Colombiano

  ‘She said what?’

  I repeated Delgado’s accusation. Trigeño frowned with annoyance.

  ‘Then Beta is more hotheaded than I thought. Delgado has made defamatory and ridiculous claims before. But killing her will make them appear true and bring the spotlight onto Fabián.’

  ‘I’m sorry to have dumped all this on you, patrón. Maybe I’m being paranoid. It’s simply that I saw Beta behaving so … independently.’

  ‘Beta is loyal,’ said Trigeño. ‘Both to me and to the Autodefensas. And also to you. He brought you Ernesto, didn’t he? And he asked me to transfer Rafael to your unit, which allowed you to catch Buitre.’

  Somehow I managed to contain my shock. So Trigeño had known all along! Beta and Javier had lied to me, making me think these were secrets they’d deliberately kept from Trigeño at great danger to themselves, and to me. And it had worked. I’d spent weeks tiptoeing around Trigeño and pushing back his visit, fearing it would all come out. But there had been no danger whatsoever; Trigeño had not only known, he’d authorised it.

  My anger at them knew no bounds. In fact, it was compounded by anger at myself for being so stupid. The only true leverage they’d had was Humberto’s cocaine, which they’d cleverly made me feel complicit in guarding. Although even that now seemed foolish; I could have told Trigeño the day I found it and none of this would have happened.

  Fortunately, I’d saved my most damning insinuation for last.

  ‘That’s true, comando. Perhaps I’ve been worrying unnecessarily. It’s just that I’ve heard of internal wars in other bloques where one of the commanders turns rogue, splitting away and taking his men with him. I didn’t want that to happen to you. With Beta having accumulated three hundred soldiers on Javier’s hacienda who are more loyal to him than to the Autodefensas, I thought maybe …’

  Trigeño froze. ‘I only authorised one hundred.’

  He stood riveted to the spot. Dark storm clouds passed over his face, but he controlled them and spoke calmly.

  ‘Thank you for sharing this, Pedro. I only wish my other commanders were so conscientious and loyal. I’ll phone Beta now to make enquiries. Don’t worry! I’ll make sure they won’t lead back to you. And if I find a hint of evidence that the Díazes are involved in the drug business or killing people behind our backs, our deal is over. They’ll be dealt with severely. As soon as I know something, you will too. You’re my eyes and ears down here. I’m as proud of you as if you were my own son.’

  As Trigeño’s helicopter took off, I waved goodbye, completely reassured that Beta would be reined in. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

  151

  ON SUNDAY EVENING, as polling booths were closing, Buitrago called me with an urgent request.

  ‘I need you to bring Old Man Domino and his wife to my base immediately. Beta’s men have just dragged Delgado’s assistant at gunpoint from his parents’ home. If they’re murdering potential witnesses who might corroborate Delgado’s accusation about the cocaine, then Beta may already be on his way up.’

  ‘Shit!’ I threw the Toyota keys to Palillo. ‘We’re leaving right now.’

  ‘And Pedro …’ The colonel paused. ‘I’ve also sent men to collect your mother. The Díazes may not simply be killing witnesses. If they’re now searching for the source of the leak, Beta may interrogate them first.’

  I hadn’t told Buitrago about my secret meeting with Delgado, but he must have guessed.

  I felt myself go cold. Delgado’s assistant, Danilo, had been present when I’d visited her campaign headquarters. Given Beta’s predilection for torture, it would only be a matter of time before he discovered that I’d offered to give her evidence against the Diazes and told her to bring her camera. And then we’d all be in danger – not just me, but my whole family.

  As Palillo and I sped down the road, my heart raced and I prayed we’d reach Old Man Domino’s in time. I had no idea what Trigeño had said to Beta that morning, but it clearly hadn’t worked. In fact, it had only inflamed him and made him more determined to resolve problems the way he knew best – by eliminating anyone who posed a threat.

  On the way I phoned Trigeño. The call rang out and went to voicemail. I left a frantic message: ‘Buitrago just phoned. Beta kidnapped Delgado’s assistant! You need to stop him, patrón.’

  At first Old Man Domino refused to leave, even when I apologised profusely – it was my fault they were both in danger – and Gloria began crying and imploring her husband not to be stupid.

