Chasing El Dorado Read online

CHAPTER 8

  The following morning Jack and Jolly arrived to find the three black Volvos parked on the pier. The eleven men that typically occupied them, now wearing German uniforms, stood in formation on the dock.

  Jolly stared down at the men, a look of sheer bewilderment spreading across his face.

  “Well there’s something you don’t see every day.” Jack quipped.

  The German soldiers below stood in formation as a three hundred foot tramp freighter, flying the German Swastika and bearing the name Valkyrie, docked in the Rio de Janeiro port.

  “I don’t like the looks of this Jack.” Jolly said.

  It took about an hour for the ship to come to rest and begin offloading. As the men watched and scrutinized the activity their apprehensions grew. At least forty German Troops marched down the gangplank mustering on the dock in front of Schmidt. In unison the forty men raised their arms straight up to a forty five degree angle. This salute was then returned by Schmidt and the ten men with him.

  Jack and Jolly looked at each other, realizing they had just witnessed their first “Heil Hitler” salute.

  Next, six steel tracked diesel powered trucks were offloaded from the cargo bays followed by three six wheeled cars. Next came dozens of box’s and cases marked as ammunition, food or miscellaneous equipment.

  Schmidt began shouting orders in the harsh German language. The ten soldiers standing with him and the forty assembled on the dock broke ranks setting to work loading the trucks with the box’s and gear.

  “It appears they have hired a guide.” Jolly said.

  Jack looked in the direction Jolly was gazing and saw a familiar man approaching the group of soldiers. He was about six feet tall brown hair and brown eyes with a friendly face. He was wearing leather riding boots, gabardine pants and a white cotton shirt. His name was Quaid Grissop and he was Jacks friend.

  “What the hell is he doing?” Jack said nervously.

  As he approached the German’s Schmidt turned greeting him with the Nazi salute. Jack felt every muscle in his body suddenly go rigid and he felt Jolly’s hand on his shoulder as they waited to see how Grissop would respond. Schmidt stood with his right arm raised in salute toward Quaid for an uncomfortable period of time until finally realizing it would not be returned.

  Jack let out a long sigh of relief and yet, seeing Quaid with the German’s made him very uneasy.

  Jack and Jolly continued to watch as the soldier’s inventoried equipment and supplies, loaded trucks and prepared for an expedition into the jungle.

  Finally one last group of nine men disembarked the Valkyrie. Seven of the men were unusually tall and sinister looking, outfitted in black German uniforms, and walking with swagger and hubris. Amongst them walked a smaller pale man in a black suit and hat wearing eye glasses with one lens clear and one darkened to block the sunlight.

  An older man in a brown tweed suit, clutching a leather satchel tightly to his chest, was being dragged along like a chastised child and looking very dejected.

  The small man and the older man were escorted directly to one of the waiting Volvo’s while Schmidt introduced Grissop to the biggest of the German’s wearing the black uniforms. The exchange did not last but a moment and then the big man got in the car and the three Volvo’s rocketed away carrying all nine men toward the city leaving Schmidt and Grissop to oversee the work at the dock.

  “Come Jack, I think we have seen enough.” Jolly said. “I am hungry and I think Cyril knows more than he has told us.”

  The Lazy Peacock was a tavern near the Rio de Janeiro port owned and operated by Cyril Burke and frequented by every scoundrel, rogue and rapscallion within thirty miles. This is not to say that just anyone was welcome at the Peacock. The true trouble makers, the reprobates and evildoers were kept away. It was only the upper lower class that assembled here.

  This is where deals were negotiated and financial transactions took place among the executives and administrators. The men who gathered here were not the administrators of the coffee, cotton or rubber companies. Their business was not the corporate sales and profit margins of railroads and ships. Their business was the Amazon Jungle.

  Jack and Jolly entered the tavern and were greeted by familiar faces, some friendly some indifferent, all however were respectful. The men moved to a table near the door and took two chairs against the wall. A middle aged Brazilian woman approached the table.

  “Olá boys? You will eat food, yes?” She asked using her best English. Jack and Jolly smiled at her knowing that these were the only English words she knew.

