Lethal Misconduct by C. G. Cooper

would be inevitable that they would be seen, but money went a long way in Colombia. Public officials and criminals alike were used to turning a blind eye as long as they were allowed to wet their beaks with cold hard cash.
    And so it was that Cal’s team, led by the aristocratic Augusto, made their way to a muddy grouping of late model Toyota 4x4s and piled in.
     
    They got to their initial destination without incident. No tails. No surveillance that any of them could see. Augusto had chatted in his nasal clip, extorting the many fine qualities of “The New Colombia” and the growing economy of Leticia. Cal wondered how much of the growth was attributed to the cocaine trade.
    “This is it.” Dr. Price pointed to a spot ahead marked by two fallen trees.
    The team got out of the vehicles warily, weapons trained on the surrounding tree line, its gigantic trees casting shadows across the dirt road. Without prompting, Gaucho’s men secured the perimeter while Cal, Daniel, MSgt Trent and Dr. Price took a look at Price’s sketches.
    “I’ll take point,” said Daniel.
    While Cal would’ve rather had the sniper by his side, he knew the best place for Daniel was in the shadows. His uncanny luck and sixth sense were invaluable.
    “Okay. Doc, I want you in the middle of the pack. Me and Top will follow Daniel with a couple of Gaucho’s guys. Any questions?” asked Cal.
    There were none.
    Two minutes later they stepped off, pacing into the steamy jungle as their host remained behind with two of Cal’s men, just in case.
     
    The jungle was eerily quiet, making the hairs all over Daniel’s body stand straight up. He could sense that something wasn’t right in the mugginess of midday. Sniffing the air for confirmation, Daniel moved ahead, careful to move slowly down the exposed path.
    Coming around the bend, he was hit by a face full of flies. He tried to swat them away, continuing his forward movement. The insects must have decided there were easier targets close by and flew off. Rounding a slight bend, alarm bells rang in Daniel’s head.
    When the clearing finally appeared, he took in the scene with a detached eye, still scanning for threats. Even as he did so he said a silent prayer for the carrion-covered dead crucified in the blood-streaked trees surrounding the empty village.
     

    Chapter 19
    Colombian Jungle
    1:19pm, April 8 th
     
    After securing the area, the team set about taking the villagers down from the trees. Children. Wives. Fathers. All dead. All told, there were over fifty murdered villagers, many with their insides, eyes and tender portions already torn out by animals and insects.
    Cal’s men methodically stacked the bodies. Most had done this horrid duty before. Men of honor abhorred such atrocity and to a man they hoped to put their hands, or better yet a bullet through, the murderers who’d descended on the peaceful village.
    Dr. Price found it hard to help, tears streaming as he went about the gruesome task of removing the natives from their hanging perches. He blamed himself. If he’d never set foot in the village, the death of the kind Indians never would have happened.
    Price searched the bodies, looking for the wrinkled medicine man who’d called him “The Traveler.” Frantic to find him, Price’s breathing came in gasps. After making a full circle around the upturned bodies, he looked up.
    “He’s not here.”
     
    After setting the bodies on fire and leaving two more men to guard their way back, Daniel led the way further down the path in search of the missing shaman. Jaws set to match their resolve, the warriors crept on.
     
    They found the medicine man much as they had his fellow villagers. The only difference was that instead of being nailed to the wide tree with his hands and feet, the medicine man had two foot-long railroad stakes nailed through his eyes, his heart and his groin. There was also a crude sign nailed to the tree above his head. It said, “Diablo,” Devil in