XIII
Eke and Bill made it an even 50. Fifty men. They would launch
the assault with 50 men split equally– half in front of the house and
half waiting in the back.
They sat in the woods outside the compound. All of them.
Quiet.
Theyd been here a while now, having crawled for about a half
mile and then settled into a watching mode. Eke calmly went over the
plan in his head. He and the others had been told it in detail early this
morning before they headed off in a convoy of one jeep and several
Toyota vans. Down the road theyd gone, an hour and a half more-
and when they were dropped off in the woods outside the compound,
everyone except Eke took a ceremonial tug off of one of the two
bottles the general had brought along.
“No thanks,” said Eke. No one cared that he declined, they just passed the bottle and
then when they were finished they split into two groups and began to
crawl slowly to just outside the compound.
And now they watched. Quiet. That was their job for now, to
watch and learn. They looked for patterns. Although this house had
been scouted before and the patterns well established, they were
waiting in order to be sure that what they knew was what was true.
The established pattern guarding this compound was a
combination of dogs and guards – rotated on half hour tours of the
perimeter. Thus, once every hour the guards toured the perimeter
and once every hour the dogs did– split a half hour apart. Dogs, a
half-hour later guards, and then half an hour later dogs again. The
dogs, it was agreed, were more troublesome than the guards and
should be avoided.
The compound itself comprised of three acres that was
surrounded by an eight-foot concrete wall of Spanish design.
They waited. For two hours they sat and watched the rotation and
even got to nickname the guards, Chubby and Limpy, because one
was fat and the other one limped. Information was that there were 20 men guarding this compound.
That gave Eke and Bills group a 2 to 1 advantage and the element of
surprise. It seemed like it should be easy. And the plan, Eke had to
admit, was a good plan. They had, of course, offered the sniper job to
Bill and Eke because in their brief tour of the camp firing range when
they first arrived, they proved to be great shots. But Eke would have
none of it. “Only a fair fight,” he said.
Of course, invading a compound with the element of surprise and
a 2 to 1 advantage wasnt exactly fair. But neither was what the
horrific man living in the compound was planning to do to the people
of Honduras. This was war, or at least a lot like it. Thus it was as fair
as could be, since all is fair in love and war.
He looked over at Maria. She was crouched down two trees over.
He could see her hair, the outline of her curves and speaking of love;
he wanted to be in love right now. Maybe he was. How can love be a
one-way street? He hated that it was, but as he looked at her with her
gun clutched in her hands, it all felt incredibly romantic and thrilling.
His heart was pounding.
It was close to starting. The general nodded and two of his best marksmen stood quietly
next to their respective trees. And right on cue, Chubby and Limpy
began their tour of the grounds. They all waited quietly and patiently
as they saw them head away from them, around the perimeter in the
other direction. And soon, they would be back this way. As they
disappeared from view, Eke used the moment to sneak another
glance at Maria. This time she turned and looked at him. She gave a
thumbs-up.
He smiled.
She said, “Thank you.” And then she turned away.
Chubby and Limpy came back into view. Eke knew the moment of
truth was upon them. He could almost hear a clock ticking in his
head. Each second, each moment, was vivid. He was alive. Alive!
The two guards were close now. Each step they took seemed to
be accompanied by a loud drumbeat as the marksmen raised their
rifles and took aim.
Eke held his rifle up now too, but he didnt aim. He was just ready
in case the sniper missed.
The first loud shot echoed through the woods and as it did a large
part of Chubbys round head disappeared. The body spun; there was a flash of the color red. Blood. And then a second loud shot before
Limpy had any time to react and he took it right in the chest. More
red. Within an instant, both bodies were down. And the assault was
launched.
Eke looked up to make sure the guardhouse was cleared and
then he put down his Winchester. Bill did the same but Bill used his
right hand to grab a Mach 10 that he had hanging around his neck.
Eke reached down for an AK 47 that he had stashed in the
woods. Maria gave it to him and he liked it immediately because it
was easy to use and he knew that it would last and not break down.
And they charged.
