Eldorado: The Temple of Koricancha

By L. Norman Shurtliff

ELDORADO
The Temple of Koricancha

The Temple of Koricancha is the third and final part of the three-book Eldorado series. In this novel, the geologist Peter Martin finally finds his true love, Monica Rodriguez, who was held captive by the Shining Path terrorists. During a battle with the terrorists, Peter is wounded and is hospitalized in a Peruvian military hospital. As the story unfolds, Monica and Peter fall in love all over again. A plan is devised to recover an immense treasure, but the only way to keep it safe is to make it known to the world and get protection for it from the Peruvian government. The Shining Path has other plans. They want to exploit the treasure to enhance their own power and greed and eventually take control of the empire and govern the people. A mafia group from the States also knows about the treasure and would like to take possession of it. Cusco, the ancient capital of the Incas, once again now in modern times becomes the place where many people will fight and die for the lost riches of the Incas.

The parallel historical story of the conquest of the Incas brings the colonial time period of the conquistadors to the forefront of the modern day as these forces collide to discover the secrets of the past. The saga of the Pizarro brothers continues with Hernando Pizarro assigned to take the Kings Fifth or 20 percent of the treasure dispersal back to Spain. Hernando is arrested and imprisoned for his role in the murder of the governor of Chile, Diego de Almargo. With the death of Francisco Pizarro, the respected governor of Peru, civil wars between the conquistadors break out. The saying There is too much gold in Peru for men to live in peace becomes a prophetic truth. The son of Diego de Almargo (the Mouse) is the new leader of the Men of Chile, and he takes control of Peru. Gonzalo Pizarro later returned from his epic three-year search of the Amazon for more gold. Finally, Gonzalo defeated the Men of Chile to once again make a Pizarro governor of Peru. The beautiful Inca princess, Lacoya Ines, travels to Spain in an effort to rescue and obtain the release of the handsome general Hernando Pizarro. She is unsuccessful in her efforts to do so and returns to Peru to find that all has changed in her absence. Peru and her people are embroiled in civil wars, slavery, and the Inquisition.

Peter finds out to his amazement that all the answers to the secrets of the Inca treasure reside in the Sacred Quipu, an ancient necklace of knotted strings that is owned by his fiance. But will Monica reveal those secrets to him? Everyone wants the beautiful Incan princess so that they can get to the treasure too. Only in the climatic end of the story does the past meet the present where everythingall the secretsare made known! Or are they?

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jun 16, 2017
• ISBN: 9781524687830

L. Norman Shurtliff

L. Norman Shurtliff, (Les) was born in St. George, Utah, and grew up on a small vegetable farm in Southern Nevada where he lived with his parents, four brothers and two sisters. After graduation from high school the family sold the farms in Nevada and moved to Canada. Les was able to serve a mission for the LDS Church in Argentina for two years where he learned the Spanish language and the culture of the wonderful people of South America. He attended Brigham Young University and received a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1979. Immediately after graduation from university the family moved from Vanderhoof, B.C. to the small town of Taylor, B.C. Les got a job at the local oil refinery as a chemist and held various positions there in the lab and in management for the next 25 years. Les and his family also developed a greenhouse complex to grow bedding plants and trees for reforestation. Eventually, Les would venture out on his own and build a gas chromatography lab which was later sold to Norwest Labs. Les managed the Fort St. John Norwest lab for three and a half years and built an environmental lab for the company until it again changed hands and was sold. After his mission 40 years ago Les was able to visit and see first hand the magical land of the Incas. Intrigued with the history and culture of South America Les has re-visited this land of beauty and mystery many times since and continues to search this Promised Land for its many types of treasure. The gold may now be gone or only found in museums, but there is still other kinds of treasure more important that can only be found in the wonderful people who live in the enchanted Andean Highlands. Les has spent a lifetime studying and visiting South America and has a unique passion for this people and their legends. The evidence of this passion is seen in the long hours and effort to write a series of novels which will bring to life the story of a chosen and elect people. Les and his wife, Christal, continue to live in Taylor, B.C., and they have four sons, three daughters and sixteen grandkids. Les now owns and manages several businesses of his own with his wife as his business partner including the original greenhouse and landscaping business, and a Quiznos Restaurant. His real passion is to visit South America during the cold winter months in Canada and thus escape to a land where dreams really have come true.