  They ordered the day’s special and two beers. She disappeared into the kitchen for a moment then returned with two cool beers. Five minutes later Cyril Burke walked out of the kitchen with two hot plates of food. When he saw Jack and Jolly he hesitated for a moment. The two men just grinned at him. Cyril’s shoulders drooped as he realized he had no choice now but to deliver the food and face the inevitable interrogation that was to follow.

  “You have seen the Valkyrie dock I take it?” Cyril said dolefully.

  “Have a seat Cyril.” Jack said.

  “But Jack, I have a business to run.” Burke pleaded.

  “Sit!” Jack ordered.

  Cyril Burke released a sigh of surrender and sat down at the table with the men. They did not even pose a question; Burke simply began speaking while they ate.

  “Three days ago Johann Schmidt and his men showed up here looking for a guide. He began feeding me that rot about a scientific expedition to study flowers and ferns. Hell, I don’t care why they want to go into the Jungle Jack, you know that?” Jack nodded his head encouraging Cyril to continue.

  “Well I had my doubts of course but he had money and put it right in my hand he did. You can’t hold that against me now can you Jolly old mate?” Jolly shook his head still chewing.

  “So I set’s up the meeting with you and Schmidt at the Café Carioca knowing that if a fool like me can see through him someone smart as you will see his lies right off. And sure as you did Jolly, sure as you did. Now that very same night as Schmidt was here who should come stumbling into my pub, well if it aint old Fred Tanner from Sao Paulo. Now he’d just come in on a little sixty foot Tramp Steamer about an hour earlier and he was full of stories about a big German cargo ship headed this way full of guns and German soldiers and nasty lookin’ Nazi’s sportin’ black uniforms and calling themselves the Waffen-SS, whatever that means. As soon as Old Fred told me I closed up and headed right over to warn you boys, but it was too late you were already gone. I knew you two would be all right though, yes sir, you got the drop on them didn’t you Jack old boy.”

  “It took you all night and most of the next morning to garner this information from Old Fred?” Jack asked sarcastically. “It would have been nice to know these things before the meeting with Schmidt!”

  “Old Fred he likes to talk but sometimes it takes him a while to get to the point and a few pints to get him back around to the subject at hand. I did my best to keep him focused, that I did!” Burke said.

  “I’m sure you did.” Jack said.

  “Why are they here Cyril?” Jolly asked the question in a tone that caused Burke to tremble.

  “I don’t know Mr. Jolly, truly I don’t.” Burke answered in all earnestness. “All I know is that they showed up here after meeting with you. Schmidt met with Grissop for about an hour and then Grissop rounded up six other men after the German’s left. From the talk and gossip it sounds as if the German’s are looking for something out there. I don’t know what, truly I don’t Mr. Jolly.”

  “What men?” Jack asked.

  Burke looked at Jack quizzically.

  “Who were the six men Grissop met with?” Jack asked again.

  “Uh let me see, there was Smoots, Gunn, uhm, Quinn, Ferguson, West and… Tucker, yes that’s the six of them.” Burke said.

  “What else Cyril, there was a man with them, a civilian being forced into a car.” Jolly asked.


  “No Jolly, no, I don’t know nothin’ about no civilian. Old Fred said nothin’ about no civilian.” Burke appeared to be truly surprised.

  “All right Cyril, if you hear anything else you will tell us straight away, yes?” Jolly said in a warning tone.

  “Yes Jolly, of course I will.” Burke rose from the table wiping sweat from his forehead with his shirt sleeve as he moved off quickly toward the kitchen.

  The two ordered more beer then quietly meditated on all that they had seen and heard. Sitting at the table they watched the bustle of the patrons and staff and listened to the noisy routine of the Lazy Peacock.

  In his head Jack moved around pieces of information like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, trying to make things fit together and form some kind of discernible image.

  “The colonist that came to Brazil in 1935 comprised a group of less than three dozen men.” He said to Jolly. “They came to establish a working community in the jungle. What could they possibly have brought with them of any value that would warrant this kind of a recovery force?”

  Baffled, Jolly simply shook his head.

  “And who was the civilian being hustled down the gang plank and thrust into the car?” Jack continued. “He was definitely being strong armed.”

  The door of the Lazy Peacock swung open. Quaid Grissop entered the tavern followed by the six men Cyril had listed as now working for the German’s. The seven men found a table and sat down. After a few minutes Grissop got up and made his way over to where Jack and Jolly were sitting. As he approached Jack pushed a chair out from the table for the man to sit on.

