by Thomas Craig
Crew and civilians were busy around the ships, cleaning the exterior and bringing supplies aboard.
When we landed, there were medics and soldiers on standby to help carry off the casualties and escort us to a briefing room.
We spent the next two hours giving multiple accounts of the events in the jungle to various officers. I was hungry and needed sunlight and we still needed to travel up the coast to Santa Marta.
Arya and I had rejoined each other on a bench outside the briefing room. Before we had a chance to talk about the healing I had done earlier, Holliday came around the corner with his hat in hand.
“Hey, Lou. It’s about 3 pm local time and that Special forces pilot says we have to leave in 20 minutes. Something to do with staying in his flight plan window. We’ll be here until tomorrow if he has to get a new flight plan approved,” he said, as he looked around for the others.
A deep rumbling in my gut reminded me of how deprived my body was now. I felt hollow and dehydrated.
Lauren came around the corner with her computer bag across her shoulder and holding two large white plastic bags in each hand.
“I have food!” she announced with victory in her voice.
“Hot damn!” Holliday hollered back.
“Best news all day and just in time,” I shared.
It was good to see Lauren in the field and dealing with the day’s events. She had been through so much in such a short amount of time. Perhaps she was getting efficient at compartmentalizing, a trick I used all the time when I don’t want to deal with my demigod drama.
“But we have to eat it in the Blackhawk. I just heard we…” She was cut off by Holliday finishing her sentence.
“We have to leave now before we are stuck here for the night,” Holliday rebroadcasted while examining his Stetson hat.
Lauren smiled at him as she forced the two bags on him.
“The group is smaller now,” Arya informed us as she stood up. “Special Agent Redford and agent Abbasi departed a half-hour ago to the National Police Station. They said they would catch up with us in Santa Marta tomorrow or the next day.”
We navigated our way through the hallways that we thought would lead us back to the helipad. Up ahead, we saw Agent Salazar speaking to a Naval officer. As we got closer, they wrapped up their conversation, and it seemed like the officer was intentionally avoiding eye contact with us as they shook hands and separated.
“I just got an update that the ARC River Patrol boats that helped us. They took on some return fire, but got out of the area without sustaining any casualties. Army and Navy won’t share any details, but they will be coordinating a response,” Agent Salazar relayed to us as he helped lead us to the exit.
Chapter 18
Word was out
As he stepped out of the walk-in shower, Tazario looked back at his two favorite women that he told to kept him company. He smiled at them and they smiled back as they both finished rinsing off.
As he finished toweling off, his phone rang on the counter near him. He stood naked in front of a huge mirror as he answered the phone.
“Hola!” He barked.
The conversation that ensued was not what he expected nor wanted to hear.
“Hey. It’s me. I have some bad news, compadre. You have some uninvited guests heading your way right now,” the law enforcement informant told him. “I believe the only road out will be immediately blocked and a raid will happen soon after.”
“Why am I just now finding this out? Are you not paid well enough to call sooner?” he said calmly as he admired himself in the mirror, while also watching the women as they put robes on and walked out to give him privacy. They knew well enough to vacate before being told to excuse themselves when Tazario was already engaged in conversation.
To his surprise, Tazario did not panic at the disturbing news and showed no signs of trouble to the two women as they walked away. With his mind racing, he decided to tell no one what will be happening today. The fewer people that knew, the less chance they could impede his plans.
He dressed in hiking boots, jeans, and a T-shirt, and grabbed his go bag that had a few days of supplies compacted in a small satchel. Tazario paused for a moment and then opened the closet and tore a few dresses from the hangers, stuffing them into the bag. He took some shorts, shirt, socks, and underwear from Izabella’s dresser drawer and jammed them in the bag as well.
“Izabella! Donde estas?” Taz yelled.
She returned a few seconds later.
“I want you to come to the garden with me right now,” he demanded.
She knew the tone and responded quickly. She threw off the robe and was dressed in shorts, a shirt, and hiking boots in a matter of minutes.
Tazario was pleased with how well they were all trained and rewarded her with a kiss. He figured he might as well take one of his mistresses on the road. She would not know what was happening and would likely think this was a reward.
He used an identical satchel when he would go on strolls thru his private marijuana and tomato garden. The guards would ask if he wanted an escort and he would decline as always when going to the nearby private garden. This would give him the perfect cover.
That’s the funny thing about cartel loyalty, he thought. If the people here knew what was about to happen, I don’t know if they would expose me, shoot me, or ask to run with me. He wanted to avoid all of that, and if he timed this right, it would look like a happenstance that the raid happened while he was in his garden.
As he walked out the back door, heading to the garden, he thought, none of this mattered. A raid on his house was always a possibility, and he had plans in place for just such a situation. Millions of Euros in the Cayman Islands. Millions of US Dollars in bearer bonds, jewelry, and cash in a safe house the cartel did not know about.
