"The best people are those who live farthest from the cities," Jorge said, alcohol and ron having worked their wonders upon his brain, which was now churning away at a great rate. "Deep in the interior of this continent there are the large estates where they raise coffee and wheat and bizcocho berries. The peasants who work there are happy, the overseers kind, the nobility fair. As long as they supply food to the cities and stay out of politics, why Zapilote lets them alone." "Do you know any of these people?" "I know all of them, of course, since we are all related." "Can you think of any one of them might help us out?" "Just one. Gonzales de Torres, the Marquez de la Rosa. He is just, honest, fair, upright, handsome, courageous and hates Zapilote." "He can't be all bad. How well do you know him?" "He is a third cousin four times removed on my mother's side. I see him at funerals and weddings and things like that. But I know all about him. There are no secrets in the aristocracy. " "I have a feeling he is our man. How do we get in touch with him?" "We must obtain a car..." "Already done. Will you come with us?" "I dare not leave my job! It would be too suspicious. But Flavia could guide you. I will give her a message. She will be safer away from this place." I took a last guzzle of the ron and placed the glass reluctantly back on the table. "Then it's all set. I'll take my troops for a ride in the country where we will have a picnic and a siesta. By this time it will be after dark and you will tell me where and when we are to pick her up." "It will take time to locate her-and I must work today. But if you will come to this building at midnight I will be outside. I will take you to her." "As good as done." I started to leave then turned back and pointed to the dust-shrouded bottle of vintage ron. "Once they are opened these ancient beverages tend to spoil. You wouldn't like me to take care of that for you?" "Take it, I beg you," he said pressing the bottle upon me. "I have more, I will bring many bottles with me tonight when we meet." "There are advantages to this planet never mentioned in the tourist brochures. Aged ron and rigged elections. Why this place is a paradise indeed!"
Chapter 9
"Sounds like a great plan. Dad," the twins said in enthusiastic chorus.
"It would be a lot greater if that foxy Flavia weren't coming along with us," Angelina sniffed.
I took a delicate sip of the aged ron and waved my hand in airy dismissal. "Dear wife, my philandering days are long past-even if they only existed in your deliciously suspicious mind. I have eyes for no other! Even the fair Flavia." Angelina arched her eyebrows at my words, either in disbelief, or appreciation, and I did not question her as to which. Life was quiet and restful at the moment and I intended to savor every fleeting instant. Because it was sure to get very busy in the near future. This was the lull before the storm, the girding of loins before the conflict. We sat in the clearing in the forest, high in the hills above the coast, delightfully full after our rustic picnic. Empty dishes were scattered around us; the sun was dropping, as was the level in the ron bottle. James was dozing. Bolivar tinkering with the car; I lay with my head in Angelina's lap very much at peace with the world.
"This is the life," I sighed. "Maybe I ought to retire to some restful planet like this where we can while away our declining years in the sunlight..." "Nonsense," Angelina said in her most practical voice. "You would be bored to exasperation in less than a day. The only reason you are enjoying yourself now is because you are about to go into action-and you are also half-bombed on that antique ron you have been knocking back all day. " "You slight me! I'm as sober as a octogenarian teetotaler. I can recite pi to twenty decimal places." "Say she sells sea shells." "See shells she sells." "Wonderful!" She stood up suddenly and my head thudded 44 to the ground. "Time we got going. James, carry your father to the car if he is unable to walk." James opened a conspiratorial eye and winked at me. I winked back and rolled over. Then did a quick fifty push-ups to start the blood flowing again. And instantly regretted it as flowing blood started a wicked hammering in my head. This ron was potent stuff. I finished the last dregs in the bottle and buried it from me, swearing off it for life. Or at least until tomorrow.
Within short moments we were ready for the road again. James had cleared away the debris and Angelina slipped the soiled dishes back into the picnic basket-through the cleaner slot in the lid where supersonics blasted away every remaining trace of food.
I don't remember much about the return journey since I managed to sleep most of the way. Harboring my energies, not sleeping off a drunk as Angelina so humorously suggested. Her dainty elbow in my ribs stirred me to life as we swung by Jorge's apartment. He was waiting in the shadows, darting forward as we stopped and hurling himself in beside us.
"Drive on! Quickly!" he gasped, which Bolivar of course did. "Tragedy has struck! We are lost! Flavia has been captured by the Ultimados!" "When did this happen?" I asked.
"Just a few minutes ago. I had the call just as I was leaving. A carload of them attacked the farm where she was staying." "Is this farm far away?" "Not very far-a half an hour's drive perhaps." "Then we can cut them off before they bring her in." "Yes-it is possible!" Enthusiasm replaced despair. "Turn left here, quickly. There is only the single road. But I must warn you, they are heavily armed and dangerous." Jorge looked around at us as though we were mad, as we all burst out laughing at once. Then fell back into our seats as Bolivar gunned the car to roaring life. Armed and dangerous indeed!
It took us less than five minutes to reach the road that led down from the plateau. Hopefully we were ahead of the heavies. I stood up in the back seat and surveyed the scene for long seconds, working out a plan.
"Right," I said pointing at James. "Dig out a full-size debonder and some needle guns. Everyone out of the car.
Bolivar, take it back down the road out of sight. Angelina, you are going to be the bait in the trap." "How thoughtful!" As the car thundered away I pointed my flashlight at a large tree that hung over the road. "Use the debonder to drop that tree right across the road..." I tilled my head as I heard the sound of a distant car. "And quickly, since I can hear them coming." We could see the advancing headlights as we took up our positions of concealment on both sides of the road. Angelina lay sprawled beside the tree, her legs under the trunk as though trapped. The headlights grew brighter, sending swooping beams through the trees, then the car was around the bend with the downed tree directly before it. Brakes squealed and for one horrified moment I thought the thing would hit Angelina. But it shuddered to a stop in time, and she waved an arm feebly and called out for help.
And that's all there was to it. The driver emerged and while his door was open there was the slight rustle of the needle guns firing. Powerful electromagnetic fields hurled out the tiny slivers of steel. Each one tipped with a powerful sleeping drug. The driver folded down neatly onto the road as I jumped forward, flashlight in one hand, gun ready in the other.
My precautions were not needed. The car was filled with the gross and snoring forms of the secret policemen. And, as a measure of our marksmanship, a frightened and conscious Flavia sat in their midst.
"You have been saved," I said taking her hand and helping her from the car. And dropping the hand quickly as my wife appeared, brushing dust from her skirt and firing up the furnaces in her eyes. Jorge took over where I left off, not only taking the abandoned hand but kissing it passionately. He was a great one for kissing was Jorge.
"Other than the fact they almost ran me down it was a satisfactory operation," Angelina said. "All we have to do now is put the driver back into the car with a thermite grenade in his lap." I sighed and gave her hand a good kissing, a la Jorge, since it seemed a nice thing to do. "I died a thousand deaths while the ancient brakes on this vehicle labored to do their job. Next time I lie under the tree and you shoot the Ultimados. James, Bolivar, would you be so kind as to lay these sleeping uglies out of sight in the woods. Please help yourself to what you might need from their pockets. Jorge-that's it, let her hand dry off for a minute-can you drive this car?" "Of course! Do you think I am a peasant?" "Never! Sorry. Can you think of a place to drive it to where it won't be found for awhile?" "Of course, A nice high cliff above the bay where it will hurtle down into the sea and rest there for eternity. " "I think that will be long enough. So that is your job. Yes, that's right, a few last quick kisses for Flavia's hand and you can take off." We all waved as the police car rocketed away. Flavia turned to face us and I noticed for the first time that one eye was half-closed and she had bruises on her face.