Serializing a new novel.
Chapter 5 — Part 2
Brazil, June 2000
Fay and Eli are supposed to be going on a business trip to
South America to investigate a charity that is trying to save
Amazonian rainforests. They have many questions about the
need for the trip, arranged by Eli's assistant Fred. In the
middle of the trip, when Fay decides she wants to go back to
the hotel, their guide pulls out a gun and insists that they
must go onto the helicopter that is waiting to take
them.
*
Pedro looked discomfited but walked towards the helicopter.
Manuel motioned to Fred. Together they forced the couple
aboard. Manuel kept the gun in his hand as Fred bound them
firmly to the seats. The helicopter began its ascent.
There was a stunned silence as the helicopter lifted off from
the ground. Then Fay said in a slow and careful Portuguese,
choosing each word carefully, "Pedro, you seem like a good
man. Why are you doing this thing?"
The pilot concentrated on the controls. At last he said.
"Business has been bad. I owe money. If I refuse to do this
thing then they kill me."
"You refused to shoot us, as Manuel wanted, but you have
agreed to leave us in the jungle where we will perish. What
about your immortal soul? What will you suffer for this bad
deed?" Fay asked.
She had worked with the poor Spanish immigrants of New York
for many years. They had all been deeply religious people.
She hoped that this man had not discarded his faith.
Pedro replied, "Manuel is powerful. He will kill me if I
don't obey. It is true I fear for my soul. I am caught with
no way out. It is bad luck for me that the river is so low.
If not for that, I would not have become involved."
"Fay, stop jabbering away and tell me what is going on," said
Eli. He listened as Fay explained that the pilot had been
paid, not to take them to an eco village but to deposit them
in a lonely place in the jungle and leave them there. The
argument that Fay had listened to had been Manuel's
instructions to kill them and then push them out of the
aircraft. Pedro had refused, saying that he had agreed to
leave them in the jungle but not to do any actual killing.
Eli listened and then said. "Tell him that they will kill him
anyway. Tell him that there is no way that they will leave a
witness to these killings. Tell him to take us to a place
where we can all hide in safety. I will arrange for him to
come to work for us in America and I will reward him with a
fine house and a new helicopter."
Fay slowly translated these words. The pilot listened but
gave no clue as to his thoughts. Fay watched as Eli struggled
furiously with the rope but was unable to pull his hands
free. They glanced at each other, trying to find the courage
to face their coming ordeal. Below them the forest unfolded,
but the green dense lush scenery now spelled death, not
beauty.
Two hours later, Pedro pointed to a small clearing below. He
motioned towards it and slowly brought the aircraft down to
land in the center.
The helicopter edged onto the space. Pedro took out of his
pocket a small knife and cut their cords. He said to Fay,
"Get out now. I need time to think. Tell your husband not to
think of harming me. Without me, you will die in the
forest."
Next, Pedro threw their luggage out, so it fell roughly onto
the mossy floor of the forest. Then he said. "Quick, help me
cover the machine with these leaves. Tell your husband to
help."
Pedro began stripping green foliage from the surrounding
vegetation. Eli had, however, already understood what was
required. In a strained voice he said, "We will do as he
says."
After that Eli concentrated on the task but didn't talk. He
seemed to be listening for something. Every now and then he
looked upwards, through the canopy of trees, skyward. Fay
thought to herself. "Does he really think that help will
come? This isn't the movies. How can he think like that?"
They had just completed the job when the drone of an airplane
was heard. "Fay, tell him to run, now, as far from the plane
as possible! Quickly, both of you follow me!"
Fay repeated the instructions to Pedro. After a moment's
hesitation, first looking up quizzically at the sound of the
noise above, he followed the instructions.
Moments later they stood behind the trunk of a large tree and
watched as a series of explosions came from the helicopter
and smoke rose from it. Then the plane made a swooping low
circle above the scene of destruction before flying off.
Together they walked a few paces and stood looking at the
smoldering wreckage of the helicopter.
"You were correct. They did not want me to live," said Pedro.
"They found us though I took a different route from that
which I had originally planned and discussed with them. The
plane was hidden by the time they arrived. How did they find
us? "
Eli spoke in a strained voice to Fay and she translated. "My
husband says this, `I was thinking. Why should they trust
you? These men, they rarely trust their colleagues, so why
should they trust you? Not only that. Manuel placed something
below your seat just before he closed the door on us. At the
time I couldn't think why he did it so furtively. Then when
we landed I realized that it was probably a device to enable
them to track the helicopter wherever it went. I helped you
cover the plane, but all the time I was worrying in case they
had followed us. I was listening for it.' "
"We are alive. They think we are all dead. If I had followed
their plan and not listened to your plea, I too would be
dead. We will hide," said Pedro.
He led them down a barely discernible path. Above them, tall
trees screened out most of the sunlight. Creepers encircled
the broad stems of the trees. The path was just visible
through the ferns that grew on it. The sounds of the jungle
echoed around them as they walked, the screeching sounds of
parrots and cockatoos, the chattering of monkeys. But in the
gloom of the forest, no animals were visible and their sounds
provided a frightening backdrop to an already ominous
situation.
Then, quite suddenly, they were in a large clearing with a
scattering of broken down buildings.
Now Pedro spoke, "Once, this was an eco village hotel that
was used for tourists. But it was too far and things did not
go well here, so they closed it. We will not be disturbed
here. We will rest. We will eat. See there, bananas on that
tree and a stream of pure water runs not far away. I remember
also that they left stores of food here. It was too expensive
to take everything away when they abandoned the site. I
remembered these things and for this reason I came here.
Wait. I will return."
Fay translated for her husband and then she said, "What now,
Eli?"
There was a long silence. Then he said, "We have been in
tough spots before, but nothing like this. I should have
listened to you . . . Fred Smith! You were against me hiring
him right from the start. I should have listened to you."
"We have to get back Eli. What will Danny think when we don't
return as planned next week?" Husband and wife looked at one
another. For the sake of their son, there rose in both of
them a determination to somehow escape from this dire
situation and return home.
Pedro reappeared. He was carrying a broken clay pot and water
was dripping from it. "Now we eat and drink and rest.
Tomorrow we think what to do. Yes?"
