by Paul Heron
‘Sofia,’ Ajit whispered. ‘We have two hours of darkness, and it’ll take us that long to reach the base from where we are.’
Michael offered his hand to the tribe leader in solidarity, hoping that his elder would accept his gesture of friendship.
‘I need a toilet,’ Mohammad whispered, stepping from side to side on the spot.
‘You certainly won’t go in that suit, or you’re done for,’ Larry said.
Marcel sniggered when he saw the expression on Mohammad’s face.
‘Shush!’ Carolina hissed, shaking her head.
The man got up again, and took a torch from one of the other tribesmen. He handed the torch to Michael, looked at Sofia and said, ‘if they have kidnapped your friend, then we have something in common. They also have my grandson.’
‘Who kidnapped him?’ Michael asked.
‘The men on the base near here.’
‘I am sorry that your grandson has been captured,’ Sofia said. She shook the man’s hand. ‘We must get to the base before sunrise. Can you guide us?’
‘There are powers not of this world that are causing these people to operate.’ The leader said, looking from Michael to Sofia. Then he turned to look at the others, as if addressing them all. ‘You have no idea what you’re getting involved in. But I can only respect your bravery. These men will help you find the base. We know a shortcut that your electronic device would not know.’
‘Thank you, sir. My name is Sofia, and this is Michael, our leader.’
‘Antonio, and we are part of the Mayan tribe here in Chiapas.’
‘Sofia!’ Mohammad whispered, holding himself around the groin area. ‘How do you say in their language: Can I use a toilet?’
‘We’re in the jungle, bone head. Use your imagination,’ Carolina hissed. ‘And is anyone else spooked by him not only speaking in basic English, but what he said about the powers controlling Mancini?’
‘He knows something, that’s for sure,’ Marcel said. ‘Mohammad, hurry up and go for a piss so we can get out of here.’
Once Mohammad reappeared from behind a tree, they left. The leader nodded to the group and bid them farewell.
They followed the Mayan tribesmen through the jungle, hoping they knew where they were going, and hoping that the tribe was really on their side.
‘Ajit,’ Michael whispered. ‘It’s just five hundred metres away, according to the GPS.’
‘Yes, and just an hour until the sun makes it difficult for us,’ Ajit replied. ‘But I’m excited to see Eduardo.’
‘How much time to the camp?’ Sofia asked one of the tribesmen.
They estimated twenty minutes.
The tribesman grabbed Sofia. ‘Hide!’ he hissed.
Sofia translated, and everyone either dropped to the ground or leapt behind trees. Michael felt as if he’d been eaten up by the vegetation as he stepped backwards and tumbled into a wall of leaves.
They all remained still, silent. A rustling grew louder.
‘What’s happening?’ Carolina whispered. ‘I can’t see a thing with these leaves.’
Marcel climbed up a tree to get a better view of the area. ‘I can’t see anything, apart from these damn bushes...’
‘We don’t have time for this,’ Sofia said to Michael.
‘I know, I know.’ Michael paused for a second. Trying to think, he heard a voice whisper in his ear. It was a female Irish accent, soft but with that mystical kind of power; similar to Elisabetta’s. The voice told him not to fear the earth’s animals. He became light-headed. Feeling like time was slowing down. His ears popped, the sound of being submerged under water. He looked passed Sofia. In the distance, a bright light came out of the trees, he watched as a semi-naked lady stood smiling at him. From books he’d read, it looked like Flidais – the Irish Goddess of Wildlife. She just smiled at him. In a flash, she was gone.
‘It sounds like an animal, a big animal.’ A tribesman whispered to Sofia. ‘We need to move, some of the beasts in this jungle, my friend, are not for us to play with. We must turn back...’
Michael came back into the moment. ‘We’re not going anywhere.’
‘Oh my God,’ Marcel shouted as he jumped down from the tree. ‘We need to go, fast!’
‘We’re not going anywhere,’ Michael repeated, frustration in his voice and Eduardo on his mind.
‘What is this?’ Ajit shouted.
Through the clearing, they saw a tiger trot towards them. The tribesmen panicked, not knowing Mohammad’s animal-charming ability. The flames of their torches caused shadows to dance off every surface, they lowered them to produce a defensive circle of fire.
