Page 77 of Fear No Evil
“Bless you! Bless you all.” With his arms outstretched, he crossed the threshold to greet his saviors.
They welcomed him with one wary eye still on the FARC inside. Where were the rest of the captives?
Grabbing her hand, Jay squeezed it extra hard. Maggie avoided his tear-filled gaze and merely nodded.
“Excuse me,Comandante,” Boris called to Marquez. “Where is the body of Mike Howitz? And where are the JUNGLA captives whom General Rojas agreed to release?”
Marquez said nothing, just gestured for Gallo to show them something. Returning to the door, Gallo pointed toward the corner of the exterior, where a pine crate like the kind used to house weapons stood by itself at the corner of the building. “The body is there. Don’t open it unless you like the smell of death.”
The team members all stared at the box in horror. Picturing Mike’s corpse folded over on itself and crammed inside,Maggie’s blood heated to a boil. These rebels, in their quest for human rights, had snuffed out the life of an exuberant and fun-loving man, and they were gettingpaidfor it? She shook with the force of her revulsion. Rounding on the FARC inside, she prepared to call them every vile name under the sun.
“Easy.” Charles gave a yank on her arm. “Let it go.”
Gallo pointed firmly at the helicopter.“Ya es hora de que se vayan.” It’s time for you to leave.
“But…” Boris floundered for diplomacy in the face of duplicity. “Where are the JUNGLA you were going to release?”
Gallo gave a careless shrug. “Rojas sends his apologies, but the JUNGLA escaped their escorts on their way here, and they fled into the wilderness. They are better trained than our soldiers, you see. At least they are free.” He shrugged again.
His story was so obviously a lie. Boris gaped at him, at a loss for words.
Behind them, the helicopter’s rotors began to spool faster. What choice did Boris have but to head out? The rebels weren’t about to hand the money back. At least, the UN team had some of what they’d come for.
Charles thought the same thing. “Let’s go, Boris.” He tugged their leader away from the door. “Help me with the box.”
As Charles, Boris, and Bellini hefted the box—which clearly contained dirt as well as a body—Maggie grabbed Jay’s filthy sleeve and waved Esme with her as she struck out toward the helicopter. Would Gallo really let her get away? A glance back at his expression sent shards of suspicion sinking deep beneath her skin. This wasn’t the end of the FARC’s treachery, was it?
Glimpsing movement at the edge of the field, she caught sight of David and the unknown rebel emerging from the forest alone. They hadn’t found Jake. She faltered to a halt at the forceful reminder of Jake’s death. Her knees turned liquid. The world seemed to spin.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. How was she supposed to leave without him?
Jake pressed himself against akapoktree, his heart thudding as he assessed the situation taking place in front of him. Across a field of tall, rippling grass, acid green beneath the rays of the low-lying sun, David and the unknown rebel marched ahead of him toward a red-roofed building while the five remaining peacekeepers—and one hostage—headed into the gale-force wind of the Red Cross helicopter. Boris, Bellini, and Charles struggled to carry a crate—A Dhia—that had to contain Mike Howitz’s body.
Remarkably, the exchange seemed to be going off without a hitch—except Jake didn’t see any released JUNGLA hostages. Perhaps they were in the helo already. He focused back on Lena. Even from a distance of a football field, he could tell his apparent demise was taking its toll on her. She moved like an automaton, looking around with a dazed expression that let him know she was thinking of him.
I’m right behind you, Beautiful.
As the UN team moved in a slow parade toward their noisy transport, Jake waited with dread for something to go wrong. David and his companion had slipped into the building, the door closing behind them. Jake could see faces pressed to the filthy glass of the two front windows, watching the team depart. Why had they all shut themselves inside like that?
As Jake looked back at the team, now arriving at the Huey, the field beyond it caught and held his attention. Darker green shapes seemed to slither among the stalks of waving grass. Jake blinked, thinking his vision was playing tricks on him.
When the first head reared up, alarm drove a shaft through his heart. Then dozens of heads appeared, covered in camouflaged helmets. Rifles rose next, pointed at the building. In one accord, the hidden army fired on the cloistered FARC.
A barrage of semiautomatic gunfire played descant to the helicopter’s thunder. Caught utterly off guard, the UN peacekeepers froze and stared.
Fear raked Jake’s spine as the red-roofed building bore the assault. The glass in the two front windows shattered. It had to be the JUNGLA who were firing at the FARC.
“No!” His shout of protest was never heard through the noise. The JUNGLA, who had jeopardized the start of this mission, were now wreaking havoc on its successful resolution. Why?
Certain to be shot dead if he moved from his concealed location, Jake stared helplessly as the male peacekeepers and a man in uniform struggled to lift the heavy box into the helicopter. Eyes locked on Lena, Jake wasn’t surprised to see her heaving Jay Barnes into the big bird before turning to help Esme.
Get in, Lena!
Soon, she was the only member of the team with two feet still on the ground. The rotors spooled faster as the helo readied for takeoff. Thank God the JUNGLA’s ammunition was being aimed at the rebels and not at the bird. For the moment, the FARC were pinned down and not yet returning fire.
Charles, kneeling in the doorway, stretched out a hand to Lena to help her up. Throwing a look over her shoulder, she hesitated. The temptation to step into view and reassure her he was still alive rode Jake hard. But if others saw him, too, what then? He gripped the tree, staying hidden.
Just go, Lena!