Birth of the Wolf (Wahaya) Read Free

on I’m Hilton or General Swain. No more yes sir or no sir.
    "You are a private contractor, and who pays your bills is nobody’s business.  You will receive monthly checks as a security contractor for the Department of Agriculture in the standard amount for those contracts.  The amount is considerably higher than what you have been making as a Lieutenant Colonel on active duty, plus your retirement pay.  Any monies paid to you on contracts with foreign governments or private individuals are yours to keep.”
    Nick grinned, “Who do I have to kill?”
    “ Not funny Nick, it will almost certainly come to that.  I can only assure you that it is discretionary…if you do not feel the target is a legitimate enemy of U.S. interests, or the legitimate best interests of the host country; you are not obligated to terminate anyone.  Do you want to hear more?”
    Nick found himself listening with increasing interest.  This job was not significantly different from the job he had been doing for the Seventh Special Forces Group, and his knowledge of Peru and its problems was significant.  He found himself warming to the idea.  “What makes you think this thing in Atlanta is tied in with Peruvian terrorists?” he asked.
    “ You’re the expert,” Swain said, “I’ll let you tell me.”

* * * * *
    The police detectives met them at the airport.  Nick and the general were taken directly to the crime scene.  The detectives, irritated that someone else had been called in and they had been forbidden access to the scene, watched Nick in disgust as he approached the crime scene in his own way…as a Cherokee first, as a soldier second.
    It took only seconds to determine that the general had been correct. In the following seconds he determined that time was no longer a factor.  He could smell the dead man in the car, and he knew that all the killing that had been intended had been accomplished.
    The two women could be anywhere by now.  Anything he missed at this point could result in days of lost time. He must miss nothing.
    For the second time his eyes went to the bijao leaf crumpled on the ground, the juane mixture of rice, olives, and eggs spilling out of it. The odd shaped and textured bijao leaf placed the maker in the north, probably in San Martin province. Brown wrapping paper near the evidence tape smelled of ceviche, one of Peru’s national dishes. 
    There had been four men, and someone had recently brought them food from home…indicating they had been in this area for some time.
    “ Did anyone check with the uniformed security?” he asked glancing past the Detective Sergeant.
    “ We talked to them, what did you want to know?”
    “ Usually there will be a list, and I want to know if someone was supposed to be working on this yard this morning,” Nick said placidly, “and if there wasn’t supposed to be someone working here, who were these guys and where were they supposed to be?”
    Sergeant Winter smiled. He had anticipated and asked these questions already.  He handed the paper with the answers on it to Nick. Nick looked at the answers briefly and handed the paper back to the Sergeant, having memorized the information on the paper already. 
    “ Have you put out a BOLO on the van?” Nick asked.  Smugly, the Sergeant nodded in the affirmative.
    “ You can leave it if you want to Sergeant, but you’re never going to find it, I’ll bet my next paycheck on it.”  Nick pointed at his evidence and explained patiently to the Sergeant why he knew what he already knew. 
    “ There were four men,” he said, pointing to the rakes and the skid steer loader.  “It apparently took quite a while for anyone to report this."
    Sergeant Winters looked at him is disbelief.  Nick continued, "The rental tag hanging from the outside cage of the skid-steer loader shows it had been rented today. The ignition light is still on; therefore, a full tank of gas had been consumed sometime before the police had taped off