‘How much further out?’
‘Well instead of two miles, it will be six miles. That gives me time to take off before the Navy can get to me.’
‘What are you going to tell them, engine trouble?’
‘Yes, but if I am two miles, they will hear me, and know my engines are fine, further out I can tell them I have made repairs.’
‘Okay looks like I have a longer paddle, drop me so I don’t drift into them with the wind, and thanks Juan.’
‘No problem.’
After a rapid descent and landing, Archer pushed his boat out and inflated it with the disposable gas bottle, loaded his gear and got clear quickly. He put on his night vision goggles and checked the area, he could not see the Navy ship, but he knew it would be on its way. Juan would draw them away while Archer rowed inshore.
Enzi had arrived in Colombia a few hours before flying into La Florida airport, hiring local men to support the twelve he brought with him, and two powerful boats. He made his way forty miles south into Ecuador, staying close to the coast before reaching the estuary of the Rio Cayapas. His local guides showed him the best route, and he dropped off a small four-man team on the beach five mile from the river mouth, the Arcadia just visible two miles away.
‘Watch the boat, light no fires, wait ‘til dawn, then board the Arcadia and disable any communications.’
The men offloaded a small zodiac being stowed on the rear of the motor boat attached the outboard motor to it. Each had a small machine gun for close combat.
Archer had been rowing for about an hour and a half, and was within sight of the land, he was south of the river estuary, the strong current from the freshwater outflow pushing him away from shore. His night goggles revealed the team of four men on the beach; they had lit a fire and were cooking. He moved ashore about half a mile down from them, the dark moonless night masked his approach.
Enzi was moving the boats upstream slowly, the engines barely murmured, not wanting to wake the locals or camp upriver. The jungle was alive with noise, a chorus of a thousand frogs all seeking a mate, and every nocturnal mammal out for food, never peaceful. The level of noise and activity was unnerving to Enzi and his men; they were used to the peace and quiet of Mabalia, arid grasslands and coast, never nightlife on this scale. The men were jumpy but Enzi liked that, their heightened instincts would assist him the following day.
They moored the boats south of the camp, and Jones and two other men moved forward in the jungle to assess the camps facilities and defences, a feast for the mosquitoes who were less active now than at dusk, but still an annoyance.
Archer moved through the low-lying undergrowth on the edge of the beach, the occasional tree and bush provided adequate cover. He had used odourless insect repellent so his scent did not tip off his prey, and he could avoid being bitten. He looked towards the four men camped, they were very relaxed, laughing and joking around the fire. One of them had an MP3 player on and was nodding his head to the rhythm, was he from the farm in Mabalia? Archer levelled his M4 the night vision sight showed all his targets, he was debating a short burst to take all four men out; not to kill them, but wound, so he could interrogate them. He was only a hundred feet away and the power of the M4 would be devastating at this range.
He waited, two of the men lit up cigarettes, the other two objecting and told them to go away. They moved down the beach towards Archer’s position. He shouldered his weapon and drew his knife, waited crouched just off the sand. The two men walked past, only handguns in holsters, no rifles. He moved quietly and swiftly, jumped up with the knife pointed out away from his right side.
He slashed the first man in the throat, the deep cut severing his larynx. While the second man reached for his pistol Archer was on him, slammed into his body, knocked him to the ground his hand over his mouth and knife buried in his chest as the sand cascaded around them. The man’s eyes rolled back and he stopped struggling, the blood hot on Archers hand from the wound. The second man was lifeless behind him, his neck open and head back in the sand, the blood no longer pumping out of his body.
He could see the other men by the fire had not moved, the crashing waves masked his attack. Archer dragged the remains of both men into the bushes, removed their radios, kept one and threw the other into the sea.
He moved up the beach, took off his night goggles, to stop the flare from the fire temporarily blinding him. He shot the two men at the campfire, the first in the head he fell forward into the fire; the second in the left lung, disabling him. He pushed him down, knelt on his chest, the pain in the man’s face obvious.
‘I need information, how many men are upriver?’
The man’s pain did not deter him from being defiant ‘I will tell you nothing!’
‘Fine, is Enzi with them?’
The man looked surprised ‘How do you know about Enzi?’
‘Oh now you are chatty? We are old pals from Mabalia.’
‘You are the man who escaped from the farm!‘
Archer saw the look of concern in his eyes. ‘He is there, Enzi, and he will kill you for hurting me!’
‘Well we will see about that’
After more questions, all of which the man refused to answer, Archer got up from his chest, the radio and sidearm tossed into the ocean. ‘You can stay here, while I give Enzi a welcome gift.’
As Archer backed away the wounded man reached underneath to his belt, Archer saw a blade glinting in the firelight, and reluctantly shot the man in the forehead. ‘Your choice.’
With the ability to monitor Enzi’s radio transmissions, but unable to contact his father, he had no choice but to move upriver. He returned to his boat, and rowed back towards the river estuary, to stop Enzi before he achieved his goal. His only true concern was what to say to his father, after months of blanking him; he still had a duty to protect him.
Enzi was comfortable in the forward cabin of the boat, his men and the hired hands were outside with the insects and humidity. He sat in front of a small air-conditioning unit, sipped a brandy he had discovered in the storage compartment. His satellite phone buzzed, Mastasson again, Enzi answered it, using no names ‘Hello again, what can I do for you now?’
‘I thought you should know that I have arranged for a block on all communications from the camp, they will think it is local interference.’
‘And do I need to know how you achieved this?’
‘I have a friend in camp, he will give assistance when it is required, but for now I need his identity to remain confidential.’
‘Is he in a position to obtain the artefacts and information we require?’
‘He is the best source of information there is, so treat him with care.’
‘I will. We are going in at first light, before the people spread out over too wide an area.’
‘Good, leave some of your men to guard the camp, but warn the people of the penalty for pursuing you.’
‘Oh they will be in no doubt.’
‘Excellent, by tomorrow we will have the artefacts and then with the fourth item and my friend we can obtain the bow.’
‘I hope so, and then I can dispose of my President.’
‘That I will arrange for you, I know how you don‘t like to get your hands dirty, I have someone in New York awaiting word.’
‘I have a drink in my hand, I toast our success and our enemies’ demise.’ Enzi did hesitate to order death, but never took action himself.