Chapter 100

The college girls went right to work. After a short meeting with the professor and his teaching assistant, of course. While they learned how to handle any findings they made my team scouted the area. Four of them stayed at the dig while Gator and I did a walk about. With the aid of a satellite picture of the area we were able to tell a few things.

For one thing we learned that the bandits would most likely come over the same hill that the conquistadors used to suppress the native Indians. If twenty of them, which was about the usual number, came calling we had a chance to fight them off. That is if the local security force either stayed out of it or better still joined us. My guess was their job was extortion not to defend the camp, so I wasn't counting on them.

I sat on a large rock by the trail and used the satellite phone to call home. "So get me the Colonel," I said to whoever answered.

"So Sylvia, you already got troubles," he asked.

"Yeah the guy who is running the dig is a dick," I said.

"Really, why do you say that?" the colonel asked.

"He wanted to take our guns and force us to pay the local warlord or some such," I said.

"What did you counter with?" the Colonel asked. I had no idea his mood.

"I offered to cut off the head of the security detachment's leader and deliver it to him. The professor is pretty sure he can would out a deal," I said.

"So why are you calling?" he asked.

"There is only one trail the bandit can use to sneak up on us. I was wondering if you could hijack a satellite for real time surveillance," I asked.

"So what are the coordinates," he asked.

"I'm sitting beside the natural trail now," I said. "The route they would have to take leaves them in the open for a few hundred yards. It won't me much time but it is better than nothing."

"You got it. Don't judge the professor so harshly. He has to get along there after you take your toys and go home. It's just how things are done," The Colonel said.

"Next time you need someone to sell out, don't send me," I said.

"The Roman's knew, if you pay tribute you seem weak and the weak get slaughtered. You did the right thing." he said. "However you are going to be in country a minimum of three weeks, do try not to start a war."

"That's why Mexico is so damn dangerous. Nobody wants to fight a war." I said.

"If you have to go to war with the bandit, I think you would be safe. I don't think they have any political power in the area." The Colonel advised.

"Well connected or not, if I have to, I will go to war with them." I said.

"I know you will," the Colonel said. "Keep my people safe and the client's as well,"

"You sound concerned," I said.

"I am never worried about you in a fight. It's just the fucking politics I hate," he said.

"Me to," I replied then shut down the phone.

I went back to watch over the bodyguards and the college girls. When Boston came by I said, "We need a plan to defend this place from a bandit attack. I think I got us some warning time, so now we need a plan on how to use it." I said.

"Well what do you suggest boss," he asked.

"If I'm a bandit. I'm a bandit because I don't want to plow a field or work in a factory. So if the prize is great enough, I will fight. If the price is too high, I'll go somewhere else."

"So all we have to do is find a way to make it too expensive to grab a U.S. Senators daughter." Boston said.

"It's a pretty big prize for sure. They only have three weeks to mount the abduction. and we only have three weeks to defend her. So I guess we just wing it for three weeks."

We pretty much did what we did with hotel rooms. An eight man tent held four college girls and two body guards on the first night. The odd two girls had one bodyguard and I tried to keep an eye on everything. I found out the first night that the night guards slept all night. So the best time for a strike was at night. Probably around midnight. Give the guards time to fall asleep and do it before your own force is to sleepy to be effective.

Okay midnight till two am would be my concentrated time, I decided. After the 3AM deadline passed and I had no word from the swamp, I went to bed. I was up by eight. I found the kids working the pit. They were thrilled to be finding artifacts. I was wondering if the professor was salting the dig to keep the kids coming. Hell there might have been enough spear heads in the battle ground so that he didn't need to salt it.

The kids sat around the fire after dinner that night and told each other how much fun living like this really was. It's just the second night, I thought. Just wait till they can smell each other from a yard away.

We changed the sleeping arrangements. I placed five of them in each tent with one bodyguard. The other four of use patrolled the area around the camp. That setup is how we worked it for the first two weeks.

On the second night of the third and final week the Brit Chick came to me. She was preceded by a man in peasant clothes. "I found this one scouting the perimeter." she said.

"Was he armed?" I asked. She threw and AK47 at my feet," I said.

"Nice work," I said to her. "So how strong is your stomach?"

"We won't know till we try," she said.

"Go warn the others that we are being scouted. We may be probed anytime now." I said. "Then get me Island Chick. We are going to ask our friend here a few questions."