Free Deadly Journey by Declan Conner Page A

browbeat fifty-one countries into banning
the growing of coca and advocate eradication, yet grant a license to only one
company to import the leaf. Then they give permission for them to extract the
cocaine from the leaf so that your precious world-dominating-soda company can
put what is left into their syrup recipe. Anyway, enough of that, we need to
move on.’
    He pushed back his chair and stood. Moving
the canvas bags to one side revealed a laptop. Fumbling, he removed a pen
drive. Aptly named, it actually resembled a round fountain pen when he applied
a cover with a clip and placed it in his top jacket pocket.
    One of the guards placed his hands on a
large framed painting on the wall behind Perez. It depicted Adam and Eve at the
tree of knowledge; he opened it on hinges to reveal a wall safe. The guard
stood to one side. Perez entered a code and opened the safe. He placed the
laptop inside and then the canvas bags, followed by the ransom envelope.
    Perez closed the safe. He turned, looked
directly at me and then at the model.
    ‘This is what your government has made me
put on hold because of your actions. It’s a state of the art emergency hospital
with a pharmacy that my people badly need.’
    I heard his words, but all the time I was
thinking what the department would give to have a search warrant to blow the
safe for the information it contained. His feeble attempt at indoctrination to
win me over failed.
    Thinking it best to humour him, I attempted
to gain some empathy.
    ‘Sorry to mess up your plans, but shouldn’t
the government be building the hospital?’
    ‘They should, but they won’t.’
    ‘What you have planned is a magnificent
gesture. I hope you get to build the hospital.’
    Thinking about the pharmacy gave me the
idea it was a perfect front for getting the medication used to make crack
cocaine. I suspected those were his motives, rather than a philanthropic
gesture.
    ‘Do you play chess, Agent Rawlings?’
    ‘Yes, why?’
    ‘Good. Maybe you will indulge me when
you’re settled in. I could do with a new victim.’ The laugh that followed
grated, interspersed as it was with pig-like grunts.
    I glanced around the room, mentally noting
every detail.
    He turned to me and smiled. It was as if he
could read my mind. ‘Don’t even think of escaping. The bracelet on your ankle
contains explosives. Move outside a three-hundred-meter perimeter and you’ll
lose a foot. The guards each have a remote control to set off the charge.’
    A gulp stuck in my throat. He reached out
and patted me on the back. Clearly, he had me in check, but I hoped not
checkmate.
    ‘Don’t worry. For now I’ll offer you my
hospitality to give you time to recover from your ordeal. After that, providing
you cooperate... no problem. All I want to know from you is... Well, let’s save
it for later, shall we? Once I have the information I need, you can live a life
of luxury until your government caves in and pays me what I’m due. Any
questions?’
    I wanted to ask who had placed the original
contract on my life, but there and then didn’t feel like the right time to
broach the subject.
    There was another question I dared not ask… What if I don’t cooperate?

Chapter 12
    Insurance Policy
    The start of my
third day of captivity began with me blinking at the light piercing through the
slats of the shutters covering the glass doors to the balcony. I shielded my
eyes. As comfortable as it was wearing silk pyjamas and being shrouded with
silk sheets, on a soft mattress and with duck-down pillows, sleep had proven
difficult. My aching limbs were not the only thing that kept me awake for long
periods. Thoughts of what my captors wanted from me had circled a constant
stream of scenarios as to how, if ever, I would gain freedom.
    There was a tap on the door and the young
maid entered pushing a cart holding a cooked breakfast of bacon, eggs and hash
browns. The aroma of the food and wisps of steam from the coffee carafe fought
for the