Sorry this has been delayed somewhat. I was taking two online courses for my Masters and I really had no time for writing.
Chapter Five – Into the Lion's Den
Hannibal has no problem following the jeep trail. The jungle becomes fairly thick with growth, so the path they have been making back and forth from their camp is very obvious. "Not a very brilliant group of soldiers," Hannibal thinks.
It is getting near sunset, when Hannibal almost pulls straight into the camp. The jungle gives way to a cleared area where there are many makeshift huts and tents set up, plus what looks like an ammo dump and garage area, where they are working on two of the jeeps that were shot up by the team earlier. The men are moving around and seem to be busy, but at least they don't notice Hannibal as he comes to a stop and then backs up a bit into the edge of the jungle. He climbs out and skirts the camp to the left. He decides to climb a tree to get a better look at the operation and notices the main hut with a radio antenna. "So that is where the king cockroach hangs out. I wonder who he's talking to on that radio. It's probably the man behind all this, cause this guy isn't smart enough to plan this." Hannibal studies the layout for future reference when it is dark and he needs to bring in the guys. Then he climbs down, heads back to the jeep to grab the flair gun and some extra ammo for his rifle, and then finds a comfortable place to wait away from the jeep, until nightfall. Which is the best way to explain sunset in the jungle, it just goes black without much warning at all, and except for the fires around the compound, you can't see anything.
The guys, who have been trailing Hannibal, notice on their device that the jeep has stopped moving. They stash the truck, as best they can, and grab their weapons, waiting for the signal from Hannibal, or anything else that might come their way.
"Face, do you think Hannibal has been caught?"
"No, Murdock, I think he is hiding out in his cute disguise, waiting for the right time to make his big entrance. Only problem is, his entrances are usually followed by gunfire, grenades, and us to safe his butt."
"Yeah," B.A. states, "and sometimes our endin' up captured and havin' ta find a way ta escape." He shakes his head and tries to peer out even harder into the jungle ahead of them, but it is very dense and nothing can be seen.
Hannibal has gone undiscovered and thinks now is probably as good a time as any to mosey into the camp and see what is going on. He puts the flair gun in his belt so he can grab it, and fire it quickly if things go south. Then he proceeds to wander up to the back of one of the campfires in order to listen in to what is being said. So far, it's mostly in Spanish and he can only pick out a few words. "¿Quién crees que esos chicos son de todos modos?" Todo lo que sé es que son buenos y no creo que deberíamos volver allí". "Sí, no es digno de los pocos pesos que nos están pagando. Digo Let's get outta aquí antes de que todos nos comemos mató!" ("Who do you think those guys are anyway?" "All I know is they are good and I don't think we should go back in there. "Yeah, it ain't worth the few pesos they are paying us. I say let's get outta here before we all get killed!") Hannibal can understand gripping and complaining in any language and that seems to be the gist of this conversation. He moves on, slowly getting closer to the hut with the radio antenna. He doesn't want to draw any attention to himself if possible, so he stops now and then and acts as if he is busy doing something. He gets close to the window on the hut, really just a flap of canvas over the opening, but he can hear inside. He is in luck. The radio crackles and someone says, "Juan, did you manage to run those workers off today? I hope so, for your sake!"
"Senor, I lost two jeeps and even more men are hurting from this morning's raid. These men, they are very well trained. They were waiting for us and they had set a "
"Just exactly what am I paying you for?" Senor Fernandez interrupts.
"Senor, we are trying. We have thought of another way to get them to leave, but I need my men to heal a little before we go back. I am done several men now."
"Quit whining, I need this done now, not a week, or two, or a month from now. They will be taking oil out of that well and I don't want to lose one drop to those Americans. Now get the job done, or I will get rid of you and hire others to take your place. Do you understand?"
"Si, Senor Fernandez. I understand perfectly."
The radio is silent and he knows he is alone once more. At least he thinks he is. Hannibal has slowly moved around to the door and when the conversation ends between Senor Fernandez and El Capitan, he steps inside. El Capitan has his back to the door, so until Hannibal speaks, he doesn't realize he is there.
"Well pal, I'd say you have a pretty big problem."
