interrogations of all the crew beginning with the Officers. Until we give specific releases to depart the ship, no one leaves. Gentlemen and ladies, you have your assignments. Let’s get started. Any questions call me or Spec
ial Agent Ratliff.”
Stewart left the ballroom and headed back to talk with Agent Garcia. The Senator’s wife is dead and he and his daughter are missing.
A hell of a mess to clean up.
Chapter 13
The Federal Bureau of Investigation contains a division that is responsible for the investigation of organized crime in the USA. Drug cartels and the various Mafia groups are the principal focus. Ahalya Verma Singh joined the FBI two years after obtaining her American Citizenship, and has been a trusted undercover agent for seven years.
Her Indian heritage and her uncommon beauty were extraordinary assets in her current assignment as an undercover agent inside the Russian Mafia. She successfully penetrated the group, and is presently positioned as a confident of Ivan Dubov, Russian Mafia Brigadier, who answers directly to the Pakhan or Godfather Maxin Nevsky.
The FBI was very familiar with Dubov, but the primary target was Maxin Nevsky. They were hoping that the relationship between Ahalya and Dubov would lead to the nailing of this ruthless mafia Godfather. Nevsky has a web of controls over drug cartels, sex slavery rings, prostitution, and money laundering. He was known to have connections in law enforcement, politics, and a large network of diversified contacts.
There were murmurings at the highest levels of crime organizations that a major attack on USA soil was being planned. It was rumored that the Russians were partnering with ISIS in this endeavor. The information gathered was scant and unusable. Ahalya was placed undercover by the Director of the FBI to unearth concrete facts about the plan.
Ahalya was a loyal agent and a loving daughter. All of her family, except an uncle, still lived in India. Her family was of modest means, and she sent money to them monthly. Even though her father was in the lower middle class, he was still heavily involved in regional politics. Mr. Singh fought tirelessly against corruption in his government. His opposition was so intense that soon he was considered an enemy of the state and arrested. Since he had very little money, he had no means to fight this unjust arrest. He required a team of the finest lawyers in India to assist him, but that would cost thousands. His family was devastated and penniless when they turned to Ahalya for help.
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