The cat’s head was the size of a swollen basketball. Smelling the group, it stopped in its tracks; scanning the area. It bared its teeth, knowing something was there. Michael knew the tiger could claw through them in a heartbeat if it wanted to. It was a bloodthirsty man-eater.
The tiger roared, and the sharp, piercing sound ripped through the air and down their spines.
‘Here, catch,’ a tribesman shouted as he threw a net to Michael.
‘Can I?’ Larry asked. He took the net from Michael ‘Here, Marcel, catch,’ he whispered as he threw it to him. ‘Okay, Marcel. You go that way, and I’ll go this way. We’ll trap it.’
They were going to attempt to trap the tiger, but it would’ve been too strong and too aggressive.
‘Don’t! Drop the net, Marcel, Larry! It’s too strong. You’ll just piss it off!’ Mohammad shouted. Uncertain mumbles came from the group as Mohammad approached the tiger. ‘Relax, relax.’
Everyone watched as the animal became more agitated.
‘What is he doing? He’s insane!’ Larry shouted. He tried to run after Mohammad, but his brave attempt was stopped by Marcel, who pulled him back.
‘Just watch!’ Marcel said, having confidence in Mohammad’s ability.
‘Relax, relax,’ Mohammad continued. He slowly stepped towards the animal.
Michael kept thinking of the Rottweilers. If Mohammad could subdue them, he hoped he could do the same with this tiger.
The cat crouched down as if it was preparing to pounce.
‘Mohammad, it’s too dangerous!’ Carolina hissed. ‘Get back here.’ She ran out to help him.
He turned and gestured for her to stay back. He continued forward, slowly.
The animal fell silent. As he got closer to it, he saw that it’s head was four times the size of his own. He slowly reached his right hand out towards it’s face. Michael watched on in disbelief.
‘Mohammad!’ Marcel screamed as the cat jumped on Mohammad, pushing him backward, falling to the ground.
‘Is your friend crazy?’ a tribesman complained.
They were all frozen, until they saw that the cat was playing with Mohammad, licking his face.
‘Oh, thank God,’ Sofia said.
The group was entranced by Mohammad’s bravery, and the tiger’s reaction. But above all, they were grateful that whatever Elisabetta had done to them, it seemed to be working.
‘You’re a fool. What if the animal was to attack you? This is not a Rottweiler. This is a wild creature you asshole!’ Ajit screamed at him.
Mohammad roared with laughter, stroking the cat.
‘Lets move,’ Michael said.
They continued their trek, hopeful that all the jungle’s surprises were done, reaching their destination at half past four.
‘What time’s sunrise?’ Marcel asked.
‘A little after five,’ Michael said, grateful that the tribe’s knowledge and goodwill helped them reach their destination.
‘This is as far as we can go,’ one of the Mayans said. ‘We cannot get involved in whatever it is you are going to do. It would bring too much trouble to our people.’ He shook Sofia’s hands and said, ‘I admire your courage.’
‘Thank you for your help, and good luck.’ she said.
The tribe disappeared back into the jungle. The group was alone again. They huddled behind a
n enormous mahogany tree.
Using Larry's binoculars, Marcel climbed the tree to get a look at the camp.
‘What can you see?’ Larry whispered.
‘I see a wooden building, with two floors, and a flat roof. There are two guards standing at the front door. They have Kalashnikov assault rifles, there’s no way we’re entering a gun battle with them. I can see one man, on the first floor, pacing back and forth past the window, with his hands on his hips. Looks like he’s shouting’
‘And what about the fence surrounding the grounds? How do we get in?’ Larry asked.
‘The gate at the front also has two armed guards. There’s a watch tower at the back of the building, but I don’t see anyone on it, do you all hear that engine running? I’m guessing they have a patrolling vehicle. But they all look human. I don’t see any weird monsters. Maybe this is the wrong camp. I don’t think there are any Fomorians in there.’
‘Unless they’ve gotten word of our arrival, and have gone into hiding.’ Carolina said.
‘The problem is, if they know we’re coming, the chicken shits are probably running from us.’ Sofia said.
