Mike Smith Is Dead—Pt. 21

“A large bunch, seven or more ATVs plus the natives, looks like they’re coming this way.” One of the ranch hands reported. I saw them through my binoculars when looking for a stray. Hard to tell who they were, but they were loading something and seemed to be headed toward the old trail.”

Rosa helped Kip to sit up. “Well, bounty hunters, scavengers, or whoever, we probably don’t want to be here when they arrive.”

Kip nodded. “My thinking too.”

“Boss keeps an old jeep in the shed in case somebody needs to run into the city. It isn’t nice, but it runs. I mean if you wanna go somewhere. You hid’n or something?”

Kip nodded at the young man’s English. “We just need not to be found right now. Nothing illegal just some mixup in US stuff.”

The kid laughed. “Most of us here were mixed up in US stuff as you say. I’m glad to have a job were I don’t have to deal with it. Which by the way, I still have to find that stray. Keys are in the jeep, and it’s in the shed. If you leave it in Medellin make sure to put keys under the mat and take it to the modeling agency. Nobody would steal it, they know who it belongs to.” He trotted to the door. “If I don’t see ya again. Take care.” He stepped out the door closing it behind him.

“Maybe an angel. But, for the safe side, let's go ahead and leave. Even if it’s friendly folks down there, we probably don’t need to be found.” Kip pushed himself to stand. “Seven men searching is not a benevolent party, they came on ATVs to get something—probably me.”

“I’ll leave a note in the shed.” Rosa said.

“Good, help me to the porch. You can drive.”

At the bottom of the mountain trail five ATVs started up the rocky path. The two men who had joined them took their scavenged airplane parts and headed back to the base camp.

The trail was difficult and steep so the ATV’s only crept along dodging large boulders and deep ruts. Three hours later they reached the main cabin. Nobody was there except a cook and a general maintenance man.

“We’re looking for the survivors of the plane crash,” said the guide.

The maintenance man directed the group around to the back of the house and up on a ridge where a dozen graves were placed. On the back side was a fresh grave.”

The guide tried Spanish then the native language to express his need for knowledge of survivors.

The maintenance man looked a bit surprised, but pointed to the small attached cabin.

Giles and Sam rushed back down the hillside to the cabin and burst into the small house, but although there were folded bedclothes the house and a satchel with both men’s and women’s clothing, the cabin was empty, but obviously someone had been there recently as there were dishes stacked in the drainer.

“I think they were here.” Sam picked up a bowl.

“Yeah. Now to find them.”

---

“This is it.” Rosa pulled the jeep up in front of a modeling agency. She dutifully tucked the keys under the floor-mat and ran inside the glass fronted business. Minutes later she was back. “Okay, they know it’s out front, and I had them call us a taxi to take us to Budget Car Rental, we can get a car to go to Panama or beyond.”

The taxi came and Rosa directed him to a Citi Bank ATM. The driver looked at her curiously then said something that made Rosa take a deep breath. “No,” she said. She turned to Kip. It’ll be an extra hundred American to go to Citi Bank, but until we get to Turbo it’s the only place we can get a large sum of money.”

“Why the extra hundred?”

“The driver is afraid he’ll get shot.”

“Oh, well just take us to the car rental place, if we need cash we’ll figure something out.” Kip squirmed in the seat as the sensation in his arms was returning.

A few minutes later and with a little haggling they were sitting in a small Mitsubishi Mirage headed up Highway 62.

“I hope the road is open all the way.” Rosa looked through the windshield at the upcoming curve.

“Why?”

“It’s often closed due to land slides. That’s all we need.” Rosa kept her eyes peeled on the road. “I have a cousin in Turbo, we can stay there for awhile. We probably don’t want to stay in his house though, they have eleven children but maybe he can arrange for a boat to take us to Panama. He’s what you Americans call a long shore man.”

“A dock worker?”

“Yeah,” she giggled.

---

“Well,” Giles said. “Lets get to somewhere with communications, at least we had some kind of service at the base camp. I think it was bounced out of the town tower near there.”

