Dream Vacation

By Dennis M. Prokop

After spending the last ten years raising two boys that arrived via a questionable marriage, ex–naval diver and human behavioral analysis Nicolas Falco decided he needed some time away from his anxiety-filled Washington, DC, job. With the boys away at college and the allure of revisiting his passion for scuba diving, especially in an area famous for lost pirate treasure, Nick headed for the crystal-clear waters of the remote Caribbean islands of Roatan and Utila.

There, a wife he had not seen in years and a confusing mix-up with the CIA conspired to sabotage his attempt to enjoy the serene tropical islands. With a possible pirate treasure worth a king’s ransom at stake, Nick must sort through his past, a CIA probe, and a two-hundred-year-old mystery before he could hope to relax and enjoy his dream vacation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 19, 2021
• ISBN: 9781662430718

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Dream Vacation

Dennis M. Prokop

Copyright © 2021 Dennis M. Prokop

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING, INC.

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2021

ISBN 978-1-6624-3070-1 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-6624-3071-8 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

The Big Day Finally Arrives

Not The Best Start To A Vacation

Things Were Looking Up

First Day In Paradise

Big Waves, Little Boat

Welcome To Paradise

Truck Repair 101

A Day Underwater

Visiting The Cemetery

A New Partnership

Who Works On Their Vacation?

A Mountain Of Gold

Another Break-In

A Dinner Date

A Visit From The Cia

A Very, Very Long Day

A New Day, A New Problem

The Cemetery Calls

Hidden In Plain Sight

Feeling Like Robin Hood

CHAPTER 1

The Big Day Finally Arrives

It was early Saturday morning, January 2, 2010. Like many recent early mornings, Nicholas Falco was standing in his front foyer of his upscale Baltimore, Maryland, townhouse, suitcases packed and piled in front of him as he patiently waited for his ride to the Dulles International airport. He had logged over eighty hours at work during this Christmas holiday season, while most of his coworkers had enjoyed their time off to spend with their family and friends. But this trip was not going to be business related. His current division manager, Harold Bias, had finally agreed to give him some time off from work. Nick had lobbied for some serious time off for years, and for whatever reason, Harold finally agreed. Then totally out of character for him, knowing one of Nick’s passions in life was scuba diving, Harold gave him a state-of-the-art underwater diver’s watch as a thank-you for all his extra effort at work.

Nick was a human behavioral specialist who, on paper or in person, could analyze what a person’s or a group’s answer would be to a question before it was asked. And he was very good at what he did. His ability to accurately read facial expressions, eye movement, and body language or answers to given setup questions made his skills irreplaceable. He often thought about becoming a detective and solving crimes, but crime solving really wasn’t his thing. His skill and interest in reading body language was first honed back in college while taking several courses on cybernetics. Then his training in the Navy’s Espionage Interrogation Unit completed his unusual ability. He was employed by the Heritage Foundation, a Washington, DC-based think tank that specialized in gathering and accessing statistical information on everything from social networks to financial investments. His division at the Heritage Foundation was usually contracted to provide inside trends to government acquisition and appropriation committees, usually for, but not limited to, the Department of Defense.

Nick was on top of his professional life, but his personal life needed a lot of help. One questionable decision he made twelve years ago in his personal life resulted in Nick raising two young children. At the time, his hair was dark brown and his weight was kept almost perfect for his six-foot frame because of all the swimming he did. After two stints in the navy, Nick was in the best physical shape of his life. Now he was forty-eight years old with gray hair up to the top of his ears and he hadn’t been in water deeper than a bathtub in nearly ten years, and his waistline showed it. The fateful decision that had changed his life was when he decided to help a neighbor who was being evicted in the middle of winter. Nick had occasionally babysat the neighbor’s two young boys, Marcos and Luis, after school or sometimes on the weekends, and found them a breath of fresh air in a city full of anxiety and short tempers. So, when their mother asked if she could spend a few days staying with Nick until she could find another place to live, he thought, What harm could it be? After all, he had plenty of room, the kids were very well-behaved, and Maria, their mother, was an excellent cook. She had sent many meals over to Nick as payment for watching her children, and she was very nice-looking and pleasant to be around. He should have recognized that last part of his reasoning might be problematic because Nick hadn’t been in a serious relationship for several years. When it came to affairs of the heart, he either over analyzed a woman’s actions or was totally blind to all obvious indications. In this case, all those missed signals led to a ready-made family waiting for him when he returned home from work every day. At first, it was a very enjoyable break in his otherwise repetitive life, and Maria was getting very accommodating. Then an inquiry about her green card status came up and how a marriage on paper could resolve everything. One bad decision was followed by another until Nick was a married man with three additional tax deductions.

