The Bonita Protocol

by P J Skinner

  ‘We can still find her alive. You don’t know her like I do,’ said Alfredo.

  ‘Okay, let’s go. We need to leave at tomorrow if we don’t have any luck,’ said Galo.

  ‘Tomorrow? We can’t,’ said Alfredo.

  ‘Alfredo, you have to be realistic about this. If Sam survived the explosion, she may have been trapped in the mine. The total number of tunnels is unknown, and there’s no proof that the tunnels interlink. We could be here for ever and not find her if she’s behind one of the cave-ins.’

  ‘She’s alive. I know it.’

  ‘Damien, you go with Alfredo today. He needs your help,’ said Galo.

  ‘I don’t want anyone with me.’

  ‘You don’t have a choice,’ said Damien. ‘No one else will go with me. Anyway, I think you’re right. Sam’s still alive down there, and if she is, we’re going to find her.’

  They set out along the tunnel taking one of the virgin routes which rounded a corner and dipped sharply downhill parallel to the hill side. It switched back on itself several times and split into two but Alfredo followed the main working leaving painted arrows behind him.

  Damien did not offer an opinion on the route. He followed Alfredo, treading in his footsteps and shining his torch over the walls and floor looking for raises or tunnels to other levels. The scrunching sound of their boots on the tunnel floor broke the silence and echoed backward after them. Everywhere, water dripped, ran and seeped through crevices and down walls. Soon the damp seemed to enter their bones, making them crouch and guard their cores from the cold.

  After an hour, the tunnel suddenly narrowed and pinched out in a dead end. Alfredo shivered. He sat down on a ledge and put his head in his hands. Damien lit a cigarette and the smoke danced in the torch light. Defeat hung in the air but neither of them said anything. Damien flicked his cigarette away and it bounced off the floor and disappeared.

  ‘Where did it go,’ said Alfredo, raising his head in surprise.

  ‘Where did what go?’ said Damien. ‘We’ve got to return now. Face it, we’ve run out of time.’

  Alfredo stood up and stumbled towards the end of the tunnel.

  ‘Where are you going now?’ said Damien, blowing his cheeks out.

  ‘Your cigarette disappeared,’ said Alfredo. ‘Down here. Give me the torch.’

  He threw himself on the ground and stuck his head through a hole in the floor.

  ‘Stop messing about. We need to leave,’ said Damien.

  ‘You don’t understand. There’s a hole here. I think it leads to a lower level tunnel. Give me the torch. Please.’

  Sighing, Damien passed him the torch. Alfredo stuck it through the hole and shone it in a circle.

  ‘Oh my God. It’s an arrow, a painted arrow.’

  ‘An arrow? Maybe it’s from the other guys?’

  ‘It’s pointing the wrong way and it’s the wrong colour. They had red paint. This is yellow. It’s not ours either, ours is pink.’

  He pulled his head out of the hole and inserted his feet, sliding out of sight. Animated by the discovery, Damien followed him downwards. They walked in the direction of the arrow and soon came across another. They started to trot and soon came out into a huge cathedral like excavation.

  ‘It’s huge,’ gasped Damien.

  Alfredo shone the torch up and down the length of the vault, sweeping the floor with full beam. He gasped. The light had picked out an object on the floor. It was a rucksack. He started running before he knew what he was doing.

  ***

  When a bright light shone into her eyes, Sam thought she had arrived in heaven. I wonder if God will mind that I’m an atheist. Suddenly strong hands were pulling her up and someone shoved her arms into a warm coat. Too stiff and cold to speak she allowed them to rub her frozen limbs until the circulation warmed enough to sit up without falling over again.

  When she sat upright, someone poured lukewarm liquid into her mouth. Tea? She definitely was in heaven. And yet, it was so real. The heat of the tea loosened her throat and she struggled to speak.

  ‘Who is it?’ she muttered. ‘Are you an angel?’

  Loud laughter. Two voices. She recognised them but she couldn’t figure out what one was doing with the other. The torch turned around and illuminated a couple of familiar faces, a mixture she couldn’t fathom.

  ‘Sam, it’s me Alfredo.’

  Her filthy face creased into a smile and she began to laugh, croaking into the darkness.

