Lost Voyage (18 page)

31

The sun was beginning its slow descent beyond the horizon as a bright orange canvas blanketed the sky. The clouds were reflecting the sun’s rays during its departure, creating a spectacle that would normally take one's breath away. However, there would be no time for enjoying the view on this particular day.

As the pickup truck barreled its way down the gravel road, Vigil’s foot remained firmly pressed against the gas pedal as the vehicle was pushed to its maximum capacity. Mercer sat in the back as calm as could be considering the violent movement of his surroundings. Hunt, on the other hand, sat up front in the cab, trying to grab ahold of anything to keep his body from thrashing about.

Vigil looked over in his direction. “You look a little pale over there, Colonel. You alright?”

“I will be. We can swing by on the way back and grab my lower intestine. I think it flew out about a half mile back.”

“Aw, come on. My driving’s not that bad. Sean doesn’t seem to be bothered by it.”

“That’s because he’s just as crazy as you are. Now slow down before you put any more of my organs out of place.”

Vigil eased off the gas just enough to make his employer feel at ease, but his foot continued to put a slight amount of pressure on the pedal in order to try and maintain his current speed without being too obvious.

Mercer decided on heading back to the decoy site to gather up the remaining explosives and weaponry left behind when they left to rescue Hunt. From there, they would make the trek to the coordinates mapped out by the laser gravimeter on board the NESA jet, but since all documents were either destroyed or confiscated, they would have to rely on other measures to lead them to it. He was well aware of the fact that Vallejos and his men now knew the exact location of the gold, but it was the resistance of the cartel that would pose the biggest problem from this point on.

It took about twenty minutes to make the trip into the thick brush to get to their gear. Hunt stayed behind with the vehicle while Mercer and Vigil made the hike to the decoy site. Upon arrival, they immediately packed all their belongings and headed back to the truck, where they found their employer sitting idly with an impatient look on his face.

“I’m almost twice your age and I could have made that trip in half the time,” he commented.

“I wish you would’ve said that earlier,” Vigil quipped. “I could have stayed back and taken a catnap.”

“You two just crack me up,” said Mercer, interrupting the friendly banter.

Hunt couldn’t resist the urge to take another good-hearted poke at his men. “Well, I would say we should go, but since I didn’t know how long you two would be, I ordered a pizza for delivery.”

Vigil threw his pack in the back of the pickup. “Taking a crack at me for being slow is one thing. But then you go and dangle pizza in front of me after the slop we ate in that dungeon? That’s just outright cruel.”

“If you two are done,” Mercer again interrupted, “We still have pressing matters to attend to other than Pat’s insatiable appetite.”

They loaded back into the pickup, and with Mercer in the back and out of earshot, Vigil turned to Hunt.

“When this is all over, you’re taking me out for an all you can eat pizza buffet.”

Hunt, who had regained his serious composure, kept his eyes straight ahead, never looking over to respond.

“When this is all over, you’ll be able to afford your own pizzeria. Let’s take care of these thugs once and for all and get back home. What do ya say?”

There was no response necessary. They all knew what was to come in the next few hours. Vigil smiled and let out a chuckle as he put the truck in gear and drove off down the road. The bright orange canvas of the sky had now turned to a dark shade of grey as the twinkling stars of the night sky began making their appearance.

***

Vallejos could barely feel the pain in his arm anymore, due in large part to the rum he had consumed and the adrenaline of emotions coursing through his veins. His spirits, however, had not been in a lightened state since leaving the side of the road and seeing Esperanza’s truck.

His mind veered off in thought as to what his head of security could be doing here since he had not yet shared the details of Rojas’ findings with anyone. Something didn’t feel right about the situation and he was eager to share his displeasure with his enforcer.

The sun was now gone, but that did little in the way to lighten the blanket of heat still hanging in the air. The air was dense and every sound of the forest could be heard as clear as could be. Off in the near distance, he heard a familiar voice barking orders.

Esperanza was so absorbed in the task at hand, he never heard his employer appear from the brush behind him.

“Kervin, what is the meaning of all this? Where is Geovany?”

Upon hearing the question, Esperanza didn’t immediately turn around.

“Kervin, I asked you a question.”

“I heard you, Andres,” he responded as he turned to face his employer.

“I decided to take it upon myself to begin the dig. As for Geovany…well, he will not be joining us for the remainder of our journey.”

Vallejos had a look of confusion on his face which quickly turned to anger.

“What have you done, Kervin?”

“I have done what I felt was necessary.”

Vallejos became more enraged at the defiance being displayed towards him.

“It is not up to you to decide whether or not to take these matters into your own hands. You seem to have forgotten your place.”

Esperanza stared back at him. There was a smug look on his face that was accompanied by a cunning smile, making his words seem even more direct.

“I have forgotten nothing, Andres. But it would seem that you have. It is
I
that does your dirty work and it is
I
that handles matters you are unable to. So now, it is
I
who will reap the benefits of this find.”

Vallejos was appalled by the blatant disrespect.

