‘I do today. So where is Enzi?’
‘Is that the tall fellow stupid enough to wear a suit in the jungle?’
‘That’s him.’
‘He is up in the lab with Evelyn. He has already had two people shot.’
‘He didn’t do it though, delegated I bet?’
‘Yeah, some of the heavies he brought along.’
‘Enzi does not get his hands dirty, gets others to kill for him. He enjoys the power but not the act.’
‘Nice. So how many more with you?’
‘Er, just me and you Teddy.’
‘Well shit, there is no way we can take them all on, and there are more up river.’
‘We wait, see what their move is, we can always go after them in the boats afterwards.’
‘The boats we have are never gonna keep up with those beasts they have, but I have something that will.’
Teddy patted the green tarp, Archer accepted Teddy’s recommendation, he had known him for years and his word was oak.
Enzi was in the lab, two men standing adjacent to Evelyn and her team, guns trained on their chests, his phone buzzed, surprising him. Evelyn could only hear his side of the conversation.
‘Yes, it is proceeding as planned. No I have all the items, they are cataloguing now. The other team should return shortly, then we will have all four of them, the details of the location will be in the translation.’
She had stopped working, and this had been seen by Enzi, he ended his call and walked over to her, brushing the armed guard aside. ‘Evelyn, if you think listening to me on the phone will benefit you or your people, you are sadly mistaken. Get back to work!’
The increase in volume caused her to jump, her nerves rattled by the shooting earlier, but she proceeded to complete her work thinking of Michael. She realised Michael could help her, even when not in the room.
Archer noticed the guards reorganising, changing positions, ‘They are getting ready to move.’
Enzi’s men began to bring the teams back out onto the walkways, lining them up so they were all visible from the boats below. Enzi exited the lab area, Evelyn behind him glancing across to the Communications area and spotting Michael, the relief on her face obvious, and something else. Archer’s attention was drawn to the two men in the boat, changing weapons for a 50 cal. Machine gun, not the close combat SMG’s. ‘Teddy I don’t like this.’
When Enzi returned to his boat, all the items he required were stowed. He addressed the group, ‘Please do not pursue us, and to ensure you do not.’
A round of gunfire into the canoes by the riverside, they sank rapidly into the silt below.
‘I am leaving some of my colleagues with you to ensure you do not contact anyone until we are away.’
With that the entire armed group mounted the waiting boats, leaving just four spread around the camp to oversee their prisoners.
The boats sped off down river with little care on the damage their wakes were causing, Enzi retiring into his cabin to examine some of the artefacts himself.
‘Looks like we have an opportunity, but I know Enzi, once these people are of no use, that .50 cal is going to be turned on them.’
‘Well you know as well as I do, that ain’t gonna happen.’
‘Right Teddy, if I take the three this side, can you take out the one on the far right?’
‘Wait Archer, listen.’
Over the background noise of the jungle and the distant roar of Enzi’s departing vessels, there was something else, drawing closer. A third boat rounded the corner at full throttle, the men aboard appeared triumphant. They had left from upriver sometime before, speeding without caution to rendezvous with Enzi.
Teddy recognised one of the passengers, even with the rapid procession of the boat, he cursed under his breath, ‘Laurent that traitorous bastard!’
‘Who was that Teddy?’
‘That was Christophe Laurent, former head of this dig, and ex fiancé of Katherine.’
‘Katherine is here? And engaged?’
‘Yes she is here, upriver with your father, and she was engaged. Caught him cheating again, punched him out yesterday, good left hook.’
Archer smiled, ‘I know from childhood that Katherine doesn’t tolerate fools.’
‘Right Archer. If they have left Jacob upriver, something has gone very wrong.’
‘And despite me worrying about him, you know Dad can look after himself.’
‘What about the rest of the group?’
‘Focus on here and now, then I will worry about Dad.’
‘Right Archer my boy, let’s do this.’ Teddy took Archer’s suppressed handgun and moved quietly and slowly off to the right to get within thirty feet or so from the sentry. Archer remained by the hovercraft, he could see all targets from this position; with their spacing could take two out in quick succession. Teddy took out his sentry, a shot snapping his head back. Archer took his cue, the man on the lower deck was head shot backwards onto the walkway. The second and third men were talking upstairs sharing cigarettes. They were unaware of their fallen comrade on the walkway below.
One lit up getting smoke in his eyes, the burning sensation caused him to turn and shut them. Archer shot the man who had lit his cigarette and then shot the blinded one before he could regain his vision. He moved off up to the walkway, while Teddy circled around from the other side heading for the dining room. Archer opened the door to the lounge where half of the team were kept. ‘Afternoon everyone, you all okay.’
The lack of response and awe from the group prompted Archer, ‘Sorry I am Archer Mathias, apologies for the makeup, y’all ready to get out of here?’
The group rose as one, just as Teddy came in behind Archer, ‘The second group are fine.’
‘Good. Teddy get someone to clear up the camp and get everything onto the Arcadia when Enzi realises his men are not responding he will come back.’
‘What about your father, I still can’t raise him?’
‘Anyone here technical, I need to find a jammer; that is what’s stopping us, they must be an override for them to still use their phones.’
Michael had reunited with Evelyn, who shoved him towards Archer, ‘I can find it.’
‘Good, do it and disable it so we can call out and get more boats, use the sat phone in case they are monitoring the radios.’
‘Archer, my name is Evelyn, something else. They have taken the artefacts we have, but I managed to slip a tag into one, we use it for shipping home. Michael can give you a handheld tracker.’
‘Nice work Evelyn.’
Michael handed Archer his tracker from his belt, and kissed Evelyn on the cheek, she blushed in response.
‘Teddy will that hovercraft of your get us after Enzi?’
‘Oh yes, easily but we need to leave now.’
‘Fine, let’s go.’
‘Not without me, I want to get that Laurent!’
Debra Sharpe was in the door, already replacing her handgun in its holster, ‘I told Katherine she should have shot him.’
Teddy piped up ‘And you did say it on more than one occasion. Archer Mathias meet Debra, Katherine’s right hand, woman.’
‘Pleasure. Well get on-board Debra, the more the merrier.’
Archer, Teddy and Debra ran across the walkway down to the hovercraft, Teddy had removed the tarp and was about to start the engines when a breathless Michael arrived. ‘I found the jammer.’ A small black box in his hand the top forcibly removed. ‘You need to know where this came from.’
‘Why is that important?’
‘Because Archer it is US military issue, I have a friend who designs these, believe me you are dealing with someone who has access to top hardware.’
‘Thanks Michael, good to know. Stand clear now.’
Archer pulled down the gull wing door to the cockpit, watching Michael as he ran back across the walkway.