The Truth Berries

II

                  His plans worked out perfectly. His client would be delighted, that’s for sure. He was so proud of his accomplishment. They left the hardest part of the job to the excavation team –extracting the chest from its grave. Once it was done, all they had to do was swarming them and leave them bathing in their own blood. Just a simple in and out job .All it took was an anonymous call giving the man the exact coordinates of the chest. He let them do the dirty work for them and once they had the chest, they came marauding in. And just like that, he got what his client wanted. Soon, his twenty million dollars would follow and they would part ways. He heard that life’s good in the Caribbean. All that’s left to do was making a phone call and inform his client/operations financer about the good news. After a minute, a phone was picked up in Washington.

               “You know you shouldn’t have called yet. The risk of someone hearing us is not far from happening.”

                “I can’t, Sir. This cannot wait. Plus, I’m using a sat phone so you can calm down. This line is secured.”

                “You better make sure this is good or I’ll make your life miserable before throwing you somewhere you don’t want to be.”

                “We got it, Sir. We have what you wanted.”

                He could not suppress a smile. He knew that the man on the other line would surely be shocked. And impressed.

                “Are you sure about that?”

                “Positively sure, Sir. In fact, I am holding the chest at the moment. And I am telling you, Sir, a man can really make a good fortune out of this,”

                 The man in Washington licked his lips. Apparently, the shock of the news started to wear off. Now, it’s all business.

                  “Okay. Send me the item and I’ll order my staff to wire you the money. After that, it’s every man for himself.”

                  “That is quite reassuring, Sir. But as far as I can remember, that is not the deal. You wire the money and we’ll set a meet-up. That was the deal”

                   That infuriated the man from Washington that he started cursing.

                   “Don’t you f*****g play games with me, Wolf! I can send my men down there and they will break you down into pieces until you spit out where the artifact is. You don’t know who you are messing with!”

                   “Oh, I do know, Sir. Or should I say Senator Baynes. You think I’m stupid? You think I don’t check who my clients are? You think you’re a smartass, Senator? Let me remind you that it is I who lives and shits in the jungle, not you! And for the record, you can send all your men down here alright. I’ll make sure to throw a very good welcome party that they won’t forget. We’ sell see what happens next.”

                     Though still seething, the senator lowered his voice. He realized he could not risk losing the artifact. It was far more valuable than his ego. He decided he’ll take care of Wolf after the deal’s done.

“Okay, okay. My bad. I’ll send Jess there to hand you the money personally.”

                      “When?”

                      “Earliest flight would be three in the morning. I’ll make sure he’ll board that one.”

                      That satisfied Wolf.

                      “That would be great, Sir. It’s a pleasure doing business with you”.

                      “Yeah, whatever”.

                       The senator was about to put the phone down when he heard Wolf spoke again.

                       “And Senator Baynes, no more games, please. We don’t want to have another bloodshed. That is bad for business. Good day, Sir.”

                      Wolf laughed as the line went dead. The Senator thought it was them who truly worked hard to get the artifact back to the world. He had no idea that the wild dogs were having a feast of them as they spoke on the phone. Yet he did not linger on that for he knew there was still work to do. He didn’t trust the senator. He knew that the man would stab him from behind anytime if given a chance. Better trust a snake with two heads than a man of politics, that’s what his father used to say. He had to make a contingency plan.

                       So he went to an old friend in Cairo, Egypt. He was a small man with wire-rimmed glasses and a balding pâté. He was an avid antique collector and his shop was a popular go-to for tourists who want to have something to remind them of their trips. But Wolf was not intending to buy anything for anyone. He was there for another reason. A far more significant reason.

                      “You think you can do this one?”

                      The man with glasses looked at him as if measuring his seriousness.

                       “What is it this time?”

                       “It’s not your ordinary antique this time. This one can literally change our lives. This one is godly”, he said with a big smile.

                    “Then I’m out. I don’t want anything to do with gods. Trust me, you wouldn’t want to suffer their wrath”.