Book preview

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A modern day picture of the Temple of Koricancha with the Catholic Cathedral, The Santa Domingo Cathedral, built over the top of the ancient Incan Temple. The Cathedral was destroyed by earthquakes and reconstructed three times.

ELDORADO

The Temple of Koricancha

L. Norman Shurtliff

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AuthorHouse™

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© 2017 L. Norman Shurtliff. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 06/15/2017

ISBN: 978-1-5246-8782-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5246-8784-7 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5246-8783-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017906297

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Dedication

Preface

Chapter 1 Paracas, Peru – Modern Day

Chapter 2 Lima, Peru – Two Days Later

Chapter 3 Military Hospital Lima, Peru – Present Day

Chapter 4 Cusco, Peru – 1537

Chapter 5 Lima, Peru – Present Day

Chapter 6 Cachipampa, Peru – March 1538

Chapter 7 Lima, Peru – Modern Day

Chapter 8 Lima, Peru – Present Day

Chapter 9 Cusco, Peru — 1538

Chapter 10 Cusco, Peru – Present Day

Chapter 11 Cusco, Peru – Present Day

Chapter 12 Seville, Spain – July 1539

Chapter 13 Seville, Spain – September 1541

Chapter 14 Cusco, Peru – Present Day

Chapter 15 Lima, Peru – August 1541

Chapter 16 Cusco, Peru – Present Day

Chapter 17 Quito, Northern Kingdom Of Peru – 1543

Chapter 18 Lima, Peru – 1546

Chapter 19 Cusco, Peru – Present Day

Chapter 20 Cusco, Peru – Present Day

Chapter 21 Lima, Peru – May 1548

Chapter 22 Seville, Spain – May 1548

Chapter 23 Cusco, Peru – Present Day

Chapter 24 Cusco, Peru – Present Day

Chapter 25 Lima, Peru – May 1550

Chapter 26 Cusco, Peru – Present Day

Chapter 27 Lima, Peru – 1575

Epilogue

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

T his is the third and last book in the historical novel series, Eldorado , called The Temple of Koricancha. This series has taken a lot of time and effort to manifest a unique love for the people of South America. As author I have tried to keep the account as historically correct as possible given the different and sometimes conflicting written histories on the subject. Where literary license was taken, I have tried to maintain common themes and accepted legends of these events.

Because this book is my own doing and work, I claim responsibility for any errors and mistakes. I am not an expert on the subject of Colonial History or even the life of Francisco Pizarro. I am, however, an avid reader and lifetime lover of the history of South America. My sole interest in writing this book is to promote the fabulous history of this wonderful people.

I would also like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all those individuals who have believed in and helped on this project. I thank my brother, Wayne, and my friend Harry who helped on the book’s storyline. Thanks to my sons and daughters who have worked and helped on the book series. Thanks I give to my wife, Christal, for her love and support through the years. She has truly blessed my life forever. There have been many who have read and lent suggestions to the manuscript. I thank these people for their friendship and valuable contributions to the finished product. And last of all, a big thanks goes out to the publishers and marketers who wanted to publish another book written by a poor country farm boy. Thank you…….

L. Norman Shurtliff

DEDICATION

T his series of Eldorado novels is dedicated to my wife, Christal. The word Eldorado is literally translated as the ‘Place of gold or treasure’. Where she resides is my place of golden treasure in this world. She is the love of my life and mother of my children. She is a romantic at heart and we have traveled the lands of the Americas together. I have dedicated this work to her because some of the adventures contained within these pages we have actually survived together. I love her forever, and this work is dedicated to her.