Surprisingly, it actually was working. Nick took to being a family man, and everyone seemed to be happy. A year or so later, Maria lost her job and struggled to find work, but Nick was making a good living, so it was still workable. Then Maria accepted a great job offer in Philadelphia. After training, it would require some traveling, but it was such a great opportunity for Maria, Nick thought she should at least try it. The first few weeks went well, Maria returned back home for the weekends, and everything was still going smoothly. Eventually, she had to start traveling, and then things changed. She would be gone for several weeks at a time, and then, on her last return trip, she announced she was moving to San Francisco, California. She notified Nick that she was going to do some house hunting, find a place for her and her boys, and send for them as soon as possible. It didn’t sit very well with Nick, but it was just a marriage on paper, so there wasn’t much he could do about it. Weeks went by, and there were a few calls to the boys, but she said she hadn’t found a house yet. She did send money to help with expenses, at least at first, then the calls stopped and so did the money. About a year later, the boys stopped calling him Nick and started to call him Dad. The boys continued to grow up, and Nick was a great dad. Marcos had started college three years earlier, and Luis had just completed his first quarter of college. With the kids away at college, Nick was ready for his first real vacation in twelve years…

Nick was still standing in the foyer, patiently waiting, but now his eyes had drifted shut until the short beep from the airport shuttle’s horn woke Nick from his little nap. He quickly waved to the shuttle driver through the now open front door, set his suitcases outside, reached back, turned the lights off, and pulled the door tightly closed. Before he could turn around, he heard a voice call out, At it again, Mr. Falco?

Yes and no, Jim. I am going to the airport again, but this time, I’m going on vacation.

That’s wonderful. I hope it’s someplace warm, we are supposed to get another major snowstorm this weekend.

I’m heading to white sand beaches and plenty of palm trees.

I’m jealous. Hey, are you going to do any of that scuba diving? I remember you told me you were a scuba diver in the navy.

I have all my diving gear in that big suitcase, so don’t drop it. I’ll need to rent some air tanks when I get down there, but other than that, I have everything with me that I should need. Here, let me help you with that heavy suitcase, Jim.

Together, they lifted the large suitcase into the van, and a few moments later, they were on the expressway heading for the Dulles airport. At the airport, Jim drove up to the VIP express check-in parking, and in record time, Nick had checked his bags, cleared through security, and was sitting at his gate waiting for his flight to begin boarding. A young woman carrying a young infant walked up to and stood next to where Nick was sitting. At first, she didn’t say anything; she just gently held the child and rocked the baby back and forth. A few minutes later, she commented rather loudly, I hope the flight is not late.

Nick looked up at her and replied, Everything I’ve been told is that it’s supposed to be on time.

She nodded, stood there for a few more minutes, then slowly walked away. Eventually, they started to board the plane and Nick forgot about the woman until he reached his aisle seat, put his carry-on bag on the floor, and had sat down. He then noticed the woman was in the row just ahead of him in the seat next to the window. She caught his eye and asked, Excuse me, sir, would you mind trading places with me? I know I’ll have to do some aisle walking to keep my baby quiet.

Nick thought about it for a moment then nodded his head yes and stood up. She thanked Nick several times as they exchanged seats. Nick had just put his carry-on bag on the floor in front of him when a young, very attractive woman attempted to sit down in the seat next to him. For a slim, athletic-looking woman, she seemed to be doing a little extra turning and twisting before she finally sat down and attempted to make herself comfortable in the seat. Several times, she had leaned over and pressed her shoulder rather heavily on Nick’s arm, and each time, she smiled and whispered, Sorry.