‘Okay, Marcel, that’s enough,’ Michael said.
He climbed back down, and the group made their way towards a stream that ran along the camp’s perimeter.
‘We need to fight our way in,’ Carolina blurted out before anyone else could speak. ‘It’s how they’re going to respond to us anyway. And we have the element of surprise.’
‘But we’re smarter than that,’ Michael said.
‘It’s the only way we’ll beat them, Michael,’ Marcel argued.
‘You can afford to say that, Bruce Lee,’ Ajit complained. ‘Because fighting is what you and Carolina are good at. Unarmed combat is easy for you, but for the rest of us, no.’
‘Lets just go in there, and kick their ass,’ Carolina said.
‘No way, we don’t know how many there are, and did you not hear Marcel? They have guns!’ Mohammad’s usual funny guy attitude was turning more serious.
‘Don’t be such a whimp!’ Marcel snapped.
‘I didn’t see you jumping for joy when the tiger came,’ Mohammad snarled. ‘Fighting is your skill, not ours.’
‘Shut up! All of you!’ Larry shouted. ‘You realise what happens if we mess this up?’ No of them respond. He did well to paint the gravity of what they were doing in one sentence.
‘Look, Carolina you and Marcel are awesome at this fighting thing, but, they have guns,’ Sofia said. ‘If we go in there expecting hand to hand combat, we’ll be slaughtered. And I don’t know about you guys, but I don’t want blood on my hands.’
‘Sofia’s right,’ Michael said.
‘Well!’ Ajit said, ‘how on earth are we going to do this, then?’
Chapter Six
‘MARCEL, CAROLINA, IT’S better if us three go in separately. That way, we spread out our resources,’ Michael said as he checked his phone.
‘Eduardo’s here, according to the tracker,’ Ajit said.
‘Bingo! That’s a good start.’ Marcel displayed his enthusiasm by rubbing his hands.
‘Sofia, Ajit, and I will go through the rear entrance,’ Michael said. ‘Marcel, you and Mohammad go in through the left side. And Carolina and Larry: you go in through the right side.’
‘I'm ready, I’m am ready.’ Ajit forced his words out from behind gritted teeth, punching his right fist into his left palm.
Mohammad touched Ajit on the shoulder, ‘lets go whip some ass.’
Everyone looked at each other, not really knowing what to do or how to feel. When they all met on Friday, Michael remembered George saying that in time they’d all be like family. He was beginning to understand what was meant by that.
‘If we stick together, we’ll be fine,’ Michael said. He smiled at them. ‘Let’s go find our new “amigo”. Everyone keep their earpiece in and keep communicating until we’re all together again.’
‘Where do we meet?’ Larry asked.
‘At the entrance to the building,’ Carolina said.
‘When we find Eduardo, we can contact Scarlett, and get the hell out of here. Easy!’ Michael said. Through the night-vision goggles, he looked at the six. All of them putting on brave faces, with an uncanny amount of trust in whatever Elisabetta had done to them, would help them see it through. ‘Right, let’s go!’
They separated. Michael, Sofia, and Ajit sprinted through the trees towards the back of the compound. It seemed as if every sound was amplified. Rustling leaves, cracking branches.
As they reached the rear of the compound, they saw three guards joking together.
‘We’ll run through these clowns like a knife through warm Indian butter,’ whispered Ajit. He pushed past Michael and ran straight for the three guards.
Sofia whispered in Punjabi for him to stop, but he didn’t listen.
He’d cracked. ‘Where is my friend you ass holes?’ he howled. Snatching a baton from one of them, he started swinging it as if fighting off a swarm of bees. Frozen on the spot, the men didn’t know what was happening. The darkness, a baton and a shadow that danced in the air was all they’d see. Ajit clocked one of them across the face, sending him to the ground.
Before they could sound the alarm, Michael appeared from behind the other two. With all his strength, he shoved one onto the ground, and spun the other around, wrapped his left arm around his neck from behind and wedged it with his other – a specialist choke hold. The guard passed out.