PREFACE

T he story of the Inca people and the Spanish conquest of Peru is a fantastic true history all by itself. My only hope is to bring it to life in the modern era. It would not be my intent whatsoever to damage or demean this wonderful land and its people. In fact, hopefully, exactly the opposite occurs as the reader completely submerges his or her imagination into the amazing culture of the Andean Highlands. This work of fiction is all about history and romance and especially the search for ancient treasure, that was found and that also eluded Francisco Pizarro in 1533. The culture and history of Peru needs to be told to the whole world in a way that people will appreciate the greatness of races and kingdoms that have long since disappeared, with only remnants of its former glory left behind.

What prompts a poor country farm boy from Southern Nevada, transplanted to Canada, to write a book, any book? It isn’t money or fame writing to a limited audience. It is really simply a love of the land of South America and its people. Their history needs to be told in more abundance and celebrated. This book is a poor and humble attempt to bring their heritage to life, and I hope the reader will come to love this people, their land, and their history as I do.

LIST OF PHOTOS

AND MAPS

1.   Inside Front Cover View of the Temple of Koricancha

2.   Before Chapter 1 Picture of Francisco Pizarro

3.   Chapter 1 Tree of Life at Paracas

4.   Chapter 2 Cathedral of San Francisco in Lima

5.   Chapter 3 Panoramic view of the City of Lima

6.   Chapter 4 Panoramic view of the City of Cusco

7.   Chapter 5 The Sacred Quipu

8.   Chapter 6 Map of Cusco, the Puma City

9.   Chapter 7 The main city square, Plaza de Armas

10.   Chapter 8 Modern City of Cusco, City of the Sun

11.   Chapter 9 Chimu Ceremonial Knife

12.   Chapter 10 Model of the Temple of Koricancha

13.   Chapter 11 Panoramic view of Macchu Piccu

14.   Chapter 12 Golden Treasure from Peru

15.   Chapter 13 Llamas are native to Peru

16.   Chapter 14 Round exterior wall of the Temple of Koricancha

17.   Chapter 15 Temple of the Women at Paracas

18.   Chapter 16 Map of underground tunnels of Cusco

19.   Chapter 17 Wild Vicunas near Cusco

20.   Chapter 18 Presidential Palace in Lima

21.   Chapter 19 Interior wall of the Temple of Koricancha

22.   Chapter 20 Outside wall of the Temple of Koricancha

23.   Chapter 21 Cathedral of San Francisco

24.   Chapter 22 Tomb of Francisco Pizarro

25.   Chapter 23 Beautiful stone work of Koricancha

26.   Chapter 24 Outer wall of the Temple of Koricancha

27.   Chapter 25 Temple entrance doorways

28.   Chapter 26a Famous eternal temple windows

29.   Chapter 26b View from fortress of Cusco city center

30.   Chapter 26c Alter of Santa Rosa, interior court of temple

31.   Chapter 27 Famous tomb of Francisco Pizarro

32.   Before Epilogue Main city square, Plaza de Armas

33.   After Epilogue Beautiful gardens of the Temple

34.   Inside Back Cover – Model or Diagram of Temple

image%202.jpg

Famous portrait of General Francisco Pizarro.

Published in the U.S. before 1923 and public domain in the U.S.

Chapter 1

Paracas, Peru – Modern Day

U ncle Carlos! Monica screamed again. What are you doing here? We thought you were….

Dead! cut in Carlos Rodriguez. You thought that your army man killed me, did you? Well, it’s not that easy to kill me. I am King of the Inca and they have never been easy to capture or kill. Well, except for your brother and father. It was surprisingly easy to kill them and even make it look like an accident!

What! yelled Monica over the sound of the ambulance’s siren, you killed my brother and father? It was incredulous to Monica and somehow it did not settle into her brain for real. She was hysterical and could only look upon her once beloved uncle with astonishment. How could you do this?…Why are you doing this?

