Death Diamonds of Bermudez

by R. C. Farrington

  Keno was finally coming around. He was moaning in pain from the hit he had taken in the chest. Trying to comfort Keno, Savage said, “You’re going to be sore, son, but you’re no worse for the wear. Can you move? We’re sitting ducks if those goons start firing at us again”

  Keno in a very low voice said, “I’ll be fine. I can get up.”

  Storm ran over to help Savage get Keno back on his feet. Storm yelled out, “We’d better get moving. This fire won’t keep those killers at bay for very long.” Keno began walking despite his sore chest with Storm’s help. Savage and Graham ran ahead trying to find an escape route.

  Hide and Seek

  Sam, Michael, and Portagee had all but given up on finding anything edible. As they walked along Portagee looked down in a shallow pool saying, “What’s that moving around in the water over there?”

  Michael looked over at the pool and smiled as he answered, “It looks like sushi to me.” Michael could see that the little critters swimming in the pool were small translucent shrimp.

  Sam looked over at the shrimp and said, “You’ve got to be kidding. I’m not eating those shrimp. Look, you can see their insides.”

  As he reached into the pool grabbing as many shrimp as he could, Portagee replied, “Suit yourself; I’m hungry.” He devoured the tiny morsels in seconds. Michael was quick to follow Portagee and grabbed as many shrimp as he could.

  Sam sat there with a pained look on her face. The thought of eating those tiny shrimp and having them swimming around in her stomach was nauseating. Sam’s hunger finally got the best of her. She nudged Michael in the side and said, “Alright, give me some of those disgusting creatures.”

  Michael turned around and dropped several into Sam’s hand saying, “Bottoms up, baby.”

  Sam closed her eyes and tossed the tiny shrimp into her mouth swallowing them as quickly as she could. The three Spinners continued feasting on the shrimp until Portagee and Michael were satisfied. Sam ate just enough to stop her hunger pains. The three left the pool and continued on, hoping to find their way out of the endless cavern.

  Meanwhile back at the cavern entrance the fire had died down, and Lynch and his thugs were waiting for the smoke to clear out of the tunnel. Lynch got impatient and decided to expedite the clearing out of the charred brush and debris. He yelled out, “Fire in the hole!” He threw a grenade in the smoking debris and then dropped to the tunnel floor. The explosion blew the charred and burning debris in all directions. The sounds of the explosion resonated throughout the massive cavern.

  Sam, Michael, and Portagee stopped dead in their tracks after hearing the sound of the explosion echoing throughout the cavern. Sam yelled out, “What was that?”

  Portagee replied first, “Not sure, but I’ll bet it was some type of grenade set off by our South African buddies.”

  Michael snapped back, “They’re not our buddies. That also means that they must be following us. I bet they blew open the blockage at their end of the tunnel.”

  With a look of concern on her face Sam said, “Maybe when they see all the diamonds, gold, and silver they’ll forget about us.”

  Portagee added, “I wish they would, but right now we’re the only witnesses to their crimes.”

  Sam responded, “I hope my daddy has figured out what happened to us by now.” The three agreed they better keep moving or find a fool-proof hiding place.

  Storm, Savage, Keno, and Graham had also heard the explosion, except they were much closer to the source. It sounded to them like Lynch had just blown up that end of the massive cavern. They all froze for a minute expecting the ocean to rush in and engulf them.

  Savage turned to the others and said, “Well, those bloody bastards are just about ready to unleash their fury on us.”

  Graham asked, “Inspector, don’t you think when they see the cavern they’ll stop to try to load up on the diamonds and maybe forget about us?”

  Storm replied, “Graham, you’re right. These men are greedy, but they’re also blood-thirsty cold-blooded killers. They believe they’re on a mission to save their country. The only way they’ll stop is if the inspector and I stop them.”

  Savage added, “Storm’s right. You two need to get your bloody butts out of here and find Sam, Michael and Portagee. We’ll catch up with you later. Right now we need to slow down and maybe stop these killers.”

  Keno spoke up saying, “But.”

  Savage didn’t let him finish. He added, “But nothing! Get moving, and I mean now!”

  Graham replied, “Alright, we get the message.” He turned to Keno saying, “Come on, let’s go find our friends.” The two shook hands with Storm and Savage and took off at a fast pace hoping to find the rest of the Spinners.

  Once Keno and Graham were out of sight Savage turned to Storm and said, “Well, mate, how the hell are we going to stop these bloody bastards? The only weapon we’ve got is this bloody night stick.”

  Storm shrugged his shoulders and said, “Beats the hell out of me, but I’ve got faith in us. We’ll think of something. We’re just going to have to use the resources that are available to us.”

