Authors: Arthur Hailey
The plan to attempt a rescue at Nueva Esperanza was complete
.
On Friday after-noon, final details were settled, the last equipment
assembled. At dawn on Saturday, Partridge and his crew would fly from Lima
,
bound for the jungle in San Martin Province, near the Huallaga River
.
Since late Wednesday, on learning of the prisoners' location, Partridge had
fretted impatiently. His first inclination had been to leave at once, but
Fernandez
Pabur's arguments plus his own experience had persuaded him to
delay
.”
The jungle can be a friend; it can also be an enemy
,”
Ferna
ndez pointed
out
.”
You cannot stroll into it, the way you would visit another part of
town. We will be in the jungle at least one night, perhaps two, and there
are certain things we must have with us for survival. I must also choose
our air transport carefully-using someone reliable we can trust. Flying us
in, then returning to take us out will require coordination and good
timing. We need two days to prepare; even that is barely enough
.”
The "we
”
and "our
”
made clear from the beginning that the resourceful
stringer-fixer intended to be part of the expedition
.”
You will need me
,”
he stated simply
.”
I have been in the Selva many times. I know its ways
.”
When Partridge felt obliged to point out there would be danger, Pabur
shrugged
.”
All life is a risk. In my country nowadays, getting up in the
morning has become one
.”
Air transport was their pri
ncipal concern. After disappear
ing for part of Thursday morning,
Fernandez
returned and, collecting Partridge and Rita, took them to a one-story brick building not far from Lima's Airport. The building contained several small offices. They approached one which
had on its door ALSA-AEROLIBER
FAD S.A.
Fernandez
entered first and introduced his companions to the owner of the charter flight service, also its chief pilot, Oswaldo Zileri
.
Zileri, in his mid to late thirties, was good-looking and clean-cut, with
a trim, athletic build. His attitude was guarded, but businesslike and
direct. He told Partridge, "I understand you intend to pay a surprise
visit to Nueva Esperanza, and that is all I need, or wish, to know
.”
"That's fine
,”
Partridge said, "except we hope to have three more
passengers flying back than we will have going out
.”
"The airplane you are chartering is a Cheyenne II. There will be two
pilots and room for seven passengers. How you fill those seven seats is
your affair. Now, may we talk money
?
”
"Talk it with me
,”
Rita said
.”
What's your price
?
”
"You will pay in U.S. dollars
?
”
Zileri queried
.
Rita nodded
.”
Then the regular price on each round trip will be one thousand four
hundred dollars. If there is extra time at destination, required for
circling, there will be an additional charge. As well, for each landing
in the vicinity of Nueva Esperanza
which is drug country controlled by
Sendero Luminoso-there will be a special danger fee of five thousand
dollars. Before we leave on Saturday, I would like a six-thousand-dollar
cash deposit
.”
"You'll have it
,”
Rita said, "and if you write all that out, making two
copies, I'll sign, and keep one
.”
"It will be done before you leave. Do you wish to know some details of
my air service
?
”
"I suppose we should
,”
Partridge said politely
.
With a touch of pride, Zileri recited an obviously standard spiel
.”
The
Cheyenne II
-we have three-is twin-engined and propeller-driven. It is a
remarkably reliable aircraft and can land in a short space-important in
the jungle. All our pilots, including myself, are American-trained. We
know most regions,
of Peru well, also the local flight controllers, civil and military, and they are used to us. Incidentally, on this flight I will be piloting you myself
.”
"All that's fine
,”
Par
tridge acknowledged
.”
What we also need is some
advice
.”
"Fer
n
an
dez has told me
.”
Zileri went to a chart table where a large-scale
map of the southern portion of San Martin Province was spread open. The
others joined him
.”
I've assumed you will want to land sufficiently far 'from Nueva Esperanza
so your arrival will not be noted
.”
Partridge nodded
.”
Assumption right
.”
"Then, on the outward journey from Lima, I recommend landing here
.”
With
a pencil Zileri indicated a point on the map
.”
Isn't that a roadway
?
”
"Yes, the main jungle highway, but there is little traffic, often none. But
at several points like this one it's been widened and resurfaced by drug
shippers so that planes can land. I've landed there before
.”
Partridge wondered for what purpose. Conveying drugs, or people who dealt
in them? He had heard there were few Peru air operators who were not
involved with the drug trade, even if only in peripheral ways
.”
Before we go in to land
,”
Zileri continued, "we will make sure the highway
is n
ot in use and there is no one
on the ground. From that point
a rough
trail goes close to Nueva Esperanza
.”
Fern
a
ndez interj
ected, "I have a good map where the trail is marked
.”
"Now about your return with extra passengers
,”
Zjieri said
.”
Fernandez
and
I have discussed this and have a suggested plan
.”
"Go ahead
,”
Partridge told him
.
The discussion continued, decisions and salient facts emerging
.
