Page 65 of No Questions Asked

No one wants me! What an amazing stroke of luck. How lucky am I?

Feeling incredibly relieved, I shrugged with mock disappointment and started to move away from the shaman. But before I could take a step, the village chief turned toward me with a huge smile and stepped into the circle.

Chapter Forty

Slash

He arrived at the airport approximately two hours after the satellite signal had gone off. It was two hours too long, but he had important things to arrange first.

After arriving, he spoke at great length with the pilot, both of them speaking in Spanish. He wanted the pilot to be absolutely clear they’d be flying into indigenous tribal territory and it would be dangerous. He offered to pay the pilot additional money to account for the danger, but he had no idea if the pilot would agree. To his enormous relief, he readily accepted.

One hurdle down.

After that, he and the pilot mapped out a flight plan to fit within the coordinates registered from the satellite phone.

“This will be a difficult flight,” the pilot said. “It’s a rugged terrain with high tree canopies. It will be hard to find a safe location to set the chopper down. I can’t promise I’ll find a place to set down, but I’ll try.”

“I appreciate that,” he said. “Thank you.”

He decided the pilot should stay with the copter in case they had to make a quick getaway. With the plan of action discussed and confirmed with the pilot, they began loading the gear on the helicopter.

Slash had just put a duffel on the plane when Vicente pulled him aside. “What’s the plan for when we get there?”

Slash set his pack in the back of the helicopter. “I intend to minimize the impact on the native tribes as much as I can. But I’m not letting any of us get captured or hurt. And I intend to rescue Lexi, or at least find out where she is. If I have to shoot someone to do that, I’ll do it.”

Vicente nodded. “I figured that was the case. Then it will be my job to make sure you don’t have to do that.”

“Fair enough. In your opinion, what’s the best way to approach the natives if they do have Lexi?”

“We’re going to have to play it by ear. Let me handle it as much as I’m able. I think they’re most suspicious when they don’t understand the intentions of the strangers they meet, especially since there are routine conflicts between several of the indigenous tribes in the region. Just don’t do anything threatening.”

It was hardly a plan, but he’d settle for it. Less than ten minutes later they were airborne. After they’d flown for about fifty minutes, the pilot motioned them forward. He said something and Vicente translated.

“He says between that ridge of higher land between two rivers is where the coordinates appear to be,” Vicente said. “If you look closely, you can see a faint trail of smoke rising from the canopy. See it?”

Slash saw it in the distance. “Yes. Can he find a place to set down that’s not too far away?”

“He’s looking. Stand by.”

They circled around the ridge. On the far side, the pilot found a place where a large tree had fallen, taking down a number of small trees and creating a small opening in the canopy.

The pilot shouted something.

“He’s going to set down,” Vicente said. “Brace yourselves.”

As they lowered, the edges of the helicopter blades were close to the trees, but the lack of wind and the pilot’s steady hand got them on the ground. Slash clapped the pilot’s shoulder in a thankful gesture. They unloaded the gear and left a satellite phone that already had the return coordinates plugged in with the pilot.

The three of them set off into the rainforest, loaded with gear. Salvador took the lead, using his satellite phone to keep them going in the direction of the coordinates. Carrying their heavy packs, they soon began sweating profusely. In the absence of a trail, it was slow going and impossible to walk in a straight line. After another thirty minutes of gradual climbing, the thick vegetation thinned slightly as they rose from the river floor. They pressed onward steadily.

As they walked, Slash wondered about the motivations of the men with him. He understood why Salvador would volunteer to accompany him. He’d lost a loved one to malaria and was vested in resuming the distribution of the vaccine. But Vicente was a mystery. What was motivating him to come along? His behavior back at the research camp had been suspect. He didn’t have any reason to trust Vicente, but he couldn’t do without his language skills. If Vicente were trying to sabotage their efforts, he could have just been unwilling to support the rescue, yet here he was. He wasn’t sure what it meant.

They were within a half mile when their path became blocked by a near vertical escarpment of rock. There was no way they could climb it, so they looked in both directions and decided to go to the right to try to find a way up. After a hundred yards or so, they stumbled upon the first path they’d seen so far.

“This isn’t an animal path,” Salvador said quietly. “People have been here.”

They glanced at each other and then moved on carefully. The path wound upwards until it flattened at the top. Salvador held up a hand, and they halted. A thumping noise could be heard in the distance. As they got closer, they heard a roar of voices, followed by some rhythmic chanting.

They’d found people. Now, what to do about it?

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