Baroota- the Hunting Ground, page 15
part #1 of The Director Series
Nick had dozed off when he heard the truck returning to camp. He woke up and carefully felt his way around in the pitch dark of the crawlspace.
“Nõn, are you awake?”
“Yes, I am awake; it is hard to sleep with rocks digging into your back and bugs crawling all over you.”
“OK, well Jay is back, so I need your knife. Can you hand it to me carefully? I can barely see anything, and I don’t want to get stabbed.”
“Reach your hand in my direction, and I will find it.”
Nick reached out, and his hand touched her hair. Nõn jumped.
“Sorry, that’s me.”
“It’s OK. I am just a little jumpy from all the bugs.”
Nõn took his hand and placed the handle of her knife in his hand. “What are you going to do with it?”
“A little preventative maintenance on those trucks. I’m guessing the oil hasn’t been changed in a long time on either one. I just hate to see a fine piece of machinery like that abused.”
“I hope you are joking,” she said and then, “of course you are joking, you never stop joking.”
Once Jay and the driver had stopped moving around and Nick was reasonably certain they were asleep, he crept out and crawled slowly to the parked trucks.
When he returned to the crawlspace, he smelled like motor oil. “There, that should do it. No matter what truck Jay takes tomorrow, he’ll experience a delay and won’t be able to return as planned. It might be a few days, if we’re lucky.”
“Are you going to share with me, or is this another secret that only you can know?”
“Don’t be a hater, Nõn, of course I will share. It is perfect, really. I just made a small hole in the two oil filters of each truck. The oil will drip out slowly when they are parked, like they are now, but when the motor fires up, the oil system pressurizes and oil will come spraying out. Trucks that size carry a lot of oil in their motor, so by the time the engine runs out of oil and starts to really get damaged, Jay and company will be miles away from here. With any luck, the truck motor will be damaged beyond repair. Divide and conquer is the plan, my dear Nõn. Jay and one driver will be gone with the two sponsors. That leaves us with one driver here, the guy in the command post, and our two hunters. Time to turn the tables on them all.”
“That is still four of them and two of us, Nick.”
“Yes, it is. The hunters are going out to look for us in the morning, searching the jungles again. Their truck will run out of oil as well, so they may have to walk back. Unfortunately for them, we’ll be here getting ready for their return. That leaves us to deal with just one guy, the tech guy in the command post. Poor bastard is about to have a very bad day.”
“You are enjoying this way too much, Nick. I appreciate that you think through all of this, but it is a bit disconcerting as well to know this is probably what goes through your head all day, every day.”
“No one really appreciates me,” Nick replied sarcastically, “not even you. Sleep, Nõn, busy day tomorrow.”
Nick then closed his eyes and went to sleep.
Jay caught a short catnap and then was up preparing for the day’s hunt. He scoured topographical maps of the area and tried to figure out where Nick and Nõn might have gone or hidden. He went to the room of both Green and Fossum’s sponsors and woke them. He explained they’d each be able to choose whatever mementos they wished to take with them from the two deceased men’s possessions, and then he’d accompany them to the airport. Leaving their rooms, he went to the small building where the men’s final possessions had been stored. It wasn’t comforting to find the building was unlocked. This wasn’t acceptable. He was the only one with a key and had kept tight control over the access to the equipment from the very first hunt. He had to take responsibility for the slip of security. There was no other person who had access to the building. Jay entered the building and found nothing looked out of place from the previous hunts. He did notice a faint scent in the air that reminded him of smoke and thought it was strange.
The sponsors rifled through the dead men’s possessions like shoppers looking through a bargain bin at Walmart on Black Friday, pulling out whatever items they wanted, casting aside those they didn’t. Watching, Jay wanted the two sponsors to hurry up with the treasure hunt. He was impatient to get them driven to the airport and return for the hunt of the final two trophies. Jay could barely contain himself.
