Bolivia
By Atonia
Part 6
Half way to the village Jean Paul called Dino on his radio and gave him the coordinates, a wide space along the riverbank would have to do and it would have to be quick.
Dino jumped in the river, it was shallow amongst the rocks and he twisted his ankle, cursing a blue streak he crawled up on the riverbank and Jean Paul brought Terry out of the undergrowth. Whether it was the pain in his ankle or seeing Terry he didn’t know but he burst out crying and grabbed him around the shoulders.
“Ah ya son of a bitch, look at ya, made me break my fucking ankle.”
“Terry smiled and hugged him back, “Hey mate, I’ve been waiting for ya.”
“I thought you’d bought the big one, I honestly did.” They looked into each other’s eyes a moment. Jean Paul backed away looking at the helicopter as it made another run, now or never…
Mean Marine jumped out into the water and came for Terry; he carried him to the helicopter and tossed him in reaching behind him for Dino being supported by Jean Paul. Once they were in the helicopter took off for La Paz.
Dino sat in the helicopter with a cold pack on his ankle looking across at Terry who’d been quiet since they took off.
“You look like shit warmed over.” He complimented
Terry slid his eyes over to Dino, “I have an excuse…”
Terry was thinking about Toni and Jacky and as tired as he was he let his mind open, unguarded he wanted to be home. He smiled a little looking out of the open helicopter; Jacky was looking at the horses…with Max.
Max felt sorry for Jacky poor little tyke, he picked him up and took him outside and walked with him down to the stables, Tom would be tending to the horses about now. He paused a minute checking the progress on the fence around the pool, coming along nicely he thought and went on down to the stables.
“Daddee,” Jacky said
Max hugged him a little closer, “Soon I hope, Jacky.”
“Daddee in trees.”
Max looked at him a moment and set him down in the stables and Tom gave him a handful of oats to put in the trough.
“Daddee horse.”
“Yeah it is, what’s his name?”
Jacky dropped the oats and ran out of the stable, “Daddee, Daddee.” He’d made contact with Terry.
Max felt it too and scooped Jacky up running back toward the house to let Toni know, if John hadn’t already.
John had just poured two cups of coffee and nearly dropped the pot, “Ah there you are.” He smiled.
“Did you say something, John?”
Max came in breathless with Jacky, “We’ve got him,”
“Yeah…thank God we’ve got him.” John grinning ear to ear.
“Jacky knows don’t you boy?”
“Daddee,” he clapped his hands.
“Somebody tell me…” Toni shouted.
“We’ve made contact, love he’s finally opened the channel, oh yes he’s alive and he wants to come home.”
“Oh…” Toni jumped up and grabbed Jacky from Max; she bit her lip as tears ran down her face.
“Jacky says he’s in trees,” Max raised his brows.
“No,” Jacky shook his head, “Aroplan.”
“Could he be heading home you reckon?” John asked.
“Don’t know…I hope we get a phone call from somebody soon.” Relief flooded Max he sat down in a chair and pushed the palms of his hands into his eyes. “You know John and I both felt he was still with us, but until just now we didn’t know for sure. I don’t know what it would feel like to lose one of us and I don’t ever want to know what it feels like.”
“Me either,” John set a cup of coffee in front of Max, “It’s going to be all right now, Toni, just a matter of getting him home.”
Toni set Jacky down on the floor and he went for his toy box Munchie had made for him in the kitchen out of an old crate. He dug around looking for something.
“I hope he’s all right, I know he was shot…I can’t think something could be wrong with him. I want him home.”
“Well, you know it will take a few days, Toni but once you can talk to him it will be better for you.” John said handing her a cup of coffee.
Jacky came running back over with his toy, “Daddee,” he held up his Fisher Price helicopter with little people inside.
Toni smiled and kissed the top of his blond curly head. “I guess he’s in a helicopter now.”
There hadn’t been time for phone calls until now, Terry had been taken to the emergency room in La Paz and was in surgery to clean up the wound on his thigh.
Dino had his ankle taped and hobbled out into the waiting area where Mean Marine and Jean Paul had been talking.
“Your ankle it is okay?” Jean Paul asked him.
“It ain’t nothing, any word on Tio?”
“Nothing yet,” Mean replied.
He blew out a breath, “I gotta phone call to make.” He walked over to the windows and called Toni.
“He always like this?” Jean Paul asked.
“No, he’s worse; this is one of his good days. Your Terry, you think he’ll go back into the field again?”
Jean Paul gave a Gallic shrug, “Ah…yes I think he will, he’s made that way.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. And you what are your plans when you get home?”
“I have a new song to work out an arrangement for with my band. You know…I had to do something while I was in Bolivia.”
Mean Marine’s face split into a wide smile, “Yeah I reckon you did.”
TBC