A few minutes later, the plane taxied down the runway and prepared to take off. As the plane gained speed to lift off, the woman reached over and placed her hand on Nick’s hand. Nick looked over, but the woman was looking straight ahead. They were in the air several moments before the woman removed her hand and again smiled and whispered, Sorry.

Nick nodded and replied, That’s okay.

After several minutes of silence, the woman announced, I hate to fly.

Nick acknowledged her statement with another nod and then replied, I have to fly all the time for business… I guess I’m used to it.

She smiled again and said, My name is Maria. I have to fly all the time also, but I still hate it.

Nick extended his hand and said, I’m Nick.

Very nice to meet you, Nick, she replied and briefly shook his hand.

You have a very pretty name, Maria. That was my wife’s name.

"Thank you, Nick. Did you say it was your wife’s name? I hope nothing terrible has happened to her."

No, I don’t think so. We just sort of drifted apart. It’s a long story.

Sorry to hear that, Maria replied.

There was several minutes of silence, and Nick had picked up a magazine and was about to open it when Maria asked, And where is Nick traveling to?

This trip is my long overdue vacation. And my final destination is Utila, a small island off the Caribbean coast of Honduras. How about you?

Panama City. I have to change planes in Roatan. You must be familiar with Roatan if you’re going to Utila. They are very close together.

No, I’ve never been to either island.

Really. Is this one of those ‘throw the dart at the map and see where I’m going to go for my vacation’ things?

No, nothing exotic or spur of the moment like that. It’s part of that long story about my wife.

Nick. We have a five-hour flight to Roatan. You’re heading to a small island in the Caribbean that you can only reach by boat, and you’ve never been there before. You’ve got to give me a little more here. Please?

Okay, how about the short version?

Maria reached over and touched her hand on top of Nick’s hand and whispered, Thank you.

Nick placed his hands on top of the magazine and, while looking forward, leaned his head closer to Maria and replied, My wife was born in Guatemala. When she was just a teenager, she ran away with an older neighbor. They traveled to the island of Utila. She told me how remote and beautiful it was there, so I thought I would go there and check it out. There, that’s my story. Kind of corny, heh.

Wow. You really know how to shorten a story, Nick. You could have told me that story while we stood in line to use the restroom. We still have four hours and fifty-eight minutes more to go.

Maria was now staring into Nick’s eyes. Nick recognized every expression on her face. From her penetrating brown eyes to her slightly clenched lips. She was pleading with him…

Nick leaned back and said, Okay. A little longer version: My wife was born in Guatemala City. In her neighborhood, there was an older gentleman, let’s call him an entrepreneur. Anyway, he had told her a lot of stories about all the exotic places he had traveled to and where he was planning to travel to. I guess he was some kind of a treasure hunter. My wife was about sixteen years old at the time and, like a lot of sixteen-year-olds, was not very happy living in a poor part of the city. She had asked the entrepreneur if she could go with him on his next journey. One thing led to another, and she ran away with the older gentleman. They traveled around Guatemala and ended up on the island of Utila. There, they looked for lost treasure on and around the island but never found any. What my wife said they did find was a little bit of paradise. Remote white sand beaches, beautiful lush green hills, and very friendly people. Then they had a falling out. He abandoned her and went off on another one of his journeys, and she spent another year or so on the island. When she turned eighteen, she came to the United States and married the first guy that said he loved her. Then he abandoned her and left her bruised and with two young boys. Eventually, we got together, and twelve years later, I’m the one that was left with the two boys to raise. So here I am, traveling to an island I’ve never been to before and looking forward to finding whatever it is that’s waiting there for me.

Wow. Now that’s a nice story. I think there’s still more to the story, but that’s okay. I can live with that.

Okay, Maria. What’s your story?

Maria paused for a moment then looked over at Nick with those big brown eyes and said, "Oh. I guess this is one of those, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander, things."

Yes. If there’s a little story there and you don’t mind sharing it, I would like to hear it.