When the other guard regained his footing, Michael did the same to him while Sofia had a gun pointed at them. ‘Right, Sofia, keep the gun on them. I’ll tie them up. Ajit, that was crazy. Looks like you’ve spent too much time with Ahmad. What if they’d used their guns?’ Michael said as he tied the three together, using their ties to cover their mouths.
‘Sorry, I lost it.’
‘It was pretty hilarious,’ Michael said between sniggers. He double knotted the guards' neckties, fixing them to their mouths.
‘We’re at our destination,’ Sofia spoke to the rest of the group.
‘Guy’s, it’s Marcel. We’re good to go on our side.’
‘We’re ready on our side, too,’ came Carolina’s voice. ‘This is too easy.’
‘That’s what’s worrying me,’ Michael said.
From the perimeter fence, Michael peeked into the compound. He scanned the area. ‘There’s a power station with a generator in the right corner of the grounds. I’ll go there myself, cut off the power supply, and when they all exit the building, that’s when we’ll go in,’ he whispered. ‘They’ll be in complete darkness.’
‘It’d be better if we stick together,’ Mohammad said.
‘One of us needs to create a diversion for the rest to sneak in. Can everyone still hear? Marcel? Carolina?’
Both confirmed.
‘Michael, I know you’re in charge, but I’m not letting those guys at you without some help. I’m coming to meet you at the generator,’ Marcel said.
‘Four hands are better than two,’ Michael agreed.
‘Aww, isn’t that sweet,’ Mohammad chuckled.
‘When the lights go out, wait until they exit the building, and then go for it. Marcel and I will catch up once we’ve put them all to sleep.’
With only twenty minutes until sunrise, Michael made his way across the yard towards the power station, staying close to the building’s perimeter.
They all waited; the tension building as Michael got to the power station.
‘As soon as I cut the power, we need to be fast,’ he said. ‘It’ll be a complete blackout. You guys go in and find Eduardo. Marcel and I will be straight in after you.’
‘Man, I’m pumped!’ Marcel hissed. ‘This is better than paintball.’
‘Ninja Marcel,’ Mohammad teased.
‘I’m about to cancel the power; then we go,’ Michael whispered, opening the wooden door to the generator hut.
He stepped in and looked around, almost knoc
ked back out by the smell of diesel. Through his night vision, he read: model C175-20 Diesel.
‘It’s a diesel generator,’ he said. ‘Everyone get ready! I’m about to shut it off. Ready...!’
Chapter Seven
MICHAEL HIT THE SWITCH. The generator shuddered to a halt. Complete darkness. Nothing but the faded shouting reaching the hut from inside the building. Michael’s heart began to pound against his chest. He had that feeling a person gets when they know there’s no turning back, like stepping one foot off the edge of a cliff then lifting the other. The temperature under his suit grew warmer by the second. Sweat was pooling.
The main building’s door flung open. Michael waited anxiously behind the generator hut. Marcel arrived.
‘I’m glad you’re here, amigo,’ Michael said. ‘Carolina, you can all go in now. Go and find Eduardo. We’ll be right behind you.’
Michael and Marcel stood waiting, fidgeting with their suits in anticipation.
‘Ready?’ Marcel asked. ‘For some fun?’ He forced a laugh, nudging Michael with his elbow.
But Michael wasn’t convinced of Marcel’s false confidence. ‘You don’t need to keep playing the tough guy. I know you’re just as nervous as I am.’
They could hear footsteps running towards them.
‘Nervous? What are you talking about?’
‘Shush,’ he hissed, dragging Marcel in against the wall of the hut. ‘They’re coming.’
The sound of the agents grew louder as they got closer to the power station. The agents couldn’t see Michael and Marcel, but they knew something was going on.
‘Remember, you’re a lethal weapon and everything, but try not to kill anyone,’ Michael said. ‘I’m going around the other side. You wait here, and we’ll take them from both sides.’
As the agents approached the power station, Michael crept up behind them.
‘What the hell is going on?’ one shouted in Mexican Spanish.
‘I can’t see anyone, but I know someone’s here,’ another said.
Michael whistled from behind them.
They spun around, Michael threw a right hook, a swipe so ferocious it was as if it came from jungle’s tiger; it sent the Mexican to the ground. From behind, Marcel grabbed another, using a submission move to make him pass out.