Chapter 14: Testament

February 1999

Rosalva agreed to meet us outside the library tomorrow morning. We would then go into the area we desired to go. It was an area that even the route getting there was a gauntlet of danger.

“Senores, please do not stop for anything or anybody, no matter what. This is especially important. The rebels will stop at nothing to capture you and hold you for ransom. Especially if they know you are Americans! Their spies pay many hotel clerks to look at all the passports of their guests. I am sure that an operative of one of the rebel groups has probably inspected yours. We should take my car. When you get to the library, I will take you from there. Please do as I say. It is dangerous even for me to go home. Therefore, since you are paying me to be your guide, let me be your guide!”

Lou and I looked at each other, and we must have thought the same thing at the same time. I spoke first. “Rosalva, when in Rome, do as the Romans do.” Lou nodded his approval. “But, Senors, we are not in Rome!” she stated emphatically. She had the look of confusion. It was obvious that her lessons didn’t include American colloquialisms or slang.

I smiled and shook my head, telling her “Never mind. We will be there in the morning.”

Lou added to her assurance, saying, “We will be ready, we are armed, and we know very well how dangerous it is going into the country. My friend doesn’t speak Spanish very well, but I do, so we will have to have a cover story. I will work on one tonight. I suggest you leave by the back way and go home a different route. As to where you have been tonight or your plans for this weekend, say nothing to no one. I will escort you to your car, Senorita.”

“Thank you, Senors. Until tomorrow,” she said, and with Lou before her, left the room. I immediately got on the computer and tried unsuccessfully to instant message Paul. The phone lines were out in that region. I hoped that Rosalva knew where the mission was. I felt it was prudent that we go there first if in the event something happened to us, someone would know that we were in the area.

Lou returned a few minutes later after Rosalva had left in her own car. “Malcolm, she is very scared, but she is most anxious to see her family. She will take us there only because we are already going into her home territory. We are as much an escort for her as she is a guide for us. Let’s hope for her sake nothing happens.” “Her sake? What about ours? I would like to be able to just go there and see what there is to see and leave. No more and no less.” “Since you could not get your friend Paul on the net, may I email an associate of mine back in Miami? This guy is connected to law enforcement in an indirect way.”

I yielded the keyboard to him, and he began to type away. He emailed a friend of his.

“Actually, this guy was on the wrong side of the law at one time. He was a hacker caught trying to break into a firm’s mainframe for industrial espionage purposes. We made a case but could not convict. We have an association because I did him a favor. I secured him an informant’s position and technical expert job with the white-collar crime’s division of the department. I’m calling in my marker.”

The next morning came quickly, as we arose to our alarm clock ringing in the darkness. I sometimes have difficulty remembering where I am as I travel so much. This was one of those mornings. I sat on the bed, with my head in my hands and tried to rub the sleep from my eyes. Lou seemed to be moving even slower. We had slept in his room last night, as part of our security plan. We slowly got up and began our morning hygiene ritual.

We found our little café not opened yet as we were still early, even for Bogotá standards. We strolled for a while. It was a nice walk in the cool morning air. As we completed our circle, we saw that our café had recently opened for business. We immediately went in and ordered our breakfast.

“Lou, I’m one who really enjoys a good slow breakfast, with good company and good food. I have the good fortune this morning to have both with me.”

Lou was excited as to finally have been able to get information he wasn’t able to get at his department in Miami. I asked, “Is your friend reliable because of the nature of your relationship or is he just reliable?