This is episode thirty-one of the fifth book in the Trace Troy Adventures in Paradise series. The Title is A Cult in Paradise
. It will be featured in episodes over the next few months. It will eventually be published in full on Amazon. All of the Trace Troy books, as well as my other novels, can be purchased on Amazon by clicking the Bookstore tab above. I hope you enjoy. And thanks for stopping by.
Surrender
Trace strapped on the backpack, stuck the pistol in the rear waist of his pants, and grabbed the rifle. He hunched and moved into the palms and bushes. He reached the area near the compound.
He belly-crawled to the edge of the compound. The excitement had settled and some of the lights once on were now off, yet adequately lit.
Trace back-crawled away from the compound. He stood and hunched, making his way to the other side of the compound. That is where the stockade was. He stopped at where he stashed his gear and rifle. He added to the cache, Adam’s backpack and rifle. The pistol remained tucked in the back of his pants.
Again, Trace ducked low and made his way to the south end of the compound. He stood and laced his finger behind the back of his head. He walked slowly into the compound.
“Stop!” A guard said and pointed a rifle.
Trace stopped. “I’m surrendering.”
The guard turned his head toward the hub of the compound. “Captain of the guard!”
A flabby man in a khaki uniform with two gold bars on the epaulets hurriedly walked toward them. Two other guards were on each side.
The captain looked startled at first and composed himself. In a high-pitched voice, he asked. “Who do we have here?”
“This man surrendered,” the guard said.
“Who are you?” The captain asked.
“My name is Trace Troy. I was hired to help get a couple of kids off this island. When it came time to escape, they said there wasn’t room in the boat for me. I was double-crossed.”
“Do you know anything about this island?” The captain asked stepping closer to Trace.
“No offense,” Trace said, “but all I was told is that there was nothing but a bunch of religious fanatics here.”
“Don’t you have any weapons?” The captain asked.
“I tossed them in the rubber boat,” Trace said. “They took off with it. They left me with nothing.”
“Why are you surrendering?” The captain asked.
“I don’t even know what I got myself into,” Trace said. “This guy offered me five thousand dollars. I told him I had a lot of experience. Truth is, two months ago I was working in a warehouse in San Antonio. I took all my savings and came to Samoa. I lost all my money gambling. I was desperate for enough money to get back home and hold me over until I got rehired.”
“We are a religious order,” the captain said. “This island is our retreat. It is sacred to us.”
“Believe me,” Trace said, “I don’t judge any man’s religion, but I respect them all. If I know’d this was sacred ground there’d be no amount of money that could have made me come here.”
“The people that escaped,” the captain asked, “do you know where they were going?”
“They didn’t tell me anything directly,” Trace said, “but they sure talked about Bora Bora a lot.”
“How many men were involved in this?’ The captain asked.
“Let’s see,” Trace said, “there was me, a guy named, Adam another one named Pete, and a father and son; Coyote and Pete. Coyote and Pete were the same as me, promised five thousand dollars. We were kept in the dark by Adam and Pete. Oh yeah, there was this pilot. Can’t remember his name.”
“Our leader, high breast, and unifier is resting,” the captain said. “You will have to see him in the morning.”
“Geez,” Trace said, “I don’t know nothing about Catholic stuff. I’m in big trouble, ain’t I. I’ll screw up in front of him. I won’t bow right. And that sign thing with the cross, I’m not sure where to start or end.”
“We’re not Catholics,” the captain said. “Me’Ached will be able to tell if you are telling the truth or lying.”
“Geez,” Trace said, “talk about a bad draw. I always sound guilty. I had to go before a judge, one time, and he said the evidence proved I was innocent but I was acting guilty—three days in jail.”
The captain smirked. He motioned with his head. “Follow me.”
Trace followed the captain. Two guards walked beside him and one guard to the rear. They stopped at the stockade where now there was only one guard.
“A couple of your friends are inside,” the captain said.
“If it’s Adam and Pete, tell the high priest they won’t be in any shape to confess their sins. I got a score to settle with ‘em.”
A guard opened the door to the stockade. A guard walked Trace in. The guard opened an empty cell and Trace walked in.
Coyote was in one cell and Sage in another.
“Coyote! Pete!” Trace said. “What do ya know, you got double-crossed too.”
They began to talk superficially.
“Big time,” Coyote said.
“Real big time,” Sage said.
The guard closed the cell door and locked it. He walked out of the stockade. The guards mumbled among themselves.
“I just plain surrendered,” Trace said. “I figured, what the heck.”
“We was hid and scared up a flock of birds,” Sage said.
“Gave us away in a snap,” Coyote said. “They was on us like stink on a cow’s ass.”
“What do you suppose they’ll do with us?” Trace said. “Have they told you guys anything?”
“Nothing,” Sage said.
“They’re religious,” Coyote said. “They believe in god and mercy—I hope.”
“Those guards didn’t seem all that bad,” Trace said.
“I don’t know about that,” Sage said. “One of ‘em walked me on the back of the head.”
“He might have just been having a bad day,” Trace said. “After all, we got them up in the middle of the night.”
“All I know is when we get out of this mess, I’m looking for the guys that got us in this mess,” Coyote said.
“I can guarantee we ain’t never gonna see any of that five thousand,” Trace said.
“We’ll just have to take it out of their hides,” Coyote said.
“I don’t know where to start looking for ‘em,” Sage said, “but as sure as the devil, I’m going to try.”
“What about those kids we got out of here,” Trace said. “Whoever got them out had to bankroll this whole thing. I’ll find them. And if they don’t come up with somethin’ I’ll drag ‘em back here.”
The guard called out, “Okay, that’s enough in there. You’re going to need some rest.
“Sorry,” Trace called out the guard.
Sage and Coyote called out they were sorry too.
“We’re just venting,” Trace said. “Good night.”
Trace, Sage, and Coyote lay on their bunks. Breezes passed through the palms. The leaves rattled restlessly. Trace heard his heartbeat. It felt as if it was about to leap from his chest.
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