In their group, eight sets of three men attacked the compound
with eight foot, wooden ladders. Two men hoisted a ladder while the
third quickly climbed– making for eight men busting over the wall at
once. The other two men in each group followed quickly after. Eke
and Bill trailed behind and by the time they were to the ladder, all the
men were over the wall and a canister had been sent over the other
side, creating smoke for the intruders to hide in. And theyd heard shots – lots of shots. The sniper shots had
drawn attention, of course, and now the compound was coming to life
and looking to defend itself.
The job of the first crew over the fence was to kill everything in
their path. It was plain. This was not a job for pussies. This was the
real thing.
Ekes heart was pounding as he climbed a ladder. Bill climbed
one next to him.
As they got on top of the wall, they looked back to the unfortunate
bodies of Limpy and Chubby, and then down on the other side of the
wall two other guards for the compound lying in their own pools of
blood. They looked around and saw none of their comrades were
hurt. So far, so good.
The whole group was gathered, quiet, pointing, using American
Sign Language. Theyd all learned American Sign Language for the
light and Morse code to use in the dark. Eke had to hand it to the
general – he was prepared as were his men.
Eke surveyed the compound. It was immaculately landscaped
and these plants stood as barriers for the intruders, although they
were aware that the men on the inside knew these grounds better. Still, Eke knew what to expect. Hed seen the floor plan, as did his
comrades. Still, those on the inside had time to dig in and find a
place.
As the group paused for a moment to gather themselves, Bill and
Eke floated towards the front and the others let them. The group was
now dividing to cover the entire compound and at the rear entrance to
the masters quarters, the Americans took the lead.
Bill nodded at Eke. Eke acknowledged his friend and they took
positions outside the door. Bill to the left and Eke to the right.
Meanwhile, three of their comrades positioned themselves on their
stomachs with their guns aimed at the entranceway.
Bill kicked in the door. He dove away and the men on the ground
began firing. A few shots came back but they missed everyone and
soon there was a loud cry and then another. Two of the enemy were
hit. Just then, on a signal from Eke, the shooters on the ground
stopped and Bill and Eke charged into the room with their guns
blazing.
As Eke ran into the room and turned right while squeezing the
trigger, he scanned the area as he fired, looking for bodies that may not be dead yet. And when he found one, he pummeled it with
bullets. Bill, on the left, was doing the same.
From further in the compound they could hear sporadic gunfire
and there was no real way of knowing whether the shots were being
fired by their comrades or by the men trying to protect this compound.
By the time Bill and Eke had finished firing, their three comrades
on the ground had reloaded their weapons.
Smoke was in the air but this room was now quiet. Eke pointed to
a door. That way.
He led while Bill, Jacque and Maria followed close behind along
with the three shooters. They stepped quietly.
Meanwhile, the compound was awash in noise. Shouts, gunfire,
screams and footsteps. It was a cacophony of random noise and Eke
had to force himself to stay calm and think clear thoughts.
They crept into a hallway. Eke was in the lead and Bill was right
behind. Slowly they went. Methodical. Following the plan. Eke went
through it all again in his head. Room by room. A sweep.
As Eke approached a door on his left, his heart was pounding
through his ears waiting for another confrontation. He pushed open
the door and burst in! His finger was sweaty on the trigger and he was about to start ripping this room to shreds but when he looked to
his right something stopped him cold - huddled together on a couch
were five young women in maids uniforms. The hired help. Eke
looked at them, these tender young faces, and his immediate thought
was that this was no place for these girls. They needed someone to
protect them.
All five womens eyes were huge and terrified.
Eke smiled and aimed his gun away. “Dont shoot!” he yelled to
his comrades, who were rushing into the room behind him. “Look.”
They looked. Bill looked. Bill looked at the girls and then at Eke
and then at the girls again. Then back to Eke and he said, “I know
what youre thinking.”
Maria knew too. She shook her head. No.
“Youre right,” said Eke, reluctantly. “Not my type.” His instinct
was to stay back with these girls, protect them, and hope that one or
all of them fell madly in love with him for his strength and braveness.
“Were not finished,” said Maria.
Gunfire suddenly exploded from another part of the compound.
The fight was still on. The good part of the scenario for Bill and Eke
was that everyone in their group was still alive and unharmed. The bad part was that reinforcements to this compound were only a half
an hour away and that half hour was already ticking, as Eke was sure
someone inside contacted their allies as soon as this began. Tick,
tick, tick…it went along with the beating of his heart.