  Grissop was only a few years older than Jack, having come to South America after the war. He was an Englishman who had some legal trouble in his home country that did not follow him here. He had an easy way about him and a quick wit. Jack and Jolly had often hired him as an extra hand on longer expeditions. Quaid was average height and average build with brown hair and brown eyes and a friendly smile. He was a trusted friend and a good man.

  “Gent’s” he said, accepting the chair, “how goes it?”

  “Quaid.” Both men acknowledged his presence.

  “No hard feelings over the German’s charter?” he asked Jack and Jolly.

  “No hard feelings.” Jolly answered.

  “I am a little surprised Quaid!” Jack blurted. “You’re taking quite a risk working for Nazi’s!”

  “Well now, hold on Jack.” Grissop said with a chuckle. “First of all, since when did we start screening our clients based on political ideologies? Second, they are paying double my normal fee. If you Gent’s want to leave money on the table that’s your choice, I can’t afford to be that particular.”

  “Have they told you what they are looking for Quaid?” Jolly asked.

  “Their friends went missing, some colonist, they want to rescue them.” Grissop replied.

  “Oh come on Quaid!” Jack bellowed. “You know as well as I do those missing people are long dead. They have starved to death or been killed by Indians.”

  “Maybe, maybe not.” Grissop replied. “I guess that’s what they are paying me to find out. Anyway, we leave in the morning. You two stay out of trouble until I get back.”

  “Where are you going to start looking Quaid, do they have any idea where those people were last heard from.” Jack asked, now showing concern for his friend.

  “They have an idea.” Quaid said with a grin. “But it’s all very hush-hush and top-secret. If I told you, I would have to kill you.” Quaid Grissop smiled and shook their hands then went back to his own table.

  Jack and Jolly paid their tab and walked toward the Hotel Gloria. On the way Jack expressed his concerns to Jolly for Quaid’s safety.

  “The whole affair stinks of lies and corruption Jack. But you said all one gentleman could say to another without accusing Quaid of being a party to that corruption.” Jolly counseled his young friend. “It is out of our hands and none of our business. I know that is difficult for you to resolve however that is how Quaid wants it.”

  The men spent the next two weeks cleaning weapons and inventorying equipment. Both men were tense and restless. They did not like the fact that the Nazi’s were in Rio nor that their true reason for being here was unknown. Cage and Joley would not interfere with the German’s, however they would be ready for any kind of trouble that might be stirred up by their presence. It was not long before that trouble arrived.

  On the afternoon of the fifteenth day after the arrival of the German forces, an Indian boy found Jack in the hotel lobby reading the latest world news reports.

  “Senor Jack. Senor Burke say you come see him straight away please.” The boy implored while pulling on Jacks hand.

  “Alright Mapi, alright.” Jack said. “Let’s call Senor Jolly first, yes?”

  Using the Lobby telephone Jack called Jolly and told him to meet him in front of the hotel. He then gave Mapi a small coin and told him to run ahead and tell Senor Burke that they were on their way. When Jolly arrived the two men set off for the Lazy Peacock. Jolly asked Jack what the fuss was all about.

  “I don’t know.” Jack said. “Mapi only said ‘Woman come, Woman come!”

  “Woman?” Jolly spoke the word with an inflection of mystery in his voice and a grin on his face.

  The men arrived at the Lazy Peacock to find Cyril Burke and only a handful of the usual customers at the tavern.

  “Cyril,” Jack called as he walked up to the bar, “did you send Mapi to bring us?”

  Burke motioned for Jack and Jolly to follow him as he moved toward the far end of the bar and then down a hallway leading to the private dining rooms. Pausing at the second door on the left he waited for the two men to catch up, knocked on the door and then opened it.

  The Lazy Peacock was a Tavern, however Cyril Burke knew the value of having an establishment suitable for even the rich and powerful to frequent when the need or desire arose. He had four private dining rooms built so that wealthy visitors could imbibe in the more nefarious activities offered at his establishment and yet still maintain their anonymity or, so that they could meet with the men that handled the quieter more private side of their business endeavors without the official entanglements.