With you and your mother out of the way, then the elders will officially bestow the realm upon me and I can bring it back to its past glory. It will be all right! I promise you that your death will be a good thing. You are going to die for a noble cause, I promise! Carlos Rodriguez just smiled that evil grin that was so unnerving to Monica. It was a familiar face from her childhood, but one that she did not recognize, now. Just sit back and enjoy the ride, we will be in Paracas in a little while.

Monica did not know what else to say. She just sat next to Peter dumbfounded. This is a man that she once loved as her father. He was someone whom she trusted and he had given Monica her first job. He was someone she had worked with and thought that she had known very well. How could her only uncle turn out to be such a devil…the evil one, himself? Carlos closed the curtain and drove the ambulance down the dusty road in haste with the sirens blaring. Monica turned her attention to Peter. She thought about changing the dressings on his shoulder wound, but worried that it would cause him to wake up. Monica also worried that it would cause the wound to start bleeding again. Monica was trying to make some sort of escape plan. If the van would only slow down enough, maybe they could jump out or something. She rejected the thought almost as fast as it came into her brain. She knew that Peter was in rough shape and she did not want to endanger him even more. Yet, she knew on the other hand that Uncle Carlos would never let her escape alive.

The next half hour passed very slowly. Monica had found some cold packs and put one on Peter’s forehead and another on top of his dressing. She could only hold his hand and place her head on his good shoulder, and pray. Monica worried about her mother and if General Rojas would make sure that everyone else was safe. As the ambulance turned a final corner in the road at the outskirts of the city, it came to an abrupt stop. Carlos Rodriguez turned off the siren. He had pulled off the road and reopened the curtain. Monica…I bid you and your troublesome boyfriend, Adios! Carlos opened his door, groped for something under the seat and after a few moments a smile of satisfaction crossed his face. He locked the door and slammed it shut, and strode quickly away.

Monica watched his little production with horror, and then bewilderment. Why did he just walk away? It only took a split second for the dawning of enlightenment to turn on a light bulb. Peter! Peter! Quick…wake up! she screamed into Peter’s ear. We have to get out of here. I think that Uncle Carlos left a bomb in the ambulance. Peter woke with a start and looked around to try and process his surroundings. Monica was untying the gurney straps and tugging at him in panic. The ambulance was all locked up and the window between the front seat and the rear of the van was too small to go through even if she broke the window. Monica tried to push open the rear doors to the ambulance, but they would not budge. They were locked in….trapped!

Peter we’re going to die, unless you help me! Monica cried. Peter was now totally alert and together they grabbed hold of the gurney and used it as a battering ram against the rear doors. The first two attempts yielded no success.

Let’s hit the doors right in the middle! Peter exclaimed as he took charge of the situation. One…two…three…Go! They rolled the gurney as hard and as fast as they could against the doors. The outside latch let go and the doors flung open. Monica leaped out the doors right behind the gurney with Peter crawling out more slowly with his injured shoulder. Monica came back for Peter and put her arm around his waist and together they ran as fast as they could into a nearby ravine, and dived into a metal culvert. A deafening roar and then an immense explosion carried a shock wave that felt like a huge earthquake. Monica just threw her arms around Peter and they embraced for a long time. It felt so good to be in his arms. It was so warm and comfortable to be in his embrace, that she just started to sob and then crying uncontrollably. Good, just let it out. Let it all go…Monica we are safe now. You’re wonderful; you saved my life, Monica.

Peter held her close and looked at her intently, and then grinned, Well, I guess from here on you will be the one saving my life. He laughed as he carefully crawled out of the culvert. They surveyed the damaged ambulance and the scattered debris. I don’t see your uncle anywhere. I think it is safe to walk into the city and find the hospital, Peter said as he winced with pain. Monica quickly put her arm around him as he teetered a little and she thought that he was going to faint. The wound had started to bleed again and without a word she started to coax him to walk quickly down the road. At a nearby house, Monica asked to use the phone to call General Rojas and report the incident with Carlos Rodriguez.