Eke told the girls, “Stay here, well be back.”
They smiled meekly and then Eke and the others left the room
and closed the door. With Eke in the lead, they began to worm their
way down the corridor. At a staircase, Eke crawled slowly up while
Bill, Maria and the others stood below with guns aimed at the next
level of stairs.
Eke paused and listened. He heard nothing. He motioned for the
others to follow and they did and then they all headed up to the next
level. Out the door they went, into a hallway. As they first entered,
they all jumped and spread out, aiming weapons every direction.
Nothing.
Eke was holding his breath; the air was tight in his lungs but he
didnt even know he wasnt breathing. Tense, on edge, but alive –
very, very alive. Finally, he exhaled. He looked around. Something
about this felt too easy. Its not over. He could hear Marias voice in
his head. And then, in a pause in the gunfire, they heard a creak in the
house. It was near. Ekes eyes felt like they were coming out of his
head, he was looking so hard. All of his energy was focused in his
eyes. And his legs, his arms - all of his muscles were in on it. But it
was his eyes that the focus was most tense.
As Eke looked around he noticed for the first time the interior of
this house. The staircase was made of Ceiba tree; the very tree that
the city (the third largest in Honduras) was named after. The walls,
both American carpenters noticed, were made of rosewood paneling.
And lighting the staircase was a chandelier.
They heard the creak again.
“My turn,” said Bill. He took the lead and Eke stepped aside. Bill
slowly led the group down the hall towards a door on the right. He
waited. “Guess their not going to invite us in,” he said to Eke.
“Nope. Dont imagine they are.”
And so Bill pushed open the door, let out a five-second burst of
bullets and then jumped back. Just as he jumped back a piece of
rosewood paneling shattered into a hole. Someone shot back.
“Hes hiding around the corner,” whispered Bill.
“What was your first clue?” asked Eke sarcastically. Bill smiled at his friend. This was, of course, the exact perfect
time for two friends to laugh at each other– the tensest of moments.
Eke was glad that Bill was here at this time. It felt, somehow, safer.
Bill, it seemed, was always a step ahead, one beat better, and it was
reassuring to know he was here. Bill, unlike Eke, quit drugs before
being forced into rehab. Bill was always a little louder, a littler faster.
Eke pondered life as he watched his friend kick in the door one
more time and then the shooters rushed the room while screams
echoed only a second before the voice inside went silent. It happened
so fast that Eke was still thinking about all the things hed been
through together with Bill.
The room was clear. Bill gave the thumbs-up to Eke.
They went down the hall to a large living room that was divided by
a wall running through the middle with an open doorway between.
This, Eke had been told, was a luxurious house in Honduras. It was
big, for sure. But luxurious? Maybe in Honduras but where Eke was
from this would not be luxurious furnishings. Nice, sure. But that was
it. Nothing special.
What was special was how amazingly exciting this felt at this
moment. Everything had gone right, the bad guys had acted like bad guys and Eke felt the most alive hed ever felt in his entire life – a
literal adrenaline pump.
And then, from further down, more gunfire. A scream. Eke
recognized the voice as one of their comrades from the mess hall.
They ran and when Maria came in she saw that a man named Chico
had been hit in the leg. She ran to tend to him.
At that exact moment, Bill turned and saw a man on the ground.
Bill had his gun aimed and Eke saw the whole thing, and just as Bill
was about to shoot the man screamed “Viva Sanchez!” Then in
English, “Dont shoot!”
The muzzle to Bills gun went from aimed at the mans face to up
in the air. Eke could tell by looking, Bill almost shot the man. He saw
his friends face change. Holy shit. Eke watched. The mans hands
were together, as if praying. Holy shit. Then the mans hands were
up, flashing all five fingers. “Viva Sanchez,” he said again, talking
about the general, Marias father. He was one of us, thought Eke.
And then Eke thought for only a second further but he realized as he
did that he had no idea until now that this man was one of us. Eke
would have shot the man. Imagine. It was then that Eke realized that he just wanted this finished now.
The excitements been great, he thought, but its time for the final
play.