Setting the plan in motion required nothing more than the bag he was holding, and a casual stroll through and out the far side of his garden. He could make a clean break of this life if he decided to. However, there was some unfinished business that he wanted to complete. Not doing so would be an irritation to him in his otherwise perfectly comfortable future.
He waved off the guards and headed down a trail that would eventually take him and Izabella to a clearing. A prearranged signal to an inconspicuous locally chartered tour guide helicopter was sent, and it would meet them at the clearing and take them away.
Tazario knew there was no time to destroy computer equipment before he left, but he was not worried. The network was as flawless as Taz could make it and his assets were untraceable.
Chapter 19
The Lost City
The guide stopped us and plucked what looked like a tomato from a nearby tree, then proceeded to eat it.
Riding up a private road 70% of the way saved us a day’s hike. Nevertheless, we were still feeling the hike in the jungle we just endured and thought it best to mimic the guide and use this time to drink plenty of water and eat a protein bar.
He informed us that we were about 100 meters from the base of the Lost City and mansion.
Our route bypassed about 1,000 of the well-traveled moss-covered stone steps known to the hikers, and left us with only 200 left to ascend to Taz’s mansion.
We were aware of hidden camera placements, as this guide was well versed in the route. The jungle was too thick here to move through, which only left the exposed private road or the exposed stone path.
When the guide was half done with his tomato snack, he drew our attention to what sat behind the tree. It was a camera facing up the trail. He reached over and jammed the half-eaten tomato onto the lens.
“Vamanos!” he said as he stepped out onto the stone trail and started to almost run up it. The Special Force Commandos were hot on his trail followed by our team.
We were only 10 seconds into our uphill charge when the guide abruptly stopped and pointed to the right, telling the commando where to look. His semi-automatic machine gun with a suppressor was looking for a ta
rget.
Thwit! He released a single bullet into the jungle.
A camera exploded into pieces 30 yards off the trail. Away we went up the steps. This process repeated itself three more times. Then we gathered again off the trail behind a set of thick bushes closest to the lowest of the three structures that were part of the mansion now in view. We appeared to be closest to where the pool and pool house sat, along with a large garage structure.
The guide quietly got our attention pointing back to the path where two cartel soldiers were descending toward where the last camera was shot. It did not take long for them to assume foul play on the security cameras as they were already sending people out to investigate. We all knew that meant we had to quickly press forward to have an element of surprise.
Two commandos had their sights trained on the cartel soldiers and in a split second, both cartel soldiers were eliminated.
We all stood up and started to charge the mansion grounds from multiple points.
Holliday and Lauren followed one commando into the pool house and garage area to clear it.
Agent Salazar joined another commando towards the second-highest platform which was likely a large guest house.
I was with Arya, Andy, and three commandos heading toward the highest platform, the two-story mansion. It blended in well with the jungle with its ivy-covered roof and walls.
Gunfire erupted to our right, from the guest quarters. We knew we had seconds to close the distance between us and the main house to not be exposed. We made it to a patio and then to the stone stairs leading up to double doors.
I looked down for a split second to find my footing to climb the stone stairs and the commando to the right of me shot 6 rounds into a cartel soldier who was coming around the corner with an Uzi submachine gun raised at us.
Arya was by my side now with her gun raised.
We rushed the double doors throwing them open, ready to shoot. The three commandos rushed past us into the house. The room was clear for a second, then all hell broke loose.
Two cartel guards came around opposite sides of a double-sided stone fireplace thirty feet away and unloaded their entire magazines from their Uzi submachine guns. A beautiful white tweed armchair and ottoman to my left erupted into stuffing and fabric. The commando on the left of the chair caught the full force of the Uzi assault. He was hit in the legs, hip, arms, and neck, and was dead before he hit the floor.
Arya and I fired all our rounds at the guard on the right before he ducked back behind the fireplace. I’m sure we hit him. The cartel member on the left fell dead as the other two commandos quickly returned fire.
Arya flipped the wooden end table onto its side and ducked down behind it as she reloaded. I crouched behind the commando that was slumped over the torn-up armchair and ejected my clip, placing another one in, and released the slide.
“Move!” one of the commandos said as the two of them quickly advanced on the left side of the fireplace in pursuit of the other cartel member.
Arya and I popped up and advanced to the right of the stone structure. Arya was a split second quicker than me as she squeezed off two rounds into the man that turned the corner ready to spray us with bullets. He fell forward shooting the wooden floor in front of him as he landed on his chest and face.
As he landed, a deafening explosion went off where the two commandos rounded the left side of the stone fireplace. They were decimated by a hand grenade the cartel member left them before rounding the corner to take care of us.
I was not fully protected by the stone structure as the blast came through the actual opening of the double-sided fireplace. The blast carried with it hot shards of metal from the grenade and firewood fragments that tore into my legs right before taking my legs out from under me.
My left shoulder smacked the floor, and my gun flew out of my right.
“Ugh!” I could hear my shoulder make crunching noises. My head was spinning for a few seconds before realizing it too smacked the floor. I looked at my legs and they were still there. Whew! The jeans were torn up and some nice size wood splinters riddled my shins, along with some gashes from shrapnel.
