Chapter 2

February 1999

We were in the Amazonian-Triangle which is made up of Santa Rosa, Peru; Leticia, Columbia; Tabatinga, Brazil. Our base of operation was in Tabatinga with a cover story of being a survey team for colleges wanting to send students down to do research and studies of the Amazon. Wanting to establish customs and travel visas in all three countries. There were a couple of colleges that did want to send students to study the Amazon and anything we did as our cover would be helpful to them. We were to observe and report on the possibility of ISIS and/or Taliban terrorist groups meeting with the local cartels. Information captured in Afghanistan pointed to a meeting and possible collaboration in attacking the US. We had been in and out of all three countries for almost two weeks when we made positive identification on a known Taliban leader Abdul Zihar. Further surveillance led to a meeting with two ISIS officers who were identified to be Abdul Hadilas and Abu Amazz. The meeting was at Carlos Escobar’s hacienda and Zihar was also there. Carlos Escobar aka ‘El Gran Jefe’ better known as the Big Boss of the main cartel in all three countries.

Our only chance at getting eyes and ears in the meeting was to get on the catering service that was taking care of the scheduled meeting. Don, Ben and I stood the best chance of passing as locals. Matt, Don and Ben all agreed; my Spanish was ‘dirty enough’ to pass as educated local. I had planned to play deaf mute but it would be more realistic to play a very shy female.

Two of the local girls suddenly did not show up for work; Charlie and Matt invited them to an all-expense paid trip to America via Military Air. And all four of the guys started a fight they didn’t even get into that beat up most of the male workers. So when we went hat in hand looking for work, we were quickly accepted and told what we needed to get done in the next two days.

The security outside of the Hacienda was over-the-top if not excessive. But, inside there was almost nothing. All the outside doors had someone watching them, but the rest of the place was unattended, not even a local camera system. So once we were in the three of us rotated through all the rooms and planted cameras, listening and recording devices, along with other Wifi and Bluetooth scanning devices that would send to our listening team. Some were deliberately planted to be found if a search was done. But there were several that would not be found or detected.

Murphy’s Law was in full effect. Enough money can produce just about any outcome. The guys had been outed by some big brass ass in DC. Escobar had photos and Intel outing them as Special Forces conducting surveillance on him. My first clue was watching Don get clubbed over the head with a steel pipe then being dragged downstairs to the basement. When I saw Ben being carried by two men following behind a guy dragging Don and gave myself away. They did not know I was with them until I ran to Ben after seeing his leg was bleeding. I had not been outed because the ass in DC did not know the mission specifics only the team members assigned. The guys however, had been completely outed and in the basement it was obvious that torture was the order of the day.

A big table had handcuffs at each corner and a big leather belt across the middle, the blood stains just added to the effect. I was pushed to the wall and told to be still. It seems that I was just thought of as a stupid female and not a team member. If I could pull off ‘the female in love trying to get to America’ I might get out and be able to form a rescue. Since Don was still out he was chained to the big ring in the floor. Ben was pulled into a huge wooden chair and zip tied at his upper arms, elbows, wrists, just below his knees and ankles. A ratchet strap was put around his thighs and the seat of the chair, another around his chest cranked so tight he could barely breathe. I was then grabbed and thrown on the table and cuffed to the corners. Two guys using big knives cut all my clothes off as a third began telling Ben that if he didn’t talk his ‘PUTA’ would be punished. The beating with the leather belt covered me from my shoulders to my ankles, there were several cuts over 2” long that were bleeding. They left to get someone to check on Ken as he still had not woke. I told Ben not to say anything as they would kill us all as soon as they got information. Ben said he could not let me get hurt instead of himself. I told him I knew this was possible when I signed up. I said if they rape me it wouldn’t be anything I hadn’t done in college frat parties {I was lying to him}. We heard them coming back and this time there were seven. One was obviously a doctor as he began checking Ken. The leader was back and said that I was going to entertain all of his men after him of course. Then he would ask Ben the questions again, and if he didn’t answer they would turn me over and start again, he smiled and laughed as he spoke.