Ramsey's Gold

Chapter Twenty-Two

Drake jolted awake and rolled over, sweating in spite of the air conditioner, and squinted at the alarm clock, which read seven p.m. He forced himself upright and, after getting his bearings, moved to the bathroom. Once the water was warm he took a shower, trying to expunge the memory of the troubling dreams with soap and elbow grease. The sense of unease that had seemed so vivid upon waking gradually faded, rinsed away in a spiral of suds down a rusted drain. By the time he toweled off and stepped out of the stall, he’d forgotten it, his mind occupied with more immediate concerns.

Nobody was downstairs yet, so he wandered into the lobby bar and ordered a Pisco Sour, advertised on the small menu as the Peruvian specialty cocktail. He watched the preparation with concern when the raw egg white was added, but quickly resigned himself to living dangerously. He was getting ready to head into one of the most hazardous stretches of jungle on the planet. The possibility of a little salmonella paled in comparison — and he had to admit, the concoction was tasty.

He was on his second drink when Allie joined him, and he convinced her after a taste to have one as well. When Jack showed up at eight, they were enjoying themselves, which abruptly ended when they saw his expression. He ordered a cup of coffee and, when the bartender brought it, sat at their table and filled them in on his meeting, as well as his concerns.

“Who’s this Spencer character?” Allie asked when he finished.

“I don’t know. He must have heard enough of the discussion to put two and two together. What he was doing there, I have no idea. Same with who he is.”

“Do you think he was telling the truth?”

“We won’t know until tomorrow, but he seemed pretty confident. In which case I just lost a tidy sum to learn that you can’t trust anyone,” Jack spat.

“What are we going to do if he’s right?” Drake asked.

“We don’t have a lot of options. Worst case, I call him and set up a meeting to learn more. I’d hoped that because my contact vouched for the Pakistani guy, he was reliable, but it could have been a while since he dealt with him.” Jack took a long sip of coffee. “And a lot can happen in a short period around here. Occupational hazard in a country where pure cocaine costs four dollars a gram.”

“Then you believe Spencer?” Allie asked.

“I don’t know what to think,” Jack said.

Dinner was a maudlin affair, and when they parted, Drake agreed to meet them the following morning to strategize. They’d still need to source the rest of their equipment and could occupy their time with that while waiting to see whether Spencer’s prediction held true.

The next day was spent traversing Lima, buying camping gear and the various odds and ends they’d want for their jungle adventure. Their final stop was at a pharmacy, where they assembled a respectable first aid kit suitable for attending to any kind of emergency, including gunshot wounds and snake bites. Although from what the pharmacist explained, most of the local poisonous snakes would kill you long before the bite could be treated.

Asad didn’t answer his phone, and after spending hours trying with no reply, Jack suspected the worst. He’d been taken, and there was no recourse — they didn’t have the time to hunt down the Pakistani on the unfamiliar streets of Lima.

Spencer answered on the second ring and agreed to meet at six at a café a block from the hotel. He didn’t ask what had happened. He’d obviously known when he’d handed Jack his card.

Drake accompanied Jack to the rendezvous in the empty café. When Spencer showed up, Drake instantly disliked him. The man’s attitude was cocksure and smug, his good looks a little too smooth, his breezy assurance that he could help them insincere.

“I can get the guns. Peru and Brazil are crawling with them. But good condition weapons always command more, and fully automatic assault rifles come at a premium. So expect to pay. As to playing guide in the jungle, that’s a different story. I’m not into risking my life for a few lousy bucks. You’re going to need to make it worth my while. And no bullshit about secrets and need-to-know. You either tell me the whole story or I’m out, and you can take your chances with someone else,” Spencer said.

“For a guy living in dope central, you have high expectations,” Drake began, but Jack held up a hand, his gaze never leaving Spencer’s.

“Why don’t you convince me I should trust you? You’re just some guy in a bar. Why would I want to hand you money?” Jack demanded.

“You called me. That means Asad screwed you. If you had a backup, he’d be here instead of me. So why don’t we skip the posturing and cut to the chase? You need guns and a reliable guide. I can supply both. But I’m not dumb, and I’m not cheap. I make plenty with my little business. I don’t need to die for chump change.” Spencer paused, studying Drake before returning his attention to Jack. “But seeing as you got bent over by your man Asad, I’ll answer some reasonable questions. Ask away.”

“Who are you? What do you do in Lima?” Drake demanded.

“I’m a businessman. I arrange things. I fix things. I cross borders with anything besides drugs. Money, people, papers, whatever.”

“Then you’re a smuggler,” Drake said.

“Sure. If it pays. Why — you have something against smugglers? Your grandpa here was trying to hire one of the most notorious in the area,” Spencer replied evenly.

“Where are you from?” Jack asked.

“Central Valley, California.”