  ‘Let them come,’ he declared drunkenly, grabbing his shotgun from the cupboard, loading it with two cartridges and sitting in his armchair with a bottle of aguardiente. ‘I’ve lived a good life.’

  ‘Sorry, viejo,’ said Palillo, scooping him up, ‘but this town has had enough martyrs for one weekend and your wife needs you alive a little longer.’

  In case Beta was on his way and crossed our path, we needed to conceal our passengers. We bundled them onto a layer of blankets in the tray of the pick-up between drums of gasoline, with Old Man Domino still protesting and refusing to relinquish his shotgun. Then we stretched a blue tarpaulin over the top and tied it down.

  I sped downhill, relaxing slightly as we turned onto the long, smooth, straight highway. But my relief was short-lived. I tensed again at the sight of three vehicles ahead, approaching us at speed. I gripped the steering wheel tighter as they drew closer, and I saw precisely what I’d feared: Beta’s red SUV.

  Beta must have recognised my vehicle in turn because he extended his arm through the window, signalling me to stop.

  There was no point in speeding past him – the two rear vehicles loaded with soldiers could easily swerve in front of me and block my path. I slowed and pulled up alongside Beta, winding down my window and then easing my hand towards my pistol. I assumed that he was on his way to Old Man Domino’s farm, but if Delgado’s assistant had already talked he could just as easily be coming for me.

  ‘Where are you racing off to,’ said Beta, cocky as always, ‘on a lovely, quiet Sunday evening like this?’ He craned his neck and peered into the cabin of my truck.

  I had to think quickly. Beta was sly; he’d detect any lie immediately. There was no point in playing stupid. He respected strength. So I decided to be open and go on the attack.

  ‘It was a quiet evening until you ruined it. Murdering Delgado was stupid enough. But kidnapping her assistant only makes us, and Fabián, look much worse.’

  Beta didn’t even bother denying it. ‘News travels fast.’ He chuckled then leaned through his window aggressively. ‘What business is it of yours?’

  ‘Buitrago made it my business. He just called, furious; he’s threatening to raid Javier’s hacienda and call the media. I’m on my way to his base. I need to calm him down and you need to return Delgado’s assistant.’

  ‘That’s not going to happen.’ Beta laughed and pointed over his shoulder. ‘But you can say hi to him if you want.’

  Danilo was in the back seat. My gaze locked with his, and his terrified eyes widened with recognition. His mouth opened, his face pleading for help. I swallowed hard, sweating now, and clicked my pistol off safety, all the while trying to act casual. Clearly, Beta had no suspicion I’d ever met his hostage. But one word from Danilo and that could change in an instant.

  I was trembling and my mouth was dry, but I had to keep up the act. ‘So what do I tell Buitrago? And what happens if Trigeño finds out?’

  Beta’s eyes narrowed. ‘He won’t, but you’ve raised a good point. This morning I received a curious phone call from Trigeño. We made sure nothing about Delgado’s unfortunate accident came out in the media. But Trigeño already knew. You wouldn’t happen to know how he found out so quickly?’

  I’d dug myself into a hole and hardly knew how to respond. Luckily, my phone vibrated on the dashboard and its screen lit up: Trigeño. Beta and I stared at the phone.

  ‘You want to answer that?’ he said, eyeing me suspiciously.

  I
pressed ACCEPT CALL.

  ‘Pedro,’ said Trigeño. ‘I got your message. What’s going on—?’

  ‘I’m fine, patrón. I’m here with Beta,’ I interjected, hoping Trigeño would take the hint and realise that I couldn’t speak freely. ‘Buitrago’s threatening all-out war against the Autodefensas. Beta and I are working together to defuse the situation.’

  ‘Put him on.’

  I handed the phone through the window to Beta, so I could only hear his side of the conversation, which Trigeño repeatedly interrupted.

  ‘Yes, patrón, I’m aware it’s the elections—’

  ‘Yes, patrón, but Buitrago’s mistaken. I swear to you I don’t have him.’

  ‘Copy that, patrón. Sending Pedro now.’

  He hung up and stared confidently into my eyes. He’d just lied openly to the highest commander of the Autodefensas – my boss and his own. He knew I’d heard that lie, and yet he was unapologetic and unafraid.

