“Ben, that man is my brother.
Maybe not in the strictest sense but a brother no less.
He has risked his life for me many times.
I have to help him if I can.”
“I understand, Dane.
I’m not saying we give up on him.
But let’s give him some time to get out.
He definitely has a great diversion with all that is going on over there.
Let’s wait a few more minutes.”
Tecal heard the conversation and decided to take matters into his own hands.
He sent out a man to scout ahead back toward the base camp.
Then he sent another man back toward the Fortress to warn of any Germans who may have made it out this far.
Tecal walked over to Ben and Dane.
“I send out men to see what is happening.
You wait.
My men find Mr. Hugo.”
Tecal smiled widely.
“That little guy is worth his weight in gold,” said Ben looking at Dane.
“Come on, let’s wait over here.
Everything will be all right.”
Everyone could breathe easier knowing those two were out there watching out for them.
The group ate and settled down for a rest.
After all, they faced a very long trek back to base camp.
Within minutes Dana and Randall were sound asleep under a large fern.
Ben and Tim lay on the opposite side of the small clearing, both snoring.
Dane was resting but wide awake.
His guard nevertheless up, he wanted to be reasonably ready if need be.
He and Hugo had gotten Dana and Randall out of the Fortress alive.
He didn’t want to lose them to a fleeing German with a score to settle.
What seemed like many hours was actually only two.
All but Dane and Tecal were still asleep when one of Tecal’s men hustled back to the clearing.
Dane sat up.
“Big truck coming,” said the small native.
“Big truck!”
Dane thought that was what he heard from the native but what in God’s name would a truck be doing here in the jungle?
Then it hit him; the Germans!
They escaped and were fleeing the Fortress.
Dane jumped up.
“Everybody up!
We have company coming,” shouted Dane.
Ben and Tim popped up like they were shot out of a gun.
Dana and Randall were a bit slower getting up.
Dane turned to them.
“Hit the deck, you two.
We are not out of this yet.”
“What’s up? “Ben asked.
“One of Tecal’s men says there is a big truck coming our way.”
“A truck?” gasped Tim.
“How the hell can a truck be out here?”
“My thoughts exactly,” said Dane, checking his weapon.
“It has to be from the Fortress and you know what that means.
Some pretty pissed off Germans are headed our way.”
“Oh, boy, here we go again,” moaned Ben.
“I am getting too old for all of this.”
Dane smiled.
“Come on, old man.
Let’s kick some ass.”
The three men dispersed into the edge of the jungle, rechecked their weapons and ammo and waited for the Germans.
It was about two minutes later they heard the distinctive growling sound of a large truck.
“Here they come,” said Dane, giving a thumbs-up to both Tim and Ben.
The roaring growl got louder and louder until they could see the jungle bush being pushed back and aside as a huge six-by-six truck rolled forward.
The men readied their weapons.
Dane had moved Dana and Randall out of the clearing behind everyone.
Dane could retreat, grab the two and slip off into the jungle if needed.
The growling sound was now overwhelming.
The truck burst through the edge of the clearing and stopped.
Everyone aimed their weapons at the truck and readied themselves.
“Honey, I’m home!” The cry came from inside the truck as the motor revved down and turned off.
Out popped Hugo onto the running board.
Dane was momentarily stunned.
“I should have known,” grinned Dane as he rushed over to shake Hugo’s hand.
“Damned glad to see ya!”
“Not half as much as I to see you guys,” answered Hugo with a wide smile.
“It’s kinda hard to drive this bucket of bolts through the jungle chased by Germans and find a handful of folks that are hiding from you.”
“Well, I guess so,” said Ben, coming around the front of the truck with Dana and Randall.
“Not many highways out in these parts of the jungle.”
They all laughed together.
They were one happy family again.
“Speaking of Germans,” asked Dane, “are any following you?”
“Not that I know of.
I stopped back a ways and listened and heard nothing but explosions.
By the way, the last I saw of the Fortress, it was the Amazon’s first volcano.”
They all stood there amazed at Hugo.
“Volcano?” blurted Tim.
“What do you mean a volcano?”
Hugo grinned.
“I’ll tell you about it on the way back.
Right now I simply want to say hi to Dana and Randall and relish the moment.”
Dana was the first to notice Hugo’s bandage.
“You are hurt,” she said, stepping over to give him a hand.
“I took a bit of shrapnel but it’s only a flesh wound.
I’ll be okay.”
“No. We have to take care of that now.
We don’t want it to get infected out here.”
Dana turned to get the medical kit.