  As the door swung open into the room any one would have been impressed by the expensive mahogany furniture covered in leather and silk. They would have been fascinated with the hand carved jade sculpture imported from the orient set as a center piece on the round mahogany table. Their eyes would have been deliberately drawn to the Japanese ink drawings lining the walls of the room. Jack and Jolly focused on none of these treasures. Their attention was pulled inescapably to the woman seated in front of them.

  “Monsieur Motroye Joley & Mr. Jack Cage,” Cyril began, “May I introduce you to Mademoiselle Docteur Sophie de Wulf.”

  Sophie de Wulf was sitting at the mahogany table with her long legs crossed and a glass of Scotch in front of her. As Cyril introduced her she stood to greet the two men, her beauty was breathtaking. Sophie wore a navy blue calf length dress with white piping that exquisitely complimented her tall athletic body. The dress was adorned with a white collar and small ruffles that left her smooth graceful shoulders exposed and a matching hat with a short veil. She was a tall girl in her late twenties with auburn hair, full lips and large light brown almost golden eyes. A few freckles could be seen scattered across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose which tempered her exceptional beauty with just the right amount of unsophisticated cuteness.

  “Bonsoir Mademoiselle de Wulf.” Jolly said politely.

  “Bonsoir Capitaine Joley.” Sophie replied with a lovely French accent. “I cannot thank you enough for meeting me on such short notice.”

  Jolly was momentarily stunned by the use of his military title. He had not been referred to as “Capitaine” in almost twenty years. He suddenly had the feeling he was about to be conscripted for active duty in this young woman’s quest, whatever it may be. He was just about to protes
t the use of his old military title, however when he turned to Jack for support he suddenly lost all hope of any defense.

  Poor Jack Cage had been ambushed. He was gazing at Sophie as if she were a glimmering angel that had descended from heaven before his very eyes. He was bewitched, captivated by her beauty and swept off his feet. Jolly simply looked at his younger friend and exhaled a slight groan.

  “Pardonnez-moi Mademoiselle de Wulf” Jolly replied, “However you seem to have the advantage over me. Have we met before?”

  “No Capitaine, however I bring greetings from Le Général DeMonte. He sends his regards in this letter of introduction and begs you to give me aid in my most desperate time.” She said.

  Jack snapped out of his trance at the mention of the name DeMonte. Charles DeMonte was Matroye Joley’s commander during the war and a beloved friend of both Joley and Cage. Jolly opened the sealed letter which, after greetings to his friend Matroye, simply said that Sophie was to be trusted and treated as if she were DeMonte’s own daughter. No other words were required for Jolly to know what the General expected of him, and the bond between them was such that Jolly would gladly agree to help the girl solely upon the request of his old friend.

  “Perhaps we should sit down and get acquainted while Cyril prepares our dinner.” Jolly said ushering Burke out of the room.

  “How is General DeMonte?” Jack asked.

  “He is well and sends his most affectionate regards to you as well Monsieur Cage.” Sophie favored Jack with a warm and genuine smile that made his heart race as if he were back on the Western Front being targeted by German artillery. Jack found a chair and sat down before he fell down.

  “Good, that’s good… good.” Jack fumbled.

  “Have you made lodging arrangements Mademoiselle de Wulf?” Jolly asked. “Pardonnez-moi, I am sorry, do you prefer Mademoiselle Docteur?” Jolly corrected himself.

  “Please, gentlemen, I have no time for etiquette and pleasantries.” Sophie appeared anxious and distressed. “I am in dire need of your assistance. I need guides to take me here and I must leave immediately.” She drew forth a scrap of paper from her purse handing it to Jolly.

  Jolly looked at the paper offered to him and then gave Sophie a dubious yet silent appraisal. He then handed the note to Jack who snickered ignominiously.

  “You can’t be serious?” Jack cried. “Rio das Mortes! Do you have any idea what you are asking? Even if we agreed to go you would never survive the journey!”

  “What? Why do you say such a thing Monsieur Cage?” Sophie asked indignantly.

  “The River of Death is on the south-eastern edge of the Xingu Indian territory.” Jack began. “The Xingu are headhunters and cannibals, which is why it is called the River of Death. It is also thirteen hundred miles into virtually unexplored Amazon Jungle territory. And finally Mademoiselle de Wulf you are a woman and women do not travel in the Amazon!”