Three possible pickup
points existed for the return journey. First, the
bighway where the initial landing was intended. Second, Sion airstrip
which, after 'leaving Nueva Esperanza, could
be reached by river, plus a three-mile overland journey. Third, a very small landing strip, used by drug traffickers and known to few people, midway between the two; that, too, was reached mainly by river
.
The reason for options was, as
Fernandez
explained, "We do not know what
will happen at Nueva Esperanza, or which way will be clear, or best, for
us to leave by
.”
The airplane making the pickup could easily pass over all three places
and respond to a signal from the ground. Partridge's group would carry
a flare gun with green and red flares. A green flare would mean: Land
normally, everything is clear,- a red flare: Land as quickly as possible
,
we are in danger!
If close-in rifle or machine-gun fire was observed from the air, it was
agreed that the airplane would not land, but would return to Lima
.
Since it was not known exactly when the return flight would be required
,
an airplane would be sent to fly over the area, first on Sunday morning
at 8 A.m. and, failing any contact between ground and air, again on
Monday at the same time. After that, any action would be decided by Rita
who would remain in Lima during the expedition and in touch with New
York, an arrangement Partridge considered essential
.
At the end of operational planning, a contract was signed by Rita, on
behalf of CBA News, and by Oswaldo Zileri, after which Zileri and the CBA
trio formally shook hands. Looking at Partridge directly, the pilot said
,
"We shall keep our part of the agreement and do our best for you
.”
Partridge had an instinct that he would.
After making the air arrangements, and returning to Cesar's Hotel
,
Partridge held a meeting in his suite with all. the CBA group members to
decide who would make the Nueva Esperanza journey. Three definite
selections were: Partridge; Minh Van Canh, since some visual record was
essential; and
Fernandez
Pabur. Allowing for three extra passengers re-
turning, this left a fourth place open
.
The choice was between Bob Watson, the TV-video editor;
the sound man, Ken O'Hara; or Tomis, the mostly silent bodyguard
.
Fernandez
favored Torads and had argued earlier, "He is strong and can
fight
.”
Bob Watson, smoking one of his pungent cigars, urged, "Take me
,
Harry! In a brawl, I kin take care of myself. Found that out in Miami
riots
.”
O
’
Hara simply said, "I want to go very much
.”
In the end, Partridge chose O'Hara because he was a known quantity, had
shown he could keep his head in a tense situation and was resourceful
.
Also, while they would not be carrying sound equipment-Minh would use a
Betacam incorporating sound-Ken O'Hara had an instinctive way with anything
mechanical, an asset that might prove useful
.
Partridge left
Fernandez
to organize equipment and under his direction the
items were accumulated in the hotel: lightweight hammocks, mosquito netting
and repellent, dried foods sufficient for two days, filled water bottles
,
water sterilizing tablets, machetes, small compasses, binoculars, some
plastic sheeting. Since each person would carry his own requirements, using
a backpack, a balance was struck between necessity and weight
.
Fernandez
also urged that each carry a gun and Partridge agreed. It was a
fact of TV life that correspondents and crews overseas sometimes went
armed, though keeping weapons out of sight. Networks neither condoned nor
discouraged the practice, leaving it to the judgment of people on the spot
.
In this case the need seemed overwhelming and was aided by the fact that
all four who would be going had had experience with firearms at various
points in their lives
.
Partridge decided he would stay with his nine-millimeter Browning, with a
silencer. He also had a Fears
um commando "killing
”
knife, given him by a
major in the British SAS
.
Minh, who would have camera equipment to carry as well as a weapon, wanted
something powerful but light;
Fernandez
announced he could obtain an
Israeli Uzi submachine gun. O'Hara said he would take whatever was
available; it turned out to be a U.S. M-16 automatic rifle. Apparently any
weaponry was purchasable in Lima, with no questions asked of those who had
the money.
Since Wednesday, when he had learned that Nueva Esperanza was the target
,
Partridge had asked himself. Should he inform the Peruvian authorities
,
specifically the anti-terrorism police? On Thursday he had even gone back
for advice to Sergio Hurtado, the radio broadcaster who had warned him not
to seek help from the armed forces and police. During their meeting on
Partridge's first day in Peru, Sergio had said: "Avoid them as allies
because they have ceased to be trustworthy, if they ever were. When it
comes to murder and mayhem, they are no better than Sendero and certainly
as ruthless
.”
Speaking in mutually agreed confidence, Partridge informed Sergio of the
latest developments and asked if the advice was still the same?
"If anything, stronger
,”
Sergio answered
.”
In exactly the kind of situation
you are looking at, the government forces are notorious for going in with
maximum firepower. They take no chances. They wipe out everyone, innocent
as well as guilty, and ask questions after. Then, when accused of killing
people wrongfully, they'll say, 'How could we tell the difference? It was
kill or be killed.'
“
Partridge was reminded that General Rafil Ortiz had said much the same
thing
.
Sergio added, "At the same time, going in as you plan, you are taking your
own life in your hands
.”