she answered.
Judd turned to the soldier. “This lady is my doctor,” he said. “She will join us.”
The soldier looked at him skeptically, but his voice was respectful. “Whatever you say, Señor.”
***
It was eight kilometers from the airport to the hotel, then one more kilometer on the hotel road past the golf course to the hotel entrance. Sitting in the backseat of the four-door car, Sofia looked at Judd. “It’s beautiful,” she said. “Someday I’d like to see more of it.”
Judd smiled. “I have a friend who owns a villa near here. Maybe we can spend the weekend.”
“Not this time,” she said. “First, we go back for your tests.”
Colonel Ayala, seated next to the driver, leaned over the seat toward them. “We will drive around to the service entrance.”
Judd nodded. He looked out the rear window. The soldiers accompanying them were following in a black-sided panel van. The cars went around the hotel to the service entrance. They pulled into the parking area and got out.
The colonel spoke briefly to the gateman, who silently signaled them to pass. They went through the basement corridor and stopped at the freight elevator. A cleaning woman was pushing a cart into it. The soldier spoke sharply and the woman nervously pulled back her laundry. They went into the elevator and the soldier pressed the floor button. The door closed.
Colonel Ayala looked at Judd and Sofia. “You will wait until I tell you to come out of the elevator.”
Judd nodded. He looked up at the floor lights over the doors. The numbers flashed slowly. It seemed forever before the PH light went on.
Several of the soldiers rushed out of the elevator almost before the doors opened. A few seconds later others followed. Colonel Ayala gestured for the rest of them to come out. He pressed a button to lock the elevator door open.
The guard was on his stomach on the floor, hands handcuffed behind his back, in front of the passenger elevator he was supposed to protect. Colonel Ayala spoke quietly to him. The guard gestured with his head to one of the doors, his eyes moving nervously.
Colonel Ayala inched his way along carefully, his back against the wall until he reached the doorknob. The door opened easily. It was not locked. Quietly, the soldier stepped through the door, Judd behind him. A man, his head resting on crossed arms on the table before him, was fast asleep.
A soldier stepped lightly behind the sleeping figure and touched him gently on the shoulder. The man awoke, startled. His eyes opened wide, staring down the muzzle of the Colt .45 automatic. He began to open his mouth.
Judd spoke quickly. “Stay quiet. No one’s going to hurt you.”
The man turned to him.
Judd was reassuring. “We’re not here to hurt anyone.” He paused a moment. “Where are the others?”
The man took a deep breath. “Three of them are in their rooms asleep. The others went into town. There’s an English-language movie today.”
Judd looked toward Hughes’ room. “Is he in there?”
The man nodded.
“I’d like to talk with him,” Judd said.
“You can’t,” the man said. “He’s sick and he’s asleep.”
“Wake him up,” Judd said.
“I can’t,” he said. “He’s really out. I think he’s taken some pills.”
“You lead us in there,” Judd said. “The lady with us is a doctor.”
The man looked at Sofia for a moment, then looked down at the doctor’s bag in her hand. He got to his feet. Slowly they followed him into the room.
The room was almost dark, the blackout drapes closely drawn. The only light in the room was a small night-light next to the bed table. The wall-to-wall carpet was carefully covered by Kleenexes neatly placed one next to the other. There was a stench in the air that even the air conditioning seemed unable to remove.
“Open the drapes and the windows,” Judd said. “Let some of the stink out of here and get rid of the damn Kleenexes. They only add to the mess.”
“Can’t!”
Judd turned to the soldier. “This lady is my doctor,” he said. “She will join us.”
The soldier looked at him skeptically, but his voice was respectful. “Whatever you say, Señor.”
***
It was eight kilometers from the airport to the hotel, then one more kilometer on the hotel road past the golf course to the hotel entrance. Sitting in the backseat of the four-door car, Sofia looked at Judd. “It’s beautiful,” she said. “Someday I’d like to see more of it.”
Judd smiled. “I have a friend who owns a villa near here. Maybe we can spend the weekend.”
“Not this time,” she said. “First, we go back for your tests.”
Colonel Ayala, seated next to the driver, leaned over the seat toward them. “We will drive around to the service entrance.”
Judd nodded. He looked out the rear window. The soldiers accompanying them were following in a black-sided panel van. The cars went around the hotel to the service entrance. They pulled into the parking area and got out.
The colonel spoke briefly to the gateman, who silently signaled them to pass. They went through the basement corridor and stopped at the freight elevator. A cleaning woman was pushing a cart into it. The soldier spoke sharply and the woman nervously pulled back her laundry. They went into the elevator and the soldier pressed the floor button. The door closed.
Colonel Ayala looked at Judd and Sofia. “You will wait until I tell you to come out of the elevator.”
Judd nodded. He looked up at the floor lights over the doors. The numbers flashed slowly. It seemed forever before the PH light went on.
Several of the soldiers rushed out of the elevator almost before the doors opened. A few seconds later others followed. Colonel Ayala gestured for the rest of them to come out. He pressed a button to lock the elevator door open.
The guard was on his stomach on the floor, hands handcuffed behind his back, in front of the passenger elevator he was supposed to protect. Colonel Ayala spoke quietly to him. The guard gestured with his head to one of the doors, his eyes moving nervously.
Colonel Ayala inched his way along carefully, his back against the wall until he reached the doorknob. The door opened easily. It was not locked. Quietly, the soldier stepped through the door, Judd behind him. A man, his head resting on crossed arms on the table before him, was fast asleep.
A soldier stepped lightly behind the sleeping figure and touched him gently on the shoulder. The man awoke, startled. His eyes opened wide, staring down the muzzle of the Colt .45 automatic. He began to open his mouth.
Judd spoke quickly. “Stay quiet. No one’s going to hurt you.”
The man turned to him.
Judd was reassuring. “We’re not here to hurt anyone.” He paused a moment. “Where are the others?”
The man took a deep breath. “Three of them are in their rooms asleep. The others went into town. There’s an English-language movie today.”
Judd looked toward Hughes’ room. “Is he in there?”
The man nodded.
“I’d like to talk with him,” Judd said.
“You can’t,” the man said. “He’s sick and he’s asleep.”
“Wake him up,” Judd said.
“I can’t,” he said. “He’s really out. I think he’s taken some pills.”
“You lead us in there,” Judd said. “The lady with us is a doctor.”
The man looked at Sofia for a moment, then looked down at the doctor’s bag in her hand. He got to his feet. Slowly they followed him into the room.
The room was almost dark, the blackout drapes closely drawn. The only light in the room was a small night-light next to the bed table. The wall-to-wall carpet was carefully covered by Kleenexes neatly placed one next to the other. There was a stench in the air that even the air conditioning seemed unable to remove.
“Open the drapes and the windows,” Judd said. “Let some of the stink out of here and get rid of the damn Kleenexes. They only add to the mess.”
“Can’t!”
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