El Capitan spins around and is staring at a man who looks like one of his men, but the voice is all wrong. "Who are you? How did you get in here? Pedro, get in here now."
Before Pedro arrives, Hannibal pulls his nine mil out and points it at him. So when Pedro comes in, there is nothing he can do unless he wants his captain shot.
"Now that we are nice and cozy, Pedro, just set you gun down and kick it over here. You, don't call for anyone else or this little hut is going to get awfully crowded." Hannibal pulls of his wig and lays it off to the side. Both men are startled when they recognize the white-haired man from the American compound.
"Now, let's see if we can figure out just what to do now. I overheard your Mr. Fernandez and he is putting a lot of pressure on you Juan. I think he needs to know that the Americans drilling at Santa Marta are not going anywhere and we will be taking our toll on whoever tries to stop them. So how about you and I work a deal, you take me to your friend Fernandez and I let you live. Whadda ya say?"
"I say you are one man with a pistol and I have many men just outside. You may shoot me, but you can't shoot all of them, so maybe you should hand it over to me now and I will let you die quickly."
"You know Juan, as tempting as that is you still get to die before all your men come in, and I could take quite a few with me before they take me. You still want to try that? And who said I am alone. You just think that is the case." With that Hannibal sticks his arm out the door and fires the flare gun into the night sky. Of course this arouses all the men outside who stand up, scattering cups and bottles, grabbing guns and running toward the hut where their leader is, assured that he will give them their orders.
"That's it guys, let's go." Face heads toward the direction of the flair. As they get closer, they automatically fan out to come in from different angles. Each man, gun at the ready, heading into they don't know what, but ready to back up the Colonel.
"Okay, scumbag, tell them to drop their weapons unless they want to see you bleeding out of several holes."
"Drop them! You heard me!"
As Face walks up behind the group, "you heard the man, on the ground."
"Yeah suckers, and make it fast," B.A. chimes in.
"Ah, ah, ah, I wouldn't if I were you," Murdock makes it unanimous.
"Hey guys, glad you could drop by."
"Well Hannibal, your presence sort of lights up the night."
"Oh Face," Hannibal groans. "Well, now that we have everyone's attention. Let's see about moving these guys into a couple of huts and locking the doors. What do you say?"
"Okay, you heard the man, boys and girls, and you can skip, or you can waltz, but head that way for a nice comfy stay in a small cramped hut," Murdock motions with the rifle toward the other two huts. They all reluctantly head inside with B.A. pushing the last few in like sardines in a can. Then he takes some chains and secures the doors.
"They won't be comin' outta there any time soon," he almost laughs.
"So what's the plan Hannibal?"
"Well Face, we're going to take their radio, their guns, and anything else that we can carry that will keep these slimeballs from following us and causing us any more problems until they make a supply run."
"And him?," Face indicates El Capitan.
"Oh, we will lock him up in his hut too, and let him stew on what is going to happen when Senor Fernandez doesn't hear from him anytime soon, since we will have his radio. Ha ha, what do you think?"
"I think you are poking the bull with the spear to see how mad you can make him, and we are the ones who are going to have to deal with the mad bull!"
"You got it!"
"Yeah, that's what I was afraid of."
Murdock walks over with an armful of weapons and dumps some into Face's arms. "Thanks for the help buddy. I woulda given them to B.A., but he disappeared."
"Disappeared?" Both Hannibal and Face say at the same time.
"I'm right here you fool, I was just busy with somethin'." B.A. walks over with a boxful of something.
"Oh, boy is that for me big guy? I mean it's not even my birthday, or anything."
"Shut up fool, these are the distributors from their jeeps. They won't be followin' us anytime soon."
"Great B.A.! Okay guys let's get going. My jeep is right over here."
"Yeah, I saw it on the way in Hannibal. You parked a little close didn't you?"
"Nay, lieutenant, I just didn't want to have to walk so far back to it in the dark."
"Right."
They dump the weapons in the back of the jeep and all pile in for Hannibal to drive them back to the truck. When they get there B.A. and Murdock get into the truck and follow Hannibal and Face back to the compound. Since they have tied up the bad guys for the night, they all head to bed able to sleep peacefully through the night.