Finally, the two sponsors were finished and ready to go. Jay loaded their possessions in the truck while the two sponsors made their final preparations to leave. Jay made sure Nick and Nõn’s sponsors were prepared for their hunt today. He had some final instructions for their driver/guide and then jumped in the truck and drove off as it started the two-hour trek to the Sambu airfield.
As Jay walked around the camp making preparations for the day’s hunt and the trip to the airfield, Nick and Nõn watched from beneath the command post. Once the day’s hunt began, they would be in the camp with only the technician. The odds would finally be in their favor.
Nick smiled and looked to Nõn. “I’d love to see Jay’s face when that truck starts smoking. Poor guy’s whole structured world is about to collapse from a few juvenile pranks. Imagine what that must feel like for a guy who prides himself on attention to details.”
Finally, the second truck left the camp, taking the remaining sponsors out for their pointless hunt.
Nõn turned to Nick and said, “So what is next?”
“Time for the gloves to come off, Nõn. I’m not sure you really want to know what comes next. To be honest, I’d really prefer you weren’t here to watch how dark this is going to get.”
“I have seen evil, Nick, and I know these men are evil. I am just curious what is next.”
“Next we have a little chat with the technician. But let’s find some food first.”
Inside the command post, the technician was waiting for the trucks to leave the camp as well. He was not only a mere technician for the camp; he was the director’s eyes and ears inside the camp. A spy to keep an eye on the daily events at the camp. The director didn’t rise to his position in life by leaving a program like the camp in a loyal underling’s hands without some kind of secret intelligence gathering going on inside the program. His official eyes and ears about the camp’s hunts and success came from Jay. The real story about the camp came unfiltered and raw from the technician inside the command post. Once the trucks had left the camp and the technician was sure he was alone, he relaxed a bit and opened the door to the command post. Stretching on the steps, he looked out on the jungle and listened to the sounds of the wildlife in the Darien Gap. Sitting down on the small metal porch, the technician pulled out the satellite phone that was his unfiltered connection to the director. Turning on the phone and waiting for the software to boot up and the satellite signal search to begin, he hoped the signal would be strong enough and last long enough to detail the situation on the ground.
Nick and Nõn were so close to the technician as he began talking to the director, they could have reached out and touched him.
As the technician began his conversation with the director, Jay was nearing the airfield. The vehicle was running rough and sounded like it was suddenly on its last tank of diesel. Jay was beside himself with anger. “What the hell else can go wrong on this hunt?” Pulling into the airfield parking lot, the truck’s motor gave its final random belch of black smoke, shuddered, and seized. Metal bonding to metal, the truck would only move now under the power of another motor. The truck died a heroic mechanical death. Jay, however, was not impressed or grateful for its final efforts in getting them to the airfield. Jay was livid. Nick was right; if he could have seen the result this one juvenile prank had on Jay, he would have been elated. Jay’s day was just getting started.
Back at the camp, Nick and Nõn listened as the technician detailed the difficulties of the week’s hunt.
“Originally, sir, all had been well. The first day’s hunts had set a new camp record, and the second hunt had also gone off without a hitch. The third hunt, however, had nearly been a disaster. One of the trophies had nearly killed a sponsor and the guide. Jay had to take matters into his own hands and kill the trophy himself.
Then the final hunt had been started the next morning. That hunt had totally come off the rails. The trophies were in the wind, their primary and secondary trackers had been removed, and no one had an explanation for how the trackers had been discovered. No one has ever discovered the trackers.”
“And who are these final trophies?”
“The reporter and the old cop, sir.”
A long silence, and then, “And what is today’s plan?”
“Jay has taken the last successful sponsors to the airfield and should be returning soon. The last sponsors are out hunting the final trophies with their guides.”
“All right, thank you for the update. Let me know any if any further developments occur.”
“Yes, sir.”