The man pointed. That way.
Bill gave the thumbs-up.
Maria said, “Were not finished.”
“Then lets finish it,” said Bill.
Eke followed. He followed as hed been following Bill for ages
now, into a danger, into an adventure and a rock and roll joyous
shootbang affair. Lets go. Eke followed.
Joyous.
For a moment somewhere in slow motion, joy was exactly the
feeling coursing through Ekes veins because he knew that he and
his lifelong friend had accomplished something good– no, more than
good– great. No, not great – great! Talking „bout a revolution. No, not
talking.
Cautious. Bill proceeded cautiously down the hall. Eke followed,
as did Maria and the others. Eke saw Jacque now. They were all
here, for the final assault. He could feel it upon them. Bill led the way. It was time to flush out the rest of this floor– one room at a time.
The first door Bill reachedhe began, “WHAT WE HAVE HEAR IS A
FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE,” the door was opened with a kick.
Eke smiled when he heard it, it was one of his favorite movie lines.
His muscles were tense.
As Bill jumped in and scanned the room with his gun waving, he
saw nothing. Meanwhile, Maria quickly checked under the bed and
behind the curtains. Finding nothing, they walked slowly out of the
room, scanning it one more time.
Next door, next line. “SOME MEN YOU JUST CANT REACH,”
Bill shouted this time as he again kicked the door. And again they
filled in and found nothing.
And on they went, down to the end of the corridor. Bill continued
with one door to go, “WHICH IS THE WAY HE WANTS IT-WELL.”
That was the cue for the others outside.
This time as Bill kicked open the door he just grunted, and as
soon as that particular door was kicked open, two men rappelled from
the roof to the outside deck and shot out the windows to this room.
Bill signaled and they went in with guns blazing. Bill first with
two guns, each waist high, firing away. Then Eke and Maria, same stance. Maria went left, Eke went right. As they went in, they noticed
this was a bigger room than other others. Fire was coming their way
now, from all inside the room. It seemed like there were five in here.
Eke looked over into a closet mirror and saw a reflection that
aimed him right to one of the members of this compound. Sweat was
pouring down the mans stubbled face and Eke saw he had a
machine gun and so Eke fired, hit the man, and then dove to the
ground and rolled away. More fire was returned from over by the
beds and Maria, seeing something by the beds out of the corner of
her eye, turned and fired. Two down. And just then Bill turned and
saw two men by the other bed and he hit them both with quick fire
from his machine gun.
But there was one man left and Bill didnt see him. Maria didnt
see him.
Eke didnt see him either, until he saw him shoot. And then he
saw…
Bill.
No!
Bill stumbled back and fell slowly to the ground. He twisted. He
landed on his knees. His right hand stayed right below his heart. And Eke started shooting. And Maria started shooting. And the
man took a dozen bullets in a couple of seconds. But it was too late.
Bill. Bill was hit. He was groaning. And somehow, quickly, it
became the only noise as all the gunfire stopped. They heard
footsteps and then Jacques voice. “Its over. Its over. Hold your fire!”
Over? Bill was in agony. Eke rushed to him. “Bill, you okay?”
Straining to talk he said, “Its more than a flesh wound.”
There wasnt a lot of blood, but the location of the wound was
ominous. Right below the heart, maybe the lung. Bill was gasping.
“Hold on,” Eke urged. He started to put pressure on the wound
but he could feel his friends heartbeat fading. Bills eyes lost focus.
“Hold on!”
But it was too late.
“Hold on!” Eke screamed again. Bill was slouched. “Shit!” said
Eke. “Shit! Shit! Shit!”
Eke didnt know what to do. He didnt know what to think. He was
panicked. He looked at Bill.
Bill! Noooooooooooo!
Maria came to him. “We have to get going,” she said.
“But…” “Were finished here,” she said. “Well bring your friends body
with us. But we must leave.”
Ekes mind was spinning. We must leave. Bring your friend’s
body, your friend’s body… It was all foreign, so foreign. No! He could
feel his mind as a muscle, straining. No! He wanted to do anything
except think. Into his mind came a vision of Bills mother, hearing this
news. He could see her face clear. Eke had talked Bill into this. He closed his eyes as tight as he could.