Stay where you are…I am coming with my helicopter! crackled the general’s voice that sounded like it came from a far away country and not just across the bay on his cell phone. Monica could hear what sounded like a muffled swear word or two. Is Peter all right? asked the general.

No…he’s very pale and he’s lost a lot of blood. I think he’s going to pass out again. His wound has started to bleed again.

We’re on our way! The response was short and then the phone went dead. Monica was relieved to have some help coming. Peter was sitting in a chair in the adobe’s small kitchen. The good thing was that he was still talking and had given Monica the number to call. An old lady that lived in the shack was fussing over Peter and had administered him a cup of juice.

Peter, stay here…I’m going to go outside and wave to the helicopter when it comes. Peter looked up at Monica with a questioning stare. Don’t worry I’ll be alright. We are safe here. I’ll stay hidden until the helicopter is close and overhead. Monica touched him lightly on the cheek and slipped out the front door. Five minutes passed as Monica hid behind some low growing bushes keeping watch around the small residence for anything suspicious. The whirring noise of the helicopter broke her stupor of thought and she quickly ran out into the center of the road to signal where they were. Monica waved her arms frantically and finally the helicopter banked and circled to maneuver a landing on the street. Two soldiers jumped out of the aircraft before it even landed and ran towards Monica. Monica shouted and pointed to the front door, Peter’s inside! She had to yell several times over the sound of the still turning blades of the military helicopter. One soldier took Monica by the hand and escorted her to the waiting doorway of the huge machine and the other soldier followed with his arm around Peter helping him to their position. They had to shield their eyes from a cloud of blowing dust, and they bent over as they approached the helicopter. A welcome arm from inside the mechanical bird reached out to help them in. In a moment they were all airborne and buckled into their seats. A headset was placed on Monica so that she could talk to the general from his copilot’s seat.

Monica, can you please point out the place where your ambulance was blown up, for me. It was the first thing that the general said to her. Monica was amazed that they had not seen it from the air as they approached. She scanned the road ahead of them for the spot as the helicopter banked and got some altitude.

There it is, sir! Monica almost yelled into her microphone. Then she realized why the soldiers had not seen the spot before. There was sort of just a black spot on the pavement, with debris scattered all around, but the main parts of the ruined ambulance had landed on the left-hand side of the road in the ditch. The general and a soldier acknowledged the spot and radioed for a patrol to be dispatched to the site. The helicopter then flew back across the bay where all the events of the morning came flashing back to Monica’s mind. She was remembering a very sacred moment in her life that she would never forget.

Monica was standing on the edge of the shore with Peter. He was holding her hand and every few minutes he squeezed it and gave her a glowing loving look that was melting her heart. He had found her, after weeks of worrying and searching. Now, they were together again. Ironically, it was at the base of the huge and beautiful Nazca Line, ‘The Tree of Life’. Monica, Peter said as he held her hands in his. This ‘Tree of Life’ symbolizes eternal life and now I have found you. I will not let you go out of my life again. We are going to be bound together forever, for eternity! Then, the shooting started and the bullets started pelting the sand around them. Peter had yanked Monica to the ground and covered her with his own body as bullets whizzed over their heads. In between bursts of gunfire, Peter picked her up with his strong arms and ran quickly to a rock wall for protection. That is where he was hit with a bullet just a few yards from safety. Monica remembered pulling and dragging him behind the rocks with strength that she never knew that she possessed. Monica just lay there frightened beyond anything she had ever known. With every bullet thud and ricochet she screamed and hid her face and her hands deeper in the sand. The only thing that broke her hysteria was hearing Peter moan in pain. Soon the firing and bullets ceased coming to their position and Monica was more concerned about Peter than the rest of the scene. She ripped off the sleeve of her blouse and with a makeshift dressing put her hand on the wound to try applying pressure to stop the bleeding. It wasn’t long before helicopters and soldiers were everywhere.