The technician hung up the phone and stood up. He turned and stepped up to enter the command post. Immediately, he fell; it felt like a hand had reached out and grabbed his foot at the last moment, but when he looked, he saw that his bootlace had just come untied. He had tripped on his own bootlaces. That’s weird, he thought, rubbing the fresh bruise on his knees. The metal floor of the command post was unforgiving. The technician rubbed his knees and cried out loud, “Jesus, that hurts!”
Under the command post floor, Nõn was beside herself with anger.
“Really, did you have to untie his boot? Will you ever grow up? I swear, you are a hopelessly juvenile delinquent. That could have backfired horribly, and we could have been captured and killed.”
Nick barely heard her as he tried desperately to contain his laughter. Soon enough, Nõn would wish the prankster Nick would return. The dark side of Nick was aching to be set loose on the camp.
They carefully crawled out of the crawlspace and stealthily scouted the camp, looking for food and water. They found one of the sponsors’ rooms had been left open and entered. Inside, there was food and water, a shower, toilet, and some other minor creature comforts.
“Do you think we have time for a shower? I mean, I could really use a shower; I feel like bugs are still crawling on me,” Nõn said hopefully.
“Sure, you shower; I’ll keep an eye out. I have some stuff to do anyway.”
While Nõn showered and discovered alarmingly she did indeed have several insects crawling on her, Nick broke out the Det Cord and began to plan for the day.
When Nõn returned, she found he’d made several loops of the Det Cord and set aside igniter caps for each loop. Looking in the room’s closet, he found an extra large pair of sweat pants, a propane blowtorch, and a machete. “You’re slipping, Jay; you’re so slipping,” Nick whispered to himself as he removed the sweatpants, blow torch and machete and put them on the bed with his supplies.
“I see you have been busy. If you like, there are extra towels and soap.”
“No, I’ll need a shower later. Trust me. Now’s not the time for me to get all squeaky clean. Now’s the time to get medieval.”
The look on Nick’s face was suddenly hard and distant. Nõn found it frighteningly similar to her childhood memories of the demon who now hunted her. A shudder erupted from deep within her shoulders.
“Last chance, Nõn. You can stay here. I’ll come get you when it’s over.”
She just shook her head no. Silently, she knew she was in this, no matter where it ended up.
Nick took a long, deep breath and said, “All right then, let’s begin.”
The technician heard a set of footsteps coming up the two metal stairs and thought it was odd that he hadn’t heard the return of the trucks. The door opened, and he started talking without turning to see who was there.
“So how was the airport, Jay? Everything go smooth as silk?
“Very smooth,” the strange voice replied. The technician, startled, stood up and turned quickly in time to see Nick, covered in ash and dirt, standing in the doorway of the command post.
“Mister, we’re lost, can you help us find our mommies?” Nick said as he raised the machete he’d found in the room high above the technician’s head.
Instinctively, the technician raised his own arms to protect his head from the pending assault. The machete cut through his right arm and severed it completely. The left arm absorbed the remaining energy from the strike, and the machete lodged into the meat and bone of the forearm. The technician screamed in agony and disbelief as he watched his severed right arm fall to the floor, lifelessly twitching.
“This was the quickest way I could think of to cure the pain from the fall earlier. Do your knees hurt now, my friend? No? No worries, I have just the thing to cure that little blood loss problem you’re experiencing, and it’ll help you forget about the pain of your newly missing arm.”
Nick shoved the man back into his chair and tied him to it. “Now let’s stop that blood loss; it’s making a mess of this nice, clean and tidy office of yours.” Nick lit the blowtorch and started cauterizing the fresh wounds.
Outside, the jungle erupted as flocks of birds quickly left the safety of perches high in the trees. The sound of an animal crying out as its final moments of life were horribly experienced disturbed them. They lived their own lives on the edge of death. To hear such an agonizingly horrible sound set them to flight, a reminder of what was possible at any moment. Whatever animal was in pain was close, much too close for the wildlife to feel safe.