                     The old man turned around and started to head to his office at the back of his shop.

                       “The gods won’t give you ten thousand American dollars in an instant. I can.”

                      The man came back to hear the rest of the deal. Wolf would give him the money if he would make a perfect replica of something he has. And if he could keep his mouth shut after that. He agreed. So he followed Wolf to his cabin and did the job there. It took him four grueling hours to make a perfect replica but it was worth it. Not because of the money but because of witnessing something the world regarded as a legend only. As they were about to part ways, Wolf reminded him about the agreement.

                       “Remember, my friend. Part of the deal is your silence. One word and you know what’s coming for you.” .Wolf warned.

                        The man left without saying a word.

                        Now, he’s ready to meet his other friends.

                        He did not sleep well last night. The thought of what was to come kept him awake for a long time. Two or three hours, that’s how much sleep he had as far as he could remember. He kept on daydreaming about the Caribbean. But the thought of life in a bustling city somehow allured him. A big mansion somewhere in Las Vegas was not a bad idea after all. Surely, he could live with a little traffic and a lot of fun.

                          His daydreaming was cut short when he heard the crunch of gravel outside his cabin. He opened the blinds a little, just enough for him to see four men stepping out of a black Ford four-by-four pick-up truck. Three of them wore identical black suits while the other man wore a splendid gray one. This must be Jess, he thought. Two of them were carrying big suitcases that were chained to their wrists. He went to open the door.

                          “How’s the trip, gentlemen?”

                          The man in gray suits obviously was annoyed about the idea of leaving his office ad journeying down to this place. Wolf’s sarcastic question did rub some salt on the wounds. He guided them inside but one of the men stood guard outside.

                         “Suit yourself, pal”.

                         All of them took their seats except for Wolf who took a chair and leaned forward, eyeing the two suitcases.

                        “They’re quite bulky, Mr.Wolf. But don’t worry. Our benevolent employer made sure that you get the exact amount only, no less. He even told us to give you a bonus once we confirm and receive the package from you”, Jess said.

                         “He did? Well, that would be great.”

                          “And the package?”

                          “Oh? Yeah! The package. How could I forget? Silly me. It’s here”.

                          He reached into his jacket to get the chest. Immediately, the two men accompanying Jess jumped to their feet and pointed their guns on Wolf. He stopped reaching and raised his hands.

                           “Easy there, pals! I thought you wanna see the package? How can I show you if you won’t let me take it out? Besides, our ‘benevolent employer’ wouldn’t want a chest with bullet holes in it, would he?”, he said confidently.

                            Evidently, Jess was annoyed on how Wolf was making fun of them. He ordered his men to stand down and they did. Slowly, Wolf reached for the chest again. The three men held their breath .It was covered by a plain black cloth when he brought it out. Then, like a master illusionist revealing his final trick, he slowly lifted the cloth. The chest shone as the light struck it. There it was with all of its glory, all the intricate carvings and the tiny solid gold lock. Jess looked satisfied so he signaled for the money. He produced a small key that unchained the two briefcases and they gave it to Wolf who opened and scrutinized each. When all of them were sure that they got what they wanted, the three men in suits stood up.

                              “Our employer would be happy to know that the deal went well. You have been most helpful, Mr.Wolf. It’s been a pleasure doing business with you.”

                              “The pleasure is all mine.”

                              After that, Jess and his company headed for their truck. Wolf followed them up to his porch. When Jess was about to ride in, Wolf called.

                              “Mr. Jess! What about the bonus you’re talking about?”

                               Jess paused for a moment, then smiled.

                              “You’ll get it, Mr.Wolf. You’ll get it”

                              They left him standing there, trying hard to understand what was that supposed to mean. When they got farther, they saw him enter his cabin and closed the door. As they sped away, Jess took out his phone and started dialing. A few seconds after, a loud explosion shook the ground and sent birds flying away, along with some of the debris from what used to be Wolf’s cabin.

                              “There is your bonus, Mr.Wolf. And thank you for your service.”