They were a few minutes from touchdown and Brodie continued to scan the village and the taller grass around the landing strip with his binoculars. He said to Collins, “When we get to a bar in Bogotá, I’ll get a cocktail named after you. A John Collins—like a Tom Collins, but with big nuts.”
Captain Collins did not laugh, but he seemed less tense when Brodie was making stupid jokes. He eased back on the throttle, adjusted his flaps, and kept the Cessna lined up with the short, narrow runway.
Brodie asked Taylor to put the SIM card and battery in the satellite phone and give it to him, which she did. He plugged the phone into the cord on the instrument panel, but didn’t turn it on. If things went south, he owed it to the mission to call Dombroski, telling him the name of the village and the approximate location of Mercer’s camp, as per Carmen. The mission comes first.
And if he had time for a second call, it would be to Worley, who was actually the last person on earth he wanted to talk to, but Brodie would make a final sit-rep as to their location and the nature of their distress call—like, “We’re surrounded by Indians.” Duty first, as they reminded you often.
And finally, he said to Taylor, “Put the boss’ number in Captain Collins’ flight bag.” He said to Collins, “If you leave here and we don’t, you will call that number.”
“Okay… and…?”
“And you just tell Colonel Stanley Dombroski that you flew the Bowmans to Kavak, but they missed the return flight. Then answer all his questions.”
“Okay…”
Brodie assured him, “I’m sure you won’t have to make that call,” but Collins didn’t seem so sure. Neither did Brodie.
The Cessna seemed to float over the dry, brown grassland, then settled onto the runway and began bouncing over the turf, the prop and landing gear kicking up clouds of dust. Collins applied the brakes and the Cessna came to a bumpy halt a few hundred feet short of the end of the grass strip.
“Did we land, or were we shot down?”
Collins replied, “The ground is uneven.”
“Right. Okay, Sarah and I will get out here. Mind if we borrow your binoculars?”
“No. But hold on.” Collins taxied to the end of the strip and turned the Cessna around so he could make a quick takeoff. He left the engine running.
Brodie unplugged his sat phone, squeezed into the cabin, and grabbed his overnight bag as Taylor took her bag and opened the cabin door. Brodie found Collins’ sat phone in his flight bag—between the money and his boxer shorts—and handed it to him. “I’ll call you with the all clear.” Meaning,If you don’t hear from me, it’s not.He also handed Collins his Magnum revolver, without comment.
Taylor stood at the doorway and again put her hand on Collins’ shoulder. “I’ll buy you that drink in Bogotá.”
In fact, maybe two. Brodie was impressed with Maggie Taylor’s use of her feminine charm.
Taylor jumped to the ground, and Brodie said to Collins, “See you shortly.”
Collins nodded.
Brodie jumped, and he and Taylor began walking down the airstrip with their overnight bags in their left hands and their right hands free to draw their guns from their cargo pants pockets. The air was hot and humid, and it was quiet except for the buzzing of flying insects.
Taylor asked, “Do you think our ride will wait?”
Brodie glanced back at the Cessna, still idling at the end of the runway. “I think he’s conflicted—one hand on the engine throttle and the other on his joystick.”
“That’s crude.”
“I meant it as a compliment to you, Mrs. Bowman.”
“I do what has to be done.” Taylor stopped, then walked to the edge of the airstrip. “What’s this?”
Brodie looked. Embedded in the short grass was a metal tube, about two feet high. “I think… you put a pole, like a tiki torch, in the tube.”
“So the airstrip can be lit at night.”
“Or they have calypso dances on the airstrip. Okay, so Ms. Muller said you can’t land here in the dark, but Carmen said she did. And this is how they landed.”
Taylor nodded and continued Brodie’s deductive reasoning: “Mercer’spilot must radio ahead, or it’s prearranged that someone in Kavak sets out the torches.”
“Right. So that means Mercer has help in Kavak, which is no surprise. But we can’t question anyone here, or we’ll wind up swimming with the piranha.”