When the man finally stopped screaming, Nick smiled. “There, now isn’t that better? See how one pain makes you forget about another? Now, I have a little gift for you, it’s a pretty little necklace of Det Cord. Do you know what Det Cord is?”
The technician was barely aware of the question and didn’t answer. He just continued to gasp for air greedily, trying to make sense of the rapid change of events in his life. Moments ago, he was comfortable and sitting in his chair. Now, his body was writhing in unspeakable pain.
Nick continued, “No? Well, this necklace is much more fun than the pearl necklace you last received from Jay, on your knees, looking longingly into his eyes. This necklace shares some qualities with Jay’s special gift to you, however; they both reach their climax in an explosion.” Nick placed the Det Cord around the man’s neck.
“Now that I have your attention, do you think you could fill in a few gaps for me? Like who is the director? Who’s behind this little operation? Who really killed JFK?”
The technician was half-crazed and not understanding the joke as the pain rolled through his body, wave after wave. “Who killed JFK? How the hell would I know?”
“Funny that’s all you heard,” Nick said. “Do I need to relieve the pain you have in the other arm?”
“No, no, please, anything, I’ll tell you anything!” The technician began to talk while Nick listened.
Nõn barely existed now in Nick’s world. He’d warned her. She decided to stay the course of the wolf. Her dream had been clear. She would see this through, no matter how horrible it became.
“Now you just sit tight.” Nick was satisfied he’d heard all the technician had to tell him. “I’ll be back in good time, get some rest.” Prying the machete from the man’s nearly severed left arm, Nick picked up the satellite phone and walked out of the command post, closing the door, muffling the screams that rolled out of the tortured man. Once the screams had finally subsided, Nick flipped the switch on the electronic igniter and removed the troubled technician’s head. The Det Cord necklace exploded, covering the inside of the command post with the fine mist of blood and brains, as it did what it was designed to do.
The sun had nearly set when the two hunters returned to the camp. They’d left in a truck accompanied by their driver/guide. The truck had broken down, and no one had the mechanical skill to know why. They’d been forced to walk back to the camp, and on the way back the demon saw something moving in the jungle, just in the shadows. Sprinting into the jungle, the demon wanted to kill something. The need to inflict pain on anything alive was overwhelming. He needed to hear the screams of an animal in pain. He’d hoped to wound a small deer or monkey, instead he returned from the jungle dragging a small boy who was fighting back as best he could. His resisting the demon only heightened the demon’s sadistic need. The driver immediately recognized the boy as a child from his village; not just any child, but the Wounaan tribal leader’s youngest son. The guide tried to stop the twisted man and save the child. There was no way, however, the demon would be denied, and the fat, soft man with them suddenly sparked to life and joined the demon in defeating his efforts to protect the child. There was nothing left to do but run to the village and hope he could get there fast enough to enable the tribal leader to save the boy.
The sight Nick and Nõn expected to see when the hunting trip returned to the camp was the three men walking exhausted from their day’s unsuccessful adventures. They weren’t prepared for the sight of the now beaten and bruised child being dragged by the demon, followed by the gleeful sexual predator, Kerry.
The men dragged the boy to a table near the center of the camp as the sun set and the jungle slowly began to darken. The child’s helpless, frightened cries pierced the air of the jungle around Camp Baroota. The demon told Kerry to get a fire going while he restrained the child face down on a wooden table. Once he was restrained, the demon ripped off what little clothing the child had worn. The Wounaan people traditionally didn’t wear much clothing in the warm Panamanian jungle.
Watching, Nick and Nõn were horrified. Nõn had been disturbed by Nick’s behavior before the arrival of the demon; now she had to admit, she hoped he was just getting started.
Nick, watching the demon, spoke quietly, “Get the kid. Take your knife and cut him loose, get him to the jungle, don’t come back. Just go, do you hear me? Don’t come back.”
Nõn nodded. Nick said nothing else and just started to walk towards the demon. Meanwhile, the demon was just getting warmed up with his sadistic torture of the child.
