Page 53 of Fear No Evil

Oh, this wasn’t good.

Next to him, Lena went stiff with outrage. “Where’s he taking them?”

At least she remembered to speak in French. “I can guess.” The girls were being led away from camp toward the same path taken by Marquez and Arias and the soldiers in the pea-green uniforms before that.

Lena faced him abruptly. “We have to stop him.”

“Lena.” He shook his head.“Ce n’est pas possible.”She had to know they couldn’t risk drawing attention to themselves. The fact that these girls were being forced against their will had nothing to do with their mission of locating the hostages.

Perceiving a glimmer of moisture in her eyes, Jake’s resolution slipped a notch. “You know why we’re here. We can’t save everyone.”

A hushing sound came from the cubicle next to theirs, letting them know that Charles was listening to their conversation. The blind between them twitched as the Frenchman poked his head into their space.“Pardon.”He spoke in a near-silent whisper. “We could follow them, Jacques. There has to be a camp nearby, as only a fool would walk into the wilderness at night.”

None of theX’s on the map were anywhere close toCecaot-Jicobo, but the soldiers who’d brought beans to their camp could have hacked out a clearing close by and set up camp. Here was their chance to find out who those soldiers were while counting on the dark to conceal them.

Lena reached eagerly for her boots. “Let’s go.”

“No.” Jake clasped her arm to stop her. “You’re staying here.” She’d risked enough the other morning sneaking into the officers’ quarters.

As Lena sucked a breath, clearly preparing to argue with him, Jake did the only thing he could think of to silence her. He palmed the side of her head, tipped her face to his, and kissed her soundly. “It’s my job to keep you safe,” he said against her mouth, then kissed her a second time, more gently. “Please, stay.”

She fell perfectly quiet after that, making him think she might cooperate. After rolling away, Jake jammed his feet into his boots, stood, and grabbed his jacket off the bamboo pole it hung on. He then welcomed Charles into their cubicle so they could leave the bungalow together via the rear flap.

“Be careful,” Lena breathed behind them.

Keeping to the shadows, they skirted the edge of camp rather than dart across the open space. Somewhere above the treetopsand the ever-present clouds, there had to be a full moon shining because the forest wasn’t as inky black as usual.

By the time Jake and Charles arrived at the path Gallo had taken, his lantern was like a fairy wisp floating in and out of the trees downhill but not too far away to follow. Maife, still vocal in her resistance, was slowing her captor down.

Jake winced as a shout from Gallo preceded the unmistakable sound of a slap. Maife commenced sobbing, and Ixtabel joined in, masking Jake and Charles’s furtive footsteps as they closed in steadily.

Charles clearly had training in reconnaissance equivalent to Jake’s. The French Secret Service agent’s movements were practically imperceptible. They approached within fifty yards of the trio, so near that the glow of Gallo’s lantern made the trail beneath their feet discernable. It sloped continuously downhill, taking them toward the northeast side of the mountain, possibly toward the site on the map namedKi-kirr-zikis.

As much as Jake wanted to attack themondoand set the girls free, the repercussions were simply too far-reaching.

At the sound of coarse laughter up ahead, Jake’s pulse ticked upward. Charles flashed out a hand, stopping him in his tracks as Gallo’s lantern broke right. Calls of welcome informed Jake that they’d arrived at themondo’s destination, illumined by a second lantern but no fire.

Next to him, Charles ducked and picked up a glob of mud, indicating they should smear it on their faces. Following his colleague’s cue, Jake smeared a cold, smelly glob on his exposed skin. The scent of decomposing vegetation filled his nostrils.

With their faces, necks, and hands camouflaged, they closed in on the camp, pushing stealthily through the foliage, keeping their eyes peeled for a soldier standing watch. The unknown soldiers had obviously been drinking. Their boisterous voicesmasked the crackling of leaves and twigs beneath Charles’s and Jake’s boots.

With two lanterns lighting up the clearing, Jake made out a single structure, an elevated lean-to, surrounded by hammocks slung between trees. A field desk and an empty firepit stood in the center while three dozing mules surrounded a pile of boxed goods. Using the mules to screen themselves, Jake and Charles edged closer. One of the mules startled at Jake’s advance but immediately calmed when he stroked its bristly, wet nose.

Over the backs of the mules, Jake counted eight soldiers in the flickering light. Several lounged on their hammocks, two sat on the platform of the lean-to, while the rest were checking out the young women Gallo had brought to them. Maife and Ixtabel stood hugging each other, their faces averted. Jake noted the end of the rope trailed from their wrists onto the ground. They could try running, but their fear of the dark would likely keep them rooted.

Disgust brought his blood to a simmer. He turned his attention to the soldiers. Were they ELN? If not, then who?

As one of them hunkered near the lantern, its flame illumined the band on his left sleeve‍—gold, blue, and red, with white stars stitched into the blue stripe. Recognition yanked Jake’s scalp tight. Holy smokes, these were soldiers from the Venezuelan National Army! He’d had to contend with them two years ago while snatching Lena out of the warehouse in Maiquetía!

Wow, so the FARCdidhave an ally in the form of Venezuela. It curdled Jake’s blood to think what these soldiers could teach the untutored rebels‍—fighting tactics that could easily turn the FARC into the menace it had been a decade earlier.

He had to inform the JIC as soon as possible. Catching Charles’s eye, he pointed out the patch to the Frenchman, receiving a nod in return. Charles had seen it too, and with a jerkof his head, he indicated that they should leave. Outnumbered and facing an armed squadron, the worst thing that could happen would be getting caught by these men.

It soured Jake’s stomach to leave the girls with these villains. Already, they were taunting the young women, sniggering and muttering crude remarks.

With a prayer in his heart, he forced himself to turn away.You see this, right, Father?In that instant, his gaze fell upon the contents of a box sitting on the pile of goods surrounded by the mules. Those shiny, black lumps were hand grenades. He and Charles could easily wreak some havoc here if they had the nerve.

Catching Charles by the back of his jacket, Jake directed the Frenchman’s inquiring gaze toward the box. Charles frowned and shook his head, but a whimper coming from one of the women made him firm his mouth and close his eyes. When he opened them, he gave a short nod.

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