  ‘Saved by the bell,’ she said. ‘Have you got anything to eat? I’m starving. What the hell is Señor Muerte doing here. Are you sure I’m not dead?’

  ‘We’re here to rescue you,’ said Damien, sounding grumpy.

  Sam looked startled and suddenly she began to cry, big raw sobs that brought tears to Alfredo’s eyes.

  ‘Don’t cry. You’re going to start a tidal wave,’ he said. ‘It’s wet enough in here already.’

  ‘Have a cigarette,’ said Damien.

  When she had calmed down, Sam drank the contents of the flask and ate all of the almond biscuits. Alfredo rubbed her calves with real vigour. The coat warmed her core and soon she tottered to her feet.

  ‘Whoa. Take your time. You’re still weak,’ said Alfredo.

  ‘Speak for yourself,’ she said ‘I don’t know about you, but I’ve got to get out of here.’

  Damien shrugged and she put her arms around their shoulders, stumbling along the cave until they reached the tunnel through which they had entered. They walked single file until they were below the hole into the upper tunnel.

  Alfredo helped Damien to pull himself through the opening and then he gave Sam a boost so that Damien could help her through the hole. Once Sam had found somewhere to sit, Damien gave Alfredo a hand to reach the upper level too. They rested for a few minutes and then they set out again.

  Disoriented from her long ordeal, Sam found herself in a tunnel that rose under her feet. Somehow finding the strength to keep going, she walked towards safety, leaning first on Alfredo and then on Damien, stopping to rest and drink more liquid as she ran out of puff.

  As she walked along, she became aware of a dim light further ahead and Sam took off, following the tunnel upwards oblivious to her companions. A cool breeze blew disturbed the fine hairs which had escaped from her bun. The air was sweet and chilly and she zipped up the coat. She stopped at the pile of Inca tools and caressed one of the hammerstones.

  ‘How did you know?’ she said.

  ‘The geologists,’ said Damien. ‘We had an idea that you could be reached through the old Inca workings but only the geologists knew where the entrance was.

  Alfredo grabbed another hammerstone and a maul for his studies. There was no way of knowing if he would ever return. Damien did the same.

  ‘You didn’t come for me. You came to get your own set of Inca tools,’ said Sam, smiling.

  When they emerged from the tunnel, the others cheered and clapped. They surrounded Sam in a damp human blanket, tears mixing with jubilation. She sank to the ground, exhausted by her ordeal, shielding her eyes from the light. Marlon gave her a pair of cheap sunglasses to wear.

  ‘We should stay here tonight,’ said Galo. ‘There’s plenty of food left.’

  Alfredo nodded, numb with shock and happiness. He sat beside Sam and put his arm around her back to support her.

  ‘You gave us such a fright,’ he said.

  ‘I thought I was dead for sure. My torch stopped working today.’

  ‘How did the batteries last so long?’

  ‘My father gave me a wind-up torch. Without it, I would have had to stay with Napoleon.’

  Her hand flew to her mouth.

  ‘Napoleon. I totally forgot.’

  ‘Where is he?’ said Galo. ‘Can we reach him?’

  Sam gulped and shook her head.

  ‘The raise collapsed. There is no way down there. I think he must be underneath the cave-in.’ She shrugged and tears rolled down her face again. ‘He died. His
lungs gave out two days in. He shouldn’t have come to the mine with me.’

  ‘Napoleon knew he was dying. He so admired you, he would have been proud to die at work,’ said Galo.

  ‘What did he die of?’ said Damien.

  ‘Mercury poisoning,’ said Galo.

  ‘Poor Zombie,’ said Marlon.

  ‘He was a legend,’ said Kennedy. ‘He will never die.’

  Silence reigned for a moment.

  ‘Okay, let’s set a fire and get some supper organised,’ said Damien.

  Sam smiled.

  ‘You have no idea how good that sounds,’ she said.

  After eating, the men insisted that Sam have one of the sleeping bags. Alfredo and Damien slept close either side of her so she would not wake and think she was back in the workings, but she still woke screaming several times before going back to sleep.

  When dawn broke, they gathered up their belongings and started back to camp. They descended the Inca trail through a damp mist and headed towards the Cerro Calvo project. Sam rode most of the way on a mule, hanging onto the wooden pommel with all her strength.

