by Ron Smoak
Although she missed the U.S. she was truly happy in Brazil. She longed to drive a car to the local burger joint and wrap her hands around a nice juicy cheeseburger and fries. And don’t forget the onion rings and ice-cold Coca-Cola, she thought. She also missed pizza, no special type. She missed any kind of pizza, whether it was sausage, pepperoni or just plain cheese. For a second she thought of contacting the Princeton folks to see if they could bring down some pizza when they came. She laughed to herself and shook her head. That would be a very expensive pizza carry-out order.
Furthermore, Lee missed her husband and kids. Many years had passed since their death, but sometimes at night she imagined she heard her husband’s voice. To have all of them taken from her at once was a devastating shock; a shock from which she never expected to recover. But she did, to some extent. At least the pain was not so sharp. The emptiness was still there especially when she was alone. The jungle is a peaceful place to think over one’s life, but at the same time it is a disturbing place when remembering deceased loved ones.
A tear formed in Lee’s eye and ran down her face. She wiped it with her hand and continued to rock.
Lee’s husband, Daniel, was a successful lawyer in Columbia, South Carolina. They lived in a wonderful home out on the shores of Lake Murray. He was well established in governmental affairs and was a bright and shining star in South Carolina politics. They even entertained his running for governor or even for the U.S. Senate. The night of the plane crash dashed all of those hopes. Two hundred and ten souls aboard and only three survived; two babies and one young man.
She wondered what would have been if Amy had lived and gone to the University of Texas. She so loved UT, not only because her father went there but she dearly loved Austin. By now Amy would have graduated from UT and would be attending medical school. She wanted to be a pediatrician. She loved children as much as her younger sister, Erin, loved animals. Amy would have made a wonderful doctor.
Erin was Lee’s baby, a sweet child of fourteen when she died. She was too young to know what she wanted in a career but she always loved animals. Maybe she would have been a veterinarian. Lee smiled to herself. She remembered Erin’s dogs and cats. She couldn’t decide which she wanted so Erin had lobbied her father for one of each, a puppy and a kitten. She loved her animals so much, Rascal the spaniel and Hobie the cat. That led her to adopt still another cat and two more dogs; the Watson household was a veritable animal menagerie. All that was gone now, but they all lived in her heart forever. The rumbling of the storm was getting nearer, bringing Lee back to reality.
She listened to the bugs and frogs screaming in the trees. She heard the creaking of her rocking chair and more distant thunder. There was a flash of lightning off in the distance high in the clouds. Even with all the noise and other goings on, this was one of the most peaceful places she had ever been on earth. She loved it here. It was a place she could put her life back together and get her soul back. That’s when she heard a shout from the jungle. She rose to her feet as Tecal burst from the trailhead, smiling ear to ear. They were back! She stepped off of the porch as Tecal ran up to her.
“Mr. Ben coming very soon,” he said. “He send me ahead to tell you he coming and all is okay.”
“That’s great, Tecal. Thank you for letting me know,” smiled Lee. “I’ll bet you have missed your wife and babies.”
“Yes, Missy Lee,” said Tecal, still smiling. “They will be happy to see me.”
“Well, run along to her,” Lee said, waving her hand over toward the small village area down the road where Tecal and his tribesmen lived. “Oh, how long before they get here?”
“Not long time now,” Tecal said as he turned toward his village. “They here in twenty minutes or sooner.” Lee turned and stepped back on the porch. She decided to get some food and drink ready for the guys. One of Tecal’s brothers had brought in fresh meat this morning and Lee had spent the afternoon cooking it with some vegetables. Amazon stew she called it. There was cold beer in the refrigerator.
She barely finished getting the food ready when she looked out of the window and saw Ben, Dane, Hugo, and a couple with two of Tecal’s men walking up to the porch. They were back. The couple was a man and woman. They all looked dead tired, wet with sweat, dirty and out of breath. They really humped it big time to get back so soon. She couldn’t wait to talk with them.
“Welcome back!” she squealed hurrying onto the porch. Lee was so happy to see the guys back.
Ben smiled ear to ear as he dropped his pack and gave Lee a big hug. “It is great to be back, sis,” he said. “We have a lot to tell you and a lot of work to do.” His smile evaporated. “We have big problems.”
Hugo handed the two captives over to Tecal’s two men.
“You guys watch them. Don’t let them get away,” Ben told the men. “Feed them and give them a place to sleep. We’ll talk with them later.”
Tecal’s men led the two away, toward the village.
“Hey there, fine lady,” said Hugo, also smiling and walking over to Lee. Ben let her go and she embraced Hugo. “Wow, this is great!” cried Hugo, picking her up and twirling her around. “We need to do this every day.”
Dane laughed dryly. “Just like Hugo to find the best-looking girl for miles and stake her out.”
“Aww, quit. You flatter such an old woman.” A grinning Lee gave Hugo a small slap on the back as he lowered her to the ground. “You guys hungry?”
“Famished,” said Ben, placing his gun on top of the porch rail. “What’s for dinner?”
“You guys come on in,” said Lee. “I have stew and cold beer for you. How’s that sound?”