“I will have your head for talking to me in such a way. You dare let the actions of these Americans come between us? I never thought they would be your undoing, and I certainly didn’t expect this from you, of all people.”

Esperanza showed no emotion. He didn’t waver from the stance he was taking.

“You should choose your words wisely from this point on, Andres. I no longer work for you. It would be wise for you to leave here and return to the compound unless you would like to share the same fate as Geovany.”

“You would betray me and ruin all we have accomplished over the years? You will pay for this with your life!”

Vallejos angrily barked an order to the men who were digging. “Stop what you are doing and take Mr. Esperanza back to the compound!” He turned his attention back to Esperanza. “You will remain there until I return. Then, I will deal with you myself.”

The men stopped what they were doing to look up at the cartel leader, but made no attempt to follow the order they were just given. This only infuriated him further.

“Did you hear what I just said? You work for me, not him! Take him into custody at once! That is an order!”

The men still made no move to indicate they would be complying. Esperanza now knew he had the upper hand.

“I have grown tired of your words, Andres. These men work for me and they do what I tell them. Your days of running this regime are over.”

Vallejos suddenly became aware he had lost all control of the situation. Walking away would only prove his weakness and validate Esperanza’s actions in front of the men. He knew what his head of security was capable of, but was not going to back down from everything he had built over the last decade.

“Very well, Kervin. If this is the way you would like to play this out, I have no choice but to treat you like the traitor that you are.”

He pulled out the pistol attached to his side and pointed it directly at Esperanza, who still showed no emotion as he stared down the barrel of the gun. Instead, he just smiled and uttered a single statement.

“You are a foolish man, Andres. And you have just signed your own death warrant.”

“You have forced my hand on this matter and I take no pleasure in what I’m about to do. You have served me well over the years, but you have overstepped your boundaries for the last time.”

Cocking the gun, he took aim and prepared to fire the round that would end Esperanza’s life.

32

Mercer took the lead as Vigil and Hunt followed closely behind. They walked past the trucks they knew could only belong to the cartel and decided on taking another route in as to not be detected. Unsure of exactly what size the opposing force would be, they thought it would be best to keep the element of surprise on their side for as long as possible.

The walk through the jungle was made more unbearable by the heat, but nothing would deter them from their mission. Arriving at the coordinates quickly was now the task at hand. From there, the battle to find the gold would play its course.

A few minutes later, they were halted by what appeared to be voices off in the distance. As they drew closer, Mercer was able to distinctly hear two men talking back and forth. When they got within visual range to see who the voices belonged to, it came as no surprise that is was Vallejos and Esperanza.

“Psst,” whispered Vigil.

Mercer looked back and nodded his head up as if to silently ask ‘what?’

Vigil pointed and kept his voice low when he spoke. “Do you think that’s the perimeter security guard?”

Twenty yards away and next to a tree was the lifeless body of a hefty man who seemed a little too overdressed to be out in the jungle. The gaping wound in his chest suggested he had worn out his welcome with whoever ended his life.

“I’ve seen that guy before,” said Hunt. “I remember seeing him back at the compound.”

“Well, we better not disturb him then or he’ll trigger the alarm,” Vigil quipped.

Mercer chuckled as he and his partner shared a laugh. Hunt shook his head and slapped Vigil on the back of the neck, prompting him to get back to the task at hand. Then, he turned to Mercer.

“Can you hear what they’re saying?”

“No. But there appears to be a disagreement of sorts judging by the tone. And there aren’t a lot of other soldiers around. I think we should take advantage of this while we can.”

“It doesn’t make sense.” replied Hunt. “If they know the location of the gold, then why aren’t they out here with the rest of their men? Something isn’t right.”

Vigil commented, “Yeah, but we can take out the backbone of the cartel in one swoop. With those two out of the way, the rest will crumble like a house of cards.”

For a brief moment, they discussed how they would descend upon the unsuspecting soldiers. Once they were ready to deploy, Mercer pulled out a concussion grenade from his pack. He was about to pull the pin when an unexpected twist of events came into play. Vallejos began shouting, and then something happened that surprised the NESA operatives beyond disbelief.

“What the hell is going on?” asked Hunt.

Mercer was unsure of how to answer as he witnessed the cartel leader pull out a pistol and point it directly at Esperanza.

“This is odd,” he replied.

There was silence as they remained crouched with their eyes fixated on the situation unraveling before them. Vigil finally broke the silence.

“I hope he doesn’t shoot him. I’ve been looking forward to taking that thug out myself.”

“Well, if he does shoot him,” responded Mercer, “That’s just one less we have to dispose of ourselves.”

There were a few more words spoken between the two cartel members. Hunt saw this as the opportunity they had been waiting for.

“Sean, throw the grenade and let’s catch them off guard.”

Mercer needed no further encouraging. The window for a surprise attack would close in a short matter of time and they would lose the upper hand. The grenade was launched and they readied themselves for the attack.

***

The blast achieved the desired effect, as the expelled fragments of the grenade took out some of its intended targets. The soldiers in the dig area were the ones most affected by the blast, as Vallejos and Esperanza were shielded by trees and other bodies between them and the flying fragments.