  Back at the cavern entrance the smoke was finally clearing up. Lynch and his thugs were now able to make their way through the smoldering debris. They all entered the cavern at about the same moment. To a man they were all speechless. Lynch was first to find some words, “Well, I’ll be damned. Old Fritz was right. The riches of the world are here and just waiting for us.” As he spoke he waved his arms out signaling to his men saying, “Spread out, men. Look for tracks of the kids and the coppers. Don’t get any further away than fifty yards from this spot. I’m going to give Van Eck a quick call.

  Lynch flipped open his GPS communicator. He clicked the button on the side and said, “Van Eck, this is Lynch. Come in.”

  Van Eck clicked his GPS back and said, “You idiot! Don’t use our names over this channel.”

  Lynch clicked back, “Sorry, boss. It won’t happen again.”

  Van Eck clicked back, “So what in the hell do you want?”

  Lynch clicked again, “We’re in a huge cave. The cave floor is littered with diamonds, and the walls are loaded with rich veins of gold and silver. What do you want us to do?”

  Van Eck clicked back, “What about the Spinners and the cops?”

  Lynch clicked, “They’ve eluded us so far.”

  Very irritated, Van Eck clicked back, “Eliminate them and then come back for the diamonds. Take your time, Lynch. There’s a massive gale force storm that’s just struck the island. It’s going to last for several days. There will be no one going outside looking for any missing persons for quite some time. If just one of them escapes our mission is in jeopardy. So make sure that doesn’t happen. Call me when you finish them all off, and I’ll signal the trawler to Long Island.”

  Lynch clicked, “Roger that, out.” He closed the GPS and walked over to Klaw who was pointing down to the floor. Lynch then said, “Well, what is it?”

  Klaw replied, “Look at the way this mud on the floor was smeared. We must have hit one of them when we were firing through the tunnel blockage.”

  Lynch snapped back, “So where’s the body? Where’s the blood?”

  Klaw added, “I don’t know, but it appears by the heavy imprints that one of them was getting help trying to walk. Their tracks all head off in that direction.”

  Lynch replied, “You take one of the men and move out. We’ll look around for some more clues then catch up to you.” Klaw and one of the other thugs left the group following the trail left by Storm and Savage.

  The Ambush

  Meanwhile Storm and Savage were checking out the natural terrain of the cavern looking for ways that Mother Nature might come to their aid. While they were checking out the cavern Storm said, “Our only chance with paramilitary killers is to even the odds.”

  Savage looked at Storm and said, “How in the bloody hell are we going to do that, mate? These goons have all the advantages. They’ve got the
numbers and the weapons, not to mention they’re jungle fighters.”

  Storm smiled at Savage saying, “Come on, man. We’ve got the brains.”

  Savage interrupted him saying, “Oh yeah, that’s what you say to someone who’s just about ready to get their butts kicked.”

  Storm replied, “No really. If we can just overtake one of them we’ll at least have one weapon.”

  Savage nodded his head in agreement and said, “Then we have to separate one of them from the group and hope no one notices, but how?” The two quit talking and kept looking for that opportunity. Finally Savage signaled to Storm pointing in the direction of the cavern wall. The two walked over to the spot where Savage had indicated.

  Storm looked at Savage saying, “We both know what has to be done, so let’s get at it.” Savage agreed, and both men went quietly to work. Both men knew precisely what to do.

  Klaw and his fellow South African were quickly closing the gap on Storm and Savage. No matter how Storm and Savage tried to conceal their tracks, Klaw could see through it. Finally, at a junction in an old trail Klaw stopped and said, “Look here, mate. The two coppers have split up. They must think we’ll let one of them get away.”

  The other man said, “Well, Klaw, what do you want to do?”

  Klaw in a gruff voice said, “I want you to shut up and do what I tell you!” The other man just stood there in silence waiting for his order.

  Klaw pointed over to a tunnel entrance on the side wall of the cavern and said, “You track the cop who went into that tunnel, but be damn careful. He might be waiting for you in the dark. I’ll follow the other one.”

  The other man asked, “Do you want me to capture him or kill him?”

  Klaw smiled and said, “Blast his ass to hell!” He turned away leaving the man and headed down his trail. The other man pulled out his Uzi and cocked back the firing lever. He mounted his flashlight to the top of the Uzi and headed for the tunnel. As the goon got closer to the tunnel he became a bit apprehensive. The entrance to the tunnel was beginning to look like a devil’s head. The walls around the tunnel were sharp stones in the shape of a head. On top of the head were two large stalagmites growing upward like horns. And to make matters worse there were several stalactites growing downwards like sharp jagged teeth.

  Klaw had been right. Savage was waiting for the goon just inside the tunnel concealed in the dark shadows. Just as the goon stepped into the doorway of the tunnel Savage stepped out of the darkness holding his night stick in front of him. The goon laughed and said, “You fool! Do you think that stick is going to stop my Uzi from cutting you in half?”