“But I do have a bit of a surprise for all of you,” added Hugo.
“Besides a ride home?” asked Tim.
“Wait ‘til you see this,” said Hugo, leading the group to the rear of the truck.
He unlatched and dropped the tailgate and pulled back the black tarp.
“Well, what do you think?” He was smiling ear to ear.
Every eye in the group looked into the bed of the truck.
They were stunned.
Their mouths hung open as if they saw Adolph Hitler himself emerge.
There in the back of the truck were crate upon crate with German markings.
One crate was open and its contents spilled on the truck bed.
Gold bars, hundreds of them.
“Well?” asked Hugo again, almost laughing out loud.
“Cat gotcha tongue?”
“Holy Mother of God!” cried Dana.
“My God!” cried Dane.
Ben and Tim stood there speechless.
“We are the proud owners of a butt-load of gold bullion,” explained Hugo.
Dane was the first to ask what everyone wanted to know but couldn’t get the question out.
“Hugo, how did you get this?
There must be millions here.”
Hugo smiled broadly, “At today’s prices, maybe billions.
Those Germans had it all packed and ready for me when I left.”
Hugo looked at Dane.
“When we split up, I found my way down to the power station where I set charges on their power equipment.
Then I made my way back up to the hangar level where you guys had left me a mess.”
Dane smiled and nodded his head.
“Anyway, I was able to traverse the burning hangar level.
That’s where I got this,” he said, tapping his wounded leg.
“I kept moving and found the motor pool.
I tried to take one of the jeeps there but they were all blocked in.
“All that was left in the clear was this truck.
I started the old girl up and tried my best to get her up to speed and get back to you.
Even though I was following a pretty good trail, the damned truck would hardly move.
I jacked it into low-range six-wheeled drive and she trudged on down the trail.
So here I was blasting down this jungle trail running from Germans, a volcano behind me, God knows what in front of me and going only about five miles an hour.
Talk about frustration!
I could run faster than this, except for my leg.
“I was on the road for a good twenty minutes before I decided to stop to see what was going on.
That’s when I found the truck was filled with gold bullion ready to transfer to the United States.”
“So the truck was already loaded?” asked Dane.
“Yep.
But I didn’t know until I stopped,” answered Hugo.
“Imagine what a surprise I got!”
“Holy cow,” Ben grinned.
“What a story.”
“I’ll say,” added Randall.
“Well, let’s not wait around until the Germans track us down.
Let’s get moving.”
“You don’t have to say it twice,” said Dane as Dana and Randall jumped into the rear of the truck.
Ben and Tim joined them.
Dane climbed into the cab with Hugo.
Tecal sent his man ahead on foot to find the earlier scout and lead the way back home.
Hugo started the truck.
“Home, James,” shouted Dane.
“Yes, sir, Boss.”
The truck lurched forward down the jungle path toward home.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Downtown Miami, Florida;
10:30 a.m.
The telephone rang in the offices of International Investments.
Albert Jackson was in his office packing his personal papers.
His transfer was to take effect today.
Within seconds a stark-faced Dieter Blocher burst into his office out of breath.
“Mein Gott! Der Führer ist tot!”
he cried.
Jackson leaped to his feet.
“What?” he exclaimed.
“The Führer is dead and Fortress Alpha has been destroyed.
Everyone was killed except for a few that were captured.
I just heard from Danzler in Rio.
We are finished!”
Blocher was uncharacteristically upset.
Jackson wiped his face with his hand.
Blocher was right.
They were finished unless he could activate the emergency plan.
“Dieter, send a message to Danzler.
Tell him we are opening emergency Protocol A immediately.
We will evacuate within the hour.”
“Yes, sir,” said Dieter, still trying to calm down.
Jackson’s mind was racing.
What happened?
How could this happen?
A myriad of questions swirled through his head.
But he couldn’t afford to spend time on such frivolous antics now.
He must save what he could of the operation and above all save himself.
“Gather the transaction documents and place them in the armored travel case.
Take the rest of the files to the basement and burn them in the incinerator.
Nothing must be left for anyone to find out what we were doing.”
“Yes, sir,” answered Blocher, now actively trying to calm himself.
He raced off to do his duty.
Jackson got up and went to the wall safe behind the original Norman Rockwell painting on his office wall.
He opened the safe and removed twenty packets of one hundred dollar bills and a large envelope containing more than four hundred million dollars of gold stocks.
He placed the money and stocks in his briefcase and closed the safe.
Before he closed his case, he placed two packets of money in his inside coat pocket.
He needed some ready cash.