Arya looked down on me with wide eyes searching for validation that I was okay. Just as I gave her a thumbs-up, her face winced in pain.
Three quick shots were fired, and I could tell they all found their target. Arya’s back.
I watch in horror as she violently arched her back as the first bullet hit her and then the next two bullets propelled her forward into a floor lamp and they both tumbled clumsily to the ground 10 feet from me.
She was facing away from me and not moving.
I saw the assailant approaching but quickly realized my gun was out of reach.
Agent Salazar had his gun trained on Arya’s back as he approached her.
My head must have been damaged from the hard fall, so I wiped my eyes hoping to clear my vision.
Agent Salazar turned towards me and looked surprised and disappointed at the same time. He slowly raised his assault rifle towards me.
That son of a bitch, I thought. I couldn’t believe he was the informant, the traitor, the one that just shot Arya and was about to kill me. At this moment I wished my healing powers could be traded for lightning bolts to fry this asshole.
A blur flew by my peripheral view and launched into Agent Salazar’s side. His gun went off-putting five bullets in a row into the floor next to me. Andy to the rescue!
I crawled to my gun and turned to shoot Salazar. I could see Andy had a full mouth of Salazar’s armpit and shoulder. Good dog! I aimed at Salazar’s chest.
Pop!
Salazar’s head thrashed to one side as part of his scalp above his ear erupted. A bullet had entered his temple and violently exited the other side. As he dropped to the floor, Andy released him and ran to Arya’s side.
Arya was holding the gun that killed Salazar, again a split second quicker than me on the trigger. I felt a surge of air traveling through my nostrils expanding my lungs as relief came over me.
“Arya, are you okay?
“No, not even close. That bastard shot me. Three times!”
“Yes, I know, but are you okay?”
“Two in the vest. One on my left side appears to be a through and through, I think superficial. I hope. Can you see if you can stop the bleeding?” She put her gun down and was trying to position her hands-on where the bullet entered and exited her side. She went from being upset to noticeably concerned as she saw the amount of blood from the wound.
I could hear shouting in the background and knew Holliday and Lauren were still having a go at it with cartel guards.
It wasn’t too difficult to get to my feet and make my way to Arya.
Andy sniffed my legs and whimpered as he looked between the two of us. He was not happy we were injured. I scratched him behind his ears and patted his head gently. “Good boy Andy. Good boy. You really saved our asses, buddy.”
“Hold still,” I said as I knelt next to Arya, pulling up her shirt and placing my hands on both sides of her body over the wounds.
She was not going to argue, even after seeing the condition of my legs. She knew we had to stop the bleeding, so she could stay sharp for the team.
The fight was not over, as we could hear gunshots from the guest house again. Focus.
The pain in my legs was bearable, but getting worse. I summoned the energy in my core for Arya. My hands felt hot now, and her wounds closed quickly.
I knew I had to stop healing her after the gunshot wound closed. I had to keep something in the tank.
With my hand extended we grabbed each other’s wrist and pulled ourselves up. We were both a little wobbly at first but got our bearings quick enough.
Just then, I saw a man run from the direction of the guest house, through the courtyard, and into the back of the main house, we were currently in.
“That man. He could be Taz,” I told Arya as I checked my clip and took a few purposeful steps in the direction the man
went.
Arya took a few steps forward and then stopped.
“Go on without me Lou. I can barely walk or lift my arms.” Arya winced in pain as she waved me on, then reloaded her weapon.
I didn’t wait or argue, as I hobbled as quickly as I could with injured legs. Andy walked at my side as we went down a long hallway in the direction that person would have come in. I passed several bedrooms that appeared empty until I came across what looked like the master bedroom.
As we entered the room to clear it, a young woman wearing nothing but a robe and two black eyes exited the walk-in closet with her hands up. She looked nervous and confused.
She might have been a loyal lover or someone here against their will. Either way, I could not take chances or waste time here. I directed her to put her hands on the wall, quickly took a hand tie out, and zipped her wrists together behind her back. I could tell the movements were causing her robe to open, so I tightened the robe belt and double tied it, then sat her in the corner of the room.
She seemed compliant to stay as Andy and I left as quickly as we entered, still in pursuit of the man that could be Taz.
There were three doors at the end of the hallway outside the master bedroom. The first door was a closet. The second door led to the outside, which was likely where the man entered. The third door greeted me with a cool breeze as I opened it. There was darkness, but I could make out a stairwell leading down.
“I guess this is us, Andy,” I said to my fearless friend as I looked for a light switch. I ran my hand over the cold stone wall until I hit what felt like an electrical cord pinned to the wall. My hand followed it to a switch and the stairway was lit.
Each descending step sent stabbing needles up my injured legs. I started to grow concerned with just how damaged my legs were. I paused and looked at the torn-up jeans revealing my shredded legs, and blood-soaked socks.