  Savage replied showing no emotion, “No, but I think those bloody teeth above you will bite you in the ass.” The startled goon flinched for a second and looked straight up at the devil’s teeth. Before he could look down Savage threw his night stick aside as hard as he could striking two stalactites at their base. They immediately broke free. The first one dropped implanting itself into the chest of the goon. The other drove itself through his foot. The goon was screaming bloody murder and began firing his Uzi in all directions. Savage fell backwards trying to hide behind some rocks to avoid the bullets. It was all over in seconds. The goon was dead.

  Klaw had heard the firing and was convinced that his man had killed Storm or Savage. He was now ready to find the other copper.

  Savage walked over to the dead South African picking up his Uzi, his bag of bullet clips, and his hunting knife. He started to walk off, but remembered he had forgotten something---his nightstick. He walked back over and picked it up. Savage tucked it in his belt and walked off in the direction of Klaw.

  Klaw was still tracking Storm and he felt he was getting very close to his prey. Storm had stopped by the shark pool that the Spinners had found some time earlier. He could see footprints all around the pool. He now knew the Spinners were still alive. As he walked around the pool a voice spoke up and startled him. It was Klaw gloating, “Your times up, mate. The Grim Reaper is here to claim you, boy! “

  Storm got pissed. He said, “There you stupid South Africans go calling me a boy again.”

  Klaw laughed and said, “Who gives a damn? You’re going to be a dead boy in a few minutes.”

  Storm snapped back, “Why don’t you put down that Uzi and have a fair fight with me, you bastard.”

  Klaw replied, “What do you mean by a fair fight, boy?”

  Storm was getting more upset by the minute. He added, “Listen, you baboon. I’ll take you on bare-handed, and you can use that gut-gutter you call a knife.”

  Klaw dropped the Uzi and ripped his massive knife out of the sheaf. He started swinging it wildly at Storm screaming out, “You got a deal, dead man!”

  Storm spun around surprising Klaw with his right foot connecting to his jaw. Klaw stumbled backwards a few feet, but bounced back like nothing had happened. He lunged at Storm catching his right arm with the huge knife blade. Storm backed off momentarily, but quickly responded with a left karate chop to Klaw’s throat. Klaw grabbed at his throat coughing and choking. Klaw now knew he was in a fight for his life. He bent down and picked up a small boulder throwing it at Storm. The boulder hit Storm in the chest knocking him flat on his back leaving him slightly stunned with his head hanging over the edge of the shark pool. Klaw jumped on the top of Storm. He tried to shove his knife into Storm’s chest, but Storm caught his wrist preventing himself from being stabbed. Klaw started punching Storm’s face with his free fist. He yelled at Storm, “I’m going to kill you now, boy.”

  To Klaw’s surprise he heard an Uzi lever click behind him and a voice said, “The only boy I know in this cavern is you.” Klaw turned his head around to see who it was. At that moment Storm kneed him in the groin then grabbed him by the shoulders and threw Klaw over his head into the shark pool. Within seconds the sharks attacked, and the pool turned blood red.

  Savage bent down and helped Storm up to his feet saying, “You bloody well had me worried for a minute, Storm.”

  Storm snapped back, “Well, old buddy, I was saving Klaw for you, but your old body couldn’t get here fast enough.”

  Savage laughed and said, “You better watch your mouth, mate, or I just might feed you to the sharks! Although they’re probably not hungry now.” Both men laughed as they walked off from the pool. At least they now had two Uzis with ammunition and two less goons to deal with. As they left the area Storm and Savage failed to notice a bloody body crawling out of the pool.

  The Reunion

  Sam, Michael, and Portagee were closing in on what appeared to be the end of the cavern. While they were walking Michael said, “It looks to me like we’ve walked into a dead end.”

  Portagee replied, “That’s great. Now we’ll be trapped like rats when the South Africans find us.”

  Sam chimed in, “Don’t give up yet, guys. We’re not there yet. Who knows what we’ll find?” The three kept walking towards the end of the cavern. One thing they all noticed was that they now felt a cool breeze coming from their backsides.

  As they arrived at what they thought was the end of the line, Michael spotted a set of stairs that went up about twenty feet. The stairs must have been about twenty feet wide and made out of limestone. Michael looked at the stairs saying, “These stairs look ancient. Look at the ornate etchings in the steps.”

  Portagee and Sam went over to look at the steps. Sam added, “This is weird. These etchings look like ancient Greek or Roman carvings.”

  Portagee replied, “Well, who wants to go up the steps and see what’s at the top?”

  They all agreed to go. As they went up the steps, they heard someone coming from behind them in the cavern. Michael turned to the others and whispered, “Quick! Jump over to the side of the stairs, and we’ll duck down and hide.” The three slipped over the side without making a sound and waited. They were all sure that the South Africans had finally caught up to them. The sounds of footsteps were getting closer and closer. Not knowing who it might be, they were m
aking no sounds. Michael finally signaled to the other two that he was going to take a peek over the stair step. As he stood up someone grabbed him and jerked him up onto the stairs. Michael yelled out, “Oh, crap!” Sam and Portagee looked at each other not knowing what to do.