  Sophie de Wulf glared at Jack with an intensity that could have melted lead. In fact, for a moment, Jack thought that he actually saw gold colored flames dancing in those beautiful eyes. Perhaps it was only a reflection of the sudden flush that had come to her cheeks.

  “Monsieur Cage, I will have you know that I have traveled the darkest parts of Africa and the coldest parts of the Himalayas in search of medicines to cure deadly diseases. I have faced excessive heat and cold, hunger and thirst. I have been held captive by bandits and attacked by wild animals.”

  Before Jack could reply she terminated their interchange with a dismissive toss of her head that caused one, wild, curly auburn lock of hair to escape from under her hat.

  She now focused her attention on Jolly.

  “Capitaine Joley! I have already traveled more than a thousand miles to get here and I will not be kept from my task by this smelly, bigoted miscreant.” She declared. “I intend to embark on this journey as soon as possible and I will do so with or without your assistance and alone if I must. I have money and I will pay whatever price is demanded to accomplish my objective, that you can be assured of.”

  Sophie had risen to her feet and placed her hands on her hips towering over the two seated men like a raging goddess. Jack thought that he had never seen a more impressive or imposing sight.

  “Mademoiselle de Wulf, please sit down.” Jolly attempted to calm the young woman.

  Sophie plopped back down in her chair, her arms and legs crossed, one foot twitching in uncontrolled rage as her brow furrowed over angry eyes. Jolly wondered if she was a spoiled child or if she had a real purpose for such a dangerous request.

  “Mademoiselle, why would you want to travel into such a foreboding region of the Amazon?” he asked gently.

  “My father has been abducted and I have come to recover him.” She said flatly.

  Jack felt pieces of the mental puzzle falling into place. Sophie’s father must have been the old man they had seen disembarking the Valkyrie with the Nazi SS Troops.

  “Who kidnapped your father?” Jack asked.

  “Vincent Xavier Venoma.” She said. “He is and agent of Adolf Hitler and a Sociopathic assassin. It is said that he murdered three children when he was only a small boy himself, only his family wealth and power kept him from imprisonment. He, and the seven Wafen SS Storm Trooper’s he travels with, are rumored to be personally responsible for the murder of over two hundred of Hitler’s political rivals. These men torture children in front of their mother’s to gain information about the husbands and fathers.”

  “My father, Kermit de Wulf, is a Proffessor at Berlin University, he is one of the world’s leading physicist.” Sophie continued. “Venoma simply appeared at the University a few weeks ago demanding to see him, barged in to his class room and arrested him.” Sophie remained stoic however Jack could plainly see one small tear glistening on her lovely cheek.

  “A few days later he was apparently brought back to the University to retrieve items from his office. I found that note stuffed in the bottom of a small statue he kept on his desk. The statue had been a gift from me and he knew I would find the note there. You see the first thing I do when I enter his office is to pick it up and dust it off. He does not pay attention to such things, he is silly that way. He left the note for me! So you see, I cannot abandon him. He is counting on me to help him,” more tears appeared upon her beautiful cheeks “and now I need you to help me. Please, I beg you, help me find him?”

  A knock was heard at the door and Cyril Burke entered, followed by the same middle aged Brazilian woman from the day before, carrying food and a carafe of Scotch. The woman noticed Sophie was crying and gave Cyril a nudge.

  “Here now Miss, is everything alright?” He asked with genuine concern. “Mr. Jolly sir with all due respect I won’t be havin’ my customers harassed, especially a lady as proper as Miss de Wulf.”

  “Mademoiselle de Wulf has simply been relaying a sad story.” Jolly said. Standing up he took Cyril and the woman gently by the arm and escorted them out of the room. “Now go take care of your less proper customers and leave us alone.”

  Jack poured Sophie a drink and then one for Jolly and himself. The three ate their meal in silence, the men digesting Sophie’s story while she composed herself. They had many, many questions that needed to be answered. Jack was the first to break the silence.

  “A small steamer could carry the three of us as far as Cuyaba.” He said rather softly.

  Jolly looked at his friend. “Are you sure Jack?” He asked.

  Sophie looked up from her untouched plate of food. A smile spread across her face as she began to realize what the men were saying. As Jack looked at her he thought that he would probably do anything within his power to be the cause of that smile and even more to be its purpose.