Nester, Nogales, and the Satellite Phone

Nester after receiving his gold transfer payment.







The living area is in good order. There is a basket of spoiled fruit on the counter in the kitchen. It is from one of the families in town that didn't know we were on an adventure. By the looks of it they had brought it over just after we left last week. They usually take good care of us when we are here.

"I'm getting out of these clothes." Jerry tells me.
"Hey, now... you have to buy us dinner first, you know... don't treat us like whores."
Jerry peels his shirt off with his good hand and digs around on the shelf of folded clothes for a shirt to his liking. "You know, I missed that all week. Tapia is fun, but I missed that."

I walk over to my hammock and give it a push. "Hey baby, boy did I miss you."
Lou steps up beside me, "Where is the guest room?"
"It's rolled up and in that box over there." I point to the spare hammock in the box under the bookcase. "Just use the hooks on those supports." I point him in the right direction.
I pick out a clean Dead shirt, Boreal Ridge 1985, and pull it on. Then pull on a clean pair of Khaki shorts.
"Hey, we can fuck with the hammock when we get back from town." Jerry says as he brushes his hair out.
Lou grabs the hammock anyway and unrolls it on the floor, "Just keep brushing your hair, Nancy. This won't take but a second."
He gets it hook on the first post and then gives it a hard shake for bugs and lizards before hooking up the other side.
"All done." He looks at me in my fresh duds, "How about lending me some clean clothes?"
I shrug, "Mi Casa Su Casa. Take your pick."

We all get freshened up and then it is time to get the bags from Abby's hold and separate some money. There is eight nine thousand and change left from the Dominican Brother's money and that is mine and Lou's. Then there is Lou's eighty thousand in gold money, our five thousand, and the rest is Nester's one point eight million.
"Hey Jerry, you should know that the Dominican Brothers had these bags out of Abby's hold and in their safe for a couple of days. I never counted it when it was returned. I just figured that if they were going to take it they would take it all."
"I agree with that. There is no need to count it. If Nester comes up short, then there isn't much we can do about that."

In the hanger Jerry has a three thousand dollar gun safe that is bolted through the bottom to an old refridgerator that is filled with cement and buried beneath the floor. It is not going to be breeched or moved unless with explosives. We take the money that is not Nesters and place it in the safe. The sight of the gunsafe angers Lou.
"Those tongueless fuckers took my sniper rifle. I had that built by Carlos Hathcock, the best sniper that ever lived. That rifle and the scope are worth ten grand... irreplaceable."
Jerry puts a hand on his shoulder, "Your rifle is in the wooden crate in Abby that Tapia's boys loaded last night. That and my M-16."
"No shit... oh man that is great news." His expression changed in a flash, now a little angry, "Why didn't you tell me?"
"You didn't ask and frankly it wasn't first and foremost on my mind, Lou. Tapia found them in the rough next to the airstrip that day when you two flew off with the La Segunda Vida. Why they didn't take them I don't know."
Lou turns to go and get the weapons.
"You can leave the M-16 in Abby." Jerry calls after him.

After Lou checks his prize possession and places it in Naomi, we lock up the safe, grab Nesters money, and pile into the Jeep. "You're going to have to drive." Jerry tells me.
With a little coaxing she starts and once she has her wind, I throw it in to gear and off we go.
We make quick work of the jungle road and are on the outskirts of town in no time. It is about three o'clock and there is action at the small market.

The town's folk smile and wave as we drive up. Some of them realize we have been gone, others don't. Jerry makes a quick tour of the store. The shortened supply run we made to Barra de la Cruz has left the "shelves" a little bare. He tells the girl watching the place that he will make a supply run and for her to get a list together. Then he inquires about Nester and is told he is at the waterfall.

As we make our way to the main house at the waterfall we can see people running from the house to meet us. Nester and his wife Consuela, their kids, and about ten of his cousins all pour from the house and surround the truck as we pull up. There is genuine concern... they thought something happened to us. As we get out of the truck we are embraced by Nester and his family. They crowd around us like we are celebrities touring the Sudan or something. There is no outward concern for the money, just concern for us. They notice immediately that Ollie is not with us, drawing a gasp from Consuela. Jerry quickly lets them know that he is okay but in the hospital for an infection.

It takes the better part of an hour to tell the story of the run to the city, our escape into the hands of the La Segunda Vida, and everything else that came after. Nester continues to shake his head at every incredible turn of events in the tale that is told. He feels somehow responsible because of the large sum of money we were carrying for him. We assure him that this wasn't the case, that we were going up there with or without his gold. In the end Jerry has some of Nester's men removed the leather satchels from the back of the truck and then he tells Nester how much he got for the gold. He is speechless.

During cigars and tequila, which Lou eagerly participates in, Nester tells us that he will spend the money on equipment that will get him more yield from the waterfall claim. He also tells us that he is going to give us a small percentage share in the yield from the newly equipped claim... two percent, for all that we have done for him and will do for him.
Jerry looks at the two of us, "Hey boys, it looks like we are in the gold mining business."
We raise our glasses and all toast to the newly equipped venture.
Nester and Jerry get into a discussion about equipment and making a possible run to Puerto Barrios on the Caribbean to pick up an equipment order he has already made. Then he wants to stop on the way back at the hospital that holds Ollie and see if he can be transported home.

"So, just like that? Two percent of the gold he takes out of the waterfall is ours? No contract or lawyers or anything?" Lou sounds skeptical.
"Yeah, pretty much. Nester's word is his contract. These people have no need for lawyers... they are honest and say what they mean. Nester has been trading his gold for goods, for cash here and there, but never has he had a strike like this... almost two million. He knows he couldn't have done it without us, and we couldn't have done it without you. So that two percent is ours to keep when it comes."
"And this is like... forever?"
"Well, yes, until we are all dead and buried I would assume."
Lou tosses back another shot of tequila, "No shit... that is nice."

Plans are made for Nester and Jerry to take Abby over to the Caribbean side of Guatemala. Lou and I plan to go along to help fly because Jerry's wrist is still pretty sore. But all of this changes when we get back to the compound.

Lou decides he wants to take Naomi up before dark and use the satellite phone to call Bear and let him know about the men that followed us. As he grabs the case for the phone the handset falls out and hits the ground. It breaks on impact, the back falling off and exposing the battery and something else.
"What the fuck... " Lou picks up the pieces of the handset, "I broke it." When he straightens up, a small cloth bindle falls out on the ground.
I reach down and pick it up. "What do we have here?" I hold it in the palm of my hand. It's not flat, but quite lumpy.
"What's in it?" Lou pokes it with his finger.
I open and spill the contents into the palm of my hand. There, in the afternoon sun, are ten diamonds, each about the size of a large green pea.
"Holy Shit... " Lou gets right up on them and watches the afternoon light sparkle in my palm.
"This explains a lot." I report.
Lou picks one up and turns it in his fingers. "What do you suppose they are worth?"
"Enough... enough to track them down to the ends of the Earth, I suppose."