“How did you wind up in Peru?”

“I spent some time in the service. When I got out, I realized that I wasn’t cut out for standing behind a counter greeting people or pushing a mop. So I decided to travel until I found something that interested me. Peru interested me. That was twelve years ago.”

“What did you do in the army?” Jack asked.

“I didn’t say I was in the army. I said the service.”

“How about you tell me exactly what you did. Because this is already sounding like make-believe to me,” Jack said.

“Make-believe? Fine. After a stint in the navy I wound up as a SEAL. For four years. I won’t talk about specific missions, but you look like a man who’s spent time in the trenches. Figure it out.”

“And now you’re a lowlife in a third world backwater,” Drake said flatly.

Spencer’s expression didn’t change, but his eyes narrowed. “You’ve got a pretty smart mouth. What’s your claim to fame? Impress me.”

“I don’t have to impress you. I’m not asking for a job,” Drake fired back.

“Neither am I. You called me, not the other way around.”

Drake turned to Jack. “I don’t like him. Let’s find someone else.”

Spencer laughed. “That’s rich. You still don’t get it. There is nobody else. Just cheats and addicts trying to con you out of your cash. You may not like me, but I’m the best chance you’ve got. Assuming I’m interested. Which so far, I’m not.” Spencer sat back. “I can get you the weapons within forty-eight hours. The rest? Good luck. Better leave instructions on where to send your bodies, assuming anyone finds them. Because at the rate you’re going, you’re history.”

Jack cleared his throat. “All right. Enough of this. We don’t need to fall in love. We need to be able to work together. Why should we trust you?”

“Because you’ll make it worth my while to be trustworthy. That’s why.” Spencer shifted. “Now I’ve got some questions of my own. But first, tell me why you need an arsenal — and why you want to go into the rainforest. And don’t make it up. If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine. I’ll get your popguns, and best of luck. Although I’ve got to warn you — the jungle traffickers are loaded for way bigger bear than you, so you’ll need more than what you’ve asked for to survive a week. They’ve got grenades. Fifty cals. Every conceivable weapon you can imagine.” Spencer gave Drake a dismissive laugh. “And you expect to go into their backyard and walk out alive? Don’t make me laugh.”

“Fine. Get the guns. We’ll take our chances,” Drake said, the color rising in his cheeks.

Jack shook his head and glared at Drake. “Easy, huh?” He turned to Spencer. “Here’s my proposal. Find us the weapons. We’ll pay a reasonable amount. If you get them in a timely manner, we’ll consider telling you what you want to know. How much do you need up front?”

Spencer laughed. “Five grand. Cash. But I’ll tell you what. We can play a game. You can either give me the five now, and the price will be ten, or you can give me nothing, and when I have the weapons, the price will be twelve. Call it bridge building. You have to earn trust to get it. Your choice.”

Drake and Jack exchanged glances. “We’ll take the twelve. You sure you can have the weapons that quickly?” Jack asked.

Spencer stood. “I already have the AKs. They’re the most requested weapon down here. More punch than M4s — better stopping power, even if not as accurate. But in the jungle you won’t be sharpshooting, so an AK’s a solid choice. It’s the SIG Sauers that’ll take a little creativity. Very popular, but getting three on short notice in new condition without any paperwork…they’d normally go for more like a grand apiece through legit channels, but seeing as you probably don’t want to bother with reams of paperwork…”

Jack nodded. “That’s right.”

“Then it’s a deal. You have my number. Call me tomorrow. I’ll be around.”

With a parting glare for Drake, Spencer left, leaving Jack and Drake alone with their coffee. Jack finished his cup and sighed.

“What do you think?” he asked.

“Should be obvious. I don’t like him. It feels like he’s playing us. Too slick. I feel like I need to check my wallet after talking to him for five minutes.”

“I don’t disagree. But perhaps he’s confident because he knows what he’s doing? You have to admit — ex-SEAL commands some respect.”

“If what he said was true.”

“I believe him. There’s a look. You get to know it. He’s got that look. And he recognized it in me the first time he saw me.”

Drake shook his head and frowned. “You can’t be seriously thinking about including him in this.”

“We need all the help we can get. Having a seasoned player to guide us could be a lifesaver. When your father and I went into the jungle, it wasn’t crawling with drug smugglers. But it is now, and without a guide that knows the ropes, this will be over before it starts. So I don’t think we can dismiss him so easily. Let’s see what he does with the weapons. If he performs, I say we tell him what we’re doing, and cut him in on a share. The only way a guy like that’s going to go all in is if he thinks he’s going to get a home run out of it. Otherwise he’ll just be hired help, and you’ll always be looking over your shoulder.”

“Of course, there’s nothing to stop him from killing all of us once we find the treasure.”

Jack eyed him with a small smile and stood. “I’m not so easy to kill. You can start with that.”