“Wonderful!” said Dane, placing his gear on the porch. “We can discuss our situation while we eat.”
The trio walked inside followed by Lee. Four chairs were gathered around the table in the middle of the room. She dispatched one of the native boys to get the beer from the refrigerator out back.
“Sit down, sit down,” she said. “The beer is coming and I’ll get the food.”
As the men sat down, it began to rain. The once far off storm had finally arrived. Lee was very happy. To her, feeding these guys at her table reminded her of her days as a mother and wife back in the United States. She stopped a second to savor her thoughts. Her eyes began to water. Her children were home.
The men devoured the large pot of Lee’s Amazon Stew along with local bread and the cold beer. The men were at peace for a few well-earned minutes. But that would not last. Dane began the task of briefing everyone of the situation. Hugo added his views with Ben and Lee asking many questions. Dane and Hugo brought everyone up-to-date on the information they got in Miami and what they learned over the past several days.
“So there you have it,” Dane explained, summing up the situation. “Now you know everything we know. Evidently Dana and Randall stumbled upon a German Nazi stronghold deep in the jungle. Based on what we’ve gotten from interrogating our captives, there are thousands of Germans there. We also know at least their major goal includes gold. We also know they have perfected a way to create gold from lead. I know it sounds outrageous but it is evidently true. They want to use this gold to rekindle a German empire, a Fourth Reich. How exactly, we don’t know. But more importantly, as of right now, I believe Dana and Randall are still alive but in grave danger. I want to go back and bring them out safely.”
“Not I, Kemo Sabe,” interjected Hugo. “We will go back and get them out. I’m going with you.”
Dane gave Hugo a big smile and placed his hand on Hugo’s shoulder. “You are the best friend a guy can ever have.”
Ben looked at Dane. “I’m going too. These are my friends as well. I can handle myself out there. We make a great team.”
Dane smiled. While he did appreciate the support from these guys, he was worried that he could be sending them to their death.
Ben interjected, “But first, should we report this mess to the authorities? It sounds like these Germans are a
serious threat. The Brazilian government won’t take this incursion of their sovereignty lightly. They should be notified immediately… and the Americans.”
“I understand and fully agree,” started Dane. But we …”
“How do we know they don’t already know about these guys?” interrupted Hugo. “History shows the Brazilians and others down here have had a soft spot for the Germans since the war. Some say a lot of high-up German officers fled to South America and Brazil. You ever see that movie, The Boys from Brazil?”
“I don’t know if the Brazilian government does or does not know about these guys, but Ben is right,” said Dane. “The government needs to be told, the quicker the better. However, we,” looking at Hugo and Ben, “are not going to wait on anyone. I plan to go back as soon as possible and get Dana and Randall.”
Lee stepped up to the table. “My vote is the government waits. At least until you can get Dana and Randall out. The government will muck it up.”
They all smiled. Ben rubbed his chin. “This will not be easy, Dane. You know they must know about our captives by now. It won’t take too long for them to swarm through the jungle looking for their asses. We need good planning and more firepower.”
“That’s exactly why we need to strike fast. I’ll bet they think this guy and girl just ran off. Hopefully they don’t know they were kidnapped.”
“Then let’s get started,” cracked Hugo, standing. “What do we need to storm the place?”
“First, we need to get in there unannounced,” said Dane. “We have to travel light, strike fast and get out like a bat out of hell.”
“Easier said than done,” said Ben, taking a swig from his beer. “But nothing we can’t handle,” he continued with a grin. “Let’s do it.”
Lee got the group a few more beers and they got serious with the planning. Even though they were dead tired, they brought the two captives up to the cabin and interrogated them. With that information, they worked on a plan until 1:00 a.m. with a noisy tropical thunderstorm outside.
The next morning the guys reassembled back at the table for breakfast. Even at seven in the morning the jungle heat was already building and the humidity was one hundred percent, thanks to the previous evening’s storms. A low haze hung over the vegetation. While the haze looked like smoke, it gave the early morning a freshness not seen back in Miami.
Again, Lee whipped up a fine breakfast of eggs, potatoes and local meats. The guys relished the meal while Lee enjoyed cooking for them.
“Okay. We need provisions for three or four days. We should be able to get that together here. Ben, what’s the quickest way to get some more guns and walkie-talkies?” asked Hugo. “And I know this is out of your box, but what about some explosives?”
Ben thought for a second. “We can go to the town several miles down the road. The town acts as a base for several other expeditions in the area. As far as quick, that will be our best possibility. There is a provisions store that has or can get almost everything. The guy who runs the place is known to delve into, let’s say, areas that are frowned upon by the government. He’s not the cleanest guy around, if you get my drift.”
Dane grinned widely. “Sounds exactly like the kind of guy we need. I’ll bet he requires cash as well. I think we can count on that!” They all laughed.
“Yeah, we know the type,” said Hugo. “He’s what the doctor ordered. When can we leave?”
“Give me ten minutes to get the jeep up here and we can take off,” said Ben, motioning to Tecal to go get the jeep.
“Great,” answered Dane as Hugo kept going down the list they had made the night before. “Looks like we have some of the ammo and guns we need but we could use some more. I do not want to get into a firefight with these folks. They will whip our butts very quickly. But I do want to be prepared. Stealth and quickness will get us what we want.”