  ‘Your orders are to reassure the colonel that we have nothing to do with this boy’s disappearance but we’re doing everything in our power to locate the perpetrators and liberate him,’ he said. Then his voice dropped and his tone became menacing. ‘Just remember, Pedro, you have everything here. Your finca, your family and a job. Seven days from now, Buitrago won’t be here to protect you. Trigeño’s troops are stationed far away. So before you make that next call, think about where your loyalty is best placed.’ He tossed the phone back through my window and yelled to the second vehicle, ‘To the old man’s farm.’ Then he waved his arm forward and sped off.

  I looked in my rear-view mirror, watching the tail-lights of Beta’s convoy receding.

  ‘You can’t save that kid,’ said Palillo. ‘So for fuck’s sake drive!’

  I accelerated, my whole body shaking. I was relieved Beta hadn’t found Old Man Domino and Gloria. At the same time I was trying not to panic. Now that Danilo had seen me, how long would it take him to talk? Not long, I thought. Not if he believed it was the only chance to bargain for his life. I wouldn’t blame him – I’d done nothing to save him. Although, since he’d heard my demands to release him and knew I was on my way to Buitrago, maybe he’d be brave enough to hold out.

  ‘We’re fucked,’ said Palillo. ‘Completely jodido. Whether you tell Trigeño or not, this is going to be war.’

  Thirty seconds passed with the gap between us and Beta’s convoy continuing to widen; I began to think that maybe we were safe.

  ‘¡Mierda!’ said Palillo, looking back through the rear windscreen. ‘They’ve stopped! They’re turning. Go! Go! Go!’

  I pressed the accelerator to the floor and we flew towards Garbanzos with Beta’s caravan closing in on us from behind.

  I had Palillo phone Buitrago. ‘Emergency, Colonel,’ he said. ‘We’re heading your way in a white pick-up with Beta and his men in pursuit. Three vehicles. Twelve men that I counted.’

  When we reached the plaza and sped towards the T-junction where the base was located, I could see the gates to the army barracks in front of us were open and I thought we’d made it. But Beta must have radioed ahead to his men in Garbanzos, and at the same moment a black SUV shot out from the street to our right and swerved in front of the gates to block our path. Six of Beta’s Black Scorpions leaped out and pointed their rifles at us.

  I slammed on the brakes; the wheels locked and we skidded to a stop, not twenty metres from safety.

  Beta’s caravan screeched to a halt behind us and his men piled out, also pointing their rifles.

  I honked my horn and waved frantically to the gate guards. Then I heard Buitrago’s voice over a loudspeaker.

  ‘Leave your weapons in the vehicles. Exit slowly with your hands behind your heads, then lie flat on the ground.’

  I looked for Buitrago and saw him emerge from the armoured booth beside the gate. Over fifty of his soldiers had Beta’s men covered from multiple angles – from reinforced brick turrets high up on the walls and .50-calibre machine gun emplacements behind sandbags at both ends of the street.

  Sullenly, Beta’s men obeyed. Only Beta remained standing, still brandishing his pistol until Buitrago walked briskly towards him, rifle raised.

  Beta laid his pistol on the road calmly, still cocky, smiling, and with no intention of lying down. He saluted Buitrago sarcastically.

  ‘We’ll leave peacefully, mi coronel,’ he said. ‘None of us wants a bloodbath on your doorstep.’

  Palillo and I got out of our pick-up. ‘Delgado’s assistant is in the red truck,’ I told the colonel.

  Buitrago’s men opened the door and pulled Danilo to safety.

  ‘We rescued him for you, mi coronel,’ said Beta facetiously.

  ‘I’ll bet you did,’ said Buitrago. ‘Tell your patrón our deal is over. I have six hundred soldiers. You have three hundred. You and your men have until 5 pm tomorrow to leave Garbanzos.’

  ‘Maybe I will leave,’ said Beta. ‘But I’ll be sure to return in a week, so Fabián Díaz and I can wave you – and Pedro – goodbye.’

  Buitrago turned to me. ‘Did you bring the others?’

  I glanced nervously at Beta then tapped the side of the pick-up. ‘You can come out now.’