Maria leaned back and placed her elbows on the armrests. She laced her fingers together and turned toward Nick and stated, Nothing exotic like your story. I had a husband for a few years after college. I guess you could say we drifted apart also. But I know where he is because I still work for him, and he’s still a pain in my ass. He knows I hate to fly, but he keeps sending me halfway around the world every chance he gets.

Why don’t you just find another job and put that part of your life behind you? Nick asked in a questioning tone.

Well, I would like to. But I’m making too much money working for him, and he knows I won’t quit.

I don’t know, can the money be that good?

Believe me, it’s a lot of money. And to emphasize the point, Maria kept moving her head up and down several more times.

Nick had to ask, What kind of business are you in?

Pharmaceuticals, Maria replied, with a wink and a small grin on her face.

Nick silently nodded his head, indicating he understood. He then leaned back, opened his magazine, and started reading. Maria reclined her seat, closed her eyes, and tried to go to sleep.

Nothing eventful occurred for the next two hours or so, except for when Nick had to wiggle past Maria for a bathroom break. That turned into a bit of an agility test because Maria had remained seated both coming and going. Then there was an announcement over the intercom. There had been an earthquake near Jamaica, and tsunami warnings were issued for all the Caribbean islands off the coast of Belize, Honduras, and Nicaragua, including Roatan. And their flight was going to be diverted to La Aurora International Airport just outside of Guatemala City. Additional information regarding flights to Roatan would be passed along when available.

Nick looked over at Maria, who was now wide awake, and said, I’m not sure what that means for us. Maybe we can get an ‘all clear’ in a few hours. Otherwise, we will have to stay in Guatemala City for the night.

I’m not spending the night at the airport. I’ll have to check with my office and see what they can do about it, Maria replied, now sitting upright in her seat.

There were no additional announcements over the intercom. The plane landed in Guatemala City, and Maria and Nick filed off the plane with the rest of the passengers. Inside the airport, the airlines representative was telling everyone that if they stayed at the gate, they would not have to go through immigration and customs. If they left the gate area, a shuttle bus would take them to immigration and customs. Nick looked around and tried to find Maria, but she was nowhere to be found. He wasn’t sure what to do, so he found a comfortable seat and sat down to wait for some additional information.

An hour or so later, one of the airlines representatives came over to where Nick was sitting and told him there were additional tsunami warning for the islands, and therefore, there would be no flights to Roatan for at least twenty-four hours, maybe as much as thirty-six hours. If he wanted to wait, there would be no addition charges for airfare, even if it was with another airline carrier. Nick still wasn’t sure what he should do, but he knew he didn’t want to wait in the airport for a day or possibly two. He then asked the airline representative for directions to the shuttle bus to immigration and where he could pick up his checked bags. Nick followed the directions and stepped outside where he joined a dozen or so other passengers who had decided to leave the gate area and were waiting for the shuttle bus.

A short bus ride later, Nick was waiting in line to talk to one of immigration interviewers. He was getting a little nervous because they were speaking in Spanish. Soon he heard someone call out, Siguient, escuchar.

Nick looked over at the man who was pointing at him. He nodded, and Nick hurried over to the man who was sitting behind a tall counter. Nick placed his passport on the counter, and the man reached over and picked it up. Looking in the passport, he asked, American?

Nick nodded yes.

Then he asked, Visa?

Nick replied, No, I don’t have a visa. I had no idea I was coming to your country until they announced on the plane we were being diverted to Guatemala City because of the tsunami.

There was a hint of a smile, and then he said, Oh, the tsunami. Why didn’t you say so? You must have been on the Delta flight that just landed.

Yes. Yes, on the Delta. Nick was happy to hear his responses in English, even if he had a heavy Spanish accent.

How long you plan to be in Guatemala City?

Only as long as it takes to find a way to reach Utila, Nick replied.

Okay. We have seven-day visa. It only cost ninety pesos, that’s about twenty dollars US.

Yes, that should give me plenty of time, Nick replied and reached for his wallet.

And one for the wife?

No, I don’t have a wife, not with me.

Your wife was just here, she said you would pay for the visa.

You must be mistaken. I don’t have a wife, not with me, Nick insisted.

