"Yes, I can do this," he replied, giddy at the chance to help.
"Thank you, Pancho. And if you see her leaving, come get me, immediately," I instructed.
"Yes sir, I will."
"Alright, go on now. I'll wait for you over there," I said, pointing to a small hill barely visible in the untamed jungle near the hotel. There I would have the perfect vantage point to stakeout the establishment.
Pancho nodded an acknowledgment and headed off for the entrance to the big white hotel at a run. I scanned the windows and balconies but saw no one. I then picked my way through the brush to the small hill and began my surveillance.
The hotel was massive by the standards of the village. Abnormally so. There were enough windows, and I assumed rooms, to house the entire population. Pancho had mentioned visitors were rare. I found it odd such a large hotel stayed in business with no patrons.
While it may have been open, it was obvious business had not been good. Moss and vines covered large swaths of the white wood siding, and what had once been a regal lawn and garden was overgrown and infested with weeds. The place had history, and may have been a favored retreat for the businessmen and tycoons who ruled Havana before the revolution. Now it was little more than a ruin waiting for the jungle to reclaim it.
All of the upstairs windows had been flung wide open, inviting what little breeze found its way through the jungle. There were several balconies, some of which looked dangerously lopsided, others as if they had recently been rebuilt. All of them had closed doors except one. It was there I found what I was looking for.
Movement from the room caught my eye and there she was. Jaye Mercury. She had changed from the army green shirt she had worn a short while ago to a black long sleeve shirt. She wore the same gray pants she had before, except now a utility belt hung from her hips with several pouches. But I was too far away to see what they contained. Her pants were tucked into her boots and she had tied her hair back in a tight bun. She had to be going after the idol. My only chance at getting the artifact would be to follow her.
But where was Pancho? He'd been gone far too long. I alternated my gaze from Jaye on the balcony to the front door of the hotel and finally saw him. He was walking casually, munching on a banana like he didn't have a care in the world. "Hurry up, kid." I whispered to myself, willing him to move faster.
He was heading back to where we had departed, several hundred feet from where I now was. "Where are you going, kid?" I wondered. I watched him until he eventually disappeared into the jungle. Unable to track him farther, I turned my attention back to the woman in the hotel.
She stretched, bent down, and then threw a large backpack over her shoulder. Damn! She's leaving. She shut the slatted wood doors to the balcony behind her and was gone from my view. I kept my eyes glued to the front entrance. She had to come out, eventually. I was so focused on looking for my mark that I didn't hear Pancho sneak up behind me until he was almost in arm's reach.
I jumped when he spoke, "Señor, she is there. Fourth upstairs window from the left," he said with a conspiratorial tone.
"Jesus, kid! You startled me." I said, taking a moment to compose myself before continuing. "Thanks for doing that, Pancho."
"Now what?" The boy asked, eager to help.
"Now I wait for her to leave. Does the hotel have a back door?" I asked, suddenly realizing there may be more than one entrance.
"Yes, of course," he replied.
"Damnit," I muttered. The building was too large, I couldn't cover both entrances.
My luck however held out. Jaye emerged from the front door, armed with her backpack and a machete. She took a look up at the sun and then headed straight for us.
"Be very quiet, don't let her know we're here," I told Pancho as she moved closer, entering the jungle a hundred feet from where we hid. I laid on the dirt, flattening myself as much as possible, and felt Pancho do the same, mimicking my movements despite the puzzled look on his youthful face.
I could hear the rhythmic twack twack of her machete as she cut her way through the brush and vines. When the sounds faded, I allowed myself up and looked over to my young companion.
"Go home, Pancho. You've been a big help, but I have to do this part alone," I told him in hushed tones.
"Where are you going?" He asked, as worry crept onto his face.
"She knows where the thing Doctor Blatt was looking for is. I'm going to get it before she does. It'll help me free Doctor Blatt if I can get it first."
I didn't know if that was true or not, but Bardales would have no reason to hold the man once the idol was gone. Surely he'd let an academic go, imprisoning him would bring down a lot of heat from the international community.
"What if she gets it first?" he asked.
"Then I'll go rescue Doctor Blatt myself!" I promised. The man had kept me from the army's clutches. If I could repay the favor, I would.
A range of emotions played across the boy's face. Hope, sadness, despair, and finally resignation. Pancho's mouth turned downward into a heartbreaking pout, but he made no move to follow me. The sounds of the machete were little more than a faint whisper now, and I knew I had to get going. It felt wrong leaving him, but if I didn't go now,