  Palillo stripped back the tarpaulin and Old Man Domino and Gloria sat up.

  Shaking his head, Beta looked at me murderously and said very slowly, ‘Son of a bitch.’

  152

  THE COLONEL USHERED us through the gates into the safety of his base. After ordering his lieutenant to organise beds for Old Man Domino, Gloria and Danilo, he led me and Palillo to his office where a cardboard box was already packed with his personal effects.

  My nerves were still trembling. ‘Is Mamá okay?’

  ‘Your family is resting. They can all stay here until next Sunday, but after that they’ll need to leave Garbanzos when I do …’

  ‘But, Colonel! Beta just kidnapped Delgado’s assistant. Surely that’s enough to have him arrested and charged.’

  ‘You think that kid will talk? He’s shaking like a leaf. They murdered his boss. They know where he lives. His parents have already packed their suitcases. It’s over, Pedro. The Díazes have won.’

  Buitrago sat solemnly at his desk and pointed to the television screen. The polling booths were closed. Officials were finalising the tallies. In their excessive zeal, the Autodefensas had overdone it slightly, achieving a record, statistically impossible, one hundred and seven per cent voter turnout in Vichada. Not only that, Fabián Díaz had received the highest percentage of votes in the region’s history, with the dead Yolanda Delgado coming in second and Felix Velasquez third. Fabián’s was not the only landslide victory. In provinces all around Colombia, his feat was being emulated by dozens of Autodefensa-backed candidates.

  ‘But Fabián’s been paying cash for votes and voting under the names of dead people. He had Beta shoot Felix Velasquez then assassinate Delgado. The brothers are traffickers. Colonel, we need to have these elections annulled.’

  ‘Without proof, how?’

  ‘At least denounce it to the authorities.’

  Buitrago laughed. ‘I’m one of them. Should I report myself for turning a blind eye? Should I report you for everything you’ve done?’

  ‘Then we’ll report it to Congress.’

  ‘They are Congress,’ said Buitrago, pointing again to the television where the new president, covered in confetti with his hand on his heart, was proclaiming victory and a new era of Democratic Security ahead.

  ‘I’ll testify. Go to prison if I have to. At the very least, Trigeño needs to know Beta lied to him outright about having kidnapped Delgado’s assistant. I warned him about Beta this morning.’

  ‘That wasn’t so wise.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘You still believe Trigeño isn’t aware of what’s happening down here?’

  ‘I’m positive. Not until I told him. But he now knows Beta is acting behind his back, funded by the Díazes. I told him they were traffickers. Tr
igeño could force Fabián to step down and concede the election to Felix Velasquez.’

  ‘That won’t happen. You’re naïve, Pedro. We’ve both been played from the very beginning. This was their plan all along. They kept us while they needed us. But I was right – the cure was far worse than the cancer. And now I’m being transferred and you … You should get out safely, if you can, and move to Bogotá with your family.’

  ‘Bogotá? What would I do in Bogotá? Where would we live? How would we survive? What would happen to our finca?’

  I refused to believe this was happening. I refused to believe it was over. I wanted to phone Trigeño – he could stop this – but Buitrago became angry and told me his base was in communications lockdown.

  ‘Then what about Caraquemada? You said your generals and the North Americans would have to support you if we bring him down.’

  The colonel nodded gravely. ‘And they still might. But that’s our only hope now. And it’s a long shot. Although even then it would take a minor miracle to prevent my transfer. Delgado brought those charges against me. The case was almost buried. But after her mentioning the limpieza on radio then being murdered the next day, they’ve reopened the investigation.’ Buitrago glanced at me briefly, although there was no recrimination in his voice. Then he buried his face in his hands. We’d tried our best, but we were both responsible for bringing this plague upon our town.

  Finally, he looked up wearily. ‘Both of you should pray and then get some rest. Your kits are packed. You fly out tomorrow at dusk.’

  153

  IT WAS 5.45 pm on Monday when Buitrago began the mission briefing in a hangar at the airport. Palillo and I stood beside three sleek Blackhawk helicopters with our sniper rifles and backpacks as the sun went down beyond the sliding doors, casting an orange glow onto the colonel.