  Selma rushed outside when she heard them coming.

  ‘Thanks be to God,’ she said, crossing herself, when she saw that Sam was among them. She rushed forward and hugged her.

  ‘Where’s Javier?’ said Sam.

  ‘He ran away. I doubt I’ll ever see him again.’

  ‘Do you want me to kill him for you?’ said Damien.

  Selma laughed.

  ‘No thanks,’ she said.

  ‘Can we stay the night?’ said Sam. ‘I’m dog tired.’

  ‘I’m sorry Sam, but if we are going to catch the flight tomorrow, we must go down tonight,’ said Alfredo.

  ‘What’s the hurry? Can’t you change her booking?’ said Galo.

  ‘The purchase contract for Bonito Mining will arrive before us. We must try and kill the deal if we can. If we leave it another day, we’ll be too late.’

  ‘You can sleep at my house in Arboleda,’ said Galo.

  Sam took a deep breath. Come on woman, one more effort.

  ‘Okay, I’ll be all right if I go by mule. I’m going to pack my things,’ she said. ‘Damien, can you come up with me? I have something for you.’

  ‘That’s your name?’ said Selma.

  ‘Damian Galarza at your service,’ he said, taking her hand and kissing it.

  She let it rest for a moment before pulling it away, blushing. Damien winked at her and followed Sam upstairs. Sam put her rucksack on the bed and rummaged on her shelf, pulling out the note from Horace Burns which she handed to him.

  ‘Horace Burns wants to turn Siete Pingas into a brand for his drinks company. He would work with you to produce and market it, if you are interested.’

  Damien slapped his forehead.

  ‘Really? That gringo wants to be my partner?’

  He shook his head in amazement.

  ‘Will you do it?’ said Sam.

  ‘I’ll have to ask my mother. It’s her recipe.’

  Sam started to stuff her things into her bag and Damien turned to go.

  ‘I think Selma will be looking for a new boyfriend,’ said Sam.

  He laughed but did not turn around.

  When Sam was ready, they loaded her bag on to one mule and her onto another, and bid farewell to Selma. Damien showed no inclination to come with them. He waved them off with a funny look on his face, patting his pocket to show Sam that he had Horace Burn’s details.

  ‘Are you sure you can bear the trip to Arboleda?’ said Alfredo. ‘It’s the only way we can stop them, but we’re not responsible for what happens next. Now you are safe, I don’t give a damn what they do.’

  ‘I’ll manage,’ said Sam. ‘I’m not injured and I’ve got my energy back. The mule will do the walking.’

  It took them a couple of hours to get down to the village. Soon they were sitting in the Martins’ cosy sitting room with a log fire roaring in the grate. Señora Martin fussed over Sam like a lost child. Disoriented, Sam did not demure but sat quietly in an armchair smiling at everyone, her relief at being rescued almost obliterating the horrors of being trapped in the cave system.

  ‘What is this all about anyway?’ said Galo, finally. ‘Does it have something to do with your trip to Toronto?’

  Sam tried to concentrate.

  ‘I think so. Rhett and Amanda are trying to sell the company to an investor to take advantage of the stock market boom. They were adulterating the samples with gold from the tailings to increase the amount in them. The results were too good to be true. That’s how I guessed what they were doing,’ she said.

  ‘It may be too late now. Marina told me the agreement would be arriving in a couple of days. It could have been signed and sent back by now. By the time we get back to Calderon, they may be waiting for their cashier’s cheque so they can hand the company over to the new owners and leave the country for good,’ said Alfredo.

  ‘At least you’re safe, Sam. That’s the only thing that counts,’ said Galo.

  ‘I’ll raise a teacup to that,’ said Alfredo. ‘I’m going to the shop to use their phone. Gloria will want to know that Sam had been rescued and we need two places on the flight home tomorrow.’

  After supper, Señora Martin showed Sam to the spare room.

  ‘Get some sleep,’ she said. ‘Don’t forget to say a prayer and thank the Lord for your survival.’

  ‘I won’t,’ said Sam. And for once she wasn’t kidding.