Monica’s mind flipped back to the present and as the helicopter banked and swerved she could see the aftermath of the wreckage and carnage below them at the little fishing village. She gasped audibly as she noticed that ambulances were loading the two remaining bodies on the dock. The general barked some instructions in the headset again to the patrols on the ground. There were soldiers everywhere. A comment from someone telling the general that an ambulance attendant was found dead under the dock made Monica gasp again and a shiver started in her neck and sent a searing pain like a lightening bolt down her back. Monica ripped off the headset; she could not listen anymore to the nightmare drama that was happening here in broad daylight. She leaned back against the hard metal wall of the aircraft and wondered if her life would ever be normal again.

Monica’s eyes fluttered open again as she realized a soldier was trying to put her headset back on. The general wants to talk to you again. He was saying to her apologetically as he placed the headset back in position.

Monica, which direction did you see Carlos Rodriguez go when he left the ambulance, before the explosion? asked the general.

He was just headed into Paracas, general….that was the last I saw of him. It all happened so fast. We were locked in…and…and… We were more concerned about getting out and kicking the door open than watching him walk away, responded Monica.

The general again gave several instructions to his men on the ground to do a thorough man-hunt search of the city for Carlos Rodriguez. It was going to be a difficult mission to find him after his head start, but they would put up roadblocks and deploy enough men to do the job. Monica, we are flying directly to Lima to the military hospital to get Peter patched up. I’m not going to take anymore chances with you. We will have to place you under military guard with Peter until we get this whole thing sorted out. The headset went quiet for the first time and the helicopter banked again and circled around heading north to Lima. For the first time in weeks Monica was safe and she felt a huge sigh of relief enter her lungs and fill her whole body. Now, her only concern was her beloved, Peter. He looked completely white, seated directly across the galley from her. Oh how she wished that she could jump out of her seatbelt and run to him and hold him close. His eyes were open, but he didn’t look conscious. Monica pointed to the soldier next to Peter and spoke in her headset.

Could you please lean his head back and make him more comfortable… please? asked Monica. The soldier did not say anything, but nodded. He then leaned Peter’s seat back and started thoroughly attending to him. The soldier took Peter’s flack jacket off, and removed the shirt. He had obviously been trained in first aid and preceded very professionally with his work. The soldier carefully started to remove the bloody bandages and Monica had to turn away. She could not look. The soldier had given Peter a shot from his equipment bag and was now cleaning the wound. Peter grimaced several times in pain and Monica had to concentrate on some writing on the deck of the helicopter. She could not watch and every time that Peter moaned or yelped in pain, Monica felt the pain just as intently. A few minutes later the job was done; Peter was rebandaged, and he was resting calmly with his eyes closed. Monica closed her eyes trying to capture again the wonderful moment she had experienced of holding hands with Peter gazing at the ‘Tree of Life’. How frail life can be! How important it is to seize the moment and to make sure that you take advantage of all the good things that come to you? Timing is everything in life.

Chapter Notes: Chapter 1

The Tree of Life symbol at Paracas is a very famous Nasca Line drawing on the side of the mountain facing the Pacific Ocean. Sometimes it has been thought to be a Jewish Menorah or some other type of symbol. But for this story the author has chosen to refer to it as the Tree of Life. It has for centuries been a guiding sign on the endless shoreline for ancient mariners to give them bearing on the location of Paracas and Lima for their safe harbor.

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Tree of Life, Nazca Symbol from Paracas, Peru. It was an ancient marker on the sea shore for mariners to find their way back to their home port.

Chapter 2

Lima, Peru – Two Days Later

J ason, all I know is that the military guy was involved in a fire fight with at least four or five other guys and he was killed in a boat crash at the end, said Rico nonchalantly. The lunch meeting at the hotel was not going well. The group that Jason commanded was involved in heated debate about what should be their next move in this South American enterprise.