Vallejos tried to take in his surroundings before making a decision on what course of action to take, but was thrown off guard again as he heard gunfire echoing through the forest. He turned back to get a visual on Esperanza, who had since taken cover behind a tree.

Unable to get a clear shot on the man who had betrayed him, he scanned the area and identified three men he knew all too well coming directly towards him. Seeing no way out of the situation with only one handgun in his possession, he decided to try and make an escape. He saw an opportunity to take off into the trees and ran as fast as his legs would carry him.

“Sean,” Vigil called out. “There goes Vallejos. Ten o’clock.”

“I’ve got him. Give me some cover fire.”

Vigil laid down enough gunfire to ensure his friend could chase down Vallejos unscathed. Once his partner was clear, he and Hunt set their sights on the remaining soldiers. With only a few left, and most of them injured in one way or another, Hunt knew he could keep them corralled.

“I’ve got these guys, Pat. Go and find Esperanza.”

Vigil took off to where he last saw his adversary. Keeping his weapon aimed, he slowly crept towards Esperanza’s position. He wouldn’t need to look for long, as he was greeted by the giant man who seemed to be in a welcoming stance.

Esperanza was holding something in his hand that Vigil was unable to identify right away. He finally held up the object, revealing it to be the port log which was once in the possession of Anthony Mendoza.

“This little book has created quite a bit of commotion,” stated Esperanza.

Vigil responded with a sly smile on his face. “Why don’t you just give it to me now and maybe I’ll make your death a quick one for cooperating.”

“I remember the look in the old man’s eyes when I took this from him. I also remember the way his head exploded when I shot him at point blank range.”

Vigil suddenly became filled with rage. Lowering his weapon, he threw it to the side and looked his foe directly in the eyes. They stared each other down, waiting to see who would be the first to blink.

Esperanza reached behind his back and exposed the machete that had ended so many lives. The weapon and port log were thrown to the ground as he addressed the American.

“I’ve been looking forward to this.”

“Oh, I’m going to enjoy this,” replied Vigil. “Let’s dance, big boy.”

The two men began a slow circling of one another. Esperanza towered over the much shorter opponent, but the shear strength of each man would be the determining factor in this confrontation.

Vigil was the first to throw a punch. The blow appeared to have little effect as his hand connected with the right cheek of Esperanza. The retaliatory blow was also not as effective as intended, but Vigil could feel the power of the brutish man.

Smiling, he shrugged it off and lunged at Esperanza. The two began a grappling session that caused both of them to thrash violently against each other’s bodies. Punches were thrown at a feverish pace and with each connecting blow, they both became more fatigued.

Esperanza was able to roll on top of his foe. Once he was able to regain his balance, he delivered a blow to Vigil’s groin area, causing the American to wince from the pain. Undeterred, Vigil provided his own blow in the way of a head butt. This caused Esperanza to flinch back, providing a clean shot to the chest. Finally able to kick the giant man off of him, Vigil got up to regain his stance, but was met with a blow to his backside in the form of a vicious kick.

He landed face down and it took a few seconds to recover from the agonizing pain. When he rolled over, he saw Esperanza standing over him holding a rock big enough to crush a bear’s skull.

“So long, Mr. Vigil. You put up the good fight, but now it’s time to end this once and for all.”

Vigil reached for anything that would help defend the inevitable blow coming at any second. When his hand hit the ground behind him, he felt a foreign object that didn’t feel like part of the natural forest landscape. The metal blade of the machete Esperanza had discarded prior to the brawl was now lying next to his head. He ran his fingers down the edge of the blade until he reached the handle and grasped it firmly.

Esperanza began the downward descent of what was sure to be the crushing blow that would end the battle. The sharp pain he felt in his lower body would deter that from happening. He dropped the rock, causing it to land next to the head of his opponent. Then, he looked down at where his foot was once attached to his calf.

He let out a wailing scream that resonated throughout the forest. Falling to one knee, he tried to maintain a balance that suddenly became awkward without the use of the missing appendage.

Vigil stood up and looked down at him. He raised the machete and prepared to stick it through the chest of his nemesis, but something Esperanza said made him pause for a moment.

“Go ahead. Do it. But know this. Before I killed the old man, he had a fear in his eyes I thoroughly enjoyed seeing as I ended his life. I will give you no such satisfaction as to show you that same fear. So, go ahead and do your worst.”

Vigil tried not to think about what Mendoza’s final sight might have been before his life was taken. Anger took over and he raised the machete higher this time.

“Burn in hell, you sick bastard.”

He swung the machete as hard as he could until it made contact. The blade met with the neck and went straight through, disconnecting Esperanza’s head from his body. Throwing the machete to the ground, he walked over to where the port log was lying on the forest floor.

Carefully picking it up, he dusted it off and began to make his way back to Hunt and the other soldiers. On the way by the dismembered corpse of Esperanza, he uttered a remark.

“You weren’t much of a dancer, big boy. Not much at all.”