The man waved another man to come over to the counter. He looked a little older and Nick could see this other man was obviously in charge. They discussed the situation in Spanish, and the older man looked at Nick’s passport. A few seconds later, the older man looked up at Nick and asked, Are you Nicholas Falco?

Yes, I am.

Is your wife’s name Maria?

Yes, I mean no. I don’t have my wife with me.

Where is your wife?

I don’t know. I haven’t seen her in years.

The two men discuss several things in Spanish, and Nick heard the name Maria spoken several times. The older man shook his head several times no, turned toward Nick, and stated, Mr. Falco. Please bring your bag and follow me.

Nick picked up his bag and started to follow the older man. They had only walked a few steps when the older man signaled to an armed guard to follow them. Now Nick was really getting nervous. They walked through two doorways and into a large room that was divided in half. One half had a desk and two chairs; the other half had a large iron bar cell in it. The older man walked behind the desk, sat down, and said, Mr. Falco, please sit down and help me get to the bottom of this missing wife of yours.

Of course, yes, I would be happy to clear all this up.

Nick sat down and was ready to once again explain the mix up. He waited patiently for the man to ask a question, but the older man just sat there. Several minutes went by, and the older man continued to just sit there with his arms folded against his chest. Finally, Nick asked, What are you waiting for?

Paperwork. They are running a background check on you.

Okay, maybe that will help straighten things out, Nick replied.

A few more minutes passed by before a young man brought in a folder and placed it in the middle of the table. The older man quickly opened the folder and silently started to read the first page in the file. Then he read the next page and the next. He glanced over at Nick and stated, You do have a wife. Her name is Maria Del Costa. That is the same name on the expired passport that your wife showed us, thirty minutes before you showed up at the immigration office.

That just can’t be. I haven’t seen my wife in over ten years, Nick insisted. Then he asked, Isn’t there something in that file that shows I live alone? My two kids are away in college. Well, technically they are my wife’s children, but I’ve taken care of them for the last ten years.

The older man turned a few of the pages and asked, Mr. Falco. Please empty the contents of your bag onto the desk.

Nick quickly obliged the request. He reached into his carry-on bag and placed on the desk, a series of personal hygiene items, deodorant, shaving kit, toothpaste, and shampoo. He also placed the underwater diver’s watch that his boss had given him on the desk. He then reached into his bag and removed a copy of his airline tickets, some scuba diving magazines, and the name of the hotel he wanted to stay at on the island of Utila, and laid everything on the desk.

The older man then asked, Is that everything?

I think so, Nick replied, as he picked up the bag held it upside down and shook it. Suddenly a large compass mounted on a wristband and a gold necklace with a large gold heart, dropped onto the desk. Nick picked up both of the items and examined them closely. He looked over at the older man and stated, I’ve never seen these before in my life.

The older man stood up and Nick handed those items to him. The man stated, They were in your bag. No one else touched your bag and you claim they don’t belong to you?

They don’t belong to me. If you want them, you can keep them.

That’s not how it works. Please sit down and make yourself comfortable, Mr. Falco. I will be back in a few minutes, and don’t try to go anywhere. The guard doesn’t speak English, but he knows how to shoot.

Nick sat down on the chair, but he was far from comfortable. He glanced at the guard to read his demeanor. His face was cold and expressionless, which told Nick this was getting very serious. Nick took several deep breaths and waited for the older man to return. A full thirty minutes went by before the older man returned with another younger man wearing a dark green suit, white shirt and a black tie, and looked like an American. Nick thought maybe he might be a lawyer. The older man stated, Mr. Falco. I took the initiative and contacted the American Consulate on your behalf. They sent Mr. Paul Hagen to help you straighten this all out. I’ll leave you alone to discuss your options.

Thank you. That was very nice of you, Nick replied, and held out his hand, shook the older man’s hand, and then turned in the direction of Mr. Hagen, shook his hand, and introduced himself, My name is Nicholas Falco. I hope you can straighten this mess out.

Mr. Hagen reached out, shook Nick’s hand, and said, Please call me Paul. Nick nodded and stepped back. Paul sat down