Las Vegas says that we should fold up the operation and return to the states. The situation has become too volatile, too unpredictable. What do you guys think? asked Jason with sincere concern. The smoke-filled room made him cough involuntarily. Brian! Do you mind taking that outside or putting the cigar out! You’re making it hard to breathe in here. Brian, just looked at Jason with obvious contempt. Jason suddenly was very sorry that they had not arranged for the hotel conference room instead of his own room for this meeting. He was going to have to put up with the smell of smoke for days in here. His disgust of Brian, even though he was an older man, was more than evident and had been a source of contention between them. The leadership of this contingent in Brian’s mind should have gone to him in the very beginning instead of Jason, this upstart kid.

Suits me fine, spoke out Brian slowly as he extinguished the Cuban. This operation has been a disaster from the very beginning. His eyes met with Jason’s and the steely glare confirmed the hate and contempt that they shared. You haven’t conducted this mission properly and all you’re concerned about is killing this old ex-boyfriend of your one-time fiancé, Brian seethed. With a flash of anger and a blinding quick movement, an automatic pistol was pointed directly in Brian’s face.

You’ve said this whole thing before and quite frankly I’m tired of your crap. Don’t worry about Peter Martin. Right now I’d be more concerned about how much I hate you. I’d lots rather shoot you at this moment and dump you in small pieces in the Lima River for the sharks to eat. The tension in the room eased somewhat as Jason lowered the hand gun and placed it on the table. Now, can we continue…Rico, you were telling us what happened in Paracas, go ahead and finish, Jason said in a calm even tone.

Well, Boss…it was an amazing battle. The lieutenant shot off three grenades into the building and it was all over except for the one that escaped. He went after him in a boat and then the boats collided in a big explosion. It was really cool. I’ve never seen….

Stop…Stop! broke in Jason, This isn’t story hour! Jason looked at him sternly as Rico cowered down. Tell me … is the lieutenant dead?

Yes, according to one of the townspeople that I talked to afterward. They fished him out of the bay in pieces, Rico said sadly, almost apologetically. I know that I could have taken him, Boss!

Rico!….I don’t care about that anymore! Jason yelled with impatience. Tell, me what happened to Peter and the girl!

Rico started again, Boss, I think he was shot because they loaded him into an ambulance and the girl went with him. He didn’t look very good. The mother was killed right at the beginning. She was one of the six bodies laid out on the pier.

Thanks for finally getting to the facts, Rico. Good job, thanks for using caution and not getting involved in the fight. That’s good to just let them kill themselves. Who do you think was the other party? asked Jason intently. Jason looked at Rico who shrugged his shoulders. Brian just returned a blank stare. As Jason surveyed the room, Leo started to fidget and then finally spoke up.

Well, afterwards we did hear a lot of talk about a rebel group, called the ‘Shining Path’, but we didn’t think much about some terrorist group being involved. Usually, they are fighting the government not a young American and his girlfriend, offered Rico.

Stupid…Isn’t the lieutenant part of the military and therefore part of the government! countered Jason with an ugly laugh.

Why would a terrorist group like the ‘Shining Path’ get involved and how would they know to be there waiting for Peter and the lieutenant when they found the women? questioned Brian not believing any of it.

Exactly…that is the question! Why would this terrorist group be involved? Have they been following Peter as well? Are they the same group that was affiliated with the Department of Tourism that had captured the women in the beginning? Jason paused to gain the effect that he wanted. These are the questions that we need to get answered. Does this ‘Shining Path’ know about the treasure, too? Jason again surveyed the faces of his associates. "So, Rico you and Brian go to the Department of Tourism and pose as reporters and find out if they can clear up for you the alleged connection between the ‘Shining Path’ and their government agency. Leo and I will visit the morgue as government agents and see if we can find out anything more. Then,