They mounted the ATVs and headed down the dirt road which connected to a paved road and eventually the turn off to the base camp. The other two men had broken camp and obviously returned to Medellin.

The guide pointed to the sunset. “Camp here tonight. Medellin tomorrow.”

“Hot shower, hot food, soft bed, I’m ready,” called Sam as she unrolled her tent.

The next morning they traveled to Medellin, traded in their gear and ATV’s, paid the guide and arranged for the trucks to be picked up at the hotel. By mid afternoon they were back in hotel lodging at Medellin.

When Paulo, Marcos, and Sam joined Giles for dinner they all commented on her pale complexion.

“Are you ill?” asked Sam.

“Probably,” sniffed Giles. I have been on the phone with the State Department in Washington since we got here. I barely had time to shower. Sit back, this is a long story.”

Drinks came, bottled water for everyone except Paulo who had a beer.

“I already told you about the surprise audit at Publica bank, which I found out was authorized by a director at the State Department, but I will get to that in a minute. However, a warrant for the immediate arrest of Mike Smith, alias Kip Waller was issued; but what I just found out is that an Interpol order was also issued for the immediate relation termination of Mike Smith operations. And, there’s a million dollar terrorist reward. Every bounty hunter in the world is after Mike Smith.”

Marcos interrupted. “Mike Smith is dead. You all killed him on paper.”

Giles glared at Marcos. “Kip Waller is not, at least we don’t think so. The rub here is that my manager in Washington sees no reason for the warrant, but it will take a Justice Department Order to rescind it since it was issued through them and that means the Vice President may be involved. Plus can you imagine the number of agencies and people who will have to be taken out of the loop.”

Marcos tried to ease into the conversation. “It was always Kip’s intention to deliver the money to the US; he always said it wasn’t his.”

“I know that, you know that, all God’s people know that except the US State Department which figures him as a thief, and apparently a terrorist. Terrorizing what is another question.”

Paulo cleared his throat. “Kip also has documentation about United States wrong doing, and photos, names, and other organizations.”

“I told him that stuff is kitty litter, most of the people are dying off and nobody cares about what went on decade ago.” Marcos screwed the top back on his water. “Right?”

Giles shook her head. “If he really has that information, he’s as good as dead. But, if someone else has it, there are agencies that specialize in gaining information. And, no, even fifteen years from now, that information could damage leaderships and nations.”

“I’m like you. I only heard about it. But, what about the American Embassy in Costa Rica, weren’t they involved?” Paulo stirred in his seat.

“Kept in the dark, same as me.” Giles’ voice softened. “If Kip didn’t bring them in, then they have no way of knowing except to read State Department activity memos.”

“Does Kip or Rosa know about the warrant?” Marcos asked.

“I don’t know,” Giles almost whispered. “But, I doubt it. A real problem here is it is multiple warrants issued by a director who is AWOL. Very few outside of the Vice President are going to override a warrant of this nature. Once the word terrorist was applied it put the warrant in a whole new category. And it doesn’t mention capture. Oh, the words might make a journalist think it is an arrest warrant, but this warrant isn’t just to terminate a relationship.”

Paulo slammed his fist on the table. “I’m going to find them and tuck them away where you and the State Department can’t find them.”

Paulo’s sudden raise in voice and movement startled Giles. “I’m really not the enemy here. I’m angry that this thing went way beyond standard protocol. And, besides that the director went over my head and performed the audit in Costa Rica without even my knowledge, the local embassy’s knowledge, and as far as I can tell, most of the banking commission knowledge. But, he got their permission is about all and that is a little spooky.”

Marcos sat back. “Where do we go from here? I have to limp this Short 360 back to Buenos Aires by tomorrow, but I am free the rest of the week unless there is an emergency call.”

Sam stared at Marcos. “I’ll stay with Giles, we’ll try to find them. Paulo, we need a contact in Costa Rica, you go on back run your business and put your ear to the ground.”

“Okay,” said Paulo. “Rosa probably will try to contact me there.”

To be continued...