  Chapter XXIV

  Sam slept for fourteen hours straight and had to be woken for the trip to the airport. Galo insisted on driving them to the flight ‘to make sure you leave’ and his wife came along for the ride. Sam and Alfredo sat in the back of the car being thrown around by the potholes, making conversation impossible. Still unable to believe that she had survived her ordeal, Sam had a permanent bemused smile on her face.

  The Martins dropped them at the airport and stood watching as they went through the doors.

  ‘Thank you for coming to find me. Those almond biscuits saved my life,’ said Sam, waving.

  ‘I put the recipe in your rucksack,’ said Senora Martin.

  ‘Come back and see us,’ said Galo, his voice breaking.

  The flight bounced its way through the clouds back to the capital. Sam held Alfredo’s hand, or it might have been the other way around, and squeezed it tight. They were both equally thrilled when the plane hit the runway in Calderon and skidded to a halt.

  ‘You won’t have to do that landing again,’ said Alfredo.

  ‘I’m thankful for small mercies,’ said Sam.

  Gloria and David were waiting for them outside the terminal with open arms. Gloria couldn’t decide who to grab first and went for a group hug. David contented himself with standing in the middle of the crush, beaming at everyone. They jumped into the car and drove home. Araceli burst into tears when she realised that Sam had been rescued and had to be given a brandy.

  Later that afternoon, Sam, Gloria and Alfredo sat on the sofa and switched on the television looking for news of the mining markets. Sam put on the Bloomberg channel. Gloria grabbed the remote control and was about to change it when a news flash came onto the screen. Granoro Mining drops ninety seven percent on the news that America Holdings’ due diligence on the company had come up a blank.

  A spontaneous gasp issued from both Sam and Alfredo. Sam’s jaw dropped onto her chest as she stared open mouthed at the screen. The announcer explained that America Holdings had not found any gold in the twinned drill holes they had carried out to check the original results. The core had been barren in every case. It seemed that the whole project consisted of an elaborate scam and was quite worthless.

  The market reaction had been immediate and universal. All the junior exploration stocks were crashing. A graphic of the worst-hit filled the television screen. They included Bonita Mining which had lost eighty per cent of its value and was still dropping.

  ‘Holy crap
and all the saints,’ said Alfredo

  ‘What does it mean?’ said Gloria

  ‘It means that Rhett and Amanda are screwed. They’ll never get their money now. The market will take years to recover from this,’ said Alfredo.

  ‘If they didn’t already get it,’ said Sam. ‘It also means I’ve lost my job again. I doubt I’ll get paid either.’

  ‘I didn’t think of that,’ said Alfredo. ‘I’m sorry.’

  ‘At least I’m alive.’

  ***

  Amanda lay in the bath smoking a joint. Bubbles overflowed onto the floor as she reached forward to lift her glass of champagne. She toasted herself and lay back in the hot water luxuriating in her triumph. The signed agreement had gone by courier the day before and she was counting the minutes until the ten million dollars arrived in her bank account. She couldn’t wait to see her father’s face when he heard about her deal. I showed him. Maybe I’ll get some respect now.

  Suddenly, a commotion erupted outside. She could hear Rhett demanding to be let in. A couple of loud noises preceded his abrupt entry into her bathroom. His face had a sheen of sweat covering the ashen skin. He stared at her as if unable to comprehend what she was doing.

  ‘Jesus. You nearly gave me a heart attack,’ said Amanda. ‘What on earth’s so bloody urgent?’

  ‘Get out of the bath and come with me,’ said Rhett.

  ‘No. Go away. What’s wrong with you?’

  Rhett reached into the bubbles and grabbed her arm which slid out of his grasp.

  ‘Ow, that hurt. Are you crazy?’ said Amanda.

  ‘You’re the one who’s crazy. Haven’t you seen the news?’

  Amanda’s face must have convinced him that she had no idea what he was on about. He relented.

  ‘Please, put on your robe and come with me. You have got to see this.’

  Amanda blew out her cheeks and rolled her eyes to heaven.

  ‘Give me a minute,’ she said.

  She rose out of the tub and wrapped a towel around her chest before putting on her robe. Slipping her feet into a pair of fluffy, kitten-heeled mules, she wafted into the bedroom on a cloud of Chanel, to where Rhett had switched on the television and was gazing at the screen in horror. She sat beside him, her legs crossed, and forced herself to concentrate.