“Agreed,” said Hugo. “If we can get some radios and explosives, I think we have a good chance. Silenced weapons would be a great help. Since we don’t count on that hatch being available again, I think our plan to go in through the heliport is best.”
“I agree,” said Dane. “Our two guests gave us a pretty good general layout of the complex. Dane pulled out a rough map he drew based on what they learned from the cook and technician last night. If we go in somewhere around here,” Dane said, pointing to the helicopter access port, “we are as close as we can get to the two stairways down to the lower levels and the captive cells in the subbasement.”
“If,” added Ben, “those two are telling us the truth.”
“Yes, and frankly, that’s a big if,” said Dane quietly. “But that’s all we have to go on right now. We know there is a helicopter landing area there. Hugo and I saw it for ourselves. There has to be a way in there. We go with what we know.”
The group continued to look over the diagram of the complex. As they studied, Tecal drove up in the jeep.
“Let’s go,” said Ben, bounding out of the door of the hut. Lee, Dane and Hugo followed.
“Oh,” Lee said, “the folks from Princeton should be here today or tomorrow. What should I do if they show up while you are gone?”
“Don’t tell them anything about our plans. Tell them we went into town to get some supplies. We should be back in several hours,” said Ben.
“Wait a sec,” cried Hugo as he turned and ran into the hut. After a few seconds he ran back to the jeep.
Dane looked at him curiously.
“I needed some spending cash,” grinned Hugo. “I don’t think this is the kind of guy to take a credit card.” Dane and Ben laughed.
“No, I don’t think so,” smiled Dane.
The guys piled into the jeep and drove off, leaving Tecal and Lee standing in the dust.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Unnamed Settlement near Cotriguacu, Brazil; 9:00 a.m.
What Ben called a town wasn’t much more than a clearing in the jungle near the road to Cotriguacu. It didn’t even have a name. Its dusty streets beckoned the natives from the forests into the land of civilization. At least in their eyes it was civilized. To those from the States or any other town or city in Brazil, this was the pits. As with most small, out-of-the-way places, the unsavory elements seemed to arrive first. They flourished until the town became big enough to require some semblance of law and authority. Here the unsavory still ruled.
There were only a dozen or so buildings gathered in three general areas. The first area was clearly the entertainment section of town. Here was the bar that looked like a U.S. southwestern saloon. There was a small café serving who knows what kind of food and a curious little hotel that advertised rooms, baths and women. There was also a barber shop/doctor.
About thirty yards away were several native dwellings. In the midst of the dwellings was a stable with several very nice horses in the corral outside. That caught Hugo’s eye immediately. He wondered if they should use horses to get back into the jungle. Dane could feel Hugo’s yearnings and put a stop to them right up front.
The most interesting area of the town was a large general store type of business. It was large; it was twice the size of other buildings. Dry goods, provisions and arms were advertised on big signs outside. This was the mecca that brought most people into the town. The bar and the women kept folks there.
“Now this is my kind of place,” said Hugo as they slowly motored through the length of town. “This place has everything a man needs: food, drink and women.”
Ben burst out laughing. Dane grinned. “Oh man, don’t encourage him. Or we will never leave,” said Dane. “We are here for a specific reason.”
“Yeah, I know but coming here with Hugo makes it feel so much better than all of the times before,” laughed Ben.
Dane spotted the general store. “Guess this is the place?”
“Yeah. This guy is as slimy as they come. Hold on to your valuables. Not only does he sell just about anything you want but he is also the law i
n these parts. He is a true renaissance man,” explained Ben.
The jeep pulled up in front and the group trudged up on the porch and stepped inside. The term general store was never so true. Although dark and dingy, the selection of goods seemed to run the gamut from smoked meat to auto parts. One side of the room was a bar/grill combination that served alcohol, soft drinks and native concoctions. Toward the rear was a gun shop and gun smith. The rest of the store was full of home goods, i.e. pots and pans, rugs, hardware and even furniture. A selection of shoes and boots lined the far wall. U.S. government surplus camo gear and clothing was a full row.
“Holy crap!” exclaimed Hugo as he walked through the place. “I love this store.”
A middle-aged woman saw them immediately and headed their way.
“We have anything you need, gentlemen,” she said matter-of-factly. “You looking for expedition supplies?”
Ben stepped up to the front of the group.
“Oh, hi, Ben,” the woman said smiling. “I didn’t see you back there. Are these your friends?”
“Yeah, they are my friends, May. We do need some supplies and equipment but we need the special stash.”
The woman’s smile vanished to a serious look. “I’ll get Enzo.” She turned and walked away, disappearing behind a canvas curtain behind the gun cabinets. Enzo Garcia was the proprietor of this store and owned a major part in everything in the settlement. His history was spotty as most crooks’ background. His history did include a stint in the U.S. Marines, according to him, but that was not confirmed. Physically, he was about forty-eight years old, six feet tall and well built. He looked like he could hold his own in a bar fight. His jet black greasy hair made him look younger than he was but also reminded one of his slickness. This guy was bad through and through.